Engadget announced its annual Best of CES awards capped by a single “Best of the Best” product. Out of all the health care sensors, robots, and connected home devices the winner was found in the “transportation” category from Toyota for its ground breaking shift in not only automobiles, but in shopping in the future.
The Toyota e-Palette, introduced at CES, is an autonomous vehicle “module” that can convert from a transportation vehicle to a mini store that comes to you. It can become a pizza delivery truck or a rolling “pop up store,” that arrives when summoned. Still a concept, it would revolutionize, not only transportation, but retail.
Plus it could become a rolling shared mobile office, which could also upend small business as we know it. See more on the e-Palette here.
Sadly, in-car entertainment saw no winners at CES.
Allow CEoutlook then, to congratulate aftermarket suppliers Kenwood, JVC and Pioneer for becoming the first companies (OEM or aftermarket) to announce Android Auto Wireless. And we’re giving JVC credit for its plans to be first-to-market with the new feature. JVC is planning to ship in January, two Android Auto Wireless decks: a KW-V940BW 6.8-inch DVD/receiver with Waze and Google Assistant plus wired CarPlay at $699.95 and the mechless (DVD-less) version, the KW-M845BW at $599.95.
Kenwood showed 5 decks at CES with Android Auto Wireless, Waze, Google Assistant, and wired CarPlay capped by a $1,300 deck with the highest resolution to be found on a 7-inch screen at 1280 RGB x 720. The new deck also has wireless Garmin navigation. Called the DNX995S, it’s found under Kenwood’s new sub-brand, Excelon Reference, with shipping expected in March.
Pioneer also showed Android Auto Wireless in two decks–the prototype double DIN, 7-inch AVIC-W8400NEX and AVH-W4400NEX– that will also include wireless CarPlay when they ship later this year. Android Auto Wireless was demonstrated on the W8400NEX (but wireless CarPlay was not demonstrated). No shipping or pricing was provided.
only saw three people from car that I knew at the show.