The father of the cellphone was there. So was Huawei and a host of other Chinese tech companies. Tens of thousands of visitors also flocked to the MWC tech fair to be dazzled by the latest advances in AI, smartphones, robotics and much more.
The metaverse got a lot of attention at the show, also known as Mobile World Congress, as companies cash in on the hype surrounding new virtual worlds for work and play.
SK Telecom香蕉视频直播檚 virtual reality air taxi flight simulator was one of the most popular demonstrations, with long lines to take a virtual ride. There were robot dogs to remotely inspect infrastructure and holograms for virtual learning, along with speeches from wireless industry executives and backroom schmoozing with government officials.
Some 80,000 people were expected to attend the world香蕉视频直播檚 biggest wireless trade show, which wraps up its four-day run in Barcelona on Thursday.
Here香蕉视频直播檚 a look at some highlights:
SCROLL AND FOLD
While MWC smartphone launches don香蕉视频直播檛 get as much attention as they used to because innovations have slowed, devices with nifty screens took the spotlight.
Motorola added the wow factor by unveiling a phone with a screen that rolls out. Double tap your fingers on the side, and the display automatically extends from 5 inches long (13 centimeters) to 6.5 inches by unscrolling from the bottom.
Motorola香蕉视频直播檚 owner, Chinese tech brand Lenovo, also showed off a laptop with a rolling screen, which took about 19 seconds to unscroll to its fully extended position. The company said they香蕉视频直播檙e concept devices and unlikely to hit the market anytime soon.
Other brands including Samsung and China香蕉视频直播檚 Oppo and Tecno also released their latest folding designs.
Phones with foldable screens have drawn attention from consumers, but 香蕉视频直播渨hether that interest then translates into sales is a different question,香蕉视频直播� said Gerrit Schneemann, senior analyst at GfK Boutique. 香蕉视频直播淔or the next few years, I think they香蕉视频直播檒l still be a real niche market in the overall smartphone market. Growing, but still 香蕉视频直播� relatively speaking 香蕉视频直播� relatively small.香蕉视频直播�
AI CHAT GLASSES
Artificially intelligent chatbots like ChatGPT have taken the tech world by storm, and U.K. startup XRAI Glass is joining the fray with augmented reality glasses.
The company香蕉视频直播檚 virtual assistant app was designed to work with smart viewer glasses to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing better understand what香蕉视频直播檚 happening around them. Speech is transcribed from other people nearby and the subtitles are displayed onto the lenses or an attached smartphone.
Now XRAI (pronounced X-ray) has integrated OpenAI香蕉视频直播檚 ChatGPT technology into its app and glasses setup.
香蕉视频直播淧eople can ask questions such as general knowledge or recipes or anything they like,香蕉视频直播� CEO Dan Scarfe said. 香蕉视频直播淥r they can actually ask questions of their conversation. So, `Hey, XRAI, can you please summarize this conversation?香蕉视频直播� Or, `Hey, XRAI, what was the name of the town that we were just talking about?香蕉视频直播澫憬妒悠抵辈
For those with hearing loss, it can be helpful to have an AI assistant recap a conversation in which multiple people were talking, the company says.
DIGITAL HUMANS
People might feel better interacting with AI chatbots if they had human faces. That香蕉视频直播檚 the thinking at D-ID, an Israeli startup, which launched a new interface for its 香蕉视频直播渄igital human香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� essentially an online avatar that can work with AI-chat systems to hold conversations.
香蕉视频直播淲e had the chatbot in the past. They didn香蕉视频直播檛 work,香蕉视频直播� said CEO Gil Perry, because they could only answer specific questions with specific answers. Now, 香蕉视频直播渓arge language models are bringing huge improvements to traditional chatbots.香蕉视频直播�
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT can create readable text and hold conversations based on what they香蕉视频直播檝e learned from so-called large language models 香蕉视频直播� vast databases of digital books, online writings and other media.
Perry demonstrated by asking a question to the chatbot香蕉视频直播檚 face on his laptop, whose response was eerily lifelike. He said safeguards would prevent D-ID香蕉视频直播檚 technology from being used maliciously.
香蕉视频直播淭he idea here is not to replace anyone and not to convince anyone that what they香蕉视频直播檙e seeing is true,香蕉视频直播� Perry said. It香蕉视频直播檚 just that humans are 香蕉视频直播渦sed to communicating with faces.香蕉视频直播�
REMOTE CONTROL CARS
At German mobility startup Vay香蕉视频直播檚 display, a driver was steering a car around a course marked with pylons. But the car was 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) away in Berlin.
The company香蕉视频直播檚 technology enables cars to be driven by remote 香蕉视频直播渢ele-drivers.香蕉视频直播� So far, so standard.
The twist is in Vay香蕉视频直播檚 business model, which is a cross between taxi service and car rental. When a user hails a ride, a tele-driver will steer one of its electric cars to the pickup point for the customer, who will take over the driving duties. At the destination, the car will be taken away by a remote driver. No need to park.
The company says it香蕉视频直播檚 the first in Europe to be allowed to operate cars on public streets without a human driver inside. It has 20 certified tele-drivers so far and plans to launch the service soon in Germany and the U.S.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e talking, you know, hopefully months,香蕉视频直播� CEO Thomas von der Ohe said.
One of the main goals is to rid city streets of cars that are parked and not used for most of the day.
The service will be 香蕉视频直播渁 big step to start creating an alternative so people don香蕉视频直播檛 buy the second car or the third car maybe in the near future,香蕉视频直播� von der Ohe said. 香蕉视频直播淎lso not the first car. 香蕉视频直播�
AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCES
Software company Amdocs demonstrated AR technology that could be used for 香蕉视频直播渘ext-generation immersive experiences香蕉视频直播� for both fans and security staff at big-ticket sports games.
For example, soccer fans attending a match in person could buy a package of extras for their AR glasses, including exclusive replay videos and live stats shown on their lenses to 香蕉视频直播渁ugment香蕉视频直播� their game experience.
The same glasses also could be used as an extra tool for security staff at the game, with additional safety features including a security database.
In a simulation at MWC, guards were alerted to rowdy fans trying to climb the gates. A known soccer hooligan was flagged on the database, his face and details flashing up on the lenses.
Users, viewing the scene from the guard香蕉视频直播檚 perspective, scanned the crowd as the glasses picked out faces before identifying the suspect so he could be apprehended 香蕉视频直播� an unsettling display bordering on Orwellian.
By Cassandra Allwood, James Brooks And Kelvin Chan
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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