i3 - July/August 2019 - 4

Editor's Note

Summer Rules

I T I S I N N OVAT I O N
PRESIDENT AND CEO

Gary Shapiro

Maybe it's the heat, but summer makes us slow down - not a bad
thing in such a driven world. For me, down time during the summer means being near the water. If you are reading this during the
weekend, I am probably paddling around in my kayak. Not a bad
way to spend a few hours. Many of you are going on vacation in
the coming months too. I hope you are enjoying your time at the
beach, mountain range, or a new city - whatever suits you best.

THE NEW
FORECAST IS IN
CTA has released the latest version of the biannual U.S.
Consumer Technology Sales &
Forecasts. CTA expects the consumer technology industry to
cross the $400 billion milestone in
2019. The report is available free
to members at CTA.tech/
salesandforecasts.
4

JULY/AUGUST 2019

Jean Foster

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Cindy Loffler Stevens
MANAGING EDITOR

Mark Chisholm

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Jeremy Snow

SENIOR CREATIVE
MANAGER

ADVERTISING
MANAGEMENT

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CIRCULATION
MANAGER

John Lindsey

lthough it may slow down, the
tech world never stands still.
In this issue we look at how
Google and Apple are forging
a path into the gaming space, taking on
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. However,
these gaming giants have big plans of
their own. Sony and Microsoft have "next
generation" consoles on tap for 2020
releases, while Nintendo is rumored to be
making a less expensive Switch to focus
on a broader console gaming audience.
We also look at how blockchain is
impacting the retail sector with top
companies like Walmart, Samsung,
FedEx, Whole Foods and Alibaba already
experimenting with it. They may be the
tip of the spear for the wider adoption
of blockchain throughout the retail
industry as many cite data integrity and
security as key drivers of the technology. And see how robots are transforming retail, providing customers with new
in-store experiences in i3's C4 column.
Self-driving cars soon will impact cities, the question is: how? Some companies are working to solve the challenge
of how self-driving vehicles interface
with the physical world beyond just traffic lights and making turns safely - in the

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Ian Shields

MANAGER,
CREATIVE DIRECTION

Eric Schwartz

Gretchen Mitchler

Matt Patchett

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Gary Arlen, Alan Breznick, Robert Calem, Jack Cutts, John Gaudiosi,
Steve Koenig, Natalie Hope McDonald, Allan Richter,
Ron Schneiderman, Steve Smith, Susan Schreiner, Murray Slovick
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

New Age Electronics
President Fred Towns
talks with i3 in this issue.

not so distant future they may need to
make a few of the judgment calls that
humans do today.
Our Innovator profile is New Age
Electronics President Fred Towns. As a
nationwide distributor, his company sits
at the cross section in between manufacturers and retailers, giving him a
unique perspective on the industry. His
company works to help retailers remain
competitive with how-to seminars, product trainings and the latest information
for their websites. He experiences the
latest products and technologies, while
understanding the needs and challenges of the merchants that will ultimately sell them at retail.
We also examine the rollout of Wi-Fi 6
to see what the benefits are to your
company - including speeds that are
four times faster than Wi-Fi 5 devices.
Is there a technology that you want to
see covered in i3? Please send comments to cstevens@CTA.tech.

Kari Aakre, Intel; Dave Arland, Arland Communications;
Sally Washlow, Cedar Electronics; Peter Brinkman, Casio;
Gabriele Collier, HDMI; Kristen Cook, The Marketing Shack;
Danielle Deabler,NPR Labs; John Dunstan, Netgear; Sean Durkin,
Tencent; Bill Kircos, Intel; Bill Leebens, LM&M; Chris Loncto,
Sharp Electronics Corp.; Daniel Pidgeon; David Steel, Samsung;
John Taylor, LG Electronics
DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT

228 E 45TH ST., SUITE 701, NEW YORK, NY 10017

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Carolyn Miller

Marilyn Bain

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Andrea Heser

Lori Orient

PHOTO EDITOR

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Leah Rudolfo

Gabby Tan

It Is Innovation (i3) is published as a service to the members of the
Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and to key players in the consumer
technology industry. CTA represents more than 2,200 U.S. manufacturers
of audio, video, digital imaging, accessories, mobile electronics, home
networking, wireless communication, information technology and multimedia
products that are sold through consumer channels.
The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily
those of CTA. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome.
Address responses to: It Is Innovation (i3), Consumer Technology Association,
1919 South Eads St., Arlington, VA 22202, tel: 703 907 7600.
© 2019 Consumer Technology Association
Articles from this issue may be reproduced in whole or in part,
provided full credit is given to CTA.
CES® and International Consumer Electronics Show®
are trademarks owned by CTA.
It Is Innovation (i3) (USPS 022897 Vol. 7, No. 4) is published bi-monthly by the
Consumer Technology Association, 1919 South Eads St., Arlington, VA 22202.
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Cindy Loffler Stevens,
Editor-in-Chief
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

https://cta.tech/Research-Standards/Reports-Studies/Studies/2019/U-S-Consumer-Technology-Sales-and-Forecasts-2015.aspx https://www.cta.tech/ https://www.ces.tech/ https://cta.tech/Research-Standards/Reports-Studies/Studies/2019/U-S-Consumer-Technology-Sales-and-Forecasts-2015.aspx

i3 - July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - July/August 2019