2016 was a remarkable year for CEVA, as our customers shipped more than 1 billion CEVA-powered devices. As well powering one in three handsets sold worldwide, including the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7, we saw tremendous growth in the use of our technologies inside many new devices and end markets. Below are ten of the coolest devices introduced during 2016 powered by CEVA signal processing IP.
1. Oticon Opn – the World’s First Internet Connected Hearing Aid
One of the most lauded products from CES 2017, and a recipient of two CES 2017 Innovation Awards, the Oticon Opn hearing aid is the first of its kind to embed Bluetooth directly into the hearing aid, allowing it to connect to any Bluetooth-enabled device and stream audio directly into the earpiece.
2. HMicro WiPoint – Wireless Biosensor Patch
The future of the medical industry is wireless! HiMicro’s wireless biosensor patch replaces all those annoying cables restricting your movement in a hospital bed. Expect to see these patches widely deployed in 2017.
3. DJI Mavic Pro – Foldable Drone
The Mavic Pro is an awesome device, the most complete foldable drone in the market, combining portability with intelligence, excellent performance and cinemaphotography capabilities.
4. JLab Block Party Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Also a recipient of a CES 2017 Innovation Award JLab have come up with an excellent sounding portable speaker with a unique capability – the ability to connect up to 8 speakers together without the need for Wi-Fi. Using its own 5.8GHz network, the speakers form a mesh, with only one being connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth and the rest streaming the same audio feed. Genius!
5. Tile Slim – Locator
Tile have been around for a couple of years with their Bluetooth low energy trackers, but the Tile Slim is a game changer, with a thickness of only 2 credit cards and a guaranteed battery life of 1 year. This tracker can be attached to literally anything and located via Bluetooth connection to your smartphone
6. FujiFilm X-T2 – mirrorless camera
Mirrorless cameras as becoming very popular among consumers, professionals and enthusiasts alike. FujiFilm’s X-T2 won Popular Photography’s Camera of the Year award for 2016 due to its overall performance, build quality and advanced shooting capabilities including a hybrid viewfinder.
7. Pebble 2 + Heart Rate Smartwatch
The perfect hybrid between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker, the Pebble 2 + Heart Rate is connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth but acts equally well independent of it. With automatic exercise tracking, optical heartrate monitor, waterproof up to 30 meters and a battery life of up to 1 week, this watch is ideal for anyone who wants all the features of a smartwatch for notifications etc, with the features of a fitness band, and for a reasonable price.
8. MisFit Shine 2 Fitness Tracker
The second generation fitness tracker from Misfit, this has some key advantages over most of the other wearable trackers in the market – it can be easily worn anywhere on the body, is waterproof up to 50 meters and can track your swimming, so is great for triathletes and busy parents alike! It provides notifications for new messages, calls etc via a Bluetooth link to your smartphone. Also, via Bluetooth, it can be used to interact with many smart home devices such as the Nest Thermostat and Hue Smart Bulbs!
9. Pokemon Go Plus – Wearable Pokemon capture device
One of the biggest crazes of 2016 was the introduction of Pokemon Go! Millions of people all over the world jumped on board the first game that truly brought augmented reality to a mass audience. The Pokemon Go Plus is a nifty accessory that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and alerts you when a Pokemon is in your area, saving you from having to walk around 24/7 looking at your screen! You can even use the button to throw Pokeballs, collect rewards, while the device also acts as a step counter and tracks distance walked etc. The perfect accessory for any Pokemon Go enthusiast.
10. Google Daydream Controller
Virtual Reality is one of the most exciting technology developments of recent times. There are many different providers of Goggles and headsets out there, delivering an awesome VR experience. The Google Daydream VR headset however comes with a clever controller which links via Bluetooth to the headset and allows the user to explore the virtual environment. You can use it to point at and click on objects, navigate menus, and more.
Richard Kingston