1. Netflix stunned¹ the show with the announcement that it added 130 new countries and regions for its streaming TV service to bring its total to 190, calling it "the birth of a new global Internet TV network."

 

India will be one of the new markets for Netflix, which is still studying ways to get into the Chinese mainland.

 

2. Google and Lenovo announced plans to produce the first consumer handset using the US computing² giant's Project Tango 3D technology.

 

The device set to launch worldwide later this year aims for a new generation of smart devices that can be used for indoor mapping, augmented³ reality and more.

 

3. The 4K high-definition television format⁴ became the standard base for manufacturers, which showcased thinner and more spectacular displays for those willing to pay the price.

 

The Consumer Technology Association, the trade group behind CES, said one in every five televisions sold this year is expected to be 50 inches or more, measured diagonally, and feature ultra high-definition 4K resolution.

 

4. The Internet of Things showed spectacular growth from products like a smart mirror from Haier that delivers news and weather and connects to other appliances, and connected spoons and diet scales.

 

Samsung unveiled a smart refrigerator that lets its owner use a smartphone to virtually peer inside and see what should be on a shopping list.

 

5. Wearable technology probed deeper to get more data about health, while making inroads into the medical field: diagnosing conditions and even offering treatment for pain and other ailments⁵. Shoes measured steps and shirts kept tabs on heart rates.

 

French-based health group VisioMed introduced its Bewell Connect virtual checkup through a smartphone app that communicates with its connected blood pressure and glucose⁶ monitor, thermometer and blood oxygen sensor⁷.

 

6. Automakers moved to connect not only to the smartphone, but to the smart home and other parts of the digital life.

 

Ford⁸ teamed with Amazon to link up the carmaker's Sync vehicle hub with the online giant's smart home hub called Echo.

 

7. Virtual reality spread beyond video games to touch sex, sports, sales and space exploration. Facebook-owned Oculus began taking pre-orders for its eagerly-anticipated Rift⁹ VR headsets at a price of $599, and CES was rife¹⁰ with companies scrambling¹¹ to field competing devices or content that could draw people into faux worlds.

 

8. Startups turned attention to ways to tap into the brain.

 

A "mind control" headband unveiled by startup BrainCo effectively hacks¹² into brain signals with a range of possible applications -- from helping¹³ to improve attention spans, to detecting disease, controlling smart home appliances or even a prosthetic device.

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