Developer Christoph Kohstall shows the Nixie wearable drone camera during a keynote address by Intel Corp. CEO Brian Krzanich at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 6. The Nixie is a quad copter worn as a slap bracelet that takes photos when it flies in a pre-programmed mode, then returns to the user. Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
This month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was big, as were many of the products shown there. Giant, curved TVs, big new prototype vehicles that can drive themselves and, of course, cellphones with larger screens, which have become the norm of late.
But the miniaturization of tech continues everywhere else, and I was intrigued by a trend in so-called "micro-drones." While we may think of drones as radio-controlled helicopter-sized consumer products, some flying products at CES were no larger than a Rubik's Cube, and you can expect insect-sized drones to become common in a few years.
Perhaps the most interesting was "Nixie," a quad-copter drone that is worn on the wrist but which can be thrown into the air for those who want to take a selfie. Indulgent? Useless? Perhaps, but it's likely that cheap pocket-sized drones will gain in popularity, as annoying as that may sound.
In this space every week, we’ll define a tech term, offer a timely tip or answer questions about technology from readers. Email ogallaga@statesman.com.
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