Every January the worlds biggest brands come together to reveal breakthroughs in technology in what is known as CES (Consumer Electric Show). This is the place where technology’s sharpest minds unveil their latest releases and breakthrough products. It is often the first chance consumers get to see what companies are working on and getting read to release first hand.
With technology changing and adapting at a rapid speed, what is highlighted at CES is always a great way to catch up with both major changes and updates and even minor ones. Here are some of the products released during CES 2024 and their ministry implications.
Drivers Manuals being Replaced
Drivers manuals are in every new car and they outline the basics about that particular car so that the car owner can get to know their car best. If we are honest, in this online world we are living in, they are pretty outdated source of help. How many people will google a question about a car issue rather than look it up in a 2-300 page driver's manual? Well, this year, at CES, Amazon and BMW, may have found a great solution for this. They announced a partnership where they are replacing the driver's manual with AI. This makes perfect sense because, let's be honest, cars are becoming more and more tech based. And, with AI, more people will probably check out issues with their car more so than looking up an outdated paper manual. And, they can do other functions with it as well. Here is a video demo of what it would look like.
Ministry Takeaway: What old content do you have that needs to be digitized? Could you update your old and beaten up hymnals with digital copies of the songs you are singing that week. Or, like many Churches now, project them up on a screen. Could you replace your paper connection cards with a QR code that people can scan? If we update our old content, maybe more people may use it and find it useful.
Foldable Monitors
We have heard a lot about foldable phones these days, but have you heard about foldable monitors? At CES 2024, ASUS announced the ZenScreen Fold, which the company's claims is the world’s first foldable OLED portable monitor. While it is just 17.3 inches across, it comes with a carrying case to help transport it around. The biggest con to this monitor is the price. It costs $2,000. Find out more about it here.
Ministry Takeaway: Monitors are hard to carry around and they can be clunky to set up. Having a monitor that you can easily move (it folds and comes with a carrying bag) and can be adjusted to fit tight spaces. If you can afford it, it would be nice to have and use.
Further Advancements
Just like smartphone development slowing over the years, there hasn't been a ton of major advancements like there used to be. A lot of it is increasing performance and speed. But, there are other advancements as well. For instance, you can check out this.dual-screen notebook like this year's ZenBook Duo. It is really impressive. Also, there is the LG Signature OLED T TV that is a 77 in transparent screen that is the first one to be sold to consumers. And lastly, there is cool tech that is a little retro that is an iPhone case with a physical keyboard that got released. Find out some of the other cool gadgets that are out there right now that you can buy now here.
Ministry Takeaway: Every year there are advancements in technology. Some of these new advancements may be just perfect for you and some may not be. One thing to consider for your ministry is that while some of these new products are just being released and fairly expensive, they will ultimately come down in price as more and more companies make these and the technology advances. So, be on the lookout for what fits your ministry currently but also something that may be a great add to your ministry in a few years.
Conclusion
Technology continues to advance. Some are major advancements and some are minor advancements. As technology advances, there will be new ways for ministries to use that technology to help create environments for people to hear about God and be transformed. Highlighted above are just a sampling of what got shared and remember that for everything that got shared, there are tons of products being worked on right now that didn't get shared, but will be released later this year. Keep praying to God to see where He leads you as you adapt new technology for His purposes.
What do you think? What are other takeaways from CES 2024? Share your ideas below or on social media.
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