Editorial

The polar vortex is a prevailing wind pattern that circles the Arctic, flowing from west to east all the way around the Earth. It normally keeps extremely cold air bottled up toward the North Pole. Occasionally, though, the vortex weakens, allowing the cold air to pour down across Canada into the U.S., or down into other regions such Eastern Europe.

Laptops, cameras and even phones have long been a fixture of CES, but the 2014 show also saw a wide range of technology for enhancing your automotive experience. With an auto-pilot car and Google Glass-controlled navigation system available to view, there was plenty of transportation-related technology to get excited about. Here’s our pick of the best.

Laptops, cameras and even phones have long been a fixture of CES, but the 2014 show also saw a wide range of technology for enhancing your automotive experience.

With an auto-pilot car and Google Glass-controlled navigation system available to view, there was plenty of transportation-related technology to get excited about. Here’s our pick of the best.

Now a handful of engineers around the world are trying to push the boundaries one step further — by printing objects that can build themselves.

It's called 4-D printing, and the fourth dimension in this case is time. Here's how it works: A 3-D printer with extremely high resolution uses materials that can respond to outside stimuli, like heat or light, as ink. The resulting structure can change, move or even assemble itself after it's been printed.

Imagine if a streetlamp knew you were coming. It could announce your arrival from a distance. If you were on a date, it could help set the mood. It could ring in the new year with dazzling effects, change color at will, even announce days in advance when its bulb was set to blow.

Forget the computer mouse. That technology is 40 years old. The next thing to watch for is eye tracking technology. The Vice President of Business Development at Tobii Technology Inc. discusses what to expect.