Flying cars, massage pods on show at tech extravaganza

Las Vegas: The year 2020 has a special place in so many science fiction stories.

Flying cars, robots, holograms and all types of virtual reality was promised and largely went undelivered.

But at three huge convention halls, just off the Las Vegas strip this week, that promised future is reality.

The annual Consumer Electronic Show sees thousands of people touring hundreds of exhibits, all showcasing the latest advancements in technology.

The big players like Samsung and LG showcase big televisions and bigger innovations.

Both offer sharper, slimmer 8K technology that in some cases rolls up for storage, and in other cases rotates to match your phone screen.

Senses are overloaded with lights and sounds throughout.

There are practical innovations, a fridge that can grow herbs from pods or a front door that features facial recognition locks and a storage locker for parcel deliveries.

In the North Hall, Ford is showing off a new electronic car not too far from where Bell technologies has their own car that flies.

In the far Southern Hall, smaller start-ups fly drones, engrave straws with laser lights and play loud music, hoping to entice thousands of over-stimulated guests into their booths.

There are massage pods lulling people to sleep next to a salesman that's promoting a pillow that prevents snoring.

There Linksys is showcasing their "velop triband" technology that's explained as using router mesh WiFi to monitor security on motion sensor removing the need for cameras.

It follows a rule for this year's show: the technology learns the user, rather than the user learning the technology.

It's a switch that is also foreshadowed in those science fiction films.

We'll know for sure though that a lot of this technology will be available in Australia within a year.

The future promised at CES will be convenient and integrated and comfortable and loud. 

2020 is here, but the future's not far away.