Part One: What happened at CES? The weird and the wonderful
By Fay Capstick
It’s that time of year again, when all the new tech that we can expect to enter our lives, is unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at the Las Vegas Convention Center (and no, we are not at all jealous not to be there). This week we will look at some of the things that you might have missed from the 1,400 companies showing: the weird, the bizarre, the cool, and fun stuff that we all want to play with.
AI is everywhere
You won’t be surprised to learn that AI played a huge role at CES this year, and we predict that this will increase each year. It is hard to think of a gadget that won’t be using AI in some form or another going forward. This will hopefully be the fun side of AI, rather than the worrying side that could cause havoc. Of course, putting AI into gadgets isn’t new, it’s just a very popular thing to highlight at the moment.
Fancy an AI Rabbit?
This is a super fun little helper that is launching soon. It promises to help with all the boring and repetitive tasks, like calling an Uber. It is a little pocket-sized device with a screen and button. It will work by voice commands, and then do all the stuff you can’t be bothered to, like adding an album to your Apple Music playlist. The downside is that you will need to pay for it to have a data connection separate from your phone. We think it is super cute and could prove a useful gadget, so it will be interesting to see how it fairs beyond the initial interest, as much of what it does could be done by the Apple Watch already on your wrist.
For those who really want their gadgets everywhere…
How about one of those Japanese-style toilet seats? The Kohler PureWash E930, yours for only $2,149, and it can be added to your existing toilet. It will wash and dry you from the comfort of the heated seat, and you can ask Alexa to perform the tasks for a totally hands-free experience.
https://www.kohler.com/en/products/toilet-seats-bidet-seats
VR
After a rocky start decades ago, VR and AR are now starting to take off and get properly good. As we know, Apple is set to enter the market this year (happy to be a tester, Apple, in case you are reading) with an offering that looks properly exciting even to non-gamers, the Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s preview suggests that you will be able to see the real world while wearing the headset. This is great for not ending up in casualty when you forget you have furniture.
VR workout platform FitXR debuted its Slam experience at CES. Outward-facing cameras will give an augmented reality view that will mean less chance of hurting yourself when working out. Another Apple Vision Pro competitor was to be found in the AirVision M1 glasses from Asus.
BMW showed a prototype that could see AR glasses being used by car drivers, with the Xreal Air 2 glasses. These could guide you, warn about speed limit changes and potholes. We think this one actually has potential. But personally, I’d like to see it built into the car windscreen rather than by having to wear a pair of glasses.
Expect to see a lot more AR glasses next year.
Floor cleaning gets easier?
Roborock showed two products aiming to take the drudgery out of cleaning. They have a Flexi Series, which is a handheld vacuum and mop. It will adjust its power as needed and can clean and dry itself.
They also showed the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. This will vacuum and mop your floors, automatically emptying and refilling if you connect it to your home drains and water. It will even tell you if you need to ask your pet to move. The problem with all these devices is that pets tend to hate them and be disinclined to move when asked. I’ve not yet seen a device that doesn’t eventually choke on dog hair generated by fluffy breeds. Convince me otherwise. In the meantime, I’ll be sticking with a low-tech mop and bucket. No AI needed, and a lot cheaper than the S8 MaxV Ultra price of $1800.
Worried about power outages?
More extreme weather seems to be resulting in more glitches in the power networks, which causes problems if your fridge or wi-fi can’t get juice. Generators have been around for years, powered by petrol, diesel, or gas. A new generator on the market says it can power your entire home, including your aircon. The Delta Pro Ultra from EcoFlow can be charged from your solar panels, power grid or generator. This way it’ll be constantly powered up and ready to swing into action. The huge 90-kwh battery can keep your basics going for a month. Really worried? You can get more than one and connect them, so your emergency bunker is ready for anything. This is also great for home workers and those who need to keep medical equipment powered. The downside is the price, at nearly $6k per unit.
Final thoughts
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