CES’s BIZARREST TECH ON SHOW
NESTLED AMONG THE BIGNAME STANDS AND ‘NEXT BEST THINGS’ AT LAS VEGAS’ ANNUAL TECH CONVENTION, YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND A WIDE SELECTION OF MORE OFFBEAT PRODUCTS.
CES is a great place for finding the weird-and-wonderful — things that nobody every really asked for and that are often, well, unconventional to say the least. Here, we’ve put together just a small selection of some of our favourite bizarre products from this year’s show floor.
SPACE-AGED HAIR CARE
Saving your crowning glory may not be top priority, but it’s a vanity we’re all guilty of. But who knew we needed a dedicated device to tell us how to improve brushing our hair? L’Oreal, Withings and Kérastase have, together, developed a ‘smart brush’ that houses a mic and moisture sensors so it can detect how dry and susceptible to breakage your hair is, and even offer advice on your brushing style.
Alternatively, if there’s not that much left that actually needs brushing, the makers of the iGrowth claim that this helmet, which uses 51 lasers and LED lights, can make your mange mane thicker and more luxuriant. It even has built-in headphones so you can enjoy a gaming session while doing your hair. If a helmet sounds too claustrophobic, the HairMax Laser Band 41 says it’ll do much the same thing, but has its 41 lasers instead installed onto a thick hair band.
A TOOTHBRUSH THAT TALKS BACK
The Ara is clearly no ordinary mouth scrubber. Deep-learning algorithms embedded in the toothbrush are set to make the dentist’s chair obsolete. Data from sensors in the brush run through a low-power processor, enabling the system to learn your habits and refine your brushing technique. And here we are using boring bristles.
MY SHORTS ARE VIBRATING
What’s hotter than hotpants? Well, vibrating ones, of course. The Spinali Design shorts have vibrating sensors on the belt, which connect to the wearer’s smartphone via Bluetooth, helping them to navigate busy city streets by buzzing when they need to make a turn. The sensors even buzz for an incoming calls and texts — all things a smartwatch on your wrist would accomplish just as well, come to think of it...
THE LOVEBOX IS LESS SMUTTY THAN IT SOUNDS
This could be one of the more whimsical gadgets on display at CES — a wooden box touted as the most romantic connected object of all time. Crafted from beech wood in the French village of Saint-Amour, the LoveBox displays messages on a mirrored digital screen sent from a compatible smartphone app. And to notify users of unread messages, a heart on the side of the box spins, stopping only when the messages have been read.
CAN’T EVEN MAKE TOAST? HAVE WE GOT THE APPLIANCE FOR YOU...
The simplest appliance in your kitchen just got an upgrade — its days of burning your bread are over. Griffin Technology’s Connected Toaster depends on digitally-controlled heating elements allowing users to set a precise temperature and toasting time. And just in case you forgot what your favourite toasting preferences are, a Bluetooth connection to a free smartphone app will take care of that.
BETTER THAN A STICK, WE SUPPOSE
CES has it’s fair share of oddities every year and this year is no different, with this strangely named connected mini crib. In a bid to transform the way babies sleep, the DockATot Deluxe is touted as a multifunctional dock where the tots can lounge, play, snuggle and rest. But what’s a little ominous about this piece of smart furniture is its ability to poke a baby if the crib doesn’t detect a heartbeat for more than 12 seconds.
SPEAK IN SILENCE (WHILE LOOKING LIKE A SUPERVILLAIN)
Ever tempted to get a muzzle for colleagues that constantly chatter away on the phone or to each other? Well, there’s an almost-Banelike mask that could be their next Secret Santa gift. The Hushme is a voice mask attached to a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. The mask snaps shut in front of the mouth thanks to strong magnets, but allow calls to be made with conversations shielded, either by muffling or by adding sounds to drown out the speech.
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ‘TOO LITTLE BASS’?
It’s the age of the wearable, so why should your thumping beats be left behind while you’re out and about? Now you can snap on this one-of-a-kind watch-size subwoofer onto your wrist — and it’s pretty much compatible with any audio device that has a traditional 3.5mm audio-out jack. The Basslet, from German startup Lofelt, is a black box that’s... well, just that. Simply plug a dongle into the audio jack of your phone or music player for headphones, play some tunes and the Basslet will gently thump away on your wrist.
JUST STICK THIS SPIKY THING ON YOUR FACE
Samsung has decided to bring to light the nitty-gritty details of our skin’s condition with a handheld device. The S Skin will project light on your skin, the reflection of which will be analysed by inbuilt sensors. Metal contacts on the device can simultaneously determine your skin’s moisture level to measure conductivity. This data will then be fed into a smartphone app to provide you with a customised beauty regime. The package will even include microneedle nutrient patches to keep your skin looking younger.
NOT QUITE AS EXCITING AS BEER GOOGLES, BUT CLOSE
Ever wish you had something to tell you when to call it a night before you toppled into a puddle of vomit? The BACTrack Skyn is the world’s first wearable that has the potential to provide a detailed assessment on how our bodies handle drinks. It measures a person’s transdermal alcohol content (TAC) in near real-time without needing to blow into a device, saving you from some rather embarrassing moments.
“The makers of the iGrowth claim that this helmet, which uses 51 lasers and LED lights, can make your mange mane thicker and more luxuriant.”