Folding phones, smart rings and sustainability tech unveiled in Las Vegas

And finally, while we wait for the real XR glasses to arrive, ASUS and Xreal have partnered up for the next best thing; AR glasses that you can plug into any device to give you a private 4-foot virtual screen. R1 It features Full HD, 240Hz micro OLED panels that can replace a TV or monitor wherever you are. If your device can send video and audio via USB-C (phone, laptop, handheld game), it all works with one cable. The included docking station allows you to connect other devices.

Sustainability and future technology

It’s hard to look at the sheer amount of AI-powered nonsense and power-draining luxuries in a show like this and not feel the techno-dystopia vibe. But as always, a number of innovations have been showcased that look like they could make a really positive difference.

Startup Cleanup Drop showed: soft plastic compost for use in homes. You feed him plastic bags that you don’t want or can’t use and he processes them and eventually a piece of plastic is thrown out. At this point you have to mail the waste to a processing facility, so this didn’t actually solve the problem. But it can turn all those plastic bags into something you can pull out from under your sink and realistically recycle.

Elsewhere, a French device Allergen Alert A device was demonstrated that can analyze a food sample in minutes and determine whether it contains common allergens. The version at CES is portable enough to fit in a backpack, but it’s being tested in kitchens by consumers rather than carrying it to dinner. It currently only detects gluten and dairy products, but there are plans to expand its coverage.

Loading

In the (vanishingly small) category of good robots, a company called Beatbot has shown its strength. RobotTurtleThat’s exactly what it sounds like. Designed for environmental research, this vehicle swims around reefs and marine animals, collecting data without creating as much chaos as a human or underwater vehicle. When it needs to recharge, it floats to the surface and absorbs the sun with its solar shell.

Speaking of sunshine, Jackery is back for another year. Solar Mars BoatLooks almost ready for sale. It’s a large, portable battery on wheels with outlets to power all kinds of devices, but it also has huge, retractable solar panels on top and some smarts that will angle them and move around themselves to find the best sun. There’s also a camera on the front, so you can set it to follow you.

And finally the Finnish company Willo It introduced a new wireless power technology that promises to transmit electricity as easily as Wi-Fi transmits data. The idea is that you have a transmitter plugged into the wall and any compatible device within range can draw power. Even if it’s facing the wrong way, even if it’s in someone’s pocket. Willo has a working prototype, but it’s nothing close to a consumer product, so it’ll likely be years away.

Worst of the show

Among the various awards and badges handed out at CES, and there are hundreds of them, that’s what vendors are hoping to avoid. Judged by an independent panel that includes representatives from Consumer Reports, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and iFixit, “Worst in Show” is awarded to products deemed invasive, wasteful or fragile. And there were a few to go around this year.

Samsung’s Private Artificial Intelligence Family Center It is a refrigerator that you talk to even to open and close its door. It also uses computer vision to track when food items are running low and can advertise new products on its giant screen. It won two “worst” awards, one for repairability and one for overall, with judges saying its over-engineered design added points of failure without providing meaningful benefits. Of particular concern was the lack of traditional door handles and the apparent difficulty of hearing commands on the noisy show floor.

Bosch also received two recognitions, once for integrating Amazon Alexa subscriptions and advanced voice support into its system. Personal AI Barista another for the espresso maker and a claimed anti-theft and battery locking feature in an e-bike app. The judges said eBike Streaming App It will allow Bosch to monopolize repairs and eliminate user control through parts-matching motors and batteries.

Invasive AI products were highlighted at the awards. Amazon’s Ring ecosystem that attracts the “worsts” in terms of privacy – new announcements include mobile watchtowers that can be placed anywhere and an app store for installing new features on their cameras – and Artificial intelligence treadmill from Merach He won the security award for admitting he failed to protect the mountain of personal information he had collected.

Many reporters on the show are talking about $13 Lollipop StarIt’s just regular hard candy on a vibrating stick. It uses bone conduction to play music that only you can hear in your mouth. It turned out to be the “worst in the show” in terms of environmental impact, as the sticks cannot be recharged or reused. They also contain batteries, which makes throwing them in the regular trash problematic.

And finally, the People’s Choice “worst” award went to an artificial intelligence assistant. AmiMade by Lepro. Ami appears as a female avatar on a curved screen that tracks eye movements and other emotional signals, and is marketed as your “always-on 3D soulmate.” The jury was out on the idea that an always-online, AI-powered video surveillance device could be anyone’s soulmate.

– with AP

Get news and reviews on tech, gadgets and games in our Tech newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.