Folding phones, smart rings and sustainability tech unveiled in Las Vegas
From truly thoughtful futuristic technology to quick-fix disposable innovations, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a reliably dual kickoff for the tech calendar. Of course, there are plenty of interesting regular products in between, but in the age of AI it feels like everything has become more extreme in every way.
I’m not physically at CES, but I’ve been keeping a close eye on the mountains of PR arriving in my inbox and all the reporting from people in the field, and here’s what caught my eye.
Smartphones and other personal gadgets
There are plenty of TVs, cars, and industrial robots at CES, but for most people the most exciting devices are the ones you can put in your pocket or take with you everywhere. After all, phones are at the center of our technology lives. And CES gave little indication of where they might go.
Lest you think that interest in foldable phones has waned, Samsung was ready to showcase its previously announced new product. Galaxy Z Tri-FoldYou can use it as a regular phone or something three times the size. Do you need a phone that is 20 centimeters wide? Of course not, but a device that can do double duty as a phone and tablet could turn some heads.
Motorola also made a big splash at the fair by announcing its first book-style folding phone. Razr Fold. Many of its features haven’t been revealed, but it looks big and flashy enough to challenge offerings from Samsung and Google. The company also introduced a new premium phone. Signatureand (weirdly) a necklace powered by Lenovo’s Qira AI technology that can help make your phone work for you.
But not all futuristic phones at the fair; the Click Communicator For all you Blackberry fans, it’s a new, old-school Android with a physical keyboard and near-square display. It is available for pre-order at a discounted price of $600. If you don’t want to deal with the awkwardly small screen, the company also sells a magnetic keyboard that should work on all MagSafe and Qi2 phones.
Smartwatch manufacturer Pebble is back in business after nearly a decade and has introduced a smart ring in addition to its extraordinary watches. But unlike every other smart ring, this one doesn’t collect biometric data, never needs to post anything online, doesn’t require a subscription, is super privacy-focused, and lasts for years without charging. So what for? Gravel Index 01 he has a job; Capturing your thoughts and saving them for later use. You press the button, you speak, and your thoughts are carried to your phone where they become notes, reminders, alerts, or alarms.
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.
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
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Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets, and video games.Connect with: excitement or email.
