CES 2023 is, as always, a goldmine for innovative tech of all kinds, from gadgets and gizmos to audio gear, fitness tech, appliances, and more. Among the many products we’ve seen so far at the show, here are a handful that stand out for various reasons.
LG PuriCare Aero Furniture
Technically first shown last year at the IFA trade show in Europe, the LG PuriCare Aero furniture is on display at CES 2023 as well, and it’s an eye-catcher. These are air purifiers that also double as tables. Place one beside the couch in the living room or in the corner of the room in the basement, and it will quietly purify the room while you can use the flat top surface to house the TV remote, book, digital photo frame, Kleenex, and more. The tabletop also works as a wireless charging surface for recharging your Qi-enabled smartphone, true wireless earbuds, and other devices. In terms of purification, it boasts Nano technology with multi-fan modes: control everything using the easy-to-reach controls under the tableside. Like all other new LG products, the PuriCare Aero furniture comes with LG ThinQ so you can monitor air quality in real time. As a bonus, the tables even have built-in mood lighting. They come in a variety of colours and configurations, and LG has confirmed that some special edition designs are coming soon as well.
Pivo Max Tracking Mount
Pivo, Inc, is showcasing its new Pivo Max smartphone tracking mount, the latest in its line of AI-powered motion tracking smartphone mounts. Designed for content creators, the mount is compatible with not only smartphones, but tablets and cameras as well. A step-up from the existing Pivo Pod, this mount offers a new design along with smoother rotation and a larger payload so it can accommodate heavier tablets and cameras as well. With a 360° face, body, and horse tracking, it offers rotation speed modes for slower, slow, normal, fast, frenzy, and turbo. The battery can run for 10-12 hours per charge and it comes with a remote. Compatible with all Pivo apps, the compact tracking mount has an interactie LED. It’s great for all types of content creators, including live streamers and photographers, as well as equestrians, instructors, coaches, and real estate professionals.
Catalyst Essential Case for AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
The Catalyst Essential Case for AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) is a durable, one-piece secure lid design case for the popular Apple true wireless earbuds. The precision construction ensures the case is perfectly sealed to prevent dust and dirt from getting inside. If dropped, the case stays closed so the AirPods don’t pop out.
Catalyst Total Protection Cases for iPhone 14/14 Pro/14 Plus/14 Pro Max
Offering full 360° protection for the latest line of Apple devices, the Catalyst Total Protection Cases are designed to be 10 times more waterproof than the IP68 minimum standard of one meter (3.3 feet) and survive drops of up to 65% higher than competitors, says Catalyst.
Scosche MagicMount MS Hydro
A water bottle with a built-in MagSafe compatible phone mount? That’s exactly what the Scosche MagicMount MS Hydro is. Designed for taking to the gym, yoga studio, sporting event, beach, or even for use in the car, it encourages you to stay hydrating while also staying connected. The 24-ounc insulated water bottle comes with the cap that features the built-in phone mount, which can also fit on other popular water bottle brands. With double-wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks or other liquids hot for up to 12 hours or cold for up to 24 hours, it has a food-grade stainless-steel interior and powder-coated external finish. The MagSafe compatible phone mount can hold an iPhone 12 or later in landscape or portrait mode and has Neodymium magnets for securing the full bottle itself to a metal surface. The bottle is set for availability in the Spring.
Scosche StrikeLine HH 2-in-1 Hammerhead Cable
Another innovative product from Scosche, the StrikeLine HH 2-in-1 Hammerhead Cable (Spring 2023) is the first MFi-certified 2-in-1 USB-C and Lightning cable that can charge both an iPhone and an iPad. With Power Delivery, you’ll get transfer speeds of up to 60W, which means you can charge a MacBook or other laptop, too, along with cameras, drones, portable gaming devices, and more, when used with the appropriate wall or car charger as well. It comes with a four-foot flexible and tangle-free braided cable that has undergone Scosche’s rigorous testing to exceed industry standards.
Zens 4-in-1 Charging Station
A convenient 4-in-1 charging station, this model from Zens can charge up an iPad, iPhones with MagSafe, AirPods, and Apple Watch, all at the same time. Adjust the USB-C connector in height to fit any compatible iPhone or iPad and position the iPad upright so you can continue working. There’s even a convenient slot at the front for storing an Apple Pencil. Featuring a 45W adapter, MagSafe-compatible iPhone models can be magnetically attached and charged via the integrated 15W MagSafe charger.
SKYX Platforms Skyplug Smart Lighting Base
A unique product for the smart home, the SKYX Platforms Skyplug is a smart lighting base that can transform any light fixture or ceiling fan into a smart home product without the need for messing around with wiring. Installing via plug and play, once set up, you can control the connected fixture via the SkyHome app. It works with Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Microsoft Cortana voice assistants, among others. Along with controlling it by voice, you can create schedules, put the fixture into an eco or energy savings mode, dim lighting, change colours, turn on a night light, or even activate an emergency light, all through the app.
XRAI Glass AR Smart Glasses
Ideal for those suffering from hearing loss, the XRAI Glass augmented reality (AR) smart glasses make it possible for wearers to “see” conversations. They turn audible speech into subtitles using built-in software so when someone speaks, the words roll across the lens so the wearer can respond accordingly. The intelligence system, which uses deep learning technology and Large Language Models (LLMs) allows you to ask questions like “Hey XRAI, what’s the weather like today?” and the reply will appear on screen. You can even recall conversations on demand by asking questions like “Hey XRAI, what groceries did mom ask me to get in our conversation yesterday?” The glasses will call up the answers and provide a summary via subtitled text. The glasses can transcribe and translate in multiple languages, including English, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian, with more languages to follow. Download the XRAI Glass app from the Google Play store and use it with the Nreal Air Augmented Reality glasses.
Aromajoin AromaPlayer Scented Video Platform
A unique innovation, the AromaPlayer adds a scented element to the video experience to tantalize your sense of smell as well as sight and sound. Powered by the company’s proprietary Aroma Shooter technology, it can switch among various scents to match the content on screen, with no lag nor residual effects. Serving as a web application that can be accessed from the Google Chrome browser, the AromaPlayer can be added to videos from your own personal library or YouTube link.
Add a specific scent to emit during a specific spot in the video timeline along with the duration. Ideal for both business user as well as for amateur creators, a trial version of the web application is available online at https://aromaplayer.com. The scent diffusing device, the Aroma Shooter 2, is available for purchase with hundreds of scents available, including everything from coffee to oranges. It has a holder for individual scent cartridges, swapping them out just like you would print cartridges.
The device, which can connect to PCs, smartphones, and VR/AR headsets, suctions ambient air which then passes through the scent particles released from the cartridge to create the scent, which is then delivered to the listener’s nose. The Aroma Shooter 3 (AS3) and Wearable (ASW) will launch soon through a crowdfunding campaign and be available to VR/XR developers as well as consumers.
AtmosGear Electric Inline Skates
We’ve all heard of electric bikes and scooters, and now, a company has developed an electric pair of inline skates for getting a boost while you move on two legs. The inline skates can function as regular roller skates when the battery is off. Turn them on, however, and they can provide top speeds of up to 20 mph with an up to 20-mile range. The founders, which include an inline skater and engineer, were inspired to make the skates after they saw a Japanese anime called Air Gear with characters riding electric skates. They are light and easy to carry, says the company, and recharge so they’re ready for your daily commutes or leisurely rides. Currently available for pre-order at www.atmosgear.com, they’ll sell for US$500 with special bulk pricing for distributors.
Displace TV
The Displace TV is an exciting innovation in displays, a wireless 55-inch 4K OLED TV that uses a proprietary hot-swappable battery system and proprietary active-loop vacuum technology that allows it to be mounted to a wall with a slight push. Connect multiple TVs to create an up to 220-inch display. The TV weighs under 20 lbs., is 1.2 inches thick, and works with a wireless base unit that can be placed remotely in the home or business. Each battery lasts for about a month based on an average of about six hours of active time per day. Control the TV via hand gestures, touch, voice, and facial recognition, and even leverage computer vision technology to have content move from one display to another in the home as you physically move. The Displace TV will begin shipping in late 2023.
RCA PET110 Wi-Fi-Enabled Fish Feeder
It can be a chore to find someone to visit your home while you’re away for an extended period of time and feed your wish. Or sometimes, the kids who swear they would take care of the pets forget, leading to disastrous results. The RCA PET110 is an automatic fish feeder that can take care of the process for you. It’s Wi-Fi-enabled so you can control it remotely or set it to feed on a schedule. It keeps a 7-day log of the past feeding so you don’t add food mere hours after your spouse already did. It also includes real-time temperature monitoring, displayed on the front LCD, and operates quietly. Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, it’s a great gift for a fish owner.
Outon S1 Smart Torchiere Floor Lamp
Smart bulbs are a dime a dozen these days, but the new Outon S1 is an interesting design: it’s a floor lamp with an RGB light tube built right into the stem. The lamp uses enhanced RGBICWW colour technology to provide up to 16 million colours along the vertical column. Ideal for mood lighting in the living room, basement, den, or even games room, it offers hands-free and app control and can even sync and pulse to the rhythm of music. There’s also a custom lighting mode. Use the bright white uplight and adjust the direction and brightness to enjoy 3,000 lumens of brightness to illuminate a room and help reduce eye fatigue while working or reading. As a smart light, you can also set schedules and control it through the app, as well as use Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control when you’re nearby. With a 50,000-hour service life, this is a solution that includes both the floor lamp and the bulb. But from a design perspective, it’s stylish.
Pure Outdoor Emperor Portable Fridge/Freezer
This isn’t your typical cooler: this is a full-on refrigerator you can use on the go, whether hanging out in an RV, at a campsite, the cottage, adventuring in the mountains, or even for long road trips. It comes with a layer of insulation to keep things cool inside and connects via AC or DC to the car for power, with low-battery protection for the vehicle: if supply voltage falls below a set level, it will automatically shut off. It runs quietly and is made of heavy-duty materials with hidden handles so it’s easy to carry, too. The portable fridge, which weighs just 24 lbs., can keep food and drinks cool down to -7°F and uses a 45W power input. There’s a built-in LCD that provides status read-outs so you can confirm everything is being kept at the right temperature to avoid spoilage. It even has a USB port to charge devices as well. With a 26-quart capacity, this portable fridge can also come in handy in the event of a power outage, or even if you want to grab groceries and keep them cool in the car while you run other errands before heading home.
TrueKinetix Robotics Based Indoor Trainer
When it comes to indoor cycling, the only option is a stationary bike, which takes up plenty of room in your home. Even foldable ones still require significant floor space. The TrueKinetix Robotics indoor trainer is an interesting alternative. It is the size of a typical under-desk bike (those ones that people use to cycle while sitting at a desk or on the couch) but you connect the frame and front wheel of your standard bicycle to it so you can comfortably train indoors when outside isn’t an option. It uses robotics versus a traditional flywheel, generating a maximum resistance of up to 15% gradient and virtual gears. It runs based on your energy, and even has a port to use the residual energy to charge a device connected via USB. Connect it to a TV or monitor via HDMI and you can view metrics on the big screen. Training data is also uploaded to the cloud via Wi-Fi.