There was a time when the yearly Consumer Electronics Show was all about computers and TVs. You know, the big dogs that used to sit on top of the electronics heap and casually glimmer at us with brushed stainless steel or piano-black perfection.
But that was yesterday. Today, the power-player pecking order seems to be shifting in the world of technology. CES 2016, which took place last week, focused on a whole new crop of trending tech that the experts think will soon be wowing we simple folk, and it goes far beyond your standard screens. It seems that Internet-connected cars, clothes, kitchenware and even cutlery are poised to take the cake. So let’s scope out a few of the gizmos that may soon fill our kitchens, closets and carports, shall we?
Smart Cars—OK, we all know that Google and other companies are running pell-mell toward creating the first autonomous don’t-need-no-stinking-driver car. But smart cars that fully access your android and Apple smartphones are already here. In fact, seven out of the 10 biggest auto manufacturers showed up at the 2016 CES convention and they uniformly said they’re aiming to reshape their cars to be more than smart. They want them to be the connected nexus hub of all the other web-connected things in our lives.
For instance, VW’s BUDD-e Microbus concept allows you to link directly with what’s going on at your house. While you’re out on the road you can talk with whoever’s popping up at your front door. The vehicle will also alert your fully connected home when you leave, downshifting all the appliances and thingamajigs into sleep mode. And as you make your way back to your car’s garage-sweet-garage, it will turn on your domiciles’ lights, heat up your living room and even open the front door when you’re toting a bunch of groceries.
VR Headsets—We’ve been hearing about virtual reality actually becoming a usable thing for some time now. But if you listen to some at CES, they insist that the future of TV isn’t a bigger screen, but VR’s tiny headset-encased ones. The Oculus Rift, for example, will be hitting the market in March (for a whopping $600 per headset). And promised programming goes far beyond mere videogaming applications. Movies, TV shows, and workout vids are said to be just ’round the bend. In fact, there have been discussions about a number of 360-degree VR home cameras coming, designed to help you create your own do-it-yourself videos.
Super Shoes—You think the idea of self-lacing shoes is cool? How about linking your phone with a pair of Digitsole’s Smartshoes, by which you can wirelessly control the temperature of the shoe’s insole, adjust for a snugger fit and even turn on a built-in flashlight for those late-night jaunts? Of course, these tootsie snugglers also calculate the calories you’ve burned, figure out how far you’ve gone and even recharge wirelessly. Give them a couple years and the creators may even figure how to get them to run for you while you sleep in.
Smart Beds—Speaking of sleeping in, after you’ve taken your fancy Smartshoes out for a hard jog, you might want to consider the cushy body reboot of a Variowell’s Smart Bed. In this case it’s a smart mattress that connects to your smartwatch fitness tracker, giving you a smarter night’s rest based on your completely smart-free sleep stage. In light sleep, it firms up. In deep sleep, it softens to make sure you’re most comfortable. And when it’s time to get up, it becomes firm again. You know, so then you wake up thinking, “Man this bed feels like a rock, I’d better get up.”
Smelly Clocks—If your bed doesn’t help you or your spouse start the day, the makers of SensorWake think they’ve got just the thing: a clock that gently wakes you with a spritzed fragrance. The clock uses the soothing scent of the ocean or a warm buttery croissant or some other favorite coffeeish, pepperminty smell to pull Papa Bear out of slumber. It’s guaranteed to wake 99% of snoozers in two minutes. What to do about Papa’s grumpy attitude when he actually doesn’t get that yummy croissant the clock promised? Well, that’s your problem.
Baby’s Brainy Seats—We all know how fun it is to securely install a baby car seat in your average sedan. Well, the 4Mom Smart Car Seat takes all the hassle, double-joint necessity and thoughts of bad words out of the mix. Dual LCD screens and speakers are built right into the seat and they guide you through the process, which essentially amounts to hooking up to the car’s metal grounding clip and letting the car seat automatically level itself and make sure that all the straps are, uh, strapped safe and sound. Oh, and I should note that this wonder also has a peekaboo canopy, a pop-up sun shade and a baby-adjustable headrest, ’cause, you know, there’s the not-so-smart baby to deal with, too.
Hey, that’s only a light taste of the CES this year. There’s tons more, from drones that automatically follow your smartphone to a baby spoon that wirelessly syncs up with your phone (who would have dreamed anyone would need one of those). And, of course, since the list of CES exhibitors and brilliant techy ideas seem to exponentially grow from year to year, I’m sure there are likely some completely useless devices on display at the Vegas event, too. Things like, oh, computers and TVs.
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