I’m always astounded by the number of people who go to the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This year, over 130,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitors are descending upon the city. CES used to be the least profitable week in Vegas for casinos since no one was gambling … but it was still the biggest week for prostitution. Go figure.
Here are a few items that have caught my attention at this year’s CES — for better or worse.
Samsung’s home robot
Ballie is Samsung’s new home robot, a redo of the 2020 version no one liked. The latest Ballie will follow you when you call it and project whatever you want on the wall or floors using integrated cameras and lights.
The main sell: The estimated $300 bowling ball will watch your pets and report what they get up to when you’re away. Spare me.
Smart bidets have arrived
Kohler’s PureWash bidet seat has built-in voice assistants. Just tell Alexa or Google how warm or cold you’d like your very personal wash. I wonder how Big Tech will use that data to target market us better. I have a Toto smart toilet and it’s a blast.
Use your palm to open the door
This is pretty sweet. Philips’ new $359.99 Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt recognizes up to 50 unique palm prints. It’s designed to work with hands of all ages and conditions as an alternative to PINs or keys. At my new house, I wave to open the front door, and it works 20% of the time. That’s just not right.
TVs with no glare
Samsung’s newest OLED TVs come with a special anti-reflective screen finish. Yep, there’s no glare in well-lit rooms or those with windows. Forget 8K — this is what I want.
Transparent displays (like the future!)
LG and Samsung both unveiled transparent LED displays. These innovative screens project images and videos on glass. They don’t rely on power or HDMI cables; they use Wi-Fi and wireless charging tech. The last TV I wanted from LG rolled up from a console table and cost $120,000. No word yet on how much these TVs run.
Your dog’s very own robot companion
For $799, the Oro Dog Companion Robot will play with your pup when you’re not around. Think of it as a smart nanny, complete with two-way audio (so you can talk and your dog can bark) and an interactive screen so you can wave hi from work. There’s a treat dispenser that can also feed your pup dinner. If you really need this, you shouldn’t own a dog.
Fancy-schmancy binoculars
Swarovski (yes, that one!) wants to make all your bird-watching dreams come true. For the low, low price of $4,799, their Optik AI-enabled binoculars identify over 9,000 birds. Expect them on Feb. 1 if you have some cash to drop. So far, people can’t stop raven.
Check your heart rate from your bra
Ever worn one of those heart rate monitors you strap around your chest? Garmin has a solution for those who wear sports bras — the $149.99 HRM-Fit snaps onto the bra’s bottom band. I don’t know who’s going to buy this.
The dawn of Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7, the next-gen wireless standard, is coming and it’s going to be speedy. To get that speed, you need a router upgrade. TP-Link and Amazon have already released routers like the Archer BE800 and eero Max 7, starting at $599. The future is expensive.