CES 2024, the world’s biggest electronics show, isn’t just about the best tech from the biggest brands. It’s about the fun stuff too. The weird and wonderful gadgets that make you shake your head and go “Huh?”. And then shake your head again and think: “Actually, I want one.” And here they are - the coolest, quirkiest things we’ve spotted at this year’s event…
Ballie’s back!
Ballie was first seen whizzing around CES in 2020. Now it’s back - bigger, smarter, and with a built-in projector.
So, what is Ballie? Well, think of it as a part home assistant/part chatbot/part projector that can follow you (or your pets) around the home to take care of business. Check out the video above to see the kind of things it can do. From giving you an update on your pets to answering calls on your behalf, it’s pretty impressive stuff. And Bally’s kinda cute too. Not as cute as this little guy though…
LG’s little helper
Here’s LG’s little Smart Home Agent. A super-cute bot packed with AI that keeps an eye on all the smart tech in your home, and even your pets. It roams smoothly around your home with its advanced “two-legged wheel design”, turning things off to save energy when you’re not home. It can also do things like sending a notification to your smartphone if you’ve left a window open.
The Smart Home Agent has a built-in voice assistant, so you can communicate with it easily. It can even tell what kind of mood you’re in, using its AI voice and facial recognition tech - and it’ll then select music to suit your mood. Lovely stuff.
Paws for thought…
Dog lovers PawPort have come up with a smart door that only opens when it detects the sensor on your faithful canine’s collar approaching. It comes with an app that lets you track your dog’s whereabouts, and you can even set curfew times – just in case your dog’s too much of a party animal at night-time.
A flap for cats, not rats
Meet Flappie, the ingenious cat flap that revolutionises the way your cat comes and goes. Imagine a world where your cat can enter and exit freely while keeping other unwanted ‘guests’ out. With Flappie's smart technology, it recognizes your cat's unique ID, ensuring only your pet has access. No more unwanted visitors or late-night meowing to be let in.
A workout at work!
Have you ever sat at your office desk and thought: “You know what? I would work a lot better If I was pedalling really hard?” Nope, us neither. But nevertheless, LifeSpan Ampera has created a power-generating desk bike that lets you pedal as you work. The clever thing is that it actually charges your phone or laptop while you use it. So maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all. And it’ll be something to talk about if you’re using it while you’re in a Zoom call.
Sweet dreams
Do you snore? Do you have a partner who snores? Do you want less snoring in your life?
The Motion Pillow uses AI to help you sleep better and cut down on snoring. If it detects snoring it takes action, and slowly inflates airbags to lift the unsuspecting snorers head and open their airways. Which should hopefully reduce the snoring. The pillow comes with an accompanying app that tracks sleep data including snoring time, and it even records your snoring to play back later. Just in case you want to relive your greatest snores. But in all seriousness – a gentle and efficient way of reducing snoring would surely be a big hit. Let’s hope the Motion Pillow isn’t just a lot of hot air.
At Tropicana, drinks are AI-free
This last one isn’t a gadget, but we include it as a rare example of a company not shouting about AI being packed into their product. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Tropicana orange juice is at CES 2024 to promote their limited edition bottles without any AI. They’re calling it… Tropcn.
This stunt is Tropicana’s way of highlighting its natural ingredients and the fact that “there is nothing artificial, and never has been anything artificial” in Tropicana orange juice. Fair enough. Well played.
Want more from CES?
For all of the latest info straight from the show, we’ve rounded up all the big news right here.
