For those of us in the tech world, the bright lights and tinsel of the season represent more than just holiday festivities — they signal another impending annual tradition we call International CES. Here are some stand-out products to look for on the showfloor.
Smart Cube is taking personal security to the next level with fully trackable, smartphone-controlled convenience. It’s a tiny, Bluetooth-enabled locking device that can secure just about anything — cabinets, drawers, doors, handbags — you name it. It’s perfect for safeguarding your kids from the medicine cabinet, or for Airbnb hosts to keep certain areas off-limits.
For Smart Pet Owners: LINK AKC
The LINK AKC smart dog collar is both a fun accessory and possible necessity. It features GPS and activity monitoring, and you can create “digital safe zones” around your home or during off-leash activities to keep tabs on your furry friend. It also ups the convenience with a phone-controlled light for nighttime walks as well as a vet record logging system. LINK AKC comes in an elegant leather finish, in sizes for every pup from dachshunds to great deals.
Rool’in is a smart bike wheel that transforms a traditional bike into an electric one. This is an alternative transport system that aims to make better commuting more environmentally friendly. While you can buy it now in three sizes, rumor has it the company has been working on a solar charging version — hoping we’ll get a look at that version this year.
For Real-Time, Drone-Powered VR Experiences: PowerUp FPV
A paper airplane VR drone? Yes, please. PowerUp FPV lets you experience flight from a paper airplane with a live streaming camera. The airplane generates a live video stream to Google Cardboard, which is included with the drone. Not only do you see what the plane sees, but you can actually control the drone with your head using intuitive movements.
For Smarter Communicating: Pinn
Pinn, is a Bluetooth-enabled, go-anywhere device that keeps you connected to your smartphone’s capabilities. One of the biggest pain points with current wearables that pair with your phone is that no one device can do it all — smartwatches lack decent audio capabilities, while bluetooth earbuds lack a useful display. Pinn features a built-in microphone/wireless earbuds and a convenient LED display, and clips on anywhere for easy access so that you don’t need to fumble through your bag to answer calls or texts.
Aipoly uses convolutional neural networks to empower mobile phones to recognize items in real-time, to help the blind and visually impaired explore their surroundings. This includes thousands of items as well as colors, and in the future even complex scenes and the position of objects within them. There’s no need to snap pictures or anything — the app is constantly “seeing” and “thinking.”
Iofit helps golfers achieve the most effective impact position by measuring the degree to which their center of gravity shifts using a sensor attached to the sole. Using a companion mobile app, Iofit can process 30 to 120 data frames per second of real-time data changes, including balance data for each swing position like address, backswing top, and impact point. Iofit then lets you compare this data with that of professional golfers so that you can improve your technique.