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True wireless charging is almost ready
Three years running, I've visited Energous at CES to be pitched on its wireless vision for the future of charging. This time, things are a little different. It's not announcing a manufacturing milestone or touting independent verification of its WattUp charging tech. Instead, it's actually launching some products. If you've never heard of Energous, it's a startup that uses RF to charge devices at a distance. There are a few different types of transmitters, but the basic tech involves a WattUp charging station sending out RF waves in a focused beam toward a compatible device. A chip in the gadget then converts the waves into direct-current electricity. This "rectification" process isn't new, but Energous' claim is it's able to do it efficiently enough to make sense for charging small devices like wearables and phones. In the long run, Energous will offer wireless charging at 15 feet. For the first batch of products, though, it's the less-impressive microsolution -- capable of charging at a distance of just a few inches. It's basically a replacement to the wireless charging you'll find on existing wearables, but with a few benefits.
Zigbee crafts a universal language for smart home devices
As seamless as smart-home technology is becoming, the devices still tend to sit in isolated ecosystems. Zigbee-based gadgets don't normally know how to use Nest's Thread protocol, for example. That's where the Zigbee Alliance wants to help. It's launching Dotdot, a "universal language" for Internet of Things devices. The open platform lets hardware makers use Zigbee's software layer across virtually any other IoT network, increasing the chances that the devices you want to use can speak to each other.
Olly is like an Amazon Echo but with personality
Everyone's making a smart personal assistant these days -- thanks, Alexa! -- but most of them aren't as adorable as the Olly. It's basically a doughnut-shaped speaker that lies flat when dormant but stands and spins around with lights flashing when active. But what sets the Olly apart from the Echo-clone pack is that it incorporates a bit of personality into the mix. What kind of personality? Well, yours: Olly's personality adapts to yours over time. According to London-based Emotech, its parent company, Olly's behavior will evolve depending on how you interact with it.
Flow is a wearable that helps you avoid nasty air pollution
While humanity has made strides to cut down its greenhouse emissions, the fact remains: We produce a lot of harmful gases every day. If you live in a city, however, it's easy to forget the quality of the air around you and the impact it might be having on your health. Flow, by Plume Labs, could change that. The tiny air-quality sensor looks like a portable thumb drive with a leather strap that lets you hang it from bags and clothing. It can measure dust, exhaust fumes and other harmful gases, as well as the household chemicals you might encounter indoors.
MacBook Pro accessory adds ports that the 2016 model lacks
As you know by now, you have to learn to embrace dongle-city if you want to buy Apple's latest products. A component supplier called OWC has unveiled a different kind of expansion solution for the 2016 MacBook Pro's lack of ports, though. It's called the DEC, and it's a slab that sticks to the bottom of the laptop to add up to 4TB of additional flash or SSD storage, an SD card slot, full-size USB 3.0 ports and an Ethernet jack for wired internet.
Intel gives its NUC mini-PCs new processors, new ports and a new design
When you're looking for a tiny desktop, Intel's NUC computers are something of a standard. These bare-bone PCs have made a name for themselves as affordable, reasonably powerful and adorably small. Now they're even better: Intel is giving its line of tiny computers new seventh-generation desktop CPUs, a fresh design and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Send your love around the world in this box
LoveBox is a French messaging startup that, in exchange for $120, will let you send messages of love to your amour... or your paramour. Simply hand your beloved one of the boxes, pair it to your phone with the companion app, and you're all set. Then, when you're out and about, you can send text-message length missives back home, for the box to receive over WiFi.
SpeedX's Unicorn bike comes with smarts already installed
If you're serious about cycling, you'll want to track every ride. How far you went, the amount of calories you burned -- that sort of thing. Until now, that's meant equipping your bike with a slew of third-party sensors and a less-than-sleek cycle computer on the handlebars. Not so with SpeedX. The Chinese startup is building carbon road bikes that integrate all of these components in a clean, blemish-free design. Its latest creation, the Unicorn, takes the concept one step further with a new, detachable "SpeedForce" computer that runs on Android and -- in a first for the cycling industry -- a built-in power meter to measure your effort on the pedals.
Aira uses smart glasses to help blind people navigate the world
Aira is designed to make life a little easier for blind and visually impaired people. Using a pair of smart glasses or a phone camera, the system allows an Aira agent to see what the blind person sees in real-time, and then talk them through whatever situation they're in. Aira promises to make everything from grocery shopping, calling an Uber or world travel more accessible for blind people across the globe.
Logitech's new headset brings cinematic sound to your games
Gaming headsets have gotten a lot more stylish in the past year, with companies like SteelSeries and LucidSound packing cinema-quality sound into catwalk-ready cans. Now, peripheral giant Logitech is taking them on with its newest release, the G533. This $150 headset boasts 7.1 surround sound, a simple-but-classy design and, most important to gamers, wireless capability without lag or interruption.
Lego Boost teaches kids how to bring blocks to life with code
If you've ever wished your childhood Lego creations could come to life, your dreams are now closer to reality. Lego has just unveiled a subbrand called Boost that promises to do just that. The base set contains a combination of sensors, motors and a unique companion app that teaches kids how to code so that they can program their new robot friends. Lego's Mindstorms could let you do this too, but that's a decidedly more advanced system aimed at young adults. Boost, on the other hand, is designed for kids ages 7 and up. The Lego Boost base starter set is priced at $160 and will be available later this year.
ReNu is an acoustic kit that sends calming vibes to your brain
Millions of Americans live with chronic or episodic anxiety. While technology has become one of the main contributors of that stress, it also has the potential to provide the solution. The market for stress-reducing technologies has been booming for a few years. NuCalm, from Solace Lifesciences, was first introduced in 2010 as a drug-free, stress-intervention system that moderated adrenaline levels in the body. The technology, which was adopted in clinical settings such as dental clinics over the past few years, now has a consumer headset version. At CES today, the company introduced ReNu, a stress-management kit that induces a deep slumber through a proprietary software.
Sevenhugs made a smart remote that's truly universal
Those "universal remote controls" that only control your home entertainment center? They might need a new name. Meet the Sevenhugs Smart Remote, which controls not only your TV but also your Nest thermostat, Philips Hue lights, Sonos speakers and, well, nearly 25,000 different connected devices. Plus, thanks to infrared, internal position sensors and third-party APIs, you can even order an Uber by pointing it at your front door. Yeah, no kidding.
Whirlpool brings Alexa to its next generation of appliances
Alexa can already order a pizza and fire up your TV as you lazily bark commands at it, but appliances giant Whirlpool is about to put Amazon's personal assistant to work with some extra chores around the house. The two companies announced they've teamed up to connect Alexa with Whirlpool's next line of smart home appliances. The future where you can ask your fridge to set the temperature in the veggie drawer has finally arrived.
The first available smart mirror has a narcissistic sequel
Just a few months after hitting the market, there's already a new model of the first smart mirror you can actually buy. The HiMirror Plus boasts incremental upgrades that make it a better companion for selfie and beauty lovers. It costs $259 -- that's $70 more than the original -- and has a new ambient light to simulate different lighting conditions so you can better apply your makeup (and, let's be real, take fantastic selfies). The company also unveiled an accessory called the HiSkin -- a handheld scanner with optical sensors that you can place on your face (or any part of your body, really) to get a better read on your complexion. I used a HiMirror Plus for a few days ahead of CES and then checked out the HiSkin here at the show, and I'm skeptical that they could help improve my skin.
WooHoo is an Echo with a touchscreen, facial recognition and more
We're beginning to see a trend here at CES. A ton of companies are either injecting their tech with a dose of Alexa or building their own Amazon Echo competitors from scratch. SmartBeings falls into the latter category, but its WooHoo device packs a lot more punch than the online retailer's smart speaker. WooHoo can do some of the things Echo handles, but it's also equipped with both facial and voice recognition, Android-powered software and a 7-inch touchscreen. Oh, yeah, and it's a full-on IoT hub for all of your smart home tech.
BenjiLock uses a fingerprint to keep your gym locker secure
Fingerprint readers are already a staple feature of many smartphones, and here at CES we've found the technology built into what looks like a traditional padlock. The BenjiLock, designed by a startup from Los Angeles, supports up to four different fingerprints and saves them in an encrypted chip for easy access. It doesn't leave physical keys out altogether, however, since the company says you may need to use the included set at some point. For example, if someone you don't know makes a few attempts to unlock the device, BenjiLock automatically erases your information and will require the key to open it again.
Meet the VR boots that want to make you feel every step
If 2016 was the year of virtual reality, 2017 might just be the era of VR accessories. Japanese gadget-maker Cerevo has debuted Taclim, a pair of motion controllers and shoes that provide haptic feedback in VR, vibrating in various ways as players walk across different surfaces or kick enemies in the face.
The Miraxess Mirabook is a laptop shell for your smartphone
As the gap between smartphone and laptop performance dwindles and the size of phones grows, there's a decreasing need for casual users to have both on hand at the same time. The Miraxess Mirabook crosses that division by providing a laptop-like computing experience powered by your smartphone's CPU.
A whirlwind tour of Faraday Future's ambitious new SUV
"Just a quick reminder that there are no pictures during today's tour." Faraday Future has had its share of bad press. Right before Christmas it invited a group of journalists to tour its headquarters in Gardena, California. The new company was unveiling its first real car at CES in a few weeks. But instead of wowing the world with its nonstop teaser videos, the company's shedding of executives and reports about its financial turmoil drew the most attention. Faraday needed to make a big impression ahead of CES while also ensuring that the technology-drenched FF 91 SUV and the secret sauce behind it were kept under wraps until its big press conference, scheduled for Jan. 3rd in Las Vegas.
