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This portable, solar-powered oven was built for the apocalypse
One of the things I love most about CES is the array of fascinating gadgets I come across. I'm talking stuff that's not a smartphone or a laptop. Case in point: this portable, solar-powered oven. GoSun's Fusion electric stove has an integrated heating system that can heat up to 550 degrees Farenheit, making it capable of cooking a meal within 20 minutes, with only sunshine as fuel. The company says the Fusion is five times more efficient than a traditional oven, and claims it can cook food with the same amount of energy needed to power a lightbulb.
Samsung shows off a 75-inch 4K 'Wall' TV made with MicroLEDs
Last year at CES Samsung showed off the modular MicroLED panels that make up its The Wall TV technology. This year it's updated the tech in two directions -- larger and smaller, and apparently even made it see-through? Tonight at an event in Las Vegas we're seeing MicroLED panels used to create a 219-inch 'The Wall' and 'The Window' display -- last year's massive screen measured 146-inches -- that prove it can build screens of any resolution, size or shape. Samsung also announced a version of The Wall that might fit in more homes, with 4K resolution available in a 75-inch size. There's no word on how much that will cost, but it's more realistic for consumer use than the 34-foot movie theater screen the tech was originally made for. We'll have more information on these screens and everything else Samsung is bringing to CES 2019 shortly, so check back for any updates.
Watch this giant laundry-folding robot handle a stack of shirts
This isn't the first time we've seen a laundry-folding robot. In fact, the last time we saw one, it turned out to be a faked demo. So when we saw that the company Foldimate had turned up again to this year's CES, we were suspicious. This time, though, the startup came with a working prototype in tow.
HeartGuide is a discreet blood pressure monitor in a smartwatch
Omron Healthcare makes some of the most highly-rated home blood pressure monitors on the market and has now miniaturized that technology into a FDA-cleared smartwatch.
BreadBot delivers freshly baked bread every six minutes
There's nothing quite like the smell and taste of freshly baked bread. But unless you're willing to go through the tedious task of making one yourself, you generally have to buy one at a local bakery right when it's out of the oven. Otherwise, you're often stuck with the preservative-filled fluff stuff from the supermarket. The Wilkinson Baking Company, however, has a rather innovative, if a bit convoluted, solution to the problem. It's called the BreadBot, and it's a machine that makes bread from scratch, with a fresh loaf coming out every six minutes.
Whill's next personal electric vehicle drives itself
Whill released its first personal electric vehicle in 2016 (in Japan, it came west the following year). Since then it has released new models with different audiences in mind. Here at CES 2019, it's showing its Autonomous Drive System (ADS), which as the name suggests, will shuttle you to where you want to go on its own. Thanks to the addition of front- and rear-mounted cameras, the Autonomous Drive System can navigate public (indoor or outdoor) spaces on its own.
L’Oreal and John Rogers built a sticker to measure skin pH
The fruitful partnership between cosmetics giant L'Oreal and wearable pioneer Professor John Rogers has produced a new sensor for 2019. My Skin Track pH by La Roche-Posay is a wearable sensor, smaller than a Band Aid, that monitors your skin's hydration levels.
Moen's showers get smarter with Google Assistant
Moen is about to make its showers a little smarter. Last year, the company announced that it would be incorporating Alexa and Siri into its U by Moen smart shower series. This year, however, it's upping the ante by adding Google Assistant into the mix as well. What's more, the Alexa functionality has now been upgraded from being just a third-party skill to one that's fully integrated as an official Amazon Alexa Skill.
Sphero gets into app-enabled music gadgets with the Specdrums ring
Back in June 2018, Sphero acquired Specdrums, a startup that found Kickstarter success with music-making rings. As part of that deal, we knew Sphero would be working on its own version of the product, and today the company's making it official. The new but familiarly named Specdrums are app-supported rings that let you, or your kids, play music by tapping the wearable instruments on different colors and surfaces. There are hundreds of customizable sounds and loops, all of which are created by tapping the Specdrums rings on the included playpad and other colored items around you.
Jabra's latest headphones automatically adjust to your surroundings
At CES 2018, Jabra debuted its Elite 65t true wireless earbuds, an audio device that would eventually become one of our favorite headphones of the year. For CES this time around, the company has a more traditional new product: a set of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. With the Elite 85h, Jabra offers an option that will help block out the world around you and provide hands-free access to your virtual assistant of choice for $299.
Netatmo unveils the first HomeKit-friendly video doorbell
Apple's HomeKit doesn't have a wide range of device support, but that's changing very shortly. Netatmo has unveiled the Smart Video Doorbell, which it says is the first doorbell to support HomeKit. You can view it through the Home app, or ask Siri to show you the doorbell when someone's waiting outside. And yes, it'll integrate nicely with your other devices -- you can turn on the porch lights the moment the device spots someone at the front door.
Nuheara's IQbuds MAX offer powerful hearing assistance
For the hearing challenged, it can be difficult to find options that help you hear better and work well. For those with mild to moderate hearing loss, Nuheara's line of true wireless earbuds offer some relief. At CES 2019, the company is introducing its most powerful assistive hearing true wireless earbuds: the IQbuds MAX. Like the IQbuds BOOST the company unveiled last year, this new model employs Nuheara's Ear ID app to calibrate the earbuds to you after a quick hearing assessment.
Willow is back with an easier-to-use version of its smart breast pump
Two years ago we came to CES looking for OLED TVs and Alexa-enabled refrigerators, but it was ultimately a smart breast pump that stole the show. Engadget, along with the rest of the tech press, initially treated the Willow Wearable Breast Pump as a curiosity; proof that the Internet of Things trend had become a caricature of itself. In fact not: The device addressed problems that many women encounter while breastfeeding, but that you rarely see written about on tech blogs. Whereas typical breast pumps require a woman to be tethered to a wall outlet, with both hands required for the task at hand, this one was wireless: two cups that slipped inside a bra and allowed the user to walk around and retain use of her hands. Being a "smart" device, it also had a companion iOS/Android app to track how much liquid was collected. That week, the Willow went on to win two official Best of CES awards.
Withings' latest fitness watch has a built-in ECG
Smartwatches have long sought a killer app to make them something more than a toy for nerds and fitness fans. It may be that looking after our hearts, and keeping us out of the emergency room, is exactly what the devices were born to do. Withings is getting in on the action with its own timepiece that, like the new Apple Watch, can offer its users an on-the-spot ECG.
NuraLoop packs personalized sound into wireless buds
Nura's first headphones were certainly a conversation starter. The hybrid design mixed over-ear design, with in-ear buds. The wireless headset's main trick, however, was the built-in audio test that uses otoacoustic emissions to spot any weak spots in your hearing and adjust the sound to compensate -- like having glasses for your ears.
Olay's electromagnetic FaceWand offers targeted beauty treatment
Tech is beauty, or perhaps beauty is tech, but whichever way you frame it, it's apparently no longer enough to rub cream into your face at night. Now, if you can't maintain a beauty regimen without using a plug-in device, does it really count? That's why Olay is one of a number of blue-chip cosmetics brands that are now showing off products at CES. This time around, the company is boasting about its FaceNavi Smart Wand, which it claims will help save folks money on their skincare routine.
JAXJOX's smart kettlebell is a gateway to its subscription classes
You may already know JAXJOX as a clunkily named purveyor of home workout gear, but the brand has only really flirted with tech before. Though it's put its stamp on a fitness tracker and smart scale, the company is beginning a whole new connected push at this year's CES, starting with its $349 smart kettlebell. As you'd expect, the thing will keep track of your reps, sets and workout time; plunk it on its charging base and you can also change its weight from between 12 and 42 pounds. Simply recording your workouts is only part of the proposition, though. Following in the footsteps of Peloton and several others, send another $30 per month JAXJOX's way and you'll get access to live and on-demand fitness classes that are intended to help you get the best out your equipment.
Apple's TV service can't succeed without outside help
"Hell froze over." That's what the somewhat hyperbolic ad announcing that iTunes, and by extension the iPod, would now run on Windows said. In the earliest of days, the iPod was purely for the Mac faithful. But the move to Windows meant that the music player went from niche delight to mainstream success, and 300 million sales later, it was clearly the right decision.
Greetings from CES 2019!
It feels like CES only just ended, but we're back in Las Vegas for the 2019 edition and we couldn't be more excited. Just like always, there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart appliances. But, we're here to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best (or at least the most interesting) tech from CES 2019. The show floor hasn't even opened yet and already several companies have made a splash -- including Apple, which continues to skip the event in any official capacity. But that hasn't stopped it from grabbing some attention. Of course, you don't want to miss out on all our liveblogs, our three epic days of live stage shows which all culminates with the official Best of CES awards on Thursday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
AMD's latest laptop CPUs include its first chips for Chromebooks
AMD is kicking off 2019 with an overhaul of its laptop processors, and it's breaking some new ground in the process. The company has unveiled its first two A-Series chips designed explicitly for Chromebooks, the 1.6GHz A4-9120C and 1.8GHz A6-9220C. Both are dual-core chips that use just 6W of power and promise faster performance than the Intel chips you typically see in entry-level Chrome OS portables. The A6 is up to 23 percent faster in web browsing than the Pentium N4200, AMD said, and 42 percent faster in photo editing. You might not have to spend a small fortune to get a Chromebook with decent horsepower.
