The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is known (much like its venue) for being showy and over the top; it has a dazzling array of new gadgets, advanced appliances, and blow-your-mind new technology.
There were some amazing things that I saw; probably dozens of them. But I’ve whittled all the awesomeness down to a few great things from CES 2016
#1 Panasonic Transparent Display
This conceptual TV from Panasonic is essentially an invisible television. The screen is a retractable sheet of glass, which can hide inside furniture like a bookcase, then drop into view on command. When it’s enabled, the glass is transparent, allowing you to see your knickknacks or artwork behind it, until you’re ready to watch TV on it.
When the screen fires to life, it’s an ultra high definition picture that looks fantastic. When you’re done, the TV shuts off and/or retracts back into the furniture, allowing you to have a living area that is completely free from an ugly black television screen taking up space on furniture or hanging on a wall.
#2 LG V 10 Smartphone
I’m an Apple user, and have never tried an android smartphone. But this phone from LG I would get just for its amazing camera. The V10 camera comes with advanced image stabilization which is perfect for taking videos handheld. It also has a feature I’ve been dying to see in a smartphone (and quite frankly I thought Apple should have had long before now); the V 10 allows you to adjust the focus on your video to focus only on certain objects in the frame. This lets you ‘blur’ out boring backdrops or create nice looking depth of field. While this is possible with other advanced specialty video cameras, this is the first time such control has been added to a smart phone’s video camera. If you’re a YouTube star or just a wannabe, this is the phone you’ll want to get to make fantastic videos.
#3 Playbulb Lighting
I love the look of this whole line of lighting, and can’t wait for a chance to review all of the individual pieces. The Playbulb line of smart lighting from Mipow features LED light strips, a digital candle that you can blow out, a gorgeous glass globe lamp that you can adjust with your smart phone or by touching it. Readers will know how much I appreciate smart lighting, and this whole line looks like a great addition to the household.
#4 PureGear Cases and ‘Magic’ Screen Protector
The PureGear booth at CES stopped me in my tracks. The company had laid out of an entire line of smart phone cases that were crystal-clear; some with subtle etching, others that are just designed to let your phone show through. Once I got to chatting with the representatives there, they blew me away with an amazing feature in one of their thin film screen protectors. The Smart + Buttons high definition glass screen protector allows you to add ‘magic’ invisible buttons to your iphone. How? The film will allow you to touch what’s in the top left or right corners of your phone, but transferring the touch surface to the dead space along the bottom of your phone as a substitute invisible button. It means no more using 2 hands to reach way up to the top of your iPhone 6plus! It’s kind of hard to explain, but once I had it shown to me it blew my mind! I’ll post a video on this in the coming weeks.
#5 Withings Aura Lamp & Alarm
I love the look and versatility of this new Withings product. Though it somewhat resembles a tuba, or the smokestack on a large cruise ship, this funny looking gadget is designed to emit soft colorful light to wake you up each morning. Just use it like a regular alarm clock, and instead of a nasty buzz to shock you from sleep, the light begins to wake you until it’s bright enough to rouse you. If you like to wake up to music, it also works with Spotify to give you just the type of sound you want first thing in the morning. I’m also hoping to get hands-on with this device at some point in the next weeks or months.
#6 iLuv Pillow Alarm
Speaking of sleep, I also got a look at this unusual alarm clock which is a small flat disc that is designed to slip under or inside your pillow. You set the time and when it’s ready to wake you up, it starts to buzz and shake right underneath your head, giving you a gentle but effective wake up. It will also work with other projects in the iLuv line such as smart lightbulbs, so you can coordinate your lamp to fade on when the pillow alarm begins to buzz. So cool and smart; particularly for people out there like me who wake each day at 3 AM.
# 7 Whirlpool Pantry Fridge
One day soon I’m going to need new appliances in my kitchen. Unfortunately for me now (how will I ever choose?!), I have several amazing options. One of my favorites is the Whirlpool Pantry style refrigerator. It’s meant to be laid out more like a proper pantry and then a refrigerator; meaning everything is visible and reachable no matter its size.
One of the interesting features is that it has shelves or ledges that run around the inside rim of the refrigerator. They are perfect for small or narrow items that often get lost at the back of the fridge. I also really like the array of small hidden compartments that are visible in the bottom floor of the fridge for small things like cheese sticks and deli meats, plus the cool compartment crisper drawers let you store long narrow items loose, such as carrots or celery or cucumbers, without them getting squashed or lost underneath bigger items. The crisper drawers are also large enough to hold large boxes of lettuce which is very convenient. Of course this refrigerator is also smart meaning you can get updates on your smart device as to temperature, humidity, etc.
Where are 8, 9 and 10? Check out some of the other cool gadgets I previewed and showed on CTV Tech Talk to see ; including a GPS suitcase and a levitating speaker–> Click here!
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