Our favourite technologies from CES 2016
January 20th, 2016
Another Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has come and gone, with another crop of new and improved gadgets and appliances being shown off underneath the Las Vegas lights.
Here’s a quick summary of our favourite home products appearaing at CES this year, including innovative new features for products we’ve seen before, as well as some truly unique original concepts.
Samsung’s Smart Fridge
Do you have a smartphone or tablet?
Have you ever wished that this handheld device was a hundred times bigger, and also cold enough to store food and drink inside?
No?
Well, Samsung have made something like that anyway – a fully functional 4 door fridge with built in water dispenser, plus a 21.5 inch touchscreen in the door that can do anything a tablet can.
So rather than a note on the fridge, you can leave an email. Rather than ticking off boxes on a paper calendar, you can set reminders and alerts. You can also use the fridge’s screen to enjoy music and media while, look up recipes, or even shop online for groceries.
Speaking of which, this fridge also features internal cameras that let you see exactly what’s inside your fridge without opening the door.
A bit extravagant for when you’re at home, perhaps, but very handy when you’re out at the shops. Just use your phone to access the fridge’s cameras, check exactly what ingredients you have available, and only shop for what you need. Super-efficient!
SmartyPans
I mostly picked this for the name (Smarty PANS… geddit?), but it’s still a good idea – a pan that helps you cook with weight and temperature sensors, voice commands, and nutritional tracking via a companion app.
I can imagine this being very useful if you’re an inexperienced home chef, just like how a GPS can be very helpful when driving on an unfamiliar route. It won’t necessarily improve your cooking performance, but its guidance can provide a big boost to your kitchen confidence.
And even if you’re already a kitchen wizard, a SmartyPan could help further improve your mad cooktop skillz, maximising your efficiency, not to mention your flavours.
Super Ultra High Definition TV
Yes, that is its real name. I’m looking forward to next year’s Super-Duper-Mega-Rad-Crazy-Awesome-Ultra HD TV (kidding, of course).
As well as the stylish and slim design shown in the video, the main benefit of LG’s Super UHD TVs is the addition of the High Dynamic Range or HDR technology.
Basically, not only do these TVs provide all the pixels of an Ultra High Definition TV, but those pixels also look better, with massively improved colour, contrast and more, resulting in crystal clear pictures with incredible richness and depth.
Personal Robot Helper! – Ninebot Segway
A few years ago we were asking why we hadn’t yet developed domestic droids, like something out of Red Dwarf, The Jetsons or Star Wars. Other than the odd robot vacuum cleaner, there hasn’t been a great deal of movement on that front.
However, this year a handy personal robot made an appearance at CES. Built using the same technology as a Segway, little fella can be used for personal transportation, or set to follow you around – perfect for carrying your groceries home from the shops with the help of its little arms!
Of course, we’re still waiting for that R2-D2 bar fridge from Haier…
And speaking of droids..
Laundroid – the laundry-folding robot
This is one of the odder appliances to make an appearance at CES 2016, but also one of the ones we’re most curious about.
As you can see from the above video from PCMag, essentially it’s a big appliance (roughly the size of a fridge, by the looks of it) that folds your laundry for you with the help of image recogntion software and robotics technology.
Still just a prototype for now, but just imagine adding a third standard appliance to your laundry room – the washer, the dryer, and the Laundroid – so your clothes can be clean, dry, and neatly folded.
Now, do you reckon someone can sort out a robot that can put our clothes away for us in time for CES 2017?
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