Mini- and MicroLED big screen TVs. Autonomous driving car tech. Gaming PCs and accessories. Smart appliances and smart home. Robots. 5G. COVID COVID COVID health/wellness-related products. Work-from-home office tech. These are all products and technologies we expected to see represented at CES 2021. But hidden in the crevices of virtual CES 2021, we found some cool gadgets that you may have missed.
ActiveLook EVAD-1 Smart Sunglasses
Sometimes checking your workout progress on a smart watch or smartphone can be distracting or, if you’re running on a road, dangerous. These smart sunglasses, paired with a smartphone, projects your performance data such as beats per minute, pace, speed and distance on the inside of the lenses thanks to a heads-up display powered by Microled’s ActiveLook technology. (May, apx. $500)
AirPop Active+ with Halo Sensor Smart Face Mask
How long will we have to wear face masks? Even if by some miracle we become a maskless society sooner than we think, wearing this AirPop may still be a good idea. Its makers say AirPop Active+ is the world’s first smart air wearable to helps wearers gain a deeper understanding of their respiratory health, capturing and correlating breathing-related data with real-time air quality and location data. The Halo sensor, working in tandem with the AirPop app, provides an overview of the wearer’s breathing behavior, breathing cycles, biometric data, pollutants the mask has blocked, and when to replace their mask’s snap-in filter, which blocks >99% of particles. (Q1, $149.99)
ArchelisFX Exoskeleton
Hopefully we’ll all be back in Las Vegas for CES in January 2022. Hopefully, we’ll be able to buy one of these admittedly ungainly a nerdy exoskeleton suit so we can stay on our feet on the show floor for 16 hours a day without requiring several post-show chiropractic appointments. Initially designed for factory workers and doctors, the archelisFX enables wearers to walk and bend their knees freely and to “sit” or rest anywhere while technically standing. The suit is all mechanical – no power needed. Archelis execs say the company is working on a consumer version, hopefully one we can wear under our clothes a year from now at the LVCC. (Q1, $1,000)
Fluo Labs Flö Allergy Management
You may not be able to expose your body to bright light to kill COVID, but you can shine this Flö device up your nostils for 10 seconds each up to two times a day to help alleviate seasonal allergies and hay fever symptoms. But this is not merely digital snake oil. The Flö nose light is actually a medical technology called photobiomodulation. Fluo Labs is a medical device company and its been researching this allergy alleviation solution for 15 years. A recent clinical test yielded a 31% improvement over baseline, better than antihistamines or other drugs, with no known side effects. Two more trials are planned as the company works toward FDA to make Flö a welcome and potentially revolutionary over-the-counter solutions for seasonal allergy congestion, itching, runny nose and sneezing. (Q4, <$100)
GoSun Flow Solar Powered Water Purifier & Pump
In what could be the perfect accessory for “Naked & Afraid” contestants or wannabees – or anyone spending long stretches in the wilderness – the GoSun Flow Solar Powered Water Purifier & Pump not only knocks out 99.99% of pathogens from water, but also functions as a portable handwashing station or even a hot shower. Small enough to fit into a backpack, the Flow is a solar-powered pump that can sucks fresh water from an unclean source then automatically filters one liter per minute through a three-stage filter cartridge, good for cleansing 1,000 liters. One full Flow solar charge can filter 100 gallons of water, and the its battery power bank recharges in the sun. A faucet can be clamped to a collapsible basin, and a 12-volt submersible heater provides washing/bathing-appropriate warm or hot water. (March, $349)
Kohler Stillness Infinity Experience Freestanding Bathtub
If even the virtual version of CES has unnerved and exhausted you, why not take a nice hot bath – after all, the best preventative medicine is to just plain relax. Using the Kohler app, users can remotely fill this 48 x 48 x 23.64-inch deep, 111.5-gallon tub, and set the desired water temperature. The water overflows into the Hinoki wood infinity pool mote surrounding the tub to create a soothing sound, which, combined with light, fog, and essential oils aromas, creates what Kohler calls “an immersive journey of the senses designed to relax the mind, soothe the body and renew the spirit.” Of course, the Stillness Infinity price might tighten you up all over again. (October, $15,998)
MaskFone Face Mask/Earbuds
How many times have your earbuds been accidentally jerked out of your ears when taking off your surgical face mask? MaskFone solves this problem – attached to it are a pair of Bluetooth noise canceling earbuds. The mask itself is made of a soft but durable machine washable twill fabric that easily forms to all face shapes, and includes a nose wire. Its disposable, interchangeable N95 filters provide 95% virus protection. To keep the mask from muffling your voice during phone calls, MaskFone includes voice projection powered by the Hubble Connect app for clear audio. Amazon Alexa is included to provide voice control over your music play and your other smart devices, and you get 12 hours of single-charge listening time. (February, $49.99)
Milo The Action Communicator
This re-imagined family radio enables people within 2,000 feet of each other in outdoor environment to stay in contact, extended out by the MiloNet mesh network when your group spreads out. But instead of hand-held push-to-talk operation, the palm-sized Milo The Action Communicator works more like a Star Trek communication badge. Clipped to a pocket, handlebars, or an armband, the IP67 water- and dust-proof Milo, available in signature red, white and black, provides full-duplex group voice conversations on what the company describes as an all-day battery. For more precise communication, you can plug in or pair Bluetooth earphones to them. Milo is developing a longer-range mode that, in testing, has exceeded more than a mile; new features will be delivered via regular software updates. (February, $169)
Olive Pro True Wireless Buds/Hearing Aids
Many true wireless buds with ambient sound modes purport to boost your hearing – yeah, not really. These stylish Olive Pros actually do – they’ve been classified as an FDA class II medical device. But wait, there’s more: the buds’ AI engine identifies and amplifies voices while simultaneously detecting and eliminating background noise, plus there’s a 10-band EQ in the app as well. You get 7 hours of single-charge listening and two more full charges from the battery case, and they’re IPX7 water resistant. (Q1, $299)
Samsung Slim Over The Range Microwave
Got an oven hood? Got a microwave? Got a kitchen space problem? Samsung lets you combine two capacious cooking installations with its smart Slim Over-the-Range (OTR) Microwave. Designed to simply replace your under-cabinet hood, the Slim OTR Microwave is equipped with a power ventilation system capable of vacuuming an impressive 550 cubic foot per minute of steam, fumes, odors, and, we hope not, smoke. The microwave also packs power, with an industry best 1100-watt output, which speeds your food prep. (price, availability not yet announced)
SelfSafe ID Bracelet
Not that you want to think about it, but what will happen to you in case you lose your ID, wallet, home or consciousness? This password-protected USB emergency identification waterproof bracelet stores all your important personal information, including medical, financial, insurance, travel documents, personal identification and more. The bracelet’s secure, yet quickly accessible design allows you to be prepared for life’s unexpected emergencies. ($29.95)
Targus UV-C LED Disinfection Light
While there are several frequently touched spots in your home prone to retain harmful microscopic lifeforms, arguably the most touched surface – after your face – is your PC keyboard. As long as its motion sensor senses no activity within or directly outside its active cleaning area, this Targus UV-C LED Disinfection Light switches for five minutes every hour to disinfect surfaces it bathes, eliminating potential disease-bearing pathogens. Literally, just set it and forget it to remain healthy. (Spring, $299)
Tata Band/Tat Pad Child Car Seat Alarm
How anyone can leave then forget a child locked in hot car beggars the imagination. But for the potentially fatal absent-minded there’s two Tata baby car seat safety alarm solutions: a band that wraps around one of the seatbelt straps, or a pad your child sits on. Both get paired via Bluetooth to a smartphone, then is programmed to emit a series of increasingly frantic alarms when that connection is broken, i.e., when your smartphone is out of Tata range of your car and child. After three minutes the phone emits a sound notification. A minute later, the parents phone gets a call. Three minutes after that, the Tata calls and leaves messages for emergency contacts. The company is looking for international partners. ($59 each)
See also: TWICE, Residential Systems & TechRadar Pro Announce Picks Awards Winners For CES 2021
