All the Coolest Stuff We've Seen at CES So Far
Photographs by Amy Lombard. Plus, don't miss the rest of our CES 2019 coverage.
Amy LombardVuze XR Camera
You may have heard: XR is a thing this year at CES. One of the companies helping creators capture XR content (the term is really just a bucket to describe AR, VR, and mixed reality) is HumanEyes, which is here at CES with its new multi-mode camera. The Vuze XR can capture a 180-degree stereo image that you can use to create video for stereoscopic viewers (like VR or Daydream headsets), and it can shoot a 360-degree video for AR applications. Two cameras in one. —Michael Calore
Amy LombardWithings BPM Core
Withings BPM Core is the classiest, techiest blood pressure monitor we've seen. It can take your pressure, but that’s just one of its skills. It also has a digital stethoscope sensor you press onto the side of your chest, and another you touch with your fingers, so it can take an electrocardiogram. It will be able to detect things like AFib (irregular heartbeat) and valvular heart disease, with medical-grade accuracy (pending FDA approval). It comes out later this spring for $250.—Jeffrey Van Camp
Amy LombardMatrix PowerWatch 2
The worst part of wearing a smartwatch is watching it die right in the middle of your Spartan Race. The Matrix PowerWatch 2 fixes that problem with thermometric and solar charging. In other words, this wearable gets its juice from the sun and your own body heat—so you’ll never need to recharge it. It comes with all the usual features: GPS, heart rate tracking, notifications. It’s water resistant too. Can it rival a Garmin or an Apple Watch when it comes to fitness features? Probably not. But it’s much more likely to survive the apocalypse.—Arielle Pardes
Amy LombardTemi Robot
Usually, CES robots are a little sad, but Temi is different. Instead of pretending their robot can do a bunch of things it can’t, like hold a conversation, the team at Temi focused on the things it can. The Temi Robot has 16 sensors (including LiDAR) that help it recognize people and map out your home. With the tap of a button it can follow you, or go anywhere you ask it. When it gets there, it can play music or media, wirelessly charge devices, act as an Alexa device, and work as a video chat or telepresence bot, among other things. If you can find a reason to use the $1,500 Temi, it’s a robot that may actually be of use.—JVC
Amy LombardCargoSense Pet Tracker
If your dog is over 15 pounds, you can't carry your pup in the main cabin. This makes flying with him or her one of the most terrifying things you’ll ever do. If you want to make sure that your best friend in the entire world hasn’t been left in a burning hot cargo bay or on a freezing runway, the CargoSense pet tracker will keep track of their location in real time, monitor environmental conditions while in flight, and alert you when the temperature exceeds preset thresholds.—Adrienne So
Amy LombardSony GTK-PG10
At its heart, Sony has always been a company unafraid of making absurd and occasionally delightful ideas manifest. Add to that proud legacy the GTK-PG10, a big, bulky Bluetooth speaker with two top panels that unfold to reveal four splashproof cup holders. You read that correctly! Yes, OK, the GTK-PG10 also has actual speaker-related specs, like 13 hours of playback, mic input for karaoke tailgates, an FM tuner, and the ability to charge your smartphone while you rock out. But be honest, you’re still thinking about those cup holders. Rightly.—Brian Barrett
Amy LombardOtterbox PopSocket
By now you’re hopefully familiar with the life-altering properties of the PopSocket, that suddenly ubiquitous smartphone wart that grants you some extra grip. But surely you’re also at least occasionally annoyed by the protuberance. The PopSocket is great when you need it, and an unnecessary bulge when you don’t. Enter OtterBox, the venerable smartphone case company. Its Otter + Pop, an official collaboration with PopSockets, has a built-in PopGrip that sits totally flush until you summon it. What’s more, you can swap in different colored PopTops to customize to your liking.—BB
Amy LombardFight Camp
Why go to a damp, dim boxing gym, when you can bring the ultimate training experience into the comfort of your living room? The complete FightCamp package takes up eight by four feet of space and comes with gloves, wrist wraps, punch tracker sensors, and standalone punching bag. Inexperienced boxers can watch 8 to 12 weeks of tutorial videos, or access programs to improve punch accuracy or train different parts of the body. And unlike most other in-home exercise equipment, it’s just as entertaining for the people watching you.—AS
Rehab Tech
A stroke is one of the largest causes of adult disability, and once you have a stroke, you have to continue rehab for the rest of your life. Flint Rehab’s MiGo, a wrist wearable that pairs with an app, brings together an ecosystem of simple, fun, and easy to use devices that help stroke survivors exercise their impaired side. We spoke to stroke survivor Tina Orkin, who pointed out she can use the MiGo system independently, and with one hand. She can continue her rehab while traveling or visiting her grandson, which she wouldn’t be able to do with a lot of other products.—AS
TwelveSouth PowerPic
As far as dual-use gadgets go, you can’t get much more clever than the PowerPic. It’s an ordinary wooden 5x7 picture frame that just happens to hide wireless charging powers inside. Need a quick top-off while you’re making dinner? Put it in the kitchen. Want bedside charging that matches your decor? Friends, PowerPic your life. You can even, if you’re feeling frisky, set your smartphone’s wallpaper to match the print. At $80, PowerPic ain’t cheap. But ingenuity’s worth paying for.—BB
