Every year we visit CES it’s the same. People ask us what we saw, we say, oh not much. Nothing that exciting. Then we make our list of products and we have to debate to get it down to a manageable size for a story and a video.
This year was no exception. Our original list was close to fifty products, but with some discussion, we were able to pick our twenty favorites, plus a couple of bonuses.
Audfly Focusound F1 Glass Directional Speaker
Audfly, a leading maker of directional speakers, showed off their new F1 Glass Directional Speaker with Focusound technology. When you sit directly in front of the transparent speakers, on the couch or at your computer desk, you can hear perfectly, but move outside of the area and you can’t hear anything at all.
You can move the speakers around to adjust the sound’s direction. These are great for late night TV watchers or enthusiastic gamers, who can experience great sound without disturbing everyone around them, as well as for office use. I hope Mark gets these so I don’t have to listen to Star Trek when I’m trying to sleep.
We look forward to trying these speakers in our own home soon.
Bunafr In-Home Coffee Roaster
It’s no secret we love our coffee here at AppMyHome and we love finding new things to make it taste even better. We can’t wait to try Bunafr’s in-home smart coffee bean roaster.
Developed by the team in Seattle (where else?), the roaster provides a smoke-free, fully-automated roasting experience tailored to your personal tastes. You buy the green coffee beans from Bunafr, put them in the roaster, and in about 10 minutes, you can have fresh roasted beans. You can set up your preferences in an app, or scan the QR code on the Bunafr bag to roast to their specifications.
You can pre-order the Bunafr now from their website. It’s expected to ship in March of this year.
DeRUCCI Smart Mattress
We’ve seen plenty of sleep-tracking products and beds over the years, but this year we’ve noticed that more companies are not just tracking your sleep, they want to use the data to help you sleep better. The DeRUCCI smart mattress was our favorite example at the show.
The T11 Pro Smart Mattress is packed with sensors to track body shape, changes in sleeping position, temperature, heart rate and more. Then it uses AI algorithms to adjust the bed dynamically during the night for each sleeper.
DeRUCCI also plans to integrate its smart beds with other smart home products so it can adjust your lighting, curtains and thermostat to help you sleep better.
The smart mattress and other products are expected to be available in the US later this year.
Carepet Smart Pet Bed
If you have a smart bed, shouldn’t your pets get one too? Italian company Domethics showed off their prototype for Carepet, a smart bed that measures sleep habits and vital signs for cats and dogs.
We’ve seen plenty of other pet health products at prior shows, but we like the Carepet since it doesn’t require your dog or cat to wear a collar.
The technology is built right into the bed to measure heart rate, respiration, and sleep quality and connect it to an app, so you can see how your pet is doing and/or share the data with your veterinarian.
When the Carepet gets dirty, simply remove the cover and throw it in the washing machine.
The Carepet is coming soon to Kickstarter.
Pawport Smart Pet Door
We’ve seen plenty of smart dog doors but never one as nice looking as the Pawport.
The Pawport slides over your existing pet door to give you more control over your pet’s schedule and keep out uninvited guests. It works with a lightweight collar tag to let your pet in when it’s nearby and in motion, but gives you the added control of setting curfews or locking the door when you want them to stay in. You can even lock or unlock it with your favorite voice assistant. Pawport’s sleek design and tight seal also helps you save energy.
The Pawport and its accessories are available for pre-order now and are expected to begin shipping in Q2 of this year.
Flappie Cat Flap
If you’ve ever owned a cat, you won’t be surprised to learn that cats kill billions of small mammals and birds every year in the US alone. And they love to bring their gifts home.
Twin brothers Denis and Oliver grew up with cats and used their experience to develop Flappie, the world’s most intelligent cat flap.
Flappie uses a camera and AI algorithms to detect the cat’s prey in its mouth and will lock kitty out until she comes back to the door alone. It recognizes your cat based on either its embedded RFID chip or a separate collar.
Flappie is set to launch in Europe this Spring and the team is hoping to expand to the US market soon.
SABRE Smart Pepper Spray
We’ve seen different kinds of personal safety devices, but the SABRE Smart Pepper Spray is the first one that not only calls for help, it lets you fight back.
The Smart Pepper Spray bottle connects to an app where you add your trusted family members and friends. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, you can press an alert button on the bottle to send a notification to those contacts, or if needed, you can use the spray for extra protection.
The spray includes live GPS tracking technology that will continue to provide updates in the app until you’ve marked yourself safe. It comes with an inert spray so you can practice before you need it.
The SABRE Smart Pepper Spray ships in the US only and is restricted in some states. You can buy it from their website or from Amazon and other retail partners.
Weber Summit Smart Gas Grill
Smart grills were everywhere at CES with about every feature possible, gas, electric, pellet, charcoal, with built in probes and even chat GPT. But our favorite of the show was from one of the oldest grill brands in the US.
Weber announced a totally refreshed outdoor product line at CES with new grills in nearly every category. We use gas so our favorite was the Summit Smart Gas Grill.
The Summit grill uses SmartControl technology that you can control with the WEBER CONNECT App or through its huge bright touchscreen. The grill has been designed to help you create perfectly grilled meals directly or indirectly, and monitor your cook from the yard or the kitchen. With a top-down broiler, huge cooking surfaces, and lots of optional accessories, it’s a backyard chef’s dream.
The Summit smart grill is expected to be available in the US this Spring.
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker
If you like smoked meats but don’t want to be outside for hours on end, you will love the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker.
The Indoor Smoker is small enough to fit on most kitchen countertops, but can still fit three racks of baby back ribs, a brisket or a whole chicken. Chef Dallas McGarity, winner of Chopped, wrote the cookbook for the smoker and he was making a delicious smelling pork butt when we visited the booth.
The smoker uses efficient wood pellets and captures and extinguishes them for easy disposal. A temperature probe and the GE Profile Connect+ app help you cook your perfect meat and then you can throw the racks and the drip trays in the dishwasher when you are done.
After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the Indoor Smoker is now officially part of the GE Profile lineup and will be available at US retailers soon.
EVOLVE MVMT
After you’ve eaten all that delicious grilled food, you might want to go out and get some exercise. EVOLVE MVMT wants to help you get the very best out of your steps with its new wearable ankle sensor.
Based on years of research, the EVOLVE MVMT sensor straps to your ankle to give you feedback on your gait, helping you to decrease the stress on your joints and burn more energy with every step you take.
With the improvements in your posture and walking quality you will hopefully be able to walk farther now and in the future.
You can order the EVOLVE MVMT now from their website.
Okai Panther Off-Road Electric Scooter
If walking sounds too calm for you, you might want to check out the Panther Off-Road Electric Scooter from Okai.
This is not your typical kids electric scooter. The Panther has dual motors and 12-inch professional tube tires and can reach speeds up to 37 miles per hour and climb hills with up to a 35 percent grade. If we rode one of these around Lake Tahoe, we’d be done in no time.
The Panther is built for strength and safety and is capable of supporting riders up to 330 pounds. It has a range of about 31 miles and a unique swappable battery design so you can go even farther.
The Panther is one of several electric scooters and e-bikes in OKAI’s product line and it’s available to purchase today from the OKAI website and select retailers.
Carrera Hybrid Racing
If you prefer to get your speed fix indoors, you’ll love the Carrera Hybrid, slot-free slot car racing.
The Carrera racing kits will come in two different sets. Each will include two rechargeable cars in cool colors and a set of track segments you can put together to create your own racing experience. You control the cars with a smartphone app and you can race freely across the track, switching lanes whenever you like.
The Carrera Hybrid will be available starting in Q4 this year.
Scosche BaseLynx 2.0 Modular Charging System
We got new iPhones this year and we’re always looking for better ways to charge all our devices. At CES, Scosche announced their new modular charging system, the BaseLynx 2.0, that you can customize to keep all your devices charged, and looking great at the same time.
The BaseLynx 2.0 features Qi2-certified wireless charging for phones, watches, AirPods, tablets and more. Pick the chargers you need and connect them with a Powered EndCap, that includes another 67 watt USB-C port and an AC outlet.
The BaseLynx 2.0 will be available this spring in black, or in a white version exclusively sold through Apple.
Mudra Band from Wearable Devices
If you have lots of Apple devices like we do, you will love the new Mudra Band from Wearable Devices.
The Mudra Band replaces your Apple Watch band and uses neural signals to convert your wrist and finger movements to controls for your iPhone, iPad, AppleTV or Mac.
We’re not really sure how we would use the Mudra Band, but the demo was really fun. After a really quick training, Valerie was able to pinch, drag and zoom on the screen. They recently released a developer kit so more apps can use the technology.
The Mudra band is for sale now from their website.
Igloohome Smart Locks
Igloocompany announced new smart locks at CES using their innovative algoPIN technology, which allows their locks to open with a secure PIN code, even without a good WiFi connection.
The Deadbolt 3S lock will be Matter-compatible and includes sensor and positioning enhancements that will make it easier to install.
We especially liked the Wink — a separate vision device coming soon that will be compatible with all the Igloo smart locks. You can install the Wink nearby but separate from the lock and use it to open with facial recognition or with a time bound QR code.
The new Igloohome locks and the Wink are coming later this year.
Securam Smart Switches
Securam makes a variety of high quality, touch and fingerprint smart locks for the home. At CES this year, they announced new Wi-Fi smart switches that integrate with their locks and with other devices.
We especially liked the Security Switches, which come in both a regular and a dimmer version. Both include a built-in laser motion sensor and a light sensor, so you can use them to better automate your home. I’m looking forward to having lasers at home, just like in a high-end museum.
The switches work with the Securam Guard App as well as Alexa and Google Home, and are available to purchase now from their website and Amazon.com.
Nobi Ceiling Smart Lamp
Nobi has been building and selling fall-detecting smart lamps in the European market. This year at CES, they announced the Nobi Ceiling, a sleek smart ceiling lamp coming to the US to help older adults live safely at home longer.
The Nobi Ceiling is designed for living rooms and bedrooms, and together with the Nobita lamps that cover smaller spaces, can detect falls with its integrated sensors and AI.
If someone falls, the lamp recognizes it and asks the person if they are ok. If there is no response, the lamp will automatically notify family members or care staff.
Nobi plans to sell their smart lamps in the US through service partners later this year.
Withings BeamO
We all use home thermometers and thanks to the pandemic, we are getting used to remote doctor visits as well. Withings announced a new device that you can use to do your own home checkup, and make your telehealth visit even better.
The BeamO combines an ECG, pulse oximeter, stethoscope, and thermometer all in one device, making it a great way to keep track of your heart and lung health. It will be able to take all these measurements in less than a minute, and you can store your stats in the Withings app and even stream the stethoscope to your doctor.
The BeamO is expected to be available in June, following FDA clearance for its ECG capability.
SUMSEI In the Forest Oxygen concentrator
If you could use more fresh Oxygen in your life to help you sleep better, you’ll love the SUMSEI In the Forest oxygen concentrator.
The product is designed to resemble a tree with a bendable branch, that you can set up over your bed for fresh oxygen. Like the other SUMSEI products launched at CES, it has a soothing design inspired by nature.
Already popular in their home country of Korea, SUMSEI hopes to bring In the Forest and its other luxury products to the US market soon.
Vasco Translator E1
We all have some form of language translation capability built into our phones these days, but using them is still a very awkward process and requires constant Internet access. What if you could just sit down with someone who speaks another language and just converse naturally?
Vasco has taken a leap towards this goal with its Translator E1. Designed to work with their standalone translator device or their mobile app, the earpieces can translate more than 49 different languages in near real time. Each user talks in their own language and the Vasco translator displays the translated text and pronounces it through the earpiece.
We got a chance to play with the Vasco products and it was pretty amazing to be able to talk back and forth without much of a delay. We can’t wait to see where this technology goes next.
The E1 will be available to buy in Q2 of this year.
Pivotal Helix All-Electric Personal Aircraft
If you’re frustrated with your daily commute or live in a remote area, the Pivotal Helix may be for you. It’s the first ever all-electric, single-seat personal aircraft, designed for short-hop travel.
The Helix has about a twenty mile range, and can be easily disassembled and stored to fit in a 16-foot trailer. It’s considered an Ultralight aircraft, regulated by the FAA to fly over non-congested areas and away from airports, similar to a drone.
You control the Helix with a joystick and simple user interface. While it does require training to ensure you are safe to fly, you do not need to have a pilot license.
You can order your Helix today with a $250 non-refundable deposit for a starting price of $190,000. The first aircraft are expected to ship in June.
AC Future eTH Electric Transformer House
If we had an extra $200K to spend, we’d rather go for the AC Future electric transformer house or eTH, a green-energy powered RV that expands to 400 square feet of living space.
The innovative design is a collaboration with Pininfarina, an Italian design firm that’s been in business since 1930. The eTH not only looks beautiful, but it has everything you need for up to a week living comfortably off the grid.
It has solar panels on all the roof surfaces that generate energy, makes its own ambient clean water, and has integrated Starlink connectivity so you are never completely disconnected.
AC Future is building a prototype and we were able to walk through it using virtual reality. Next year we hope to see it live.
AC Future expects to take pre-orders early next year in 2025 and be in mass production by the end of 2025.
That’s a wrap for our favorites from this year’s CES. We look forward to reviewing many of these and seeing what is in store for 2025.
Read our Insights article to learn more about this year’s home tech and other trends from the show.
Originally published at https://appmyhome.com on January 18, 2024.
