25 Things You'll Actually Want to Buy at CES This Year Sin City? More like Innovation City.
By Hayden Field
Sin City? More like Innovation City.
It's that time of year again, when more than 4,400 exhibiting companies and 175,000 industry professionals from over 160 countries gather in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 53rd annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show). From AI and robotics to self-driving cars and smart cities, thousands of tech innovations will debut this week as tech heavyweights, entrepreneurs, researchers, journalists and enthusiasts look on. History is being made this week in the halls of some of the country's biggest hotels and casinos, and Entrepreneur is on the ground reporting straight to you on the coolest new gadgets, the most significant inventions and the innovations that could one day change our everyday lives as consumers. (Of course, we'll also be covering the most bizarre things we see — and there should be no shortage of those. (We're looking at you, Charmin toilet-paper-toting "Rollbot."))
Related: 25 Things at CES 2019 You'll Actually Want to Buy
From a flying selfie camera to an all-in-one smart cooking system, click through the slideshow to see the products we're spotlighting this year, and be sure to check back each day for updates.
AirSelfieAir Pix by AirSelfie
Price: $99.95
Available to purchase: This month
Sick of asking your friend with the longest arm to take one for the team? AirSelfie's new pocket-sized flying camera, Air Pix, can capture photos at up to 60 feet in the air via front-facing and downward-facing lenses. Users can use the corresponding app to edit their snapshot, add text and share to any social media or messaging platform. The previous generation of the camera, released two years ago, flew for only two minutes and took relatively low-resolution photos compared to the Air Pix, which deals in 10 mp photos and 1080p video. The company has also tripled the camera's flight time (six minutes). Say goodbye to selfie sticks.
MyFit SolutionsMyFit by MyFit Solutions
Price: $65
Available to purchase: Now
Earbuds constantly falling out of your ears? Almost lost your AirPods to the subway tracks? MyFit custom-fit earbuds are 3D-printed and shipped about a week after you use the app's AR scanner to capture 15 measurements related to your ear's curve, length and canal entry diameter. The company says it's sold just 400 pairs so far, but that may change since the product landed status as a CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree. The silicone sleeves fit with any major brand of earbuds, including Apple, Bose and Samsung, and they come with a one-year warranty.
CookingPalJulia by CookingPal
Price: TBD (Under $1,000)
Available to purchase: Q3
With Julia, a new smart cooking system, kitchen tech company CookingPal aims to provide an all-in-one countertop cooker — a single appliance that mixes, chops, steams, boils, whisks, kneads and even weighs ingredients via a built-in scale. For simplicity's sake, Julia only has one button, so the CES 2020 Best of Innovation award winner also comes with a "smart kitchen hub," an eight-inch dedicated tablet to control the device remotely. Besides being dust-proof, waterproof and Alexa-compatible, the hub comes with a collection of step-by-step photo- and video-guided recipes, which also integrate online shopping for ingredients. If a user isn't sure what to make with the ingredients they've already got, they can use the tablet's built-in camera to snap a photo of their fridge contents and the hub will recommend corresponding recipes.
HatchRestore by Hatch
Price: TBD (likely $129 to $149)
Available to purchase: March or April 2020
With Restore, sleep tech company Hatch aims to sell consumers a four-in-one sleep solution: a sound machine, meditation tool, night light and sunrise alarm clock. Between guided meditation sessions, bedtime stories and sleep sound options, the product offers 500 pieces of content, and users can set up nightly sleep routines with their preferences. For example, that could mean that every night at 10:00 p.m., Restore changes its light color to purple and begins to dim and fade for five minutes as you breathe in and out, then plays a guided meditation, then turns on white noise for the night and, finally, wakes you at 6:00 a.m. with a gradually brightening light and beach sounds.
PowerVisionPowerEgg X Explorer by PowerVision
Price: $899
Available to purchase: This month
One enduring problem with drones: Most people think they'll use them much more often than they actually will. Robotics company PowerVision aims to address that with PowerEgg X, a drone with detachable arms and a base that functions just like a typical video camera — except it's one with the ability to shoot in 4K video and a smart lens that can follow a subject around a room. The team envisions the camera's smart lens being used in handheld form (e.g., taping a child's dance recital) and via tripod (e.g., filming yourself moving around the kitchen for a cooking vlog).
ColgatePlaqless Pro by Colgate
Price: TBD (likely $200 or more)
Available to purchase: Q2 or Q3 2020
We've seen smart toothbrushes (and their corresponding "missed a spot!" app alerts) before. But Plaqless Pro's key difference — and likely the reason it landed a CES 2020 Best of Innovation award — is its ability to detect not just whether a user missed an area but whether that area is truly clean, using an embedded optical sensor to check for remaining buildup around a tooth. The product offers a timer, reminders and rewards similar to its competitors, but it's billed as the first smart toothbrush to be compatible with Apple Health, meaning iPhone and Apple Watch users need not download the toothbrush's dedicated app to access their information.
Pix Inc.Pix Backpack by Pix Inc.
Price: $259
Available to purchase: Now
Some kids' products are designated as such because adults simply aren't as much fun. Pix is no exception: The digital customizable backpack's target audience may be children, but there's no reason an ebullient entrepreneur can't use it en route to a pitch meeting or as a plane carry-on. By way of — what else? — an app, Pix allows the user to control their backpack's appearance via LED pixels, displaying everything from artwork and animation to widgets and games. Users can also display their own drawings or the text of their choosing. The team says one charge can power six to seven hours of continuous lighting on the brightest possible setting.
E-NoviaWahu by E-Novia
Price: About $223
Available to purchase: Q3 2020
If you've ever spent time in a college dorm, an RV or an overpriced New York apartment, you know that shoes take up a lot more space than expected. With Wahu, Italian tech company E-Novia is selling an interesting solution: a smart sole that uses built-in sensors to auto-adapt its levels of grip and cushioning to differences in terrain. The CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree has four modes — indoor, trail, road and urban frost — and it'll accompany a shoe likely designed via a partnership with an Italian footwear brand (no word yet on which). The team behind Wahu envisions future iterations of the product will detect a user's unique walk and adjust accordingly to aid in balance.
iKuddleAuto-Feeder by iKuddle
Price: $199
Available to purchase: May 2020
Crazy cat (or small- to medium-sized dog) parents, this one's for you. Set up your pet's daily meal plan, complete with serving size, and this CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree will dispense breakfast, lunch or dinner accordingly. According to iKuddle, it also collects data on feeding frequency and eating habits so you can keep an eye on Fido or Kitty's health (or weight-loss diet) over time. And if you're missing your pet at the office, the Auto-Feeder has a built-in camera and two-way speaker so you can talk to them while they eat. Bon ap-pet-it.
PitakaAir Omni by Pitaka
Price: TBD (likely about $200)
Available to purchase: March or April 2020
As more and more devices become compatible with wireless charging, nightstands and desks are filling up with flat discs. Enter Pitaka's Air Omni, a six-in-one wireless charging stand for smartphones, tablets, smart watches, wireless earbuds and more. Besides supporting iOS and Android devices, the product offers a convertible lightning or USB-C tablet charger and both USB-A and USB-C side charging ports.
Safe-TecTyr Plus by Safe-Tec
Price: $199
Available to purchase: Now
It's a dangerous world out there for bikers, and the helmet company behind Tyr Plus wants to help change that. The Alexa-compatible product allows riders to ask the assistant to play certain music, turn up or down the volume, place a call to a contact and, peraps most importantly, ask for turn-by-turn directions to a destination. With a liner designed by Mips, the helmet protects against both impact and rotation, and it's got a built-in accelerometer with brake lights, as well as remote handlebar mounts that, once pressed, show turn signals on the back of the helmet.
LenovoThinkPad X1 Fold by Lenovo
Price: Starting at $2,499
Available to purchase: Mid-2020
After four years of work, Lenovo has officially debuted what the team calls the "world's first foldable PC." The ThinkPad X1 Fold has no bezel, meaning users can work — or scroll, or type — through the fold. The optional bluetooth keyboard can be closed inside the computer and also charge wirelessly in that position. Specs include 11 hours of video playback, a 50-watt battery and memory capacity ranging from 8 gigabytes to 1 terabyte.
CakeÖsa Lite by Cake
Price: $6,500
Available to purchase: March 2020
After a year of design, electric bike company Cake debuted a new product this year, meant for a much broader use case than the previous generation (a performance dirt bike). The Ösa Lite is built for both an urban commute and offroading, with an estimated four-hour ride time per charge and a top speed of 30 mph. Consumers can pay extra for add-ons like different types of baskets, cargo nets and even a surfboard rack.
Sleep NumberClimate360 Smart Bed by SleepNumber
Price: $7,999 for queen (bed base alone: about $1,700, mattress alone: about $4,000)
Available to purchase: Q2 or Q3 2021
Goldilocks may have criticized beds as too hard or soft, but many couples today bicker over sleep temperature instead. SleepNumber aims to put an end to those standoffs with its Climate360 Smart Bed, which allows each individual to control the temperature of their own sleeping area. Cold sleepers, for instance, can turn on a timer before bedtime to warm their side, including an independent foot pad that's set to turn cool two hours into the night. The product still has the typical SleepNumber features, including dual adjustability and an accompanying app with information on quality of rest per night.
SamsungSero by Samsung
Price: TBD
Available to purchase: 2020
If you're the kind of person who locks your phone screen's portrait orientation mode, you probably know all too well how varied our video viewing experiences have become. On SnapChat, TikTok and Instagram, you're watching vertical clips; on YouTube, Netflix and other streaming services, most content plays horizontally. To address this, Samsung built a new model in its line of self-described "lifestyle TVs" called the Sero.
True to its name, which translates to "vertical" in Korean, the television can rotate between portrait and landscape mode depending on which kind of content you're viewing. Released last year in South Korea, the television is slated for U.S. release (as well as in a few other markets) in 2020. A soon-to-be-released feature called "Tap View" allows consumers to auto-pair the Samsung Galaxy with the television by touching them together, while iOS users can pair their devices using AirPlay.
Owl LabsMeeting Owl Pro by Owl Labs
Price: $999
Available to purchase: Now
Ever sat in a conference room during a painfully awkward virtual meeting? The experience usually goes hand-in-hand with ill-timed silences, zoomed-out views of the remote team and a fair amount of awkward transitions. In some ways, the Meeting Owl Pro — an all-in-one camera, microphone and speaker for remote meetings — is poised to solve that issue. It plugs into a computer via USB and can pair with most popular meeting platforms (Zoom, Skype, Hangouts). The product is topped with a 360-degree fish-eye lens that uses audio and visual cues to pan the video feed to the meeting's active speakers, aiming to create more immersive meetings where remote attendees can see their team members' facial expressions. As for what's changed between the previous iteration and the new "Pro" version, according to Owl Labs: A 1080p camera with twice-as-sharp image quality, an 18-foot pickup radius with two times the previous product's audio capacity and overall stronger processing power.
BodyfriendLBF-750 by Bodyfriend
Price: $29,999
Available to purchase: Now
This massage chair costs as much as a car, but for a product designed in partnership with Lamborghini, we wouldn't expect anything less. The LBF-750 has eight speakers to generate surround sound, LED mood lighting and an advanced massage system using rollers, seat warmers and "airbags." According to Bodyfriend, the chair also incorporates user fingerprint authentication and can generate a personalized healing massage based on a user's vital signs. One recent feature: the addition of the "brain massage" (in other words, a meditation-esque sound mode with binaural beats).
Stern“Stranger Things” Pinball Machine by Stern
Price: $6,099
Available to purchase: Now
The company that would become Stern Pinball was founded in 1986, and that's probably part of the reason it aimed to do the decade proud with its new Stranger Things game. The pinball machine, which has a limited release of 500 units, invites players to dig into the mysterious Hawkins National Laboratory and the strange events taking place around town, plus battle the Demogorgon and help their favorite characters close the gate to another dimension. Other game highlights include a video projector, custom art, a "telekinetic" ball lock inspired by Eleven's abilities and a Demodog spinner.
LGThinQ Washer and Dryer by LG
Price: TK
Available to purchase: TK
Name one adulthood skill more important than knowing how to do your laundry or your taxes. We'll wait. With its new ThinQ Washer and Dryer, LG aims to make the former, at least, easier. The washer employs smart software that can not only detect the volume and weight of your laundry but also, with the help of sensors and big data, identifies the types of fabric in a load and then determines the optimal cycle setting. The smart washer will then communicate with the dryer about which cycle to use for the load. Bye-bye, shrunken T-shirts.
Beijing Puppy RoboticsHachi Infinite by Beijing Puppy Robotics Co., Ltd
Price: $999
Available to purchase: TBD
If you're a screen buff who always has to get your hands on the newest gadgets, the Hachi Infinite will likely be right up your alley. It's a short-throw home projector that can transform your coffee table, your floor, your kitchen counter — virtually any flat surface — into a touchscreen. Other highlights: It's got a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor and is compatible with voice control.
HisenseSelf-Rising Screen Laser TV by Hisense
Price: $5,999
Available to purchase: TBD
Living rooms of the future will all be outfitted with rollaway televisions. At least, that's what industry heavyweights like LG and Hisense envision. At CES, the latter company debuted a prototype of its Self-Rising Screen Laser TV, which will only be visible to consumers while in use. It's built with TriComa technology that, according to Hisense, allows it to display 90 percent of colors recognizable to the human eye.
LamborghiniLamborghini 2020 Huracán EVO with Amazon Alexa integration
Price: Starting at $261,274
Available to purchase: Now
This one (at least for now) might be more of a pie in the sky as far as purchases go. But Lamborghini's Huracán EVO is a notable vehicle in part because, according to an announcement at CES this week, it's reportedly the first car in the world to have built-in compatibility with Amazon's digital personal assistant, Alexa.
AvastAvast Omni
Price: TBD
Available to purchase: TBD
Connected devices in the home are growing more popular every year, but their levels of security often leave a lot to be desired. And though it may not seem pressing to protect your Internet of Things coffee pot from a potential hacker, what about your smart locks? Your connected security cameras? Your smart baby monitor? Avast aims to position Omni, its new hardware-software security solution for connected home devices, to address these issues. The product connects to your home Wi-Fi router to secure any device connected to the network, and it also provides users with every device connected to the router, so you can see if anything's there that shouldn't be.
Hydraloop Systems BVHydraloop by Hydraloop Systems BV
Price: Starting at $4,000, plus tax, shipping within the U.S. and installation
Available to purchase: Q3 or Q4 2020
As humans use up water faster than it can be renewed, it's important to get creative with ways to make the resource last. Hydraloop, a self-cleaning home water recycling system, is a new approach to doing just that. Using a six-step water filtration process that includes UV light disinfection, the system collects shower, bath and washing machine water and allows it to be reused for future washing machine loads, gardening, pool water or toilet flushing. The company behind Hydraloop says it can help reduce home water consumption by 45 percent, as well as lead to a 6 percent reduction in your carbon footprint.
RazerKishi by Razer
Price: TBD (Likely in the $100 range)
Available to purchase: Q1 2020
Razer generated a fair amount of buzz this week via the launch of its Kishi mobile gamepad. The Nintendo Switch-like device plugs into any phone with a USB-C or Lightning port in the center, meaning it's compatible with most iPhones, Google Pixels, Samsung phones and more. The direct line to your phone translates to lower latency, which is music to any gamer's ears.
