The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas isn’t just for the big companies – it also plays host to first time attendees with quirky new gadgets, inventions and technologies.
For some companies, revealing their products at CES with more than 150,000 attendees that include the cream of the world’s technology press could really put them on the map.
Here’s a look at five of the coolest and quirkiest new gadgets we found at the world’s biggest consumer technology show.
HEARNOTES
We’ve heard of wireless earphones but Hearnotes is a wirefree pair of earphones.
Even wireless headphones have a cable attaching the left and right earbuds but Hearnotes doesn’t even have that which is why they’re called wirefree.
And despite there not being a cable in sight, Hearnotes still delivers high quality streaming audio using Kleer technology over the 2.4Ghz band to a transmitter that sits in the headphone jack.
Each earbud is a little larger than regular earphones but at least there is no cable to get tangled up in.
BELTY
The Belty is the world’s first smart belt – a wearable not many people predicted and when you get over the ridiculousness you’ll find it actually has its uses.
It connects to your smartphone and you can set preferences so that it will loosen when you sit down and tighten when you stand up again.
And being on your waistline, Belty is also in a good position to track your steps and activities.
Belty will also give the user a virtual tap on the shoulder to let you know your waistline is expanding so you can get back on track again.
SMART KETTLE
Smart technology has made it into the kitchen with a smart kettle and smart coffee maker.
These connect to a smartphone app and allow users to set up their favourite brew right down to the number of cups and the strength of their coffee while it will also tell you when you need to refill it.
But the best features are Wake Up and Home modes which will ensure your coffee or hot water is ready to for you when you get out of bed or arrive home.
PARROT POT
Not everyone has a green thumb and pot plants will die if we forget to water them. But what about a pot that will water your plants for you?
That’s exactly what you get with the Parrot Pot. It has a reservoir that stores 2.2 litres of water and a database that can provide specific care for your plant so water is sprayed automatically into the soil when needed.
Parrot has another product called the H20 which is inserted into the soil of an existing pot plant with a water bottle turned upside so it can also be irrigated autonomously.
SLEEP PHONES
It might look a headband but SleepPhones is actually a pair of headphones you can wear to bed.
These soft wireless headphones are small and flat and provide a comfortable way to listen to music wirelessly from your smartphone.
They can be worn in bed to reduce ambient noise and traffic sounds and sometimes to mask your partner’s snoring.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of LG
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