WHILE ULTRA books and smart TVs were the talk of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), there were plenty of other notable gadgets to see there. Ranging from the useful to the just plain weird, the CES always throws up more than a few ideas that should make it to market – and many that will probably never see the light of day.
But it’s part of what makes CES so much fun. While the more established firms are busy dutifully following the tech trends, you can track down the companies which are trying to do things differently.
From robotic rabbits that will post on your Facebook wall to audio products that use bone to conduct sound, there was plenty to attract interest on the show floor.
This year’s exhibition saw a corner of one hall dedicated to robotics. And while many people are already used to the idea of a robotic vacuum cleaner, even if they haven’t quite got around to buying one, the sector is about to go a step further, if CES is any indication.
How would you feel if you could log on to an app through your iPhone or iPad, and instruct a robot device to inspect your house? That’s what Xybotyx is essentially offering. The company was set up last year with one goal in mind: to mobilise the robot revolution.
So far, it’s managed to get one application to a working stage, which the company says is just for fun at the moment, but could have significant impact at a later date. But the Xybot is the first commercially available consumer robot, and it is available exclusively on the iOS operating system.
Essentially the device is a mobile base station that holds an iOS device. The robotic base station can be controlled through the app, “driving” it around your home and providing you with a bird’s eye view of what’s going on, thanks to the front-facing camera. It can be used as a security tool, a reassurance for homeowners or just to freak out your family and pets.
“Right now it’s just for fun. The applications we want to build it to be able to do are much greater,” said Xybotyx’s Giovanni Joy. “The possible nannying could be another application. It could be a high-tech baby monitor.” The company has looked at the possibility of programming the device so it can ask a child questions. It could also be used as a security advice, mapping your house and putting your mind at rest in minutes when you are away from home.
Slightly less intimidating is Karotz. The internet-connected robot rabbit is already available in Europe, but CES marked its US debut and the inclusion of social networking features. The rabbit now hooks up directly to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, allowing you to interact with friends and followers via the rabbit. It uses voice recognition, so you can use it to search the internet. Or you could have it play music, check emails or catch up on the latest news.
“It’s entirely interactive,” said Imogen Bailey, demonstrating the device. “You can send a message directly to Karotz and it will read it out loud. It’s basically a companion, it’s part of your everyday life and a way to live with a robot and have it as part of your everyday routine.”
Sonamba’s technology, meanwhile, may seem a bit Big Brother, but it may bring peace of mind to vulnerable family members. The wellbeing status monitor is built into a digital photo frame with a difference, allowing family members to stay in touch and involved with each other regardless of how much distance is between them.
Not only does it monitor the level of movement in whatever room it is located in, but it learns the user’s daily routine and alerts a nominated person should they differ from it, functions as a medication reminder and can send and receive texts from concerned family members, with some automatic responses already preprogrammed.
You can send images directly to the device too, making your parents, sibling or extended family feel as if they’re not missing out on quite so much.
Another item generating a bit of interest was the Exodesk, an interactive touchscreen display that connects to your computer and allows you to control applications on an external PC. It works with a HTML5 interface. ExoPC built the test device with ViewSonic, and it certainly created a buzz around the exhibition hall.
And although Apple may not officially exhibit at CES, there were plenty of companies producing accessories for the iPhone and iPad to ensure the brand was prominent.
For example, iDevices showed off the iNotebook at the show, a device that allows users to take handwritten notes and transfer them wirelessly to the iPad. It doesn’t need special paper, only the iNotebook handwriting recognition device.
Despite the late Steve Jobs’s opposition to the stylus as a method of input, the iNotebook allows you to write directly on the iPad, thanks to its stylus tip.
Meanwhile, CTA showed off a cube for the iPad, which allows you, for some reason, to house your iPad in an inflatable cube. Or the Beanpad, which is an iPad mount that is essentially a mini beanbag strapped to a case for the device.
Audio technology was also big this year. But few made the bold claims of Yurbuds, which said its Ironman series earbuds are built to last a lifetime. The claim for the headphones isn’t made lightly; the devices have been given the stamp of approval by the Iron Man competition itself.
Yurbuds differ from traditional earbuds in a few ways. Firstly, they’re stronger, so they won’t give out after a few months thanks to broken wires or connections.
And even though the ear pieces are guaranteed not to fall out of your ears, they can be worn comfortably for hours, because they have been designed not to hit any of the sensitive spots in your ears that would cause them to become uncomfortable.
