16 January,2022 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Jaison Lewis
Picoo
Every year the tech industry gathers in Las Vegas to show off their latest gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show. After a completely online show last year, hopes were high for an offline one this year. However, Omicron forced CES to go online despite having offline booths this year with many exhibitors pulling out of the physical exhibition. Despite all of these problems, CES this year was more than impressive with a huge number of innovative products showcased. Here are some of the best.
Picoo is an outdoor game console that encourages playing outside using the device. Picoo comes as a set of four which lets four kids play at the same time. The box comes with game cards that tell the children how to play the game. There are games like whack-a-mole, hide and seek, zombie run and others. Zombie run for example, has children infecting each other to make more zombies, players turn into zombies when the colour on their device changes. The basic set with four controllers retails in the US for $245 and comes with 5 games. Additional games cost between $5 and $20.
https://bit.ly/smdpicoo
If you thought a 27-inch monitor was overkill, wait till you see the Samsung Odyssey Ark 55-inch monitor. This behemoth of a monitor features 4k resolution and combines quantum dot colour and mini-LED backlighting. The gaming-centric device can be swivelled to landscape mode that extends over your head. The Ark 55 will also feature a wireless dial controller to manage the lighting and the monitor settings, no more reaching for the buttons at the back. The pricing was not revealed but we can assure you that it won't be cheap. The monitor is expected to hit the global market in the second quarter of the year.
https://bit.ly/smdark55
Asus is always messing with the design of laptops, but this one is a killer innovation. An all-screen laptop that unfolds into a 17-inch screen. The laptop can be used as a tablet, it can be propped up as a huge screen, you can open it 90-degrees and use it as a regular laptop as well. The keyboard and trackpad are not attached so you can use them however you want. The laptop has a 12th gen Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage. The Zenbook 17 will hit the market in the second quarter of the year. It will probably be too expensive to afford.
https://bit.ly/smdzenbook17
Mosquitoes are a huge problem, especially in Mumbai. Mosqitter offers a high-tech solution to a very annoying problem. Their device uses software and hardware to effectively kill all mosquitos within a 50-metre radius without using chemicals sprays, repellants and insecticides. It works by targeting the four natural components that mosquitoes use: carbon dioxide, body heat, UV and pheromones. These components are triggered by the AI in the machine and are customised according to day, night and climate. The machine works in all weather conditions and can be controlled remotely with an app. The device will also monitor the global mosquito population to track their activity and predict mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. The company has some devices deployed in India.
https://bit.ly/smdmosqitter
Along with the Ark, Samsung also released a more practical device-a portable projector called Freestyle. The projector is a no-fuss device that can auto level, auto-focus and auto-keystone which mean you will always get the perfect picture every time. The device combines a smart speaker, projection and ambient light to make something truly magical. Freestyle weighs in at just 830 grams and can project a screen up to 100 inches. The device can also match lighting to the music it is playing. The device is available for pre-order in the US, with other countries to follow soon. The Samsung Freestyle is priced at $899.
https://bit.ly/smdfreestyle
TCL showed off some futuristic products at CES, including a very light pair of AR glasses. Their star however was the NXTWear Air, a 75-gram Full-HD personal display. The glasses are capable of displaying a screen of 140-inches around 4 metres away, an experience that is similar to a movie theatre. The screen uses dual Micro OLED displays and is also capable of displaying 3D movies. The glasses also house stereo speakers for a seamless experience. The look of these glasses can be customised with exchangeable front lenses and a custom inner lens can be used for any pre-existing prescription. TCL hopes to launch the glasses early this year.
https://bit.ly/smdtclair
Cars and electric vehicles are plenty at CES but even amongst all those innovations, the BMW iX Flow with e-ink stood out. As you might suspect, the entire exterior has an e-ink coating which can change the colour of the car from white to black and can also add all sorts of designs for a custom look. The major advantage is the car can be white for hot days to reflect the sun and on cold days, it can be black to retain heat. The car body is laminated with an electrophoretic film containing microcapsules the diameter of a human hair. Each capsule contains differently charged white, black or coloured particles which become visible when an electric field is applied. The car is still a concept so there is no date or pricing for the car.
https://bit.ly/smdbmwflow
