CES 2023 isn’t the place to see all-new smartphones, as only a few were announced at the show, but don’t think that means they’re completely devoid of mobile-related products.
In addition to its many wearable devices, the show is home to a variety of unusual, bizarre, and often life-altering mobile devices that aren’t phones. We’ve collected the best here.
Fufuly by Yukai Engineering
From the company that gave us the tail-pad Qoobo, and the finger-biting robot Amagami Ham Ham, comes Fufuly, the anti-anxiety pillow. The large, white, fluffy pillow not only looks huggable, it “breathes,” lulling you into a state of relaxation as you subconsciously match the pattern to yourself. There are two basic positions, designed to help relax your body, and a third that uses different breathing techniques.
Yukai Engineering says the pad is the first device of its kind “able to simultaneously control the rhythm and amplitude of its movements,” which means you really feelings breathes. Shaped in a way that encourages you to put your arms around it, Fufuly uses batteries and is fully portable, so you can take it anywhere. It’s not clear when or if Fufuly will be released, but previous Yukai Engineering products have been launched through crowdfunding campaigns.
Loreal Hapta
Hapta from L’Oréal perfectly sums up what we’d like to see at CES. It’s a great technology used in an innovative way that could change lives. Described as a “hand-held computerized smart makeup applicator”, it is designed to help those with limited hand and arm movement apply makeup better. It combines smart motion controls with an ergonomic design to make it easy to apply lipstick with ease at home.
The Hapta has a magnetic attachment with 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion, while the head can be held in position during use. Details on how it works are scant, but it does feel a bit like a handheld gimbal. The internal battery lasts about an hour of continuous use. The heads are also interchangeable and ready to be used for makeup applications other than lipstick.
L’Oréal says it will launch Hapta in 2023 with a lipstick applicator through its Lancôme brand, joining L’Oréal Brow Magic as the company’s exciting announcements at CES 2023.
Lovech
Loovic is a navigational device that you wear around your neck, and it keeps you from having to look at your phone screen when using a map or navigation app. It is specifically designed to help people with spatial recognition challenges, and for those who have difficulty learning directions. It uses a series of haptic and audio prompts to guide the wearer, with the software selecting landmarks and identifying features that are easiest for people with disabilities to follow.
The video above shows how the Loovic is designed to work, and a prototype of the device itself. According to the company’s website, Loovic is still in the early stages of development, so it’s not yet available for purchase. Digging into the details, it appears that the Loovic is also being considered for in-vehicle use and as a way to guide those who speak different languages in the event of natural disasters that require evacuations.
Asheras
Like the Loovic, the Ashirase is a wearable navigational device, but this time it attaches to a shoe and uses haptic feedback for steering, along with voice assistance through an app on your phone. The small device weighs 65g, has an IPX5 water resistance rating, and comes in three different colours. The internal battery lasts up to 12 hours before it needs to be recharged.
Ashirase’s design can easily be swapped for different shoes and is less intrusive than Loovic’s neckband design, though the two cater to different people. The companion app has several accessibility features to make it easier to use. The device is not yet available for purchase, but the site says it will be released soon.
notwatch
This is the Nowatch, pronounced Now-watch, not no-watch, and it’s a smartwatch that’s all about staying in the moment. There is no screen on Nowatch, and it measures stress, mood, and sleep, rather than pushing notifications or even telling the time, avoiding things that take you away from what makes you happy, and keeps you relaxed. It does this through its use of sensors, including a heart rate monitor, and haptic prompts that bring you back to reality.
It looks extra special indeed with its choice of gemstone faces — options include rose quartz, chalcedony, tiger’s eye, and amethyst — and a choice of stainless steel, gold, or silver cases. Battery life is short at just four days, however, and it’s pricey at $499 or more, plus there’s a subscription package to go along with it, too.
LG Breeze
LG Breeze is a sleep earphone that monitors brain waves. The EEG sensor checks brain activity in real time, which means the earphones act as a sleep-tracking device, but that’s only the beginning. It also monitors activity during the day through a companion app and will play special sounds in sync with the EEG to ensure you get not only the best sleep, but the most restorative sleep based on your activities.
The synchronized sounds in the EEG are not the only options. There are 80 built-in tracks, including ASMR sounds, and it can also connect to YouTube. Interestingly, the case used to store the earphones has a “UVnano” function, whereby UV rays keep it clean and bacteria-free.
It is not clear if LG Breeze, also known as LG Brid.zzz, will be released internationally. The press release indicates that they will be released in South Korea during the first half of 2023. Sleep earbuds are nothing new, with the Bose SleepBuds 2 and QuietOn 3 being notable examples, but the buds that monitor your brain while you sleep are far less common, and CES’ materials are quirky. pure.
pepamento mattress topper
At first glance, this is a smart home product, but to use it properly, you need an Apple Watch. The Pepaminto Mattress Topper uses the Watch’s sensors and heart rate tracking to adjust the bed’s temperature while you sleep, and it can even make subtle changes across different body areas. It even takes into account the air quality in the bedroom when making you feel good. Temperature changes can also be made manually using the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch.
The foam top has thin heating strips inside, and cooling strips made of graphite, so it not only warms you up, but also cools you down. Pepaminto is being introduced at CES 2023, and then will be beta launched in the UK and Switzerland, with more markets to follow during the year.
Editors’ recommendations
English
French
Spanish