Bendable smartphones? Great! A kiddie potty decked out with
an iPad? Unnecessary!
By Katie Mcdonough
Have you noticed a spike in gadget stories on your social
media feed lately? That’s because it’s January, the month when every tech
journalist, blogger and fetishist heads to Las Vegas for a swag-filled week of ogling
new toys. That’s CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, the event jaded tech
reporters love to badmouth. The show has long been an opportunity for giants and
start-ups alike to show off the gadgets that could (and often do) change the
way we communicate, eat, read, drive, sleep - you get the idea.
Here’s a rundown on some of what’s coming out of CES this
year.
THE GOOD:
Flexible phones
Samsung unveiled a flexible phone prototype that runs
Windows Phone 8 and won’t break when you drop it because you’re holding coffee,
car keys, a laptop and your infant child. But a possible snafu for the flexible
displays is the size and rigid composition of the processing and memory
technology that helps your phone run.
Tobii REX
A sensor embedded at the top of a TV or monitor, the
REX follows users’ eyes around the screen, enabling hands-free cursor
manipulation. Or, almost hands-free: You’ll still need to click the old
fashioned way, with your keyboard.
Parrot Flower Power
Sure, not killing houseplants isn’t high on the list of
world-altering innovation, but it’s still pretty cool. Once inserted in your
pot, the Flower Power, which looks like a miniature slingshot, will tell
you when a plant needs water, fertilizer or a sunnier spot on the windowsill.
As is required these days, it can send wireless reminders about tending your
foliage, putting a green thumb within reach for anyone with a smartphone.
THE BAD
iPotty
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like, the iPotty is a
potty attached to an iPad holder. Sure, you could screen your toddler into
potty submission. Or, just stick to M&M’s and positive reinforcement,
keeping that pricey gadget away from any and all possible disasters.
Motorheadphones
These bass-heavy headphones are branded as the “loudest in
the world.” But consider this: Creative consultant and Motörhead lead vocalist
Lemmy Kilmister has been suffering with tinnitus - a persistent and
irreversible ringing in the ear associated with hearing loss due to too-loud
music - for decades. Is that what you want to do to yourself?
THE WEIRD
Mondo Spider
A pair of giant hydraulic and lithium polymer battery-controlled
faux arachnids from Canadian art organization eatART, the Mondo Spider weights
1,600 pounds and is fully ridable. This particular innovation was developed at Burning Man.
Katie McDonough is an assistant editor for Salon, focusing
on lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.
Source : http://www.salon.com
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