CES 2024 may have come and gone but it still remains the epicentre for all things innovative, weird and futuristic in the world of technology.

Some products will be etched in our memories forever, even if they never see the light of day. After combing through hundreds of such products, here’s the best of the best and also some weird and quirky gadgets seen on during the recently concluded CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Best of the best

Eureka Dual Washing Bot: An all-in-one washer, dryer, robot vacuum and robot mop, the Eureka Dual Washing Bot saves time, energy and space.

Withings BeamO: Avoid visiting the doctor with the help of one tiny little device. The Withings BeamO is a 4-in-1 “multiscope” device. It has an ECG for heart rhythm, an oximeter for blood oxygen saturation, a stethoscope to capture chest and back acoustic sound waves and finally, a thermometer for reading body temperature.

XReal Air 2 Ultra: Augmented reality (AR) glasses were aplenty at the CES 2024 show floor. The XReal Air 2 Ultra stood out from the lot, thanks to the head-mounted display with expanded AR capabilities. It’s got an integrated camera to map and track what you’re looking at. The software can be controlled with just your hands. The AR glasses have a 52-degree field of view (one of the widest of any AR glasses).

Also read: CES 2024: AI products and tech that stood out

Rabbit R1: CES isn’t known for having a lot of smartphones on the show floor. The Rabbit R1 isn’t a phone. It’s an AI-powered device that is designed to use your phone for you. The square-shaped device (much smaller than a traditional smartphone) interacts with apps and performs tasks automatically – almost like a middleman between you and your smartphone.

TimeKettle X1 Interpreter Hub: Do you need real-time translations in up to 40 languages? Then the TimeKettle X1 Interpreter Hub is for you. With no latency and high accuracy, this palm-sized device has a screen for displaying transcriptions and two earbuds for two people to wear for real-time in-ear translations and conversations.

Honda 0 Saloon: Easily the best concept car at CES 2024, Honda’s 0 Saloon is sleek and futuristic. It’s probably the least Honda-looking car the company has ever showcased and is part of its new low-slung EV concept cars that made it to CES.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: Sennheiser hasn’t reinvented the wheel with regards to the design, but the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds are truly a level up. They come in three colours – black copper, graphite, or silver – and have a two-tone design with a matching case that is grippy and supports Qi wireless charging. The audio circuitry has been re-invented, boosting clarity and sound. Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform and Snapdragon Sound with aptX LOssless have been adopted for these buds. Along with improved adaptive active noise cancellation, and longer battery, these might be the earbuds to beat in 2024.

Hisense 110UX: The 110-inch Hisense 110UX has a peak brightness of 10,000 nits, making it one of the brightest mini-LED TVs out there. It also has 40,000 backlight zones for controlling the brightness of sections of the QLED-Quantum Dot screen and minimizing backlight bleed. The TV comes with the ULED X processor, which uses AI to calibrate the contrast and colour depth on a scene-by-scene basis.

An attendee uses the MSI Claw portable gaming console during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas.
(AP)

TCL 115-inch QD-MiniLED TV: TCL brought its 115-inch QD-MiniLED TV to CES 2024. It’s got 5,000 nits of brightness and 20,000 local dimming zones, along with excellent dynamic range and accurate colours. Who wouldn’t fancy a projector-level screen size with QLED picture quality?

Samsung S95D OLED: Has glare ever been a problem while setting up a TV in your room? Samsung has the solution right in front of your eyes. Samsung’s S95D adds a glare-free screen treatment for reducing reflections (even in the brightest of rooms) without compromising on the picture quality.

LG CineBeam Qube: A 4K projector in a package that weighs just over 3 pounds (approximately 1.36kg), the LG CineBeam Qube is a “lifestyle projector” that easily catches your attention. It can project 4K images from 50 to 120 inches and has a 450,000:1 contrast ratio. There’s a 3-watt mono speaker. Thanks to the 360-degree rotating handle, this projector is extremely portable.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Are you a fan of both Windows and Android? The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is a best-of-both-worlds concept. It’s a 2-in-1 that is a Windows machine on the bottom with an Android tablet built into the display. Take the 14-inch OLED display off and it automatically switches from Windows to Android.

Asus Zenbook Duo: Foldable laptops have been around for a few years now. At CES 2024, Asus took them to the next level. The Zenbook Duo is the first laptop with two full 14-inch dual 3K OLED touchscreens. Combined, this laptop provides 19.8 inches of workspaces and a 14-inch laptop in a neat 3-pound package. The second screen is hidden under the keyboard. There’s also a kickstand to boot.

MSI Claw: First came the Steam Deck and then the Asus ROG Ally. Now it’s MSI’s turn with the MSI Claw. It’s a handheld gaming PC and one of the lightest out there. It’s a full-specced Intel Core Processor with USB-C Thunderbolt support as well. The only downside is that the MSI Claw has an LCD and not an OLED display like its rivals.

Clicks: Texting from an iPhone is a sometimes frustrating experience. When you’re frustrated with your iPhone, you’re reminded of the BlackBerry days of the old and what a pleasant typing experience those phones offered. Say hello to Clicks Technology’s Clicks. This is a case that adds a physical QWERTY keyboard (with backlit keys) to the bottom of your iPhone.

Movano Evie Ring: A woman-focused smart ring, the Evie has an open gap design (perfect for when your fingers swell) packed with sensors. Movano has been working on the Evie Ring for quite some time and has been improving the accuracy of the in-built sensors. Designed to look like jewellery, the Evie Ring can track women’s periods, ovulations, menstrual symptoms, steps, active minutes, sleep, mood tracking and more.

People view the Moonwalker from Shift, the first-ever mobility device that allows one to walk at the speed of a run up to three times faster than walking, during Showstoppers on January 9, 2024 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(AFP)

Let’s now move on to some of the quirkiest things showcased at CES 2024:

Kohler PureWash E930 Bidet Seat: Talking to a toilet seems like something straight out of a movie set. At CES 2024, this was a reality. The PureWash E930 Bidet Seat by Kohler comes with voice command support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Thanks to the addition of a voice assistant, you can talk to your seat and control it hands-free. From turning on the bidet’s spray and to activating dryer functions and more.

Urtopia Fusion: Urtopia is using OpenAI’s ChatGPT to differentiate its e-bikes from the crowd. The flagship Fusion model has ChatGPT fully integrated into it, with a 540Wh battery and a 75 miles of range. Do we need an e-bike with ChatGPT integrated into it? Just ask yourself if you’d ever like to “talk” to your bike.

Looking Glass Go: The Looking Glass Go is a holographic frame from Brooklyn-based Looking Glass. It’s a 6-inch digital frame. Thanks to a future software update you’ll be able to interact and chat with 3D characters. It uses generative AI to convert 2D photos into 3D.

Skyted Mask: This mask acts as a privacy filter thanks to an in-built microphone and sound dampening. Skyted’s “Mobility Privacy Mask” and “Hybrid Silent Mask” can “absorb voice frequencies” in loud environments and let you communicate with more privacy.

Happysite AI backpack: An AI backpack? An LED backpack? Combine both and you get the Happysite AI backpack. Thanks to the help of generative AI, you can make an image, or even a short clip, and show it off on the bag’s display.

Exobrew: The Exobrew is an all-in-one brewing station. It can make 1.6 gallons of beer batches at a time. Add ingredients to the hopper above the tank and watch the magic unfold.

WeHead: One of the weirdest products seen at CES was WeHead. Several phone screens are attached to a stand, imitating a face. If you want to remotely attend a conference call but also feel physically present, then WeHead is for you. Its “GPT Edition” is fully autonomous thanks to the use of AI.

Shift Robotics Moonwalkers: Want to walk faster than you normally do? Then strap on the Moonwalkers from Shift Robotics and notch up your walking game. The “X” model has fewer wheels than before and is more practical for daily use.

Zoo Gears TheButter: Dogs playing instruments have been a talent show sight for many years. ZooGears TheButter wants every dog to start playing music. It’s the first purpose-built piano for pets. It’s a four-key instrument with light-up pads for your pup to play.

Sahil Bhalla is a Delhi-based journalist. He posts at @IMSahilBhalla.

Also read: CES 2024: The best of TV tech and products that caught our eye