aNewDomain — CES chooses a swath of unique products each year as winners of its Innovation Awards, and this year is no exception. Showgoers at the big 2016 shindig in Las Vegas will get a gander at the innovative goods in January. Until then, here’s a rundown of winners ranging from a smartwatch, a desktop PC, a sonar fishing device to a prosthetic hand, as seen at the recent CES Unveiled New York press event.
In a change from past years, CES demonstrated not just some but all of the lucky winners at the Unveiled event, encasing them in a gigantic display cabinet.
Here’s a close-up look at the top innovators in each of 19 categories.
TABLETS, E-READERS & MOBILE COMPUTERS
ODG R-7 Smart Glasses
You can’t go out and buy these Android-enabled smart glasses in stores, although they’re available for pre-order online. Still under development, the special specs are touted by Osterhouser Design Group as doing “almost everything your tablet can in one simple, streamlined device.” A great example of the emerging trend toward augmented reality (AR), the glasses are outfitted with a large HD sunlight-readable screen which can combine real world views with immersive 3D experiences. Also aboard are a camera, microphone, Wi-Fi and stereo audio.
COMPUTER HARDWARE & COMPONENTS
HP ENVY Curved All-in-One
Who says desktop PCs have gone out of style? Not by a long shot. Slated for availability on November 20, the HP ENVY Curved All-in-One couldn’t get much more stylish, with a 34-inch QHD+ screen advertised as the largest curved display for any all-in-one. Other features include a 6th generation Intel Core processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce 960A graphics.
WIRELESS HANDSET ACCESSORIES
Deeper’s Smart Fishfinder
Even if you’ve never gone fishing before, Deeper’s Smart Fish Finder might get you out there near the water in a hurry. Working in conjunction with a mobile app, this portable, floatable sonar device makes fishing so easy that you’re a lot more certain to land a big catch. On your Android or iOS phone or tablet, you can see information about water depth and temperature, bottom contour, and even where to drop your line to catch the fish.
SOFTWARE & MOBILE APPS
DietSensor
More and more these days, mobile health and fitness apps are analyzing data collected with sensors and presenting the results in a user-friendly way. Now under development, Airspek’s DietSensor mobile app will use a built-in micro scale and proprietary molecular sensor to weigh and analyze food for people with diabetes and other food-related chronic diseases – or for folks who simply want to lose weight! Through infrared spectrometry, DietSensor detects the chemical composition of foods – including additives – even for homemade dishes.
TECH FOR A BETTER WORLD
3D Systems’ K-1 Assistive Device
Along with spaces like AR and virtual reality (VR), 3D printing is building its own “ecosphere,” according to Shawn duBravac, chief economist at the CTA. The K-1, a 3D printable assistive device, seems to be a prime example. 3D Systems designed the K-1 in conjunction with one of its partners, e-NABLE, a global network of inventors, creators and makers using 3D printing to produce functional prosthetic hands which are donated to people in need.
SMART HOME
Sengled Voice
Sengled Voice, the company’s latest special purpose LED bulb, will reportedly come with an integrated mic and voice technology. Journalists couldn’t get hands-on time with devices locked in the display case, and Sengled reps weren’t around to explain. However, a small sign next to the bulb teased as follows: “SIRI/Google Now/Echo + Security in LED bulb.” Also on tap from Sengled for CES 2016 is Pulse Flex, a bulb with integrated Wi-Fi Streaming. Sengled is a member of iControl’s OpenHome smart home ecosystem.
HOME APPLIANCES
Somabar Robotic Bartender
Somabar Robotic Bartender is among the growing number of robots that are turning up at CES – not as attendees, of course, but as products on display! This “intelligent mixologist” is designed to mix craft cocktails, measure precisely and dispense drinks, all in five seconds. The product comes with bottles called “Somapods” which users can fill in advance with their favorite ingredients. Now available for pre-order, the Wi-Fi enabled robot is slated to ultimately work with a smartphone app.
HOME VIDEO & AUDIO ACCESSORIES
Klipsch Reference Premiere Dolby Atmos Speaker System
Yamaha isn’t the only AV vendor to enhance its home speakers with Dolby Atmos, a technology first introduced in some commercial cinemas for top quality surround sound. Klipsch has adopted the high-end sound system into speakers you can enjoy throughout the house.
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Samsung Gear S2
Available in the U.S. since September, this new entry into the burgeoning smartwatch market is the first round watch from Samsung, as well as the first to feature a rotary bezel, for easy-to-use functionality. Swiping up from the bottom, for example, you can view all recent apps. Swiping down from the top gives you a menu of controls for brightness, Bluetooth, etc. Like earlier Samsung watches, the Gear S2 runs on Samsung’s proprietary OS, Tizen.
FITNESS, SPORTS & BIOTECH
OURA
While many of the award winners were confined to the display case, OURAring also took out a booth to show off OURA, its sleep ring. With the possible of exception of CHiP, WowWee’s future robotic dog, OURA turned out to be one of the most popular draws on the expo floor. Reporters crowded a table at the booth, trying on rings to find out which sizes fit them best. The ring is designed to work with a smartphone app that reports on your sleep patterns and offers suggestions as to whether your sleep quality would benefit from more activity or less activity during daytime hours.
DIGITAL IMAGING
Ricoh Theta S
Interested in taking photos and videos that capture the scenes surrounding you in 360 degrees? Then the Ricoh Theta S spherical imaging camera could be for you. Users can view the whole shebang by scrolling down, up and sideways.
UNMANNED SYSTEMS & ACCESSORIES
Lily Camera
Unmanned systems, aka “drones,” will be on hand in abundance at CES 2016, show officials said at CES Unveiled. The winning entry in this category, the GPS-enabled Lily Camera, is designed to follow you through the air as you move about. Simply hurl the small and supposedly waterproof Lily into the air like a Frisbee to get a loop of 12 megapixel (mp) stills or 1200 pixel (p) HDTV videos.
PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYERS & ACCESSORIES
Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone
Are you the fortunate owner of both an Apple Watch and an iPhone? Do you know somebody who is? Belkin International’s new charge dock could be the perfect gift for either a friend or family member or yourself, because it allows both devices to be charged at the same time while being held at the best viewing angles. The product combines an integrated charging puck for the watch with an adjustable lightning connector for the phone.
COMPUTER PERIPHERALS
Seaboard RISE
ROLI’s Seaboard RISE is a cool new portable device for the musically inclined among us. Musicians can “shape” sound by making subtle finger gestures on its soft, sensor-embedded surface, according to ROLI officials.
GAMING HARDWARE & ACCESSORIES
iWear Wireless
Tired of trying to view videos or play games on the small screen of a PC or mobile device? Vusix Corporation’s iWear Wireless is a pair of video headphones that provide a massive 125-inch display for streaming multimedia content.
HEADPHONES
JBL Reflect Aware
These noise canceling headphones for Apple devices allow you to adjust noise level to suit your environment. Already stocked on retailers’ shelves, Reflect Aware requires no battery because the headphones draw both audio and power directly from the lightning connector. These headphones also contain an embedded mic.
WIRELESS HANDSETS
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
For Android users, smartphones don’t get much better than the Galaxy S6 edge+. The high performance dual-edge phone combines a brilliant Super AMOLED 5.7-inch display, 16 megapixel (MP) high-end camera and Samsung’s mobile payment technology.
TABLETS, E-READERS & MOBILE COMPUTING
Yoga Tab 3 Pro
Along with the ODG R-7 Smart Glasses, Lenovo’s YOGA Tab 3 Pro also wins an Innovation Award in this category. Not an ordinary tablet by any means, this device combines its own bright 10.1-inch display with a JBL four-speaker soundbar and an integrated projector which converts a ceiling or wall into a 70-inch screen for viewing movies and other content. According to the manufacturer, a single charge supplies up to 18 hours of “general use.”
ECO-DESIGN & SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES
ECO USBCELL Rechargeable Battery
Pilot’s ECO USBCell battery is designed to use lithium polymer technology, encased in a standard AA or AAA battery size, for a longer lasting charge than other rechargeable batteries will give. Targeted at gaming as well as other applications, it can be recharged via most USB ports. LED charging indicators tell the user when the battery is charging and when the charge is complete.
VEHICLE INTELLIGENCE
Ford F-150 Pro Trailer Backup Assist
Have you ever tried to back up a trailer to get it into a driveway or launch a boat? Ford’s new feature can make this an easier feat. Already available on the 2016 Ford F-150, the feature is designed to let customers steer a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction. The truck then controls steering as well as limiting vehicle speed.
At CES 2016 in January, these Innovation Awards winners — as well as dozens of highly worthy runners-up — will be exhibiting in places all over the show. If you get to the big event in Las Vegas, be sure to check ’em out!
For aNewDomain, I’m Jaqueline Emigh.
