As a digital marketing company obsessed with all things tech, not writing about CES 2014 would be like the elves missing Christmas.
This year, the Consumer Electronics show was held in Las Vegas. Whilst the boss didn’t send us on a little trip to the city of Lost Wages, we’ve read an awful lot about the latest, hottest, weirdest and most wonderful gadgets on display at the largest technology fair in the world.
LG 77-Inch Flexible 4k OLED TV
(Sourced from www.LG.com)
The world’s first curved OLED TV from LG caused quite a stir upon its release. Curved for an ‘immersive’ viewing experience, the warped bends of this new generation of TVs are going to be the ‘thing’ of 2014. With your feet up, this phenomenally wide screen will engulf your toes as it reaches around, apparently fitting the shape of your eye’s vision. It flexes on command too. With a remote you can adjust its curve – we have no idea why, but of course we want it sitting pretty in the lounge.
PulseWallet
(Sourced from www.facebook.com/pulsewallet)
There are always new developments trying to change the way we pay for things, but this one really has potential. The PulseWallet allows you to link your credit or debit cards to the pattern of the veins in your hand – an apparently untraceable genetic coding pattern unique to you.
So head to Sainsbury’s, swipe your can of Dr Pepper and then wave your hand over the checkout. Then your neighbour Saul says ‘hello’, you wave back and subsequently you unwillingly purchase 17 mangos and half a cantaloupe with your palm. Just kidding; the checkouts will have a scan pad to read your palm and then there’s a review process on your smartphone. Wave goodbye to credit cards!
LG HomeChat
(Sourced from www.lgusblog.com)
We’ve all talked to our fridge at some point in our lives. Some have mumbled into the dishwasher and others have cursed their washing machine. It’s been rare for these appliances to talk back…until now. LG showcased their HomeChat concept at CES 2014, and we’re intrigued. Designed to monitor and control your home appliances, LG HomeChat means you can text your fridge asking how many beers are inside, if you’ve run out of crème fraiche, or if the 7 year old jar of mayo will kill you upon consumption.
As for the washing machine, text it ‘what are you doing’ and it should reply with it’s current cycle status. You can tell it to start and it will tell you when it’s finished. Über-efficient laundry cleaning, alright! HomeChat also gets your oven texting you with recipes and stops the robot-hoover from slacking. It’s all fine until they start talking to each other and gang up…
Polaroid Socialmatic
(Sourced from www.polaroid.com/socialmatic)
Social media is everywhere, and now it’s inside of your camera. Polaroid have developed a camera specifically designed to smooth out the process of taking photos and uploading them to your favourite social networks. Snap straight to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Aside from that, we’re also a fan of it’s unique, panel shape. Like a giant, touch-screen Cinnamon Graham.
Better yet, the Socialmatic is even able to spit out printed snaps from its side. Within a couple of minutes, the camera will print out a colour image on ink-free, smudge-proof water-resistant paper. You’re not limited to apps either, with the camera using Android as an OS. Pretty neat.
Yellow Jacket iPhone Stun Gun Case
(Sourced from www.yellowjacketcase.com)
This gadget falls under the ‘weird’ category, perhaps for it’s sheer overkill. Slip your lovely, sleek and friendly iPhone into the Yellow Jacket and it turns into a lean, mean, stun gun machine. If the concept itself wasn’t mad enough, the makers claim the Yellow Jacket iPhone stun gun delivers 950,000 volts of electro-punch between the two spikey prongs.
Whilst designed as a self-defence tool, it does seem that this little pronged phone-cover would spend the 99% of its life locked and loaded as a pessimistic precaution. On the other hand, we can all take satisfaction at the idea that at some point, two guys have been left alone with the device and provokingly muttered ‘go on, try it’ – one of the very first reviews on the official website says this iWeapon is “fun to use…”. Weird or wonderful, the gadget is certainly sparking interest.
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