Every January the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) drops a slew of groundbreaking and jaw dropping products that are all designed to make our lives better. This year was no different (although the show was done virtually rather than in Las Vegas); with an array of trendsetting, mind-blowing (and sometimes head-scratching) products. From televisions and AI guinea pigs to mobile phones, here is the rundown from CES 2021.
TVs, TVs and more TVs
Each year at CES, we are introduced to better, smarter; and crisper television; and this year’s crop might be the most important yet. Afterall, we are all spending so much time in our homes. As have come to learn, the perfect Friday night (or every night of the week for that matter) no longer involves dinner at a fancy restaurant, but dinner at home bingeing the latest streaming series. So why not enjoy it on the latest television technology?
Perhaps the coolest in TV technology is from the team at LG. Known for their groundbreaking roll up television, the brand launched a bendable version of a 48-inch display that can curve on demand — a feature designed for gamers. This mind-beding experience furthers LG’s status as the leader in television technology.
But what about for the average home consumer?
Enter the 2021 LG Gallery G1 OLED TV which has been updated thanks to LG OLED Evo, an enhanced OLED panel that produces more light per pixel, resulting in better brightness in colour. With LG’s latest α9 Gen 4 AI chip and LG AI Sound Pro providing virtual 5.1.2 surround sound, the LG Gallery G1 OLED promises to be one of the best looking and sounding TVs on the market. The coolest feature on the new TVs, in our humble opinion, is the NEC magic tap on their remotes; this feature allows you to instantly stream content from one of the smart devices to your TV. Now that’s magic.
Big year for clean technology
This year was all about how technology can make our world at home safer and cleaner. From upgraded robot vacuums to large and small scale air purifiers, this year’s groundbreaking tech will keep you safe at home. One of the clear stand outs amid a lot of air purifiers for the home at CES 2021 was LG’s PuriCare Mini. The Mini is a wireless portable device designed to clean the air in enclosed spaces. Its small size means it’s perfect for your desk at home or on the go. It’s designed to fit inside a car’s cup holder and works for about eight hours on one charge, killing 99% of germs and allergens.
As anyone can attest, 2020 was the year we all learned about the importance of hand-washing. And I think we all wished for one of those touchless faucets seen in airports and retail spaces for our homes. After washing your hands for 20 seconds, who wants to turn off a dirty tap? Not us. Cue the Touchless Bathroom Faucet collection from Kohler, you can operate the taps without ever touching them. That’s super handy for your hands when you get home from … well, anywhere. We are all for technology that helps us prevent the spread of bacteria and germs.
New phones on the horizon at CES 2021
Over the past few years mobile phones have gotten bigger and more advanced; brands have been stretching out the screen size to make smart phones more multifunctional. We now use them for playing games, working; and as an additional source to stream media. As such, we’ve seen a lot of display innovations – from bringing back flip screens to introducing foldable and even ‘T’ shaped screens (thanks to the LG Wing 5G). That is until now. Enter the smartphone with a rollable screen via LG’s aptly named Rollable Phone; a smartphone with a display that expands sideways to create a tablet-like device. The brand didn’t offer much info on the rollable phone but the teaser video made us excited to get our hands on one to try out.
Indoor gardening: More green tech at CES 2021
Many of us are trying to stay indoors as much as possible, and many of us have turned to becoming plant parents. But why not grow plants at home that can feed you? That’s right, the urban indoor gardening trend was huge this year at CES. And we loved one product in particular…
Enter Gardyn. This plug-in home gardening machine is designed to let prospective growers easily cultivate fresh leafy greens indoors. Thanks to its advanced AI, it guarantees anyone can become an indoor mini farmer. At over 5 feet tall, it’s much larger and pricier ($899) than other mass-market hydroponic gardens that let you grow plants without soil. But it’s meant to produce much more food; the vertical towers hold up to 30 plant varieties, including cilantro, mint, kale and tomatoes. Gardyn pairs with an app that uses AI to monitor the vegetation, manage its temperature and control the light.
AI guinea pigs and ice cream on demand?
Every year at CES we are introduced to products we never thought we needed. Some fizzle out within the year, while others go onto become mainstays in our lives. This year was no different with the Petit Qooboo (a furry robot) and Moflin (an AI pet guinea pig) that both promise to deliver a cuddly AI experience to users. Moflin is definitely adorable (and even recharges in its own nest) but does anyone need an AI guinea pig for $400?
Have you ever thought “I wish I could have soft serve ice cream fresh at home and on demand?” Yeah, us neither. But with the launch of the ColdSnap, we may just be rethinking this. This latest in kitchen technology offers the promise of on demand ice cream. Thanks to a pod-based machine, the ColdSnap makes fresh soft serve at home in just 90 seconds. With everyone spending so much time at home, this product just might have come at the right time. No need to venture out for soft serve this summer, just pop in a pod and make it at home. Delicious.
Interested in cars? Check out our review of the latest in automobile product launches at CES 2021.
