It may already be day three of CES 2024, but the tech announcements show no signs of slowing down – in fact, after hours of scouring the show floor, we’re discovering more hidden gems than ever following the big keynote announcements earlier this week.
We’ve already rounded up the best smart home tech from CES 2024 and the best wearable and fitness tech from the show, but what about some of our more left-field findings? Below you’ll find some of the best, including some of the best AI hardware yet, some fascinating neural headphones, and a portable oven (yes, really).
It wasn’t all tech eccentricities, though, as we also found time to check out the LG C4 OLED TV (spoiler: it’ll probably be one of the best TVs of 2024) and a promisingly affordable 100-inch TV. screen from Hisense. Of course, all via a smart, environmentally friendly hair dryer from Loreal.
For a quick look at some of the year’s most intriguing technologies, read on for all our highlights from day three of CES 2024.
1. LG C4 OLED TV
Transparent OLED TVs may be all the rage at CES 2024, but the ones we’ll actually buy look more like the new LG C4 OLED – and our eyes with them suggest the C4 will be one to watch (quite literally) this year again.
LG claimed in its CES announcement that the LG C4 would be brighter than last year’s LG C3, despite using the same OLED panel. We were a little dubious, but our brief time with the set (which you can read more about in our hands-on LG C4 review confirmed) confirmed that the brightness boost is very real indeed.
Combine this with processing improvements, including the addition of LG’s lossless wireless Dolby Atmos sound, and you’ve got a TV that we can’t wait to put through its paces this year to see how it compares to the best OLED TVs.
2. Rabbit R1
Smartphones have now devoured most handheld gadgets, but a new AI-powered gadget is making waves at CES 2024. The Rabbit R1 is the first really interesting piece of AI hardware (even more so than the strange Humane AI Pin) we’ve seen since the ChatGPT explosion started just over a year ago – and it could be a glimpse of the next generation of voice assistants.
What does the Rabbit R1 do? We recommend it watching the R1 launch video (which was clearly influenced by the original iPhone launch) for a longer explanation, but it’s essentially a tool for talking to your favorite apps in natural language. Instead of swiping between different phone apps, you create ‘rabbits’ that can use your voice commands to perform tasks such as booking a flight or going grocery shopping.
We highly doubt the R1 will replace smartphones, but it does have a point about today’s archaic app swipe experience – and it’s a solid blueprint for how a next generation of Siri or Google Assistant AI could use AI.
3. Amazfit Helio ring
We’re still waiting for the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy Ring, but in the meantime, Amazfit has announced another contender for the title of best smart ring at CES 2024, called the Helio Ring.
Like the Oura Ring, Amazfit’s rival promises detailed sleep tracking and recovery stats from your workouts. You can apparently also take the Helio Ring with you while swimming or in a downpour, as it’s water resistant to 100 meters. And like the best Garmin watches, it also gives you a daily readiness score based on your effort and sleep.
We don’t have a price or release date for the Helio Ring yet – and you’ll unfortunately need a monthly subscription to unlock all the features – but it’s one we’re really keen to try out later this year.
4. Neural headphones
Rather than a single product, neural headphones are a fascinating new technology genre that we saw several examples of at CES 2024. By tapping into auditory nerves, these cans can effectively read your thoughts, giving you hands-free control over your technology. or increasing your ability to relax.
We looked at four examples of neural headphones at CES and they all put their own spin on the concept. For example, the Naqi Neural Earbuds were developed as an alternative to brain implants and give you control over your Windows or Mac computer. The NeurGear ZenBuds, meanwhile, stimulate your vagus nerve to induce a rest response.
With other examples like the Earable Neuroscience Frenz Brainband ($490, shipped February 2024) aiming to help us fall and stay asleep, it’s definitely a big tech trend to keep an eye on this year.
5. Kohler Anthem Plus
The shower may be the last place you want to be colonized by technology, but our time with Kohler’s Anthem Plus Digital Control convinced us of the benefits of ‘digital showering’.
This touch-sensitive controller combines with a digital thermostatic tap to give you a glorious multi-sensory shower experience that lets you adjust the water, light, sound and even steam. It’s not cheap, starting at $2,800 (about £2,200 / AU$4,180), but you could probably start charging visitors for showers.
6. Hisense 110UX ULED TV
You can’t call it a day at CES without seeing some truly gigantic TVs, and Hisense didn’t disappoint us on day three of the show, showing us its 2024 mini-LED lineup – including a 110-inch whopper .
The 110UX is shaping up to be an impressive set despite its size, with 40,000 local dimming zones and a scorching 10,000 nits of brightness. On the audio front, you also get a built-in 4.2.2-channel speaker system that is boosted by the new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect wireless audio technology.
But if you’ve measured up and don’t really have room for a 110-inch TV, Hisense will also launch a 100-inch regular QLED model in 2024 – and if history is any guide, that model will be impressively affordable for price. mate.
7. Willtex Willcook portable oven
One of the terms we weren’t expecting today was “portable oven,” but CES has a habit of surprising us — and sure enough, we found ourselves on the show floor trying out a backpack that can cook food.
OK, the Willcook isn’t an oven in the traditional sense of the word, but it does have a thin mesh fabric that the maker calls an “embedded heat beam.” After sticking our hand in it, we can confirm: this thing gets hot enough to slowly cook food (even meat, fish, and curry) while you’re on the go.
The idea is that you can prepare dinner while on your way from work or while on a camping trip. We think the technology might have better applications in a winter coat (which was another prototype Willtex showed us), but the portable oven will go on sale in the US in September for around $200.
8. Bluetooth Auracast
If you don’t know much about Bluetooth Auracast, expect to learn a lot more about it in 2024. The wireless technology – meaning your compatible wireless headphones aren’t just limited to the devices you’re paired with – is starting to roll out to everything from portable speakers like the JBL Clip 5 to Samsung’s 4K TVs and earbuds.
But our demo showed us some practical applications that we’re excited about. For example, you can watch a TV at a sports bar that you can tune in without having to pair. Or you might be at an airport and have departure announcements beamed straight to your ears so you don’t miss the last call.
In the future, Auracast should also allow you to tune into two streams at once, so you can watch TV while still getting the airport gate announcements as they are made. We need more devices to support this, but Auracast could change the way we use headphones.
9. L’Oréal AirLight Pro
How smart can a hairdryer actually be? Well, if you’ve been keeping an eye on the Dyson Supersonic, you’ll definitely be interested in the Loreal AirLight Pro. It combines some impressive technical developments that make it both super efficient and environmentally friendly, and also smart enough to satisfy your inner gadget fan.
That efficiency, which apparently makes the Airlight Pro use 30% less power than a traditional hairdryer, comes from the combination of air and infrared heating elements, making it a bit like drying your hair in the sun and wind. Impressively, it can also recognize attachments and then adjust settings based on the one you’ve fitted.
Naturally, the Airlight Pro is also app-connected (for Android and iOS devices), allowing you to make further adjustments and custom settings on your phone. Read our hands-on report below, which might just convince you that Loreal’s hairdryer is worth the roughly $400 (about £315) it will cost when it goes on sale in June (in Europe) and before the end of the month in the US. 2024.
We cover all the latest CES news of the show as it happens. Stay tuned for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets and the latest in AI.
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