The Most Talked-About New Tech From CES 2020
Out Now...
NURVV Run Smart Insoles
They only made their debut in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, but you can already order these. As the name suggests, these $300 (£225) Run Smart Insoles are designed to help pavement pounders increase their speed while reducing their injury risk. Connected to their own app, they will act as your personal coach (with a bit less shouting, hopefully) by using sensors to capture your biomechanical data, analyse your running technique and make pertinent suggestions for improving it.
Available here
Townew
Now you’re talking. Townew is a bin that, at the touch of a button, seals its own rubbish bags using thermoplastic technology. Once you’ve taken the full one away, it’ll automatically install the replacement. ‘No leaks, no stink, no mess’ is the promise and, at $119.95 (£90) for the bin itself, that’s one you can all get behind.
Available here
OUT IN SPRING…
Colgate Plaqless Pro
Here’s another personal coach for you. Sensors in this smart toothbrush can identify live which bits of your teeth are clean and which need more attention. Connected via Bluetooth to an app, this bit of kit is the first that can build you a comprehensive mouth map to show you the bits you’re missing. Order yours now (for around £100) and it should be with you for the end of March.
For more information, visit PRNewswire.com
OUT IN SUMMER…
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
If 2019 belonged to foldable phones, then 2020 is the year of the foldable computer. That’s what the techies tell us, anyway. Others are hot on its heels, but Lenovo is set to win the race to market with its ThinkPad X1 Fold. Lightweight and portable, it can be used fully flat like a tablet, folded so that it’s more of a traditional laptop – or even gently turned in to make it more like a book for reading. Kindles and iPads, your time might be up – if enough people are ready to pay Lenovo $2,500 (£2,225).
For more information, visit Lenovo.com
Samsung Cube Refrigerator
Finally, you shall soon be able to replicate that hotel mini-bar experience in your own bedroom. Samsung’s series of three Cube Refrigerators – for wine, beer and ‘beauty’ – are small, stackable and do their thing with a cooling technology that’s quiet enough for you to sleep to.
For more information, visit Samsung.com
Manta5 Hydrofoil Bike
Ever wanted to ride a bike on water? We hadn’t thought of it either, but Manta5 has. Scheduled for release in June, its Hydrofoil Bike is a world first. A variable pedal assist delivers a top speed of up to 12mph – and you’ll never have to worry about traffic. Use it to explore coastlines, train on waterways or just cruise on lakes. Sold? Secure yours now with a 50% deposit of just under £3,000.
For more information, visit Manta.com
OUT IN AUTUMN…
Matrix Juno Supercooler
Think of this as a microwave… but for making things cooler. Originally designed to rapidly chill wine to sommelier-recommended temperatures, the final £300 Matrix Juno Supercooler will have a universal design to help you drop the temp on your beer, turn coffee cold and transform tea into iced tea.
For more information, visit IndieGoGo.com
Drinkworks Drinkmaker
A decade in development, this home bar system promises pro-level cocktails at the touch of a button. Already shipping in the States, the Drinkworks Drinkmaker ($300/£225) takes Nespresso-like pods and uses a novel combo of chilling and carbonation to turn them into single-serve drinks. Its range of 24 drinks stretches from Whisky Sours and Old Fashioneds to Margaritas and G&Ts.
For more information, visit Keurig.com
OUT SOMETIME IN 2020…
CookingPal Julia
Can’t cook, won’t cook? Julia is here to help. She brings the kitchen hardware to cook, chop, mix, blend, knead, weigh, boil, steam and grind whatever you throw at her. She’s controlled by a tablet-like device that you can use to oversee her progress from afar (i.e. another room in the house) or to tap up for recipe inspiration. All yours for around £750 when it’s released later this year.
For more information, CookingPal.com
BEYOND 2020…
Samsung Bot Chef
Julia already faces some competition. The Bot Chef is a pair of robotic arms that can assemble meals and chip in elsewhere around the kitchen. At CES, it was shown neatly slicing tofu and prepping a pan with oil after being given appropriate voice commands. Samsung says it will also be able to chop, whisk, pour and clean – and you will be able to add skills to its repertoire thanks to its combo of AI and machine learning.
For more information, visit Samsung.com
Samsung Ballie
In Vegas, this small ball couldn’t move for people commenting on its resemblance to BB-8 in Star Wars. Thanks to a mobile interface, built-in camera and voice activation, Samsung’s Ballie bot might eventually give BB-8 a run for its money. With price and release date TBC, it’s designed to be a home-based personal assistant, connecting with other smart home devices like vacuum cleaners to do the hoovering for you – and potentially keeping an eye on pets while you’re out.
For more information, visit Samsung.com
Hyundai UAM
And finally, a glimpse of a slightly deeper future from Hyundai and Uber. The pair used CES 2020 to showcase their electric Uber Air Taxis, which are designed to take off vertically and fly 300-600 metres above ground level, completing trips of up to 60 miles with up to four passengers at cruising speeds of up to 180mph. With the ambition of making them commercially viable by 2023, they will be piloted at first, before eventually becoming autonomous. We see only one downside: unlike Bruce Willis’s flying cab in The Fifth Element, they look nothing like New York’s yellow taxis of today.
For more information, visit PRNewswire.com
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