CES 2017: the weird and wonderful make a reappearance

Each year, CES (Consumer Electronics Show) delivers the usual dose of TVs, drones and smart home gear. But there are also the weird, the wonderful and the downright baffling gadgets to be found. Here are a few that have already surfaced at the show.

Virtual reality shoes

Virtual reality was the talk of 2016, but it’s looking likely to be a long drawn out conversation. So this year’s CES has plenty to offer in terms of VR accessories. Check out the Cerevo Taclim shoes, high tech footwear that hopes to help bump up the immersion in virtual reality experiences. Compatible with Google VR, they simulate walking on different surfaces so you can “feel” the ground beneath your feet when you are in the VR world. The tactile feedback will simulate everything from sand and water to concrete - not so much that you’d think you were really walking on these surfaces, but close enough that it immerses you in the VR world a little more.

Smart hair brush

Did you know you were brushing your hair in the wrong way? Well, you do now. Withings has teamed up with L’Oreal to produce the smart gadget that no one really asked for: a hairbrush that will lecture you on haircare and the proper way to deal with your hair to avoid creating a mass of split ends in your carefully managed tresses. Brush too hard and you’ll get a warning. It will even record the sound of your hair breaking - the horror - and send all the data to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Not even your hairbrush can be trusted to keep quiet these days.

Digestion tracker

There are some gadgets you see and think: “Brilliant! What took so long? Sign me up immediately, take my money. In fact, give me two, just in case one breaks.” Then there are others that makes you wonder what they were thinking. This is where the FoodMarble Aire sits. The device is a digestion tracker that uses a breathalyser of sorts to monitor your reaction to certain foods and tells you which ones are likely to cause constipation, bloating, constipation or even plain old flatulence. Yes, it’s essentially a fart predictor. A high tech fart predictor.

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Smart tea cube

My method for making tea is very simple: dump teabags - usually Lyons - into a teapot. Lash hot water in on top of it. Leave it just long enough to brew so you aren’t getting a straw-coloured weak beverage that turns grey when you put milk into it. Then drink it. Apparently this is not suitable for all teas though. Fear not: startup 42tea has developed a smart tea cube that will show you the error of your ways. Different teas need different preparation you see, from temperature to brewing time. You throw the cube into your kettle, open up the app and follow the instructions. No more excuses for delivering a substandard cup of tea.

Levitating speakers

I bet your wireless speakers are all the type that stay grounded while they play music. How dull and ordinary. LG’s latest speaker, on the other hand, levitates while playing music, through the power of some sort of magic. Well, electromagnets actually. You’ll get about 10 to 11 hours out of it before it will descend to its base. Do you really need it? Probably not. Will you want it? Probably.