CES Gadgets - What’s hot in 2020!

The annual tech conference is the ideal environment for big names and startups to showcase their new creations and services for the year ahead. This year’s CES conference saw a surge in streaming services and surveillance technologies.

SHARE THE AIR

Uber and Hyundai are joining forces to build a fleet of flying taxis.

Uber have said that initially, the 4-passenger ‘Uber Air Taxi’ will be piloted, but in due course, it is expected to become autonomous. Uber plans to carry-out flight demonstrations in 2020 and have the transport commercially available by 2023.

Ideally, this is intended to help riders zoom over traffic in shared air taxis between suburbs and cities, with the hope of progressing into cities. The first pilot schemes are expected to be launched in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne, Australia. The taxi resembles a cross between an airplane and a helicopter and will be all-electric.

The air taxis are designed to take off vertically and cruise at speeds up to 180 miles per hour (290 kilometers per hour). They’re designed to fly up to 60 miles (97 kilometers) at a time.

It is common knowledge, that Uber has been working on this project for quite some time, but the collaboration with Hyundai endeavors to incorporate the global manufacturing experience.

Hyundai will produce and deploy the vehicles while Uber will provide the airspace support and connections to transportation on the ground. Hyundai will retain ownership of the taxis, however the vehicles will be permitted to operate as part of Uber’s transport network.

ROBOT FOR THE LOO

Have you ever had the all-too-familiar feeling of being caught on the toilet with no access to toilet paper? Well Charmin has created the ultimate solution!

Their new 2-wheeled creation can locate and fetch fresh toilet roll. Around 6 inches in height and a face like a bear, the robot resembles the ones in the Charmin commercials and has a roll of toilet paper sitting on top.

Sadly, this is not expected to roll into bathrooms anytime soon. Charmin owners Procter & Gamble have announced that the robot will not be for sale and that it was just an example of what is possible. 

SENSING WATER LEAKS

New sensors have been created, which prevent water leaks before they attack your home.

Alarm.com and Flo Technologies have developed monitors which connect to water lines in homes and track their flow consistency. If the systems sense more or less water flowing through the pipes than usual, they will send an alert through their apps. They are also smart sensors and are able to detect a long shower, but if something really seems off balance, they can automatically shut the water supply off.

TRACKING THE ELDERLY

There are now ways to track elderly relatives or friends without impinging on their privacy. Startups are developing sensors which can tell if a loved one has moved around or eaten — for instance by using sensors to detect when the fridge is opened.

The efforts come as the U.S. government expects adults over the age of 65 to outnumber the population of children for the first time ever in 2034.

“We want to enable loved ones to live on their own,” said Ryan Herd, founder of Caregiver Smart Solutions.

The sensors track the elderly by detecting their movement. The product is also able to tell if someone has showered by measuring humidity. Other companies have developed wearable devices that can tell if an elderly person has fallen, and can alert care providers or relatives. It is also able to track movement and the rooms that the person is spending most of their time in.

Neither company uses cameras, so you’ll need to find another alternative if you want to monitor your grandparents’ homes.

GADGETS FOR YOUR EAR

According to projections by the organizers of the CES gadget show in Las Vegas, USA, around 67 million wireless earbuds are predicted to be sold this year, That a rise of 35% from last year and makes it one of the fastest growing products in consumer tech.

Most of the growth will come from Apple’s Airpods and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds, both of which are able to play music and take wireless calls. However, there are other big brands such as Amazon, which have started to sell its own unique set of ear buds.