Technology is a wonderful thing, and there are a million ways it can be applied, a million ways that it can be used to make your life easier and more beautiful, which is why today we take a look at coolest things and best gadgets from CES 2016.
As you may know by now, the Consumer Electronics Show, better known as CES, is the place where tech companies come to brag with their latest products. Of course, each believes their product is the best thing since sliced bread, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, just because something is flashy and cool, it doesn’t mean that it has a very practical application.
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That’s the beauty of technology, however, it doesn’t necessarily have to be extremely useful in a practical way, right? It can very well be just for your enjoyment since there’s more to life than being wise and calculated.
The Consumer Electronics Show has become one of the most popular technology conferences out there. Big manufacturers go there to show off with their latest creations, competing with the others in bringing in the best and the coolest. People from all over the world attend CES, while media from all corners of the globe cover the event, showing everyone just what’s the best thing in town.
We took a look at everything this year’s event had to offer and picked out 10 coolest things and best gadgets from CES 2016. If you want, you can even take a look at the top 10 most googled tech products in 2015.
10. Samsung Family Hub
When you think of a family hub, you’re not exactly picturing a refrigerator, are you? Well, it looks like Samsung is trying to expand on this meaning. The logic is that in the house, the kitchen is the heart, the place where the whole family joins together. And then, what else is the heart of the kitchen if not the refrigerator, the one appliance everyone uses.
The Samsung Family Hub is a pretty cool gadget, but it remains to be seen whether it will be a hit or not among tech lovers. What it all boils down is that you have a really cool looking fridge that comes with a giant tablet embedded in the top right door. The fridge is a Flex Four Door, which is pretty well loved on its own, so Samsung hopes the new addition will make it worth the price hike.
The tablet comes with 18 different apps allowing you to check the news, weather, Pandora, and more, including Groceries by Mastercard. The speaker has been built in the fridge’s door so you can chill out while cooking, and you can even watch videos if you’d like. There are three cameras in the fridge to take pictures every time you close the door so you can know what you’ve got and what you’re missing when you’re out shopping.
9. Segway Personal Robot
Who has not dreamt of having their own butler? Probably those who actually already have a butler, that’s who. Well, for the rest of us, the dream may be close to coming true. Sort of. Segway has come up with a cute new friend to help you out, the Segway Advanced Personal Robot. The gadget moves around on two wheels, and its looks remind us of the lego man for some reason. It must be the weird eyes and the head’s shape.
The awesome part about it is that when you’re not using the robot helper, you can expand it and ride it on your own, as your personal Segway. When you’re not being too lazy to walk, the device turns into your helpful pet, equipped with a smart camera that can take photos and shoot videos. The gadget is able to receive voice commands, which is pretty awesome. It runs on Android, and it can be connected to other smart gadgets you own.
8. Razer OSVR
Virtual reality headsets have been slowly making their way onto the market, attracting more and more gamers to the dark side. Ok, it’s not the dark side, it’s the cool side, to be honest since these types of devices help you immerse yourself completely in the game, taking on first-person gaming to the next level.
Razer has been around for a long while, and it’s known for its rather cool looking and great for gaming gadgets, including mice and keyboards. The Razer OSVR is just another thing the company is trying to do to take itself a step further. Their solution is an open source device that’s hackable, with a complete kit already provided. The device is about $200, and it is compatible with the dev kit, but also with any other VR software in Linux and Android, depending on the gamer’s preference.
7. Oculus Rift
Since we’ve just talked about the Razer VR set, we can’t leave out the Oculus Rift. Sure, the device has been around a few years already, but this is a new version that’s coming out, and it’s already a visual improvement to the former prototype. The new Oculus Rift brings a similar experience as the previous one, but it adds a better tracking system, supporting both seated and standing gameplay.
6. HTC Vive
Everyone seems to want a piece of the next best thing in gaming, which is, obviously, virtual reality. Even though this is a segment that’s only just starting out, companies are doing their best to come up with something new to show to the public. The competition is heating up, and more brands are joining the game. HTC isn’t exactly the company you’d think would come up with a Virtual Reality headset, but it looks like that didn’t stop them at all.
The whole package looks quite nice, nicer than any of the other versions, in fact. The device works both if you’re sitting on your couch like you usually do while gaming, or standing and trying to get more involved in the experience. The HTC Vive has a camera built into the front of the headset, and you can turn it on if you want to get a glimpse of what’s actually happening around you, so you don’t punch someone real while trying to down an adversary in the game.
5. Faraday Future FFZERO1
OK, so this isn’t exactly a gadget, but a rather smart car of sorts. It’s a cross between your typical electrical vehicle and the new intelligent cars with a twist of incredible design. While it is expected that the first vehicle to be launched sometime next year, the company showed off its prototype during CES, amazing everyone in sight.
The concept car has 1,000 hp, reaches 200 miles per hour and it’s a one-seat race car. It looks like something out of a hero movie driven by that billionaire with too much spare time.
4. Garmin Varia Vision
This device offers users access to augmented reality on the go. Basically, the Varia Vision can be attached to a pair of sunglasses, offering the wearer traffic info and directions. What it all boils down to is that all passionate cyclists will likely want one of these while traveling around town, rather than those gadgets on their handlebars that have the potential of distracting them too much.
Varia Vision offers information directly in people’s line of sight, including turn by turn directions, notifications from your phone so you know who’s calling while you feel the phone vibrating in whatever pocket you stuffed it in, traffic information and more.
3. Parrot disco drone
I think it’s a rule to have at least a drone in a list of the coolest gadgets, including in a list of products announced at CES. First one up the list is the Parrot Disco drone. It’s fast, it’s super light, and it’s smart. It can fly for about 45 minutes at a time, and it has some cool-shaped wings. All you have to do to get it started is to mount the wings and throw it in the air. Yes, we’re not kidding.
The drone connects to the Parrot ecosystem via Wi-Fi, and you get to pilot it with the help of an app called Flight Plan.
2. Fisher Price Code-A-Pillar
Because the future belongs to our children, we have to teach them how to code early. Or something similar, at least, or that’s what Fisher Price wants to get us to do. The toy we’re talking about is composed of several segments that are programmed to complete a certain task, be it to go forward, make a sound, or turn right. Then, your child can play around with these segments and get them organized in a different way in order for them to complete a certain task.
The toy will be available next summer, and it will cost $50 for eight modules, with extras to be available separately.
1. Ehang
We’re back to the drone category with the coolest thing to hit the CES this year. That’s Ehang 184 which is a drone that was built to carry a human being. That sounds like it’s something out of a sci-fi movie, doesn’t it? Well, the Chinese manufacturer swears by it, saying that it has already conducted some 100 flight tests, including with humans on board.
We’re pretty sure there are a few things that need to be fixed or replaced or improved before someone has the guts to actually buy one of these and step inside it, but it’s a really cool concept nonetheless and it can become real in time.
The only down side of this whole thing is the price – apparently the Ehang is set to cost somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 which is not something the most of us can afford. We can look at it in awe, though. Anyway, it’s clearly one of the 10 coolest things and best gadgets from CES 2016.
