It’s been a magical few days, with visitors from all over the world pouring into the Las Vegas Convention Center for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) . As the convention comes to an end, we can’t help but reflect on the incredible innovation. Here are five cool gadgets we saw.
C-Face smart mask In a world where masking, and even double masking, are now the norm, we need to be able to understand one another. Japan’s Donut Robotics has created the C-Face to help on multiple fronts. Not only can the C-Face amplify your voice, it can also translate it into eight languages when it connects to a smartphone app over bluetooth. An innovation like this breaks down barriers and keeps us all in clearer communication. en.donutrobotics.com/c-mask
iiRcade The perfect gaming machine doesn’t exist, but iiRcade comes close. These old-school arcade cabinets play retro games and modern titles seen on a Nintendo Switch. Imagine switching from 1991’s Dragon’s Lair II to 2018’s platformer Dead Cells. That’s all possible with iiRcade. Traditional arcade sticks and buttons are all there, but now you can connect to Wi-Fi and bluetooth, play against friends online and hook the cabinet display up to a TV via HDMI. iiRcade’s original specs aren’t bad, either, boasting a 19-inch HD screen, 100 watts of sound output and enough storage to hold 200 games. If this all-in-one machine isn’t on your shopping list yet, write it down, quickly! iircade.com
Roborock’s S7 MaxV Ultra Say goodbye to using children for free cleaning labor and say hello to Roborock’s self-cleaning, self-refilling and self-emptying robot vacuum and mop. You heard that right. The S7 MaxV Ultra’s dock handles all the maintenance on this ridiculously powerful machine, allowing it to go about its house business without bothering you for up to seven weeks. Reactive artificial intelligence and 3D scanning help the robot recognize obstacles in the home, including carpet, so you’ll never find those areas being mopped by mistake. It’s a dream of a product for any household. us.roborock.com
Square Off Move over, Beth Harmon. The world’s smartest chessboard is here, and it’s ready to autonomously check some mates. Square Off features built-in artificial intelligence you can play against on 20 difficulty levels. As you press down on the board, it registers your move. The AI then responds by moving its own piece, like a cool ghostly grandmaster. Even those who don’t understand chess can be taught. If you make a rule-breaking move, the board beeps to correct you. Square Off’s app also enables you to play with people around the world via Wi-Fi and bluetooth. Each move they make happens physically on your board, too, so you’ll never have to play alone again. squareoffnow.com
VRLeo In the age of COVID, how safe is virtual reality in a public setting? You never have to worry with this self-cleaning VR gaming kiosk. After you’re done shooting robots or skiing down a virtual mountaintop, stick the VR hand controllers onto the sides and UV light inside the kiosk will disinfect them. Remove your wired headset, and the VRLeo sucks it into an overhead shield box for 20-30 seconds of cleansing. The kiosks have been spotted in malls and arcades around Monterey Park, California, and even on cruises. vrleousa.com