There’s nothing quite like International CES – For those who’ve never been, CES is an annual event where scores of new technology are introduced in the Nevada desert. For some, the dizzying array of lights and endless chatter inside the world’s largest trade show saps the absolute life out of them, leaving them yearning for the evening where they can recharge inside the peace and quiet of their hotel room; for others, however, getting the year’s first taste of the upcoming technology invigorates them leaving not enough hours in the day.
While there are larger technology players who arrive to unveil their latest and greatest products, many of them can afford to generate enough buzz by creating their own events (think Apple) where they can take full control of their presentation. What’s special about CES is the smaller players – those who’ve been working night in and night out to disrupt the status quo – who use their costly platform to boldly introduce their innovations in hopes of being discovered. This, to me, is what CES is all about.
With that said, here are three notable products from Day 1:
HAPIfork by HAPILABS
The HAPIfork is an electronic fork which measures and monitors your eating habits. With the help of indicator lights and gentle vibrations, the HAPIfork will alert you if you’re eating too fast. After finishing your meal, you can upload your information via USB or Bluetooth to your online dashboard to track your progress. The HAPIfork will be accompanied by an app plus a coaching program which will help improve your eating behavior.
What’s remarkable about this product is that it tackles one of the root causes of obesity – eating too fast. What people forget is that the brain takes approximately 20 minutes to send out signals that they’re full. Increasing the time between fork servings and chewing food properly will provide more time for your brain to signal that you’ve had enough. This inevitably lessens calorie intake (not to mention elevates the dining experience).
What you eat is one of the things in life you can control. How you eat is another – I think HAPIfork will help many people eat the right way.
The HAPIfork is set to release some time in the next quarter for $99.99.
Nectar Power
Talk about the perfect portable power system for the traveler or businessman. These swappable pods can charge any USB 2.0 compatible CE devices for up 2-4 weeks without ever having to be plugged into another wall outlet.
What’s extraordinary about this product is that it exhibits how far technology has come in the past year. In 2012, the only two products that did something similar was the Spigen SGP Kuel F60Q or the ZAGGSPARQ, both of which at most allowed 2-4 charges for most mobile phones and 1 charge for most tablets.
However, there are two drawbacks to the Nectar:
1) Each pod is only good for one charge; after that, the pod needs to be recycled (each pod costs $10).
2) The Nectar itself costs a whopping $299.
All in all, still a product that some may soon find indispensable.
Withings Smart Body Analyzer
The Smart Body Analyzer is a tremendous scale that not only measures your weight but also tracks your body fat, BMI, heart rate and even the quality of the air you’re breathing. The scale combines wireless connectivity that allows you to see your progress through an online dashboard.
I’m a big proponent of technology that helps improve the mindfulness of helping people lead healthier lives. The Smart Body Analyzer by Withings helps make strides towards this. Already a recipient of the 2013 International CES Innovations Award, the $149.99 price tag is well justified.
