For all that the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) demonstrates the world’s greatest gadgets soon to be in homes around the world, it does manage to highlight the weird and wacky side of tech, too. This year’s event didn’t disappoint. Held between January 9–12 in Las Vegas, Nevada, CES played host to thousands of exhibitors.
Some, like Amazon and Google, hit it out of the park. Others, like Neutrogena and Spartan, didn’t quite manage to do the same. Let’s take a look at the strangest tech to come out of the event and celebrate the 51st annual CES’ weirder side.
The Singing Machine Studio
When it comes to karaoke, there are two types of people. First, there are those blessed with pipes that let them nail every note in the operatic “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Then there are those were can barely get through a chorus of “Sweet Caroline” without making their listeners’ ears bleed. If you form part of the latter, then you probably need a lot of liquid courage before you’re ready to stand up and sing.
Now you don’t have to with The Singing Machine Studio. What looks like a typical karaoke machine is far from it. In addition to an immense catalogue of songs and HD videos, the machine comes equipped with an Auto-Tune feature. It processes your voice in real-time as you sing into the microphone to make sure it’s in the correct pitch at all times. The machine also lets you record your performance, so you can have proof that you technically hit each of those notes.
Neutrogena Skin Scanner
Neutrogena represented at this year’s CES with their skin scanner iPhone lens attachment. If you’ve ever wanted to expose your flaws under harsh lighting, then this Bluetooth-enabled scanner is for you. Equipped with 12 LED lights and a 30x magnification lens, it takes before and after photos of your skin in frightening detail. It reveals your skin’s moisture levels, pore size, and wrinkles, and compares you to others in your age range.
You already know how gross your handset can get after a short five-minute phone call. You don’t want to know what sort of deposits collect on your phone after a scanning session. You’ll need all the grime-resistant protection this decal can provide when you use your skin scanner to get up close and personal with your face. It’s set to come out sometime in summer of 2018, giving you enough time to design a customized iPhone skin for your phone.
Make sure you protect your gadgets with dbrand skins to deliver a one-two punch to dirt and grime. They only use premium 3M vinyl in all their designs, so they can envelop your tech in a grime- and water-resistant decal that’s easy to clean. Safe from face smudges and those annoying puddles of water that collect around your faucet, your phone won’t take damage from your constant skin scans.
Spartan Underwear
Conspiracy theorists will remember Spartan’s attendance last year when they debuted their Spartan boxer, the underwear that shields men’s nether regions from radiation. The French company — concerned with how many men keep their phones in their back pocket — aim to create an underwear that saves the male libido. They don’t mince words when describing their product, promising their boxers will, “protect your nuts from cellphone radiation”.
This special pair of briefs can block as much as 99 percent of cellphone and Wi-Fi radiation thanks to its patented WaveTech fabric. Tested and certified by Baltimore’s MET Laboratory, its weave is the product of pure silver fibers and cotton that create a Faraday cage for your genitals.
Spartan guarantees more than just protection from cell phone pings. Designed in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, the French company ensures their undies promise a comfortable and sexy fit.
With thousands of exhibitors, CES displays it all. Some tech is a lot more impressive than others. Though these three examples reveal the stranger side to the show, they still represent just how far tech has come in the past decade. It’s important to acknowledge that advancements don’t always come in cutting-edge and practical designs. Sometimes they come in the form of weird and quirky gadgets.
