Just when we thought we’d seen everything at CES — other than the countless wireless earbuds — we found more interesting ideas. Here are a couple more things we couldn’t help but notice:
1. Public transportation is about to get optimized
There were plenty of futuristic motorcycles, scooters, and scooter/jet ski hybrids at CES. But a number of companies were also focused on tackling an even bigger beast: public transportation. Some highlights:
- Uber rolled out a feature that enables riders in Las Vegas (the location of CES) to buy public bus tickets in Uber’s app. The feature also allows users to compare the price and travel time of Uber’s transit options with public transportation options.
- Delta thinks flying doesn’t have to be a pain in the a*s. The airline showed off its revamped boarding app, robotic exoskeletons designed to load luggage, and “parallel reality” screens that show different information to different customers based on their angle.
2. Your house is smarter than you are (and it’s greener, too)
Sure, smart fuse boxes aren’t as sexy as electric motorcycles. But these under-the-radar smart home features could change lives by making homes more efficient — both financially and environmentally.
Several companies unveiled new, smart products to manage electricity:
- Wemo and GE showed off smart plugs that enable homeowners to monitor their electricity usage.
- Schneider Electric showed off an upgraded fuse box designed with energy management in mind.
- Sengled, Ring, LIFX, and Philip Hue all demoed smart light bulbs that save homeowners energy and money.
And a few other companies also unveiled smart products designed to manage water usage:
- Phyn, Kohler, Moen and Flo Technologies unveiled systems that make it easier to monitor water usage.
- Hydraloop took it a step further by creating a system to monitor and recycle household water.
3. Consumer sex tech is even hotter than last year
Last year, sex tech was a hot topic at CES after startup Lora DiCarlo won an innovation award but later got banned (check out our interview with the company’s co-founder for the full story).
This year, CES updated their rules (slightly) — and even more sex-tech products showed up:
- DiCarlo returned to CES to show off Osé, a “robotic massager for blended orgasms.”
- And no fewer than 9 other sex-tech startups — including Satsifyer, OhMiBod, Crave, and Morari — showed off a variety of high-tech, pleasure-centric devices and apps — accompanied by cheeky slogans such as “come as you are.”
