While 2015’s Consumer Electronics Show has come and gone, many of the gadgets shown off have made a lasting impression. From virtual reality, dual-load washers, tri-screen automobile consoles, and robot cooks, CES 2015 introduced us to a number of exciting innovations. Here’s just some of the coolest tech you’ll want to get your hands on come release day.
Thync
Imagine being able to do recreational drugs… without doing recreational drugs. That’s basically what Thync, a wearable device set to launch this year, is hoping to offer – a way for consumers to change their mood without dealing with the harmful side-effects of many drugs. While the idea may sound like lunacy, the Thync demo shown off at CES this year looked promising. The device utilizes the concept of “neurosignaling” – manipulating ultrasonic waves to signal neural passages in one’s brain.
Thync uses a head-worn apparatus that connects to a smartphone through Bluetooth. Want to feel more energized? Just slap on your Thync device and use your smartphone app to adjust your mood accordingly. Want to relax and unwind? Thync also has a “calming mode” to relieve you of stress and help you chill out. Pretty neat, right?
Sling TV
It’s no surprise that cable television has become increasingly unpopular over the past few years. Who wants to pay an expensive monthly subscription just to have that one channel you really like alongside 200 other channels you’ll never touch? While streaming services have become all the rage as of late thanks to companies such as Netflix and Hulu, neither service has really offered anything that can completely replace the cable TV experience.
Sling TV is a new service offered by Dish that allows users to experience television live – something that has remained lost to cordcutters all over. Sling TV grants users access to a number of live television channels for a monthly fee of $20, with the option to add extra channel packages for just $5 each. The service is set to be available through a variety of mediums, including mobile devices, the Sling website, and digital media players.
Cooki
Not everyone knows how to prepare a meal – that’s a sad fact that is (sometimes) glaringly obvious. So, what if technology allowed those lacking even the most basic culinary prowess to still receive tasty home-cooked meals? And what if those meals were prepared by a robot? That’s exactly what Sereneti Kitchen is hoping to provide with its Cooki robotic chef.
Cooki is an all-in-one device, utilizing a cooking pot atop an induction stove along with a robotic arm for stirring. After selecting a recipe from the Android/iOS companion app, pre-portioned ingredients are added into the machine through its side. After giving Cooki the go-ahead through the mobile app, ingredients are individually added to the pot, with the robo-chef taking care of all the cooking. Developers plan to sell the pre-portioned ingredients in packages for around $4 to $5 each.
Cooki is set to launch commercially sometime next year.
Gamevice
If you’re like me, you may not really enjoy mobile gaming all too much. Sure, I can download Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (one of my all-time favorite games) on my smartphone, but is it really worth it to play with such a wonky, touch-based control scheme? Thankfully, Wikipad’s Gamevice device has fixed that little problem.
The concept truly is simple: just snap the Gamevice onto your iPad and relish in the birth of your newfound portable gaming console. Wikipad has announced that Gamevice will be available in two different variants: one for the iPad mini and one for the iPad Air.
You know what the best part about it is? It’s already launched! That’s right: you can nab yourself your own Gamevice right now, with an iPhone 6-enabled model coming soon.
Socialmatic
The Socialmatic is another sweet device that you won’t have to wait to get your hands on. The Instagram logo-inspired camera is powered by Android and allows users to instantly share photos via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or print them out using a built-in zero-ink printer. The Socialmatic features a 14-megapixel main camera in addition to a 2-megapixel front camera. Additionally, the camera provides a QR code for each photo taken, allowing users to scan the codes and know exactly where each photo was taken.
Socialmatic is available now through a number of vendors, including Amazon and Photojojo.
