The Best (And
Weirdest) Of CES
From amazing gadgets with funny names to alarm
clocks waking you up with lovely fragrances, innovation stole the show
IT’S TOUGH to stand out
when the competition numbers more than a million and each is more innovative
and smarter than the last. That pretty much sums up the story of the Consumer
Electronic Show (CES) in Vegas this year. Continuing my list of the best (and
so-innovative-it’s-weird) of CES 2016.
Panasonic Point-and-Shoot 4K Camera
Panasonic really seemed
to be out to prove a point. Apart from being one of the few to actually have a
4K Blu Ray player (the DMP-UB900), they also had the first simple
point-and-shoot camera that can do 4K. The LUMIX DMCZS60 is small, light,
sturdy and as easy to use as can be. It has a powerful sensor, a high-end Leica
lens, a 30X optical zoom and 4K video recording. And it should be in India
soon.
Nikon KeyMission 360 Action Cam
CES was full of terribly
named products and this one easily makes it to that list. It also makes it to
the most jaw-dropping gadget’s list. The KeyMission 360 is a 4K 360-degree VR
action camera that is shockproof upto two metres and waterproof upto 30 metres.
With two enormous lenses placed on both sides, it can shoot 360-degree shots
with the press of a button.
Parrot Disco Drone
Another addition to the
list of terribly named products that are actually amazing on closer inspection.
Most drones in popular culture are those fixed-wing things that fly strong and
silent many miles up in the sky. This is one of them — a fixedwing drone that
launches vertically and can reach speeds of up to 50mph. Parrot usually messes
up between demonstrating something and actually releasing it. I really hope the
Disco doesn’t go down that path.
LeTV Le Max Phone
This is the phone that
just released in India and also made serious waves at CES 2016. An all-metal
body, one of the thinnest bezels on a smartphone (1.6mm), a 21MP camera,
192-point auto-focus system, quad-HD display, fingerprint scanner and IR
Blaster remote control. LeTV seems to tick every box with this phone.
Samsung Welt
Another contender for the
title of worst name. This one wins on the weird front too. It’s the world’s
first smart belt. It’ll measure your waist every day, tell you if you’ve eaten
too much, how many steps to take to walk those excess calories off and also how
much time you spent sitting. A talking belt is hard to ‘digest’.
LG V10 Phone
LG comes in strong with a
new smartphone every few years and tends to fade away right after. Once again,
it comes in huffing and puffing with the V10. Hope it doesn’t blow itself away
this time. The V10 has a dual display, dual front-cameras, a military-grade
build and optical stabilisation on the camera that can even shoot an earthquake
without trembling.
HTC Vive Pre Headset
Oculus Rift may be the
dominant player in the Virtual Reality business, but it finally has serious
competition with the HTC Vive Pre. In addition to all the VR features a headset
needs to have, this one also displays a virtual blueprint of the real world. It
uses a frontfacing camera so you steer clear of bumps as you move around with
it strapped on to your head.
Huawei Mate 8
Between LeTV, LG V10 and
this one, we may have the top three phones of CES 2016. The Huawei Mate 8 has a
6-inch 1080p display, a 4,000mAh battery and great optics and specs that can
make other phones actually start sounding their alarm bells. It will be
released in India at an aggressive price.
Bonjour Alarm Clock
Smartwatches didn’t take
off like they were supposed to. Instead, smart clocks dominated CES this year.
And the Bonjour is one of the best. This is a completely voice-controlled and
internet-enabled alarm clock that also fetches all kinds of information from
your calendar and travel plans to weather and news updates.
Sensorwake Clock
Don’t like alarms jarring
you from your sleep? How about waking up to the scents of the ocean, a lush
jungle, a freshly baked croissant, a hot coffee or peppermint? This clock can
release those fragrances and aromas just around the time you want to wake up.
And if that doesn’t work, it will still sound a shrill alarm three minutes
later. Amazing or weird, you decide!
·
Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology,
NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3 Rajiv Makhni
HTBR24JAN16
No comments:
Post a Comment