Car Companions, Bee Readers and Aroma Showers: Weird Tech at CES 2023

There’s a lot to be excited about CES. This year’s edition of the world’s biggest consumer tech show will feature countless dazzling TVs, some fascinating concept devices and A real flying car. But above all there is one of the most delightful highlights of CES.

Some of the oddities of CES are very expensive, while others are affordable. Not all of these unique features come to market, but sometimes that’s part of their appeal.

read more: CNET’s Favorite Products at CES 2023.

Withings’ toilet sensor can read your pee

We thought how good a pee target would be. Withings goes several steps deeper Toilet sensors It looks like a pee cake and calculates if you’re low on nutrients, for example, or if you’re about to ovulate. Called U-Scan, the sensor attaches to your toilet bowl and analyzes your urine every day you use it. A companion app provides health metrics over time.

A robot pet with personality

Robot companions are a fun idea, but they often suffer from a lack of personality. Each droid friend comes with similar functions, and you can pick and choose the same range of personality traits. Dogmaker WowWee wants to change that with its Dog-E, an $80 electronic canine. It is a A robot dog with a personality Coded deep into its heart (CPU?), it reveals itself over time. Some dogs are always hungry, while others are more playful or shy, says WowWee.

Mount your TV to your wall

Forget unrestrained wall mounts. Lose the bird’s nest of cables. Stick this wireless TV For window or wall with suction cups. The 55-inch display OLED screen completely encloses your wall or window with large suction cups.

There is also no traditional remote control. Instead of using a physical device, you have to act like Tom Cruise in Minority Report and control the display TV with hand gestures.

This camouflage car color syncs with the music

Of course, we love what we saw inside Volkswagen ID 7 Concept Vehicle On display at CES this week. But it’s what VW put on the outside that caught our eye: the car has a QR-code-themed digital camouflage that’s divided into 22 zones that light up individually, turning the entire exterior into a music visualizer connected to the car’s audio system. .

LG’s answer to smelly feet

If you’re a sneakerhead, here’s a high-tech way to care for your shoes. Called the Styler ShoeCare from LG, you slip your sneakers into the locker-like device, and with magic TrueSteam nozzles, your shoes will be deodorized after 37 minutes. An accessory Styler ShoeCase lets you show off your shoes with a refresh.

Feast in your kitchen

Here’s another reason why you’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties: LG’s new MoodUp refrigerator Color-changing doors and a Bluetooth speaker make the kitchen the center of the action. LG says the LED backlit panels can be customized with 190,000 color combos to match your cooking mood.

Print your hair color

In years past, you may have seen how you can print temporary tattoos, but this January at CES you can take it even further and print your hair with color. Brinker shows how.

An aromatherapy shower sprays you with fragrance

How green is it? Kohler is coming out with new shower and bath products this week An aromatherapy shower A system designed by the company to bring spa aromas into the shower. An aromatherapy system infuses rainwater with vitamins and aromas — cucumbers are all you need to complete your spa treatment.

Neutrogena Personalized Skin Care Gummies

Neutrogena has made soap and lotion for years, but now the skincare company wants us to chew. Vitamin Commis The company says it can be customized to suit your specific skin needs. A 28-day pack of chewable nutrients costs $50.

Kitchen cutting board with built-in screen

Cover your MacBook keyboard or iPhone screen with sticky dough and tap out the recipe with doughy fingers, no more hiding. A $699 walnut cutting board Shows cooking and cooking classes from Blok (with a $39-a-month subscription) on a 13-by-20-inch display. The screen is disassembled for cleaning.

Live stream your dinner as it bakes

ok I’ll admit it: I see more of Twitch’s way with gamers and crafters’ live streams and roasting chickens. That is why Samsung’s bespoke AI wall oven Very impressive. Now I have the opportunity to livestream my own baking with an in-oven camera.

Joke with your car like an old friend

Volkswagen isn’t the only automaker bringing a funky concept vehicle to CES. BMW’s Eye Vision Tea Its exterior has 240 E Ink panels that allow it to change colors in a second. In the future, it wants to be both your car and your companion: it uses cutting-edge AI to create idiosyncrasies a la Herbie or Knight Rider’s Kit. Although just a concept, BMW says some of the technology in iVision Dee will make it to its new vehicles by 2025. Probably Does not include AI companion.

For more on CES, click here How to see all the big announcements Here’s what to know about this week in Las Vegas Samsung’s biggest QLED screens For display and All the robots we invented.