More from CES 2025: all the news, gadgets, and surprises
And I’m here for it! The StanbyME 2 comes with more pixels, more ports (2x USB-C and HDMI), and an extra 30 minutes of battery life.
But who cares about specs: the best part about it are the new accessories, one of which is a shoulder strap. I always wished my TV would come with one, and now it does. See it in action below.
Mechanical keyboards were trending toward Hall effect switches, but at CES Epomaker is following recent announcements from Ducky and hyping induction as the next big thing.
Epomaker will debut its induction switches in its upcoming Magcore 87 tenkeyless board, which should cost under $200 when it launches at the end of January.
Sharge is showing off another one of its see-through power banks at CES. This upcoming model is the Shargeek 300, and it can output up to 300W across its USB ports and barrel connector. Plus, it’s got customizable RGB lighting.
It will launch on Kickstarter in April for under $300, with an early bird backer discount.
I ranked the Circular Ring Slim dead last in my smart ring battle royale. When I heard their CES 2025 announcement, I was cautiously optimistic that a redemption arc was in the making with the Circular Ring 2. Now that I’ve seen and tried it, I’m even more hopeful. The hardware is such an improvement — all that’s left to see is if the software is too when it launches.
What if your keyboard were a pair of retractable claws with a giant touchpad and numpad lurking underneath? What if they were controlled by an AI camera watching your hands so you could “Escape hundreds of manual/hand transfers across the interface each day!”? Also, what if it cost $700?
It’s supposed to be “automatic” and “natural” — feels like there’s a bit of a learning curve to me.
A company called Roam is getting ready to launch the SodaTop, a portable device that fits on a Hydro Flask and can carbonate your water on the go. And it works! I tried the water and it was fizzy and lovely. I’m ready to buy like, five of them and never be without sparkling water again.
I’ve seen like, so many versions of this over the years, but Belkin is the latest to try and make the whole “phone-is-a-camera” thing happen. And I love them for trying! This MagSafe grip feels sturdy and it can charge another device with an integrated cable. Who knows? Maybe the world is ready this time.
Instead of spotting package thieves or prowlers, the Petal is a teeny tiny camera designed to watch nature for you.
Not only does it keep an eye on the birds, bees, and butterflies in your garden, but it can help you communicate with them using (what else) an AI chatbot.
Petal is slated to launch on Kickstarter this spring as part of a new brand called Wonder.
“Character Livehouse”: a tube with a 1200p screen inside where your favorite character can live. Import their 3D model, then AI chat with them while a 3D engine makes ‘em move and dance. There’s a camera for gesture control, a tiny touchscreen control panel, and RGB lighting.
The company claims it can “gently wake you up,” “cheer you on” while you game, even softly whisper you to sleep. $400-$500 on Kickstarter soon.
Once there was the Hapifork. Now there’s the Electric Salt Spoon, from a company called Kirin Electronics, which uses “mild electrical currents” to make low-sodium meals taste a little more salty. (The spoon launched in Japan earlier this year.)
I did not taste the spoon among the crowd at CES Unveiled, because, gross, but the science is legit! We did a whole Vergecast segment about it! There’s so much interesting potential here.
I’m here at CES Unveiled trying out Eli Health’s Hormometer. I had to do it twice because this dry desert air makes it hard to generate a lot of spit. Here I am taking the cortisol (stress) test.
Preeeeetty sure my levels are going to be high. I find out in... three minutes.
It’s made by Jizai, which is based in Japan. The company calls Mi-Mo the “world’s first general-purpose AI robot,” and it’s supposed to think and act on its own. Someone was moving it with a Switch-looking controller when I saw it, so maybe it’s not quite up to autonomy yet.
Just in case you were wondering how Sean gets his footage for his social videos, it’s using a pair of Meta Ray-Bans, an Osmo, and... a very stable chest iPhone camera situation. Iconic.
When I heard tell of the connected oysters here at CES Unveiled, I thought they were going to be some silly rich people nonsense. They actually help companies monitor water quality by keeping tabs on the health of the mollusks. That’s super cool! And they get to throw around the phrase “happy as a clam” and really mean it.
The rock-solid smart home lighting system is getting some (slightly more) affordable shades to go with it. The Caséta smart shade line is a redesigned version of Lutron’s Serena shades, offering fewer options at lower prices.
Any shade up to 48 inches wide by 80 inches high costs $399 each, a bargain compared to Serena shades, which start at $500. Caséta shades are available now.
I’m a skeptic when it comes to real-time translation tech, but I’m intrigued by the Timekettle W4 Pro buds and the newly announced Babel OS. You can create a custom lexicon for specific words like names, industry jargon, locations, and most importantly, slang! We’ll have to see how well it works, but it acknowledges one of my biggest pet peeves with translation tech: how fast language evolves.
