After CES, one of the world’s largest gadget trade shows held in Las Vegas every January, there’s another billion gadgets to talk about.
This year, we’ve seen solar-powered cars, shoes that massage your feet on the go, and six-wheel transformer SUVs that keep an extra passenger drone in the trunk for when you want to “get away from it all.” did. ”
But the firestorm that broke out in Los Angeles on the same day CES officially began quickly overshadowed the tech spectacle, putting much of the gadget coverage on the back burner and leaving many of our dear friends and colleagues in the dark. dealt with terrible loss and unthinkable tragedy with just a few hundred people, while miles away.
Where will the world of gadgets go from here?
While there are so many unknowns, one major theme has emerged this year. Technology leaders are committed to an AI-accelerated future filled with real-world robots, self-driving cars, and AI agents so advanced they look like Siri. Kind of like an old dial-up phone. But at what point does that vision go from a wild prototype (one more fanciful than the next) to a potentially life-changing solution? I would like to answer this question as I continue to report on this issue.
In the meantime, here are some of my favorite gadgets, including some that I just showed off on today’s show.
Shoes that make everyone stop and stare
I would happily walk even a mile in these futuristic and stylish Nike x Hyperice Recovery Shoes. These strange-looking boots use built-in air compression to heat, vibrate, and massage your feet and ankles. Tested on Olympic athletes in Paris, this kick promises to help you recover faster from workouts, improve circulation and soothe muscles, tendons and joints.
They fit to your foot size thanks to the air compression system, and you can walk or run errands in them without a problem, as long as you don’t think a few false glances from strangers are a deal-breaker. These are not separate. They’re big and make a lot of noise, so you probably don’t want to fly with them. Oh, and when you turn the heat up to maximum it gets uncomfortably warm, at least for me.
That aside, these are made to get you back to peak performance as quickly as possible and are like compression socks on steroids. As a runner and someone who broke an ankle a while ago, I value that. The price and release date have not yet been determined, but we will keep an eye on it.
Is this the shape of PC screens of the future?
I’ve been using Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 rollable laptop for a full week now, which I first reviewed a few days before CES. So far, it continues to impress me with everything from its new and improved screen form factor to its superior battery life (several hours longer than my current Mac).
At the touch of a button, the display rises and expands from 14 inches to 16.7 inches. This is a whopping 50% increase in scrollable space. It’s like having a second entire screen on your laptop, perfect for split-screen work. When you no longer need it, tap the button and it will slide down to return to standard view.
This makes a lot of sense because today’s web is designed for portrait screens like smartphones. Giving a laptop the ability to extend its screen height is a stroke of genius. Plus, it’s ergonomically better, allowing you to avoid the technical fatigue of staring at a screen all day long.
It will hit the market early this year with a starting price of around $3,499.
Why use your smartphone as a TV when you can take this TV with you anywhere?
This is another gadget that continues to grow for me. LG’s StanbyME 2, a 27-inch QHD touchscreen, is part giant cordless tablet and part super-sharp high-end TV. A mobile stand with wheels is included so you can watch, play, surf, and create wherever you want.
Who wants to be stuck in one room when you can take this stunning display with you wherever you go? It’s perfect for binge-watching in the bath, of course, but it’s equally great in the kitchen, tailgate, home gym, garage, or anywhere you need a smart TV without the hassle of a power outlet. (Battery life is 4 hours.) Plus, it’s AirPlay compatible, so you can stream videos and games directly from your iPhone, and it has a built-in “information board” for recording your crazy days.
The price has not been disclosed, but it is expected to be released sometime this year.
Dear plants, this one device could save you from…me.
LeafyPod is an AI-infused flowerpot for those who missed the green thumb gene at birth. Communicate with your smartphone via Wi-Fi via a dedicated app. All you have to do is tell us what kind of plants to plant and fill the water tank. Then let the Smart Pot do the dirty work.
Internal sensors track temperature, light, and moisture, watering your plants when they need to without overwatering, and letting you know when something might be going wrong or when it’s time to add more soil or water. I’ll let you know. The rechargeable battery lasts up to three months, so you can go on vacation guilt-free without returning to brown, wilted leaves.
It’s available for pre-order now for $148, with first shipments expected to arrive in homes in April.
A cat litter robot straight out of the Jetsons
We may not have flying cars yet, but at least we have trash cans straight out of the Jetsons. Litter Robot 4 is more than just a place for kittens to do their work. It’s also a gadget packed with sensors that can measure your cat’s weight, record how often your cat goes out, and alert you to important health concerns like kidney disease (if your cat goes out a lot). You can also.
It can also tell the difference between two cats, so there is no problem even in households with multiple cats. When your cat uses this box, it waits for your cat to leave, then rotates to collect the litter into a drawer inside the bag, trapping odors and dirt.
Approximately one in three homes in the United States owns a cat, something no one wants to do. $699 solved that problem, and it’s available now.
A smart pizza oven that bakes perfect pies in 2 minutes
The current Backyard Model P is a smart home-ready pizza oven with plenty of power. You can set it up on your countertop or use it to cook 12-inch pies anywhere you have a few feet of suitable space in your backyard.
It can heat up to over 800 degrees and uses super smart algorithms to maintain even heat throughout, so you don’t have to adjust anything mid-cook. Sync with a smart app that uses a “Pizza Build Calculator” to choose the best cooking time and temperature based on dough thickness, toppings, cheese and sauce.
This little trip to Italy will cost $600 when it launches in the second quarter of this year.
You can mow your lawn without moving a finger
AI is also coming into the lawn care field, and I’m all for it. This race car-like robotic lawn mower uses state-of-the-art machine vision to trim right to the edge of your lawn without any messy wiring or complicated setup processes. Just pair it with the app and the mower will map your garden and get to work.
As the name suggests, this robotic mower has all-wheel drive for maximum traction and can handle jobs up to 3/4 acre with its default settings. This is more than enough for any city garden I’ve ever seen. You can easily move around and under trees, bushes and other common obstacles, and you’ll get used to rough terrain perfectly.
It’s available for pre-order now, with a starting price of $2,499.
Porch pirates finally face off
Pouch piracy is the worst part of our on-demand delivery culture, but Hyve’s new package security system promises to stop them. This smart box is convenient if you are unable to pick up your luggage yourself. Rather than letting them stay at your feet under your eager gaze, Hyve uses your smartphone as a key to lock them away until you can retrieve them.
Use the front door hinge as an anchor point so a thief won’t be able to snatch the entire box. It’s also spacious enough to accommodate luggage of all sizes. There’s also a tamper alarm and a Wi-Fi connection that sends images when deliveries occur.
The waiting list for Hyve is now open, with a release date of June 2025 and a price tag of approximately $300.
blowing little cat robot
Sometimes gadgets don’t need to have a good reason to exist, but we love them anyway. I’m very confident that this tiny little cat robot will fit that cat egory. You know, this one has a hilariously special job. It involves blowing on hot drinks and food to cool them down. that’s it. That’s it.
A quirky little cat perches on the edge of your cup or bowl and gently blows air onto your food or drink at one of eight different speeds. It sounds silly and it is, but it’s also adorable and works just like squirting your own coffee or soup.
It’s only $25, so it falls into the “stupid I have to buy” category.
Milmuri
From the same people behind the coffee-chilling kitten above comes a vision for a robotic future, and I can totally buy into it. Mirumi is an adorable little robot charm that hangs on your bag or backpack like a tiny baby sloth. They have subtle but eye-catching head movements that react to the movements around them and look adorable while doing so.
At a price of $70, the line between a high-tech gadget and a cute stuffed animal is blurred, but you pay the price for the joy it brings to the viewer and you every time you see it searching around. It cannot be attached. Are robot pets the wave of the future? All signs point to…maybe.
Jennifer Jolie is an Emmy Award-winning consumer technology columnist and on-air contributor to “The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. You can watch a video about the gadget above on Instagram @JennJolly.
