CES 2024 will spread across Las Vegas, filling not only the convention center but also huge additional spaces and hundreds (possibly thousands) of hotel suites with eager technology companies and startups looking to show off their products and inventions. The house is full.
That’s because the show is mainstream it’s not mainstream gadgets. It’s the latter that we’re interested in here as we take a look at some of the quirky devices spotted at CES 2024.
Belkin Auto Tracking Stand
When you place your iPhone on Belkin’s crazy auto-tracking stand, the camera will follow you around the room and follow your antics to join video calls, share on video later, or live stream the whole thing. You will be able to track your actions. The motorized base moves 360 degrees and tilts 90 degrees, making the most of the space around you while ensuring your camera never misses what’s going on.
It is the first product to receive Apple’s Works with DockKit certification and is compatible with all iPhone models starting with iPhone 12. It also includes a MagSafe charger, so your phone won’t run out of battery when using it on the dock. The Auto-Track Stand will be available soon for $180.
Withings BeamO
Withings continues to develop rare and innovative health tracking devices, and the Withings BeamO joins that list. It combines blood oxygen level tracking, medical grade ECG, digital stethoscope, and body temperature monitor into one convenient device. As always with Withings, it’s designed to be aesthetically pleasing and not look like something you’d find in a hospital. Sensors can collect data, collate it within the app, and share it with your doctor.
You can track up to 8 different people within the same household, so there’s no need to have more than one. The battery is also expected to last up to eight months without recharging. BeamO is currently going through the European Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CE approval process, and is targeted for release in the summer. It costs $250.
number of clicks
Don’t you wish your iPhone was like a BlackBerry with a real physical keyboard? And now you could use the entire screen to create instead of an annoying virtual keyboard getting in the way? Does that mean? Clicks is an iPhone case with a keyboard built into the bottom. This makes the phone look more like an elongated BlackBerry Bold than Apple’s top-of-the-line model.
It’s made to be as lightweight and easy to put on and take off as possible, but it’s not really designed to be used all the time, and when you’re working on your phone and want to see the screen uninterrupted. Can only be used for Available in yellow or gray for iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, it also has support from popular technology creator Mr Mobile. I think it’s really great.
MM guardian phone
Some of you may be familiar with the MMGuardian app. The app has been around for more than a decade and helps keep kids safe online by allowing parents to monitor their digital activities. The developer has now teamed up with Samsung to launch a new MMGuardian Phone with built-in MMGuardian protection out of the box. This includes contact management, message monitoring, web filters and blockers, location tracking, and more.
It’s all packed into a basic Samsung A14 phone with a 6.5-inch screen, in-display fingerprint sensor, 5G connectivity, a 5,000mAh battery, and three regular cameras on the back. But what’s strange? Like almost everything else at CES 2024, it uses AI. The system claims that its deep learning AI can detect inappropriate selfies and alert parents if a selfie is being generated and sent. This is a feature specific to MMGuardian mobile phones. The device is currently available for $229.
Garmin HRM-Fit
CES is great for niche products that serve a real need, and Garmin’s HRM-Fit is a great example of that. This is a heart rate monitor that can be used with a sports bra, neatly avoiding the problems of trying to wear a regular, bulky and uncomfortable chest strap heart rate monitor under your bra. It’s a much neater solution. Garmin HRM-Fit not only syncs with your Gamin smartwatch, but also with a variety of connected gym equipment. Priced at $150, available now.
Augmental mouse pad^
The Augmental MouthPad^ has been around for a while, but it looks like CES 2024 will be the first public demo, and it’s exactly what we want to see. It’s a crazy denture-like plate that you put in your mouth and use your tongue to control devices like your phone, computer, and other connected devices. Think of it like a mouse to your mouth.
It seems silly at first, but for people whose disabilities prevent them from using traditional hand- or finger-based controllers, this can be life-changing. The demo video is very impressive, but you can’t actually see what’s happening inside the mouth to assess latency or accuracy. This isn’t a device you’ll be eager to hand out for everyone to try, either.
MouthPad^ is a pure, wonderful, rare CES material with real use cases that help people interact with technology in ways that might not otherwise be possible.
DoublePoint Wow Mouse
Here we introduce another alternative control system. Wow Mouse is like Apple’s Double Tap on steroids in that it adds finger-based gesture control to your smartwatch. It can now be tested as an app designed for Wear OS, and a video demonstration shows the amount of control options integrated.
DoublePoint ultimately hopes to license the underlying technology to device manufacturers for added versatility with the addition of gesture controls, and also plans to release a software development kit (SDK) for developers. For now, if you want to try it out for yourself, you can get the app from the Google Play Store.
We’ll be updating this list as we discover more unusual mobile gadgets from CES 2024, so be sure to check back as the show progresses.
Editor’s picks