There are always new devices, gizmos, and gadgets on the market, all promising to make our life simpler, more enjoyable, or just less complicated. Manufacturers are increasingly utilising cutting-edge technological trends like artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) to make devices that are smarter and easier to incorporate into our daily lives.
While many of them may only be amusements that are soon tucked away in a drawer or cupboard and hardly ever seen in the open, occasionally one comes along that genuinely has the ability to affect our lives for the better.
So I decided it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the most useful or interesting gadgets that have lately come across my radar, as well as a few new products that are expected to have an impact in the upcoming year. Some of them could be entertaining toys, some of them could be really helpful, and some of them can even be able to save your life!
GE Profile Smart Mixer
The GE Smart Mixer is a high-tech kitchen assistant that weighs out the proper amounts of ingredients automatically using an internal scale and walks users through recipes with step-by-step instructions. In order for the device to provide real-time suggestions while creating snacks and meals, sensors detect the texture and consistency of mixes. It also works with Google Home and Amazon Echo devices, enabling voice control of every aspect of the gadget.
SonicBrush
Everyone knows we’re supposed to spend two minutes brushing our teeth, right? Well, not anymore! The SonicBrush is marketed as the world’s first fully automated toothbrush – meaning you don’t even have to move it around your mouth to get a perfect clean. Because it brushes every tooth in your mouth simultaneously, the manufacturers claim it can reduce the time we need to spend brushing our teeth from two minutes to just 30 seconds! This means we can enjoy a valuable one minute and 30-second snooze in bed both in the morning and at night. The SonicBrush was another innovative gadget unveiled for the first time at this year’s CES.
Ring Always Home Drone Camera
The latest addition to Ring’s suite of smart home security devices is an autonomous drone designed to patrol your property, enabling you to have eyes on places that static security cameras just won’t reach. First teased back in 2020, the Always Home drone cam was finally shown in prototype form at this years’ CES. Although there are still no concrete details of when it will be available, reports suggest that it will cost around $250, which seems quite affordable for such a high-tech piece of home security gadgetry. As well as potentially alerting you to intruders, it could also come in handy for forgetful homeowners wanting to check that they didn’t leave the kitchen stove on or the windows open.
Lifeaz Home Defibrillator
While it’s nice that devices such as the Apple and Pixel Watches are starting to include sensors for conditions such as arterial fibrillation, which can be a predictor of heart problems, they can’t yet do anything about them. It is therefore good to see other manufacturers working on devices that can be used to directly intervene in medical emergencies. The Lifeaz Home Defibrillator is the first ever defibrillator designed to be kept in private homes and was unveiled at CES this year. Essentially, it enables us to puts the power to pull someone out of what would otherwise be a fatal cardiac arrest into our own homes. Although it is still awaiting FDA approval in the US, it has reportedly already been installed in over 100,000 European homes, where it has been used to save 17 lives.
Withings U-Scan
Did you know your urine contains more than 3,000 metabolites, which can be used to create an in-depth snapshot of our health, providing early warnings of a number of medical conditions as well as recommendations for diet and exercise? Smart device manufacturer Withings does, which is why it has created the U-Scan. This device is billed as the “first hands-free connected home urine lab” and sits in a toilet bowl, ready to collect samples whenever it is used. An optional “For Professionals” cartridge enables advanced data collection and analytics that can be used by doctors for long-term monitoring of day-to-day changes in patients’ health, as well as to collect data for clinical trials.
