CES 2023 is pushing back.
The tech-focused show, held January 5-8 in Las Vegas, was 70% larger (in terms of square feet of exhibit space) than last year’s show.
There were over 115,000 attendees this year, a significant increase from the nearly 45,000 who attended the 2022 event. While this is still below pre-COVID figures (January 2020 had more than 171,000 attendees), organizers were enthusiastic about the numbers showing the exhibition is back in a big way.
“CES 2023 was a great reunion, showing the world the return of in-person events, rocked by everything from keynote stage attendance to press conferences to product debuts on the show floor.” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO. of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the group behind CES
CES 2023 Stats
2.2 million square feet of exhibits
Over 3,200 exhibitors
Over 115,000 attendees
As always, CES offers a wealth of cutting-edge technology, from the convenient and time-saving to the quirky and mind-boggling. Not everything presented at the fair will make it to the store. Still, it’s worth watching the trends emerging from CES. With that in mind, here are some of the gadgets people are talking about.
1. Ballpoint pen makeover
Nuwa pens allow users to digitize their writing and sketches without the need for a special notebook.
The Nuwa pen can turn words and drawings into digital text and images without the use of special paper or wires. track and send to a synced smartphone app. When the battery runs out, you can use the portable charging case to recharge in 15 minutes. For $3 a month, the app automatically converts your handwritten notes to text. Nuwa’s products are available for pre-order now and are expected to ship in August.
2. Health tech goes to the bathroom…literally
Withings U-Scan analyzes your urine to give you a health assessment.
Withings, a connected health company, has debuted U-Scan, which it calls a “breakthrough in-home biomarker analysis platform.”
In effect, the device is a “miniaturized health lab” that sits in a toilet bowl and analyzes the user’s urine. A heat-triggered pump automatically takes a urine sample and sends it through a “microfluidic circuit” to a cartridge containing three months’ worth of test pods. Through a connected app, U-Scan can measure reproductive cycles, daily water and nutrient intake, and more. The device is set to debut in Europe alongside two consumer health cartridges. A medical version follows. Sales in the US will take place after the product receives FDA clearance.
Withings CEO Mathieu Letombe said: “He’s one of the most exciting and complex products we’ve ever announced.”
3. Working from home and working out
Acer’s eKinekt BD3 is a combination desk and exercise bike.
While many employees celebrate remote and hybrid work, one of the common pitfalls of such flexible arrangements is finding ways to stay active in the home office. Acer’s eKinekt BD3 desk/exercise bike is his one solution to this modern-day lament. Not only does the smart bike keep your heart rate going from 9 to his 5, but it also has a built-in generator so you can charge your device with power generated from your own body. According to Acer, the pedaler can fully charge his iPhone in 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
4. It’s No Watch – It’s No Watch
Nowatch is another kind of smartwatch that helps the wearer stay alert and reduce stress.
Bouncing against the trend of smartwatches packing information into small faces, Nowatch is a screenless watch that provides real-time, if not actual time, feedback on movement, sleep and stress. Dubbed “awareable” by the company, his Nowatch features an attractive jeweled face that monitors the wearer’s stress level and measures changes in sweat gland activity via skin conductance. Data about mood, stress and more is collected and sent to connected apps, while the watch itself vibrates to alert the wearer to stressors and emotions, allowing them to “reconnect to the present and regain balance.” increase.
Nowatch CEO and co-founder Hylke Muntinga discovered in 2019 that he had PXE, a rare genetic disease. Inspired by his diagnosis, he created his Nowatch to help people make the most of every moment. “People are stressed more than ever and need simple but powerful solutions to take care of their emotions and health,” Muntinga said. “Since NoWatch is easy to use, it is not a distraction or a hindrance to its wearer and is a powerful tool to help people stay present and achieve well-being.
