CES 2024: Innovative Gadgets that Simplify Everyday Living

Technology is often designed to lighten the load from the everyday - and brushing your teeth or using the toilet are no exception. Here are some highlights from the array of gadgets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show intended to make the mundane more efficient:

- Supersonic toothbrush -

"Is that a toothbrush for lazy people?" asks a visitor to the Y-Brush stand.

The French company has designed an electric brush in the shape of a "Y", which is inserted into the mouth and does all the work in twenty seconds instead of two minutes.

The company's founder came up with the idea one day while brushing his teeth.

"He thought, 'No one can last two minutes'".

Already sold in Europe, the Y-Brush is now available in the United States for around $100.

- Talk to my hologram -

CES visitors passing by the Holoconnects stand may have a moment of confusion: is there a person in that big box?

It's actually a hologram and the real person is standing right next to it, facing a camera.

The Dutch company specializes in larger-than-life 3D holograms, projected in see-through box displays, either life-sized or miniaturized to be placed on a table or hung on a wall.

Holograms have been a curiosity for years, particularly in the entertainment sector.

But Steve Sterling, North American Director for Holoconnects, believes that their use is becoming widespread.

"Right now, there's a global dispute resolution conference going on between Amsterdam and Phoenix.. So we've connected an expert from Amsterdam into the panel," said Sterling.

The hologram displays are used in the hotel, medical and retail sectors.

Thanks to ChatGPT-style artificial intelligence, Holoconnects can also create avatars, including for celebrities or experts, that interact with the public without disturbing the real person.

"We have a (virtual) sommelier from a vineyard that you can ask questions to, and you can talk to her about how the wine is made and things like that, and she'll respond to you," said Sterling.

- Luxury throne -

"This is the smartest toilet that exists in the world," said Ryan Grotegut, marketing manager at Kohler, the US kitchen and bathroom design specialist.

Grotegut is referring to Numi 2.0.

Numi opens, as if by magic, as the user approaches. Once settled, the seat is heated to a pre-determined temperature and, once the user has done what they have to do, they can get up and go about their business, with no worry about flushing.

Numi 2.0 flushes the toilet, adapting the amount of water to the duration of use (between 3 and 3.80 liters), and then deodorizes and disinfects.

The toilet is equipped with showerheads -- whose temperature, pressure and other settings can be customized -- as well as a dryer.

A magnetic remote control allows the user to select options, but Numi also takes verbal instructions using Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant, which is integrated into the toilet.

The toilets, which feature LED lighting in customizable colors, are priced at $10,000 in black and $8,500 in white.

- Autofocus eyes -

There's no need for progressive lenses with the Vixion01, which lets you focus on something very close and then far almost instantaneously, thanks to sensors that measure distance and adapt lenses accordingly.

"These are autofocus glasses," Takuya Nonaka, one of the heads of the Japanese company Vixion, told AFP.

The glasses allow the user to see fine details, such as the grain of wood and the battery lasts up to ten hours.

For safety reasons, it is strongly advised not to drive or play sports wearing the glasses.

At this stage, they are only available in Japan and in a single design, at a price of $700.