w1r3dc352015

OMG WATCH

Swung by the Pono booth this morning to check out their audio player.

Important 80s-theme souvenirs.

On Wednesday a mariachi band serenaded comers and goers to the Sands convention center.

This guy looked so relaxed I had to see what the deal was. He's on Innovzen's breathing chair. It uses a variety of techniques to help you relax by improving and slowing your respiratory rate. First, it puts you in a neutral, "zero gravity"-emulating body posture, then under your nose it feeds you air with a 29 percent oxygen content (any higher and it would be considered a medical device and require oodles of testing and verification before it could hit the market). As you breathe, the chair seems to breathe with you, slowly pulsing up and down to help you open up your lungs with each intake of fresh breath. On top of that the chair is heated, and plays soothing music. Coming to a mall, spa, or progressive dental office near you.

Remember Erector Sets? Apparently they were only known by that name in the United States. Now they go by their international name, Meccano. Pictured is their $400 robotics kit that won a hardware competition at CES. You can build the robot a couple of different ways, and while it comes preprogrammed, you can also program it yourself in one of three ways: open source code, through an app, or by copying what you do based on a recorded video. This robot build is both humanoid and bug like, which is fun. The other build is more dinosaur-like with a scooper for picking up things.

Bellabeat is an interesting company that develops natural wooden products designed to promote women's wellness, particularly through the childbearing years. They were showing off three products: the Balance smart scale, the Leaf health tracker, and Shell baby monitor. The Balance has no hard plastic or digital display. It's more sensitive than traditional scales but, through the app, it focuses on helping you stay within normal parameters rather than worrying that you gained a pound or two. The app has features that help you track pregnancy weight gain, as well as your baby's weight along with your own after your baby is born (this is where that extra sensitivity is key). The Leaf is a pendant style activity tracker that primarily differentiates itself from other wearables through its earthy, leafy design of metal and wood. And the Shell is a non-invasive wooden bulb you can use to listen to and record the sounds of your baby before it's born. When pressed against a momma's belly, it's acoustically designed to amplify those sounds while eliminating other noise, like a grumbling stomach. You can also pipe music into the device to theoretically play it more directly into your fetus' developing ears. Once your child is born, it acts as a baby monitor, with a cry analyzer, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor also built in. I like the idea of using natural materials to create high tech products. It's also refreshing to see prenatal-related products that aren't made of shiny plastic or look like they belong in a doctor's office.

The Igoo smart lamp doesn’t just look like a piece of contemporary art. It claims to be a phototherapy device effective at treating PMS, SAD, and ED, as well as insomnia and anxiety.

Roost is a $40 battery that connects your existing smoke alarm to the internet. It'll ping your phone if your house is burning down while you're away. If you burn dinner and trigger the alarm accidentally, you can turn it off via your phone. It lasts five years; when it dies, the company will send you a replacement battery for ten bucks. Also good: It pushes you a notification when it's running low instead of chirping a bunch in the middle of the night. It's a novel approach to adding a little connected functionality to whatever thing you've already got screwed into your ceiling.

Overall winner: 25 points

While CES isn’t a marathon, I did walk and jog up to 13 miles each day. Compared to past years, my feet finished the day noticeably less fatigued, as did my knees and back, thanks to the springy, lightly padded footbed (and a thicker plastic arch support piece on the sole). The fit was snug and supportive enough that I could sprint through rocky flower beds to get around slow walkers without fear of a twisted ankle, and the breathable mesh uppers kept my toes from finishing the day in a swamp of sweat and foot grime. The bright colors, while sporty and attention grabbing, did not match any of my outfits, but I didn’t particularly care. I’m excited to spend more time on the trails and the treadmill in these guys (and that’s saying something, because I’m a cyclist).

This smart pacifier connects your infant to your Nest thermostat. (Just kidding, it takes baby's temperature).

Israeli startup Slide whipped up a prototype Dick Tracy watch to show off their neat video messaging app. It broadcasts video live to friends and then saves those broadcasts as video notes for later perusal, so you have the option of communicating synchronously or asynchronously. The company's convinced video messages are a perfect fit for the wrist, where input is tricky.

The Parrot drone demo is as adorable as it is impressive. The agility of these little guys is amazing. It's a must see at CES.

Making friends from China with selfies on their selfie stick! Selfie sticks: promoting international cooperation.

A machine that perfectly applies screen protectors! The perfect gift for the person in your life who's constantly having trouble applying screen protectors.