Advertisement

Five more wacky gadgets from day two of CES

Yesterday, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas brought us a bluetooth toothbrush and a bracelet to keep an eye on your sunburn. Can we top that today? Of course we can. Yahoo News has picked five more gadgets being launched this year - but are they fantastic or pure fantasy?

The Moneual Robot Mop
Robot vacuum cleaners are so 2002. The Roomba - seen here with a baby on top - is a niche invention that actually took off, once people realised it did actually work. But we've waited twelve years for the next step: a robot that mops the floor.

The Moneual Rydis H68 has a microfibre cleaning pad on the bottom, which can be loaded up with your detergent of choice. It scans the room, tracks its own movements, and mops the floor automatically - without leaving a trail of footprints across the room when it finishes.

We think: Why not? We're not sure how to deal with open-plan rooms with part carpet, part hard floor, but in theory this is a Good Thing. No-one likes mopping - if this is next stage of the robot takeover, bring it on.

The Naim Statement super-amplifier
British hi-fi specialist Naim has today revealed an amplifier that will make all other hi-fi cower before it. Not least because it looks like Darth Vader's house. The system - known imposingly as Statement - is capable of powering the loudest speakers in the world, and can connect to vinyl, CD or digital music sources.

It's a total monster - each pillar weighs 110kg - and to play any music you will need to wire up at least a CD player and some speakers. The Statement alone costs £125,000 - so the only statement you'll be paying attention is the one that comes from your bank.

We think: It's bonkers - you'd have to be filthy rich to buy one, and to do it justice you'd need equally expensive speakers, not to mention a colossal room that could handle all the noise. But it is a small British company showing they can go head-to-head with anyone in the world, and we can't fail to be impressed by it.

The Polaroid C3 mini cube
This is a far cry from the instant printing of Polaroid's heyday. The C3 is one inch wide, with a 5 megapixel, 720p video camera inside, with a 120 degree wide angle lens for action shots. It's waterproof to two metres, and there's a microphone for audio as well.


We think: How can you not fall for the C3? We like the retro stripes and soft edges, and although the specs aren't high-end, it's set to cost around £75, so with any luck Polaroid has hit the perfect balance between price, performance, and fun.

The Gunnar Optiks computer glasses
Computer what? Yep, that's right, special glasses to wear when you're staring at a computer screen all day. Gunnar knows exactly what kind of image that conjures up, so it has released a range of jazzy, colourful frames that reduce eye strain. The glasses are designed to adjust the colour contrast to a more natural balance.


We think: If anything's going to de-geek the idea of computer specs, then it's these neon nylon frames. And who amongst us hasn't felt the effects of a day's work on our eyes? But we can't see them catching on in a big way, if only for stubbornness.

The LaCie Culbuto USB stick
It's a USB stick which LaCie claims you'll never lose, because it functions like a Weebl - one of those uncanny devices that won't tip over, no matter how hard you push it. The idea is it'll always point up on your desk when it's not plugged in, meaning you won't bury it in paper or nudge it over the side by mistake. It costs $50 for a 16GB version.


We think: Classic example of solving a problem that doesn't really exist. Worried about losing your stuff? Pay more attention to where you put it! Case closed. Sorry LaCie, but we're not paying that much for something that probably still will get lost - or 'borrowed' by that annoying colleague.