The CES 2023 expo has come to an end. After two years of cancellations and downsizing thanks to the pandemic, CES was almost business as usual this year, barring a few absentee companies and reduced exhibits. Fortunately, Gadgets 360 was on location in Las Vegas and we got to see a lot of new technology as well as concept and idea demos that give us a peek into the future. Sure there were plenty of TVs, laptops and wearables, but in this article, we’re bringing you some of the most experimental technologies and the exhibits with stories behind them. Leave us a comment and let us know which of these you’d like to own this year.
LG Styler ShoeCase and ShoeCare
LG held one of the first press conferences at CES 2023 and it was full of products, not all of which were aimed at the mass market or could be considered practical. The LG Styler ShoeCase is a whimsical niche offering aimed at sneaker fans looking to store, clean and display their collection. Each ShoeCase features a motorized turntable, customizable RGB LED lighting and a UV-absorbent coating. You can control its functions through the LG ThinQ app. You can stack multiple ShoeCases and they are also designed to fit the LG Styler ShoeCare steam cleaner, which has multiple routines for different materials.
You can stack a bunch of LG Styler ShoeCases and sync your turntables and lighting effects
hp hearing pro
Hearing aids are typically bulky and unsightly, and some people may feel stigma when wearing them. They are also expensive and you need a prescription to get one. HP is one of several companies now authorized to sell hearing aids over the counter in the US and has licensed its technology from Nuheara. These headphones feel like regular true wireless headphones, so they’re easy to use and don’t feel weird. You can calibrate them via an app, and yes, they double as Bluetooth headphones too.
These hearing aids should be affordable and will not draw too much attention when worn.
Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED
If you thought 3D was just a gimmick, Asus might change your mind. The ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED is primarily aimed at 3D content creators, industrial platforms and the education market. The glasses-free 3D experience uses eye tracking and a lenticular array to generate vivid 3D images that are visible even if you move your head. There are software that allow you to view and manipulate 3D models, video content and, of course, games. You can even use 3D input methods like a pen with the right sensing hardware to manipulate models in 3D space.
3D display effect combined with 3D input opens up possibilities in education, engineering and more
Sony-Honda Afeela concept car
CES is almost as much a car show as it is a gadget show, and among the many vehicles was an Afeela prototype, the new name for the joint venture between Sony and Honda. The “media bar” screen at the front can show you information before you enter, while the ultra-modern interior has a giant panoramic screen that covers the entire front console. With Sony’s cameras and sensor technology, plus Honda’s experience in car manufacturing, Afeela aims to implement Level 2+ autonomous driving.
Afeela is the new brand for Sony-Honda Mobility’s aspirations in the EV market
Abbott Mixed Reality Experience
CES attracts all types of tech-savvy companies, and one name you might not expect to see here was Abbott. The medical research and diagnostics company developed a mixed reality experience to pique young people’s interest in blood donation and keep them busy while the blood is being drawn. The experience uses Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 hardware and guides the user through planting a virtual garden hands-free, using only eye tracking and audio cues. It can also help distract and calm anyone who is afraid of needles.
Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 headset is the foundation of the Abbott experience
LG Transparent OLED TV
One of the most fascinating displays at LG’s booth at CES 2023 was its transparent OLED T TV prototype. It looks like a normal TV when in use, but the panel itself is built with a kind of inner curtain that can be raised or lowered, so you can see through it while the content continues to play. It’s not ready to go on sale yet and we have no idea how much it could cost, but it does show the future of OLED technology. In the future, your TV could be the front of a painting on your wall, or integrated into some kind of furniture.
You can see through the TV when it is in transparent mode, but you can still display images
Studio MSI Stealth 14
We’ve seen ultra-compact laptops before, but the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware unveiled at CES allows manufacturers to cram much more power into tiny bodies than ever before. Among the many new laptops that MSI demonstrated at CES 2023 was the new Stealth 14 Studio, which comes with 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU in a slim 19mm chassis weighing just 1.7kg. You get a 14-inch 16:10 panel with QHD+ resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, plus upgradable DDR5 RAM, NVMe storage, and plenty of ports. It’s built for gaming, but will also be popular with creative professionals on the go. If you need something even more portable, the 0.99kg Prestige 13 Evo is 16.99mm thick and has a subtler aesthetic, but also uses the latest CPUs and promises all-day battery life.
The new Stealth series is designed and optimized for gaming and content creation
Acer eKinect bike table
If you need motivation to get some exercise in, this stationary bike table from Acer will force you to pedal to generate electricity. You’ll need to keep moving to ensure your devices stay powered via the Type-A and Type-C USB ports, and the small screen on the front will show you how much electricity you’ve generated. You can adjust the bike’s resistance and move the table surface up or down for comfort. There’s even an app that helps you track your exercise. This can come in handy if you’re working from home and they might even show up in some offices.
If you need to motivate yourself or your employees to exercise, this could be the solution.
Ryse Recon Arial Utility Vehicle
Are flying cars finally about to become popular? Not exactly. Startup Ryse showed off its Recon flying car, which is actually more of a quadcopter. It’s big, noisy, and only seats one, but it can fly for about 25 minutes per charge. It takes off and lands vertically, so it can be used to get around tight spots. Plus, the company says it only takes about ten minutes to learn how to fly it, and you don’t need a pilot’s license. Demonstrations in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s outdoor parking area proved that while it might look cool, it won’t replace your four-wheel ground transportation any time soon.
It might not make your daily commute any easier, but it could be a sign of things to come.
Corsair and LG curved monitors
The curved TV trend seems to have faded, but curved ultra-wide monitors are becoming more popular with gamers due to the immersive experience they can provide. Unfortunately, they’re not great for everyday work, and if you don’t have the luxury of a dedicated gaming PC, you’ll want something more practical. Now you can get the best of both worlds – Corsair’s Xeneon Flex is a 45-inch 21:9 240Hz OLED panel that you can literally grab and bend so it’s flat or curved. LG’s OLED Flex is a 42-inch TV that can double as a monitor, and as an added bonus, it’s motorized so you can switch between flats and a few different degrees of curvature at the press of a button.
Corsair’s monitor has retractable handles that you can use to fold it (left) while LG’s implementation is motorized (right)
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Intel’s multi-screen laptop concepts, and now Lenovo has brought something very similar to market in the form of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, with a second panel that unfolds above the main one. Multi-finger gestures make it easy to scale content on both screens, and you can multitask on the go with the detachable keyboard. The folio holder lets you arrange the 13.3-inch OLED screens horizontally or vertically, and of course, both work with a stylus.
The two screens can be positioned horizontally or vertically, opening up possibilities for multitasking.
las vegas loop
Closing out our list, we have a technology exhibit that wasn’t one of the CES 2023 exhibits. The new Loop is a system of tunnels excavated by The Boring Company between the old and new halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, extending up to a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. There are plans to extend this new public transport system throughout the high traffic tourist areas of the city. At the moment, only Tesla cars are driven through the tunnels at low speeds, and that too only by trained drivers. Eventually, autonomous vehicles could transform it into something more like a point-to-point subway. It’s clear that RGB lighting everywhere made CES attendees feel right at home.
Cars are limited to 25 mph (40 km/h) in the very narrow tunnels
Disclosure: Flights and hotel stay for the trip to Las Vegas were sponsored by MSI