‘Smart’ lifestyle gadgets are set to digitise daily life

Jan 9 , 2017

Jeans from Spinali Designs will vibrate on your right or left hip to let you know which direction you should head. Photo: AP

Tech companies at the CES gadget show are unveiling even 'smarter' products. But do we really want them?

Here’s a morning routine for you: After the alarm on your smartphone goes off, it’s time to roll out of your “smart” bed and give your hair a good run through with your app-connected brush. Don’t forget to use your smart toothbrush in front of your smart mirror.

After that, your smart pillbox will remind you to take your medication. And remember to put on your smart jeans, so they can give you directions while you leave your phone in the pocket.

Sound like a typical morning? Tech companies at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas would like it to be. They’re unveiling products that do all these things and more. But do we really need them — or even want them?

“When an industry is nascent, you will see experimentation,” said Mark Hung, a vice president at Gartner Research. “Companies will throw things against the wall to see what sticks.”

You decide whether these are cool innovations or just junk.

BOX O’ LOVE

LoveBox devices are designed to receive private messages through an Internet connection. Photo: AP

Can’t express your feelings adequately through emoticon-filled text messages? For you, there’s the Lovebox.

The wooden box — made by a French startup, of course — plugs into an outlet and connects to Wi-Fi. A heart on the outside spins when you get a message. Open the lid to see a digital screen with the message. You can reply with a digital heart by rotating the heart on the box.

And these virtual smooches come with a price: US$120 for one box or US$185 for two.