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Weird and wonderful gadgets of CES Unveiled 2014

Before CES officially opens its doors on Tuesday, Las Vegas time, a smaller preview of gadgets occurs at the Unveiled event. Here are some of the highlights.

Lexy Savvides Principal Video Producer
Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech, including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy is based in San Francisco.
Expertise Wearables, smartwatches, mobile phones, photography, health tech, assistive robotics Credentials
  • Webby Award honoree, 2x Gold Telly Award winner
Lexy Savvides
3 min read

Before CES officially opens its doors on Tuesday, Las Vegas time, a smaller preview of gadgets occurs at the Unveiled event.

Wearable tech is big, as expected, but there are plenty of other gadgets on show that present a quirkier take on what trends we'll see in 2014 and beyond. Here are just a few of the highlights — check out more CES fun at CNET's portal.

(Credit: CBSi)

Sen.se Mother

Want to keep an eye on almost every element of your life? The Mother is the tool for you. This Matrioshka-style gadget is the "mother" (get it?) to a series of small sensors that you affix to a variety of different objects. Called "cookies", the sensors keep an eye on your exercise habits, whether there is anyone in a room, whether you've taken your medication and plenty of other important tasks in your daily life.

Then, these sensors deliver information to your smartphone via push notifications, SMS, email or phone calls to keep you informed on developments. Read more about it here.

(Credit: CBSi)

Rydis robot vacuum cleaner

It's time to get your clean on. It's not just Roomba that has the market all cleaned up as there are plenty of alternatives like the Rydis that acts as a vacuum cleaner and a mop. As demoed in this video, the cleaner can soak up liquids and scrub a marker clean.

(Credit: CBSi)

CycleNav

Keep an eye on your ride with the CycleNav, a GPS made just for your bike. It connects via Bluetooth to your Android or iPhone and gives you the option of different routes to get to your destination. Make your changes as required and then head on your way as the device speaks directions to you so you can keep your eyes (and ears) on the road. Read more here.

(Credit: CBSi)

TrewGrip Keyboard

This is no ordinary keyboard. Place your phone or smaller tablet in the keyboard grip and type with your fingers on the back of the device. It might sound strange to use, and it definitely is something you have to get used to. But its creators say it should only take you around an hour to get used to the system. It connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone or tablet. See the TrewGrip in action here.

(Credit: CBSi)

Tao WellShell

Exercising on the go can be a difficult task. The WellShell aims to make this easier with isometric workouts — it's a squeeze. Apply pressure to the device to help build strength, muscle tone and boost circulation. It connects via an app to help give you an idea of the sorts of exercises that are beneficial, and it gives you feedback on how intense your workout is.

(Credit: CBSi)

Holi

Control your light with your smartphone. This is the holi, an LED light that you can program accordingly via an app. Change the mood, use it as a wake up light and see your music come to life. The app actually analyses what you are playing and changes the lighting effect accordingly. At the moment it's iOS only, but an Android version is in the works for later this year.

(Credit: CBSi)

PrioVR

Based on a motion-capture suit, the PrioVR brings a similar full-body experience to gaming. There are sensors everywhere — for the head, elbows, hands — that track your movements and feed it back into a game. Using nunchuck-style controllers with the demo at Unveiled, the player is able to feed their movements into the game with precision. Read more about the PrioVR here.