CES 2019: Gadgets do more so you can do less — VIDEO
There’s never been a better time to be lazy.
Like chronically, pathologically, can-barely-be-bothered-to-leave-the-sofa lazy.
Assuming, that is, you have a rather healthy disposable income.
Take the DrinkShift, the smart refrigerator designed to make sure you never run out of cold beer. Once you select your favorite brews, the stylish fridge will adapt to your drinking habits. Whenever it senses you’re running low — it has a capacity of 14 bottles — or you have a binge coming on, it will order more to be delivered from its warehouse straight to your door. The only thing it won’t do is open said beers or pour them in your pie hole.
The DrinkShift is scheduled to come to market later this year, CEO Takuma “TK” Iwasa said. And while the pricing hasn’t been established, he’s hoping to adapt the old subsidized cellphone model where it could be free, depending on the length of your contract.
Elsewhere at CES, Simplehuman is showcasing its latest advances in the age-old problem of having to physically open your trash can. Foot pedals? Lame. Motion sensors? Still available, but passe. Due out in February, its new line of voice-controlled containers ($200 for the 55-liter, $250 for the 58-liter model with a separate recycling bin) respond to the commands “open can” and “stay open.” In theory, this would allow you to just hurl your garbage at it from across the room.
There was a time when a toothbrush was considered cutting-edge technology. After centuries of chewing on twigs and leaves, a simple, reusable device that could clean your choppers must have seemed pretty close to sorcery. Then the electric toothbrush debuted, and it should have been game over. Hardly. The Y-Brush vibrating mouthguard eliminates the need to move that outdated electric thing around inside your mouth, and it obliterates the recommended two minutes or more of brushing time by getting the job done in 10 seconds — five for the top set, five for the bottom. It’s expected to ship in May at a cost of $125.
Petcube’s Bites 2 home camera system is designed for dog owners to monitor their little beauties remotely and reward them periodically with a treat. But no one is putting a limit on the definition of “remotely.” Lying in bed? Fling a treat. Don’t want to stop watching TV? Fling a treat. With Alexa built in, you don’t even have to push a button to feed Fido. Due in the spring at a cost of $249, the Bites 2 also features 1080p HD video, night vision and artificial intelligence. But all that just sounds like noise compared to “voice-activated treat flinging.”
Much has been written about FoldiMate, the eye-catching laundry-folding machine, but few people seem to appreciate the effort it will save. Sure, it won’t fold small items, such as baby clothes, socks or undergarments. It won’t fold very large items, such as sheets or blankets. And it won’t fold very bulky items, as in hoodies or sweaters. But it folds the heck out of the things it will accept.
And, yeah, you have to place the items neatly inside the FoldiMate and clip them down, while pants must be folded in half lengthwise — manually — before it does its job. But you’re saving anywhere from one to four folding motions — per item!
It’s hard to put a price on that kind of convenience.
FoldiMate is trying, though.
As of now, it’s estimated to be $980.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.