If you’ve ever just wanted to vent online, but worried about how your true feelings might be perceived, now there’s an app for that. Air Out! is now available across Canada and the United States, giving users a place to put their thoughts in a quick, easy-to-use platform that provides instant emotional relief. Initially conceived to support mothers in sharing unspoken challenges, the app has evolved into a dynamic space for anyone to vent, confess, and brag, with true anonymity.

How does Air Out! work?

With a 100-character count limit, no user names, no interaction between users, and minimalist design, Air Out! provides an exciting and fresh take on how we express ourselves. The app features six chat spaces: Moms, Dads, Work, Love, Vent, and Brag.

“We don’t always want solutions or advice. Often, we just want to feel heard,” says Air Out! Founder, Canadian broadcaster, and mom of three, Courtney Stanfield. “I realized there wasn’t a space where you could unload the heavy stuff without someone making you feel bad about it.”

Is AirOut! a safe space?

With language filters and privacy protocols, Air Out! strives to be a welcoming place for all users, offering a refreshing change from the often volatile and aggressive comments on traditional social media.

“As an advocate for robust mental wellness, I recognize the critical importance of having a safe space for emotional expression,” states Holistic Stress Management expert and award winning executive coach Mitchell Creasey. “This app is an invaluable resource, thoughtfully designed to ensure that personal thoughts do not transform into personal burdens. It’s more than an app. It’s a pivotal mental health resource for our times.”

The idea for the app came to Stanfield in a dream in March 2024, she recalls it being so profound she started emailing app development companies in the middle of the night. “There isn’t a person in America that wouldn’t benefit from an outlet like this,” Stanfield says, “Air Out! is a way to simplify your life by giving your thoughts a place to go without judgement.”

Release your thoughts to strangers and feel better instantly, no guilt. Air Out! Is available for free download across North America on the Apple Store and Google Play.  Or learn more at AirOutApp.com .

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So, whether you’re interested in Gemini for personal or business applications, here are a couple of things you need to know.

What’s Google Gemini?

Essentially, Gemini is a brainiac because it’s been stuffing its digital brain with tons of information from books, articles, memes, and… well, pretty much the entire internet. This helps it chat, create, and comprehend like a human might. The cool part? It’s always learning, thanks to a diet of natural language processing, computer vision, and machine learning.

Chat Improvements

Google’s been tweaking Gemini AI models to understand context and slang like a pro, making conversations with this AI feel more like chatting with a friend who gets you. Sure, it’s not perfect – sometimes it might miss the mark on sarcasm or niche internet memes, but when it gets it right, it’s impressively smooth.

Multimodal Mastery

Gemini is designed to be multimodal from the ground up. This means it can understand and process various types of input such as text, images, audio, and video.

This opens it up to a wide range of real world functions such as outlining a long video lecture and generating images like logos for a small business. Need a cover letter for a job you’ve been eyeing? Just upload your resume and Gemini can tailor one based on the job description and your qualifications.

Google Workspace Integration

If you use apps in the Google Workspace like Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Drive, then you’ve probably already noticed that the Gemini icon has been integrated across all of them. Once you click on it, it will show you what functions it can do on the app.

On Google Docs, for example, it can help you summarize, outline main points, brainstorm, or refine an existing document. On the other hand, Gemini gives you smarter image or file search capabilities in Google Drive. It’s also integrated across Google’s other apps such as Maps which gives it a more up-to-date and accurate recommendation.

Gemini and all its Flavors

While you’re probably familiar with Gemini as a chatbot, Google created multiple versions of it with different capabilities and specialties.

Gemini Nano

One of the most intriguing features of Gemini on Pixel phones is that it enables local live transcribing, a feature called Magic Compose that helps with smarter text prediction, and an accessibility feature called TalkBack that helps vision-impaired people identify what’s on their camera’s viewfinders.

Gemini Pro

These built-in features, however, only use Gemini Nano. To access the full-featured Gemini Pro variant, you’ll have to use a web browser or download the Gemini app from the Play Store on an Android phone. This lets you replace Google Assistant as the default assistant.

There’s no Gemini app on Apple’s ecosystem yet and since they’re also building their own large-language model AI, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing Gemini on iPhones in the near future.

Gemini 1.5 Pro

For a $20 subscription to Google One Premium AI, you can gain access to Google’s top-tier Gemini 1.5 Pro. It’s designed for scaling across a wide range of tasks and performs at a similar level to GPT-4 capable of performing sophisticated reasoning tasks across various modalities, including text, images, audio, and video.

This multi-talented system shows its prowess by accurately describing scenes from a Buster Keaton movie. With a context window capable of reaching 1 million tokens, Gemini 1.5 Pro can comprehend and synthesize information from multiple lengthy documents or provide summaries of extensive texts, marking a significant milestone in consumer-available chatbot technology.

Watch my review on Google AI

Pros

• Innovative Google Workspace integration
• Google One AI Premium also grants access to Google Drive upgrades

Cons

• Still not on ChatGPT-4’s level in terms of contextual search
• Potential for bias in the training data and the misuse of the technology for harmful purposes

Google’s Gemini AI is a fascinating leap into the future of technology, mixing incredible potential with a touch of ‘still figuring things out.’ It’s a glimpse into a world where technology understands us a bit better, making life just a tad easier.

So, while Gemini is still under active development, early signs suggest that it could be a game-changer for AI. Google is already testing Gemini models in various products and services, and we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the near future.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Hyperspace? A new immersive video game? Naw… something super cool that solves a big problem. In Las Vegas, you’re always walking across massive casino floors walking the strip, walking, walking, walking. Doing 15 or even 20,000 steps a day is about average. It gets tiring, but it’s also inefficient, since the distances at the Las Vegas convention centre aren’t just measured in steps. They’re measured in miles. And since power-assisted roller shoes aren’t quite available to everyone yet, there is another solution to get from A to B at CES a little faster and more efficiently.

The Las Vegas Convention Centre facility sprawls across multiple campuses and getting from the main or Central exhibition halls all the way over to the west exhibition halls can be about a 30 to 45-minute walk, and that’s the only way you can get there. Well… At least it was.

What is Las Vegas Loop?

There’s another almost secret option, but not a lot of people know about it. It’s called the Las Vegas Loop and for this, you need to go Underground…

You can thank Elon Musk’s The Boring Company for digging 1.7 miles of tunnel underneath the convention center. He built a dedicated closed road in a tunnel underneath the convention center. It only took about a year, and didn’t disrupt a single event or close a single road for construction. The result is this.

What is the point of the Las Vegas Loop?

The idea behind loop is to create a closed, private road system that eliminates traffic congestion. All the vehicles are electric, so it’s a cleaner, greener option, that’s also quick and efficient.

You’ll be ushered very quickly to a waiting Tesla electric car –no driverless option yet but my driver was friendly and knowledgeable, and told me the Loop is running about 80-90 electric cars through the tunnels at CES 2024.

For now Las Vegas Loop is just a small but tantalizing taste of what will revolutionize getting around Las Vegas. After a short drive, I was deposited above ground at the next stop. It was so cool, I decided to go for another loop.

How much does it cost to ride the Vegas Loop?

My fare was covered by my CES convention Badge, but if you want to go as far as Resorts World hotel there is an additional fee.

Today there’s only just under 2 miles of tunnel. And since it cost about $53 Million to make it may seem like a bit of a novelty at this stage. But in just a few short years, it will be so much more. Clark County has approved plans for 18 new stations and about 25 miles more tunnels, this thing looks like it’s about the get really real.

How many people use Las Vegas Loop?

The Loop opened in April 2021 and has been operational during all conventions, including CES. The Boring Company says LVCC Loop has transported over 1.5 million passengers, with a peak capacity of over 4,500 passengers per hour, and over 32,000 passengers per day, which is pretty incredible.

Watch my video about The Loop

This has to be one of the coolest experiences; from the comfort of the vehicle to the speed at which you can get that 2-mile distance and the cool light show this is an attraction I’d highly recommend next time you’re in Vegas.

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Meet RoboUP Rhino 1 smart lawn robot

Mr. Xu with RoboUP says, “Consumers say they want to have a robot lawn mower –  they don’t want to take time on the weekend to mow themselves.”

“We are a service robot company started in 2016 but our history goes all the way back to 1996 when we started to do intelligent control systems,” according to Nathan Lam, Brand Manager at RoboUP.

The RoboUP Rhino1 Is a really rugged bot. With chubby, grippy tires and front steering, it’s easily able to navigate tougher terrain…

8 blades, plenty of traction

“Our first-generation mower only had one cutting disk but now we have two,” says Lam. “With 8 blades in total now we have wider coverage of the lawn.”

But the Rhino1 offers more than just traction, it’s got a host of clever technology, summed up in the acronym CPASS, which Lam explains: “C means core tech, P is precise, A all around and S is superb adaptability and strong processing using. With this technology we are able to create robots that target all our users pain points. We listen to our customers’ feedback. A lot of users have complex gardens and have a lot of different types of slopes, so that’s why we made Rhino.’

Wire-free boundaries for easy installation

RoboUP Rhino1 will recharge itself automatically, and unlike some competitors, it doesn’t need a long, complication installation.

“Uusually for traditional mowers you have to set up wire and set the border; our products don’t need that; we are boundary wire free… click a button and the mower will map itself.

Silent operation

The mower can cut the grass all night for you since it runs silently and it’s got lights, meaning you never need to lose time in your yard. But if it is out at the same time, it has built in cameras that can see and avoid objects that may be in its path. Built in rain sensors and anti-theft features will also help keep the bot and your lawn safe.

What else sets RoboUP apart? “I think the design and the fact we have a strong environmental impact makes us different that our competitors,” adds Lam.

Watch my video about the RoboUP robot lawn mower

Learn more about RoboUP’s robotic lawn mowers on the company’s website

Also Read:

1. Husqvarna Automower Fence Door: Review & Considerations
2. Husqvarna Automower 415X at-home review

The post RoboUP Rhino 1 is a rugged robot lawn mowing machine appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

The world’s largest consumer technology show is on now in Las Vegas! CES 2024 features thousands of brands spread across multiple locations including the Las Vegas Convention Centre, and multiple hotels. Running January 8-12 it’s an opportunity for brands to show off their newest products to both journalists and buyers. Many brands choose CES as the moment to unveil their latest developments, or to wow the world’s press with stunning innovations.

CES Day 2 Highlights

You’ve heard of the Las Vegas Sphere—this is it—on a smaller scale and inside CES 2024 .

More of a showpiece than a screen with practical applications, its just one of the new technologies on display here today. That’s the thing about CES… you’ll see plenty of concept ideas and some that seem like more trouble than they’re worth.

Like this cocktail making machine called Barsys. You funnel your booze or mixers into a glowing loop and wait…

The machine comes with a special ‘electromagnetic mixing glass’ which will stir the cocktail as it adds the different ingredients. Then you serve it up.

While the lightshow and the shape is cool, I’m not sure this– plus fiddling with an app to make a cocktail is faster, or easier enough to justify the $475US price. Let me know what you think…

Speaking of skeptical… there was a crowd gathered around this device. It’s not what you’re thinking, you perverts… It’s a hair dryer, of course! Interesting design though.

Pool cleaning robots are a thing!

Speaking of interesting… what’s bubbling up from the depths here? It’s not jaws… it’s an autonomous pool cleaning robot.

I saw so many pool cleaning robots. I didn’t realize this was a thing. They crawl around your pool, and even up the sides to suction dirt, sand and debris into an internal filter basket. These might be less popular in Canada, but I bet here in the southern USA they’re all the rage, so I might have to review one while I’m visiting.

New robot vacuum technology

From a robot vacuum for your pool to new technology in robot vacuums, Narwal had a pretty impressive demo for its new anti tangle technology.

Any fellow long-hairs out there know longer hair can really get wrapped around your robot vac’s brush, but this version features a floating roller that also suctions hair off one end of the roller and into the dustbin. Cool.

Smart lighting & smart home: Govee

I’m a huge fan of smart lighting and the Govee booth didn’t disappoint.

With all their new lights on display, as well as a lot of new smart home appliances too it was great to see everything in action.

The Rope Lights have been improved, making them more flexible, so you can more easily draw with light if you’re artistic that way.

Or you can combine several Govee lights in your TV or media room for a whole-room glow that can match your TV.

There was also cool outdoor light options too. I’ll be hoping to do more Govee reviews later this year since it’s one of my favourite smart home lighting brands.

In-home composting

There’s a tonne of smart home stuff here things you wouldn’t necessarily think you need, like a composter that can take food scraps and turn it into compost.

That all happens in this closed bin, right inside your kitchen. Cool idea I’d love to try out.

CES Day 1 highlights

From transparent TVs, to space-age coffee machines, smart toilets… yup… and robot window cleaners, CES 2024 kicked off with plenty of excitement…

It’s the biggest opportunity in the world to show off the newest and coolest consumer technology and big brands spare no expense trying to dazzle media and product buyers. Plus there’s plenty of YouTube celebrities in the crowd, like iJustine – fangirl moment!

LG transparent TV

If you’ve always hated the way a TV looks in your space; kind of big dark scree, then LG has a new tv –a transparent TV that literally disappears..

LG showed off its transparent TVs on a massive scale, but these are now designed to be used in an average home. With a clear glass screen that can turn to a solid display panel in the blink of an eye, you can place them in front of a wall unit for example, and still see your stuff… until you switch on the TV.

Also at LG the company showed off a concept car, a smart trailer you could pull with the car and a really cool but kinda weird pod coffee maker called Duobo… while it looks like an alien robot spider, LG says this is designed to use multiple Nespresso pods to create custom coffee blends. This seems like it would use more pods than necessary, but if you guys out there are mixing your Nespresso pods wanted at a time and think this would be better, let me know in the comments.

New robots from Ecovacs at CES 2024

Ecovacs showed off its brand new DEEBOT X2 Combo; this unit combines my absolute favourite robot vacuum and mop system the X2, with a stick vacuum concept that’s built right in. Everything empties into the bin so you never have to touch anything. I’ll be hoping to get hands on with this one later this year so share any questions you have in the meantime.

Ecovacs is also about to enter some pretty cool new space with its robot lawnmower. Playfully called the GOAT, this fully automated lawn robot is a beautiful piece of machinery, and if it operates as easily as the company’s robot vacuums, this could be a massive game changer for yardwork.

And not to be outdone the company also shared its automated window cleaning robot—the Winbot W2. With a companion water tank and cleaning system, it sections to your windows to clean them autonomously and also appears to master fleet get into corners.

Ecovacs also announced a roving air purifier that will follow you around the house and keep your air clean.

Over at the Tineco booth, there were three new vacuums and a smart oven. Check out more details in my full article here on the blog.

Smart bird feeders from Birdfy

I was also charmed by these smart bird houses and bird feeders from Birdfy… with cameras to capture your feathered visitors it’s a great way to learn about your environment. The Hummingbird feeder is particularly neat with not one but two cameras at different angles. I’ll be getting hands-on to review this one later this season…

Another cool gadget that caught my eye is these earring headphones from Yvnens. Possibly one of the most beautiful sets of earbuds I’ve ever seen.

This is just the most impressive stuff I saw on day one…

New TVs from Samsung: transparent TV, New Frame TV

Before the show even officially got underway, Samsung already announced some updates to what it calls its lifestyle TV category, which includes a product we’ve written a lot about: The Frame TV. Sadly though, the news seems to be more about software updates, as opposed to hardware improvements.

• The Frame: Already the best-selling lifestyle screen product, The Frame comes with new enhancements to boost the art experience. Now with over 2,500 artworks from world-renowned museums and galleries in the Art Store, users can enjoy an Art Store experience that is even better than before. The Frame’s new art streaming feature gives users a taste of the Art Store’s diverse collection by providing them with free hand-selected artworks monthly. Moreover, the 2024 Frame helps reduce energy costs by up to 10% with the variable refresh rate adjustment available in Art Mode.⁸
• The Premiere 8K Projector: The Premiere 8K is the world’s first projector offering wireless connectivity. Removing the need for cables, this solution allows consumers to keep their living spaces neat and tidy. The ultra-short throw projector comes packed with smart features — such as picture-off premium home audio, cloud gaming, always-on voice with far-field mic and four multi-view screen splits — to extend usability and provide almost increased use cases. The projector incorporates Samsung’s patented “Sound-on-Screen” technology, integrating the top speaker module and software algorithms for an immersive sound experience.
• The Freestyle 2^nd Gen: The second iteration of the portable projector features Smart Edge Blending, which supports seamless merging of projections from two The Freestyle devices to create a large screen for pictures and videos. It allows two devices to project an image as big as 160-inches with a 21:9 screen ratio, with no manual adjustment needed.

Samsung has also announced the new Transparent MICRO LED TV, saying it offers “infinite possibilities with its modular design and…clear, unobstructed pictures for various applications”. The screen, which Samsung claims looks like a piece of transparent glass,  that eliminates seams and light reflection.  What does this magical TV look like, how close to consumer reality is it, and is it really cool as it seems? We will check it out in the coming days at the show.

Sennheiser announces new headphones

Sennheiser flung out multiple media releases this morning, announcing new headphones and earbuds.

MOMENTUM Sport integrates both a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor and a body temperature sensor that can each output critical data to popular fitness apps and devices. It’s no secret that the right playlist can make or break a workout—a high-energy soundtrack can motivate when the finish line feels impossibly far. Now, the power of Sennheiser Sound is optimized for sports and supercharged with real-time biometric feedback for workouts that are far more efficient than a pure-adrenaline approach. As the inner ear is an optimal, dark location with a low degree of light pollution and is one of the most stable areas of the body during physical activity, MOMENTUM Sport can offer consistent biometrics, even at the peak of a workout.

There’s also now a MOMENTUM True Wireless 4. MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 features all-new internals and over a dozen improvements including Snapdragon Sound Technology with Qualcomm aptX Lossless Technology, Auracast, and ultra-low-latency mode, the portable powerhouse series brings uncompromised sound to the high-performance audio enthusiast.

“The Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform and Snapdragon Sound will deliver premium sound experiences for music, calls, and gaming with lossless music streaming, ultra-low latency and robust connectivity,” according to Mike Canevaro, Director of Marketing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We have a long history of collaboration with the Sennheiser brand, and we are excited to see them integrate our latest Snapdragon Sound technology to help deliver amazing wireless audio on their latest MOMENTUM True Wireless 4.

MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 also boasts up to 7.5 hours of battery—extendable to 30 hours with the charging case—and quick charging capability where you can get up to 1 hour of additional listening from just 8 minutes of charging, and it’s also Qi wireless charging compatible. Sennheiser has also upgraded the earbuds’ long-term battery performance with a battery protection mode that optimizes charging cycles.

​

Samsung’s Bot Chef kitchen robot; CES 2020.While the show is open to members of the media like us, it is actually closed to the general public, meaning you’ll have to follow news and announcements on your favourite tech websites. Of course we will have the latest updates right here and on video at YouTube.com/ErinLawrenceTV

Watch my video about CES Day 1 Highlights

For consumers and gadget lovers you can expect to hear about the coolest tech and gadgets that have just been released or will be coming later this year.

Without a doubt there’s going to be a lot of Artificial Intelligence at CES 2024. AI is already a buzzword, and brands have been slapping it on every gadget with a chip (in some cases disingenuously, in our opinion). The Consumer Technology Association, the entity that holds CES, expects over 130,000 attendees at the show with over 3,500 different brands or vendors — including companies like Sony, ECOVACS, Samsung, Canon, LG, Lenovo, etc…

You can expect without a doubt to see all manner of new and exciting developments on the Television front. From room-sized TVs to ones that can morph and change and even disappear, plenty of overseas Electronics brands are keen to show off what they can do to make a homes most important Central gadget more useful and more beautiful.

Vehicles tend to be another set of surprises at CES; a couple of years ago I saw a life-size prototype of a flying taxi. Sony also revealed it’s getting into the car business as well… That as far as I know we are yet to see any of their offerings hit the road. Hyundai also likes to share what it has going on in the innovation space plenty of interesting transportation options to come out of the show.

Whichever tech you’re most interested in, let us know and if we should be on the lookout for something for you, post your wish list in the comments.

The post What’s cool at CES 2024 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

This has to be the cleanest booth at CES 2024! This is the Tineco booth and over here it’s non-stop vacuum and mop. And some of it is even steam-powered…

Tineco announced three new products at this year’s CES 2024 they are the Pure One Station, S7 Steam, and Steam Pro kind of the flip side of the same product and the Floor One S7 Switch.

Tineco Pure One Station – vacuum self-emptying elegance

Let’s start with the Pure One Station… this cleaning tower This is a 4-in-1 Clean Station; it will automatically self-clean, recharge, and store your vacuum but it also automatically empties the vacuum’s dustbin into a sealed canister with HEPA dust filtration, which will hold up to 60 days of dirt.

The other key innovation here is it’s not just emptying the dustbin…

“Every time we put the vacuum back, onto the station is will clean from the brushes through the tube, then into the overall station,” explains Romeo Luo, Tineco General Manager, International Business.

Suctioning out the entire vacuum; from the brush head, to the tube, all the way to the bin, helps the whole vacuum stay clean.

The Pure One station is a bit more design-forward and elegant with a sapphire colour and lean profile. It looks a lot nicer than some others I’ve seen and it’s got a much lower price too; it’s supposed to be available at $799US.

Tineco Floor One S7 Switch – floor washer + vacuum

Floor One Switch S7 is a brand new announcement; it’s a dual vacuum and floor washer in one device.

Tineco is really big on combo products, that is products that do more than one thing for someone and that was definitely evident here as they unveiled their new lineup for CES 2024.

“We have the Switch – It’s actually a floor washer plus a stick vacuum,” says Luo. “It uses the same source of power so with the money we buy one and get two products; floor washer plus stick vacuum.”

Just by switching the motor from one to the other you get two machines in one package.

When you’re using the wet-dry vac-mop; the S7, it also cleans itself and uses what’s called the FlashDry system, which cleans and dries and disinfects the brushes in 5 minutes.

“Tineco actually we are the inventors of the floor washer itself. Before us, there was nobody doing those kinds of floor washers. As an industry leader, we are always leading new trends in technology. We are always trying to learn the main pain point and complaint of consumers when they are cleaning their homes,” Luo shares.

Floor One s7 Steam – now cordless

Tineco also showed off its new cordless Floor One S7 Steam wet-dry vacuum. The newest floor washer heats the water in the tank to 140C to produce fluffy clouds of steam which can power away dirt, stains, and germs. The big upgrade here is that this version is now cordless, but still just as powerful as the previous version.

This is the ultimate floor washer for cleaning geeks, since it’s self-propelled—meaning less effort from you, but it’s also a great way to sanitize floors. It also keeps itself clean with Continuous Clean-Brush Washing where it removes dirty water with an internal brush squeegee then washes and rinses the brush with fresh water.

Watch my video about Tineco’s 3 NEWEST vacuums

And Tineco is also expanding it’s offerings in smart kitchen devices with the Oveni One smart oven. It bakes, steams, and air fries but will also defrost, ferment and more. With a big touchscreen on the front it can give you step-by-step instructions with video and is linked to online recipes by pro chefs.

And best of all it cleans itself… it will also run a high-temperature self-cleaning and disinfecting cycle after every use

I’m hoping to get hands-on with each new product over the coming year to see firsthand what they’re like to use in a real home. So be sure to check out the YouTube channel Erin Lawrence TV for future reviews.

You can also find more about the new products at Tineceo’s website.

Also Read:

1. CES 2024 Pepcom Tech Preview
2. What’s cool at CES 2024

The post Tineco unveils new floor cleaners at CES 2024 appeared first on TechGadgetsCanada.com.

Fighting robots…A drone that will hover in midair and capture everything you do. Roller Shoes to make your feet walk faster. And a robot that will perfectly paint your nails… all by itself. That’s just a few of the most innovative technologies on display at the Pepcom showcase ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Pepcom is kind of a first look for media, content creators and influencers at all the cool stuff they’re going to see throughout the week at CES.

So while you get a sneak preview tonight, we get to get into a lot more detail as the week goes on.

Mirage and the media lineup

At the Mirage hotel on the Las Vegas strip Media line up by the hundreds to get a glimpse of what’s ahead and I was one of the lucky ones to be admitted.

First look and first impressions

Ecovacs is one of the big brands showing off its new flagship cleaner; the Ecovacs X2 Combo. This version builds on the popular X2 OMNI, but adding on a dual handheld and stick vac, right onto the robot vac-mop base station. It will even auto-empty both the bot and the stick into a closed bag.

Smart cooking ovens are all the rage this year—this one not only air fries but pseudo-souvides with steam. A personal fave brand, COSORI, was showing off its new lineup of air fryers and smart home gadgets.

There’s also all kinds of technology to help those that need it. Like an automated translation system that can listen to what’s being said and simultaneously translated into multiple languages at once, or this camera you wear on glasses which will read or describe what’s in front of it for the visually impaired.

And speaking of helpful there’s also an automated litter box that is possibly the nicest poop receptacle I’ve ever seen. You’ll see more common technology like robot vacuums, but there’s also things like an ultralight aircraft that’s ready for market at only about 100 grand.

Some featured products coming up…

Here are just a few of the highlights as we start in on this week!

From giant full body massage chairs, and even what’s called a personal air conditioner which you wear around your neck, there was a lot to check out.

I stopped to take a look at this manicure robot from Nimble; just slide your mitts in, and the machine scans your nails, then the robot arm inside paints your nails one at a time from a tiny bottle of polish. When it’s done, it’s like an instant manicure. This machine is ready for home use and costs about $599US. Pricey yes, but if you get weekly manicures, this could pay for itself fairly quickly.

The machine I want to call hover-drone is something I’d love to try; technically called the ZeroZero HoverAir X1, it’s a completely hands-free way to get really cool panoramic video. And if you connect your smartphone it can even record clear audio too.

Want to thrill your mouth? There’s also a new take on the ultrasonic toothbrush from a company called Laifen, which makes a smart toothbrush that doesn’t just vibrate, or oscillate.

Nextbase was showing off its new ultra smart 4K dash cam, which I already have for a full review, so stay tuned for that.

There’s power technology on display – Bluetti was showing off some of its portable power solutions, and some other brands I appreciate were on hand too, like Govee showing off its newest lighting for gamers with its sync box…

Speaking of familiar brands, Roborock which is debuting a couple of newer more advanced robot vacuum-mops with a new look and even more features, like a levered, reaching corner brush. I’ve got a full video on this coming later this week.

There are also several options at the show for robot lawn mowers which are going down in price and getting easier to set up. Dreame, the vacuum brand has one, and so does RoboUp, which I’ll share more about in an exclusive story later this week.

Watch my video about the CES 2024 Pepcom Tech Preview

Let me know which technology you’re most interested in learning more about make sure you post in the comments…and watch for all kinds of additional fun technology later this week

For now, the cyborgs are calling……

See you soon!

Also Read:

1. What’s cool at CES 2024
2. Tineco unveils new floor cleaners at CES 2024

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This year I made 140 videos about dozens of gadgets and devices. Some are clear winners while others definitely did not get my stamp of approval. So which things that I reviewed am I still using because they’re the best of the year, and which ones need to go back to the drawing board? Full reviews of every device are available on the channel here and at techgadgetsinternational.com

Let’s check out my top tech of 2023.

Govee Curtain Light

Govee Curtain Light was my favourite smart light this year. With its unique string design, it’s able to create animated patterns and light shows making it perfect for gaming rooms, movie night or holiday decor. These are available on Amazon and Walmart.

Jabra Elite 8 Active

Jabra’s newest sport earbuds are actually the best all-around pick for anyone looking for new earbuds. With water resistance, the ability to connect to multiple devices, great noise cancelling plus lots of easy-to-use features and great sound quality PLUS killer battery life, these are the only earbuds you’ll need in 2024 and beyond. These earbuds are available on Amazon.

Pixel Watch 2

Just because the new Google Pixel Watch 2 doesn’t work with my iPhone at ALL doesn’t make me love it any less. With a beautiful stylish design, cool faces, smart features including safety options, and solid battery life it’s a gorgeous smart watch. And with Fitbit fitness tracking smarts fully integrated, it will also be your activity tracking best friend. This smartwatch is available on Amazon.

ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 Omni

If you want the Cadillac or would it be the Porsche of smart robot floor cleaners, this is the only one to pick. The Ecovacs Deebot X2 OMNI does it all; top quality vacuuming and mopping, it cleans and dries itself with warm air and hot water. Plus with a built in voice assistant that’s actually smart and can hear you call out to it and will come and clean where you are, it’s freakishly clever. Plus the overall design is nice too.
Full disclosure, while Ecovacs has been a sponsor of the channel, that’s not why I’m picking them – truth is this is the best floor robot I’ve tried all year. This vac is available on Amazon.

Shark Detect Pro with AutoEmpty

Initially I wasn’t expecting much from this stick vac, but Shark blew me away with its outstanding cleaning ability, lightweight and auto-emptying charging station. Plus, it cleaned way better than some other vacuums I’ve reviewed this year that cost a whole lot more. If you need a highly portable stick vac that has a compact storage footprint and outstanding vacuuming power, you will not be disappointed with this one. It’s available on Amazon.

Pixel Fold

My first review of a folding phone was a winner—but I’m not surprised. Google makes outstanding and beautiful smartphones and the Pixel Fold is a multitasking marvel. With a slim front cover screen that opens up to a big beautiful alphabet-style widescreen interface when you unfold it, this phone is the ultimate in versatility. Plus with all Google’s ultracool software and features and a killer camera, this is a great phone if you’re looking for a new Android option. Yuu can find it on Amazon and the Google store.

Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer

I was slow to take up the air fryer craze, but when I had the chance to try the larger format Cosori TurboBlaze, which can roast a whole chicken, I was hooked. This multi-talented air fryer allows me to make perfect roast veggies and potatoes, crispy granola —even dehydrated citrus slices for cocktails. Plus the fact it’s non-stick and cleans up with a wipe makes it a winner in this house.
While Cosori has been a sponsor of the channel as well, the TurboBlaze makes the list because it’s a helpful device that works really well. It’s available on Amazon and Walmart.

Tula Mic

This handy little gadget is my sleeper hit of 2023; this dual purpose recorder and microphone is ideal for content creators who are always traveling. With a built-in stand and folding footprint, it can go anywhere with you. And with outstanding sound quality it checks all the boxes—including retro-chic good looks! It’s available on Amazon.

Google Pixel tablet

I was not expecting to be so wowed by a tablet, but Google made some pretty clever design choices here, essentially creating a breakaway tablet on a small but great sounding speaker and charging base. Use it on its own to read, surf the web or watch videos or enjoy it as a music centre and smart home hub to control everything in your house. It’s available on Amazon.

Kindle Scribe

Kindle’s e-reader and digital notebook concept is so clever. You can read all the books you want on this large-format e-reader, or just use it to jot notes, make lists and keep your productivity up. With the ability to accurately convert your handwriting to text, and to send or store your notes across many other platfoms, this is a digital notebook concept for the ages. It’s available on Amazon.

Husqvarna Automower 415X

In 2023 I stopped cutting the lawn and got a robot to start doing it for me. The Husqvarna Automower 415X is one of my favourite gadgets this year because it frees up so much of my time. It runs completely silently and on a schedule you set, and because it mulches tiny bits off your lawn constantly, it keeps it looking tidy 7 days a week. With complete app control and pet and animal safety features I don’t know how I could ever go back to a push mower again. It’s available from Husqvarna, Walmart and Amazon.

Juiced Cross-Current

2023 was the year I got my first e-bike, and I was a huge fan of the Juiced Cross-Current Step through. With loads of style and power to get me up big hills and to keep me going for miles, this bike is a powerhorse. It’s super comfortable and easy to ride and control, and the battery lasts practically forever. It also comes with plenty of racks and brackets for you to easily transport stuff you need to. It’s available from Juiced.

Those are my picks for my favourite tech and gadgets of the year.

What didn’t make the list?

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows on the tech review front. There were a few gadgets I tried that just didn’t live up to either their promises or their prices. I tried a robot vacuum that just didn’t cut it— a couple actually. Check out my full reviews of the Narwal Freo and Bissell Spinwave. And I was pretty disappointed with one of my favourite brands, Dyson with its new Dyson submarine—mainly because it doesn’t do what you think it will do. I also had major struggles with the LG Cord Zero, and because of its high price and the fact it didn’t clean one particular type of floor for me, I can’t recommend that either.

If you want to see why it doesn’t always go perfectly in the tech review world you can check out some of those reviews here on the blog.

**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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