NEWSLETTER
The tech industry loves to breathlessly sell you their latest, greatest, and greatest new idea. Pitches need to be quick and aggressive because if you take more than a second to think about what they're selling, you might not get your wallet out. As flashy as the products at CES 2024 in Las Vegas may be, they often have a fatal weakness. Which is not having any kind of answer to the most important question of all: “What if?”
One: LG's wireless, transparent OLED TV
LG arrived at CES showing off a 77-inch wireless 4K OLED TV that is transparent for some reason. You can play images of a singer, an aquarium, or other screensaver-type elements as a talking topic in your home. But it turns out that being transparent is not good for watching TV, so it comes with a drop-down black background so that your transparent TV is no longer transparent. I imagine it used as an advertising display or as an installation in a museum or corporate office. But why would you spend so much money on a TV where its key feature is an impediment to its proper functioning?
Two: Kohler PureWash E930 Bidet Seat
It is important that devices are designed with accessibility as a primary concern, rather than tacked on at the end. No one would hate a voice-activated toilet that could help people with access needs get through the day. But Kohler's bidet seat is deeply integrated with Alexa or Google Home. Why would you spend over two thousand dollars to give Amazon or Google detailed information about your bathroom habits?
Three: Lockly Visage face scanning smart lock
Lockly's Visage smart lock uses facial recognition to allow access to your home and opens the door if it detects you approaching. Leaving aside the horrible privacy and security implications of smart locks, something you should never connect to the Internet, this is a crazy idea. Why would you leave something as important as access to your home to the whim of a sensor or some untested device?
Four: ChatGPT-enabled electric bike from Urtopia
The Urtopia Fusion is an electric bike equipped with a 540 Wh battery that promises 75 miles of range, a powerful mid-drive motor, and air-suspended forks. It's also, for some strange reason, equipped with ChatGPT which the company claims will allow you to “talk” to your bike. Your personalized assistant, when prompted, will help you “explore new routes,” “get real-time information,” and even “engage in entertaining conversations.” Why would you want to have a conversation with your bike when you should be focusing on literally anything else?
Five: Hyundai S-A2 air taxi concept
Hyundai showed off a new VTOL air taxi concept that is expected to take people on short journeys of up to 40 miles. It can reach a top speed of 120 miles per hour and will probably never reach the real world. After all, why go to the trouble of redesigning the entire world to accommodate this disaster that's about to happen?
We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas January 6-12. Stay up to date with the latest news from the show. here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/five-ces-products-that-make-you-ask-but-why-150010098.html?src=rss
