One of our favorite parts of any Consumer Electronics Show is getting a look at the kitchen of the future. In many ways, it’s already here, with connected ovens and voice assistants that can walk you through recipes. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some cool concepts at CES 2019 that are still out of reach.
GHSP has created a concept backsplash that turns kitchen walls into an interactive touchscreen. The display can do a lot of the same things a smart assistant with a screen can do — play music, show you the view from your smart doorbell camera, let you add items to your shopping list — just on a much larger scale. The idea is to get one more thing off your counter — plus it looks really cool. Users would be able to customize their settings, including screensavers of sunsets or twilight skies. The control panel itself shows up anywhere you touch on the screen, whether you’re by the sink or loading the dishwasher. If there’s an area where you don’t want the display to show up — say, behind the stand mixer where you can’t reach — you can lock out certain areas of the grid.
The backsplash was also linked to a concept for a smart oven display that coordinates all the other connected appliances in one. Instead of having different interfaces for your fridge, coffee maker, and blender (yes, you can buy smart versions of all those appliances now), they all become standardized on the oven’s screen. “It harmonizes all those controls in one spot,” said Keith Mulder, GHSP’s vice president of sales. “It’s kind of like a kitchen dashboard.”
One of the more unique features of GHSP’s concept is its UV disinfection technology. Not only could it kill germs on the backsplash and countertops (a nice touch for anyone who regularly cooks chicken), it also would integrate into the refrigerator. Turn it on, and your strawberries would get a dose of UV that might give them a little longer shelf life by keeping them mold-free. Of course, all of this is conceptual, so don’t look for it in stores anytime soon. GHSP is currently looking for partners, and Mulder said availability is close to five years from now. The capacitive-touch version would also be prohibitively expensive for most people, but GHSP would also consider working with projection to bring the price down.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.