What The Tech: Day 2 of the Consumer Electronics Show
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
Tuesday marked Day 2 of the Consumer Technology Show in Las Vegas.
This is what CES is really all about. Not just massive booths and headline grabbing
announcements, but smaller companies with big ideas.
They’re all on display at one of my favorite CES events, Pepcom, where startups and emerging
brands show off products designed to solve everyday problems.
One of the first gadgets to grab attention looked harmless enough sitting on a table. Until it was
turned on.
The Hedgehog handheld blower is not for drying your hair, unless you enjoy surprises. It blasts
air at up to 162 miles per hour, faster than skydiving speeds. It’s designed for blowing leaves,
drying cars, and cleaning hard to reach places like under the refrigerator. It is powerful,
compact, and absolutely not a styling tool.
Some ideas at Pepcom are about convenience. Others are about safety.
Rescue Retriever is a device created by a firefighter who had seen too many pets die in house
fires. Firefighters often have no way of knowing whether animals are inside a burning home.
Pets usually hide when they are scared, making rescue even harder.
Rescue Retriever is placed where pets tend to run during emergencies. When smoke is
detected, the device activates a silent strobe light, helping firefighters quickly locate animals
inside the home. More than 40,000 pets die in house fires each year, and this device is
designed to solve that very real problem.
Another standout was the Vocci ring, a smart ring that records audio and instantly turns it into
notes. Want to remember something from a meeting, interview, or conversation without pulling
out your phone. Just tap the ring. If something important happens during the recording, another
tap highlights that moment so it is easy to find later.
There was also AGI, a smartphone app designed to handle complex requests that traditional
voice assistants struggle with. Instead of basic questions, AGI is built to complete real tasks, like
ordering a ride to a specific destination with a single request.
Pet tech made another appearance with Pawport, a high-security smart dog door. The system
uses a reinforced enclosure and a small tag worn by the dog. Owners can set schedules for
when their pet can go outside and when they can come back in. When the dog approaches, the
door opens automatically. When anything else approaches, it stays locked.
Big names like Sony, Lenovo, Samsung, and even John Deere will make major announcements
at CES this week. But my focus will stay on the smaller ideas that make a real difference and
products you might actually use.
