The Weirdest Tech Products at CES 2024

At a show as vast as CES, it can be hard to get people’s attention. The big guns dominate and luxury car makers dazzle. What’s a startup to do? Get weird.

Amid the super-charged laptops and next-gen robot vacuums, the Las Vegas Convention Center was also full of some truly perplexing—though eye-catching—creations this week. Need a disembodied version of your coworker? An aromatherapy module for your laptop? A Keurig for ice cream? Probably not (well, let’s talk about that last one). But people buy some very odd things. Let’s see if these gadgets are revolutionary products or destined to gather dust in a closet.

WeHead

A decade ago, we tested a telepresence robot that rolled around our office; a tablet up top featured the face of a staffer controlling the device from home (and getting stuck on the uneven PCMag Labs flooring). This was the pre-pandemic era, when working from home was still a novelty. It’s a different story in 2024, and WeHead is looking to connect remote workers with their in-office counterparts via a slightly terrifying Iron Man-esque spatial video device. It puts the remote worker’s face on a T-shaped screen connected to a robot bust that moves with the remote coworker. If you don’t have any colleagues willing to try out the WeHead, the company also offers AI avatar characters, including a bro named James (video above), who may want to work on his Jersey accent. A Founders Edition version of the WeHead for developers will set you back $1,999.

Lenovo Tab Wear Collection

Kit Wan Studios jacket with the Maium hoodie in the background (Credit: John Burek/PCMag)

This one was unveiled back in November, but was on display at CES. Developed with fashion designers RANRA, Kit Wan Studios, and Maium, the proof-of-concept Lenovo Tab Wear Collection is pitched as “me time” wearable tech. At CES, PCMag’s Will Greenwald slipped on the Maium creation (below); it’s a jacket that transforms into a hammock, or—as Lenovo describes it—”an inflatable me-time cocoon.” It’s the least tech-focused of the group. RANRA, for example, made a noise- and light-canceling anorak with an isolation hood and packable tablet, and Kit Wan Studios produced a modular techno-armor exo-skeleton to integrate tech into streetwear. The latter includes a vest with a built-in tablet harness that can transform into a carry bag.

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Lenovo ‘Magic Bay’ Laptop Clip-Ons

(Credit; John Burek/PCMag)

Lenovo leaned into the wacky at CES 2024, with some intriguing results. Its Magic Bay peripherals, introduced at CES 2023, are magnetic, Pogo-pin-connected devices that snap onto select ThinkBook laptops. This year, Lenovo expanded the concept with proof-of-concept designs that move beyond business-oriented applications. That includes prototype aromatherapy diffusers that warm up an internal card with essential oils on it, and fill up your workspace with scents, as well as a clip-on mirror, and a personal cooling fan. As we note in our hands on, these Magic Bay gadgets may not all make it to market, and might only work with select ThinkBooks. Honorable mention for Lenovo weirdness: its Mechanical Energy Harvesting Solution.

CES 2024 Hands On: Lenovo’s Magic Bay Is Back—And it Looks (and Smells) Nice!

GE Profile Indoor Smoker

(Credit: GE Profile)

You may need that aromatherapy module to eliminate the smell of smoked meats if you invest in a GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker. The words “smoker” and “indoor” don’t usually go together, but GE says its device “uses heat and a highly engineered catalyst system to turn real-wood smoke into warm air packed with flavor, [while a] unique airflow system, along with tight gaskets and seals, keeps the smoke in the appliance, not in the kitchen.” Set your smoke levels and monitor your meaty masterpiece via the GE Profile Connect+ app. GE says the smoker can accommodate three racks of baby back ribs, a brisket, a whole chicken, up to 40 chicken wings, or a 14-pound pork butt. It’s available now for $999, just in time for your Super Bowl party.

Flappie AI Cat Door Stops the Dead Mice Offerings

(Credit: Flappie)

Cats love to freak out their owners with offerings in the form of dead prey. It’s sweet in a way, unless it involves plopping a dearly departed mouse on your pillow or leaving Stuart Little to shuffle off his mortal coil in a dark corner of your home. The Flappie pet door aims to stop your cat from bringing these gifts inside. Its AI camera scans your pet as they return home; if its detects a mouse, bird, fish, or snake in their mouth, Flappie will close the door until Fluffy relinquishes her tiny treat. (It identifies your cat via microchip, so Flappie will also block unknown cats.) The company promises “exciting analysis” via push notifications for those who want a blow-by-blow of their cat’s neighborhood activities. The Flappie app can also be used to open the cat door remotely if kitty is locked out without cause. It’s set to launch in the spring for $399, though you can get it for $199 if you agree to let Flappie take photos of your cat from the device for two years.

Cat Cam (Credit: John Burek/PCMag)

Skyted Silent Mask

(Credit: John Burek/PCMag)

Are you a VIP yearning to take work calls in public? Do you want to gossip about people who are within earshot? Strap on the Skyted Silent Mask to create your own cone of silence.  The company worked with Airbus, ONERA, and the European Space Agency to develop a face mask that it says will muffle your voice to the outside world by up to 80% while those listening  on a voice or video call will hear you normally. In a demo at CES, PCMag’s Brian Westover and John Burek report that it did indeed work; a Skyted rep was inaudible taking a Zoom call in front of them.

This might be a welcome accessory for business travelers who need to dial in from Amtrak or an airplane seat (more so for fellow passengers). Skyted is currently selling the Silent Mask via Kickstarter, which may give you pause. Early adopters can get the mask for as low as $249; the MSRP is listed at $599. It’s already blown past its $8,800 goal and should ship in December 2024 if it can avoid the crowdsourcing curse.

ColdSnap

(Credit: John Burek/PCMag)

Have you ever wished your Keurig would dispense soft serve instead of dark roast? With the ColdSnap, your ice dreams can come true. Sort of. The device accepts ColdSnap pods that hold “on-demand single servings of premium ice cream and other frozen treats” to produce ice cream (and even frozen cocktails) in two minutes. They’re pretty large; more like soda cans than Keurig pods. But you probably won’t be able to get one for your kitchen anytime soon. At CES 2024, ColdSnap was marketing its machine for “commercial settings” like offices, convenience stores, and luxury buildings. A smaller machine is planned for the next year, ColdSnap tells Mashable.