A recent study published in the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that eight in 10 of us will break our New Year’s resolutions within six weeks. Making a long-lasting change to your routine is hard, but innovative solutions are being constantly developed – and many are on display at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018, the Las Vegas trade show that is an essential showcase for the tech world. Here are a few of our favourites.
Getting quality sleep is essential, and the exhibitors at CES know it. Indeed, the trade show is full of sleep-enhancing gadgets, from a headset that stimulates melatonin to Nokia’s smart home-connected mattress pad to a sleep robot named Somnox. But the most fascinating (and handsomest) on hand is Dreem, a wearable that aims to “conquer sleep.”
Developed by a startup named Rythm and designed by Fuseproject’s Yves Béhar, Dreem delivers “sound programs” via bone conduction, diffusing white noise directly into your inner ear. These programs are created to stimulate rhythmic breathing, halt rumination – or the thoughts that keep you awake – and create relaxing ambiance. The company claims it reduces sleep time by 30 per cent on average, and says its sound diffusing improves deep sleep by up to 32 per cent. Like many sleep wearables, Dreem is packed with sensors that can provide personalized sleep reports.
Dreem also has a personalized alarm, which can wake you up without disturbing your partner. The headband, which raised $11 million in funding through IndieGoGo, is currently available for $499.
Drinking more water is a tried-and-true New Year’s resolution. While most bottle developments have focused on form over function – it’s hard to iterate on a S’well – the Quartz Bottle has two innovations: it’s self-cleaning and purifies water. Created by Justin Wang, the former president of Swedish skincare brand Foreo, the bottle is equipped with a 280nm ultraviolet LED light that, it claims, removes 99.9% of contaminants from your H2O. The light claims to clean water in 60 seconds and activates at the touch of a button (or it automatically operates every four hours).
This isn’t a one-stop purification system, though. UV cleaning removes microbes, but won’t filter for other toxins, like heavy metals. Still, with fewer stinky bottles, the company believes users will drink more water and ditch plastic containers. Though it was unveiled at CES 2018, a Quartz Bottle prototype has been on IndieGoGo since last year, where it has raised $1.4 million in support to date.
Skin360, a smartphone attachment with an accompanying AI-powered app, has been developed by Neutrogena and tech startup FitSkin. Skin360’s attachment includes a 30x magnification lens, 12 LED lights and sensors that scan your face, providing you with information about moisture, lines and your pores. Being AI-powered, it will learn more about your profile over time while allowing users to set skincare goals.
Be forewarned, though: It’s a Neutrogena innovation, and accordingly, it will recommend you Neutrogena products (or perhaps something from Johnson & Johnson, its parent company). Still, Skin360 promises to be a pocket dermatologist, and like your regular dermatologist, will likely recommend drinking more water and using sunblock liberally. Available this summer for $49.
Gadgets for working out is a big sector at CES, from a $4,000 treadmill that delivers video workouts to a headset that uses neuroscience to improve the efficiency of your gym reps. Fanciful as they may be, many of those gadgets target professionals rather than those simply looking to improve their exercise habits. That’s why Soul Electronics‘ Run Free Pro Bio headphones are so attractive.
Run Free Pro Bio resembles an average pair of sweat-resistant headphones, but it’s packed with sensors that collect data about how you run. It tracks the little details – your cadence, step length, step width, vertical oscillation, head tilt angle, shock, maximum leg force, balance, and consistency – and has a digital trainer that corrects your form in real time. In theory, this could make you a better runner, but it can prevent injury, too. The headphones will be available this spring starting at $149.99.