TechLinked Podcast Summary
Episode: CES 2025 Day 5: The WEIRDEST Tech!
Host: Linus Media Group
Release Date: January 11, 2025
Introduction: Wrapping Up CES 2025
On the final day of CES 2025, the TechLinked team delves into the most unusual and eyebrow-raising technologies showcased at the event. While CES typically features cutting-edge advancements in GPUs, laptops, and TVs, this episode highlights products that push the boundaries of what’s considered normal in tech and gaming culture.
1. Unconventional Gadgets Taking the Stage
a. Mirumi by Yukai Engineering
One of the standout oddities is Mirumi, a fuzzy robot designed by Yukai Engineering. Priced at $70, Mirumi attaches to bags and swivels its adorable head towards approaching individuals. Host B remarks, “If this little guy is wrong, I don't want to be right” (00:22) and questions its practicality: “But why would you pay 70 bucks for one?” Yukai Engineering aims to spread happiness and perhaps induce a mild existential crisis with Mirumi’s “bashful yet probing eyes.”
b. Nekojita Fufu
Another quirky invention is the Nekojita Fufu, a cat-shaped device equipped with a fan to cool down hot tea. It operates using a randomized blowing speed and rhythm algorithm named "System." Host B humorously critiques the naming: “using its special algorithm called System that can't be right” (00:22).
c. Yukai Engineering’s Other Offerings
Yukai Engineering continues to impress with past creations like the Kubo Pillow, featuring a cat-like tail that wiggles gently when stroked. Host B expresses nostalgia: “How I miss it” (00:22), emphasizing Yukai’s knack for blending cuteness with a touch of eeriness.
d. TCL’s AI Me Robot Egg Baby
TCL introduces AI Me, a robotic egg baby aimed at parents who prefer an artificial child. Designed to engage with its “fleshy sibling,” AI Me can pose existential questions, blurring the lines between artificial intelligence and human interaction. Host B questions its lifelike appearance: “It looks like TCL genuinely thinks families will treat AI Me like it's alive” (00:22), drawing comparisons to other uncanny technologies.
e. Realbotics’ ChatGPT-Powered Sexbots
Addressing more controversial innovations, Realbotics presents ChatGPT-powered sexbots. Host B discusses the unsettling nature of these products: “is it as creepy as the uncanny valley apparitions” (00:22), highlighting the mixed reception from users, with “12 people who have apparently purchased one.”
2. Innovative Display Technologies
a. Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6
Lenovo showcases the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, featuring a vertically extending rollable screen. This flexible display technology offers new possibilities for portable computing and multitasking.
b. Samsung Displays’ Stretchable MicroLED Prototype
Samsung unveils a stretchable MicroLED Prototype capable of creating 3D effects without the need for glasses. According to ZDNet, this technology could also enable tactile buttons on touchscreens, potentially transforming interfaces like car infotainment systems by replacing cumbersome tablet-like dashboards.
c. Displace TV
The Displace TV is a battery-powered, fully wireless television that can be modularly combined with additional units. Each unit features built-in suction cups for easy wall mounting, eliminating the need for drilling and preserving drywall integrity.
d. J Socks’ FlipGo Horizon
FlipGo Horizon by J Socks adds dual monitors to the side of a laptop, a concept reminiscent of Razer's Project Valerie from CES 2017. Host B jokes about reclaiming the idea: “Maybe we can steal it back in a clandestine operation” (00:22), referencing the innovative yet commercially challenging nature of such accessories.
3. Futuristic Electric Vehicles and Mobility Solutions
a. XPENG Aero HT Cybertruck
The XPENG Aero HT poses the question: “What if a cybertruck was that huge and obnoxious for a reason?” This futuristic vehicle includes a drone that can seat two people, priced just under $300,000 with 3,000 pre-orders and a planned 2026 launch in China. Host B adds a humorous touch: “We could go off the grid after we pull the Project Valerie heist” (00:22).
b. Aptera’s Three-Wheeled Solar EV
Aptera introduces a three-wheeled, solar panel-equipped two-seater EV resembling a tadpole-shoe hybrid. Initially deemed goofy by Host B, the vehicle offers significant sun-powered range and ample cargo or sleeping space, making it ideal for off-grid adventures.
c. Amazon’s Autonomous Toaster Shuttle Zoox
Amazon presents the Zoox autonomous toaster shuttle, a name that elicits mixed reactions. Host B jokes, “I want there to be a jingle for that” (00:22), underscoring the unusual branding for an autonomous vehicle.
4. Quick Bits: Peripheral and Accessory Innovations
a. Hyperkin’s Competitor Look Controller
Hyperkin announces the Competitor Look, a new Xbox and PC controller inspired by the PlayStation DualSense design. Host B likens it to wrapping a Coke label around a Pepsi can, highlighting the struggle to balance originality with consumer expectations: “It's like when you wrap a Coke label around a can of Pepsi” (00:22).
b. Hyperkin’s Guitar Hero Wii Controller
Reintroducing a nostalgic favorite, Hyperkin debuts a Guitar Hero controller for the Nintendo Wii. Despite being the same product released in 2009, it features refreshed internals, prompting Hyperkin to apologize for any fan confusion: “What is fans of Guitar Hero on Wii?” (00:22).
c. Autokibo Linux PC
Autokibo presents a Linux PC with built-in ergonomic peripherals that deploy like Wolverine’s claws upon detecting specific hand motions via an onboard camera. Customizable speed and sensitivity aim to enhance productivity without compromising ergonomics, though Host B humorously warns against potential finger injuries: “so it doesn't shear your fingertips off” (00:22).
d. Mecha Comet Handheld Linux Computer
The Mecha Comet is a handheld Linux computer featuring modular attachments for game controls, keyboards, and sensor arrays. Host B encourages creativity: “If you can dream it and you have vast amounts of patience and free time, you can build it” (00:22).
e. Oukitel’s WP200 Pro and Titan Phones
Oukitel showcases the WP200 Pro, an Android phone with a bulky camera module that doubles as a smartwatch or Bluetooth earpiece. Additionally, the Titan model boasts a massive 33,000mAh battery, a 1200-lumen camping light, and a 120Hz projector, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts: “Throw that in the back of the Aptera. We're going glamping” (00:22).
f. Solar-Powered Gadgets
An array of solar-powered accessories debuts, including Anker’s solar panel-equipped beach umbrella, the EcoFlow Power Hat with built-in solar panels, and Anker’s solar-powered cloak. Host B sarcastically questions the practicality: “You wanted to put solar panels in clothing that people wear in the year 2024 and you went with cloak?” (00:22).
g. Kirin Electric Salt Spoon
Perhaps the most bizarre, the Kirin electric salt spoon enhances the saltiness of food by sending a weak electric current to draw sodium ions, requiring users to complete the circuit by holding the spoon in a specific manner: “You have to complete the circuit by holding the bite in your mouth for a few seconds” (00:22). Host B humorously warns of unintended consequences: “you could end up pregnant” (00:22).
Conclusion: Embracing the Weirdness
Closing the episode, Host B reminds listeners to approach CES’s wacky concept products with skepticism: “You should always take everything you hear about these wacky CES concept products with a grain of salt” (00:22). Despite the eclectic mix of innovations, the episode captures the essence of CES 2025’s adventurous spirit in technology and gaming culture.
Notable Quotes:
- “If this little guy is wrong, I don't want to be right.” – Host B on Mirumi (00:22)
- “But why would you pay 70 bucks for one?” – Host B questioning Mirumi’s value (00:22)
- “It's like when you wrap a Coke label around a can of Pepsi.” – Host B on Hyperkin’s Competitor Look (00:22)
- “You should always take everything you hear about these wacky CES concept products with a grain of salt.” – Host B concluding remarks (00:22)
This comprehensive overview of CES 2025’s most peculiar technologies provides listeners with insights into the imaginative and sometimes perplexing innovations shaping the future of tech and gaming culture.