STACK #196 Feb 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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WTF?! THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL OF CES 2021

CES 2021 may have been virtual this year, but that certainly didn't stem the flow of oddities from being presented. Here's our pick of the best.

Drain spotting Despite the name, this isn't a gadget released by guitarist Steve Lukather and co. No, the TOTO Wellness Toilet is still just a concept but the premise behind the tech is rather unusual. It analyses a stool deposit to monitor for any diet irregularities and, as the press release states, checks the "mental and physical status" of said depositor. Further details at this stage are scant, but we're tipping it will be popular all the way from Bondi to Byron.

Hot in the city

Makes scents

Bricklayers and chippies rejoice! When you're cutting in roofs or slapping down bricks under oppressive summer skies, help is on the way. Weighing just half a kilo, the AC Hardhat runs on three lithium batteries delivering around two hours of noggin-cooling goodness when you need it most. Just make sure you've got some spare batteries on charge nearby.

Adaptable perfume mixed on the hop for just the right occasion? Yep,

that's exactly what Ninu has created. The bottle contains three different fragrances and utilising a virtual perfumer accessed via an app on your smart device, you can create a unique scent for the office, job interview or that upcoming Tinder date.

Who let the dogs in? When it comes to impressive pet tech, the Pet Portal is right up there. The ultimate dog/ cat door, the Pet Portal raises automatically whenever your animal is close by connecting to a Bluetooth device attached to the pet's collar. And when you're not home you'll receive a push notification request on your smartphone to open the door for your furry friend. Pet-acular!

Game changer Adaptation is the key to these

troubled times and what could be better for a gamer than a mask that features RGB lighting?! Project Hazel is being touted as a smart mask and, well, it's hard to argue with that. The waterproof reusable N95 respirator has a transparent design to help with lip-reading, microphones and amplifiers to project your voice, and of course it wouldn't be a Razer product if it didn't include said RGB LED lighting.

Unstained melody Like singing in the shower? If, like us, you're prone to dragging a waterproof speaker to accompany your morning wash, you'll know the pain of running flat just as you're about to hit that soprano solo. Shower Power, a speaker from Ampere, sits above the shower and uses the water flow to charge the battery. Good for 20 hours, you'll never get caught short again.

Pet mate 2020 saw an incredible increase in pet ownership during COVID lockdowns, but if you've been unable to secure a real one, there is help at hand. A Kickstarter project that has become a reality, the Moflin is your own therapeutic AI pet robot. While it might look like a cross between Davy Crockett's hat and a camera boom, it does have a tail and this will wag when you give it affection. And there's no expensive vet bills!

52 FEBRUARY 2021

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