CES 2016 First Look: 15 Cutting-Edge Products Unveiled On Day One

The First Wave Of Products

CES 2016 kicked off this week in Las Vegas, giving companies an opportunity to showcase their coolest gadgets, gizmos and mobile devices.

Large vendors such as Lenovo, Dell and Samsung are known to use CES as a launch pad for their most innovative smartphones, tablets and wearables. But ahead of the show, a slew of other companies showed off a first wave of products, including virtual reality headsets, connected cars, an array of new smartphones and wearables, and other crazy new devices.

Following are 15 cutting-edge products as part of the first wave of CES devices.

Mira Smart Bracelet

Mira is a smart bracelet that combines high fashion with the applications of a fitness wearable.

The product, on display at CES, differs from other fitness tracking devices as it is designed for and inspired by women. The device connects to a companion iOS app that offers personal suggestions and feedback relevant to the user and her preferences.

Mira is made of surgical-grade stainless steel that has been color-treated, with an opal in the center. But despite the bracelet's gorgeous exterior, it is sweat-resistant and comes with a variety of fitness features, such as an altimeter to measure elevation. The Mira bracelet is on sale on Mira's website for $169.

HTC Vive

HTC gave audiences a first look at upgraded features on its virtual reality headset, HTC Vive, during CES.

The changes include a camera system that allows the wearer to see objects in the physical space around them, allowing them to avoid collisions.

The feature, which ensures user safety, allows users to see through the virtual world to view objects in the real world by pressing a button.

The upgrades come just as preorders for a rival virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift, begin Wednesday. HTC's Vive headset will be released in April, although pricing for the product has not yet been revealed.

Telepathy Walker

Telepathy Walker, which resembles the framework of Google Glass, is a SIM-free smart glass that can connect to mobile networks. With the Telepathy Walker strapped on and placed to the side of their face, users can view virtual reality games, look at maps and navigation programs, and receive updates from their mobile phones.

This product is compatible with Android 4.4 and contains a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus. The Telepathy Walker also contains a 960 x 540 display resolution, which is equivalent to a smartphone screen from 20 inches away.

Telepathy Walker will be available through crowdfunding sites in February, and will be available as early as summer 2016 for approximately $700.

Neyya

Neyya, a smart ring, was showcased on the CES floor as a "digital companion." This ring connects to the user's smartphone and makes connecting with digital products quicker and easier.

Neyya can be used both in personal and work applications. For instance, the product can be used in the workplace to switch slides during presentations and to give daily reminders about calendar events. It also can be used to take photos remotely with a cellphone camera or switch music on the smartphone.

Neyya comes in a titanium and gold finish and is available now for $139.

EyeLock

EyeLock, a provider of iris-based identity authentication solutions, presented "Irving" at CES—a screenless, self-service ATM. This concept ATM has no PIN pad or card reader, and instead works with a mobile app on the user's smartphone to stage NFC and QR code transactions, with ID verification conducted through EyeLock iris scanning technology.

The ATM machine scans the user's iris to confirm the identification, verifies the transaction through the smartphone's QR code, and then releases the desired sum of money.

The ATM is still in the concept stage and is being tested. No date has been set yet for deployment, according to EyeLock.

Vinli Connected Car System

Another hot product on the CES show floor was Vinli, a connected car system that turns vehicles into rolling Wi-Fi hotspots where the connection can remain open.

Vinli gives unlimited access to 4G LTE networks, allowing families to use tablets and laptops to stream videos and movies on long car rides. One of Vinli's cooler aspects is its app store, which gives drivers access to apps like Drive, allowing users to log their trips and share them with friends; or Lock & Key, an app that alerts drivers who can't find their cars in a big parking lot.

Vinli also provides a safety net for drivers, including eCall to notify friends or family if the car has been involved in a collision, or for quick access to service shops and roadside assistance. Vinli is available now and a single pack is priced at $199.99.

D-Link

D-Link unveiled twin routers, the AC4300 Tri-Band MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router and AC1300 Gigabit Wi-Fi Extender, that can provide Wi-Fi coverage to every corner of a user's house.

The twin routers are designed to work together, and as a bundle they boast tri-band Wi-Fi, which includes single 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands. The two routers also contain multi-user MU-MIMO technology that assigns specific mobile devices in the home to each router so that neither gets too bogged down by data transmission.

The two products can be bought in a bundle for $370 and will be available in the second quarter, according to D-Link.

Suitable Technologies BeamPro

Suitable Technologies showed off the BeamPro, which allows users to interact with remote locations by coupling high-end video and audio features with a moving product.

The product contains two wide-angle cameras and a six-microphone system that reduces background noise. It also contains a 17-inch LCD screen and a built-in speaker.

The BeamPro contains eight hours of active use and lets users be remotely present at conferences, as well as talk to family and friends remotely. The BeamPro is currently available for lease, with a downpayment of $2,369 followed by $576 monthly.

Luma Router: Advanced Router Control For Homeowners

As homes get smarter so grows the need to better manage those networks. That’s why a company called Luma is giving consumers some serious network management firepower. Luma is a Wi-Fi router system with a unique app to manage a home’s security, parental controls and online access.

The Luma system consists of three hexagon-shaped routers that allows users to control and customize which devices and users can access the network via an iOS or Android app. Luma takes it a step further and lets users monitor device usage so they can see what each user is up to in real time. With the app, users can selectively pause Internet access by device or create rules governing what time a device can access the Internet.

A Luma router system costs $250 and includes three hexagonal routers. Users can purchase additional routers for $100 each.

Automatic

Automatic makes a $100 car accessory called Automatic Link that plugs into just about any car’s standard diagnostics (OBD-II) port. The Bluetooth-enabled dongle beams static vehicle data to a smartphone app. It collects information such as mileage, trip data and helps decode dashboard-based diagnostic codes.

Here at CES, Automatic is touting a major update to its hardware. First off, it has added support for streaming Bluetooth, giving Automatic Link real-time capabilities that significantly enhance the platform's usability.

With the ability to stream car data straight from the OBD-II to a phone in real time, Automatic said it has swung the doors wide open to offer a wide variety of new services. Automatic now allows users to track in real time things such as fuel efficiency based on driving style, where users parked their car, crash response if Automatic detects a severe collision, and audible alerts if it detects problematic driving patterns.

The company is also talking up the fact Automatic has evolved into an app platform that allows businesses and car enthusiasts to focus on specific aspects of a car. An Automatic Fleet app keeps tabs on multiple cars at a time. There is a FreshBooks mileage tracking app, a Nest app that warms the house when users get close, and an UnMooch app for getting a buddy to chip in his exact share for gas.

Cast 4K Video To Any Internet-Enabled 4K HDTV

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are both capable of recording 4K high-definition video, but good luck playing it back in 4K on your 4K HDTV without jumping through major hoops and juggling a number of different 4K dongles.

For those with a 4K HDTV and itching for an easy solution, one option comes from video technology company NeuLion and its first-ever consumer smartphone app. The NeuLion app, the company said, allows users to cast 4K content directly onto any Internet-enabled 4K TV. The app also is capable of streaming paid content from Univision Now, NFL Game Pass, UFC Fight Pass and Tennis Channel Plus in 4K as well.

Turn An HDTV Into A Gigantic Touch Screen

Wave is a clever $200 piece of hardware that mounts on the top of an HDTV to turn it into a gigantic touch screen. The company that makes Wave is called TouchJet and its hardware essentially ’sees’ hand movement at close proximity (you don’t actually have to touch the TV) to the screen, allowing users to play games and navigate any Android app using touch on their HDTV.

The hardware has a processor and storage. To load content to play and explore on an HDTV, users simply go to Google Play. TouchJet said the Wave will be available in the April time frame. The company also said it's looking to broaden the touch technology to include specific apps for the education market.

This Gadget Selectively Cancels Out Annoying Sounds

Doppler Labs has developed earbuds called Here Active Listening that allow users to selectively identify annoying sounds such as a hiss and screech of a subway, the drone of jet engine or even someone's voice.

Doppler Labs said these ear pieces are not noise-canceling headphones because the goal with Here Active Listening is to hear things more clearly – minus any distracting background noise – and not to create a quiet environment. The product will cost $300 starting in March when it goes on sale.

Dell Oculus Rift Bundle Gets $1,600 Price Tag

We knew Oculus Rift was announcing pricing for its virtual reality headset here at CES. We just didn’t know how much. The price tag is $600 for preorders with hardware shipping in March. But that doesn’t include a PC beefy enough to run the headset. That’s where Dell comes in.

Dell said Wednesday it’s working with Oculus Rift to cut the price of its $1,200 X51 Alienware midrange desktop PC to $1,000 when users buy it with the $600 Oculus Rift headset, bringing the grand total to $1,600.

Raumfeld Sharpens Claws In Battle Against Sonos

Sonos may be winning the multiroom wireless speaker war, but that isn’t stopping able competitors such as Raumfeld from trying to crack the market one incremental feature at a time. This week at CES, Raumfeld said its Wi-Fi speakers will now feature content playback from SoundCloud and Google Cast for audio.

That’s big news for Raumfeld, which has been getting rave reviews for the high-quality sound of its speakers. More streaming music services were just what Raumfeld needed to counter the critics that dinged the company for lack of music service compatibility.

Raumfeld now supports Tidal, TuneIn, Last.fm and Spotify along with new entrants Google Cast and SoundCloud. Sonos just added Apple iTunes and Amazon Prime Music.