Gadgets: Great finds from Consumer Electronics Show

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January's Consumer Electronics Show showcased the latest and greatest in technology and gadgets. This included miles and miles of trade show space that easily allowed you to get your 10,000 steps — I hit over 30,000 on several days. The show listed more than 4,500 exhibitors, more than 141,000 attendees and more than 6,000 media members.

With all that trolling, the show takes time, as does going through my notes from the event. Here are some items that caught my attention.

As an ice cream fanatic, I favored the ColdSnap countertop ice cream maker. In seconds, you can effortlessly have a bowl of frozen, delightful dessert. All it takes is placing a ColdSnap pod in the machine; in 2-3 minutes, you have a single-serving bowl of ice cream. Each drink-can-shaped pod is filled with premium liquid ingredients that freeze and then dispense into a bowl.

The ColdSnap premium ice cream has 14% milk fat and 300 to 320 calories per pod and is available in vanilla, chocolate, coffee and salted caramel flavors. Besides ice cream, ColdSnap ($3,000) makes frozen smoothies, non-dairy frozen desserts, protein shakes, and Snappuccino (frozen lattes with coffee). The pods go directly into the ColdSnap without any preparation, and even better, there's no cleanup since food never comes in contact with the machine. A 12-pack of ice cream is $45; frozen shakes are $51 for a 12-pack.

https://coldsnap.com/product/coldsnap-machine

The Yaber Laser Projector K300 ($999.99) can project up to a 100-inch display from 9.7 inches away. A 120-inch picture can be displayed with the projector just 12.9 inches away. That is impressive enough, but it gets better after you see the quality of the image. Inside, it uses a triple RGB laser for true life colors, and pumps out impressive sound from a pair of 15-watt JBL speakers. The cinema-quality sound has 50Hz deep bass and Dolby support. The speakers are built with an upward 16-degree angle for optimal sound direction toward the audience and are behind gradient speaker grilles.

The portable projector can be used for schools, businesses and backyard movie nights, which is my personal preference. The longest part of the setup is taking it out of the box, but it's ready in just 3 seconds after it's powered up. The autofocus and keystone correction are instant.

Some specifications include 1000 ANSI lumens brightness, native 1080p resolution, contrast ratio 1500:1, 40,000mm-class TOF technology, and 4K decoding support. The Laser Projector K300 has safety features not to project any harmful blue light. According to Yaber, the Triple RGB laser technology naturally avoids the 415-455nm harmful blue light range, preventing potential blue light hazards.

For sports enthusiasts, a 60Hz high display refresh rate prevents image jitter for a smooth visual presentation. You can view content from more than 7,000 native apps, including YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.

https://www.yaber.com/products/yaber-laser-projector-k300s

Kirin Holdings, a Japanese company, showed off its Electric Salt Spoon, the first of its kind, at least that I've ever seen. According to Kirin, the spoon-shaped device is designed to enhance the saltiness and umami flavors of low-sodium foods, such as soups and curries, using a mild electrical current. And it works. I tried it right there on the trade show floor. A rechargeable lithium battery powers it.

The limited edition spoons are selling for $127 in Japan, and Kirin hopes for American sales in the future. The spoon is made of metal and plastic, developed with extensive research, and designed to help us eat less salt.

https://www.kirinholdings.com/en/newsroom/release/2024/1225_02.html

Outln is a company committed to delivering freshly brewed coffee without boundaries. They have achieved that with the handheld OutIn Nano portable electric espresso machine, which makes a hot cup in minutes with a push of a button—from anywhere.

The travel-ready OutIn Nano ($149) is the size of an average drink thermos, weighing 1.6 pounds. It has an IPX4 water resistance rating, so it withstands quick splashes and a small rain shower. It reaches 198 degrees Fahrenheit and has a USB-C charging 7500 mAh battery inside, rated for over 200 Hot Water Brews. Once your coffee is loaded to brew (ground coffee or Nespresso Original coffee pods), press a button to activate the one-touch vacuum sealing process.

https://outin.com/products/coffee-canister

XTool showed off their impressive commercial machines, which can etch laser designs and artwork with few limitations on most products. These can include flat surfaces like paper, wood, plastic, cork, leather, jewelry or even an Apple AirPod case. The permanent etching is done in seconds once the artwork is loaded.

Specifically among the machines shown off is the F1 Ultra ($4,999), touted as the world's first 20w fiber and diode dual laser. It does deep engraving, embossing and cutting on various materials. For the most part, this isn't something a consumer would purchase for home use, but the impressive results make you wonder how to buy these to start your engraving business. So much of the F1 Ultra is automatic and fast, etching a design on an AirPod case in a few seconds.

https://www.xtool.com