CES Highlights 2023: The best technology unveiled at the conference – USA TODAY

There’s a different feel to this year’s CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show. 
Sure, many notable tech companies like Samsung, LG,Intel, and several major car makers are back after the show went completely virtual in 2021. Last year was back in person, but there was a massive drop in attendance due to the pandemic. Newbies are here too. Of the 3,100 or so companies signed up, more than 1,000 are first-timers, including tiny tech startups. Everyone’s hoping to show off the next big thing. 
Early focus seems more subdued than any other CES I’ve attended since first setting foot here in 2010. At the annual Unveiled press-only preview Tuesday night, there were fewer media flash mobs, where crowds of reporters flocked to see the adorable companion robots, vibrating fat-busting belts, or smart baby bottles. 
Don’t get me wrong. The latest toilet tech — this year, a palm-sized connected urine tracker called U-Scan, was the butt of many-a-bad pun. (You must admit, it’s a golden opportunity to crack a few jokes.) The hands-free at-home urine lab fits under your loo’s lid to track metabolic and reproductive health. And why not? After an Alexa-connected commode made headlines in 2018 and a toilet-paper-delivering stole the spotlight in 2020 — this latest round of bathroom tech seems flush with innovation. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Either way, we’re seeing more gadgets and tech tools that aim to solve common complaints and fix tech’s most significant consumer pain points, especially around affordability and sustainability. There’s also a huge push for smarter-home and connected-health gadgets — that aren’t creepy when it comes to security and privacy. 
Don’t worry though; there are still a few flagship bendy, foldy, flippy, and downright massive screens, flying cars, “smellables,” and a set of connected buttons to help you talk to your dog. 
Here are some of the early highlights that we’ve seen so far. 
Nourished x Neutrogena Skin360 SkinStacks showcase the latest digital health and beauty tech getting early buzz week. These are the first on-demand, 3D-printed, personalized skin health supplements. The way it all works is really cool. First, use Neutrogena’s tech tool to assess your skin via selfie, and answer a few questions about skin routine, goals, lifestyle, and environment. Then, let the AI work its magic to cook up a specialized formulation with seven different ingredients from various vitamins and other nutrients to deliver customized gummies that help your skin from the inside out. Available as of January 3, $50 for a one-month supply. 
A budding startup out of France called Neoplants showed us a palm-sized baby houseplant bioengineered to capture and contain the most dangerous indoor air pollutants in our homes. They’re calling it the Neo P1. 
“We’re working on the first generation of plants that can fight chemicals commonly found where we live,” Neoplant CEO Lionel Mora told me. “This includes formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene, VOCs that household cleaning products, paint, and a lot of other things constantly put in our air.”
“It has pieces of DNA inside of them … that are able to use these pollutants as a carbon source,” added Patrick Torbey, Neoplant CTO. “So it’s a normal plant that adds these functions, these characteristics that totally clean the air. 
The plants will go on presale in Q1 of 2023 for $180, and the company plans to start shipping them in November. 
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your dog could use human words to communicate with you better? A company called FluentPet just launched its upgraded FluentPet Connect WiFi-connected communication system for pets and the people who love them. 
Owners record simple words like ‘play,’ ‘walk,’ or ‘outside,’ onto paw-sized pushbuttons. The buttons rest in spongy hexagonal tiles that FluentPet tutorials and its community forum help you learn to use with your furry friend.
The new version is WiFi connected and can capture data. Sync it up with the companion app, and you can get a text whenever your dog pushes one of your pre-programmed commands. 
“When people are in another room, they can get a text message from their dog [saying], ‘I really need to go outside right now’ you probably want to come to get me,” said Leo Trottier, CEO of FluentPet.
The new system will also let you track Fluffy’s progress and, if you opt-in, help scientists evolve basic communication skills over time. 
“This allows them to learn what each word means to us,” explains Ashley Evenson, a pet trainer in charge of FluentPet learner success. “It helps improve relationships all the way around. Communication [with your dog] should be a two-way street, and now it is.” 
You can pre-order the system now for $160, and ships in February. 
From teaching real dogs new tricks to a robot dog filled with fun features, toy-maker WowWee showed off a prototype called Dog-E that I predict will be a top-ten Toy of the Year in 2023. (We’ll revisit this prognostication in the fall for sure!) 
The cat-sized durable plastic Dog-E is a smart, app-connected robot with life-like movements, audio sensors to hear sounds, touch sensors on its head, nose, and sides, and a POV (persistence of vision) tail that displays icons and messages to communicate. 
For kids ages 6+, Dog-E can play with a chew toy, “lick” your face, growl, howl, bark, and use its high-tech tail to tell you it’s hungry, tired, or wants to play. The toy comes with more than 200 interactions out of the box, and there are potentially a million more when paired with a smartphone app. 
As soon as you turn on Dog-E, the all-white pup comes to life through a “minting,” or bonding process, which reveals its unique colors and characteristics. Minted starts as soon as you touch its head or nose or play with it, among a long list of other interactions. 
I’m anxious to spend more time with this precocious robot toy pet that you can pre-order now for $80 and is expected to ship in September 2023. 
Cord-Cutters Ultimate Dream TV LG’s 97-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED M (model M3) totally steals the screen spotlight — as much for what’s on it — as for what’s not.
The flawless, stunning, eye-popping images we’ve come to expect from LG gets beamed to the TV from the world’s first 4K 120Hz box LG calls “Zero-Connect.” That means there are no messy wires or cables. You can put the Zero-Connect box on a bookshelf or end table — up to 30 feet away from the screen, according to the company, and let it better blend in with your home décor. For the first time, maybe ever, your TV can turn into a piece of art when you’re not binge-watching White Lotus.
LG says it’s coming sometime in 2023 — no word yet on pricing — and it will also come in 77 and 83-inch sizes. 
I’m barely scratching the surface of cool things I’ve seen so far. Keep checking back here for team coverage of all things fabulous from CES 2023. 

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