musicMagpie Blog

So, the annual CES show is over for another year. And while we didn't get some of the high-tech gadgets we were hoping for (it's only a matter of time until jetpacks are commercially available, surely), we did get a glimpse into the exciting future of tech and electronics.

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Mercedes-Benz F 015 electric self-driving car

The F015 stole CES 2015, even though it might not be ready until 2030. It's a self-driving car that looks like a spaceship, which is cool enough. It's inside where things get really cool, though; the interior looks like a living room (complete with lino floors) and features 4 seats that rotate to face each other. The car also features interior displays and touch and gesture controls.

As we said, this one won't be ready for quite a while yet, but just imagine: long car journeys spent in the luxury of your own living space rather than couped up behind a wheel!

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Energous WattUp

The problem with having loads of devices is that you have loads of chargers too. The Energous WattUp is the solution, providing you with a single charging station that sits on your wall. From there, it can charge all of your devices "" from your phone to your tablet "" remotely.

It's a bit of a luxury at the moment, but it'll be essential when smart homes become more popular in the near future.

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Garmin Vivoactive

Garmin aren't renowned for their smart tech, but the Vivoactive looks like a really impressive piece of kit.

The Vivoactive is designed for the great outdoors and tracks your activity, whether you're running, cycling or even swimming. The watch's GPS features allow you to plot a course (or, if you're golfing, provide a course map) and receive notifications from your Android or iOS device even if you don't have your phone with you.

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LG G Flex 2

The Flex 2 is the latest incredible-looking phone from LG, a manufacturer that is slowly becoming one of the in the business.

It features a curved design (intentionally, unlike a certain Apple product…), a 5.5 OLED screen and Fast Charge, which replenishes 50% of the phone's battery in just 40 minutes.

The most impressive feature, though, is the self-healing back cover. Using an expanding polymer, the Flex can remove any dents and scratches in just 10 seconds!

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IO Hawk personal transporter

Remember the Segway? Well, the IO Hawk is pretty much the same thing minus the bulky handlebars that made the Segway looks slightly dorky.

This self-balancing personal transporter requires just a gentle shift of weight to move forwards or backwards. It travels at 6mph, which is slightly slower than the average person jogs "" still, it'd be pretty cool to hop on one if you're in a bit of rush.

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Motorola Scout 5000

Well, we can't say we saw this one coming. The Scout 5000 is a smart device for your dog. Yes, really.

Once you've stopped mocking how ridiculous technology is getting, though, it becomes clear that the Scout 5000 might be quite useful. You can see what your dog is up to using a camera and track them with GPS. You can even talk to your dog remotely (although we imagine that might scare poor Fido a little bit…)

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Sony Smart B-Trainer Headset

CES was packed to the brim with exercise-focused wearables, although the B Trainer is possibly the most impressive of the bunch.

This simple set of headphones has been designed for joggers and includes a heart rate monitor. Using data from this monitor, the headphones can issue exercise commands and, even more impressively, change the music you're listening to according to your heart rate: if it's too high, you'll get a slow song, while a low heart rate will trigger a faster song to up the intensity of your work out.

You don't need a smart device to use the B-Trainer either, as it can store music locally.

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Although a lot of the devices in this post are a fair way off commercial release yet, we can be sure of one thing: they'll all cost a lot of money! So, why not sell some of your unwanted electronics and start saving?