CES, the biggest tech show in the world, has just concluded, showcasing a truly mind-boggling array of innovations. Yet while the focus will be on the latest artificial intelligence developments, flying cars and medical marvels, there were far more, shall we say, interesting advances on offer.
We are, of course, referring to the bottomless pit of strange gadgets on display. Some are genuinely useful and promise a life-changing purpose, but others will leave even the most dedicated tech enthusiasts scratching their heads.
From a saliva-testing healthcare kit to an undead robot dog, CES 2025 has kicked off the year in truly bizarre fashion.
Tombot Jenny
Tombot is a lovely idea with a somewhat creepy execution. Although the image above might suggest it's a new form of taxidermy tech, it’s actually a robot dog, designed to offer all of the love and support of a puppy without the work.
The idea is to offer companionship for people who want it but can’t provide it back. Jenny, the first ‘dog’ they’ve made, can react to your touch, answers voice commands and uses real-life puppy sounds to imitate a real pooch.
The company behind it says this could help ease stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression. It is also the only dog in the world who has an app and frequent software updates.
Roborock Saros Z70
The Roborock Saros Z70 looks like just about every robot vacuum that has come before, with one small difference: its top attachment. As the vacuum moves about your house, a robotic arm pops out, picking up and moving objects in its way.
It will recognise your socks, shoes, tissues, towels and other obstacles through the use of a camera and sensor. But it doesn’t just move them out of the way – it can be trained to place objects in different locations, moving all of your dirty clothes into one spot or placing rubbish in a bin.
If this is what the robot takeover looks like, we’re on board.
Eli Health Hormometer
Saliva is a surprisingly underused product. At least in the realm of wellness: the spit inside your mouth can give insights into a huge variety of health metrics and yet we hardly ever test it.
Eli Health is aiming to change that, producing a series of at-home tests to measure your hormones. Compact and non-invasive, the ‘Hormometer’ (yes, really) is inserted into your mouth for a few seconds, collecting a sample.
With this, data will then be sent straight to an app on your smartphone, giving a reading of your current levels of cortisol (a hormone that aids our stress response and the likes of blood pressure and metabolism).
It's an easy way for biohacking enthusiasts to track their daily cortisol peaks and troughs – and give them something new to worry about.
Model P pizza oven
This might look like a child's toy, but in actuality, Current Backyard has just launched what they are claiming is one of the smartest pizza ovens to date.
Certified for both inside and outdoor use, this Bluetooth and Wi-Fi oven aims to take all of the work out of making pizza. In fact, the oven is so smart that it can customise an exact time and temperature for the cook based on dough thickness, number of ingredients and weight of cheese and sauce.
As it is fully electric, no flames are used. That means it can’t achieve the same flame-grilled taste seen with traditional pizza ovens, but it also saves you from burning your house down. A fair trade in our eyes.
Yukai engineering Mirumi
Yukai Engineering is a strange company. They make some of the weirdest robots on the market (a mini bot to blow your hot tea cool, anyone?) and in a world suddenly full of truly creepy and bizarre droids, that is quite an achievement.
The latest in their lineup is Mirumi. Looking like Ewok Barbie, its teeny robot arms can be looped around backpacks or straps and carried around. When clipped on, Mirumi can express states such as curiosity, its head turning towards movement or loud noises. It can also display "bashfulness" when approached, or displeasure with a slow shake of the head.
And the point of all this? There isn’t really one. But from a company that has made fluffy robot pillows with tails, and robot dogs designed with the sole purpose of nibbling your finger, this latest device feels right at home.
Figo smart sous vide system
To that person in your office who keeps droning on about unnecessary cooking gadgets: a sous vide could be your next obsession.
For those unfamiliar, a sous vide is a cooking technique where you place food in a bag and very gently cook it in water. That doesn't sound exactly appealing, but the technique avoids the use of extra fats in cooking oils and helps achieve a set temperature. It is, in the work of high-end cooking, a thing.
The Figo smart sous vide, shown for the first time at CES 2025, takes this technique and adds a twist: along with being a sous vide machine, it also doubles up as a temporary fridge.
Ok, it's hardly a gadget exciting enough to become the next air fryer, but the idea behind it is somewhat compelling. Load your food into the machine and set a cooking time. Even if it won’t start cooking for a few more hours, it will stay at a refrigerated temperature.
Granted, that’s an incredibly niche cooking scenario, but it’s one a smart sous vide could handle with très bien results.
L'oreal Cell BioPrint
L'Oréal has become one of the most exciting brands to watch at CES over the years, repeatedly blending tech and beauty. For 2025, the company took an interesting route, developing a product that will criticise you for daring to age.
Okay, obviously it’s not exactly doing that – L’oreal is taking a politer approach. Slightly. The Cell BioPrint analyses your skin and determines how well it is ageing. It then provides personalised advice on how to improve your skin’s appearance and which ingredients are needed.
This is done using a facial tape stripe which is inserted into a machine and tested. The device then takes images of your face and asks a few questions.
An interesting concept, yes. But without peer-reviewed testing, it’s hard to know just how accurate L'Oréal's new concept will be.
Birdfy Bath Pro
Whether you’re a simple bird enthusiast or a full-blown twitcher (that’s an avid bird watcher, believe it or not), this might appeal to you. It’s a birdbath, with an attached camera.
This has been done many times before, so what’s different now? Artificial intelligence. No surprise there – but this does bring something new to the table. The camera can recognise and note different species of birds and generate daily highlights for you to look through.
Each month you’ll also receive a report reviewing how many birds have been spotted, what the rarest bird is and other notable points. Whether you're comfortable getting this data from using AI to spy on their bathtimes, is up to you.
Pawport
The Pawport is perhaps the most over-engineered doggy gadget to ever exist. Looking like it was designed for Darth Vader’s labrador, this motorised pet flap is modelled with neon lights and dark brooding colours. The new product is “the most pawesome pet door ever” (their words, not ours).
The device can detect when a dog is nearby, automatically opening the doors and closing them once the pet has left. You can set curfew times, lock or unlock it remotely and track how long a pet has been out for. It’s not going to be for everyone, but for the tech-obsessed, it’s a, um, unique offering.
Withings Omnia
Withings has transformed health tech into an art form, crafting body monitoring devices that look like they are plucked straight from the future.
The latest in this venture is called Omnia. Combining a smart mirror and attached scales, the device can create a full 3D model that scans your body using sensors to provide daily health updates.
The details of how it does this are currently unclear, but Withings claims that its latest device can offer insights based on your height, weight, sleep, activity, nutrition and more.
All of this data is then shown on the mirror to give a full overview. Like every other gadget under the Sun right now, the mirror has an AI assistant that will supposedly offer real-time emphatic advice and can even set up doctors appointments for you if needed. Which, no, isn't creepy at all.
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