We love International CES: There is more cool new tech in one place than the geekiest geek could dream of. But as we wander the show floor, we come across products that could use some rethinking. Still, we applaud the dreamers and (way) out of the box innovators! Here's a roundup of some of those products we found at CES 2015.
—Carol Mangis
A Bluetooth pacifier
A company called Blue Maestro introduced Pacifi, billed as "the world's first smart Bluetooth pacifier." It has a built-in temperature sensor, so as baby sucks, its body temperature is sent wirelessly to the parent's smart device and graphed over time. Plus, if baby pops the Pacifi out of his or her mouth and tosses it from the stroller—or if baby wanders off—there's a proximity sensor, so parents can retrieve Pacifi and/or baby. Keeping track of a sick child's temperature is a worthwhile task, but tracking your baby's temperature all the time seems obsessive.
Want more on wearables? Check our smart watch reviews.
Get more hair... with lasers
If only Dr. Evil had known: Frickin lasers might have helped to foliate his barren pate! IGrow is a serious-looking helmet that shines red laser and LED light onto scalps, claiming to regrow lost hair. Acording to the company's website, "The iGrow Hair Growth System is indicated to promote hair growth in males with Androgenetic Alopecia [i.e., male pattern baldness], who have Hamilton-Norwood Classifications IIa-V." What about all those men who have classifications III through VII? Well, but it's just $695, so what the heck? Worth a try?
Eyes scream
The Dashbon Mask consists of headphones with stereoscopic, 720p near-eye screens built into the band. You wear it on your head—then bring the band down to your eyes to view something that isn't virtual reality (and gave our lead editor double vision). It's equally uncomfortable in either configuration, and ludicrously priced at $349.
The robots are taking over your barbecue
Much like the Pacifi, the Grillbot is the "world's first automatic grill-cleaning robot." Yep, it's a robot that scrubs down your barbecue grill. It reminds us a bit of the Roomba—but at least that bot cleans floors, which you tend to use every day. Unless you're a really fanatic griller, this little guy might not be a true household necesessity.
Slow down, sit down, and breathe (and pay up)
The O2 Chair is the "first Breathing Chair available in the world!" (Yes, another world's first!) Honestly, we're a little torn on this one. Breathing feels good, it's good for you, and after taking many yoga classes, we know that sometimes when we're stressed, we do forget to breathe. Innovzen says its chair "aims at increasing breathing awareness and helps users breathe slower and more deeply to be physically and mentally healthier." It also interacts with an app on your smart phone or tablet to help improve your breathing technique. But the price might make you hyperventilate: It ranges from $9,500 to $16,500!