The weirdest gadgets at the biggest electronics fair in the world

Much of the technology showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) includes gadgets designed to improve consumers' lives, whether by leveraging artificial intelligence to create devices that help people be more efficient, creating “companions” to combat loneliness, or providing tools to improve mental and physical health.

But not all innovation is positive, according to a panel of “dystopia experts” who ranked some products as the “worst on display.” The Worst is Show award, which no company wants to win, highlights the “least repairable, least private and least sustainable products” presented at the fair.

“We're seeing more and more of these things that basically have surveillance technology built in, and that enables some cool things,” said Liz Chamberlain, the e-commerce site's director of sustainability. iFixit. “But it also means that we now have microphones and cameras in household appliances, and that really is an industry-wide problem.”

See this year's picks:

A new smart ring every few years?

Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, granted the Rare luxury smart ring by Ultrahumanthe title of “least fixable”.

The rings, available in colors such as “dunes,” “desert rose” and “desert sand,” cost $2,200. Wiens said the jewelry “looks elegant, but it hides a major flaw: its battery only lasts 500 recharges.”

Even worse, according to him, is the fact that replacing the battery is impossible without completely destroying the device. “Luxury items may be ephemeral, but US$2,200 for two years of use is a new level,” he said.

An AI-powered smart crib?

THE Revol crib, from Boschuses sensors, cameras and AI that, according to the company, can monitor vital signs, such as the baby's sleep, heart rate, respiratory rate, among other indicators. The crib can also rock gently if baby needs help sleeping and signal to parents if a blanket or other object is interfering with breathing.

The company claims that users can control how and where their data is stored. Additionally, the crib can be transformed into a table as children grow.

But Cindy Cohn, executive director of the EFF, argues that the crib exploits parents' fears and “collects excessive data about babies via camera, microphone and even a radar sensor.” “Parents expect safety and comfort, not surveillance and privacy risks, in their children's cribs,” she said in the report.

Did it go past the point?

While AI is everywhere at CES, Stacey Higginbotham, a member of the Consumer Reportsconsidered that the e-commerce system installed in vehicles SoundHound AI In-Carpowered by automotive AI, takes things to unnecessary extremes.

The feature “increases energy consumption, encourages waste on takeout orders and distracts drivers – all while adding little value,” he analyzed. This resulted in the vehicle system being classified as the “least sustainable” on the list.

Vulnerable to hackers

THE TP-Link Archer BE900 router it earned the title of “least safe” from CES. The company is one of the best-selling router brands in the US. But its products are vulnerable to hacking attacks, said Paul Roberts, founder of The Security Ledger.

“Under Chinese law, TP-Link must report security breaches to the government before alerting the public, creating a risk to national security,” he said. “Yet TP-Link showed off its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these vulnerabilities.”

The worst of all

Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of The Repair Associationcalled the LG “AI Home Inside 2.0 with ThinkQ” refrigerator the worst product ever.

The refrigerator adds “flashy features,” he said, like a screen and internet connection. “But it comes at a cost,” Gordon-Byrne said.

“Lower software support, higher energy consumption and expensive repairs reduce the practical lifespan of the refrigerator, leaving consumers with an expensive and wasteful appliance.”

OUR CHOICE

In this list of weird gadgets, the editorial staff of Fast Company Brazil gives honorable mention to Adam, the robot barista from Richtech Robotics.

Despite not being exactly new – it officially debuted at last year's CES and is already “working” at the Texas Rangers baseball team's stadium –, the robot caught the attention of visitors to the fair this year.

Adam can prepare drinks (helping to speed up customer service during busy times), makes drink recommendations and prepares customized drinks when requested. The robot combines artificial intelligence, an advanced set of sensors and two mechanical arms to perform the role of a barista assistant. Tim-tim.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Parvni is a technology reporter for the Associated Press. find out more

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