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Worst of CES: The strange, the bad, and the ugly

While some amazing new tech was unveiled at CES last week, there was also the usual crop of impractical, silly, and downright weird. BRYAN TURNER rounds up the worst on show

From smart shirts to pod ice-cream machines, some technology had excellent marketing with a less than desirable product. We’ve managed to spot some products that seem great at first glance, but lose their charm when looking closer.

A shirt that never gets smelly – but a user might 

Recycling is always welcome in tech, especially when it comes to clothing. But now for plastic clothing that never stinks. Koup has created a cinnamon-extract-infused eco-friendly textile that has antimicrobial properties that prevents odour build-up. The only issue: it reduces a user’s need to, well, wash.

The textile is designed for travellers who are active, so the company isn’t expecting office workers to show up wearing this at work after a few wash-free days. Another component is a user’s body, which does host a breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria like staphylococcus aureus. That is as disgusting as it sounds. It’s not a sure-fire way to prevent body smells, but at least the bacteria-causing odours won’t live in one’s clothes.

Keeping the coffee hot with AI (thankfully this AI can’t taste) 

Coffee or tea are tricky beverages: leave them for too long and it ruins the experience. BlueBear Studios has introduced the iTemp Smart Mug, which it claims is “the world’s first temperature-regulating Smart Mug”. This is exactly what the world needs right? Unfortunately, experts disagree, because coffee gets more bitter the longer it’s heated up. This can be easily replicated at home: make a cup of ground coffee, take a sip, and note the taste. Then let it cool down completely, reheat it in the microwave, then take a sip: not the best tasting experience.

Go to the next page to read about more of the worst from CES.

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