LAS VEGAS — A lot of the technology showcased at CES includes gadgets made to enhance consumers’ lives — whether by leveraging AI to make devices that help people change into more efficient, by creating companions to cure loneliness or by providing tools that help individuals with mental and physical health.
But not all innovation is nice, in keeping with a panel of self-described dystopia experts that has judged some products as “Worst in Show.” The award that no company desires to win calls out the “least repairable, least private and least sustainable products on display.”
“We’re seeing increasingly of these items which have principally surveillance technology built into them, and it enables some cool things,” Liz Chamberlain, director of sustainability on the e-commerce site iFixit told The Associated Press. “But it surely also signifies that now we’ve got microphones and cameras in our washing machines, fridges and that actually is an industry-wide problem.”
The fourth annual contest announced its decisions Thursday.
A recent smart ring every few years?
Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, awarded the Ultrahuman Rare Luxury Smart Ring the title of “least repairable.”
The rings, which are available in colours like dune and desert sand, cost $2,200. Wiens said the jewellery “looks sleek but hides a significant flaw: its battery only lasts 500 charges.” Worse, he said, is the incontrovertible fact that replacing the battery is unimaginable without destroying the device entirely.
“Luxury items could also be fleeting, but two years of use for $2,200 is a recent low,” he said.
Ultrahuman didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
An AI-powered smart crib?
Bosch’s “Revol” crib uses sensors, cameras and AI that the corporate says can assist monitor vital signs like how an infant is sleeping, their heart and respiratory rates and more. The crib also can rock gently if the newborn needs help falling asleep and signal to oldsters if a blanket or other object is interfering with respiration.
EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn said the crib preys on parents’ fears and “collects excessive data about babies via a camera, microphone, and even a radar sensor.”
“Parents expect safety and luxury — not surveillance and privacy risks — of their children’s cribs,” she said within the report.
A spokesperson for Bosch told The Associated Press that each one data is encrypted end-to-end and stored on Bosch-administered servers, “while all data at rest is secured locally with individual data encryption keys.”
“Caregivers have the ultimate say on whether data is transmitted in any respect. The Revol has an offline mode, which keeps data local if preferred,” the spokesperson said, adding that the smart crib helps keep children secure.
An excessive amount of waste?
Although AI is in all places at CES, Stacey Higginbotham, a policy Fellow at Consumer Reports, felt that SoundHound AI’s In-Automobile Commerce Ecosystem, powered by its Automotive AI, pushes it to unnecessary extremes.
The feature “increases energy consumption, encourages wasteful takeout consumption and distracts drivers—all while adding little value,” Higginbotham said. That landed the in-car system as “least sustainable” on the list.
Soundhound AI’s platform allows drivers and passengers to order takeout for pick-up directly from the automotive’s infotainment system. The corporate didn’t reply to a request for comment. In an announcement Tuesday, Keyvan Mohajer, CEO of SoundHound AI, said the product’s launch marks a moment “a long time within the making.”
“What begins here with food and restaurants will ultimately open up an entire recent business ecosystem for vehicle and device manufacturers in all places,” he said.
Vulnerable to hacking
TP-Link’s Archer BE900 router won for “least secure” of CES. The corporate is a top-selling router brand within the U.S. But its products are vulnerable to hacking, said Paul Roberts, founding father of The Security Ledger.
“By Chinese law, TP-Link must report security flaws to the federal government before alerting the general public, creating a major national security risk,” he said. “Yet TP-Link showcased its Archer BE900 router at CES without addressing these vulnerabilities.”
In an email response, TP-Link Systems contested the report.
“TP-Link Systems Inc. is a U.S.-headquartered company and doesn’t provide any such security reporting to China as referenced by iFixit,” the corporate said. “TP-Link Systems has a secure, vertically-integrated, and U.S.-owned international supply chain. Nearly all products sold in america are manufactured in Vietnam.”
TP-Link said it controls its own supply chains, and “is always assessing potential risks to its U.S. operations, customers, and provide chain,” adding that it acknowledges that vulnerabilities exist across the industry.
“Nevertheless, contrary to claims of widespread vulnerabilities, comparative data places TP-Link on par with, or in some cases ahead of, other major industry players by way of security outcomes,” the corporate said.
Who asked for this?
The awards also feature a category called “Who asked for this?”
Top of that list was Samsung’s Bespoke AI Washing Machine, which Nathan Proctor, senior director of U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, said is filled “with features nobody needs,” including the flexibility to make phone calls.
“These add-ons only make the appliance dearer, fragile, and harder to repair,” he said.
Samsung didn’t reply to a request for comment.
At a press conference at CES Tuesday, Jong-Hee Han, vice chairman of Samsung’s device experience division, said he was “happy with how we’ve got introduced recent technologies and intelligence to the house, connected key devices and set the usual for the house of the long run.”
“We’re reinforcing our commitment to delivering personalized experiences through our widespread implementation of AI and we are going to proceed this journey of AI leadership in the house and beyond, not only for the following decade, but for the following century,” he said.
The worst overall
Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of The Repair Association called the LG “AI Home Inside 2.0 Refrigerator with ThinkQ” the worst product overall. The fridge adds “flashy features,” Gordon-Byrne said, including a screen and web connection.
“But these come at a value,” Gordon-Byrne said. “Shorter software support, higher energy consumption, and expensive repairs reduce the fridge’s practical lifespan, leaving consumers with an expensive, wasteful gadget.”
Christopher De Maria, director of public relations at LG Electronics, disagreed with Gordan-Byrne’s assessment of their recent product.
“After all, like several recent innovation, there can be naysayers, but we consider that after we launch this product, consumers who wish to elevate their kitchen experience will appreciate its progressive features, convenience and performance. We’ve not announced pricing or availability or shared any information regarding energy consumption, so these comments are respectfully without factual merit.”
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