Attention grabbers at the cutting edge

QUIRKY PRODUCTS AT CES:Each year, the International CES showcases some of the most cutting edge products that will make it into consumers' hands in the coming year – and quite a few that never will.

Here are some projects that grabbed attention on the stands at this year’s show:

Hapi Fork

Do you have a problem with eating too quickly but find the habit hard to break? If so, this “smart” fork could be for you.

The Hapi Fork is the brainchild of HapiLabs, and aims to make you aware when you cross the line from “enthusiastic eating” to simply “shovelling”. Eat too fast and it will vibrate, signalling that you should take a breath or two in between mouthfuls.

It’s dishwasher safe, the fork part can be swapped over for a spoon, and it may even help you lose weight, if the makers’ claims are to be believed.

Tobii Rex

Tobii Rex is a peripheral that will bring eye-tracking to any Windows 8 machine. The compact USB peripheral can attach to the base of your monitor, where it will begin tracking your eye movements to perform tasks such as scrolling and zooming, moving through open apps and selecting things by looking at them.

BeeWi

Who doesn’t love remote controlled robot toys? The new generation, however, ditches the bulky remote in favour of using your smartphone as a controller. There are a couple of different varieties but the Bluetooth-enabled TankBee shoots infrared “bullets” at its rivals and an electronic target, while you can also dogfight StingBee helicopters in a similar manner.

Vuzix M100 smart glasses

Awarded a Best of CES innovation award, the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses may remind you a bit of Google Glass, unveiled last year but not expected to be available in the near future.

The Vuzix device hooks up to your smartphone or tablet, providing you with a private screen so you watch movies, surf the web or read your emails in privacy. It’s similar to holding a 4-inch smartphone screen just over a foot away from your eye.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC

The days of hiding yourself away with your computer, tablet or smartphone could become a thing of the past if Lenovo has its way. The company has come up with a coffee table sized touch-enabled computer that up to four people can use at once.

It can recognise up to 10 different touches at once, and can be used as a regular all-in-one PC or laid flat to play games such as Monopoly or even air hockey.

Lenovo says it’s the first “interpersonal” computer.