News + Trends
Vacuum robots spray fragrance and soak up stains
by Lorenz Keller
CES gadgets 2026 that you don't need (but might want)
12-1-2026
Translation: machine translated
Whether useful or not, many manufacturers have gone to great lengths to stand out at the world's largest technology trade fair. A selection of the exciting new products from Las Vegas.
A picture frame that generates new pictures on voice command and the WALL-E robot for the living room. At the CES technology trade fair, there are gadgets you've always needed (sarcasm included).
Voice-controlled e-ink picture frames
The Fraimic Smart Canvas is an e-ink screen encased in a frame. It not only displays simple wall art, but can also be personalised. You can either send images and photos (in JPEG or PNG format) to the display via smartphone or use AI to create new works.
With your smartphone, all you need is the Fraimic app and your Wi-Fi. For AI paintings, you speak a prompt directly into the small microphone on the display and the Fraimic creates an AI painting. Beautiful...
Source: Fraimic
The black wooden frame gives the Fraimic a mural look. The built-in e-ink display consists of Spectra 6 technology. This displays a matt image and has a resolution of up to 200 ppi. Thanks to the energy-saving technology, the Fraimic has a battery life of several years. It also recognises whether it is hung horizontally or vertically to display the images the right way round in each case.
You can pre-order the Fraimic Smart Canvas in two sizes: The smaller one has a 13.3-inch display built in and will cost you 322 francs. The larger frame has a 31.5-inch display and is available for 806 francs. The picture frames will be delivered from spring 2026.
Mini Las Vegas Sphere for the desk
Switchbot is showcasing its AI-powered Obboto desk lamp at CES. The device is reminiscent of a miniature version of the famous «Sphere» in Las Vegas. This is due to the more than 2900 RGB LEDs in the light sphere. You can use these to display preset animations or your own images and GIFs in pixel art style.
Thanks to the motion sensor, it reacts to both touch and movement in the room. With various light modes, the table lamp is designed to help you focus better, relax, meditate or sleep. In addition to images, Obboto also displays the time and weather data.
Source: Switchbot
You can order Obboto since December 2025 on their website for currently 230 US dollars (equivalent to 182 francs).
Mui Board: smart screen made from wood
At first glance, the Mui Board is simply a piece of wood. Only when touched do LED dots light up through the wooden veneer and display information and symbols. The dot-matrix display underneath is designed to be invisible and is based on a Raspberry Pi with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The Mui Board allows you to control your smart home thanks to the Matter standard: dimming lights, adjusting thermostats, lowering blinds. By integrating music systems such as Sonos, you can also control music playback. You can also write handwritten messages on the wood or record and send voice messages.
It was further developed from a prototype from 2019 and is now available as a second generation on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo. You can choose between natural maple or dark cherry as a variant. However, the premium product is not exactly cheap at just under 1,000 US dollars (equivalent to 800 francs).
WALL-E robot for pocket money
Are 800 francs a piece of cake for you? Then you might have 4400 francs to spare for a robot that can't do anything but looks cute. You can get one from Zeroth. The AI robotics start-up has recreated WALL-E from the Disney film of the same name. The iconic yellow version with moving eyes is currently only available in China.
Source: Zeroth
However, Zeroth is also bringing a kind of no-name variant to the USA. It bears the non-name W1 and has slightly different eyes than WALL-E. Thanks to its dual-tread design, it should be able to move over grass, gravel and slopes at a top speed of 0.5 metres per second. The little speedster! It can also carry up to 50 kilos - that's more than twice its own weight of 20 kilos, 28 kilos with battery. Its size is just under 60 centimetres.
Source: Zeroth
The W1 uses lidar, RGB cameras and various sensors for navigation. WLAN and Bluetooth are also installed. However, its capabilities are limited. According to Zeroth, it can transport objects, follow them and take photos. It uses its built-in 13-megapixel camera for this purpose.
The W1 will be available in the USA from 15 April. Nothing is yet known about sales in Europe.
Loona DeskMate turns your iPhone into an AI robot
Loona DeskMate is a charging station from Keyirobot for your iPhone that acts as an AI assistant together with your mobile. It has three USB-C ports, a USB-A port and a Magsafe pad. The pad automatically activates the AI app as soon as you clip the iPhone onto the charger.
Loona DeskMate does not require any proprietary technology, but utilises all of your iPhone's capabilities: display, camera, microphone. Thanks to the charging function, you don't need an additional power adapter.
Source: Keyirobot
The stand can be rotated and tilted. Loona Deskmate always faces you directly when speaking and looks at you with cute cartoon eyes. The possibilities sound versatile: for example, Loona can summarise emails, help you plan appointments and coordinate Zoom meetings.
Loona Deskmate is to be launched on the market via crowdfunding on Kickstarter . The campaign starts in March, but the company has not yet named an exact price.
Baby Fufu: cool your offspring
Last year, Yukai Engineering unveiled a Fufu at CES. While that mini-fan was only intended to cool tea, the company now has literally bigger plans. Baby Fufu cools your offspring instead of tea. The cat-shaped gadget has built-in fan blades for this purpose. Air is sucked in from the underside of the figure and blown out through the mouth. To prevent babies and their little fingers from coming into contact with the fan, a small plate is built into Baby Fufu's mouth for protection.
Source: Yukai
The fan's paws are shaped so that you can attach them to a pram handle. This allows you to direct Baby Fufu so that the cooling airflow reaches the desired spot. The three airflow levels can be adjusted with a button. The device is charged via USB-C.
The gadget is expected to be launched on the market in mid-2026 at a price of around 50 to 60 US dollars (equivalent to 40 to 50 francs).
Valet: stylish storage tray with charging function
The manufacturer Twelve South is known for accessories for charging gadgets. The latest prank couldn't be simpler: a stylish tray for keys, glasses, wallet and the like. You can use it to charge things at the same time. To do this, place your smartphone or headphones on the slightly raised square of the tray. The devices charge wirelessly with up to 15 watts. There is also a USB port on the side for charging an additional device (also with 15 watts). Although this is not particularly efficient - and certainly not intended for a powerful device such as a laptop - it is designed to make charging your most important devices such as a smartphone as easy as possible.
Source: Twelve South
The valet tray itself is connected via a power supply unit with up to 36 watts - a 1.5 metre cable is included in the scope of delivery. Ideally, you should place the tray on your bedside table or at the entrance to your home - a challenging task for perfect cable management.
Valet is upholstered in soft leather and available in various colours. The outer metal frame can also be customised. Valet costs 180 US dollars (equivalent to 144 francs) and is due to be delivered in the next few weeks. It is not yet clear whether the device will make it to us, but we already have a few things from Twelve South in our range.
AI anime hologram from Razer
An anime avatar on your desk that answers your questions and has a view of you and your screen - that sounds both helpful and suspicious in equal measure. Although such holograms were already shown at CES 2025 a year ago, Razer is taking the gadget to a more compact level.
The anime avatar is based on the AI game coach Project Ava from Razer. The company is now combining the software with a 5.5-inch hologram with one of two selectable characters: Kira, an anime waifu in a green dress, or Zane, a muscle-bound guy with tattoos. Razer plans to offer more avatars to choose from at a later date. If the characters are - understandably - too suspicious for you, you can also choose a green glow ball.
The avatars should move naturally, even when speaking and making facial expressions. They also continuously monitor you and your screen via an integrated webcam and your computer's webcam. The AI avatar will be able to answer questions and give tips - for gaming, PC problems or even style advice.
Microphones are installed for voice recognition and you can speak directly to the avatar using a key combination. The current demo uses Grok's LLM, which is not particularly sophisticated. However, you should be able to choose other LLMs later on.
According to a report from The Verge, the avatar still seems to have a lot of room for improvement. According to The Verge, it is also not entirely clear whether AI is even in demand for gaming tips and the like. It remains to be seen how the product will develop before its release at the end of 2026. Prices are also not yet known.
Header image: Razer
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.
News + Trends
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
2 comments
later