1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,560
CES is officially over, which means it's time to talk about the weird stuff.

2
00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:08,000
And so today's video will also be a little weird in regards to its structure.

3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:17,520
Which stories are quick bits? We don't know! AI startup Rabbit came out of nowhere and took CES by storm with the announcement of the R1,

4
00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:23,200
a $200 device that dares to ask the question, what if the Google Assistant was good?

5
00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,520
CEO and founder Jesse Liu claims the slick looking device,

6
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:33,680
co-designed with Teenage Engineering, is powered by a large action model, or L-A-M.

7
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:43,440
Lam. Thank you. That can, similarly to the $700 humane AI pin, act as a sort of universal voice assistant,

8
00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:48,480
performing actions on computer applications as if it was a human with a soul.

9
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:56,320
It thinks it's people. Apparently, the model was trained by humans using popular apps so it could learn, for example,

10
00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,520
what a settings icon or an order now button looks like, even though those should be pretty

11
00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:07,040
self-explanatory. But if it's still too dumb to figure something out, you can enter training mode and teach the

12
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:13,520
device specific tasks yourself. As an example, Liu says you could walk the R1 through the steps

13
00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,880
to remove a watermark from a Photoshop image, and after just 30 seconds of processing,

14
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,440
the device will then be able to automatically remove all watermarks going forward.

15
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,400
Kinda weird that I have to teach the AI how to steal content, but whatever.

16
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:37,760
Why would they make that the demo it does? The R1 has really fired up the AI true believers, and to be fair, a $200 device with no subscription

17
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,800
that promises that IT is what everyone thought Siri and Alexa were going to be.

18
00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:49,920
It does sound cool. It also maybe sounds too good to be true, but that didn't stop the company from selling out

19
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,840
two 10,000 unit pre-order batches in just two days.

20
00:01:53,840 --> 00:02:02,080
And can 20,000 tech bros be wrong? Automakers made a splash at CES this year with Hyundai announcing they want to make hydrogen

21
00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,880
cool again, now that everyone is kinda cooling off on EVs.

22
00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:12,560
The South Korean company claims it wants to help make the infrastructure for a hydrogen society

23
00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,680
and fuel it by making hydrogen gas out of plastic and sewage.

24
00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,880
Is that every hole? Yep. What water?

25
00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:26,960
Hyundai's head of fuel cell development says sewage can be digested by a microorganism to

26
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:32,880
create biogas, and that biogas can be upgraded into hydrogen.

27
00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,360
To be fair, anything is an upgrade when you're technically poop, made from poop.

28
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,760
That's what biogas is. Oh, like methane.

29
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:52,560
Other automakers had different ideas. Honda decided to promote their upcoming zero series of EVs by not talking much about them

30
00:02:52,560 --> 00:03:00,320
and showing concept cars instead. Allegedly, the first zero series model is based on one of the concepts, but we have no idea what

31
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:07,760
that means. But at least they actually make cars. LG decided to design a car just to advertise what they think the future looks like.

32
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,240
They put a fridge in the front of the cabin so it could pick up groceries for you since the car

33
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,480
is autonomous. Something that's really easy to say about a fake car.

34
00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:21,520
If you decide you want to drive it, however, a steering wheel will pop out on command.

35
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:22,720
That doesn't drive the car.

36
00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,320
It'll just make you feel like you're driving. Again, you cannot drive it.

37
00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,240
But all 700 of the displays inside the concept look great.

38
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:39,120
Nice job, LG. Samsung reintroduced their Bali robot that debuted at CES 2020, but now it's got a new

39
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,760
look and may actually be released this year. If you didn't know, Bali is a ball.

40
00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:50,080
Sat on three wheels that patrols your house and sends you texts about what's happening

41
00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,800
at home while you're not there. Like a six-year-old that caught a hold of someone's smartphone.

42
00:03:54,800 --> 00:04:01,840
I moved my Legos. According to the YouTube video, Bali has a projector it can use to entertain your dog

43
00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,840
with bird videos or extravagantly welcome you back home.

44
00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:11,360
Other than the projector, it seems a lot like LG's Q9 robot we previously covered.

45
00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:16,800
But without the eyes that look like they've seen things, they can never unsee.

46
00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,440
If Bali doesn't do enough for your dog, there's the Oro Dog Companion,

47
00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,640
a smart bot specifically designed as a pet nanny.

48
00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,920
It connects to an automatic pet feeder to dispense meals,

49
00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:33,280
but the robot can dispense treats by itself and has a ball thrower for playing fetch.

50
00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:37,280
It even has two-way audio and a video screen so you can talk to your dog.

51
00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:42,160
For just $800, you can have a parasocial relationship with your own pet,

52
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,960
for people who like the idea of having a dog.

53
00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,880
If you don't feel like your dog is doing enough for you,

54
00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:54,640
Hong Kong-based startup Zoo Gears can help turn your pooch into your personal pianist.

55
00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,400
Sort of. Their device called the butter?

56
00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:04,560
What consists of four light-up buttons that you can train your dog to play?

57
00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:10,720
And if you don't want to give out the treats yourself, there's an upcoming feeder attachment that will automatically reward your dog.

58
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:15,760
Now, your hands are free enough to jam alongside Fido in a two-piece band.

59
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:22,320
Go on tour, call yourselves Simon and Raar Funkel, and you'll be a hit.

60
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,000
Why? Why do you want-

61
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:33,360
Because it's cute, it looks cute. Oh, on the subject of dog music, Japanese startup One by One Music

62
00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:38,800
trained an AI to make music specifically for dogs struggling with separation anxiety.

63
00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:45,200
Oh, this is perfect for all the dogs that it will be taken care of by these robots.

64
00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,400
The company claims that many dogs adopted during the pandemic

65
00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,600
are having a hard time with their humans heading back to the office.

66
00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,160
Their solution is AI-generated music you leave on when you head out for work,

67
00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:01,920
but they don't know the difference. Sure, it costs $7 a month, but One by One claims your dog's stress

68
00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:09,600
can be reduced by 84% just by having their AI DJ play lo-fi beats to chill slash sniff butts to.

69
00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:14,560
Which would be perfect if there were any butts around for them to sniff, but no one's there.

70
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,240
But fret not, cat lovers, there's even some weird tech for you.

71
00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:23,120
A Swiss startup called Flappy showed off an AI-powered cat door

72
00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:28,000
that locks automatically if your feline friend tries to bring in a mouse or other prey.

73
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,840
Because they're a lonely as s***. None of these pets have friends.

74
00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:35,840
Yeah, that's why the cat's got a mouse in his mouth. He wants to be its friend.

75
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:44,640
He wants a friend, but he doesn't know how not to kill the mouse. The company claims it has a unique and proprietary dataset of videos featuring

76
00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:49,520
different cats in different lighting conditions holding different things in their mouth.

77
00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:55,360
The startup also claims the cat flap's assessments are right more than 90% of the time.

78
00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,400
So you may still get the occasional mouse.

79
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,000
But come on, your cat works 30 minutes a day to try and put food on the table,

80
00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,200
and this is the thanks it gets? Getting the door slammed?

81
00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,720
I only get 14 hours of sleep a day. Now it's time.

82
00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:17,440
And away! We now continue this special oops all quick bits episode of Techlinked.

83
00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:24,080
It's not part of a balanced breakfast, it's too much sugar. In a slightly expected move, Kohler debuted smart shower technology,

84
00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:30,320
so alluring one tech radar journalist was nearly driven to public indecency just for a rinse.

85
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:37,200
The company showed off a multi-sensory showering experience using their Anthem Plus showering

86
00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:45,920
system, thankfully unrelated to the game. The tech allows users to control lighting, sound, water temperature and flow and even steam.

87
00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:51,120
The system can be controlled with Google Home or Amazon Alexa and costs only hundreds.

88
00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,800
Not including the compatible thermostatic valve required for installation.

89
00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,080
Though to be fair, if you own a shower with six shower outlets, you can afford a $2,000 valve.

90
00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:09,040
You could probably also afford the PureWash E930 Bedet toilet seat that lets you ask Google

91
00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:14,080
to clean your butt. Aside from voice control, the seat has motion activated opening and closing,

92
00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,280
UV self-cleaning and even a child safe mode.

93
00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,200
I wouldn't let my child anywhere near this thing, but okay. You don't love them enough to have a clean butt?

94
00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,760
If you like looking at birds but can't be bothered to learn their names,

95
00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,120
Swarovski Optic has a solution for you.

96
00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:35,600
Their AX Visio are a set of 10x magnification binoculars that also features an AI that will

97
00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,440
identify over 9,000 species of birds and other wildlife.

98
00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:47,040
The best part is, you won't know whether it's making it up. After identifying the subject, text will pop up with a species name like a Bethesda RPG.

99
00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,240
Even better, the binoculars are actually a camera.

100
00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:55,440
Now, you can always remember the moment. You finally spotted a fluffy-backed tit babbler.

101
00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,280
Real bird. BIRDFACTS!

102
00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:05,920
Motion-capturing gloves aren't the newest tech in the world, but what the palm plug has going for it is the fact that it doesn't make you look like your

103
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:13,520
idea of a hacker hasn't been updated since the 80s. Its minimalist design will no doubt make it more welcoming to patients with limited mobility,

104
00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,600
since palm plugs creators designed it partially for therapeutic purposes.

105
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:22,560
But it's also got haptic feedback and can be pre-ordered for just 350 bucks,

106
00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:27,760
so you're also allowed to use it for gaming or to bypass the virtual reality firewall

107
00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:35,600
protecting the greed-corp servers. This ominous looking box with a hand hole will give you a manicure in less than 25 minutes,

108
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,040
complete with a poison needle lest you remove your hand too early.

109
00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:44,240
Fear may be the mind-killer, but this device called the Nimble will give you killer nails,

110
00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:49,840
using machine-vision-enabled sensors, a tiny robotic ARM, and a fan for quick drying.

111
00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:55,760
Nimble's founder, Omri Moran, says he got the idea for the device after having to wait for his date

112
00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,920
to arrive because she was trying to fix her botched manicure at home.

113
00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:04,720
He decided to invent a device, so he'd never have to wait at a table alone again.

114
00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,320
And Adam X isn't your typical CPR dummy.

115
00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:13,360
He can breathe, his pupils can dilate, and he can even piss blood.

116
00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:21,760
Was this written by AI? He's tall, he's handsome, he pisses blood.

117
00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:30,320
The AI doesn't know that we don't piss blood yet. He was designed by the company Medical X to possess the same skeletal and anatomical structure of a

118
00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,600
human to simulate a multitude of medical scenarios.

119
00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:39,760
Everything from intubation and IV insertions to literally puncturing his lung or removing his limbs.

120
00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:44,400
Apparently, an update is planned to give Adam X a voice via GPT technology.

121
00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,400
I see no problems with putting AI inside of the robot designed to be tortured.

122
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,320
Worked great for the attendees at Westworld. You turn it on, it just screams.

123
00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:59,680
Ah, turn me off, turn me off! And it would work great for me if you came back on Monday for more tech news.

124
00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:03,280
We promise it will be 100% robot torture free.

125
00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:03,840
Just news.