[imagesource: Airthings]

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took a bit of a different turn in 2021, with several inventions taking the pandemic into account.

We’ve already taken a look at some of the weirder and wilder offerings that were on display this year, as revealed during the presentations ahead of the first day.

Now that the show is over, we can look into the five that really stood out, and we’re going with gadgets that could make a huge difference in the world.

WIRED kept a live blog going throughout the duration of the CES, from which we’ve selected our top five.

The Lasso Will Recycle Your Recycling

Confession time.

If I didn’t have a recycling service in my building I probably wouldn’t make the trip to the depot.

Enter the Lasso, which according to the company, recycles your recycling for you.

The idea is that you feed your recyclables (plastic, glass and metal) into the machine. It will clean, remove labels, and generally prepare the items for recycling before grinding them up and depositing them in a storage bin.

Once the bin is full, you’ll receive a notification of the Lasso app, which will then allow you to schedule a pickup. The company will come and collect your recycling and make sure that it actually gets recycled.

Unfortunately, it’s not available in South Africa.

Airthings Can Analyse The Risk of Indoor Virus Spread

This is a revolutionary piece of technology that can detect the risk of virus transmission. The system was initially designed to monitor air quality by seeking out radon and mould.

Now the Airthings Wave Plus subscription plan offers businesses the ability to analyse rooms for virus risks.

The sensors don’t detect the virus itself. They use other factors that assess the risk by monitoring temperature, CO2 emissions from people breathing, and the ease with which the virus could move around the room.

Bluetooth-Unlocked Boxes Are A Great Way To Keep Your Stuff Safe

If you want to lock some stuff away, whether at home or the gym, and don’t want to deal with a safe, here’s the solution.

Trova offers a range of products which range from small lockboxes that you can take with you wherever you’re going, to the Trova Home, a box for home use ideal for storing smaller items like jewellery or the meds that you want to keep away from the kids.

You connect your phone to it via Bluetooth and use your phone’s fingerprint scanner to open it.

Pocketalk Translator

After the COVID-19 crisis started last year, Poketalk donated hundreds of translators to medical facilities, teachers dealing with remote schooling, and first responders.

The Pocketalk Plus has a large screen and bigger text making it easier to translate while standing far enough apart for safe physical distancing.

It automatically detects the language being spoken and translates it. This is important for making sure that people who don’t speak the common language in a given country have access to important medical knowledge, and can express themselves.

A Way To Help Save The Bees

We have to save the bees, and what better way to do it than by making them a home in your yard?

Beeing’s B-Box backyard beekeeper is a compact beehive that will enable you to take care of a bee swarm and get fresh honey.

It’s equipped with the company’s BeeSecure device which is placed inside the hive and helps beekeepers monitor the health of their swarm, by monitoring the temperature, humidity, and movement within.

There are loads more to check out here.

It’s going to be hard to top this next year.

[source:wired]