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Nibbling cats and COVID masks: First look at CES tech show

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A finger-nibbling plush cat and a cooling fan for the ever-present anti-COVID mask: the CES tech show in Las Vegas offered a glimpse of the offerings at this year’s meet-up.

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CES, one of the world’s largest trade fairs, is pushing ahead with an in-person edition after being online-only last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Here are timely — and quirky — products that will be pitched at the Wednesday to Friday convention:

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Cooling masks

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Entrepreneur Eric Fouchard got tired of feeling hot and stuffy under his anti-COVID mask, so he came up with a tiny ventilation system that can be mounted under a face covering.

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The fan is held in place with a magnet assembly and is powered by a small rechargeable battery held in a strap that passes over the back of a user’s neck.

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“The first way to use it is when you are on a plane or a train,” he told AFP. “The second one is when you are working and you need to remove the mist on your glasses.”

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“The filtration of the mask stays the same,” Fouchard, a Frenchman, said of his Aeronest system.

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‘Sweet biting’

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The Japanese phrase amagami translates roughly to “sweet biting” in English.

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“We find it very comfortable and we want to bring it to the world,” Japanese entrepreneur Shunsuke Aoki said.

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He transformed that impulse into a small, battery-powered plush creature that nibbles gently on your finger.

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Aoki said young dogs or cats will harmlessly do the same thing, which is a source of comfort for people — noting that he likes to let the device nibble his finger while driving.

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“In a COVID situation, with people staying home every day, it gives you very good comfort,” he added.

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Who’s driving?

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Who will be behind the wheel of the race cars scheduled to hit the track at CES? No one.

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“It’s completely self-driven. There’s software that tells the car what to do,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of Energy Systems Network, the organizers of the Indy Autonomous Challenge racing competition.

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“It takes the information from the sensors and it tells the car whether to turn, whether to brake, accelerate or overtake another vehicle,” he added.

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Autonomous cars will race on Friday on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at speeds of up to 160 miles (nearly 260 kilometers) per hour.

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The exercise is not just for fun: Mitchell said the competition tests autonomous tech at high speeds so that, one day, cars can operate themselves on highways.

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“Race cars and racing in general is a great platform to push the technology to the absolute edge,” he added.

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Mask for more than COVID

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The white plastic shell of these masks covers the nose and mouth — and looks like something out of Star Wars.

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But their inventors say they can stop pollution, bacteria and even COVID.

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Connected to a belt-worn device, it contains an “active” filter capable of destroying fine particles and pathogens or pollutants.

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“It’s a fantastic tool to fight the Covid crisis,” said Franck Glaizal, co-founder of Airxom.

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“Traditional masks are not 100 percent airtight, air passes through the sides. Our mask is completely airtight”, said Trong Dai Nguyen, an engineer with the company.

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The current model is due to be released in a few months, for about $340.

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“If you change (surgical) masks every four hours, after three years it is more expensive than our mask,” he added.

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