The first time I visited Japan, I knew what I really wanted to try first. Not the sushi, though that turned out to be superb, or the bullet train. No, my boyish excitement was all about the magical robotic toilets. For a button-loving geek who has long thought that the bathroom should have more unexpected warm water surprises, Japan's clever bidets or "washlets" are the Holy Grail.
If there's office contraband then it's probably the humble - but coveted - Post-It pad, but one Samsung spin-off is aiming to give the sticky note a tech upgrade. Mangoslab began life as a Samsung Venture funded start-up courtesy of the South Korean company's internal incubator back in 2016, and its first product is Nemonic, a sticky note printer making its debut at CES 2017. Rather than a pad of Post-Its on your desk, you have a small printer block instead.
Drinking and driving may be a terrible idea, but Ford is looking at giving its cars a shot of tequila - or, at least, what's left over when Jose Cuervo has had its way. The automaker and the drinks company are exploring how bioplastics produced from what's left over of the agave plant distilled to make tequila could result in more environmental friendly components in future vehicles.
The quest to resurrect every possible nineties food icon as a retro throwback continues, with the oddly-transparent Crystal Pepsi latest to return to shelves. The caffeine-free clear drink was first launched in 1992, and stuck around for a couple of years until fading interest killed it; now, it's making a comeback.
Your Tesla Model S can double as a boat for short swimming distances, Elon Musk has confirmed, but he's also working on something for those with more serious aquatic ambitions. Though Tesla doesn't recommend it, Musk took pains to point out, the Model S "floats well enough to turn it into a boat for short periods of time" if needs demand it.
The Rolls-Royce of the future will be an astonishing, autonomous, space-age coupe worthy of Minority Report, at least according to the brand's new VISION NEXT 100 concept. Latest in owner BMW's look ahead to the next century of automotive design and technology, the striking Rolls-Royce 103EX VISION NEXT 100 is certainly the most dramatic of the cars we've seen so far.
We knew demand for the new Ford GT was going to be high - after all, Ford is only initially making 500 of them - but we didn't realize quite how passionate would-be owners might get. For a start, you couldn't just walk into a Ford dealership and slap down your Amex Black for the deposit: instead, the automaker opted for an application process that it would then use to whittle down potential buyers.
"Lavish excess" may be a given when you're talking about a $230k-plus SUV, but even the Bentley Bentayga can surprise you. With its 600 horsepower W12 engine and a 0-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds, the Bentayga could embarrass a proper sports car on the road, but the lucky occupants may well be too busy enjoying the high life inside to notice. Read on for some of the most extreme, OTT, and generally uber-luxe features of the 2017 Bentayga.
Smile: you've just maxed out your credit card. Amazon is looking to patent shopping by selfie, replacing passwords with using the front-facing camera to do facial recognition before it'll ship your order. The patent application, currently being considered by the US Patent & Trademark Office, describes a new way of processing a checkout where, rather than entering your PIN or passcode, your device takes you through a game of Simon Says.
Just as fine art can be challenging, so can classic cars, and while Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance has its fair share of multi-mullion supercars, so it also has a more refined selection of automotive oddballs. In fact, when some of the biggest collectors in the US - and abroad - get together to outdo each other, you're bound to find some more unusual vehicles in the mix.
British automaker Morgan might not be the first company you think of when it comes to electric cars, but the storied marque's latest model switches gas for green in an eye-catching way. The Morgan EV3, shown off in pre-production form for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show 2016 this week, keeps the three wheels of the company's earlier cars but drives them with an electric powertrain.
How do you sell people on the idea of a self-parking car? Why, with an office ballet of self-tidying chairs, if you're Nissan at least. The Japanese firm has cooked up a flock of smart seating that automatically shuttle back to their respective desks when unruly human occupants leave them.
