The Latest at CES: Forget the shrink with hypnotherapy app
The Latest at CES gadget show in Las Vegas (all times local):
11:15 a.m.
Suffering from stress or low self-esteem? You may not have to pour big bucks on a shrink or hypnotist.
A Danish company called HelloMind has a hypnotherapy app that claims to offer the perfect fix just a click away.
Just download the HelloMind app and choose the area to work on, whether that's to get rid of a phobia or strengthen a certain aspect of your personality.
If you need immediate relief, you can get five minutes of complete relaxation. Press play for the soothing sounds of a hypnotherapist.
Of course, plenty of people don't take hypnosis seriously to begin with, so why not do it on an app?
The treatment consists of 10 half-hour sessions. Each session is about $9, or just pay $13 per month.
Henrik Hancke Nielsen, a partner at HelloMind, says many users have gone back for more treatment sessions.
The app launched in Denmark last August and is arriving in the U.S.
It's one of the products being showcased at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.
___
10:15 a.m.
Retailers and brands are collecting a lot of data on their shoppers. But how should they use that knowledge to sell more stuff?
Jamie Gutfreund, global chief marketing officer at ad agency Wunderman, says retailers need to look beyond making a hard sell and find ways to make shoppers feel special.
Gutfreund spoke at a panel Thursday on how retailers and brands should navigate a changing landscape. It's part of the CES gadget show in Las Vegas, which runs through Sunday.
Diaz Nesamoney is CEO of Jivox, which provides brands with personalized advertising and marketing. He says one of the biggest mistakes that companies make is pushing a product that an online shopper already bought instead of recommending something that is related.
The landscape is expected to get more difficult for brands to break through as voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home give shoppers the convenience of reordering products they already know and use. Add to that smart refrigerators that send alerts to replenish items already in the fridge. Panelists say these gadgets will put more pressure on brands to further stand out.
___
9:30 a.m.
Smart devices are everywhere in your home—including your trash can.
Eugene, from the French startup Uzer, attaches to your garbage can. Scan the barcodes of the rubbish as you're throwing it out to learn whether it can be recycled. Eugene will also build a shopping list of replenishment items.
One problem: For many products like toothpaste, you toss the box when you start the tube, not when it's empty.
The device is expected to cost about $100 when it goes on sale in the U.S. at the end of the year.
It's being shown at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week.
___
9 a.m.
Samsung is releasing two mid-range devices as it returns to smartphone releases after the disastrous launch of the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung recalled the Note 7 phones after they started exploding and catching fire. Samsung executive Mark Notton says the company has done a lot of tests and is confident with the new phones.
Gartner analyst Brian Blau says that to restore trust, Samsung needs to release phones that consumers will get excited about—but the mid-range A phones being released don't have the same star power as Samsung's S and Note series.
The Galaxy S8 isn't expected for a few more months.
The Galaxy A3 and A5 phones will come out in February. As with the Note 7, Samsung is ditching traditional USB ports for a newer type called USB-C. That means new cords and accessories—or adapters.
___
8:25 a.m.
Everyone's looking for ways to relieve stress. A U.K. company called Doppel says its wearable band can calm you down, amp you up and change your mood through rhythmic pulses on your wrist.
Founder Fotini Markopoulou says your body will respond to the rhythm—just as fast music gets you going and slow music calms you down.
The rhythm you feel can be adjusted by tapping or stroking the band.
Why turn to a wristband to change your mood?
Markopoulou says there aren't many methods that are also natural. She says, "I can have a glass of wine that chills me, but I can't work at the same time."
The band costs about $180 and will debut in the U.S. in the coming months. It's being shown the CES gadget show, which runs through Sunday in Las Vegas.
___
7:15 a.m.
Fashionistas, particularly millennials, like to personalize what they wear.
New backpacks from a startup called Pop-I will let wearers display personal photos right on a built-in digital screen.
Pop-I's president, Vikram Joshi, says that "with a push of a button, you can completely change the look of your backpack to try to match your style or your emotions or feelings."
It can be a photo you just snapped, or something from your photo gallery.
The backpacks are among the products on display at this year's CES gadget show in Las Vegas. They will come out later this year and range from $99 to $399, depending on the size of the screen and the material of the backpack. Leather versions are more expensive than canvass.
Pop-I is looking to expand to other products like clothing.
-
Show attendees walk through a shaft of light at CES International Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
This photo provided by POP-I shows a backpack from POP-I. The backpack has a built-in digital screen that displays photos you just snapped or something from your photo gallery. The backpacks will come out later this year and range from $99 to $399, depending on the size of the screen and the material of the backpack. Pop-I is looking to expand to clothing and other products, too.(POP-I via AP) -
UBTECH's Lynx, a video-enabled humanoid robot with Amazon Alexa, is demonstrated at CES International Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
© 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
