World News: Alexa, I'm still waiting for you to flush the potty

BY JEFFERSON GRAHAM

Saturday, January 5

Smart technology is finally where you want it most—your toilet!

Alexa, still waiting for you to flush the potty

A "where are they now?" update from the products picked by critics as the top hits of CES 2018, on the eve of CES 2019.

The Numi toilet from Kohler was impossible to ignore.

Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, 2018, the new $8,000+ toilet was not just touted to "bring you the finest in personal comfort and cleansing," but it also had voice commands via Alexa. Ready to flush or want to heat up the seat? Just ask Amazon's Alexa personal assistant to do it for you.

Engadget enthusiastically exclaimed that it was more "tricked out" than any John ever seen, while Architectural Digest called it simply the "craziest" launch at CES.

Only one problem: The loo never did leave the Kohler warehouses for retail stores. It was never released as touted in 2018.

And that's the problem with CES, which unofficially opens Sunday with press previews. Some 4,500 exhibitors come to Las Vegas, roll the dice and hope that something magical will happen — that the press will gush over the product, dealers will respond with orders and the public will jam stores to buy.

But that, indeed, rarely happens. New products like a self-contained virtual reality headset from Lenovo (Mirage Solo) and super light Dell XPS 13 laptop actually get released. But they're the exception to the rule. Here's a look at some of the hits from last year's CES:

—The Samsung Wall got a lot of oohs and ahhs when it unveiled "the world's first consumer modular MicroLED 146-inch TV." The set is "bound to be insanely expensive, but it's also incredibly cool," noted USA TODAY sister division Reviewed.com, in deeming the Wall with one of its Editor's Choice Awards. The Wall has yet to be released for consumers.

—Buddy the Robot. The little personal friend with an iPad-like screen for eyes and nose made a splash at CES, but, sadly, the French company behind it never ended up releasing Buddy. Kuri, another consumer robot announced at CES 2017, and promised for retail delivery in 2018, never got to market and announced it was shutting its doors in July.

—Razer Project Linda. An Android Razer phone slips into a laptop and acts as a touchpad for a cool gaming device. Shown at CES 2018, but no update on release.

—Finally, some good news. The Tetra Countertop dishwasher got lots of attention at CES 2018 for a plumbing-free solution to washing dishes. Just pour in a gallon of water and wash dishes anywhere. The $299 device never was released — but CES just gave the product a 2019 Innovation Award, and the rules are that the product must be released between April 2018 and April 2019. So look for the product soon.

And while succeeding at CES is rare, so are winners at the blackjack table. But some pull it off, big time. The Ring video doorbell opened for business by spending $2,000 to put a card table at CES in 2011 and ended up making enough contacts to begin selling its new product, eventually getting into Walmart, Home Depot and other major retailers.

Sales started to take off. Company founder Jamie Siminoff became a regular fixture on home shopping channels and TV commercials. In February 2018, Ring had become so successful that it was acquired by Amazon for just over $1 billion.

"There's a lot of carnage," Siminoff told us recently about his early years at CES. "It's like the gold rush. Of the people who were around us, maybe only about 10 percent are still around. Most are probably dead at this point."

And as for that Kohler Numi toilet, it's returning to CES again, but this time with a twist. The company, which initially said it would be available in the fourth quarter of 2018, has a new date: fourth quarter, 2019.

Get your bathroom speaking voice ready!

In other tech news this week

—Apple disclosed that yes, indeed, iPhone sales aren't doing well, and told Wall Street to expect lower earnings for the holiday quarter. CEO Tim Cook put much of the blame on market conditions in China. We discussed on a recent Talking Tech podcast (and last week's newsletter) that higher than ever prices for iPhones and features consumers weren't excited about are also a big factor.

—Stop it already with the Birdbox challenge. The Netflix film starring actress Sandra Bullock has given rise to one of the latest dangerous internet "challenges," and Netflix is urging fans of the movie not to participate. Netflix issued a wake-up call on Twitter, writing: "Can't believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes."

Streaming video blasted beyond any tipping point in 2018. Consumers' embrace of Netflix and other services continued to rise in 2018, as about 7 in 10 U.S. households (69 percent) now access a subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, according to Leichtman Research Group. That is up from 52 percent in 2015, the research firm says.

This week's Talking Tech podcasts

So you want to start a smart home? We offer some tips and the tools you'll need.

The year in 2019 tech — what to look forward to

CES 2019 preview with Gary Shapiro

Apple, it's not just China, it's the pricing.

And that's this week's Talking Tech newsletter. We'll be spending the next few days in Las Vegas covering CES 2019. Keep up with us here at USATODAY, listen to the daily Talking Tech podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, follow me (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.