DIY Investors Will Love These New Gadgets

With more than 180,000 attendees, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is one of the biggest technology events in the world. Running for 50-plus years, the January expo has been the launching pad for many transformative technologies, including the VCR, HDTV and satellite radio.

This year's event saw 4,500 exhibitors showcasing products and services across more than 30 categories, covering just about everything a gadget fan would want. But what about investors, you ask? Even if not the intended demographic, investors could easily find a use for many of the gizmos on offer. Here are five that stood out:

HeartGuide Smart Watch: Let's face it, stock markets aren't always for the faint of heart.

Japan's Omron Healthcare is now shipping the $499 HeartGuide, which it bills as the first clinically accurate wearable oscillometric blood pressure monitor. In other words, the first wearable to measure blood pressure from the wrist. A cuff in the band of the smartwatch, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, inflates to measure systolic and diastolic pressure, according to the company.

During times of market volatility, real-time data like that promised by the HeartGuide could be a very good reminder to, you know, take a deep breath. Even one of the company's marketing lines could have been written for an investor's handbook. "Proactively monitor your heart health by turning real-time heart data into heart knowledge and knowledge into action." Monitoring, real-time data, knowledge, action...all things DIY investors know well.

Focals Smart Glasses: Kitchener, Ont.-based North Inc. is hoping to attract the same type of people who wear smart watches to Focals, which are glasses that holographically display information in their lenses.

The US$999 glasses have earned praise for being the first of their kind that actually look stylish. They're not just extraneous gadgets either; they can be outfitted with the wearer's prescription.

Focals connect to a smartphone and can display a variety of notifications, including calendar alerts and walking directions — both of which can come in handy when trying to make a meeting. They don't yet display stock alerts, but the company says those will be considered in future updates.

Samsung Space Monitor: They say a cluttered desk reflects a cluttered mind. If true, the Samsung Space Monitor may be able to help restore both physical and mental order.

The monitor — which will come in 27-inches at US$400 and 32-inches at US$500 starting in March — mounts to the edge of a desk via an arm, which holds it flush against the wall. That gets it out of the way and clears up surface space.

It's handy for anyone who wants more space on their desk, but perhaps especially useful for investors looking to add more zen — and elbow room — to your day.

KitchenAid Smart Display: Smart speakers have taken the world of electronics by storm over the past few years. The next wave of this trend may just be voice-command-enabled speakers outfitted with touch screens.

The KitchenAid Smart Display made an appearance at CES and is due out in the second half of the year. Priced between US$200 and US$300, it looks like a 10-inch tablet on its side and houses the Google Assistant. That means, of course, it can answer queries like "How are the markets doing?" and "What is the S&P 500 trading at?"

But, because it has a screen, it can also display requested YouTube videos, including those from your favourite business network.

There's a host of these voice-assistant screens coming or already available – including products from Google, Lenovo and LG – but KitchenAid's device is water-resistant, so it can withstand coffee spills and other liquid accidents. You know, for those times you get an answer about the markets that you may not have been expecting!

Kohler Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet: If you're the type of investor who breaks into sweats in even the shortest moments of being disconnected from information, Kohler's smart toilet might be the thing for you.

The Numi 2.0, which will start at US$7,000 when it becomes available later this year, is fitted with Amazon Alexa, so users can make all the standard voice queries. Additionally, Alexa can initiate automatic cleaning, open and close the lid and adjust seat temperature. The toilet also has speakers and LED lights, for all the ambiance anyone could ask for.

If you can't stand to be out of the loop, the Numi can fill you in. If you need a peaceful break from a stressful trading session, it's there. It's a smart toilet that's, ahem, flush with options.

The title of this article was updated on February 21, 2019.