The Consumer Electronics Show, otherwise known as CES for short, is a trade show that has been taking place since all the way back in 1967. For decades, thousands of people have gathered every year - first in New York City, then in Las Vegas - to view some of the most exciting electronics representing the latest that technology has to offer.Thanks to the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's CES looked a bit different as it was the first time the festivities took place entirely online. Of course, that didn't stop a wide range of different companies from putting on an excellent show - far from it. In fact, there are a number of innovative products that were showcased at this year's CES that you should absolutely start getting excited about for 2021 and beyond.

The Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen

Up until now, you may not have thought you needed a 56 inch OLED display in your car - but then again, you probably hadn't seen the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen. This unique screen features three core areas - a digital gauge for the car's driver, a 17.7 inch centralized touchscreen, and a separate screen for passengers. Artificial intelligence even helps the driver adjust various settings on the vehicle!

The Razer Project Hazel

Obviously, masks are on a lot of people's minds these days thanks to everything going on in the world. At the same time, the popularity of wearable technology like smart watches and smart clothing has been booming over the last few years, too. Razer had the idea of combining these two concepts into one sophisticated device and with that, Razer's Project Hazel was born. This is an N95 respirator prototype that features a special UV light charging case for disinfection. It even offers a built-in microphone and amp to make sure that people can always hear you clearly, even while your mouth is fully covered.

BULO

2020 year was a difficult year for many of us - to the point where more people than ever started being proactive about their health and wellness. BULO is a device that plays directly into that fact - the world's first that actually offers users customized breathing exercises to help improve their lung functionality as much as possible. BULO is fascinating because it measures and analyzes the lung capacity of a user, along with lung endurance, lung muscles and more. It then provides guidance for customized exercises that someone can do to help improve the ability of their lungs to work effectively as much as possible.

The D-Link Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Sensor Kit

If you had to make a list of some of the things that keeps homeowner's awake at night, water leaks would undoubtedly be right at the top. Thankfully, the folks at D-Link have stepped up to make sure that this is the type of thing most won't have to worry about ever again thanks to the D-Link Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Sensor Kit. Not only does it act as a water sensor in and of itself, but it also acts as a hub to allow however many remote units you have to come together to function as one. It can detect leaks during equipment or appliance failure, heavy rains and more - and you'll get an immediate notification on your phone so that you can do something about it.

IBM & The Mayflower's Autonomous Ship and The AI Captain

Finally, we arrive at a product that won't be on your average consumer's Christmas list anytime soon... but that doesn't make it any less cool. IBM and the marine research organization ProMare took CES 2021 as an opportunity to show off The AI Captain - the key piece of technology that allows the Mayflower Autonomous Ship to traverse the high seas WITHOUT human intervention. IBM has provided the artificial intelligence, edge and cloud computing technologies that will see the Mayflower set out across the Atlantic Ocean later this year, with absolutely no captain or crew onboard. It will then collect critical data that can help human oceanographers better protect our oceans in the decades to come - which may very well be the coolest thing of all to come out of CES.