This article is from the archive of our partner .
The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing in Las Vegas, offering an audience (mostly comprised, it seems, of technology journalists) the chance to preview electronics that many consumers would never buy. Below, we present actual offerings and ones that we made up as jokes, and challenge you to tell them apart.
An Internet-connected coffee cup -or- a toilet that doubles as a sink
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
An artificial mother -or- a flat-screen simulated teacher
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A system to make payments using your breath -or- a system to make payments using your veins
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A hair dryer that makes your hair wetter -or- a car designed not to move at all
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A weight-adjusting bungee cord -or- a car that encourages distracted driving
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A TV that shrinks -or- a TV that bends
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
Glass that rejects microbes -or- glass that is edible.
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A gigantic, expensive clock -or- a clock smaller than a grain of sand (also expensive)
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A thing that turns your iPhone into a full-sized TV -or- a visor to wear your iPhone on your face
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
A bed that wakes you up when you're snoring -or- a wallet that prevents foolish purchases
WHICH IS THE REAL THING?
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.