CES 2014: The coolest gadgets so far

The annual Consumer Electronics Show officially kicks off in Las Vegas on Tuesday, but journalists have already had a chance to see a host of upcoming gizmos during press preview events over the past two days.

• CES 2014 a showcase for 'revolution' in consumer technology

Heres a selection of some of the most impressive new gadgets unveiled at CES so far.

Wet dry hair

With all the super high-resolution televisions and wearable gadgets being peddled at this years CES, its a strange place to launch a new hair dryer - but thats perhaps why Panasonics nanoe (pronounced na-no-ee) stands out.

The blow dryer, which costs $179 US, has the unique distinction of actually adding moisture to hair as it dries. Panasonic says the process, which breaks blown ions down before infusing them with moisture, is better for hair because it can be dried without being dried out.

The Japanese company will be holding demos throughout the week at its booth, which makes it notable in another way.

I think were the first to offer a salon service on the CES floor, jokedconsumer electronics president Julie Bauer during the companys press conference on Monday.

Bend it like Samsung

The annual Las Vegas event has in recent years become known as a launching pad for new TV technologies. Some, such as LED screens, are more successful than others, such as ahem 3D.

Samsung wowed attendees at its press conference on Monday with a screen that starts flat, but then bends into a curved panel at the press of a button. Regular curved screens have failed to ignite imaginations so far, with many observers writing them off as gimmicks, but TV manufacturers are insisting they are better for some uses, such as watching movies.

A transforming TV that can be both is likely to be very expensive and impractical for some time, but if curved screens really do prove to be better in certain situations, then Samsung has shown off what is likely to be the long-term future of displays.

iTyping gets easier

Its amazing that its taken so long for someone to invent an attachable keyboard for the iPhone, but thats what entrepreneur Laurence Hallier backed by celebrity Ryan Seacrest has done with the Typo. The $99 device makes typing on the Apples later-model devices as easy as doing so on a keyboard-enabled BlackBerry.

• Photos: The most interesting gadgets at CES 2014

The keyboard, which slips on to an iPhone and then connects via Bluetooth, eliminates what many see as the biggest pain point to switching to Apples iconic smartphone touch-screen typing.

BlackBerry has wasted no time in suing Typo for alleged intellectual property infringement, a lawsuit Hallier says he is vigorously defending. Still, if Typo can weather the legal storm, its likely to have a hit on its hands.

Knock, knock: whos there?

With seemingly every item in the house becoming connected to the internet, the Goji a door lock that interacts with the users smartphone should be no surprise. The San Francisco-based companys product fits over a regular deadbolt lock and connects via Bluetooth, wi-fi and the ZigBee network standard, letting home owners control access to their domiciles via their smartphones.

The $299 Goji is equipped with motion detectors and a still camera, which takes photos of anyone approaching a door that its attached to and sends them to the owners smartphone. From there, the home owner can choose whether or not to admit the visitor by sending along a text message or email.

The digital lock is another step towards the connected home trend that has been prophesied for the past few years at CES.

Watch the skies

Paris-based Parrot has had considerable success in the past few years with its AR Drone, a remote, smartphone-controlled aerial copter that has sold for a relatively inexpensive $300.

The company is aiming for even bigger uptake in 2014 with the MiniDrone, a smaller version that has more maneuverability and higher flying speeds. While the company isnt saying how much the diminutive drone will cost, it will be cheaper than its bigger cousin, meaning that Bluetooth-controlled flying robots may soon be within reach for everyone.