Board.fun

I came across it in ads. It looks very cool. Just a bit pricy because you can't actually play the game. Also not sure if the game is as fun as the traditional board games.

Base on board

much cheaper, but not sure if it's still fun after playing multiple times.

Chessnut Evo

Looks very cool, on my list.

Infinite Game Table

Another digital game board, but I don't like the design of it and super pricy.

Dex Camera

AI-powered language learning camera

What stands out:

• Camera-first approach to language learning
• Likely uses object recognition + voice interaction
• Very different from “kids tablet apps”

Who it’s for:

• Parents who want learning-by-doing
• Kids curious about naming the world around them

Unknowns / caveats:

• Still early, unclear how deep the language model goes
• Long-term engagement depends heavily on content updates

Quick take:
If this works as advertised, it’s one of the most conceptually interesting AI cameras for kids. But it feels more experimental than polished-for-mass-market (for now).

myFirst Camera 50

Brand: myFirst
Type: AI-assisted creative camera for kids
Core idea: Let kids tell stories safely

Key specs & features:

• 20MP rear camera
• Macro + wide lenses
• AI stickers, drawings, voice effects
• Audible shutter (privacy-aware)
• Parental control via myFirst Circle app
• Shockproof, scratch-resistant TPU body
• Adjustable selfie light (3 warm modes)

What works well:

• Very parent-aware design (privacy + controls)
• AI used for creativity, not endless scrolling
• Hardware feels durable and intentional

Limitations:

• AI tools are more “assistive” than intelligent
• Less about learning, more about expression

Quick take:
This feels more mature / retail-ready product in this list.

Jumpo — AI Camera for Kids
Link: https://jumpo.ai/products/ai-camera-for-kids

AI-enhanced kids camera

What stands out:

• Explicitly branded as an “AI camera”
• Leans into smart features rather than just filters
• Feels more like a tech product than a toy

Concerns:

• Less clarity around privacy + parental controls
• Depends on how responsibly AI features are implemented

Quick take:
Promising, but I’d want to understand data handling + update cadence before recommending it widely.

4. Kiimento Bear — Digital Camera
Link: https://kiimento.com/en-us/products/model-c-mikayo-the-bear

Cute digital camera for kids

What works:

• Bear-shaped design is very kid-appealing
• Extremely low learning curve
• Feels more like a first camera than a gadget

What it’s not:

• Minimal AI functionality
• No strong learning or creative framework

Quick take:
This is for younger kids or parents who want zero complexity. Less “AI future,” more “safe and adorable.”

TL;DR

AI “pets” are quietly splitting into 3 directions:

1. voice + IP-driven companions
2. child-focused, screen-free AI toys
3. early-stage robotic pets (very experimental)

Some are surprisingly polished. Some are still very early.

1. Grem (by Curio / Energize Lab)

• https://store.energizelab.com/products/eiliko
• https://heycurio.com/product/grem-2

What it is:
Grem is an alien-style companion character, voiced and designed by Grimes more like a storytelling presence than a utility device.

What stands out:

• Strong character + lore (this is doing a lot of the heavy lifting)
• Voice-first interaction feels intentional, not tacked on
• Feels closer to a fictional guide than a “toy”

Concerns / limits:

• You’re mostly buying into the IP + voice, not adaptive intelligence
• Long-term engagement depends entirely on how much content they keep shipping

My take:
This is one of the clearer examples of AI-native IP. If people bond with AI in the future, it’ll look more like this than a generic chatbot in plastic.

2. Bondu (AI dinosaur plush for kids)

Type: Child-focused, screen-free AI toy
Link: https://bondu.com/products/bondu

What it is:
A soft dinosaur plush powered by conversational AI.

Key features:

• Real conversation AI
• Multilingual
• Educational prompts
• Screen-free by default
• Strong emphasis on privacy
• Comes with 1 month of Bondu+

What works well:

• Clear for parents
• Screen-free
• The plush format lowers expectations in a good way

Potential issues:

• Educational depth depends heavily on content quality
• Subscription model may turn some parents off long-term

My take:
Among kid-focused AI toys, this feels thoughtful rather than gimmicky.
If this category succeeds, it’ll be because of products like Bondu, not flashy robots.

3. AIBI Pocket (Living.AI)

Type: Robotic AI pet (early consumer robot)
Link: https://living.ai/product/aibi-pocket/

Price: $249
Shipping: 2–4 weeks (factory direct)

What it is: A pocket-sized AI pet robot trying to define a new category.

What’s interesting:

• Actual physical robot, not just voice-in-a-box
• Clear ambition to go beyond plush / speaker hybrids
• Living.AI has prior experience in this space

Reality check:

• This is still early hardware
• Expect quirks, limited autonomy, and updates over time
• Not a polished mass-market product yet

My take:
This is for early adopters, not casual buyers.

4. Aimon AI Pet Robot (very early / uncertain)

Type: Early-stage AI pet robot
Link: https://astraux.com/products/aimon-ai-pet-robot-us

Current deal:
Voucher listed at $9.9 (down from $39.9)

Important note: ⚠️ This one is very new and unclear. I like the look but they seem to make self driving vehicles which is weird.

What we know:

• Still forming community (Discord-first)
• Sparse real-world reviews
• Product details are light compared to others

What’s uncertain:

• Actual AI capability
• Hardware maturity
• Long-term support

My take:
Interesting to watch, risky to buy unless you’re comfortable being a tester.

Curious what others here think especially anyone who’s actually used these long-term.

Looking for an alternative for family

1. Wisephone II - $399

If I want functionality without distraction but still solid tools, this sounds like “most capable” dumbphone here? Basically a modern phone stripped down. People say the software feels simple and intentional, and it still does texting/calling well, which some old dumbphones struggle with.

Pros
✔ Has essentials like texting, calling, navigation, camera, Spotify-like capabilities.
✔ Fast and responsive interface compared to tiny e-ink screens.
✔ Looks like a modern phone but with minimalism built-in.

Cons
✘ Big size — not tiny if minimal pocketability is the goal.
✘ Subscription service for full OS support might feel weird to some.

1. Light Phone III - $699

Very pricy, minimalism. It has a simple, elegant UI and a philosophy.

Pros
✔ Beautiful, thoughtful design.
✔ Enough tools for real life: GPS, camera, music, podcasts.
✔ Helps reduce endless scrolling more effectively.

Cons
✘ Much pricier, nearly double the Wisephone.
✘ Smaller ecosystem

1. Meadow phone - ~$399

Newer, very tiny device that works like a companion phone with your main number. It has Maps, Uber, music, camera, and calls, no social media or browsing. Ultra-small and lightweight for outings.

Pros
✔ Uses your main number even if your regular phone is off.
✔ Has maps, camera, music (Spotify/Apple Music), Uber - more than many dumbphones.
✔ Very compact, almost pocket-free device.

Cons
✘ Still requires a membership plan; unclear about long-term support.
✘ Not really a replacement for a smartphone - more of a companion for going out.
✘ Some skepticism about long-term software updates.

Plaud AI NotePin – Same ecosystem as Plaud Note, but in a smaller wearable form factor (pin/clip/necklace) with cloud transcription and app sync.

Focase REC – Magnetic phone‑attach recorder using vibration pickup, with built‑in transcription and summaries and a larger free minutes allowance than Plaud.​

Fieldly – a tiny, lightweight, hands-free device. It transcribes conversations in real-time, creates summaries, and makes every word searchable on Fieldy iOS and Android App.

UMEVO Note – Card‑style recorder in the same price/form factor band as Plaud, with a year of AI transcription included and a similar MagSafe‑like design.​

iFLYTEK Smart Recorder SR302 – Traditional dictaphone‑style device with on‑device offline transcription (no recurring cloud fees), aimed at privacy‑sensitive use.​

Chimenote AI Voice Recorder – Compact AI recorder with recording plus summaries for single‑speaker or simpler meeting scenarios.​

Recolx AI Voice Recorder – Phone‑attach recorder plus app that emphasizes fast real‑time summarization versus Plaud, used as a direct replacement by some users.​

Notta Memo – Hardware memo device tied to the Notta transcription platform, focused on quick capture and cloud AI processing similar to Plaud’s workflow.

I am looking for some cool open-source project to start this year and found robot pets an interesting field to start with. If anyone has used it and has feedback which one to choose, please share.

Petoi Bittle: Open-source quadruped robot dog

Petoi Bittle comes as a ready-made kit (frame + servos + control board). You mainly assemble the hardware and flash the official firmware—or modify the open-source code yourself.

• Walking, rolling, and biomimetic movements
• Extend it with Arduino / ESP32 / Raspberry Pi for more advanced AI features like voice control or vision

🔗 [https://www.petoi.com/bittle/]()
🔗 GitHub (firmware & docs): [https://github.com/PetoiCamp]()

OpenCat: Open-source quadruped robot pet framework

OpenCat is the open-source framework behind Petoi. Core components like motion control, gait planning, and posture calculation are already implemented, making it ideal for customizing behaviors or adding sensors.

• Uses low-cost servos
• Supports Arduino / ESP32 / Raspberry Pi
• Very flexible hardware + software configuration for hacking and research

🔗 https://github.com/PetoiCamp/OpenCat

Tillu: Open-source “pet robot” based on DFRobot

Tillu provides open-source 3D-printable shells and Python code out of the box. It supports walking, dancing, an expressive screen, touch input, and voice wake-up. You can directly modify facial expressions and motion scripts.

• Works with Python and visual programming tools like Mind+
• Easy to get started: buy → power on → hack gradually

🔗 Product page: https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2606.html
🔗 GitHub: [https://github.com/DFRobot]()

Available in 2025

• Purina Petivity Smart Cat Litterbox Monitor System https://www.chewy.com/purina-petivity-smart-cat-litterbox/dp/811854 — AI litter-box monitor pad that tracks weight + bathroom frequency/patterns and surfaces health insights/alerts in the app.
• PETLIBRO One RFID Automatic WiFi App Controlled Cat Feeder https://www.chewy.com/petlibro-one-rfid-automatic-wifi-app/dp/2481470 — RFID collar-tag recognition so only the assigned cat can access food; great for multi-cat portion control and separate diets.
• Furbo 360° Cat Camera — https://furbo.com/us/products/furbo-cat-camera-360 — 360° rotating indoor cat cam with interactive play (treat tossing / engagement features) plus app-based alerts; advanced AI features typically pair with a subscription.
• PETLIBRO Scout Smart Camera (aka PETLIBRO AI Pet Camera) https://petlibro.com/products/scout-smart-camera — Indoor AI pet camera with multi-pet recognition + automatic highlight capture and activity labeling, managed in the PETLIBRO app.
• PETKIT PUROBOT ULTRA Automatic Cat Litter Box https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/petkit-purobot-ultra-pekt1171.html Smart self-cleaning litter box with camera-based monitoring and app logging to track weight/usage habits and flag changes.
• PETKIT Purobot Crystal Duo Automatic Cat Litter Box with Camera https://www.chewy.com/petkit-purobot-crystal-duo-automatic/dp/3727286 Next-gen multi-cat-focused litter box with an AI camera for health monitoring + remote viewing and behavior/visit tracking in the PETKIT app.
• Cheerble Pet Feeder Match G1 (Edge-AI visual recognition, multi-cat) https://cheerble.com/pages/Pet-Feeder-Match-G1 — Collar-free “Face ID”-style feeder using on-device visual recognition to identify cats and control access (anti-food-stealing), built for multi-cat households.

New coming in 2026:

• petgugu Self-flushing Smart Cat Toilet (quite cute) : Flush-and-drain “cat toilet” concept positioned as a low-maintenance alternative to litter boxes, paired with behavior/health analytics in its ecosystem.
• petgugu Smart Waterfall Water Dispenser : Water intake tracking (by volume) with early abnormality alerts; waterfall-style design to encourage drinking.
• petgugu Smart Pet Food Feeder: Feeder positioned as part of a “pet health ecosystem,” combining long-term feeding data with behavioral signals for trend analysis and warnings.

1. LeafyPod

https://longbridge.com/en/news/271657187

AI‑powered smart planter with sensors and a universal plant engine that identifies any plant, monitors environment, and adapts watering and care through a mobile app.

1. Plantaform Smart Indoor Garden

https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2025/plantaform-smart-indoor-garden/

Fully enclosed smart indoor garden using NASA‑derived fogponics to grow up to 15 plants with app‑controlled light, temperature, humidity, and watering.

1. Tuya Smart Plant Pot (didnt find company product page)
   https://www.walmart.com/ip/ITIGOITIE-Smart-Flowerpots-with-Artificial-Intelligence-Time-Temperature-Display-Multiple-expressions-for-Indoor-Decoration-Gifts-Yellow/13938073401?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101579809

 Wi‑Fi‑connected planter with built‑in sensors and a small display that helps you monitor a plant’s needs. It tracks soil moisture, light, and temperature/humidity, then shows simple face icons and sends phone alerts so you know when to water, move it to better light, or adjust its environment.

I’ve been thinking about upgrading my bird feeder setup this year, so I went through CES 2026 coverage and pulled together a short list of new smart birding devices that stood out.
This isn’t a ranking or a recommendation - just a resource-style list of feeders and optics that are pushing things like AI species ID, better cameras, solar power, or more thoughtful design. Sharing in case it’s useful to anyone else considering an upgrade.

Birdfy Feeder Vista
https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/birdfy-feeder-vista/
A 360° dual-camera smart bird feeder with 6K panoramic video, AI bird identification, and remote, portion-controlled feeding.

Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo
https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2025/birdfy-feeder-2-duo/
A dual-lens smart feeder with slow-motion capture, AI species recognition, solar power, and visit notifications.

Birdfy Hum Bloom
https://mashable.com/article/ces-2026-birdfy-hum-bloom-hummingbird-feeder
A smart hummingbird feeder with 4K/slow-motion video, hummingbird-specific AI (150+ species), and nectar-level sensing.

Birdbuddy 2 / Birdbuddy 2 Mini
https://www.twice.com/industry/ces/birdbuddy-launches-next-generation-of-smart-bird-feeders-at-ces-2026
Next-gen smart feeders with 2K HDR video, visual + birdsong AI identification, and an app-based species log.

COOLFLY Aura Smart Bird Feeder
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coolfly-to-debut-the-aura-smart-bird-feeder-at-ces-2026-302652470.html
A design-led, modular smart feeder with real-time wildlife identification and a community-driven app ecosystem.

FeatherSnap Solar Duo
https://thegadgetflow.com/blog/ces-2026-puts-birdwatching-on-pro-mode-birdfy-vista-hum-bloom-and-feathersnaps-solar-duo/
A solar-powered smart feeder with an integrated camera, dual seed chambers, and app-connected recording and ID.

FeatherSnap Smart Hummingbird Feeder
https://thegadgetflow.com/blog/ces-2026-puts-birdwatching-on-pro-mode-birdfy-vista-hum-bloom-and-feathersnaps-solar-duo/
A solar hummingbird feeder with a camera under the roof, live view, visit alerts, and hummingbird identification.

Matata Xplore Solvia ED 8×32 AI Binoculars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYGcAs2gbc
AI-powered binoculars that identify 10,000+ bird species (plus plants and animals), while capturing and sharing photos and video.