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Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses AI to help you figure out the best time to conceive.Tech and health experts, however, question the accuracy of products like these and warn of data privacy issues especially as the federal government eases up on regulation.The Food and Drug Administration announced during the show in Las Vegas that it will relax regulations on “low-risk” general wellness products such as heart monitors and wheelchairs. It’s the latest step President Donald Trump’s administration has taken to remove barriers for AI innovation and use. The White House repealed former President Joe Biden’s executive order establishing guardrails around AI, and last month, the Department of Health and Human Services outlined its strategy to expand its use of AI.Booths at the conference showcased new tech designed to help people living in rural areas with their health care needs amid doctor shortages, boost research into women’s health and make life easier for people with disabilities.AI technologies have benefits in the over $4.3 trillion health care industry, according to Marschall Runge, professor of medical science at the University of Michigan. They’re good at analyzing medical imaging and can help streamline doctors’ busy schedules, but they can also promote biases and “hallucinate,” providing incorrect information stated as fact.“I would urge people not to think that the technology is the same as a well-resourced, thoughtful, research-driven medical professional,” said Cindy Cohn, executive director of the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation.Privacy protections like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act do not cover information collected by consumer devices, and the companies could be using the data to train their AI mode ls, or selling it to other businesses, Cohn said.With a lot of the gadgets at CES, it’s difficult to find out where your information is going, Cohn said.“You have to dig down through the fine print to try to figure that out, and I just don’t think that’s fair or right for the people who might rely on it,” she said.But the creators of the products say their innovations fill in health care gaps, and they maintain they protect their customers’ privacy.Sylvia Kang, founder and CEO of Mira, said she created the egg-shaped hormone tracker because many of her friends were trying to conceive and realized they had no knowledge of their hormonal health. To use the “world’s mini hormone lab,” you dip a wand in urine, insert the wand into the monitor and look at the results on the app.Kang said her company uses AI to analyze female hormone data and has one of the world’s biggest hormonal health banks. The data is stored on the cloud and is not shared with anyone, Kang said.“There was no such thing before,” Kang said of her $250 product.Many gadgets at CES focused on women’s health, which has been historically under-researched and underfunded. Before 1993, women were excluded from clinical trials, and there still is little research on areas like menopause.While not every woman will have a baby, all women go through menopause, and “yet we know nothing about it,” said Amy Divaraniya, founder and CEO of the women’s health company Oova, during a session.One gadget called Peri aims to better understand perimenopause the transitional phase before menopause. The wearable device monitors hot flashes and night sweats and provides the data via an app. Improving accessibility to health care Other products at CES were promoted as a way to increase accessibility to health information. The free medicine-focused AI chatbot called 0xmd helps improve access to medical information in areas with doctor shortages and provides a cost-effective alternative, said its founder and architect Allen Au. People can ask the chatbot questions about medicine, upload photos of a mole or rash, and submit their doctors’ notes for an easier-to-understand translation, Au said.“At the end of the day, I don’t think we will replace doctors,” but it can give people a second opinion, Au said.OpenAI announced on Wednesday its launch of ChatGPT Health, a similar platform.Cohn remains skeptical of consumer tech. She said they can help prepare people to ask the right questions of their medical professional, but they’re not going to be a substitute for a doctor.“People need to remember that these are just tools; they’re not oracles who are delivering truths,” she said. Jessica Hill, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
We live in a world of ambient hums, from air conditioners and distant traffic to the whir of our own thoughts. Its no surprise many people reach for active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones to escape it all. Originally designed for planes and offices, ANC devices, including earbuds, have become a popular bedtime tool for chasing total quiet. But the brain doesnt actually want silence to sleep, and forcing it can backfire. The best way to fall and stay asleep is to quiet the mind, not just what enters your ears. We call this creating “cognitive silence, and ANC often gets in the way. Even during sleep, the brain keeps an ear out for danger. Its an evolutionary survival mechanism in which the auditory system monitors the environment for changes: a creak, a bark, or a door slam. When the surrounding world grows too quiet, that alert system can become hypersensitive, scanning for the next disturbance. Research has shown that sudden noises are more likely to fragment sleep. Fragmented sleep affects everything from mood and metabolism to cognitive performance. Even minor disruptions can increase stress hormones and reduce the deep sleep stages responsible for recovery and memory consolidation. For sleep, the goal isnt to eliminate sound entirely, but to give the brain a safe, steady acoustic background so it can rest rather than react. WHERE ANC FALLS SHORT ANC uses tiny microphones to detect external sound and then produces an equal-and-opposite anti-noise signal to cancel it out. It works well for consistent, low-frequency noise like airplane engines, HVAC systems, or the hum of a refrigerator. Thats also where its effectiveness tends to end. Dan Gauger, retired distinguished engineer at Bose, the cocreator of their ANC division, and someone I worked closely with says, At frequencies above where ANC can cancel, it actually amplifies the noise a bit. When it comes to sleep, our needs and our sound environment are far more complex. And thats where ANC can start to work against us. Heres why ANC in sleep technology can be unhealthy: It amplifies what youre trying to avoid: Real-world sound isnt always consistent. A door slam, a barking dog, or footsteps overhead are irregular, high-frequency noises that ANC cant cancel effectively, and these sharper sounds often stand out even more. It disrupts the bodys natural equilibrium: ANC can introduce a subtle but uncomfortable pressure change in the ear. Many users describe it as a plugged or vacuum feeling, especially in quieter settings. That pressure, combined with the unnatural stillness of total quiet, can be distracting enough to delay or fragment sleep. Gauger adds, ANC cant create a steady pressure in the ear, but it mimics the low-frequency drop your ears notice during, say, altitude changes. From experience, some people interpret this sonic change as uncomfortable pressure. It doesn’t address the mental noise: Maybe most importantly, racing thoughts and anticipatory anxiety arent fixed by cancellation. The internal soundtrack remains, making sleep even harder to get. WHY PASSIVE NOISE BLOCKING IS A STRONGER OPTION Passive noise blocking takes a simpler, more natural approach. Instead of electronically canceling sound, it physically reduces it using materials that seal off the ear and absorb or deflect noise before it reaches the eardrum. A well-fitted silicone seal can reduce outside noise by 15-30 decibels, dulling most environmental disruptions without the ear pressure or artificial quiet that ANC can create. Because the ear isnt fighting internal pressure or electronic hiss, the result feels calmer, more organic, and less fatiguing. Pairing that physical protection with gentle, consistent noise masking sound, such as white or pink noise, or relaxing audio from a sleep app, gives the brain a steady, predictable auditory background. White noise contains all audio frequencies at equal intensity, similar to pink noise. Pink noise, however, sounds deeper and less harsh. Studies suggest pink noise may help people fall asleep faster and even enhance deep sleep. This combination of physical protection and consistent soothing audio helps the auditory system stand down, signaling that nothing unexpected is coming and its safe to rest. The benefits extend far beyond your nightly sleep. By improving rest quality, these techniques can directly boost daytime cognitive performance and productivity, areas where sleep deprivation takes a staggering toll. Currently, up to one-quarter of adults struggle with inadequate sleep, resulting in an economic impact of over $411 billion and the loss of 1.23 million working days annually in the U.S. alone. Sleep is the foundation for how we think, perform, and connect. When we chase total silence during sleep with ANC, we risk disrupting the very systems that help the brain recharge. True recovery happens when the mind feels safe, not sealed off. Passive noise blocking and gentle, consistent noise-masking audio support the brains natural rhythms, creating an environment where both body and mind can truly rest. The payoff is deeper sleep, steadier moods, sharper focus, and better performance. N.B. Patil is CEO and CTO of Ozlo.
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E-Commerce
As CES 2026 gets underway, Havas Media Network North America is publishing its 2026 Predictions Forecast, outlining the forces we believe will define the year ahead and separate brands that grow from those that fade. This perspective is drawn directly from that report and grounded in what leaders are seeing, discussing, and debating in Las Vegas this week. CES has always been where the future shows up first. But walking the floors this year, one thing is unmistakable: The industry is no longer dazzled by whats possible. Its demanding proof of what works. As technology accelerates, consumer expectations fragment, and financial scrutiny intensifies, 2026 is shaping up to be a reckoning year for brands. According to Havas Meaningful Brands research, 78% of brands could disappear tomorrow and consumers wouldnt care. Loyalty has become conditional. Attention is scarce. And relevance must be earned daily. CES 2026 isnt about shiny demos. Its about confronting the uncomfortable truths reshaping media, marketing, and how brands create value in peoples lives. The forces below reflect our point of view on the year ahead, based on the expanded Havas Media Network North America 2026 Predictions Forecast. AI MAKES VOLUME EASYSTANDING OUT HAS NEVER BEEN HARDER CES is flooded with AI promises. Personalization at scale. Automated creativity. Infinite content. But when everyone has access to the same tools, the tools stop being the advantage. Social feeds are already saturated with AI-generated sameness, creating a crisis of attention and trust. As Jackie Lyons, chief planning officer at Havas Media Network North America notes in the report, creator-led storytelling will become one of the most critical media effectiveness levers in 2026. Not because it scales fastest, but because it still feels human. Attention is no longer a vanity metric. Its a business currency. Chris Chobanian, SVP at CSA Consulting, Havas Media Network North America, explains that attention will move from a nice-to-have to a metric directly correlated to business outcomes. The strategic shift is clear: Use AI to amplify human creativity, not replace it. Brands that rely on generic automation will blend into the noise. Brands that invest in emotional storytelling and cultural relevance will earn premium attention. DISCOVERY IS BEING REWRITTEN IN REAL TIME One of the loudest conversations at CES this year isnt happening on stage. Its happening inside AI interfaces. Over 60% of Gen Z now uses generative AI to discover products. Conversational AI and agent engines are collapsing discovery into single answers. As Trevor Carr, CEO of Noise Digital and head of CSA shared with Havas Media Network, this isnt a new platform. Its a fundamental change to the internets decision-making layer. For brands, that means traditional click-based strategies are eroding. The winners in 2026 will be those that optimize not just for SEO, but for agent engine optimization, ensuring their brand becomes the answer AI recommends before a click ever happens. CFOS ARE THE NEW GROWTH GATEKEEPERS CES conversations are no longer just happening between CMOs and CTOs. CFOs are firmly in the room. 2026 marketing budgets will be planned like investments, with required returns, not discretionary spend. Finance leaders expect clean attribution, incrementality, and month-to-month accuracy. Plan your marketing budget like an investment, Taimoor Qureshi, managing partner of Finance Media Operations shared with us. Start with business outcomes, not last years spend. Brands that can speak CFO language arent seeing budgets shrink. Theyre seeing budgets protected and expanded. Those that cant will struggle to justify relevance. CULTURE CANT BE RENTEDIT HAS TO BE EARNED CES reflects a broader cultural truth: Mass culture has fractured into thousands of micro-communities. Gaming, fandoms, creators, and sports communities dont respond to one-off activations. They reward consistency, credibility, and commitment. Treat culture like a commitment, not a media plan, says Andrea Isaac, managing partner of Havas Play. Audiences are building identities around passions, rituals, and shared experiences, often guided by creators and platforms rather than institutions. Brands that show up episodically will be ignored. Brands that commit year-round will be welcomed in. THE GROWTH EVERYONE IS OVERLOOKING While much of CES targets youth and novelty, some of the most powerful growth opportunities are hiding in plain sight. Affluent consumers over 50 hold the majority of wealth. The premium pet economy continues to surge. And connected health is rapidly becoming a trillion-dollar market, reshaping daily consumer behavior and expectations. As Ray Romero, managing partner of client experience at Havas Media Network North America notes, connected devices and data-driven platforms are becoming embedded in how people manage everyday decisions. These are not niche opportunities. They are foundational growth engines for 2026 and beyond. WHAT WILL ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026 So what do brands do when they cant outspend competitors and old playbooks stop working? They get clear. They commit deeply. They prove value rigorously. They respect culture. And they never lose sight of the human on the other side of the screen. A CES MOMENT, A 2026 MANDATE The convergence of AI democratization, discovery disruption, financial scrutiny, and cultural fragmentation makes CES 2026 a defining moment, not just a showcase. Most brands will leave Las Vegas inspired, then return to the same habits. The ones that matter will act. The question isnt whether 2026 will be challenging. Its whether your brand is ready to meet it. Greg James is CEO of Havas Media Network North Amerca.
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E-Commerce
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