Samsung experimental gadgets to be showcased at CES in Las Vegas

Samsung Electronics devices are getting plenty of exposure as anticipation builds for the CES 2016 show, taking place in Las Vegas next week.

Samsung is going to introduce three products from its Creative Lab (C-Lab) at CES next month. For 2016, that includes an advanced earpiece, fitness tracker, and virtual reality gear.

The second is probably the most interesting Creative Labs’ project revealed so far. WELT is perhaps the most normal-looking entry, as it looks like a garden variety leather belt that you might find hanging in your closet.

The Welt can constantly measure waist size, steps taken, time spent sitting, and eating habits. The belt, then, sends the data it has collected for the day into an accompanying smartphone app that analyses and supplies a personalized healthcare and weight management coaching.

With mobile VR devices seemingly poised to burst into the mainstream sooner rather than later, it’s no surprise that the folks over at Samsung’s C-Lab came up with a hand-motion controller for VR devices.

The Rink slides over a hand and can be used for swiping through content ― or for playing interactive games involving swords, runs or tennis rackets. Given the fact that many Gear VR games feel like they should feature some sort of motion control technology, it makes sense that Samsung is working on a dedicated motion-based gamepad. In the only image released of the device so far, the model seems to be touching a finger to the side of their head like a secret agent, and audio is somehow transported to their ear. This enhances the clarity of calls, enabling them to be taken in public, even in noise-sensitive or loud environments, such as a concert hall or building site – without the risk of being overheard. The product can sync with smartphones, “enabling Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality”.

Samsung is so bullish on the potential uses for TipTalk that it has already helped the project team spin itself out into a fully-fledged, independent startup. According to a November report, Samsung employees that hatch their own companies from C-Labs can return to their former position within the company should their venture fail within the first five years.