Smart

Smart plans to become the first automotive manufacturer to switch its entire lineup from combustion to electric drive. The company will do so next year, but is giving the internal combustion engine a final hurrah with special edition cars created by German industrial designer ​Konstantin Grcic.

The marketplace is pretty well served when it comes to clever hydration systems. But Hydrade, the newest player in the space, steps things up a notch offering solar power; a nifty sensor that knows if you're drinking from it or pouring it out and a sip-for-sip partnership with a major water charity.

Over the past couple of decades, the Smart brand has entered various little city car concepts into automotive shows. These have had varying themes, but all have been built off the idea of the Smart car and its tiny, tiny footprint. This year, an all-electric topless car is the concept.

Folks looking for a last mile transport solution have choice-a-plenty nowadays, but the CanguRo offers more than just a comfy ride. The RidRoid robot has some useful smarts cooked in, being able to follow its user around between rides, or make its way to a meeting point on its own.

​Sweden's Teenage Engineering has announced a collaboration with Chinese web services giant Baidu and AI voice assistant developers Raven Tech. The result is a pair of China-only smart speakers that break the mold – H and R.​

At this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, it will be some of the smallest cars that will feature some of the biggest technologies. A day after Mini rolled out its Electric Concept, Daimler is showing the Smart Vision EQ ForTwo, an electric, autonomous two-seater designed specifically for car-sharing.

The Token smart ring packs NFC and Bluetooth connectivity and is designed to take the place of your credit card, house and car keys, workplace access card and even laptop password.

​Brabus is known for powerful Mercedes sports cars, but the tuner isn't afraid to set its sights lower. Based on the lowly three-cylinder Smart ForTwo, the Brabus Ultimate 125 adds a little more power, a bit more style and a crazy ​pricetag to the formula it debuted on the Smart Brabus last year.

Few cars seem as ready to be made electric as the Smart ForTwo and ForFour. The new Smart Electric Drive, with up to 160 km range and torquey motors, could be the perfect runabout for inner city commuters with one eye on the environment.

A Canadian-based team has launched a product aimed at individuals who want to grow plants and herbs year-round without all the guesswork. The Grobo indoor gardening system features smart tech designed to simulate ideal growing conditions while providing real-time information to users.

Automaker Smart is to begin trialling a service that allows parcels to be delivered to the trunk of a car. "Smart Ready to Drop" is the first innovation from the carmaker's "smart lab" think tank, aimed at "accelerating the development and implementation of creative urban mobility projects."

Kinsa has launched an Elmo-branded version of its smart ear thermometer which it hopes will make taking the temperature of ill kids easier. An app for the new thermometer will feature the voice of the Sesame Street character delivering temperature readings and telling kids to feel better soon.