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Self-adjusting belt loosens after you stuff your face

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Belty is the world's first self-adjusting belt. How did we live without this for so long? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
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LAS VEGAS — The small but humbling act of loosening your belt after a big meal is finally over!

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015 Inventor Bertrand Duplat has developed a motorized belt that automatically loosens its grip when your gut bulges.

“The experience of the belt hasn’t changed in centuries,” Duplat told Cult of Mac at CES International. He calls his invention, which certainly will change your belt experience, Belty.

“When you sit down and eat a long dinner, it loosens automatically. It tightens up when you stand up,” he said.

This headset could bring an end to loud, obnoxious public phone calls

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Onvocal's Mix360 bluetooth headset helps you hear what's going on around you while wearing it. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
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LAS VEGAS — Everyone hates loudmouth jerks who talk too loudly on their cellphones in public. If this is you know or someone you love, a new startup may have the answer.

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Onvocal’s Mix360 is a Bluetooth headset with a microphone that detects ambient sound. So if you’re talking on your cell, you can hear exactly how loud you are and modulate your voice accordingly.

“It’ll end those annoying calls where people can’t hear how loud they are and are shouting into their phones,” said Ashley Waters, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts-based startup.

Science takes the guesswork out of baking the perfect cookie

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Darin Barri and Michael Wallace, inventors of Perfect Drink and Perfect Bake. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
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LAS VEGAS — For more than 10 years, Michael Wallace and Darin Barri were toy designers. Depressed about plummeting sales because of video games, the pair went on a week long bender to drown their sorrows.

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They both loved lychee martinis, which are tricky to make. They dreamed of a smart cocktail mixer that uses weight — rather than volume — to make mixed drinks. So they hacked a kitchen scale with some electronics and coded an app. The resulting system, called Perfect Drink, makes it impossible to screw up martinis and dozens of other cocktails. They took it to Brookstone, who loved it and put it on the market. Eighteen months later, they’ve sold 120,000 units.

Now they’re back with Perfect Bake, a foolproof baking system that uses the weight of ingredients, rather than volume, to guide clueless home bakers.