CES 2014: Geeks try to add glamour to "internet of things" The geeks have built gadgets that can put everything from your toothbrush to your furniture online, but as they gather for the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, one thing is missing: the customer. Wearables and the so-called "internet of things" have replaced smartphones and tablets as the buzziest trends at the yearly show but, unlike the rapidly adopted mobile devices, the industry is struggling to market these products beyond early devotees. So far only fitness trackers and connected cars have convinced consumers they need the internet everywhere, said Shahid Khan, managing partner at Meridian Advisory Group, a technology consultancy. "The issue today is that the genre of the "internet of things" doesn't really mean anything to anyone," he said. It is a good term for people to write about but for consumer adoption it needs to have a specific use and compelling pricing. That is why the technology industry is busy searching for a new way to market their prized innovations. The makers of wearable tech such as smart watches are teaming up with fashion designers; connected home systems are marketing themselves with cutesy metaphors; and one company focusing on sensors for seniors is sending them old-fashioned paper photo albums of their grandchildren. At CES this week, Intel launched a new wearable technology partnership with Barneys, the retailer, fashion label Opening Ceremony and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Brian Krzanich, Intel's chief executive, said the tie-up would counter the perception that many products in the "internet of things" category are "not solving real problems." Fitbit, a leading maker of fitness tracking devices, also announced on Tuesday it would team up with fashion brand Tory Burch to develop a range of accessories. "The fusion of fashion into technology will be an important part of the widespread adoption of wearable technologies," said James Park, Fitbit's chief executive. While wearable technology may have won over the geeks in Las Vegas, collaborations with more mainstream brands are seen as vital if the market is to win over mainstream consumers. John Lewis, the UK retailer, says that sales of wearable fitness trackers are up 860 per cent so far this year, but unit sales remain quite small. According to a survey by research group NPD released on Tuesday, more than half of consumers have heard the buzz about wearable devices. However, only a third of those aware of the products told NPD that they would buy them, citing bulky smart watches and poor battery life. "Design has always been a key motivator for technology purchases, but for wearable devices there is a greater focus because the devices are worn externally," said NPD analyst Ben Arnold. In a report on Tuesday, analysts at CCS Insight said that the "growing importance of fashionable design on wearables [is] a clear theme at CES 2014," as smart watch start-ups Pebble and MetaWatch unveiled new hardware with a more traditional and stylish look. Pebble offered a new steel watch, rather than its plastic predecessor, while MetaWatch teamed up with former designers from Vertu, the high-end smartphone firm. Rafi Haladjian, founder and chief executive of Paris-based Sen.se, recognises he has a problem trying to market his connected home system which allows users to track everything from whether their kids are taking their medicines to the temperature in different rooms. That is why it is called a Mother. We needed a metaphor that shows this is something that cares about everything. A mother is not a nurse, a mother is not a gardener or a security officer: she's all of them altogether," he said. Mr Haladjian said he hoped to use the Russian doll-shaped connected device to accelerate adoption of the "internet of things" so that hundreds of objects in each home are online rather than a couple of fitness trackers. "Is this the internet of pedometers or internet of things?" he said. An internet of things will be a real profound change.