There was a large and diverse UK contingent at the world's biggest gadget show, CES, including always-on cameras, home audio and even something for vinyl fans

Events like the Consumer Electronics Show might seem almost intimidatingly futuristic, what with all the coverage focusing on self-driving cars and wearable health-tracking data-sucking devices of the future.

But nestled in a quieter corner of the Las Vegas convention centre is a modest British team with a surprisingly retro product: Keith Monk's Record Cleaning Machine.

The company has its roots in a business started back in 1960s Berkshire and now, headed by Keith's son Jon, is exhibiting an updated version of its vinyl record cleaning machine, which won multiple awards in the 1970s and 80s. A special edition was even presented to the Queen for the silver jubilee in 1977.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jon Monks demonstrates the Discovery One, the updated version of his father's invention, on show at CES 2014.

There are more than 3,200 exhibitors from more than 150 countries at CES, so it can be hard for smaller businesses and products to bubble up through the hyperbole. But amid the multinational milieu, UK companies form a respectable contingent, Keith Monk forms part of a team of established British tech brands, some eager startups and the occasional bold standard-bearer for British eccentricity and ingenuity.

The Monk brand's latest incarnation, Discovery One, is a far less retrograde piece of kit than first impressions may suggest.

Last year saw the highest sales of vinyl - both second-hand and new releases - since 2001, signalling a resurgence of the medium led by independent record shops. In a sea of flexible touchscreens and head-up displays, the vinyl cleaning machine stands out. It anchors technology in a world that is simple, familiar and functional.

Summly: Now integrated into the Yahoo News Digest

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The official explainer video for Yahoo News Digest.

Londoner Nick D'Aloisio is one of the biggest British names at CES 2014, showing off his contribution to the new Yahoo News Digest app.

It is billed as the first digital tool to recreate the satisfying and complete experience of reading a newspaper, and the part-algorithmic, part-curated reader is an update on D'Aloisio's Summly app, which he sold to Yahoo for $30m in March 2013.

During the launch event, a Youtube explainer video appeared alongside the CES launch event, featuring someone in a hip shirt reading an oddly familiar newspaper - possibly D'Aloisio himself? A starring role is certainly what Yahoo has given the 18-year-old as the corporation's new mobile and emerging products manager.

Musaic, Pure and Vibe: British audio

One of the largest UK contingents consists of wireless home and personal audio companies. London startup Musaic and Hertfordshire-based Pure are both at CES to launch whole-home wireless speaker systems.

The two companies have designed their products with affordability and compatibility in mind, and for a market previously dominated by high-end tech. Both devices work with a downloadable iOS or Android controller app, and then play music or radio from anywhere in the building, depending on how many wireless speakers are set up.

For personal audio needs, Sutton Coldfield's Vibe Audio is showcasing its growing range of wireless Bluetooth headphones. If the products are as reliable as they are affordable, this British brand could find itself plugging a gap in the audio market that has puzzled consumers ever since other forms of wireless tech went mainstream years ago.

Fitbug and ithelete: the UK's fitness tracking contenders

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Fitbug employee tests the device on a treadmill during a CES launch event. Photograph: Britta Pedersen/DPA/Corbis

In what may be remember as the CES of wearable technology, the UK has two strong fitness tracking products in the running. While ithlete requires a heart rate monitor and might appeal to more experienced fitness enthusiasts, FitBug is for anyone already worried about the health of their new year's resolutions.

Continuing the theme of affordability, the device claims to track daytime activity and sleep, while fastened to your belt, wrist or anywhere else you fancy. It then syncs the data with an app for your tablet or smartphone.

The nuanced and continuous picture it generates of your habits is said to result in a steady stream of useful motivation and achievable targets. At less than £50, its makers are offering a bold pitch against rival products that provide a similar service for far heftier price tags.

Autographer: a bit less creepy than Google Glass

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Autographer wearable camera is 3.5" tall and has five sensors that decide when to automatically take photos. It has a 136 degree lens which simulates the human field of vision. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Autographer's hands-free stills camera, worn around the neck, is always on, so it is quite perfect that its Oxford-based parent company, OMG Life, was founded in 1984. There are many wearable camera offerings at the show, as the concept becomes both more acceptable and more affordable.

Autographer is also perhaps slightly less creepy that the literally in-your-face Google Glass for those who want to ambiently capture pictures they might otherwise miss throughout the day. One way, perhaps, to beat state surveillance at its own game.

Nifty Mini Drive: SD-card memory expander

A Manchester startup, funded through Kickstarter, boasts one of the simplest yet potentially useful new products to hail from the UK.

The Nifty Mini Drive is a tiny memory expander that fits into the SD-card slot found on a MacBook Pro, Air or Retina. Its size belies its power since it can increase internal memory by up to 64GB. This equates to almost 100 feature films or 84,000 8 megapixel photos.

G-Hold - makes your tablet easier to hold

Facebook Twitter Pinterest This clip is featured on the G-Hold Kickstarter page to explain and generate interest in the idea.

Equally simple though slightly more left-field is the G-Hold, developed in Edinburgh by Alison Grieve. While it might not win any friends at Apple with a proposition based on the assumption that tablets "are hard to hold", its Kickstarter campaign claims the device could grip tablets, smartphones or even a drinks tray and make it easier to grip.

Where this original concept might find a home audience might be the emerging "silver smartphone" wave of older tech consumers.