TechSpot Best of CES 2022

Every yr the industry'south biggest names gather in Las Vegas to show the states a glimpse of the devices and innovations that volition ascertain the months to come in consumer technology.

With and then many announcements hit the wires at the same fourth dimension, we've already brought you the top stories and highlights, especially those concerning personal and calculator technology. At present, realizing not every product we've seen at CES will necessarily go a release engagement, the fun is in watching the announcements and recognizing the trends and hints of what'southward to come.

In no particular order, here's our pick of the ten about promising or downright cool products we found at CES 2017.

LG Signature W7 OLED Television set

CES is often used to showcase the adjacent generation of display technology. 2017 was no exception, and we were impressed by more i visitor'due south efforts. However, LG is in for a repeat with their Signature W7 OLED Tv, also known as the "Wallpaper TV."

Touted as the thinnest Television in the world, the Signature W7 comes in 77- and 65-inch versions. At an incredible two.5 mm thick, it's so thin it's best seen when attached directly to a wall, where it can hang as a painting would. To make this analogy closer to reality, the LG W7 is mounted to the wall using magnetic brackets, to keep the intended appearance that the company calls "picture-on-wall."

The West OLED TV is webOS powered, sports a 4K resolution with agile HDR (HDR10, Dolby Vision and more than) putting out gorgeous images with near-perfect blacks and broad viewing angles.

Of course, you won't detect whatever ports or inputs in the wafer-thin panel. It has a proprietary cable that connects to a companion sound bar where all wired connections are managed. The sound bar houses Dolby Atmos certified audio and connectivity includes 4 HDMI ports (HDCP 2.2), iii USB ports, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and a Toslink connection for optical sound.

Razer Project Valerie

Think about this: three 17.3-inch 4k IGZO displays equipped with Nvidia G-Sync. In a laptop.

Granted, at 12 pounds and 1.five-inches thick it'due south non the almost practical machine to carry around, but never earlier you could cram so much hardware (including a powerful processor and GTX 1080 graphics) let alone three loftier resolution displays in a portable PC. In case you were wondering, Project Valerie's chassis is straight inherited from the current peak of the line Blade Pro.

To brand this setup applied, in that location is supposed to be an automated deployment mechanism that slides out the side of the main screen and adjusts the two additional screens into place, yet Razer's working demo machines that we were able to impact and play with were using a less sophisticated mechanism.

Properly driving AAA games at this resolution volition prove challenging fifty-fifty for a GTX 1080, so that's something to consider. But in the few days since Project Valerie was shown we've read enthusiastic comments from people who would buy this for productivity instead of gaming, or maybe even completely forgoing a battery in this "laptop," then there's more infinite for proper cooling and more hardware.

Project Valerie looks like someone photoshopped ii more than displays onto a gaming laptop, but Razer believes this volition be a real product they'll offer in the future. But for now, more exploratory than true product, Razer was looking to create fizz and we won't fence with their intentions.

A honorary mention goes to a 2d project Razer showed at this year'south CES. Projection Ariana is like to Microsoft's IllumiRoom concept (2013) that uses a projector to show ambient lighting and video effects surrounding your main play screen and room. It was e'er meant to be a niche, just very keen project that maybe will come to fruition in Razer's hands.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-ane

Dell'southward XPS 13 has been consistently named i of the best Windows laptops in the past couple of years, receiving praise for its nearly bezel-free display and solid construction. Now the visitor is taking its winning formula to a convertible 2-in-1 design that's a little bit thinner and lighter, besides.

The XPS 13 two-in-1 shares most of its looks with its laptop counterpart but adds a flexible hinge that allows the system to fold back into a tent orientation or all the way back into tablet mode. Merely similar the regular XPS 13, the ii-in-1 version uses an InfinityEdge display with a five.2mm border, but in that location are also a few changes under the hood.

For one affair, the XPS 13 2-in-1 uses a fanless design. The organization is based on an Intel Y Series (formerly known every bit Cadre Thousand) Core i5 or i7 processor from the Kaby Lake family unit, instead of the typically more than robust U Serial, so there's a performance tradeoff here. As well, you won't find a total-size USB port, but y'all do get a couple of USB Blazon-C ports, a Thunderbolt 3 port, microSD carte reader, DisplayPort, and headphone jack.

The Dell XPS two-in-1 is available in 1080p and Quad HD+ versions, with the base model starting at $999 and upgrades bachelor to a Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. The 46WHr battery is supposedly good for up to x hours in the QHD+ model, or upward to 15 hours in the full Hard disk version which sounds a bit generous just nosotros'll probable detect out before long since the 2-in-1 is aircraft every bit soon as this week.

HP Green-eyed 34 All-in-One

HP went back to the cartoon lath for this yr's refresh of the Envy 34 All-in-One and the upshot is both functional and stunningly beautiful. While most AIO designs these days squeeze every component into the back of the brandish, HP has opted to movement the whole PC into a broad, blocky yet low profile base. This allows for a thin, elegantly curved display and skinny bezels, prevents cables from visibly dangling off the back, and keeps important IO connectivity within easy reach.

Iv Blindside & Olufsen speakers with dual passive arrays are hidden backside a mesh on the front of the base of operations. There'south a bear upon-sensitive punch embedded on the right side of the base for controlling book and playback, and an optional Qi wireless charging pad on the left side. The 3440x1440 IPS display looks brilliant and crisp and tucked within along the peak is a built-in pop-upwards photographic camera that you can easily hide when not in use for some privacy peace of mind (the mic too turns off).

You tin can tell HP has really thought this design through and it was by far the nearly cute AIO design of this year'due south prove.

HP hasn't yet shared detailed configuration options, but 7th-gen Core i5 or i7 processors are a given, along with up to 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD and detached Nvidia graphics. Information technology'due south not designed as a gaming powerhouse — all-in-ones rarely are — but it should otherwise be more than than capable plenty to handle pretty much any computing task you throw at it.

It'southward expected to become on sale on HP'south website on Jan 11 and at select retailers on February 26, 2017.

Monitor Display Tech: 8K, HDR + Sync

A few years ago it appeared like monitor display technology was stuck. Smartphones were getting really peachy and pixel dense displays with notable improvements arriving every 12 month cycle, and TV tech was non lagging either. But monitors were even so shooting for the cheap stuff. Nvidia and AMD were trying to push sync engineering science for gamers, just few seemed to exist interested in pushing the envelope, and 4K monitors were expensive and hard to gear up up and thus recommend.

Much has happened in the last couple of years, but information technology was loud and clear during CES 2017 that companies are now truly invested in innovating on PC-course displays and creating peachy products. Case in point these three highlight products and underlying technologies:

Dell UltraSharp UP3218K 8K monitor

A drool-worthy 32-inch monitor with an insanely high resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 at 60Hz. The UP3218K offers 1.07 billion colors and packs in more than than 33 million pixels – that'southward 4 times equally many as a 4K brandish and xvi times more than Full HD. That translates to a PPI rating of 280 which is very high for a desktop screen. At $four,999 it's expensive, only it also ways it'due south non vaporware. Dell will kickoff selling the UltraSharp 8K in belatedly March.

Asus PG27UQ gaming monitor

The 27-inch PG27UQ is the kickoff monitor to support 4K at 144 Hz. Even more impressive is the fact that this brandish uses IPS engineering science. Asus plans to take total advantage of Nvidia'southward G-Sync HDR tech (read more than most it below) for HDR10 compatibility, with a prospective Q3/2017 release appointment and rumored $1,500 cost point.

Acer Predator Z301CT gaming monitor

The Predator Z301CT is a 30-inch display with an 1800R bend and a pocket-size resolution of 2560 x 1080, but the star of the testify here is a refresh rate that can get as high equally 200 Hz with 4ms response times. There are a number of gamer-friendly features, including Tobii eye tracking and Yard-Sync. The Z301CT comes with HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2a inputs as well every bit a USB iii.0 hub. Interested gamers will be able to purchase this display in February for $899.

AMD FreeSync two engineering

The side by side big thing that's prepare to hit PC displays in the coming year is HDR, or Loftier Dynamic Range. Already seen in a range of TVs, HDR technology increases the colour depth and dynamic range of imagery, creating greater contrast between bright and dark areas that leads to more item and a more realistic prototype.

The key aspect to FreeSync two is it eliminates display-side tone mapping when displaying a HDR paradigm. Information technology does this by giving game engines the verbal characteristics of the attached brandish – data such as colour gamut, supported dynamic range, brightness, etc. – then that the game itself can tone map directly to the display. AMD will as well be certifying all FreeSync 2 displays then that gamers are guaranteed to receive a quality HDR feel when they purchase a display branded with the FreeSync two logo.

FreeSync 2 displays volition also support all the features of the original FreeSync, chiefly variable refresh rates for stutter- and tear-complimentary gaming. Low frame rate compensation will be a mandatory characteristic of FreeSync 2, as volition low input lag in the "few milliseconds" range.

Nvidia G-Sync HDR technology

The idea behind G-Sync HDR is similar to AMD's FreeSync 2 engineering science: it provides gamers with a goose egg input lag HDR gaming experience on a new collection of top-terminate monitors. These monitors accept been created in partnership with AU Optronics, who have created a make new panel that will be seen in a range of displays, including the Asus PG27UQ.

Like FreeSync ii, it appears as though PC games volition need to integrate specific back up for Yard-Sync HDR if they want to utilize the full capabilities of 1000-Sync HDR monitors. Mass Event: Andromeda and Shadow Warrior 2 are ii games gear up to back up Yard-Sync HDR at its launch, and we tin expect more titles to back up HDR on PC in the time to come.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC

Set to become the SoC of choice amid the smartphone elite in 2017, the Snapdragon 835 is Qualcomm's get-go 10nm SoC built on Samsung'due south FinFET process – in fact it'due south 1 of the outset 10nm chips of its kind on the market, beating traditional leader Intel to the punch – and this helps the chip reach new levels of functioning and efficiency.

The Snapdragon 835 is 30% smaller than the Snapdragon 820 it replaces, while packing up to 27% better performance and a forty% ability consumption reduction. An impressive chip already, the latest Snapdragon carries the usual number of processing and graphics cores, wireless modem (Gigabit LTE!), and a series of specialized hardware to back up a telephone's GPS, camera and prototype processing, amongst others like VR-specific features.

The commencement devices to use the Snapdragon 835 volition be released in the beginning half of 2017, we'd presume mostly loftier-end smartphones, but every bit Qualcomm chips accept become more than powerful, the convergence of traditional PCs and handheld systems is inching closer always more so. The Snapdragon 835 will run total Windows 10 and so this may finally be the year where ARM meets Windows in a truly convincing fashion.

Mohu AirWave

Mohu, best known past cord cutters for its Leafage over-the-air (OTA) antenna, has been working on combining OTA with over-the-top (OTT) streaming content. The Mohu AirWave is a wireless antenna that receives free over the air signals and tin stream them over your network via the Mohu TV app on a compatible media streaming device — this will include the entire Roku lineup, the electric current generation Apple Idiot box, Amazon Burn down Boob tube, Fire TV Stick, and Chromecast.

Users volition be able to browse programme descriptions and up to 14 days of upcoming content in a cablevision-similar program guide within the Mohu Telly app. You tin can also select favorite channels, and Mohu claims its ClearPix engineering science will reduce pixelation for the best prototype quality possible of OTA broadcasts.

The thought of mixing OTA content with OTT streams is like to what Dish'south upcoming AirTV Player does, except instead of requiring a new streaming box and supplying your own wired OTA antenna, Mohu's AirWave's approach is to bring live broadcasts to streaming boxes y'all already own through an app.

The Mohu AirWave wireless antenna goes on sale this bound exclusively at All-time Buy priced at $149.99.

AirBar

Neonode was just in time for CES showing a new working paradigm of the AirBar. In its most basic grade, the AirBar is a sleek, metal bar that attaches to the bottom of your laptop's display and connects to a USB port.

The AirBar emits an invisible light field over the screen to recognize the touch of your fingers or a stylus when it makes contact with your non-touch brandish, then translate that into clicks. During our cursory testing session we felt the AirBar was pretty authentic, perhaps non like a real touchscreen, but for an affordable add together-on ($69) it wasn't bad at all. Pinch-to-zoom and scrolling gestures are not notwithstanding enabled but nosotros are told they should be working soon.

AirBar for Windows is supposed to be ready at present, while the MacBook Air version that was shown at CES is shipping in March. The deviation has to do with size, with AirBars existence offered at typical laptop widescreen sizes of 15.6 inches, 14, and xiii.iii inches.

The applied science appears to exist inexpensive and practical. Non everyone needs or wants a touchscreen, however in certain scenarios nosotros see how older laptops and monitors could employ touch and AirBar'southward tech could become the standard add-on for that purpose.

Navdy

Navdy is an aftermarket head-up display for your car that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and sits on the height of your dashboard. The small device projects a total color image that adapts to whatever light condition to a transparent display in your line of sight allowing y'all to go on your focus on the road.

The device has built-in sensors monitoring for hand gestures above the steering wheel, so you tin manage calls, messages, GPS and your auto information with the moving ridge of your hand, Tony Stark style. There's also a dial that can be attached in the steering wheel or gearshift that tin be used for navigation or to access Siri / Google Now.

It'southward a cool device, it'south already available (since last quarter), and information technology'southward non inexpensive at $799, but from our brief fourth dimension testing it we thought it was polished enough to brand it a worthwhile investment for many, with the added plus that it tin be adapted to your electric current motorcar for an constructive upgrade to your current dash info system.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 2017

The cadre design of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon remains largely the same but sticking with a winning formula while refreshing components and squeezing a bit more performance and battery life has paid off for Lenovo. The X1 Carbon is a gorgeous if commonsensical-looking automobile.

Equally earlier, it'southward a professional-oriented laptop and even so ane of the most portable y'all volition observe at two.five pounds. The display is available in 1080p or 1440p IPS LCD variants, and Lenovo has crammed these 14-inch panels into the area normally occupied by a 13-inch display taking a cue from Dell's XPS, the screen bezels are much thinner now.

The move from an Intel Skylake to Intel Kaby Lake CPU has resulted in an extra four hours of battery life; Lenovo at present claims the Carbon is good for fifteen.5 hours of usage.

Other improvements include the addition of 2 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and the ability to pack both WiGig and Qualcomm's X7 LTE modem in the i unit. An IR camera with back up for Windows Hullo facial recognition is included alongside a fingerprint reader. Lenovo'southward signature ThinkPad keyboard and trackpad are still as good every bit e'er here.

You can kit out the X1 Carbon with up to 1 TB of PCIe SSD storage and 16 GB of RAM.

The new X1 Carbon will be available in February starting at $1,349.