e’ve been dropping updates from CES this week, but we know you just want to see the best stuff with the least amount of effort—all that content you’ve been meaning to get to isn’t going to watch itself. So, here’s a short-and-sweet recap of CES highlights you can use to impress your friends with your incredible knowledge of cool new gadgets. You’re welcome.
Please let us fly in this as soon as possible. Thanks.
The “belle” of the electronics ball was this full-sized version of Bell’s six-rotor air taxi. The company says it could be carrying passengers as soon as 2020, so let’s hope Bane doesn’t show up to take over our city before then.
That's just way better than a regular wall that you can't watch The Fast and the Furious on.
Samsung
It first debuted at last year’s CES, and now Samsung’s MicroLED-based Wall TV will be available for custom installation in homes this year. It’s made of smaller, modular panels that interlock to create a huge screen with no bezel, and is one of the most beautiful things on the show floor this year. The one on display on the show floor checked in at 219-inches.
TVs with 8K resolution were big at this year’s CES, even though there’s almost no native content to watch on them. However, Sony’s 98-inch flagship TV promises smart upscaling to make your puny 4K content look good on its massive screen.
This little guy wants to help you not die.
Stan Horaczek
In addition to its typical offerings of TVs and mobile devices, Samsung introduced a new robotics platform with a variety of use cases. Bot Care is like a live-in nurse that checks on elderly folks, while Bot Air detects and filters polluted air. Bot Retail will sell you stuff and the GENS exoskeletons can make moving around less painful for people with leg and back issues.
The LG booth had an insane array of flexible OLED screens surrounding its entrance, but the real star was the 65-inch TV that rolls up into a subtle base when you’re not watching it. This was a prototype at last year’s show, but you’ll be able to buy it in 2019 if you have a Scrooge McDuck vault full of gold coins with which to pay.
Even if you don't know how to DJ, you can keep this around your house and people will think you know how.
Technics
The original version of this well-regarded DJ turntable went off the market roughly eight years ago, but vinyl’s popularity has surged since then. Now, Panasonic is bringing back the SL1200 aimed at DJs—it’s good for scratching—and people who like lots of damping because they stomp around their house and make their records skip.
The new Willow breast pump is more efficient and easier to use.
Willow
The updated version of this hands-free breast pump is easier to assemble, more comfortable to use, and more effective when it comes to preventing spillage. It will run $500 for a pair when it ships in February.
This was the most delicious gadget at CES 2019. And no one yelled at me for tasting it unlike those other uptight products.
Stan Horaczek
Fake meat may not seem like a tech product, but Impossible Foods launched its new soy-based meat replacement at this year’s show. You can read our full taste test here, but the bottom line is that it’s one of the most convincing—and delicious—plant-based meat replacements around.
This will surely be the key to many Widowmakers sniping me when I try to play Overwatch on Xbox.
Razer
This mouse-and-keyboard set sits on a metal base and allows Xbox One users skip the controller for PC-style game controls. it looks like a solid product, but its existence is somewhat controversial since console gamers will have to play against an increasing number of annoyingly accurate, mouse-using snipers.
It’s only a concept for now, but Hyundai has a vehicle that mixes wheels with legs so it can handle any variety of uneven or unpredictable terrain. It has a vaguely Star Wars vibe about it.
There weren’t a ton of new cameras at CES this year, but Panasonic did release some final details about its full-frame, pro-grade mirrorless cameras. Both will have new modes, like high-resolution mode which combines several pictures into one bigger image. Both cameras start shipping in March and will use new lenses developed with the help of Sigma and Leica.
This 17.3-inch gaming laptop has a desktop grade processor and graphics chip inside that you can swap out and upgrade on your own. Sure, it weighs more than three MacBook Airs, but think about all that power.
Do you want a laptop with a webcam that looks up your nose? Well, this one won't (anymore).
Dell
The Dell XPS 13 was already one of the best laptops around, and the new version has moved the webcam to the top of the screen instead of the bottom for a much more flattering angle during your Google Hangouts.
Noise-cancelling headphones have gotten great recently, which helped me on my crying-baby-filled flight home from CES.
Stan Horaczek
The flagship Jabra headphones use AI to analyze sound in your environment and tweak the noise cancelling to best help you tune out the real world—and really focus in on listening to the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack for the 1,000th time this week.
I’m generally opposed to cameras that try to emulate analog photography with digital tech, but Kodak’s upcoming Instant Classic camera was undeniably cool. I got my photo taken with a prototype version and the zInk prints are surprisingly reminiscent of prints from old pull-and-peel instant cameras, which were popular until the ‘90s.
This $2,500 soundbar sounds impressive.
Sennheiser
This Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar has 13 speakers inside and can mimic a full surround-sound system all on its own. It doesn’t come cheap, however, with a price tag of $2,499 when it ships in May. I did get a chance to hear it, however, and it’s impressive.
Designed for people who live in apartments, the new Ring smart doorbell goes where a typical peep hole sits on your front door. It lets you see who is outside of your home and also has a knock detector that can tell if someone is trying to whack your door down.
This electronic bra has sensors inside that are designed to let wearer choose the right size and fit in a bra. Of course, it only recommends option from Soma’s own offerings, but customers can try it on in-store, get their measurement, and then buy a bra without having to buy the smart version.
The screens on Samsung’s space-saving monitors are nothing out of the ordinary, but both models (there are 27-inch and a 32-inch versions), come mounted to clamp with an articulating arm. It allows you to move the monitor close to you when you’re working, then store it flush against the wall so you have room to do tarot card readings or make Cheeto art on your desk when it’s not in use.
The North Face released a new kind of proprietary waterproof, breathable material they call FutureLight; made through a process they call "Nanospinning" (think creating a membrane using very small fibers), the resulting material lets air breeze through-- to keep it comfortable when you sweat-- but keeps the rain out when it drizzles on you.
If you caught any of the early CES coverage, you almost certainly heard about the smart toilet with Alexa integration. This $7,000 toilet lets you customize the temperature of the seat and play our playlists while you sit there and stare at your phone while avoiding your family and other responsibilities.
Both Audi and Intel showed off in-car virtual reality systems that are meant to entertain passengers. The custom content tailors itself to the estimated time of your ride as well as the motion of the vehicle so the disparity between what you see and the motion you feel won’t make you yarf.
Last year, smart displays were all the rage. This year, however, their numbers were sparse. However, KitchenAid’s smart display has Google Assistant built-in and is designed to withstand all kinds of grime and moisture including a jet of water, so it should survive even if you fling everything around when you cook like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.
"Look into my eyes," you whisper as you put on the headset and get ready to slaughter some barbarians in VR.
HTC
The new high-end VR headset from HTC will include technology that tracks where the wearer is looking so they can navigate menus just by looking in specific spots. It will also allow the headset to blur areas outside the wearer’s normal field of view to make the in-focus graphics look sharper and more detailed.
The new high-end VR headset from HTC will include technology that tracks where the wearer is looking so they can navigate menus just by looking in specific spots. It will also allow the headset to blur areas outside the wearer’s normal field of view to make the in-focus graphics look sharper and more detailed.
This FDA-approved device takes a wearer’s blood pressure using an inflatable cuff, just like at the doctor. It took an impressive amount of work for the company to make an inflating air bag that didn’t squish out to the sides of the watch and ruin the readings.
Collected Form popsci.com
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