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Linksys' Max Stream router can be the center of a mesh network
It's CES, and that means it's time for Linksys to unveil yet another WiFi router -- but this one could be particularly important if you're tired of dead spots in coverage. Its new Max Stream AC2200 is a typical (if quick) tri-band router with 2.2Gbps of combined bandwidth, but includes built-in mesh networking support. If your WiFi bogs down in the bedroom, you can add Velop nodes to keep things humming. You don't have to buy a dedicated mesh system (or litter your home with full-size routers) to guarantee consistent speeds.
Byton adds an additional touchscreen to its upcoming SUV
Concept cars always undergo changes before they become production vehicles. Maybe the styling is adjusted or a crazy pie-in-the-sky tech feature is removed. Even the yet-to-be-produced wares of automotive startups end up with something being adjusted, removed or added. At CES 2018, Byton showed off its first vehicle, the pure-electric M-Byte. In a change from last year, the SUV's 40-inch "Shared Experience" display is getting another, smaller sidekick.
NVIDIA rebrands G-SYNC HDR as 'G-SYNC Ultimate'
At its CES 2019 keynote, NVIDIA revealed that it's essentially rebranding G-SYNC HDR displays as G-SYNC Ultimate. It launched the HDR program last year at CES, promising very high standards like G-SYNC variable frame-rate refresh rates at 144 Hz and higher, 1000 nits of brightness and a 95 percent DCI-P3 color gamut. Only a couple of monitors have been certified, including the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27.
LaCie's chiseled 5TB USB drive aims to make storage stylish
LaCie (and its parent Seagate) is still determined to inject some style into the world of external hard drives -- thankfully, with some improved functionality as well. Its 2019 Mobile Drive touts a chiseled-looking "diamond cut" metal design that wouldn't look out of place next to a MacBook Pro (you can still use it with Windows PCs, of course). The real allure, though, is the raw capacity -- you can opt for a 5TB version if you're editing gobs of media on the road, and even the slim version packs 2TB.
Blue's latest microphone gives streamers an XLR option
With the rise of livestreaming, easy-to-use audio gear has become a staple among YouTubers, podcasters and more. Blue has been catering to that group for a while now with its line of plug-and-play USB microphones, but at CES 2019 the company has a new XLR option aimed at streamers and professional recording environments. The Blue Ember is a $100 mic that's designed to cut down on background noise thanks to its "tight pickup pattern." Basically, the cardioid pattern of the microphone focuses on what's right in front of it to minimize any room noise.
NVIDIA certifies a dozen FreeSync monitors as 'G-SYNC compatible'
Monitor manufacturers must usually decide whether to use NVIDIA's G-SYNC and AMD's FreeSync, a crucial choice that can divide consumers into camps and drastically affect sales. Now, NVIDIA has brought G-SYNC compatibility certification to a number of monitors from Acer, Agon, Asus and Benq that were previously only FreeSync certified. The goal is evidently to expand its display ecosystem, but it will be a big benefit to the owners of those monitors, too.
You've never seen a gaming laptop like the ASUS ROG Mothership
Last year, gaming laptops got thinner and lighter. This year, they're getting wild. Take the ROG Mothership, it's ostensibly a new 17-inch gaming laptop from ASUS -- but it's actually something much weirder. Hit a button, and a huge kickstand juts out from behind the screen. And once you fold down the keyboard, you can feel free to pull it away from the screen and use it wirelessly, as if it were a massive Surface Pro. Basically, ASUS made an all-in-one gaming PC in laptop form. It brings a new meaning to the term "desktop replacement."
Samsung takes another stab at gaming laptops with the Odyssey
Almost every PC maker has tried their hands at gaming laptops, but what's surprising about Samsung is that it's never quite gotten it right. That might change with its latest Notebook Odyssey, its first machine to support NVIDIA's RTX 2080 graphics. At the very least, it certainly looks more distinctive than Samsung's past gaming notebooks, with a sleek metallic case and central monitor hinge, which leaves some open air for cooling.
Alienware's lightest 17-inch notebook ever has NVIDIA's RTX graphics
Just a few months after Alienware unveiled its first truly slim notebook, the company is back with a bigger model. The Alienware m17 shares the same refined design as the previous m15 -- slim bezels around the screen, and fewer extraneous case bits that added so much weight with the company's earlier notebooks --while delivering a 17.3-inch display and NVIDIA's recently announced RTX 20-series mobile graphics. And surprisingly, it's only a pound heavier than the earlier model at 5.79 pounds. It's Alienware's lightest 17-inch notebook ever, and it's also slimmer than most of the competition today.
ASUS' thin Zephyrus gaming notebook gets a 17-inch screen
ASUS's thin Zephyrus gaming lineup is getting bigger. Today the company announced a 17-inch version of the Zephyrus S, the GX701. It has the same sharp looks as the 15-inch Zephyrus S ASUS unveiled in the fall, but its larger display should be even more immersive. It's also one of the company's first notebooks to feature NVIDIA's RTX 20-series, with support all the way up to the top-end RTX 2080. It's a bit thicker than the earlier model, measuring 18.7mm, but it's still ASUS's thinnest 17-inch gaming laptop.
ASUS ROG Strix II gaming laptops to get NVIDIA RTX graphics
ASUS prides itself on making gaming laptops not just for the high-end gamer crowd, but also for those who want something a little more mainstream. The ROG Strix II line is exactly that, and sits somewhere in between beefy desktop replacements and super-slender lightweight notebooks. Now, the company has come out with updated versions of last year's announcements with the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II and the ASUS ROG Strix HERO II getting new NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphic options.
NVIDIA's RTX GPUs bring ray tracing to laptops
It didn't take NVIDIA long to shrink down its groundbreaking RTX 20-series graphics processors for gaming notebooks. At CES, the company announced that RTX GPUs are coming to 40 upcoming laptops, with availability starting on January 29th. That includes every major OEM like ASUS, Alienware and HP. Much like the portable GTX 10-series GPUs, NVIDIA aims to deliver most of the features of the RTX desktop cards -- including real-time ray tracing -- with less of a power drain. 17 of those upcoming RTX notebooks will feature Max-Q designs, which aren't as fast as their desktop counterparts, but can squeeze into tight notebook frames.
NVIDIA's $349 RTX 2060 GPU is more powerful than a 1070 Ti
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2060 is here, months after the company unveiled the higher-end RTX 2080 Ti, 2080 and 2070 graphics cards. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang unveiled the new GPU during his CES keynote, where he revealed that the card was powering a Battlefield V demo showing off real-time ray tracing. That's surprising, since you'd expect him to use the company's most powerful GPUs for a press conference being viewed by gamers around the world.
Toyota unveils finalists in $4 million quest to reinvent wheelchairs
Toyota's ongoing bid to modernize wheelchairs has borne some fruit. The automaker has unveiled the five finalists for its $4 million Mobility Unlimited Challenge after three years of competition, and all of them promise to rethink how people with mobility issues get around -- in some cases, without using a wheelchair at all. The project you see above is Qolo, a hybrid exoskeleton and wheelchair that can sit or stand. You could talk to standing people at eye level without losing the advantages of a conventional chair.
I want a wireless charging pocket in my next bag
Look, it's hard to get excited about a backpack. But, I have to admit, the Targus Mobile ViP+ Backpack is actually pretty damn cool. Most importantly, it's a solid feeling bag with plenty of padding where it's needed most and tons of storage space. But it's also got a few pretty unique features. The most obvious is the zip up pocket on the side that hides a Qi wireless charging dock. There's rails to keep your phone from moving about too much, and even ventilation to prevent overheating. The whole thing connects to an easily removable and rechargeable 5,000 mAh battery pack.
An infrared hairdryer could make hairdrying less hot
This might shock many of you, but it takes me about 30 minutes to dry my hair every night. I have long, coarse hair, a lot of it, and spending that much time shooting hot air at my head gets really heated after awhile. Volo's promise of a hairdryer that could cut that time down as well as keep me cool is intriguing, but it comes with some caveats.
ASUS' updated ZenBook S packs the 'world's slimmest' bezels
ASUS' new StudioBook was designed to make workstation-caliber power available to more people, but the refreshed ZenBook S is ambitious in a different way. The company's S line was always about extreme portability, and that's still true this year — that said, ASUS managed to squeeze even more into the ZenBook S13's remarkably svelte body.
ASUS' new StudioBook S is a portable workstation for creators
ASUS' new ZenBooks are pretty solidly spec'd, but sometimes you need some serious power to get your work done. That's where the company's new StudioBook S comes from: sleekness and portability were priorities, but the company was arguably more concerned with squeezing as much power as it could into a notebook. Not a huge surprise from a company that takes gaming as seriously as ASUS does -- this time, though, the Taiwanese PC maker is setting its sights on creatives.
Mui's wooden smart display is an elegant way to control your home
One of the challenges with building smart home gadgets is making things that comfortably fit into peoples' homes. Japanese company Mui has come up with a seemingly elegant solution: a touch-sensitive, LED light display built into a piece of wood. Mui first launched its product on Kickstarter in October and met its goal, and today they're showing it off at CES.
Samsung's newest TVs will work with Google Assistant and Alexa
Oh, the rumors were right. Samsung's new TVs are taking in all the services and features around. First it was Apple, and now Google Assistant will be coming to its newest sets later this year. In fact, not just Google, but also Amazon's Alexa. There's a major twist, however.
