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Toshiba thinks it has a Surface competitor in the DynaPad
Yes, it's another Surface competitor. So far, before today, we've seen a slew of companies copying Microsoft's tablet-and-keyboard-dock formula, from Apple to Lenovo to Dell to HP. Not keen to sit out a trend, Toshiba is also trying its hand with the 12-inch DynaPad, which the company claims is the world's lightest 2-in-1. It's up for pre-order now, and Toshiba seems confident that it's good enough to win over American consumers. The fact that it's even being sold in the states is notable; the "Dyna" brand isn't exactly a household name here. It's so promising too that even the Microsoft Store will be selling it, and say what you will about Microsoft, but they tend not to sell junk. (When's the last time you saw one of Toshiba's crappy bargain-basement notebooks sold there?)
VW shows off its quick-charging electric microbus concept
When the US government has filed a civil suit against you because your vehicles violated emissions laws, it's a good idea to start showing off some electric vehicles. That's exactly what Volkswagen has done during its CES keynote. The company showed off the BUDD-e new concept bus that's packed with technology and like all concept cars, you'll probably never get to buy in its current state of awesome.
The new Ninebot Segway is an adorable robot helper
When you're not riding the self-balancing Ninebot Segway, it transforms into a self-propelling personal helper with a voice, livestreaming camera, and object-detection and facial-recognition capabilities. Intel showed off the new Ninebot at CES, where the rolling robot successfully navigated an on-stage living room, communicated with its human overlords and followed its inventor off-stage, thanks in part to Intel's RealSense tech. The new Ninebot will be the star of a development program in 2016 with a final product to follow, Intel said.
Fisher-Price's caterpillar bot will teach kids how to code
A grinning caterpillar zooms around the table with blinking lights. Its bright purple eyes light up as it takes a moment to process the commands attached as various segments behind its head. Designed for preschoolers, Fisher-Price's Code-a-Pillar is a caterpillar-shaped toy that comes with a motorized head and eight segments that can be strung in a sequence like a line of code to form the rest of its body. Each segment is code for the toy to go straight, turn left or right and stop to play a song for your child.
HP's Envy Phoenix gaming desktop will support HTC's new VR headset
If the events of the past year have proven anything, it's that VR is going to be a big, big deal. HP certainly gets it, and that's why it inked a curious partnership with HTC — they of the new, improved Vive headset — to build a high-end machine called the Envy Phoenix meant specifically for virtual reality gaming. And hey, it's a little cheaper than one might expect too: we're told prices will start at $1,700 when the Phoenix officially launches on January 16th.
Dell's most interesting CES debut might be this wireless monitor
You'd think that, after winning a Best of CES award last year in the tablet category (and being named a finalist for the XPS 13), Dell would be back in 2016 with even more showstopping products. Apparently not. The company has indeed returned to CES, but all the stuff it's showing this year seems to be for business users, and the most interesting items aren't even PCs. The standouts, in our humble opinion, are a pair of wireless displays, which come in 23- and 23.8-inch sizes.
Dell is the latest PC maker to unveil a $199 laptop
Generally speaking, tech companies use CES as an opportunity to unveil their latest and greatest: their highest-res TVs, their thinnest and lightest laptops and driverless-iest cars. This year, though, Dell seems to be taking a different tack. Twelve months after its XPS 13 flagship was named a Best of CES finalist, the company is returning to Vegas with something a little lower-end. Meet the Inspiron 11 3000 series, an 11.6-inch laptop priced at $199. As you can imagine, the specs are pretty modest: an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor, 2GB to 4GB of RAM and a 1,366 x 768 display. In my hands-on time, I was a little put off by the glossy, fingerprint-prone plastic surfaces, but in my opinion the sturdy, well-spaced keyboard and decent build quality (for the money) make up for it.
Sony's UHP-H1 Blu-ray player also does multi-room audio (updated)
Going into CES, we knew we'd see a number of Ultra HD Blu-ray players. It's no surprise Sony has one of its own: the UHP-H1. Oddly enough the UHP-H1 is not a 4K Blu-ray player -- its main attraction is its focus on audio. The player can be configured to play multi-room audio through Sony's SongPal app or bump songs stored on a USB drive. Its Bluetooth features also makes for easy pairing with speakers or headphones.
Bragi's Dash headphones are finally here
I insert a bud into my right ear, and then the left. A few seconds later I hear a woman's voice. She explains how I can listen to music on my phone, afterwards there is silence; deafening silence. Until I connect my phone to the wireless headphones, and the lady returns, confirming that everything is good, and I'm all set. This is probably the slickest gadget set-up I have ever experienced. An experience over 5,000 backers of the Bragi Dash are about to enjoy this week. The award-winning wireless fitness-tracking headphones have been a long time coming, but if these first few moments are anything to go by, that wait has been worth it.
Wacom's new stylus gives Windows 2-in-1s Surface-like input
Chances are that if you've picked up a stylus to use with your slate or hyrbid device, Wacom was responsible for the tech. At CES, the company announced its Bamboo Smart stylus for Windows hybrid gadgets. If you prefer a device that offers the comforts of a full laptop keyboard and the perks of a tablet, this new Wacom accessory will handle the pen-like input. What's more, it gives you a similar feel to that of Microsoft's Surface line for $40, rather than having to splurge for a whole new machine. The Bamboo Smart set to go on sale next month.
Dish's Hopper 3 DVR uses 4K to watch four HD games at once
Dish has been pushing its placeshifting and ad-skipping Hopper DVR for a few years now, and now it's ready to unleash the biggest upgrade yet. The Hopper 3 is ready for 4K -- there's already a Joey 4K, introduced last year -- and it has 16 tuners, which should be enough to end channel conflicts forever. Its 4K support is not just there for watching video on-demand downloads, as it also has a "Sports Bar Mode" that lets owners watch four regular HD channels at once on their Ultra HD TV. That way they don't have to reduce resolution at all, and on game day it could come in handy.
Sling TV redesign makes it easy to find your favorite content
Since launching at last year's CES, Sling TV has focused on supporting more devices and expanding its content portfolio. Now, the cord-cutter-friendly service is revealing a major redesign, one that's all about putting your favorite movies and TV shows front and center, rather than fixating on specific network channels. The new myTV tab, for example, lets you easily access your most recently watched programming and other favorited items, which blends nicely with that newly improved guide. Sling TV says the fresh UI boasts is more contextually aware too, as it can adapt to your behavior based on time of day, location and platform you're using.
Samsung's Gear S2 smartwatch will support iOS this year
Samsung will bring iOS support to its Gear S2 smartwatches this year, the company announced at CES today. Samsung Electronics America Vice President of Product Marketing Alanna Cotton delivered the news as documented in our liveblog: "Today, we're excited to share that we will be bringing Gear S2 to iOS later this year!" That's all the information we received on the iOS Gear S2 front, but it's a good place to start.
A closer look at Nikon's beastly D5 DSLR camera
As promised, we managed to take a closer look at the D5, Nikon's new flagship DSLR camera. Although the company didn't let us take any pictures with it (not yet anyway), we were able to pick it up and witness firsthand what it's like to hold it. Spoiler alert: this thing is a beast. It's definitely a heavy device, weighing in at roughly 3 lbs, and you'll know right away it does justice to its $6,500 price tag -- there are few shooters out there that will feel more premium than this one does.
Casio's first smartwatch is an even more rugged G-Shock
Phone makers and start-ups were the first to attempt the modern smartwatch. Then, even more tech companies as well as a trickle of high-end watch makers, testing the water to see if their clientele were in the market for a wrist piece with something more modern than literal clockwork. Now, at a time where cheaper fitness wearables and the Apple Watch seem to have cornered the market, it's Casio's turn. The company reinvented its own basic digital watches years ago when it introduced the G-Shock, and its taking a specialized approach with the WSD-F10: a smart outdoor watch that not only does all things Android Wear, but also has a "timepiece" (or dumbwatch) mode that'll last around a month on a single charge.
Panasonic's Technics revival has a new direct-drive SL-1200
During its CES 2016 press conference, Panasonic took some time out to talk about its new line of Technics turntables. This year it's releasing two versions of a direct-drive model: the limited edition 50th Anniversary Grand Class SL-1200GAE (limited to 1,200 units of course) and a non-limited Grand Class SL-1200G. In these editions, the reborn Technics says it even cured "cogging" with a newly developed coreless motor. There's no word on price, but the turntables should arrive in late 2016.
Huawei's flagship Mate 8 phone goes global, we go hands-on
Huawei earned a new legion of fans after crafting the surprisingly good Nexus 6P, but its new flagship — the Mate 8 — is a drastically different beast. The company announced at its CES press conference that the Mate 8 will get a global launch, but I've been fiddling with the phone for a few days already. I plan to put it through the wringer by using it all the way through the nightmare that is CES, but one thing is clear even after a few days: Huawei knows how to craft a lovely phone. Now, if only its software chops were as good.
