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Tech NewsCESThese Are the Wearables That Stood Out at CES 2021
Usually, when people think of wearables, their mind conjures an image of a smartwatch. Fair! But at CES, wearables are a much, much broader category. They include everything from “hearables” and smart rings, to futuristic proof of concept devices that may never actually see the light of day. While CES 2021 was an all-digital experience, … Continued
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Tech NewsCESIntel Just Quietly Launched Its New Phantom Canyon NUC 11 Lineup
Intel focused much of its time at this year’s virtual CES on its new desktop and mobile processors, as well as spotlighting the laptops that will feature its new hardware debuting in the next few months. But what didn’t get much attention was Intel’s line of mini PCs, or NUCs, and NUC kits. Intel’s giving … Continued
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Tech NewsCESFender’s Tiny Personal Amp Could Recreate Classic Tones
Portable or practice amps are a guitarist’s best friend. These tiny devices usually plug right into your guitar and let you listen to the audio without waking the neighbors or the baby in the next room. Fender, for its part, has made it easier to get great tone out of a box the size of … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsCESThe MagSafe PopSocket May Have Convinced Me That MagSafe Is Good (Maybe)
Apple introduced a new version of its classic MagSafe charging technology, previously used in MacBooks, with the iPhone 12. It works a little differently in the iPhone than it does in a laptop: a circular array of magnets embedded in back of the phone enables it to snap to a compatible accessory. It could be … Continued
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Tech NewsCESTurtle Beach Acquires Wacky Microphone Maker In Bid to Enter Podcasting Market
Turtle Beach, a maker of popular gaming headsets, has acquired Neat Microphones, a company that made waves with its unique-looking microphones for broadcasters and podcasters. Originally launched by musical instrument manufacturer Gibson, Neat’s Widget microphone line looked like something Jessica Rabbit would sing into in Toontown. Founded by the co-founder of Blue Microphones Skipper Wise, … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsCESMSI Says the Stealth 15M Is the Now the Thinnest Gaming Laptop in the World
Look, there’s nothing wrong with big, beastly 17-inch gaming monsters, but for my money, I like a gaming notebook that can balance performance and portability, and the MSI Stealth 15M has just taken that principle to a whole new level. Featuring an all-aluminum build measuring just 16mm thick (0.62-inches) and weighing 3.7 pounds, the Stealth … Continued
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Tech NewsCESThis Nifty Strap Lets You Control the Apple Watch With Gestures
Controlling an object with a hand gesture sounds more like Jedi wizardry than a real-life possibility. But after watching a CES 2021 demo of the Mudra Brand, I have to admit that perhaps this tech isn’t as far-fetched or gimmicky as I previously thought. The Mudra Band looks pretty much like any smartwatch band would, … Continued
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Tech NewsCESGoPro Just Dropped a Crap-Ton of Experimental Features for Its Cameras
Usually when a company introduces new features or updates for an existing gadget, they tend to be a bit…lacking. You may get one small update, two or three if you’re lucky. Well, buckle up GoPro fans: Today, the company is launching seven new experimental features, because why the hell not? The new features are available … Continued
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Tech NewsCESThe Lasso Robot Wants to Make Recycling at Home Easier
Recycling is important but it’s also a pain. Separating glass from plastic from paper isn’t a terrible task but what wouldn’t it be nicer if a robot did it instead? That’s why one inventor built the Lasso, a robot that claims to accept, indentify, and prepare recycling for proper reuse. Creator Aldous Hicks built the … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsCESThe Trova Is a Bluetooth-Powered Lockbox That Actually Looks Good
Folks with kids or other snoops in the house will appreciate the Trova Home. This $550 box can be opened with your phone via Bluetooth, wifi, or NFC and is designed to look like an art piece. Which is a nice change of pace from the ones that look like they should be left in … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsCESRazer’s Wild Gaming Chair and Smart Mask Are Concept Gadgets Designed to Battle the Woes of 2021
It just wouldn’t be CES (even a virtual one) without a couple far-out concept gadgets from Razer, and this year the company has dreamed up two devices designed to combat some of 2021’s biggest issues in the most Razer way possible. For people who have been largely stuck at home for the better part of … Continued
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Tech NewsCESNordicTrack Is Making Its Own Connected Fitness Mirror
At-home fitness is having a moment due to the global pandemic, and connected gym equipment makers are struggling to keep up with demand. While you probably know NordicTrack best for its treadmills, the company is launching one of a smart workout mirrors—sort of like the Lululemon-owned Mirror, but with a slight twist. The NordicTrack Vault … Continued
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Tech NewsCESAsus Revealed a New 2-in-1 Gaming Laptop, and I’m Like Whoa
Asus’ ROG line of gaming laptops have always stood out thanks to their flashy RGB lighting and aggressive aesthetic. Asus isn’t afraid to try something new, either. Last year, it released the well-received ROG Zephyrus G14, one of the first ROG gaming laptops powered by an AMD processor, as well all the Zephyrus Duo 15, … Continued
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Tech NewsCESRazer’s Refreshed 15 and 17-inch Blades Are Getting New Screens and Faster GPUs for 2021
At first glance, Razer’s refreshed line of 15-inch Blade and 17-inch Blade Pro laptops might not look much different than last year’s models, but inside is a different story—this year we get faster displays and GPUs, along with a subtly revamped design. Starting with the 15-inch Blade and Blade Advanced, Razer is looking to give … Continued
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Tech NewsCESThe Revamped m17 R4 Is Alienware’s First Laptop with a 360Hz Display
While Alienware hasn’t given its gaming laptops a full overhaul for 2021, like other gaming laptop makers the company is kicking off the year by refreshing its 15 and 17-inch notebooks with new Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs. The larger m17 R4 is also getting a huge display upgrade that could make it the laptop for … Continued
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Tech NewsCESNvidia’s Ray Tracing 30-Series GPUs Are Coming to Laptops
Like clockwork, Nvidia announced this morning that its wildly fast discrete desktop graphics will be coming to laptops everywhere in the months ahead. This probably surprised no one, as Nvidia always has the same GPUs on laptops, but if the popular reception of its RTX 30-series desktop cards were any indication, these are the graphics … Continued
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Tech NewsCESAMD’s Excellent Ryzen 5000 Series Is Coming to Laptops
AMD’s Ryzen series of CPUs seem to be getting better with every iteration, and the Ryzen 5000 series launched in the fall of 2020 was perhaps the most impressive series yet. And now it’s coming to laptops. At the very weird all-digital CES, AMD CEO Lisa Su announced a new portfolio of Ryzen 5000 mobile … Continued
Alex Cranz & Joanna Nelius -
Tech NewsCESYou May Soon Be Able to Measure Blood Pressure From Your Finger
Wearable devices have become more sophisticated in recent years, with the ability to track everything from abnormal heart rates and atrial fibrillation to stress and even blood oxygen levels. However, monitoring blood pressure is a challenge for a wrist-worn device. Wearable components maker Valencell says it’s figured out how to measure blood pressure using photoplethysmography … Continued
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Tech NewsCESThis Ugly Little Ultrasound Device Could Tell You When You Have to Pee
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 25 million Americans suffer from some form of incontinence. In many cases, patients dealing with incontinence can’t feel bladder fullness, resulting in accidents. A device called the DFree is an ultrasound sensor that hopes to solve that. The DFree has been around since 2019 but the … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsCESThis Kitchen Garden System Adds Microgreens (and Alexa) To Your Lockdown Diet
When it comes to indoor gardening you basically have to go big or go home. Anyone who has started seedlings in the kitchen and hoped to get some basil or thyme out of the process knows that it’s easy to get a sprout but hard to get a plant. Chicago-based Rise Gardens hopes to change … Continued
By John Biggs