Image via Complex Original
After five long (and excruciating) days, the Consumer Electronics Show has finally come to a close. Every major media reporter and wannabe blogger made their way through the Las Vegas Convention Center and caught a glimpse of the future, getting a hands-on demo and previewing some of the hottest gadgets and prototypes in the works. As predicted, 4K televisions, connected home devices, ultramodern gaming hardware, and wearables dominated the headlines. Now the question is: which ones deserve ‘Best of CES’ honors? Having experienced the hottest tech offerings at the expo firsthand, we compiled this collection to put you onto The Best Gadgets From CES 2014. Have your badges ready.
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Vizio Reference Series 120-inch UHD TV
Vizio went from budget-friendly television maker to premium electronics manufacturer the moment it debuted the massively large 120-inch Reference Series Ultra Hi-Def TV. Besides delivering jaw-dropping visuals, the ginormous boob tube comes equipped with a 5.1 sound bar and 10-inch wireless subwoofer, transforming your living room into a theater-esque environment. Nothing else to say except we want one.
Oculus Crystal Cove Prototype
Virtual reality stole the show with Oculus’ latest 3D headset leading the forefront. Boasting a number of upgrades, the Crystal Cove carries an external camera and positional markers capable of tracking position depth to kill motion blur. The new OLED display promotes some incredible visuals and is beyond sharper than the graphics previous experienced on the first-gen Rift, too. And it's only in the prototype phase.
Pebble Steel Smartwatch
For the second year in a row, Pebble dominated the smartwatch field as it introduced a more premium version of the popular hi-tech timepiece. The Steel comes draped in a stainless steel design and Corning Gorilla Glass panel with oleophobic coating that blocks fingerprints. Pebble’s also managed to improve battery performance, boosting vitality to last anywhere near five to seven days. Once the company launches its official app store later this year, consider the smartwatch game a wrap for 2014.
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Razer Christine Modular PC
The same way Apple reinvented the desktop with the cylindrical Mac Pro, Razer’s determined to do on the gaming rig end. Its insanely designed. high-end gaming machine is built to plug and play all types of modules, donning an attractive metal chassis that holds a central rack to hold plug-in components. The company has a vision of Project Christine storing Blu-ray drives, graphics, processors, RAM, speakers, along with a visual LED control and maintenance modules. Hopefully the full vision can come to fruition.
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Essence
Danish high-end audio firm Bang & Olufsen made noise with its miniature sound system, presenting a one button-touch solution for controlling music playback instantly. Audiophiles can stream their libraries from multiple sources such as the cloud, PCs, and portable devices. Just based off looks alone: Who wouldn’t want this beauty mounted on their living or bedroom wall?
LG Lifeband Touch
In terms of fitness bands, LG managed to impress us most with the Fuelband-inspired Lifeband Touch. The health tracker boasts an attractive touch-enabled OLED display that delivers notifications and biometric data, with the latter recording physical activity through a series of enhanced sensors. The fact that it’s also compatible with other workout apps, RunKeeper and MyFitness to name a few, is a huge plus.
RELATED: The Hottest Wearable Tech at CES 2014
Sony 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector
A show dominated by 4K televisions was bound to produce a projector variant. Sony jumped at the opportunity to showcase its film-screening prototype, designed to resemble a piece of luxury furniture and sit on any surface. A 1.6x power zoom makes room to display UHD images between the 66 and 147-inch size range. Sony claims the device will feature 3D compatibility and several content-streaming apps including Netflix and the company’s Video Unlimited 4K download service as well.
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
The latest addition to the Galaxy Note tablet series is huge in size and extensive productivity. Bearing a 12.2-inch display generating 2560x1600 resolution at 247pp, the Note Pro appeals to those seeking massive screen real estate and PC-like multitasking performance, alongside a bevy of dominate specs powering the entire experience. The corporate and creative crowds should keep it on their radar.
Parrot MiniDrone
Parrot’s managed to bring out our inner child over the past years with its awesome collection of RC drones. The manufacturer’s latest creation is no exception. Inspired by the popular AR.Drone, this mini-quadrocopter can fly past rooms at an impressive pace and offers solid balance control via its iPhone app. Oh yeah, the MiniDrone can also be operated using the smartphone’s accelerometer to change directions on the fly. Note to Santa, you can leave this under our Christmas tree.
JBL Authentics L16 Speaker
Retro style meets modern sound as JBL introduces the expo's hottest sound system in the form of the Authentics Wireless Speaker. The noise blaster features original aesthetics like real wood and metal, while integrating Harman's Signal Doctor technology—taking low-quality digital music files and enhancing the details absent in compression—producing and packing an amazing sound stage into a gorgeous design. The Authentics supports a variety of wireless options including AirPlay, DNLA, and Bluetooth.
LG G Flex
The Wolverine of smartphones turned heads when announced late last year because of its self-healing capabilities and curved display. LG’s upcoming flagship mobile earns praise for its strides in engineering, bringing forth a handset that can erase scratches and be bent to a small degree without breaking. The 6-inch, 720p OLED panel produces some sweet viewing angles, plus Qualcomm's benchmark-crushing 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800 chip and other features carried over from the LG G2 give it some leverage as the 2014 smartphone wars heat up heading into Mobile World Congress this February.
Samsung 85-inch Bending TV
When it comes to product trends, Samsung stands out as one of the lead innovators in the game. Last year's stunningly designed curved OLED TV speaks for itself. This time the company upped the ante on form and functionality, offering up what it calls the "Bendable TV"—an 85-inch curved one at that. Through the click of a button, any viewer can convert the screen from curved to flat and vice versa. We expect next year's model to turn into a Transformer and break down during Samsung's keynote.
Asus Transformer Book Duet
Dual-OS devices have been in the works for a minute, though Asus hit the finish line first with its Android 4.1 and Windows 8.1-operated convertible. The Transformer Book Duet runs Google’s operating system and can switch over to Microsoft’s popular software when docked with a keyboard, though you can switch systems at the touch of a button. Other goods include a speedy Intel Core i3 or i7 processor with 1366x768, 1080p display, 128GB SSD, and up to a 1TB hard drive.
Dish Hopper Super Joey
Seems like every year Dish announces a new DVR system at CES. And like every year, the latest model proves to be the best downloadble video recorder the market has to offer. Which brings us to the Super Joey—the company's latest DVR that can record up to 8 shows at a time in conjunction with its Hopper service. That's pretty much a night's worth of NBA games.
Intel Edison
Everyone in attendance during Intel’s keynote practically left with jaw lock after seeing its SD card-sized computer. The Edison chip runs on Linux and includes a dual-core CPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and an integrated app store. That’s ridiculous. Intel plans on launching the 400MHz computer board in “the middle of 2014” with hopes of inspiring creators to enhance hardware products across all ways of life. We just imagine its powering capabilities on a smartwatch, primarily the company's recently shown prototype.