The Most Promising and Exciting Tech at CES 2021
As with most things during the pandemic, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the biggest tech trade show, went virtual this year. What hasn’t changed, though, is the number of new gadgets being shown for the first time. We watched hundreds of announcements and unveilings to find the most intriguing pieces of tech, from new health devices designed to help keep us safer to gaming laptops with more immersive graphics.
A Standalone Security Sensor
If you want to invest in home security, but don’t want to fully bring your house into the Internet of Things (and tempt the potential security risks that come along with that), there’s Alarm.com’s Flex IO. It’s a battery-powered sensor that works anywhere there’s an LTE signal, not Wi-Fi like most security systems. The Flex’s most promising application is in sheds and other outdoor structures—areas that may be outside of your home’s Wi-Fi range. To hold up in those conditions, it’s weatherproof. Plus, it comes with a cable that you can loop around, say, the handle of an expensive riding lawn mower if all you want to keep track of is one item. If someone opens a gate or moves a tool, you receive a push notification from the Alarm.com mobile app.
The Flex IO is available now for $130.
A Versatile Gaming Monitor
Video games have been a welcome respite during this time of social distancing. And gamers should take notice of LG’s new UltraGear 27GP950. The 27-inch monitor boasts 4K graphics, a high refresh rate of 144 Hz, and (most notably) HDMI 2.1. This UltraGear is one of several monitors rolling out this year that support that connection, and it means even better performance for the latest generation of consoles, as well as PCs. LG also promises that the monitor’s Nano IPS display will produce colors that pop. Alas, we don’t have word yet on when the 27GP950 or its fellow UltraGear monitors will go on sale or what it will cost.
A Giant Automotive Touchscreen
Whether or not you prefer knobs and buttons, the way of the future for dashboards seems to be touchscreens. And Mercedes-Benz has gone all in with the 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen. It will appear in the EQS electric sedan, which the carmaker will start production on late this year. Mercedes says that it built “context-sensitive awareness” into the displays, so it will automatically bring up the most relevant menus and displays based on the driving situation. That could be a prompt to make a call if the driver tends to ring the same person at the same time on certain days. The screen itself, in the passenger and center displays, is OLED, for high contrast and brightness.
Now, if all this tech works in the way Mercedes promises, and relieves some of the pain points with existing touchscreen displays in cars (read: tapping through too many menus trying to find the one screen you need while keeping your eyes on the road), it could be the most intuitive digital dashboard yet. And at the very least, there are no knobs or dials to break. Though, yes, it does get hot—it needs two physical fans at the ends to keep it cool.
An Antimicrobial Backpack
In this past year, we’ve become hyper-aware of how germ-infested public places can be, particularly offices where some of us would, under normal conditions, spend most of our waking hours. This week, Targus announced several products designed to reduce your chances of taking some of those microbial maladies home with you. The 2Office backpack has a silver-ion treatment (which is imbued during the dye process and permanent) that prevents the microbes from replicating. Keep in mind that this does not include COVID-19. Other than that, it’s a capable—albeit heavy—backpack that can accommodate a lot of gear and accessories, including a small monitor. It clamshells open for easy access, and the internal suspended laptop sleeve keeps computers secure. Modular external compartments let you customize the storage on the front of the 2Office, while a built-in rain cover keeps any delicate electronics safe from precipitation.
The 2Office backpack goes on sale this spring for $199.99.
Better (And Hopefully Still Affordable) TVs
TCL does a good job balancing capability and price in its TVs, and we’ve recognized its 6-Series in particular as one of the best values available. Now, while we don’t yet know the pricing, the brand announced this week that it’s upgrading the 6-Series in 2021 to 8K resolution, up from 4K. (For anyone concerned about the lingering lack of 8K content out there, the 4K versions will still be on sale.) The brand has built in its AiPQ engine, which can take 4K content and upgrade it to higher quality for better viewing. If TCL’s track record with pricing is anything to go on, it’s good to see 8K coming to a potentially more affordable tier of TVs. More accessible screens with the tech will ideally spur the creation of more content built specifically for it.
A Burly Smart Plug For Outdoor Appliances
Another IoT device optimized for outdoor use, Caseta’s Outdoor Smart Plug has a hardy shell. It’s rated IP65, enough to hold up when the sky dumps snow or rain, and it can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from -4 to 140 degrees. Like timers you’d install on certain light fixtures inside, you can set the Smart Plug to turn lights (or other outdoor electronics) on or off on a schedule. You can operate the plug via the company’s own app, but it’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit if you’re already hooked up to a smart home network.
The Outdoor Smart Plug is slated to go on sale in March for $80.
Broader, Faster Wi-Fi (and a Router to Access It)
Where Wi-Fi was once limited to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, we now have an additional band with which to stream, game, and generally use the internet: 6 GHz. This means that, after the Federal Communications Commission voted this past year to open up the additional bandwidth, there should be less congestion causing slow speeds when you have many routers in a single area competing for the limited signal.
And we’re now seeing many new devices roll out that take advantage of this newly opened spectrum. The AXE8400 from Linksys is one of them. The mesh router system has access to all three of the Wi-Fi bands, and the company says each node can cover up to 3,000 square feet. It should be able to handle download speeds of up to 8.4 gigabytes per second and as many as 65 devices running off of it at the same time, making a workhorse of a router.
Linksys will start selling the AXE8400 this spring or summer, with prices starting at $449.99 for one node.
A Drone From the Leading Camera Maker
For several years, Sony has been producing the best full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market, the Alpha line. Now, it’s now built its own drone to carry those cameras. The Airpeak is a quadcopter that Sony says is the smallest drone that can tote an Alpha, according to CNET. Other than that and the video the company released this week to unveil the drone, we don’t know much about the Airpeak, like a release date or price. But time will tell if it’s able to compete with DJI—which makes compatible drone camera mounts for Sony Alpha cameras—and break its stranglehold on the market.
A Graphics Update to a Proven Gaming Laptop
Sometimes a brand announces an update to an existing product that doesn’t have that one eye-grabbing spec to wow you, but its quiet improvements put together are impressive. Razer’s Blade 15 is one of those updates. Made for gamers, the laptop (in its Advanced version) supports 1440p and a high refresh rate through Nvidia RTX 3000-series graphics chips. The design is much the same except that every Blade will have an HDMI 2.1 output for plugging into a monitor or TV. Other connectivity options vary based on which tier of the Blade you buy. The laptops also retain their 10th Gen Comet Lake Intel processors.
You can pre-order the Base edition starting at $1,699.99 and the Advanced starting at $2,499.99 for shipping later this month or next.
A Laptop For the Way We Work Now
HP announced a slew of new tech this week, but what has us most intrigued is its Envy 14 laptop. It has smart functions for the new virtual mode of work, such as dedicated buttons to shutter its camera and turn off its microphone while you’re on video calls. The camera even turns red when it’s off for quick visual confirmation. And it has a system called AI Noise Removal to cut down on ambient sound. Those features aside, its spec list is impressive: Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, 16.5 hours of battery life, an 11th Gen Core i5 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and (per the name) 14 inches of screen real estate.
The Envy 15 is on sale now for $999.99.
A New Kind of Smart Lock
Den’s SmartStrike is for those who prefer to not change out the entire handle of their door when getting a smart lock. As the name implies, this replaces the strike plate in the door frame, so you can leave in your existing handle and deadbolt. (It might require some carving out of the door frame though, since the SmartStrike is chunkier than a traditional strike plate.) Once it’s in, it communicates with Android and iOS phones to unlock as you (or others you designate) approach. The SmartStrike will then release the deadbolt to let you or them through. It’s also compatible with other smart home platforms.
CNET reports that the SmartStrike will go on sale for $229 late this year or early 2022.
A Portable Air Purifier
Along with other appliances, air purifiers took on new importance in 2020. And the Luft Duo by LuftQi looks to be a smart, convenient model for people who want to improve the air quality of small spaces up to 240 square feet. Rather than disposable filters, it uses a washable one, saving some cash down the line on replacements. And it purifies via UV LEDs—not a novel approach among the air purifiers on the market—and recharges through USB-C. Plus, it doesn’t look half bad and shouldn’t appear out of place on a desk or nightstand.
An Intelligent Water-Monitoring System
Slow leaks can be one of the issues with a home that’s hardest to catch, which is why we appreciate Moen’s Flo system. It’s comprised of sensors, a water shutoff device, and a sump pump monitor, which work together to help you keep tabs on the state of the pipes and water flow in your home and, in some cases, address it right away. Stick the detectors anywhere, and they’ll send an alert to your phone if they pick up any water outside of the pipes. If they do, and you need to turn the water off immediately, that’s where the shutoff device comes in. It installs on the water lines going into the house and gives you the ability to close the system from your phone. (You can also set it to automatically close the valve.) The device also tracks things like flow rate, pressure, and temperature. The newest addition to the system—and the one that Moen announced this week—is the sump pump monitor. This is for homeowners who live in particularly flood-prone areas or are worried about the water backing up into their basements.
The detectors and shutoff device are on sale now, but the sump pump monitor will go on sale late this year, with the price still TBD.
A Device-Controlling Smart Ring
Even if you fall into the camp of people that bring their phones on their runs with them, you’ll likely agree that fishing it out of your pocket when you want to change the music or log a lap time is annoying. If so, you’ll appreciate the ArcX Sport Ring. Wear the silicone remote control on a finger and you can use the joystick on it to operate a variety of Bluetooth-enabled devices, like an action camera or smartwatch, in addition to a phone. You set the specific controls through an app, and ArcX says the ring holds enough charge for five days of use. And, given it’s meant to be easily accessible and sometimes exposed to the elements, it’s rated IP67 for water- and dust-resistance.
According to Engadget, the ring will go on sale in May for $99.
A Refreshed Bolt
According to Chevy’s CES video, the 2022 Bolt will have GM’s exceptional semi-autonomous driving system. Unlike other cars that require you to keep a hand on the wheel, GM’s Super Cruise lets you go hands-free at speed—a camera mounted on the steering column makes sure you’re watching the road, ready to intervene, while exterior sensors and road data keep the car going where it’s supposed to. We’ve tested Super Cruise in the Cadillac CT6, and were astounded at how sci-fi it felt. The integration across the GM line is welcome, especially here. The Bolt is a quietly great electric car—250-plus miles of range for close to $30,000 after tax credits. But it could never match the Tesla Model 3’s tech or brand charisma. This update at least helps with half of that.
The new Bolt will go into production this summer.
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