The Coolest Gadgets from CES 2017: Wallpaper TVs, Immersive Gaming and More
As we spend all of our working lives around tech of all kinds it makes sense that we are naturally drawn to new innovations and cool gadgets. Which is why the annual CES Expo, which was just held in Las Vegas, is something we look forward to. Every year companies large and small debut their latest projects for the trade – and the world at large – to see.
The 2017 expo in no way disappointed. Everything was there, from new prototypes of self-driving car to domestic robot assistants to wallpaper thin TVs and convertible laptops.
While we can’t list all of our favorites from CES here right now – there were far too many – here’s a look at some of the new, innovative tech gadgets that we thought were among the coolest.
Razer’s Project Valerie
If you are like us, chances are that you use your laptop to work, to play games and to stream the latest in movie and TV entertainment, as well asleep track of all of your social media activity. If so, then Razer’s Project Valerie may be the laptop upgrade you deserve.
Valerie boasts three screens – a central screen and two foldouts – that are all 17″ 4K beauties. They can be used independently, so that you can work and watch Netflix and keep an eye on Facebook all at the same time, or together to form one giant surround screen. The only downside is that it is quite heavy for a laptop, weighing in at 12 pounds. Still, the extra workout you’ll get when carrying it might do you good!
LG’s OLED TV W – 4K HDR Smart TV
TV’s have been getting bigger, thinner and smarter for some time and LG has always been right at the front of the pack when it comes to new innovation. And the TV they debuted at CES this year did not disappointing. It’s a 77″ marvel that not only boasts an amazing picture thanks to its 4K resolution and HDR capabilities but also stunning sound thanks to new tech from Dolby that builds on their already spectacular Dolby Atmos.
All of this is great but what really caught people’s attention was its slimline profile. And it’s slim, as in it makes the average picture frame look bulky. It’s basically no thicker than a high quality poster and yes, we’re really looking forward to installing some of these when the TV debuts for retail sale later this year.
Razer’s Project Ariana
Razer again, this time with a take on a projector that is truly spectacular if you are a PC gamer who longs for a more immersive gaming experience. Razer’s Chroma Light systems are already well known and much loved and Ariana harnesses it as projector, beaming footage from your gameplay around the room, making use of depth sensing cameras.
As it is still in its final stages of development – Razer hope to get it to market by December 2017 – its functions outside the gaming world are yet to be finalized, but according to the head of marketing when speaking on the trade floor it will offer a way to simply add ambient scenery and light to a room when you want some down time and it will have some level of TV/movie integration as well.
Mattel Aristotle
There were a lot of Alexa inspired voice activated AI assistants at CES this year, but one created by a toy manufacturer may have been the most intriguing. Aristotle is a lot like Alexa but rather than using him to hail an Uber or stock the pantry via Amazon Groceries he’s deigned to be a kids AI and help them perform all manner of tasks.
Aristotle can start life with a child as a video enhanced baby monitor, but from there he can play soothing songs to calm a crying kid, reorder baby supplies like diapers on the fly, and as the child gets older set educational tests, help with homework, teach a new language, play games and more.