1. HP Envy IPS Monitor
Hewlett-Packard will be MIA on the CES show floor, but the PC
maker did make an appearance at Pepcom's Digital Experience event to
flaunt some of
its latest and greatest.
One piece of eye candy in HP's lineup was the new Envy 27-inch IPS
Monitor, a display claimed by the company to be the "world's first" with
integrated Beats by Dr. Dre speakers. The built-in speakers are tilted
at a slight upward angle, a design detail HP said delivers top-notch
frequencies and a booming bass.
The "IPS" tag in the display's name stands for "In-Plane Switching"
technology, which lets the monitor be tilted horizontally or vertically
at a 178-degree angle. HP's new Envy IPS, which will starting shipping
Feb. 3 for $500, is also complete with edge-to-edge glass, and a thin,
0.5-inch frame.
2. Samsung Series 7 Chronos Laptop
Samsung seriously set up shop at Monday's Pepcom event,
showcasing three tables' worth of new products, including its new Series
7 Chronos notebook.
Aimed largely at enterprise users, the new Series 7 Chronos is a
touch-enabled notebook, equipped with Windows 8 and a full 1,920 x 1,080
HD display. It packs an Intel quad-core processor, up to 16 GB of
memory, and up to 1 TB of storage.
Business-specific features include RAMaccelerator, a new software
solution Samsung said provides up to a 150 percent increase in Web
browsing and runtime speeds, along with an impressive 11.5-hour battery
life, ideal for those longer-than-expected work days. Pricing and
availability details for the new Series 7 Chronos are still under wraps.
3. Acer Iconia B1
Surprisingly, Acer was one the few Pepcom-goers to tout a stand-alone tablet, showcasing its new entry-level Iconia B1.
With a compact, 7-inch screen, the Iconia B1 can be used easily with one
hand, allowing users to comfortably peruse its Andriod Jelly Bean 4.1
OS. Under the hood is a Mediatek dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 8 GB of
internal memory, with USB 2.0 and micro-USB ports also intact. The
Iconia B1 touts a unique design composed of triangular corners and
bright blue accents.
Acer's latest tablet is also pretty svelte, weighing just 0.7 pounds and
measuring 0.4 inches thick. No official word on pricing or availability
yet, but Acer did tease that the Iconia B1 would boast a price tag of
$150 or less.
4. Sony Xperia Z
Slated to launch globally sometime during the first quarter, the new
Xperia Z is fueled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor,
includes a 13-megapixel camera, and supports the latest 4G LTE networks.
According to Sony, it has "all the specifications expected from a
premium smartphone.
5. Samsung F8000 Smart TV
Soon to be available in display sizes up to 75 inches, Samsung's new
F8000 is an LED Smart TV that provides a Full HD resolution, along with
support for 3-D use. It's said by Samsung to be one of the world's
first LED TVs with a quad-core processor, a distinction that lets the
F8000 provide faster Web browsing and app-to-app toggling than its
competitors
6. Asus Qube
Asus has cooked up a slick way to make your dumb TV smart. The Qube is a
set-top box that effectively turns the connected tv into a Google TV.
That gives users access to more than 100,000 shows on Amazon, Google
Play, Netflix, YouTube, HBO Go and others. The Qube comes with a QWERTY
remote that will also accept gesture and voice commands.
7. Asus Transformer All-in-One
This is a huge leap for Asus's Transformer line of computers. This
all-in-one has an 18.4-inch 1,080p IPS display and a huge trick up its
sleeve. The monitor detaches, effectively becoming a monstrous slate
equipped with its own battery, a Tegra 3 processor and Android Jelly
Bean. When docked, it gains access to the Core i5 (or i7) processor in
the dock and utilizes Windows 8. Even better, using Splashtop software,
the tablet can still use Windows 8 when in Wi-Fi range of the dock
itself. Prices will start at $1,299
8. Synaptics ThinTouch
Synaptics has been working on the ThinTouch keyboard for quite some time
now, but going hands-on with it was a treat. The new keyboard, destined
for laptops, is even thinner than that of the MacBook Air. Synaptics
achieves this through a rather ingenuous mechanical move. Think of
tapping a key on your keyboard, it moves straight down. That's the
travel of your key. The ThinTouch travels diagonally, shaving the
distance it must travel and resulting in a thinner keyboard.
9. Toshiba Mini 3D Sound Bar
Toshiba has had a quality line of audio products for some
years now. It's now expanding the line downward with Mini 3D Sound Bar.
This Bluetooth speaker looks to compete with products such as the
Jawbone Jambox and other popular and diminutive speakers. One way it
will compete is with connectivity. Toshiba's offering has analog and
digital inputs alongside the Bluetooth option. In a pleasant surprise,
the speaker slots in at $179, $20 below Jawbone's category-leading
option
10. HP U160
Despite the utterly lame name, the U160 will act as a
practical and portable solution for those looking for a dual-monitor
solution on the go. The U160 is a USB-powered, 15.6-inch monitor. The
resolution is nothing to write home about at 1,366 x 768, but for the
purpose of a second monitor, it would get the job done. Conveniently,
the device has a folding solution that is reminiscent of an iPad Smart
Cover. The U160 will launch this month at the rather attractive price of
$179.
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