Tool Reviews

The CES exhibition in Las Vegas ended recently, leaving all fans of technology impressed by the many new products.

This is the first major exhibition of the year, and as usual, not all devices featured here will be a real success with the public.

After reviewing the reviews and ratings of each of the presented devices, we have collected some of the most interesting ones that have potential on the market.

1. HTC Vive Pro

Vive Pro is a new step in the line of VR headsets from HTC. It is surprising in it and how much and favorably it differs from its predecessor, and how far the technology itself has advanced. Now Vive Pro has two OLED displays with an increased resolution of 2880×1600 and 615dpi. Plus, the headset now includes headphones.

I must say that all these characteristics already set the direction for the rest, but for now it is safe to say that if you want a quality VR experience, then the HTC Vive Pro is definitely the product to look at.

The helmet is still wired, but according to the manufacturer, some time after the appearance on the market of the Vive Pro itself, it will also be possible to transfer it to wireless control. In order to appreciate it, of course, you have to wait.

In terms of its design, the Vive remains true to its classic appearance, and is distinguished only by the presence of additional cameras on the front panel. Nothing is yet known about the purpose of these cameras, but the announcement, according to representatives, will appear later (although a guess suggests itself). The price is also unknown, and for many VR fans this can play a major role when choosing a helmet.

In any case, while the HTC Vive Pro has managed to surprise and not disappoint.

2. Lenovo Miix 630

Lenovo’s brand new and completely unique Windows 10 S tablet is the Miix 630. Powered by the Snapdragon 835, this tablet brings Windows tablets back to the mainstream.

What is immediately worth noting is that the tablet was presented in a complete set with a keyboard case with a stylus mount. And all accessories are included in the starter kit. This is a decisive step, which most of the competing manufacturers will not dare to answer.

The display has a diagonal of 12.3 inches and, of course, is covered with Gorilla Glass. The GPU that powers the Lenovo Miix is ​​Adreno 540 graphics.

Specifications include 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, upgradable to 8GB/256GB.

The price of the device is still under wraps.

At 1.33kg, Lenovo’s tablet weighs 1.33kg, and given that it functions almost like a laptop, it’s a great portable alternative for even the most comfortable netbooks.

The included Bluetooth keyboard provides fast response times and is generally the best experience. Manufacturers promise up to 20 hours of battery life and of course an LTE modem, which so far is almost the best on the market.

As for the rest of the specifications, we have yet to reveal them when the tablet goes on sale.

3. Lenovo Mirage Solo

Lenovo has quite a few devices on display at the show, but one of the most impressive is perhaps the Lenovo Mirage Solo, a Google Daydream device without the need for a smartphone to use VR. All that is required is only the Mirage Solo.

What is especially interesting, World Sense technology allows you to move in the virtual world almost the same as in the real one. What allows the device to work autonomously? The presence inside it is practically a flagship smartphone, that is, all the stuffing is built right into the Mirage Solo.

The helmet is completely and comfortably adjusted to any size, and on the head it sits very comfortably and tightly. On the front, there are two cameras that could be designed to combine VR and AR experiences. But the likelihood that they will be used for shooting is much higher. There is a remote control included with the device, which is necessary for interactions with objects inside the game.

Mirage Solo runs on Snapdragon 835, has 4GB of RAM and Daydream OS.

Nothing to add, the device is ready to work with the latest VR applications and games right out of the box.

4. Lenovo Mirage camera

There were almost no cameras as such at CES, after all, photo producers prefer other events, but this does not mean that the market leaders had nothing to boast of at all. The unexpected novelty again came from Lenovo and turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Supporting the trend towards the development of virtual reality, the company introduced a VR camera capable of shooting video for VR. All along, it appears that Google has been working with major manufacturers to ensure that VR180 technology is widely available.

Lenovo Mirage is not the only camera of its kind, we expect a counterpart from Yi Technology to appear later.

The camera from Lenovo includes two 13MP fisheye cameras, with a shooting angle of 180×180 degrees. You can take both photos and videos. Unlike the Yi camera, Lenovo doesn’t have a display on the back, but comes with an app that lets you watch Live-View from your smartphone.

Already last year, by the way, Youtube announced support for VR180, but due to the lack of appropriate cameras, things didn’t really go beyond the announcement. Now the situation finally has a chance to change. We can only wait for the release of devices.

5. LG ThinQ

Much has been said about how the year began with two main themes – VR and smart assistants. LG introduced a lot of products in the second area, one of which was the LG ThinQ smart speaker. While so many have focused on smart display technology for the home, LG has chosen to fill in the gaps in audio with the smart home speaker. So, maybe she’s all the same as any home assistant – play music, run errands and answer questions.

What is especially noted by the manufacturers themselves, the speaker’s premium sound will provide excellent quality when playing files in lossless format, since it has built-in Meridian Audio technology. At a minimum, we are promised better sound than Google Home.

In general, LG has paid a lot of attention to the audio field in 2018, later this year we will see announcements of the SK10Y soundbar, PK series Bluetooth speakers, new headphones and, interestingly, entire party systems that include karaoke, lighting schemes and more. Well, let’s see.

6. Garmin Forerunner 645

The first watch from Garmin that allows you to listen to music offline from your smartphone. Now you do not need to take your smartphone for a run to fully enjoy the music and freedom. But is there really something new in this?

I must say that despite the wild popularity of the Apple Watch and, in particular, the battery life, we have not yet seen such a successful combination of smartwatch and fitness tracker.

Garmin focuses on fitness features while ensuring compatibility with a variety of devices.

For example, if you want to go to the store on the run, you can use Apple Pay, Android Pay, and FitBit pay.

The design of the watch combines retro features with modern features. That is, it is not just a fashionable device, but quite a classic round watch with a stylish metal frame.

Of course, the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is suitable not only for running, but also for cycling, swimming, etc. There will also be a version of the watch without the ability to listen to music, as for prices, they still vary between $540 for Music and $475 for the budget version.

7. Sony headphones WF-SP700N

Definitely, quickly and simply, we will not remember this name, but this does not make the headphones themselves less attractive. The new wireless headphones from Sony are perfect for sports, music and more.

Headphones WF-SP700N have a bright and, I must say, attractive design. They are presented in four colors.

The first thing worth noting is a rather convenient fastening that prevents the earpiece from falling out; a silicone hook has even been specially added for this.

Later, the headphones will be equipped with Google Assistant support, which is quite natural, but the ability to suppress ambient noise is really impressive and pleasantly surprising.

The kit also includes a stylish charging case of a very small size and matching in color with the headphones themselves.

Perhaps the Sony WF-SP700N is perfect for those who are afraid of losing their wireless headphones, since the company has followed all the precautions.

8. Vivo

The Chinese-made Vivo smartphone may not have surprised anyone in itself, but it certainly secured its place in history by showing us all a long-awaited technology – a fingerprint scanner built right into the screen. It’s worth noting right away that this finally and irrevocably brings us to the era of smartphones without a screen border, and manufacturers can save time and money by not trying to find a new convenient place for the sensor.

The production of the sensor itself is the merit of Synaptics. In fact, the sensor illuminates the finger and reads the information. So far, the processor recognizes 300 different key fingerprint characteristics.

Of course, you can expect the appearance of this feature primarily on premium devices, its production is still expensive, but it may well create competition for Face ID, certainly in terms of price.

9. DJI Osmo 2

   

   The favorite device of vloggers is back updated and improved. Relieving us of the hassle of chasing and improving optical stabilizers built into our smartphone cameras, DJI offers 3-axis stabilization for your videos, suppressing shake and compensating for movement.

   Tracking objects in motion, creating moving timelapses and hyperlapses – all this allows us to DJI Osmo 2. In addition, the device now weighs much less, and in itself has become more practical. This applies to both the outer case and the built-in parts and chassis.

   So, everyone who fell in love with DJI Osmo now has a great opportunity to try the new product. Already on January 23, it will be possible to pre-order in the Apple Store.

   10. Vuzix Blade

   

   Many people say that Vuzix Blade is exactly what Google Glass should have become at one time. However, at that time the glasses were considered uncomfortable and quickly disappeared from the market. Today, a new player has appeared on the market – Vuzix Blade.

   These are really glasses in the usual sense, but equipped with a DLP projector that displays images in full color. Outwardly, the glasses look quite ordinary.

   The glasses are equipped with an integrated processor and their own adapted version of Android, an 8MP camera, 4GB of internal memory, a microSD slot, a WiFi module, a microphone and a touchpad. That is, the device is completely autonomous.

   The main goal, according to representatives, was to make the glasses comfortable, in which they, perhaps, succeeded.

   The Vuzix Blade has a lot of functions, you can check the weather, you can control smart home devices, etc.

   So far, Vuzix Blade is at the demo stage, but we can already say with confidence that this is a very successful and promising device.