Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

The ASUS AirVision M1 glasses give you big virtual screens in a travel-friendly package

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At CES 2024, ASUS seems to have taken people by surprise with the announcement of its AirVision M1 glasses, with some viewing it as an alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro headset. But I discovered that ASUS’ glasses are much more of a novel alternative to portable monitors than something meant for spatial computing. 


The big difference between the AirVision M1 glasses and something like the Vision Pro or even Xreal’s Air 2 Ultras is that it doesn’t really support anything in the way of interactive AR. Sure, the glasses are able to project your desktop or multiple windows into space, but it needs to be tethered to a nearby device and doesn’t recognize hand gestures or other virtual objects. 

A (somewhat blurry) look at the MicroLED displays inside the ASUS AirVision M1 glasses
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose betwe

en a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

During my first demo, I used the AirVision M1s while tethered to a laptop, in which it behaved almost exactly like having a bit floating desktop that appeared to be hovering six feet in front of me. At first, the virtual displays were a little blurry, but after a short adjustment period and some time dialing in my IPD (interpupillary distance), I was pleasantly surprised by how sharp everything looked. When compared to something like Sightful Spacetop, which is billed as the world’s first AR laptop, not only did it have a much larger vertical field of view (up to 57 degrees), it also didn’t require any additional special equipment, as the glasses are essentially plug and play. While I didn’t need them, it’s important to note that the glasses come with a pair of nose pads to help ensure you can get a good fit, plus a prescription insert for people with glasses.

Once set up, it was pretty easy to create additional virtual workspaces. All I had to do was pull up a small command menu, press a plus sign where I wanted a new window to appear and that’s it. You can also freely adjust the overall size of the virtual display by zooming in or out. And one of the best things about the AirVisions is that using the laptop’s touchpad or typing wasn’t difficult at all. Because you can see through the virtual displays, I simply looked down and focused my eyes where they needed to go. That said, if you become distracted by something in the background, ASUS’ glasses also come with magnetic blinders that clip onto the front and provide a clean black backdrop.

However my favorite use case was when I tried a different pair of the AirVisions that were connected to an ROG Ally, where the glasses provided me with a massive virtual screen for gaming. In this way, it’s a lot like wearing a headset such as the Meta Quest 3, but for non-VR games. This is the kind of device I would love to have on a plane, where space is at a premium, especially for something like a portable monitor. That said, I’m not sure I could handle the embarrassment of being a modern day glasshole, at least not until devices like these become a bit more popular.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the AirVision M1s and Apple’s Vision Pro is price. While ASUS has yet to provide an official figure, a company spokesperson told me that ASUS is targeting around $700, versus $3,000 for Apple’s headset. And when you compare that to the price of a portable monitor, which often goes for between $250 and $400, and offers a lot less screen space, suddenly that price doesn’t seem too ridiculous.

So if you’re on the lookout for an alternative to the travel monitor, keep an eye for ASUS’ AirVision M1 glasses when they become available sometime in Q3 2024. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-asus-airvision-m1-glasses-give-you-big-virtual-screens-in-a-travel-friendly-package-234412478.html?src=rss

The ASUS AirVision M1 glasses give you big virtual screens in a travel-friendly package

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At CES 2024, ASUS seems to have taken people by surprise with the announcement of its AirVision M1 glasses, with some viewing it as an alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro headset. But I discovered that ASUS’ glasses are much more of a novel alternative to portable monitors than something meant for spatial computing. 


The big difference between the AirVision M1 glasses and something like the Vision Pro or even Xreal’s Air 2 Ultras is that it doesn’t really support anything in the way of interactive AR. Sure, the glasses are able to project your desktop or multiple windows into space, but it needs to be tethered to a nearby device and doesn’t recognize hand gestures or other virtual objects. 

A (somewhat blurry) look at the MicroLED displays inside the ASUS AirVision M1 glasses
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose betwe

en a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. Instead, I found that its primary purpose is to give you extra screen space, but without the need to carry around big and bulky portable monitors. Featuring built-in microLED displays with a full HD resolution, the AirVisions can display up to six or seven virtual windows or desktops. You can also choose between a handful of aspect ratios (16:9, 21:9, 32:9 and more), with the glasses three degrees of freedom allowing you to either pin those screens in virtual space or track your head as you move around. 

During my first demo, I used the AirVision M1s while tethered to a laptop, in which it behaved almost exactly like having a bit floating desktop that appeared to be hovering six feet in front of me. At first, the virtual displays were a little blurry, but after a short adjustment period and some time dialing in my IPD (interpupillary distance), I was pleasantly surprised by how sharp everything looked. When compared to something like Sightful Spacetop, which is billed as the world’s first AR laptop, not only did it have a much larger vertical field of view (up to 57 degrees), it also didn’t require any additional special equipment, as the glasses are essentially plug and play. While I didn’t need them, it’s important to note that the glasses come with a pair of nose pads to help ensure you can get a good fit, plus a prescription insert for people with glasses.

Once set up, it was pretty easy to create additional virtual workspaces. All I had to do was pull up a small command menu, press a plus sign where I wanted a new window to appear and that’s it. You can also freely adjust the overall size of the virtual display by zooming in or out. And one of the best things about the AirVisions is that using the laptop’s touchpad or typing wasn’t difficult at all. Because you can see through the virtual displays, I simply looked down and focused my eyes where they needed to go. That said, if you become distracted by something in the background, ASUS’ glasses also come with magnetic blinders that clip onto the front and provide a clean black backdrop.

However my favorite use case was when I tried a different pair of the AirVisions that were connected to an ROG Ally, where the glasses provided me with a massive virtual screen for gaming. In this way, it’s a lot like wearing a headset such as the Meta Quest 3, but for non-VR games. This is the kind of device I would love to have on a plane, where space is at a premium, especially for something like a portable monitor. That said, I’m not sure I could handle the embarrassment of being a modern day glasshole, at least not until devices like these become a bit more popular.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the AirVision M1s and Apple’s Vision Pro is price. While ASUS has yet to provide an official figure, a company spokesperson told me that ASUS is targeting around $700, versus $3,000 for Apple’s headset. And when you compare that to the price of a portable monitor, which often goes for between $250 and $400, and offers a lot less screen space, suddenly that price doesn’t seem too ridiculous.

So if you’re on the lookout for an alternative to the travel monitor, keep an eye for ASUS’ AirVision M1 glasses when they become available sometime in Q3 2024. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-asus-airvision-m1-glasses-give-you-big-virtual-screens-in-a-travel-friendly-package-234412478.html?src=rss

Instagram’s founders are shutting down Artifact, their year-old news app

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Artifact, the buzzy news app from Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, is shutting down less than a year after its launch. In a note on Medium, Systrom said the app’s “core news reading” features would be online through the end of February, but that it would remove commenting and posting abilities immediately.

Besides its famous founding team, the app was known for AI-centric features as well as Reddit-like commenting and posting abilities. The app had won praise from journalists who appreciated reporter-friendly features like dedicated author pages and had been featured prominently in Apple and Google’s app stores.

But after a year of work, it seems Systrom and Krieger encountered many of the same struggles as founders of buzzy news apps before them. “We have built something that a core group of users love, but we have concluded that the market opportunity isn’t big enough to warrant continued investment in this way,” Systrom wrote.

While he didn’t say what he might do next, Systrom’s note hinted that he may at some point take on a new AI-focused project. “I am personally excited to continue building new things, though only time will tell what that might be,” he wrote. “We live in an exciting time where artificial intelligence is changing just about everything we touch, and the opportunities for new ideas seem limitless.”

In the meantime, Artifact fans have a few more weeks to keep checking headlines before the app goes offline for good.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagrams-founders-are-shutting-down-artifact-their-year-old-news-app-233431390.html?src=rss

Logitech mice, webcams and accessories are up to 25 percent off at Amazon

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New year, new... desktop setup? If you're looking for ways to spruce up your desk space without breaking the bank, it's worth taking a peek at a Logitech sale on Amazon that includes discounts on mice, webcams and other accessories. Most of us could do with a webcam upgrade (I know I could given the low-res one built into my laptop), and Logitech's Bio 300 may fit the bill. It's a Full HD 1080p webcam that's on sale for $44.85. That's a 25 percent discount, or just over $15 off the usual price of $60.

The Bio 300 has a privacy shutter, 70-degree field of view, auto-light correction function, LED activity light, built-in mono noise reducing microphone and USB-C connector. You'll be able to use the Logi Tune app to adjust color and image quality. Those concerned with sustainability may be pleased to learn it's made with 48 percent post-consumer recycled plastic too. The slightly speckled plastics help give the webcam a fresh look.

One other product that caught our eye in the sale is the Pebble 2 M350s mouse. That's on sale for $25, which marks a record low. The wireless mouse usually costs $30. The Pebble 2 is available in black, white or a fetching rose to match the aforementioned webcam. It too is built with at least 58 percent certified post-consumer recycled plastic.

This low-profile mouse has quiet clicking sounds and is highly portable, making it a good fit for those who move around with their laptops. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 and the Logitech Bolt receiver, and it's able to pair with up to three devices (you can switch between them using a button on the base). The middle button is customizable and supports shortcuts. Logitech says the Pebble 2 M350s will run for up to two years before you have to change the battery.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitech-mice-webcams-and-accessories-are-up-to-25-percent-off-at-amazon-201429217.html?src=rss

Audio Radar helps gamers with hearing loss ‘see’ sound effects instead

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Audio cues can sometimes be crucial for success in games. Developers frequently design the sound environment for their experiences to be not only rich and immersive, but to also contain hints about approaching enemies or danger. Players who are hard of hearing can miss out on this, and it's not fair for them to be disadvantaged due to a disability. A product called Audio Radar launched at CES 2024 and it can help turn sound signals into visual cues, so that gamers with hearing loss can "see the sound," according to the company AirDrop Gaming LLC. 

The setup is fairly simple. A box plugs into a gaming console to interpret audio output and converts that data into lights. A series of RGB light bars surround the screen, and display different colors depending on the type of sound coming from the respective direction they represent. Put simply, it means that if you're walking around a Minecraft world, like I did at the company's booth on the show floor, you'll see lights of different colors appear on the different bars.

Red lights mean sounds from enemies are in the area adjacent to the corresponding light, while green is for neutral sounds. An onscreen legend also explains what the sounds mean, though that might just be for the modded Minecraft scenario on display at CES. 

A close-up of the bottom right corner of a monitor, with an onscreen legend showing the words
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

I walked around the scene briefly, and could see green lights hovering above a pen of farm animals, while purple lights fluttered in tandem with a dragon flying overhead. I did find it a little confusing, but that is probably due more to the fact that I know very little about Minecraft, and as someone with hearing I might not appreciate the added information as much as someone without.

With an SDK that the company launched at the show, developers will be able to customize the lights and visual feedback to elements in their game so that they have control over what their hard-of-hearing gamers see. In the meantime, Audio Radar is using its own software to detect stereo or surround sound signals to convert to feedback in lights and colors. 

Though the product may seem in its early stages, various major gaming companies have appeared to indicate interest in Audio Radar. AirDrop Gaming's CEO Tim Murphy told me that Logitech is "providing support as we further develop our product and design our go-to-market strategy." Also, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was spotted at the booth on opening day.

Audio Radar is beginning to ship on a wider level this year, and the company continues to develop products for gamers who are deaf and hard of hearing, among other things. The system works with Xbox, PlayStation and PC.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio-radar-helps-gamers-with-hearing-loss-see-sound-effects-instead-195001226.html?src=rss

Infinix brought wireless charging tech to CES that can juice up your devices from eight inches away

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It's been a while since we saw over-the-air wireless charging demos from the likes of Oppo and Xiaomi, so CES 2024 caught us by surprise when we came across a new one from another Chinese mobile brand, Infinix. This "AirCharge" tech uses low-frequency magnetic resonance to deliver up to 7.5W of power wirelessly, and this works across a distance of up to 20cm (7.87 inches) — doubling that of Oppo's previous demo — and at angles of up to 60 degrees. To be specific, you get somewhere between 1W and 5W over a distance of 10cm (3.94 inches) to 20cm for a single device.

Infinix believes that this use case is ideal for users who want to keep their phones charged while gaming or watching videos, without having a cable getting in the way of either hand. With this improved charging distance, you can also install the AirCharge pad to underneath a table, and then you'll have yourself a stealthy charging area. Before that, though, Infinix will need to figure out a way to avoid accidentally heating up metallic objects nearby. There are foreign object detection methods for existing "2D" wireless charging solutions, but it's more complex when the charging space goes from "2D" to "3D."

Another safety measure to keep in mind is for the case of a sudden drop in distance between the phone and the charging pad — it's not good to abruptly crank up the voltage on a device like that. As such, Infinix has already implemented (and patented) an over-voltage protection circuit on both ends of the chain. The company doesn't have a time frame for launching AirCharge on a mass production device just yet, but it hopes to eventually use this tech to push for an industrial standard on over-the-air wireless charging.

Infinix E-Color Shift
Photo by Richard Lai / Engadget

Infinix also showed off its "E-Color Shift Technology," which uses E Ink's Prism 3 to let you change the color patterns on the back of your phone. This feature supports eight basic colors, which are then expanded by multiple levels of shades, and this can be implemented onto a pattern with over 100 customizable areas. As is the case with conventional E Ink displays, once this Prism 3 panel has been refreshed, the new color pattern remains without consuming power.

Once the company figures out how to tackle the challenges related to thermal performance and thickness, it hopes to bring this funky feature to consumer devices within a year or two. By which point, you'll be able to customize the color pattern through an app — which we didn't get to see, as our demo used dummy phones instead. Even Lenovo is considering this display tech for decorating its laptop lids.

Last but not least, Infinix teased its "Extreme-Temp Battery" tech for users who have to brave the cold. While conventional lithium ion batteries will have their capacities drastically reduced or even get damaged in low temperatures, Infinix's solid state battery will continue to operate even at a temperature as low as -40°C or -40°F. Similarly, when measured at -20°C or -4°F, Infinix's solution will apparently have a 50- to 300-percent boost in endurance time compared to others. We may see this battery tech on an Infinix phone as soon as the second half of 2025.

Update, January 14 2024, 3:46AM ET: This story has been updated with the correct power output of AirCharge.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/infinix-brought-wireless-charging-tech-to-ces-that-can-juice-up-your-devices-from-eight-inches-away-183059546.html?src=rss

I can’t stop touching the new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

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Call it love at first sight. Every year, I come across a handful of products that elicit instant joy, a sense of elation that's so strong I forget about the many ways the tech industry is actively making our world worse. As we wrap up CES 2024 in Las Vegas, I can't stop thinking about the new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, the latest edition of one of our favorite gaming laptops. 

As we covered in our initial hands-on, the Zephyrus G14 features the spec bumps you'd expect: new Ryzen 8000 CPUs and the return of NVIDIA's RTX 4070. But really, it's the all aluminum case and minimalist aesthetic that I've fallen for. When I touched it for the first time, it felt like I was holding a piece of high-grade scientific equipment. The case feels almost too good for a gaming laptop.

Couple that with the cleanest layout ever on an ASUS machine, and you have an evolutionary design leap for the company. (It's particularly shocking seeing it next to the new ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED, which looks practically ancient in comparison.) We've called Razer's Blade laptops the gaming equivalent of Apple's MacBook Pro for years — but now the torch may have been passed to ASUS. The Zephyrus G14 more closely resembles the boxier refreshed aesthetic from Apple's Pro machines. (If you’re looking for an even bigger screen, there’s also a new G16 with the same design and it can hold more powerful hardware, like NVIDIA’s RTX 4090.)

The G14 is more than just a design showpiece, it's also a far better gaming laptop than before. Its new keyboard, which sports 12 percent larger key caps, makes hours-long Halo Infinite matches feel far more comfortable since there's more room for my fingers to spread out. Just about everything shines on its new 3K 120Hz OLED screen, which makes colors pop perfectly. And I was even able to hear a decent amount of positional audio from its revamped speakers (20 percent larger than before) when I was too lazy to grab a pair of headphones.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 looking at the keyboard from above.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

While I can't divulge any benchmarks from our RTX 4070-equipped preview unit, I can say that Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and the new uber-stylish Metroidvania Cookie Cutter all played like a dream at the G14's native resolution with maxed out graphics quality. Cookie Cutter, with its fluid and expressive art style, was practically made to be shown off on OLED screens. And in Cyberpunk, the G14's HDR capability made the neon lights in Night City almost searingly bright.

The Zephyrus G14 also excelled at game streaming, something I like to test to stress a laptop's networking capabilities. I was able to hop into Forza Horizon 5 in around 30 seconds while I was sitting 20 feet and a floor away from my router. And once I hit the road, I was able to zoom through a few races without any noticeable video artifacts, tearing or slowdown. Anyone walking by might think I was playing the game locally.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 side profile showing the Halo Infinite menus.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Beyond gaming, the G14 just kept surprising and delighting me. Its larger keyboard feels great for typing, with more depth and responsiveness than before. Its touchpad is one of the smoothest I've used on a Windows laptop. And I can't help but love that it has all the ports I want: HDMI, mini-SD and both USB-C and Type A on both sides of the case. I was less enamored with ASUS' new power connector — it's a bit stiff, and a slight tug could easily send the G14 flying. It would have been nice to see a pure USB-C charging solution, but the company told our senior reporter Sam Rutherford that the cost and efficiency of using that port for high-powered charging still isn't good enough for wide deployment.

I'm looking forward to spending more time with the ROG Zephyrus G14 during our review. But until then, we’ll always have CES 2024.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-preview-180025962.html?src=rss

The best laptops of CES 2024

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CES 2024 in Las Vegas had all kinds of tech, from attention-grabbing AI gadgets to, uh, whatever this is. There were also a whole bunch of laptops. Like, an endless array of laptops. So many laptops, in fact, that we had a real tough time deciding between them to choose our best of CES award winners.

These weren’t just any laptops with minor spec bumps. The theme of the year was, of course, AI, with many computers adopting dedicated AI chips. OLED displays with speedy refresh rates were also all over the show floor and, of course, there were several unique designs that just about defy description. We’ve gone through them all and come up with a list of the best laptops at CES.

ASUS Zenbook Duo

A two-screen laptop on a desk.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The dream of a dual-screen laptop isn’t dead! The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a technical marvel, with a dual-screen display and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard. In other words, you can use it in a traditional clamshell mode, with a keyboard in front of one of the displays, or you can balance the screens on top of one another. This is great for those who want the convenience of a laptop, but with added screen real estate.

The aesthetics are on point and the Duo includes high-end hardware like Intel's Core Ultra chips and gorgeous OLED screens. The price is also fairly reasonable, given the tech, as this laptop starts at $1,500.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16

Back of a laptop.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

ASUS strikes again. The ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 line has gotten a full redesign, with an attractive aluminum chassis and plenty of power underneath the hood. These laptops can run just about any AAA game on the market, thanks to its AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors and the optional NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU at the high end.

We called it a “grown up” and “sophisticated” gaming laptop because, well, that’s what it is. It’s incredibly sleek and would feel at home in an office and in a basement-turned-gaming-paradise. It’s also lighter than previous generations, making it more portable. Each model ships with a simple LED slash across the front that can be programmed to glow in gray or white, instead of the typical Skittles rainbow of colors found with most gaming laptops. There’s no pricing on these yet.

HP Omen Transcend 14

A very light laptop on a desk.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

There’s a new record-breaker in town. The HP Open Transcend 14 is the lightest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world, weighing just 3.5 pounds. Even cooler? HP seems to have hit this milestone without cutting too many corners. Despite being closer in size and weight to an ultraportable than an average gaming laptop, you still get support for the 14th-gen Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 processor, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 2TB of storage and an RTX 4070 GPU. This thing won’t struggle to play modern games.

Despite the teeny-tiny dimensions, you still get two USB-A and two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4) plus a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack on the back. You’ll also have the option to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 card with Bluetooth 5.4. This laptop starts at $1,600 and goes on sale later this year.

Dell’s new XPS line

A trio of laptops.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Dell has upgraded its entire XPS line, with form factors that resemble last year’s XPS 13 Plus. The redesign covers the new XPS 13, 14 and 16, and there’s no longer a Plus line. Each of these laptops boasts a glass wrist wrest that hides an invisible haptic touchpad. There’s also touch-sensitive function buttons above the keyboard and large key caps for comfortable typing.

The XPS line includes Intel’s Core Ultra chips, which feature NPUs for AI tasks. The ports are on point, with the XPS 14 and 16 boasting a headphone jack, three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slots and a microSD card reader. The minimalist design here is gorgeous and these laptops nearly made our best of CES list, but not quite. Once these are out in the wild, however, they could wind up on our list of the best laptops in 2024, just like the XPS 13 Plus.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5

A bizarre detachable laptop thingie.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

We promised unique and funky designs, and here’s one. The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 is a Frankenstein’s monster of sorts, with a design that’s basically two gadgets smashed together. This is anything but your typical 2-in-1 device. At first glance, the ThinkBook Plus looks like an ordinary clamshell, but the display lifts right off and becomes a 14-inch tablet.

Not that big of a deal right? Here’s where things get interesting. Once removed, both components remain fully functional. So you can use the tablet as a standalone Android device, a wireless monitor for the laptop base or a Wacom-like inking display via Lenovo’s Freestyle app. Meanwhile, you can also use the deck as a mini desktop by plugging in an external screen. Now that’s some modular thinking. This thing starts at $2,000, however, which is fairly steep.

Everything else

There were many laptops that just missed this list, but still deserve mention.

  • MSI 18-inch laptops - The company went big this year, introducing a trio laptops with 18-inch displays. Now you won’t have to sacrifice screen real estate for portability.

  • Acer Predator Helios 18 - This is another large laptop with an 18-inch screen. However, the Predator Helios 18 also features a uniquely-designed hinge absolutely stuffed with RGB lights.

  • Acer Swift and Aspire - These are basic refreshes that don’t offer much by way of innovation, but will certainly sell like absolute hotcakes. They are stuffed with AI, however, with Intel's new Core Ultra processors and dedicated keys that can summon Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant.

  • Razer Blade line - Razer offered a refresh of its entire Blade gaming laptop line. The biggest news here? The Razer Blade 16 features a glorious 240Hz OLED display.

  • Alienware m16 R2 - What would CES be without some Alienware goodness? The m16 R2 is a sleek gaming laptop with a large 90 Whr battery, slim bezels and a beefy touchpad – all in a package with a 15 percent smaller footprint than previous iterations.

  • Lenovo Legion updates - Lenovo announced a slew of new Legion gaming laptops at CES, each featuring proprietary cooling technology and performance-enhancing AI chips. These all ship with Windows 11 and come with three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

  • Sightful Spacetop - Well, here’s another funky one. The Spacetop doesn’t have an actual screen. It ships with AR glasses that allow for a 100-inch virtual display. The design is nifty, but the execution is iffy.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-laptops-of-ces-2024-174531438.html?src=rss

Apple Vision Pro pre-orders require a FaceID scan with an iPhone or iPad

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Apple sent an email to customers today notifying them that when they pre-order the Vision Pro starting on January 19, they will need to scan their face with an iPhone or iPad using Face ID to make sure they get a precise band fit on the headset. Deliveries will begin when it launches on February 2. US shoppers will be able to purchase the headset on apple.com, in the Apple Store app and in retail Apple Stores.

Apple said the latest version of the Apple Store app will be needed for shoppers to conduct a face scan. Additionally, for people that wear glasses, there will be an option to add optical inserts into the headset so that they can be worn without eyewear. To get the inserts for an additional fee, provided by its partner Zeiss, Apple says shoppers will need to share an updated official prescription document when pre-ordering the headset.

For those on the fence about purchasing the Vision Pro, which starts around ​​$3,499, Apple said the headset will be available in store for demos on the launch date. The Vision Pro, which was first announced at Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote, received praise for its crisp 3D visuals during a hands-on preview. The headset will provide more than just a VR screen and speaker system for watching films and playing games — it will eventually act as a tool that will connect friends in Horizon Worlds.

The option to freely roam around a virtual world with an integrated gaming program made by Meta will push the bounds for what constitutes modern social networking and online gaming. Apple’s push for the Vision Pro to be branded and function as a spatial computer will also create endless possibilities for developers to create compelling apps.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-pre-orders-require-a-faceid-scan-with-an-iphone-or-ipad-171544636.html?src=rss

Our favorite accessibility innovations at CES 2024

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So much of what we see at CES tends to be focused on technological innovation for the sake of innovation, or obvious attempts to tap into whatever trend is gripping the internet's attention that year. In the last few shows, though, there has been a heartening increase in attention to assistive products that are designed to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and other different needs. At CES 2024, I was glad to see more development in the accessibility category, with many offerings appearing to be more thoughtfully designed in addition to being clever. It's so easy to get distracted by the shiny, eye-catching, glamorous and weird tech at CES, but I wanted to take the time to give due attention to some of my favorite accessibility products here in Las Vegas.

GyroGlove

Before I even packed my bags, numerous coworkers had sent me the link to GyroGlove's website after it had been recognized as an honoree for several CES Innovation awards. The device is a hand-stabilizing glove that uses gyroscopic force to help those with hand tremors minimize the shakes. Because the demo unit at the show floor was too large for me, and, more importantly, I don't have hand tremors, I couldn't accurately assess the glove's effectiveness. 

But I spoke with a person with Parkinson's Disease at the booth, who had been wearing one for a few days. She said the GyroGlove helped her perform tasks like buttoning up a shirt more easily, and that she intended to buy one for herself. At $5,899, the device is quite expensive, which is the sad state of assistive products these days. But GyroGlove's makers said they're in talks with some insurance providers in the US, which could lead to it being covered for those in America who could benefit from it. That's one of the biggest reasons that led us to name GyroGlove one of our winners for CES 2024. 

A down-up look at the MouthPad inside a person's mouth.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

MouthPad

I did not think I'd be looking deep into a person's mouth and up their nose at CES 2024, but here we are. Sometimes you have to do strange things to check out unconventional gadgets. The MouthPad is as unusual as it gets. It's a tongue-operated controller for phones, tablets and laptops, and basically anything that will accept a Bluetooth mouse input. The components include a touchpad mounted onto the palette of what's essentially a retainer, as well as a battery and Bluetooth radio. 

As odd as the concept sounds, it actually could be a boon for people who aren't able to use their limbs, since your tongue, as a muscle, can offer more precise movement and control than, say, your eyes. If you're feeling apprehensive about sticking a device inside your mouth, it might be helpful to know that the battery is from the same company that's made them for medical-grade implants, while the rest of the dental tray is made from a resin that's commonly used in aligners and bite guards. The product is currently available as an early access package that includes setup and calibration assistance, with a new version (with longer battery life) slated for launch later this year.

OrCam Hear

Assistive tech company OrCam won our Best of CES award for accessibility in 2022, so I was eager to check out what it had in store this year. I wasn't disappointed. The company had a few updated products to show off, but the most intriguing was a new offering for people with hearing loss. The OrCam Hear system is a three-part package consisting of a pair of earbuds, a dongle for your phone and an app. Together, the different parts work to filter out background noise while identifying and isolating specific speakers in a multi-party conversation.

At a demo during a noisy event at CES 2024, I watched and listened as the voices of selected people around me became clear or muffled as company reps dragged their icons in or out of my field of hearing. I was especially impressed when the system was able to identify my editor next to me and let me choose to focus on or filter out his voice. 

Audio Radar

If you're a gamer, you'll know how important audio cues can sometimes be for a successful run. Developers frequently design the sound environment for their games to be not only rich and immersive, but to also contain hints about approaching enemies or danger. Players who are hard of hearing can miss out on this, and it's not fair for them to be disadvantaged due to a disability. 

A product called Audio Radar can help turn sound signals into visual cues, so that gamers with hearing loss can "see the sound," according to the company. The setup is fairly simple. A box plugs into a gaming console to interpret the audio output and convert it into lights. A series of RGB light bars surround the screen, and display different colors depending on the type of sound coming from the respective direction they represent.

CES 2024 saw not just Audio Radar's official launch, but was also where the company introduced its SDK for game developers to create custom visual cues for players who are hard of hearing. The company's founder and CEO Tim Murphy told Engadget that it's partnering with Logitech, with the gaming accessory maker "providing support as we further develop our product and design our go-to-market strategy." 

A person wearing the TranscribeGlass on the right side of a pair of black-framed glasses.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Transcribe Glass

Google Glass was resurrected at CES 2024. Sort of. A new product called Transcribe Glass is a small heads up display you can attach to any frames, and the result looks a lot like the long-dead Google device. It connects to your phone and uses that device's onboard processing to transcribe what it hears, then projects the text onto the tiny transparent display hovering above the eye. You'll be able to resize the font, adjust the scrolling speed and choose your language model of choice, since TranscribeGlass uses third-party APIs for translation. Yes, it converts foreign languages into one you understand, too. 

The company is targeting year's end for launch, and hoping to offer the device at $199 to start. When I tried it on at the show floor, I was surprised by how light and adjustable the hardware was. I had to squint slightly to see the captions, and was encountering some Bluetooth lag, but otherwise the transcriptions took place fairly quickly and appeared to be accurate. The TranscribeGlass should last about eight hours on a charge, which seems reasonable given all that it's doing. 

Samsung's subtitle accessibility features

Though we didn't catch a demo of this in person, Samsung did briefly mention a "sign language feature in Samsung Neo QLED" that "can be easily controlled with gestures for the hearing impaired, and an Audio Subtitle feature [that] turns text subtitles into spoken words in real-time for those with low vision." We weren't able to find this at the show, but the concept is certainly meaningful. Plus, the fact that Samsung TVs have mainstream appeal means these features could be more widely available that most of the niche products we've covered in this roundup.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-accessibility-products-at-ces-2024-170009710.html?src=rss