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The Best of CES 2012
Which were our favorite gadgets, notebooks, and televisions of the annual electronics extravaganza? Read on to find out.
10. Razer Project Fiona
It may look unconventional, but don't underestimate this ambitious prototype tablet. Razer designed the Fiona with one thing in mind: to gently push aside the cutesy mobile and tablet games and embracing the entire PC gaming library. This beast runs Windows 8 under the hood, which means it has access to demanding titles like Battlefield 3 or anything you can find on Steam. Any controller compatible game works with the Fiona out of the box, and the strange looking controller sidebars are surprisingly comfortable. Razer hasn't shared what's powering the Fiona graphics alongside the Intel Core i7 processor, but if people show enough interest in the prototype the company says it will continue to tweak the design and possibly bring it to market.
9. Samsung Series 7 Gamer Notebook
This monstrous 17-inch powerhouse has been available in Europe for some time. Now it's coming stateside armed with a 2.1 speaker setup, a backlit keyboard that highlights the WASD keys, and a dedicated "turbo" style knob that lets you kick the quad-core third generation Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M into high gear for intense gaming sessions. Coming in a few hundred dollars shy of $2K, look for the Series 7 Gamer this April.
8. D-Link Amplifi HD Media Router 3000
Having trouble streaming HD Netflix movies into one room and playing an online gaming session in another? Check out the new flagship D-Link Router. This dual band router uses D-Link's proprietary HD Fuel technology to prioritize bandwidth to make sure your movies stream uninterrupted no matter what else other people are doing on your network. The Amplifi HD Media Router is due out later this month.
7. Nokia Lumia 900
Finally, Windows Mobile 7 fans have a phone to get excited about. The striking Lumia 900 was the sleekest looking phone at the show. The 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack screen is impressive, as is the 8 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The Lumia 900 is coming exclusively to AT&T's LTE network in the coming months.
6. Samsung Super OLED TV
3D took a backseat for most television manufacturers this year in favor of emerging display technologies like OLED. This 55-inch stunner was our favorite of the bunch, boasting deep blacks, vibrant colors, and an unbelievably thin profile. The ridiculously fast response times all but eliminates motion blur, and since OLED technology doesn't require backlighting these TVs are remarkably light. Taking a page out of the Kinect playbook, these displays also feature voice and motion recognition. Samsung didn't announce pricing, but look for these to arrive in stores later this year.
5. HP Envy 14 Spectre
Ultrabooks were all the rage this year. Our favorite was the Spectre, HP's gorgeous glass-covered machine that's a mere 20mm thin. The scratch-resistant design looks cool, the 1600x900 Radiance LED display pops, and HP says it delivers over nine hours of battery life. Music aficionados will appreciate the Beats Audio technology and HP Wireless Audio, which allows you to stream audio to up to four external devices. Gamers may bemoan the lack of discrete graphics, but if you're looking for a fashionable notebook for handling basic multitasking this fits the bill. The Envy 14 Spectre is expected to release on February 8 starting at $1,399.
4. Razer Blade
With Voodoo absorbed by HP and Alienware folded into Dell – two straight-laced companies unaccustomed to taking big chances – the boutique luxury gaming segment doesn't boast the innovation it used to. Razer hopes to reinvigorate this stagnant market with the Blade. This 17-inch notebook is much lighter and thinner than you would expect for a system boasting game-worthy specs. Though the video card and processor may not match the high-end offerings of some of the other gaming-specific notebook manufacturers, what really separates the Blade from the competition are its multitouch screen and customizable LED buttons on the right side of the keyboard. Players can use this screen to browse the web during loading screens, call up strategy guides on the fly, or do whatever else they can think up. This type of utility may not justify the $2,700 price tag for some, but if you're interested in this sexy notebook you can order one later this month.
3. Sony PlayStation Vita
Skeptics and pragmatists argue that the handheld gaming market has been seriously gouged by the prevalence of 99 cent games on mobile phones and tablets, and they may have a point. But even if the demand for dedicated handheld gaming devices has diminished since the last handheld generation, it's still worth pointing out that the PlayStation Vita may be the best designed handheld we've ever seen. Why? Dual analog sticks, a slick touchscreen interface, and eye-popping graphics just to start with. Sony believes the appetite for a powerful handheld is stronger than people suspect, and with a strong library of launch games backing this sexy device it may have a fighting chance.
2. Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller
I'll be honest – I can't stand most third-party controllers. Every one I've tried (up to and including last year's Razer Onza) has felt a little off. Sometimes it's the button feedback, other times I don't like the analog sticks, but I inevitably end up going back to the first-party controller. The MLG Pro Circuit Controller may be the first to change my mind. This highly customizable gamepad allows you to tailor the controller perfectly to your tastes. Prefer the Xbox 360 controller layout? Swap the D-pad and analog stick modules on the PS3-compatible controller and enjoy. Prefer a convex thumbstick to a concave one? Uncrew the rubber nubs and replace them with the other style. You can even purchase new thumbsticks or modules individually when you wear them down. The only thing this controller is lacking is a wireless model (MLG forbids its competitors to use wireless controllers, so this bad boy is tethered to your console). You can find the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the MLG Pro Circuit Controller on sale now for $99.99.
1. LG 84LM9600 4K TV
With Super OLED and crystal LED televisions on display, there was no shortage of impressive new technology at CES. But our nod for best in show goes to the 4K HDTVs like the LG LM9600, an 84-inch beauty that boasts a jaw-dropping 3840x2160 screen resolution. What does that number even mean, you ask? That's roughly quadruple the resolution of your 1080p television at home. Though we won't likely see many 4K compatible films, television shows, or video games in the near future, the clarity of these displays is amazing and we can't wait until console makers start supporting the ultra-high resolution future. This TV won't come cheap, but LG plans to start shipping these to the uber-weathly one-percenters later this year.
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