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What tech is in the CES 2023 bag of ZDNET's Editor in Chief?
The biggest technology show of the year is here: CES 2023. This week, we'll get a glimpse of the future of tech from big-named brands, as well as newcomers with exciting innovations to showcase at the event that will keep us talking all year.
Special Feature
Since CES is all about the unexpected, our editors are prepared to cover all types of products, from smartphones to futuristic concepts to 8K TVs and new and exciting electric vehicles.
Also: CES 2023 tech you can actually buy now
Jason Hiner, the Editor in Chief at ZDNET, is on the ground in Las Vegas and has a packed bag for the four-day show to cover all the bases, no matter what unexpected products or technology is announced. Here's all the helpful tech that's in his CES 2023 bag.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is known for its selfie camera and telephoto lens, making it the perfect companion for CES coverage. Its quad rear camera system works great in low-light conditions, and not one but two telephoto cameras stand out above the Apple iPhone and the Google Pixel for their fantastic zoom quality.
Review: Galaxy S22 Ultra: Any more perfect and it'd be an iPhone 13 Pro Max
Lots of videos and photos to take means two phones are better than one, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a great second-hand companion to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, thanks to its software and color science. Its camera also comes with Action Mode, which stabilizes your videos when filming while walking around the different CES booths.
This compact camera packs a punch in a tiny package. It offers 4K3 (3840x2160 pixels) video recording and has advanced autofocus -- Sony even dubs it "the world's smallest and lightest full-frame camera." Since it's so compact, it makes it easy to carry around CES and has a high-capacity NP-FZ100 battery to hold a charge during a day's worth of photo taking.
Since the Sony A7C camera allows for interchangeable lenses, this Sony FE lens makes sense. It is the smallest and lightest F2.8 24-70mm lens in its class, meaning it won't weigh down the already compact A7C camera. In addition, its advanced lens design reduces focus breathing, focus shift, and axial shift when zooming, which works great when taking up-close-and-personal images of CES products.
To take all those photos, you need stability, and that's where a tripod comes in handy during CES week. This tripod expands to 5.1 feet and has a built-in selfie stick for those Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra selfies.
A handheld rig adds stability to active mobile videography, especially when there's much to capture around CES. Two handles allow for shake-free shots, and three standard shoe mounts mean you can connect an LED light or a microphone onto the rig.
Lighting can be a pain, especially at big shows like CES, but this mini cube light is just under $20 and adds much-needed lighting to product shots or in-person interviews. It has an adjustable color temperature and a color rendering index (CRI) of up to 95+. Plus, the light's battery lasts up to five hours at minimum brightness (although only two hours at maximum brightness).
In-person interviews mean you'll need a mic, especially in a crowded place like CES. This mic has a unidirectional polar pattern, which means it'll pick up sound from one predominant area instead of all directions. In addition, it has a 20-foot cable and a lapel clip for whatever kind of interview you may run into.
It's always a good idea to have double of everything, which is why this alternative boom mic is in the bag for CES. The mic runs on plug-in power and has no controls or switches, making it reliable for long days at CES. The included furry windshield also minimizes white noise from fans, heaters, or air conditioners.
To put all the photos, video, and sound together, the MacBook Air with the M2 chip will get it all done fast. This 2022 model sets it on the same playing field as the MacBook Pro, making it a powerhouse laptop that can do everything from streaming your favorite show to video editing. Plus, it has an all-day battery life and is lighter and slimmer than the Pro.
We would never forget to back up everything, so this hard drive is a must during CES -- just in case. It has a digital storage capacity of 2TB and a hard disk size of 2000 GB. The hard drive is compatible with both PCs and Macs, so it'll work to back up the M2 MacBook Air.
While snapping photos and taking videos on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, it won't be easy to keep up with texts, calls, and other daily reminders. This is where the Apple Watch 8 comes in handy with text and call notifications. Its always-on display is more usable than ever paired with WatchOS 9 optimizations, and it'll keep track of all those steps when walking around CES.
Having all these devices on hand means a reliable charger is needed. This Anker charger has four USB ports to charge up to four devices simultaneously. It can charge a single device up to 100 watts and can charge up to 28 minutes faster than ordinary chargers, thanks to Anker's Dynamic Power Distribution technology.
CES is expected to have 100,000 in-person attendees this year, which means a lot of noise. These Apple AirPods Pro 2 will do the job of canceling out that noise. They provide twice the active noise cancellation than the first-generation AirPods Pro, as well as advanced computational audio and optimized microphone placement. They also last six hours -- which is on par with most other wireless earbuds.
Also: Apple's AirPods Pro might be an inexpensive solution to your hearing loss
To charge anything and everything Apple-related, this Anker charger supports up to 30W of charging, meaning you can power the iPhone 14 Pro Max at high speed. It's also built to withstand up to 20,000 bends to its cable, so no more broken charging cables.