Top tech products revealed at CES 2016 so far

Samsung used CES 2016 to showcase rink, a mobile virtual reality kit which allows users to control VR-based games and content through their hand movements.

Rink is a VR-based hand controller which adds hand motion to the VR space, currently dominated by the Oculus Rift headset. We'll have to wait and see how much further VR development will go -- and the possibilities are endless.

Via: Samsung

Phase One's XF 100MP, showcased at CES 2016, is a high-end camera system which is capable of taking incredibly detailed images via a 100-megapixel CMOS sensor and an ISO range of 50 to 12,800. Usually, any image sensors capable of taking photos above 60MP require heavy investment, and Phase One's camera is no exception with a price tag of almost $49,000.

Via: Phase One

Faraday Future may have just revealed itself as a future rival to connected car powerhouse Tesla with the unveiling of a 1000-horsepower concept car. Dubbed FFZERO1, the concept car is able to use over 1000-horsepower and will accelerate from zero to 60 in under three seconds, with a top speed of 200mph.

The connected electric vehicle includes Web connectivity, a string of batteries which can be more easily replaced or changed than a single battery and a streamlined, sleek chassis likely to appeal to sports car fans. Overall, FF's vehicle shows what its engineering team is capable of, and we can look forward to seeing them produce their first EV in the future.

Via: ZDNet

Parrot, a maker of hobbyist drones, revealed the prototype for a new kind of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at CES 2016. Dubbed the Disco drone, the prototype is a fast, light drone with up to 45 minutes of flying time at 50mph -- and no complex assembly is required. You mount the wings onto the drone, throw it in the air and then control Disco's flight path via controller or a mobile app.

If you want, you can also put Disco into "loiter" mode, in which the drone will fly around an area of interest without much additional direction.

Check out the drone in flight here.

Via: Parrot

The South Korean electronics giant took to the CES stage with its new HW-K950 soundbar, the first in the firm's line which includes Dolby Atmos technology. The speaker supports 5.1.4-channel sound, connects wirelessly to subwoofer and both upwards and front-facing speaker units.

Via: Samsung

One of CES' major trends over the last few years has been the connected car -- the concept of adding Internet connectivity and networking to our vehicles.

Stealing the spotlight this year was Nvidia, which launched the Drive PX 2 -- an in-car artificial intelligence system. PX 2 is designed for automakers exploring autonomous driving and includes 360-degree situational awareness, deep learning and the processing power of 150 MacBook Pros.

Via: Nvidia

We've seen the concept of rollable displays before, but LG's prototype entry in this year's CES is still cool. Both a 30R 18-inch rollable display that can be rolled up like a newspaper and a 55-inch OLED TC which is paper thin due to the separate installation of electric circuits were on display.

Via: LG

We've seen plenty of indoor Internet-of-Things (IoT) and connected home security systems, but Netatmo has taken things one step further this year at CES with the introduction of Presence, an outdoor security camera able to recognize and detect changes outside your home.

The camera is able to analyze in real-time if someone is skulking around the front, a car pulls up or a dog is wandering across the lawn. If something is detected in a smart zone covered by the camera, users are notified on their mobile device with small notifications such as "people/car/animal seen." However, the firm's deep learning technology is mainly geared towards detecting and analyzing threats, such as someone trying to break in, whether it is day or night.

Via: Netatmo

To kickstart CES 2016 held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chinese PC giant Lenovo unveiled a new lineup within its X1 range. Alongside the high-range X1 carbon laptop, Lenovo is now offering a modular tablet, the ThinkPad X1, which comes with a clip-on five-hour battery module, a project module and an imaging module for use with an Intel RealSense camera -- all of which transform the tablet into a miniature powerhouse.

The tablet sports a 2160x1440 IPS panel display, Intel Core M7 vPro processor, up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage.

The specs are not the only thing to make you raise your eyebrows, however -- as this tablet will cost you a minimum of $899 without the additional modules.

Read on: ZDNet

MakerBot took to the CES stage in 2016 by revealing the Smart Extruder+, a new-and-improved component swap for the extruder -- also known as the "hot end" -- of 3D printers.

Likely to delight 3D printing hobbyists and enthusiasts, the Smart Extruder+ did well in ZDNet's early testing in reducing the rate of failed prints and inaccuracies.

Via: ZDNet

Another offering from Samsung is Gaia, one of the few security solutions based on smart television sets.

Many of us are scrabbling to get our hands on the latest smart, connected home products, but unfortunately vendors are often lacking in security in their rush to get devices out to market.

Gaia, a three-layered security solution for TVs which sports data encryption, PIN protection for sensitive financial and account details belonging to users and a virtual barrier between core services and the Internet may be a sign that this is changing. Let's hope so, for the security of our future connected homes.

One very interesting addition to the CES lineup this year is the Smart Wheel, a way to remotely prevent others from texting while behind the wheel.

The device and cover simply snaps onto a steering wheel and then alerts drivers when sensors determine they may be distracted -- whether it be taking their hands off the wheel or gestures suggest they are using their mobile device. A light and buzzing sound encourage the driver to place their hands back onto the wheel, with the overall aim of gradually improving driving over time.

However, that's not all. All the data on the driver's habits is sent back to a connected app, which means parents can stay informed of their teen's habits -- and if they attempt to tamper with the cover, parents will know.

Via: Smart Wheel

A small but useful gadget, Lenovo has debuted the Link at CES 2016 -- a device designed to bridge the gap between smartphones and desktops.

Often, you need to download additional third-party software to effectively control Android devices via desktop, but the Chinese manufacturer's $40 dongle will add drag-and-drop file functionality between phone and desktops, the ability to copy and paste text and to watch media stored on the smartphone on your PC, among other features.

Via: ZDNet

We've seen the hoverboard debacle over Christmas which left many disappointed, retailers losing hundreds of thousands in defunct stock and mass recalls, but for something similar -- although perhaps pricier -- Acton has developed the Blink electric skateboard. The electric skateboard can go up to 6 miles at 12mph and can go for up to two hours on a single charge, and is light and small enough, naturally, to carry around on your travels.

The Blink is available to pre-order for $499.

Via: Rocket Skates

Hewlett-Packard isn't left out in the cold this CES, having taken the opportunity to reveal the firm's latest line of ultra-slim EliteBooks.

The EliteBook Folio G1, in particular, stands out due to its 12.5-inch display, aluminium chassis which only measures 12.4mm -- and was able to pass military-grade rugged tests. In addition, the netbook runs on Windows 10 Pro and sports some interesting specs: including Intel's 6th-generation Core-M vPro processors, an optional 4K-resolution display and Bang & Olufsen branded audio.

Via: ZDNet

The Liquid Jade Primo is a new premium Windows 10 device offered by PC maker Acer. Debuted at CES 2016, the smartphone is nicknamed a "PC in your pocket" thanks to the Continuum feature, which transforms the handset into a PC when connected to a suitable display.

The smartphone, available from roughly $610 later this year, features a 5.5-inch full HD AMOLED display, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 processor.

Via: ZDNet

Google Glasses didn't manage to take off -- at least for now -- but this doesn't mean that the concept of smart glasses is dead in the water.

At CES 2016, Garmin debuted Varia Vison -- a $399.99 headset which attatches to sunglasses and displays useful information for cyclists including activity data and directions. In addition, the headset can be used with Varia rearview radar to warn cyclists of appraching vehicles, giving users an idea of what is going on behind them in their line-of-sight.

Via: Garmin

Encouraging more students to turn to science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) careers remains a hot topic in the light of shortages in these areas, and if your child is interested in robotics, Ziro has showcased a build-your-own-robot kit this year at CES to spark this interest.

The modular kit is made up of motor modules which are controlled through a smart glove, and robots can be created out of materials you happen to have lying around the house or included in the kit. Once assembled, users can control the robot through their gestures.

The Ziro will soon be available for pre-order.

Via: Ziro

Toshiba took to the stage at CES this year to launch the dynaPad, a Windows 10-based tablet.

The tablet, touted as the "world's thinnest tablet" running the Windows 10 OS, sports a 12-inch 1920x1280 screen, measures 6.9mm and weighs only 1.28 pounds. The dynaPad is meant to replace the traditional notebook while maintaining the feel of a pen, made possible through Toshiba's TruPen stylus.

The dynaPad is available for pre-order with a price tag of $569.99.

Via: Toshiba