Gadgets and cars share the spotlight at CES 2017

Photo: AFP

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), organized in the city of Las Vegas, is throwing up some unique trends in its 2017 iteration. Unlike gadgets that were the highlight over the past few years, this time around, cars and hardware are also making waves. Over the next few days, we will hear announcements from well-known gadget brands such as LG, Sony, Samsung and Asus, and also from well known carmakers such as BMW, Hyundai, Toyota and Ford. We take a look at some of the most important announcements in the run-up to CES 2017.

HP Elitebook x360

PC maker HP claims that the Elitebook x360 is the world’s thinnest convertible Windows computing device meant for professional users. It has a unibody aluminium frame and a hinge that allows users to push the display all the way back and use it in tablet mode. It will be powered by the seventh generation Intel Core i5 or i7 vPro processors and has an optional 13.3-inch 4K UHD display, with Windows Hello and stylus support. HP claims that the battery life can be stretched up to as much 16 hours and 30 minutes.

Since this Windows convertible is meant to appeal to enterprises, HP has packed in the Sure Start self-healing BIOS with run-time memory protection, as well as the Tamper Protection feature. Pricing details have not been announced yet, but this is expected to be available in certain countries later this month.

Faraday Future FF 91

Faraday Friday, the electric car start-up, calls the FF 91 the “first of the species”. This self-driving electric vehicle has a claimed acceleration of 0-60mph (97km/h) in just 2.39 seconds, with 1,050 horsepower under the hood. The FFID feature is a virtual identification system that works for security as well as personalization, including the ability to share data such as navigation routes from your PC or smartphone with the car, as well as facial recognition technology, which will allow specific customization of features such as climate control, entertainment options and other driving preferences. The FF 91’s rear seats are designed to conform to what NASA scientists suggest is the natural body posture, called the Neutral Body Posture. Faraday Future says that the FF 91 will have a range of 378 miles. The FF 91 will feature autonomous driving technology, with 3D lidar, 10 high-definition cameras and 13 radars as well as 12 ultrasonic sensors. Faraday Future is now taking pre-orders for the FF 91 on its website FF.com for a $5,000 refundable deposit. Read more here.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835

This is the chip that will most probably power the next flagship phone you buy later this year. It is the successor to Snapdragon 821 that came out in 2016 and powers phones such as OnePlus 3T. The new chip uses the 10-nanometer (nm) FinFET fabrication process technology. The main improvements include power efficiency, increased performance, longer battery life and slimmer device size compared with the previous generations of processors. This means that phone makers will be able to make even slimmer and more compact smartphones, while delivering better performance and battery life overall. The Snapdragon 835 chip also features the next evolution for the company’s fast-charging technology, called Quick Charge 4.0, and while it remains fully compatible with USB Type-C industry standards for cables and charging ports, it is supposed to charge batteries 20% faster than Quick Charge 3.0. Interestingly enough, Qualcomm is pushing this chip as the ideal processor for virtual reality hardware, and also for supporting Ultra HD 4K premium video playback, including HDR 10. Read more here.

Acer Predator 21X

This is a serious gaming laptop, complete with a curved screen. Curved screen, you ask? Well, Acer believes that a curved screen (2,560×1,080p) will offer better wide viewing angles than a flat screen. The built-in Tobii eye-tracking technology uses infrared sensors and software to add new ways of interaction to over 45 gaming titles such as Watch Dogs 2 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. It is powered by Intel’s 7th generation Core i7 processor with 64GB RAM and two of Nvidia’s most advanced GeForce GTX 1080 graphics processing units (GPUs). Based on Nvidia’s VR-ready Pascal architecture, this is one of the most powerful GPUs available on any laptop yet. Acer suggests that this laptop will start shipping to some countries from March, and pricing details have not been confirmed yet. Read more here.

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