After an all-digital affair in 2021, the annual Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2022, welcomed back attendees in person.
The world’s biggest technology expo took place in Las Vegas on 5th January to 7th January 2022 featuring cutting edge innovations in television technology, laptops, electric vehicles and health tech.
This year’s Expo was home for the BMW’s color changing car and LG’s ever evolving screen technology just to mention a few
Here are some of the interesting tech at the CES 2022.
Smart home products
- Archer AXE200 Omni Wi-Fi router
The Archer AXE200 Omni router automatically adjusts its antennas for the best reception.
The Archer AXE200 Omni router from TP-Link Technologies features four stubby antennas that fold out, fan out and rotate to seek the best possible signal for your connected devices as you move around the house.
If connected devices are on the same floor the antennas will stand upright, but on upper or lower floors they will angle themselves so that the flattest parts face the targeted devices.
The gadget, to be released later in the year, can work automatically or can be controlled via an app.
With the Wi-Fi 6E Router you can utilize the 6 gigahertz of spectrum on your phones, tablets and televisions. It also provides a comprehensive network of protection for parental control.
TP-Link, the makers of the router, have not yet revealed when it will be ready to ship this year but it will sell at a suggested retail price of KES 56, 973.86 ($499.99).
Health and fitness
- Body Scan
The Withings Body Scan can tell you more about your body than your average scale.
Meet the new technologically-advanced smart scale that features Electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and the ability to scan segmented body composition like fat in your arms, legs or torso and nerve activity.
The Body Scan looks like your typical scale, albeit with a retractable handle embedded with sensors which can scan your arms, legs and torso to get a precise picture of your overall fitness.
The scale, a product of the electronics company Withings, is compatible with Withings smart watches, and Apple Health and Google Fit health Apps.
The Body Scan allows users to assess their progress over time for individual body parts.
This device is developed by cardiologists, diabetologists and neurologists and specialists in metabolic conditions.
It is yet to launched but the retail price of the Body Scan is KES 34, 179.30 ($299.95).
Accessibility
- OrCam MyEye PRO
This wearable device is for people who are blind or visually impaired.
For visually impaired or blind people, camera-based gadgets that can recognize objects, on their behalf, can make life a little easier.
The wearable AI device is an assistive technology that has features like color identification, barcode scanning, product identification, facial recognition and text to speech.
The OrCam MyEye Pro is a lightweight gadget that mounts to the user’s glasses and communicates information orally including print and digital text from menus and currencies.
The user only needs to say “Hey OrCam” to control it.
There are smartphones that can arguably do similar tasks but the OrCam is easier for all-day extended use.
The gadget costs KES 398, 7200 ($3,500).
Computers
- Asus Zenbook 17-Fold OLED
The ASUS Zenbook 17 – Fold OLED is not a foldable device that’s just a concept, its the real deal.
The Zenbook 17-Fold OLED was unveiled at the tech trade show as the world’s first 17-inch foldable OLED laptop. Its like a giant tablet that when folded, gets you a 12.3-inch display big enough to work on, on the go.
Its appeal is that it can be used as a big screen laptop or a tablet.
With a kickstand on the back, it can stand alone as a monitor or it can be paired with the ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard to look like a regular laptop.
The pricing has not yet been announced.
Gaming
- PlayStation VR2
The PlayStation VR2 takes a giant leap in making virtual reality a remarkable experience for gamers.
Great news, gamers.
Sony has unveiled a new headset for the PlayStation 5 that will unlock new gaming experience.
The PlayStation VR2 will enable players to feel a greater sense of presence and become more immersed in the virtual game world.
The device also includes an internal motor that can make the headset vibrate, which will provide a new level of haptic feedback.
Sony has not yet revealed a release date or price for the headset.
Home theatre products
- Samsung Eco Remote
The Eco Remote is one of Samsung’s efforts towards a green future.
Samsung launched the Eco Remote that uses radio waves from Wi-Fi routers to charge the battery.
That’s smart for two reasons; One, it uses energy from your Wi-Fi that would otherwise go to waste and two, you don’t need to replace the triple A batteries on the remote that will otherwise end up in a landfill.
The only downside to the device is that you’ll need a Samsung TV to use it.
Last year Samsung debuted a solar-powered remote that uses both indoor or outdoor light.
The cost of the remote has not yet been revealed but, it will ship alongside Samsung’s new 2022 QLED 4K and 8K televisions.
Wearable
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is a nexus between a smartwatch and a fitness watch.
The Apple Watch has some new competition from Garmin’s new watch.
If you are familiar with Garmin’s previous models, the Garmin Venu 2 and Venu 2S, released in 2021, then there’s no surprise in the look, feel and functionality of the Venu 2 Plus.
But there are extra features in the Venu 2 Plus which now allows it to go head-to head with other wearables like the Apple Watch Series 7, Fitbit Sense and Galaxy Watch 4.
These features include a microphone and speaker, which means a user can talk to the voice assistant, take calls on their wrist and reply to text messages using their voice and dictation. This is in addition to all the other health and fitness tracking features.
The Venu 2 Plus is also compatible with both iOS and Android unlike the Apple Watch that’s iPhone-only and the Galaxy Watch 4 that’s Android-only.
The watch costs KES51, 276.36 ($449.99).
Phones
- OnePlus 10 Pro
The OnePlus 10 Pro is a premium device that still pays homage to the previous OnePlus devices.
The One Plus 10 Pro was probably one of the most talked about phones at CES 2022 with its incredibly fast 80W charging, beautiful screen and several camera advancements.
The 10 Pro features a similar camera layout to its predecessor the One Plus 9 Pro with 48 and 50-megapixel sensors alongside an additional 8-megapixel telephoto.
For users obsessed with photography, they will be happy to know that all the three cameras will shoot using a new Hasselblad pro mode to capture 12-bit raw files.
The One Plus 10 Pro was released in January. The price will depend on the variant a user wants.
Televisions
- Samsung’s NFT TV
The new Samsung televisions will have a platform to showcase and buy NFTs.
Samsung is bringing NFTs to your living room.
With non-fungible tokens (NFTs) being all the rage these days, Samsung has found a way of displaying them in the real world. In its latest TV lineup, it comes installed with an NFT browser allowing users to find and buy interesting pieces which are up for sale.
The televisions with NFT capabilities will be launched sometime this year.
Bonus wearable
- Razer Zephyr Pro
The Razer Zephyr Pro debuted as a concept at CES 2021 but was a reality at CES 2022.
Your regular surgical mask or KN95 probably works well to protect you from contracting Covid-19. But innovators of cutting-edge technology Razer have put their spin on face coverings to come up with smart masks.
The Zephyr Pro, supposedly, provides 99 percent protection compared to other masks, alongside a dual fan active air filtration system, in which the filters are replaced after three days of use.
The mask has a microphone on the inside of the mouthpiece with two small speakers on the outside to ensure your speech isn’t muffled when you are masked up.
The mask, also has the ability to amplify your voice up to 60 decibels, and just for the fun of it, there’s vocal modification where you can apply vocal filters to make you sound like villain Bane on Batman.
The mask does not have an official launch date yet but you can buy it for KES16, 978.55 ($149.99).
