The Consumer Electronics Show is always a big deal. This is where the anticipation and suspense for the future of information and technology is created, year after year. And verily, 2016 has been no different. Following are eight of the most amazing offerings that we feel dominated the CES this year.

8. Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 90

Source: wired.com

There were a number of speakers on display this year, both wired and wireless, but none of them stood out as much as this monster. It may be the idiosyncratic design or the fact that the body houses 18 high quality drivers in every direction imaginable, but this thing is a marvel. Pumping out a massive 8,200 watts of pure tone, the multi-direction design allows you to creatively alter the field of sound to suit your needs. Want some singular listening? Narrow the sound beam. Having a party and want to make some noise? Unleash the beast in a true 360 degree radial field. We know what you’re thinking, “this is going to be bloody expensive!”. And it is. At $80,000 a pair, this is not a cheap replacement. It’s an investment.

7. Segway Advanced Personal Robot

Source: pastemagazine.com

This is the one piece of new technology that made waves all over the show. A joint long-term project by Segway, Intel and Xiaomi (it doesn’t get more serious than these three companies), the Advanced Personal Robot is a whole lot of innovation and style. After all, who doesn’t want a robot butler that doubles as a hoverboard and can answer your door while responding to your voice commands. I think I’m going to call mine ‘Jarvis’.

6. Google and Lenovo Join Hands for Project Tango

Source: techcrunch.com

There’s a lot of confusion regarding Google’s Project Tango around the web, with many mistakenly comparing it to other irrelevant offerings such as Microsoft’s Hololens. Project Tango is designed to run on a standalone mobile phone or tablet to pinpoint the device’s position and orientation within the environment. That being said, Google has now partnered with Lenovo to bring consumer grade Project Tango devices that are rumored to be no more than $500. While the conference was scarce on other details, this seems like a positive step in the evolution of virtual mapping technology for the masses.

5. LG Signature OLED G6

 Source: wired.com

The thin and light trend has been picking up momentum over the past few years, but 2016 might be the year where it reaches its zenith. The company’s new top-of-the-line OLED set boasts these very feats, as it measures at less than a tenth of an inch thick. With dimensions like those, it’s as if you’re watching pictures on glass. And be assured, the picture quality is downright unbelievable. While it is expected to come in expensive at a little less than $10,000, the LG Signature OLED G6 is going to attract people who really dig that ‘minimalist yet sophisticated’ vibe.

4. Samsung Notebook 9

Source: wired.com

Now we have the Samsung Notebook 9. This feels like practically nothing in your hands given how light it is. At an astounding 1.85 pounds, this is a 13-inch, Windows 10 enabled, Core i7 monster loaded with a 256GB SSD and USB 3.0 ports. Top all of that with a modest 10 hour battery life and we have a solid winner on our hands. Prices have not yet been confirmed, but the notebook is expected to ship in early 2016.

3. Razer Blade Stealth and Core

Source: gadgets.ndtv.com

Now this is a big one for the gaming industry. Over the years we have been seeing brands like Lenovo, Dell, Alienware and Razer fight it out to produce the perfect gaming ultrabook. Well, 2016 might be the year when Razer finally snatches the prize. Razer has produced a piece of gaming technology that is not only revolutionary, but opens up a whole new realm of gaming possibilities. The Razer Blade Stealth is a high performance, ultra light notebook. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The laptop also comes with a device called Razer Core which when connected, works as an external high quality graphics processor allowing the Razer Blade Stealth to achieve levels of gaming performance unimaginable by a mere laptop. This is definitely one for the books.

2. Oculus Rift Goes to Town

Source: techrepublic.com

Everyone knows that 2016 is going to be the year of Virtual Reality (VR). The number of players in this new market consist of high profile names like HTC and Sony, but so far none of them have come close to surpassing the infamous Oculus Rift platform by Oculus VR. CES 2016 saw the announcement of pre-orders for the consumer’s version of the Rift at $599. Not so surprisingly, the demand was such that their site crashed as people desperately tried to order the headset and panicked as the shipping date slid from March to June. With many people and publications hailing the Oculus Rift the best over its rivals, 2016 might be the year when Oculus Rift brings VR to your living room.

1. Parrot Disco

Source: wired.com

Parrot is already a famous manufacturer, regarded highly for their entry level drones. But their latest offering, the ‘Parrot Disco’, is what’s going to put the company on the map. With a design that looks less conventional when compared to your average quadcopter drones, the Disco is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50mph and of sustaining flight for 45 minutes. It is equipped with a high fidelity 1080p camera at the nose, which allows it to work flawlessly as a miniature surveillance or reconnaissance device. Handling the Parrot Disco is easy; you simply toss the Disco into the air and then let the built-in auto-pilot do its thing. While the pricing is yet to be announced, the Parrot Disco appears to have a very promising design in a market saturated with quadcopters.

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