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Acer's new Chromebooks for education include spill-proof keyboards and antimicrobial coatings
Durability is top of mind this year
Schools will be spoiled for choice from Acer as they consider upgrading their Chromebook fleets this year. Five new models are coming into play with all of them certified to take a beating from kids and a splatter of bacteria. Plus, one of them being a Qualcomm LTE-connectable device.
Here's everything with Google Assistant revealed at CES 2021
From Chromebooks to security cameras, here's what you might have missed
This year's CES was different than usual, but just like every year, there is a mountain of new smart home devices. Google Assistant was front and center for many announcements, whether they be TVs, Chromebooks, Wi-Fi cameras, or something else entirely.
Every new Chromebook and Chromebox announced at CES 2021
A handful of neat devices to look forward in 2021
CES 2021 has come and gone, and with it came a slew of announcements showcasing cool and wacky gadgets like LG's Rollable smartphone and Chamberlain's $3,000 smart pet door, coming later this year. Typically, not many Chromebooks are announced at the event as they are a niche product in a broad spectrum of laptops, and this year was no exception. But here, we've compiled a list of all the new Chromebooks announced at CES 2021 for your convenience, so let's jump right in.
Here's everything with Amazon Alexa revealed at CES 2021
From headphones to microwaves, Alexa was everywhere this year
This year's CES has been a very different one, but one aspect has stayed consistent: there's are a lot of new products with Alexa. Amazon's assistant shows no signs of stopping, as plenty of new smart home devices include support for Alexa, and some of them even have the assistant built-in.
Philips Hue's new wall switch module fixes one of smart lighting's oldest problems
Nothing worse than a smart light in a dumb switched receptacle when someone accidentally turns it off
Signify has just announced two new Philips Hue smart lighting products, plus two tweaks to existing products. The new Amarant linear spotlight can brighten walls outdoors for a bit of contrast, but far more interesting for most folks is the Philips Hue wall switch module, which fixes one of the longest-standing issues with smart lighting: A smart light in a dumb switched receptacle.
No, this isn't a router, it's the Fanless Chromebox by Asus
Can be mounted to the back of a monitor and starts at $399
Asus is one of the most popular manufacturers of Chrome OS devices. The Taiwanese company took to CES 2021 to announce three new Chromebooks, one of which has a gamer aesthetic. But that's not all. It also added a Chromebox to the mix that looks very much like a Wi-Fi router: the Asus Fanless Chromebox.
Asus has just revealed three new Chromebooks as part of its new laptop lineup for CES. The Chromebook CX9 and Chromebook Flip CX5/C536 (different names depending on your market) are powered by new 11th gen Intel hardware, while the Chromebook Flip CM5 uses 3000 series Ryzen chips.
D-Link isn't just a Taiwanese consumer networking gear vendor: it makes smart home appliances, too. Turns out we've got a couple of new gadgets from the company this year: a moisture sensor and an outdoor pan & zoom security camera.
TP-Link's latest Kasa smart home gadgets include a previously canceled doorbell
It's joined by a pair of new 2K smart security cameras and an outdoor smart plug
TP-Link has introduced plenty of smart home devices under its Kasa brand, including the excellent Smart Power Strip and Smart Light Strip that we reviewed. The Chinese manufacturer is now taking to CES 2021 to introduce a bunch of new products, one of which is a previously-canceled doorbell that looks pretty similar to the Nest Hello.
Samsung C-Lab 2021 projects include pocketable oxygen and a virtual sommelier
And a portable sunlight solution that can give 'as much energy as an espresso shot'
Innovation is key to maintaining your market dominance, and Samsung knows this very well. To help push its employees to think outside the box, the South Korean electronics giant has its C-Lab (Creative Lab) Inside program that churns out some really interesting products and solutions — there's also Samsung C-Lab Outside, which is the same, but for startups external to Samsung Electronics. These projects usually get showcased at CES, and while we can't check them out in person this year, there are still 21 C-Lab projects starring in Samsung's virtual showcase.
Dell just announced the first LTE Chromebook in ages
It's aimed at the education market and unfortunately looking the part
The demand for Chromebooks has skyrocketed over the last year thanks to the global pandemic with so many people working and studying from home. Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege to rely on a stable Wi-Fi connection, which can be catastrophic for kids in remote learning environments. That's where Dell wants to come in with its new Chromebook 3100, its first education-focused Chrome OS machine to come with an optional mobile network connection.
Lutron adds a weatherproof outdoor smart plug to its Caséta range
Automate your smart lights come rain or shine
Outdoor smart plugs aren’t a novel idea, but not all are designed to be placed out in the open and subjected to extreme weather conditions. While there aren’t many choices for a true outdoor plug, Lutron will soon come out with its own solution. Called the Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug, the device can withstand heat, rain, snow — you name it!
The LG Rollable will go on sale in 2021
An LG spokesperson confirmed that we won't have to wait too long for it
Read update
LG isn't making the best-selling smartphones these days, but we have to admit that the South Korean company does have a flair for thinking out of the box, as we've seen with unorthodox models like the LG Wing. While so far we haven't seen any phones with foldable displays like Samsung or Motorola produce, today we're checking out a possible step in that direction with the Rollable concept phone LG just teased at CES 2021.
Arlo joins the hands-free revolution with its own touchless video doorbell
Nothing to touch here, just go about your visit
Here's a little secret, it's pretty common for anything announced at CES to have at least one twin. You've probably already seen the new touchless video doorbell by Alarm.com, but it's not alone in keeping grubby hands off your home. Arlo is also getting in on the game with its own no-touch model.
Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling at Home initiative aims to turn old phones into useful smart home devices
Using a phone as a noise detection monitor for your baby, for instance
Most of us probably have an old phone or two lying around in a drawer somewhere that could be put to better use. At CES 2021, Samsung announced an extension of its Upcycling sustainability program, called Galaxy Upcycling at Home, that will allow older Galaxy phones to be repurposed as useful tools for your home.
Qualcomm's new larger 3D Sonic Sensors touted to scan fingerprints 50% faster
And what we, the nerds, think of them will matter more than ever
Qualcomm is ploughing through with ultrasonic fingerprint-sensing technology as it introduces its second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor. The chip, set to go out into smartphones in the extreme near0future, features a reading surface that's 77% larger than the original and better processing that should result in 50% faster scans. However, something that hasn't been addressed here and has been challenged multiple times is the reliability factor.
Prolific television maker TCL has announced that it will be selling its first Google TV within the year. The set would be the first with the new UI and join a fleet of Roku TVs and low-end Android TVs in the portfolio.
Twinkly smart light lineup offers fully addressable Lightstrip and Nanoleaf alternatives
But they won't be available for a while
The smart light market is hardly stagnant, but there are key players whose products dominate their niche. If you're looking for smart lighting strips, you're probably going to end up with a Philips Hue product, and folks hoping for decorative wall pieces tend toward Twitch- and YouTube-popularized Nanoleaf lights. But Twinkly (of smart Christmas light fame) has just launched its own spatially mappable versions of both.
Germaphobes can pay about $200 for a new touchless video doorbell (and doormat)
Take away the doorbell button, get a doormat instead?
We may be in the late stages of a global pandemic, but the audience for remote or touchless solutions to everyday routines will stick around after the endgame. So it goes that Alarm.com has announced one of the first consumer-facing touchless video doorbells.