There's been plenty to get excited about this year at CES 2013. We've seen a new smartphone operating system, a table-size tablet and major innovations in gaming. We've also seen products that promise to change the way we drive, travel and even eat. It takes a keen eye to sort through these dozens of announcements and separate the real innovators from the hype. That's where you come in. Put on your tech analyst glasses and tell us which new technology is going to make the biggest impact when it leaves the showroom and enters our lives.
Vote in our poll below between now and Thursday, January 10th, 2013 at 12 p.m. ET to decide who wins the coveted LAPTOP CES Readers' Choice Award and who goes home empty-handed.
The Contenders
Razer Edge
The hotly-anticipated "Project Fiona" conceptual gaming tablet is now the Razer Edge. With an Intel Core i5 CPU and Nvidia GT640M graphics, the Edge is more than just a portable gaming device, it's the world's most powerful tablet. We love that you can swap out the game controllers for other add-ons. Will gamers adopt this new device with its hefty $999 price tag? We'll find out soon, as the Edge will be out in the first quarter of 2013.
Lenovo IdeaCenter Horizon
This 27-inch All-In-One PC distinguishes itself by running for two hours on a battery charge and sporting an impressive user interface that encourages consumers to see the Horizon as a table-top gaming station, a PC and even a gigantic tablet. Lenovo's demo included board games, air hockey and roulette, all of which looked great with the Horizon laying flat on the table. Table-top computing has been slow to catch on, but the Horizon has the potential to bring it to a lot of people's living rooms.
The Nvidia Shield
The Nvidia Shield is easily one of the most exciting gadgets of CES 2013 -- and not just because this is the first piece of hardware from the graphics giant. This ambitious gaming device combines Android with a Tegra 4 processor inside a 5-inch portable console. The Shield offers console-grade controllers and easy access to Tegra Zone for playing mobile games, plus the ability to stream the latest PC games from a PC with Nvidia graphics.
The Sony Xperia Z
The new Sony Xperia Z combines current superphone staples like a 5-inch, 1080p screen and quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with high-end imaging. Oh, and did we mention it works underwater? Because it does. Taking waterproofing to the next level, this phone can play music or even make phone calls via Bluetooth while completely submerged in water. The Xperia Z launches globally in Q1.
Fitbit Flex
Joining the likes of the Nike+ FuelBand and Jawbone Up, Fitbit is releasing the Fitbit Flex, a wristband that tracks your activity and sleep patterns, and syncs with a smartphone app to show you how active your lifestyle is.
Funded on Kickstarter to the tune of $2,437,429, there's a lot of excitement for this virtual reality headset. At CES Oculus showed off a prototype that offered an incredibly immersive gaming experience. The headset transported us to a different world of stereoscopic 3D that we could navigate naturally with a turn of our head. This killer demo, combined with dev support from Valve, Epic Games and Unity, makes the Rift a product to watch.
Ion Party Rocker
A literal party in a box, the $149 all-in-one portable speaker is crammed full of party-inducing features, including inputs for mics and instruments such as a guitar. A crystal-like dome at the top delivered a myriad of colored lights. Flipping the switch to Beats mode synced the colors up to the track’s baseline for a somewhat hypnotic effect. Users have the ability to stream music from any Bluetooth device or plug it in using the Auxillary input. In case you were wondering, the Party Rocker can also handle any and all karaoke needs.
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