SMART TECH THAT DOESN'T SUCK, HUZZAH!

For those after an actually useful connected gadget, the highlight of CES 2017 was definitely the new Smart Remote from Sevenhugs.

Deputy Editor Andy Vandervell spied it on the shop floor and said it "tackles a genuinely annoying problem" in that it offers a unified way to control all your smart home bits and bobs.

Amidst the slew of connected crap being hawked at CES – everything from Bluetooth-enabled hotpants to a 'smart' hairbrush – this was the one gadget that restored our faith in the IoT future we couldn't avoid if we wanted to.

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ces-las-vegas-2017-news-highlights-rumours-dates-schedule-preview#XKvKmf0RhaSYsQAT.99

Honor 6X is the latest would-be 'flagship killer' – sort of Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ces-las-vegas-2017-news-highlights-rumours-dates-schedule-preview#XKvKmf0RhaSYsQAT.99

While a new Tango phone is important for bringing AR technology closer to being a part of our day-to-day lives, the most immediately accessible new smartphone that broke cover at CES this year looks like the Honor 6X from Huawei sub-brand Honor.

The mid-ranger, which is set to retail for £225/$250, features average (but competent enough) overall specs, with one major exception – the dual-camera configuration found on the back.

At present, this is the kind of feature that's normally only found on high-end handsets like the iPhone 7 Plus, which is a good thing, because some of the other key talking points are less positive.

Namely, the 6X's dull design doesn't quite fit with Honor's strained (and at times, frankly embarrassing) efforts to appeal to teens and millenials.

But two cameras to Insta with, and a price pont that the Bank of Mum and Dad will approve of?! All is surely forgiven.

We'll be putting the Honor 6X through its paces in full shortly, so stay tuned to see if some of our initial scepticism is justified.

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ces-las-vegas-2017-news-highlights-rumours-dates-schedule-preview#XKvKmf0RhaSYsQAT.99

ASUS ZENFONE LEARNS TO TANGO

Handsets aren't front and centre at CES like TVs are, but 2017 produced a few interesting new phones, not least the Asus ZenFone AR.

Asus in fact unveiled two new mobiles, but while there's plenty to like about the ZenFone 3 Zoom, it was the firm's augmented reality effort that really stood out, as it's just the second phone to integrate Google's Project Tango AR tech.

It also supports Daydream VR, and while Asus' insistence on adding a truly hideous skin to Android Nougat hinders the overall experience slightly, Mobile Editor Max Parker said it was the first time an Asus device had left him genuinely excited, which is no small feat.

Watch the video or follow the link below for his full first impressions.

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ces-las-vegas-2017-news-highlights-rumours-dates-schedule-preview#XKvKmf0RhaSYsQAT.99

SAMSUNG'S 'QLED' TV RANGE IS HERE – AND WE'RE EXCITED

At CES 2017, Samsung launched its new class of 'QLED' TVs. There are three new high-end sets coming in all: the flat Samsung Q9F, curved Q8C, and the Q7, which is available in both flat and curved models.

The QLED range replaces Samsung's SUHD TVs as the firm's flagship line, with the new models set to be available in four sizes: 55, 65, 75 and 88 inches.

Pricing and a release date have yet to be confirmed, but we understand the new QLED sets are likely to start shipping to select regions in March 2017.

We have them pegged as among our "most anticipated" new TVs of 2017, according to our Samsung Q9F hands-on review, so watch this space as it looks like Sammy could be on to something quite spectacular here.

Samsung's adoption of QLED technology, however, isn't completely straightforward, so you'll want to check out our updated guide and watch the video below to learn more.

WIRELESS HTC VIVE IS A VR GAME-CHANGER

We were expecting something fairly big from HTC at CES 2017, and it didn't disappoint, significantly bolstering its Vive range. It's not quite 'Vive 2', but there's a slew of new accessories to play with, not least the semi-mythical TPCast-designed add-on that makes your HTC Vive VR experience completely wireless.

The company also launched a bunch of new software, most notably the world's first VR subscription service, which it claims will be "Netflix for virtual reality."

We spent a decent amount of time with all the new Vive products, so hit the link below for some early impressions.

SONY JOINS THE OLED PARTY IN STYLE

As expected, Sony finally joined the OLED party at CES 2017, announcing its first 'proper' OLED TV, the AE1 (A1 in the UK).

Quite apart from being an OLED TV, which is awesome, it has a 'unique' way of producing sound. Instead of speakers or a soundbar, which is the common way many slim TVs give you sound, the AE1 literally vibrates the TV panel to produce sound.

In other words, the sound comes straight from the screen. Mind blown. (Or picture vibrated? Hmm...)

After spending some quality time with the new set, which comes in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 77-inch models, Home Technology Editor Ced Yuen deemed it "one of the most exciting TVs of 2017."

Want to know why? Then it's time to read his hands-on with the Sony A1 OLED

NVIDIA'S NEW SHIELD TV FATTENS UP ON 4K HDR – AND GETS SMARTER

For many consumers, the most interesting CES 2017 reveal came from Nvidia, which updated its Android-powered Shield TV box with a number of new features.

While specs were thin on the ground, the Shield – Nvidia has got a case of the Apples and wants us to call the refreshed box simply 'the Shield' – now boasts full-fat 4K HDR capabilities.

A 2016 firmware update allowed the device to stream limited content from YouTube in 4K and Netflix in HDR, but now it now offers built-in support for Netflix as well as adding Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, and games streaming (for those with powerful enough PC rigs) to its 4K arsenal.

Just as intriguingly, the new Shield also comes with Google Assistant built in, complete with the usual array of voice-based music control and video playback functionality, plus things like Samsung SmartThings.

There's even an accompanying peripheral – Nvidia Spot. Similar to Amazon's Echo Dot, you plug it in anywhere in your home and it picks up your voice commands.

The new Shield is available to buy immediately and is priced at £190/$199 for the base 16GB model, or £280 for the significantly more capacious 500GB Shield Pro. UK pricing and availability for the Spot has yet to be confirmed, but it's going for $50 a pop in the States.