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NVIDIA's new RTX 40-series GPUs are insanely powerful, but also wildly expensive. That's my big takeaway after reviewing the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 — sure, they're fast, but who can justify spending over $1,000 on a video card? With the RTX 4070 Ti, which debuted at CES 2023, NVIDIA is offering a slightly more reasonable alternative. Starting at $799, it's still fairly pricey, but at least it's under $1,000. And best of all, it's in many ways better than last year's 3090 Ti, which initially cost a whopping $2,000.

After announcing two RTX 4080 cards a few months ago, NVIDIA surprised us all when it "unlaunched" the $899 12GB model. Given its much lower specs, there were plenty of complaints that it seemed a bit too expensive to be called a 4080. So now we've got the 4070 Ti at $100 less, with the same 7,680 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR6X memory that the 4080 was supposed to get. Sometimes, yelling at companies online gets results.

If you've got a small case, the 4070 Ti may also be the first RTX 40-series GPU you can actually use. Both the 4080 and 4090 Ti were triple-slot behemoths — they took up a significant chunk of my fairly roomy mid-tower case – whereas the 4070 Ti just needs two. It also requires far less energy than either of those cards, since it can run with a 700-watt PSU and has a maximum power draw of 285W. (The 4080 requires a 750W PSU, while the demands an 850W unit.) NVIDIA says the 4070 Ti uses around 49 percent less power on average than the 3090 Ti.

Given where it sits alongside the RTX 4080, the 4070 Ti performed exactly as I expected. It clocked in around 20 percent slower in 3DMark's TimeSpy Extreme Benchmark, as well as the Geekbench 4 Compute test. It was also a full 30 fps slower while playing Halo Infinite in 4K with maxed out graphics settings. Now those numbers may sound disappointing, but I was ecstatic to see them. Sure, it's slower, but the 4070 Ti is actually keeping up fairly well with a card that's $400 more expensive (and in many cases, far more). That's something to celebrate!

NVIDIA's DLSS 3 upscaling technology also proved to be incredibly useful once again. I reached a smooth 78fps in Cyberpunk2077 while playing in 4K with graphics ray tracing settings set to high. And if you need even more frames, you can always bump down to 1440p with DLSS 3, where I managed to reach 90 fps. The 4070 Ti also blew away the Radeon RX 7900 XT and XTX in Blender's benchmark, though that may have been due to unoptimized drivers on AMD's part. 

If you've got a 1,440p monitor running at 120Hz or more, the 4070 Ti is clearly the more sensible purchase in NVIDIA's new family. Halo Infinite hit 165 fps while maxed out in that resolution, and I saw 130 fps in Control was graphics and ray tracing settings cranked up. And, it's worth noting, I didn't encounter any of the odd driver instability that crashed my system multiple times with the Radeon RX 7900 cards. The 4070 Ti was also twice as fast as both of those AMD GPUs in Control while using DLSS 3 and ray tracing in 1440p and 4K.

The ASUS TUF 4070 Ti I reviewed retails for $849, but I ran it at the same stock speeds as other $799 cards. The GPU reached 76C after hours of benchmarking and gaming — that's not as low as the 70C and below temperatures I was seeing on the 4080 and 4090, but those cards also had far more elaborate cooling.

As impressed as I am by the 4070 Ti, every prospective GPU buyer should know that NVIDIA's 30-series GPUs are still great! And while they don't have DLSS 3, they still have excellent DLSS 2 upscaling. Best of all, they're falling in price now that another generation of cards have arrived. You can snag 3060s easily for less than $400, while I've seen 3070s falling below $600 regularly. I'm sure we'll see a 4060 card later this year, but if you're in a rush, don't look down on older hardware.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

If anything, the RTX 4070 Ti is awful news for AMD. The Radeon RX 4700 XT and XTX are both faster GPUs in many benchmarks, but once you start enabling ray tracing, they practically crumble. And worst of all, they're $100 and $200 more, respectively. Personally, I'd rather the power of DLSS and the stability of NVIDIA's hardware and software, over the raw speed of those AMD cards.

While I miss the days of “reasonable” video card prices under $500, the 4070 Ti still feels like a dose of sanity. Unless you’re a high-level streamer or pro gamer, there’s little reason to spend four figures on a video card. $799, though? That’s doable. And if anything, it pushes the prices of other hardware down considerably. Even if you don’t buy the 4070 Ti, we should all be thankful it exists.

Microsoft's Bing search engine might soon become more attuned to users' needs and return results in a more human-like fashion. According to The Information, the tech giant is planning to incorporate the OpenAI software powering ChatGPT into Bing in hopes that it can help the company catch up to (or maybe even outshine) Google. Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI back in 2019, and more recent reports said it's in talks with the Elon Musk-founded startup for a follow-up investment. Now, The Information is reporting that Microsoft's initial investment included an agreement to incorporate some aspects of GPT into Bing.

OpenAI developed GPT as a language model that uses deep learning to generate human-like text responses. Late last year, it launched a program called ChatGPT that quickly skyrocketed in popularity due to its ability to return responses that seem like they were written by actual people. Educators raised concerns that it could easily be used for cheating, since those who tried the tool said they would've given its responses a good grade if a student claimed to have written them. ChatGPT is free for now, but OpenAI intends to charge for its use in the future. 

What GPT integration would mean for Bing isn't clear at this point. It doesn't have the capability to scrape the internet for results, so Microsoft will still use its own search engine technology. However, The Information said it could help Bing present results to users in a friendlier way. A source "familiar with Bing's systems" told the publication that Microsoft could use the technology to present search results as full sentence answers with the source for the information. If Bing suggests related queries to the original one, GPT could explain their relevance in a meaningful manner. The technology could help Bing suggest better keywords or key phrases to users, as well.

Microsoft could launch GPT integration as soon as this March, The Information says, so we might hear a confirmation of this report — along with more details, if it is indeed true — in the near future. 

Citizen has announced its latest CZ Smart smartwatches that feature a built-in AI "self-care advisor," the company said. The new proprietary YouQ app was built with IBM Watson Studio and uses NASA technology to show the wearer when they're at their most alert or fatigued in order to "maximize [their] daily potential," the company said. 

The intriguing idea is that the CZ Smart's YouQ app uses IBM Watson's neural networks to learn a user's "chronotype" (preferred timing of sleep and wake) over a seven to ten day period, by processing sleep data and "alert scores." The latter are generated from a custom-designed alert monitor test, a consumer version of NASA's PVT+ test created at the Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory. The tests are "brief, gamified, and can be taken daily to measure the wearer’s alertness," according to Citizen. 

Citizen

Using that data, the YouQ app can learn your unique rhythms and habits. From there, it creates a dynamic recognition model to recommend "Power Fixes," or actions and activities to help the wearer reduce the effects of fatigue, improve alertness and promote better habits. Over time, it can increase personalization and presumably the effectiveness of the Power Fixes for each person. 

The new technology is only available on the new second-generation CZ Smart watches (the first generation launched in 2020, and the company also has a CZ Smart Hybrid lineup). Those come in 44mm sport and 41mm casual models, with mesh bracelets, links and silicone straps. Technology-wise, they offer 1.3-inch AMOLED displays, Snapdragon Wear 4100+ processors with 8GB of storage, and feature 24+ hours of battery life with "faster charging." 

Citizen

Sensor-wise, you get a gyroscope, altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, heart rate sensor and SP02 ambient light sensor. It comes pre-loaded with the YouQ wellness app, Strava, Spoitfy, YouTube Music and Amazon Alexa. It presumably has its own OS, and works with iPhone or Android devices. 

The previous model used Wear OS and was built in partnership with Fossil, but Citizen didn't specify the OS for the current model. They'll go on sale in March 2023 in the US, with pricing to arrive at a later date. The current CZ Smart cost $395 at launch. 

JBL has new speakers at CES 2023, including environmentally friendly versions of its Go 3 and Clip 4 portable models. The company is also updating its Pulse speaker line (known for its groovy light and color show) with better audio than its predecessor.

As their names suggest, the JBL Go 3 Eco and JBL Clip 4 Eco are environmentally conscious variants of the Go 3 and Clip 4. Launching on Earth Day (April 22nd), the Eco speakers use 90 percent PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) plastic for mechanical construction and 100 percent recycled fabric for their speaker grilles. They also ship in environmentally safe packaging, using FSC-certified paper and soy ink.

Apart from their environmental focus, they’re identical to their non-eco namesakes from late 2020. The Go 3 line has a rounded rectangle design, offering five hours of playback. Meanwhile, the Clip 4 has an integrated carabiner for easy hanging and 10 hours of playing time. Both models include IP67 water and dust resistance, which is handy for trips to the beach or pool. The environmentally friendly speakers will cost the same as their non-eco counterparts: $50 for the Go 3 Eco and $80 for the Clip 4 Eco.

JBL

JBL’s Pulse lineup has a built-in LED that acts like a digital lava lamp synced to your music. The new Pulse 5 (initially announced for a 2022 release but delayed to this year) should have richer audio than its predecessor, thanks to a bigger passive radiator for deeper bass and a refined woofer for richer mid-low frequencies. JBL says the 360-degree speaker is IP67-rated and can last 12 hours before plugging in its USB-C cable. The Pulse 5 launches this spring for $250.

One of the more unfortunate consequences of our energy companies failing to invest in smarter and greener technology when it had the chance, is that now we have to do it all ourselves. And it’s certainly not the most fun in the world trying to tie together a grid inside your own home with so many competing companies in the space. Schneider Electric is pledging to offer a one-company-fixes-all solution with its Home Energy Management System, which it’s announcing at CES.

Schneider’s system is, more or less, all of the components necessary to manage your home’s energy needs. That includes a home battery, solar inverter, electrical panel, connected power outlets, smart switches and its own EV charger. The idea being that you can buy all of the bits at once and then manage all of your home’s power needs from a single app. That should, says the company, help reduce the cost, complexity and space requirements of buying these components separately.

If there’s a benefit to such a system, it’s that Schneider’s hardware will co-ordinate the sources of energy in your home to suit your needs. That’s especially important during a power outage, where for instance, you can set the system to only power the essentials to preserve energy. So, you can set it to run your fridge, freezer, water heater and HVAC, but nothing else when things get rough. You’ll also be able to set it to calculate when energy costs are at their lowest, for instance, in order to charge an EV from grid power.

There’s no word on price yet, but we can expect the components to make themselves available across the year.

JBL only entered the gaming headphone space three years ago, but it’s trying to make up for lost ground with a swath of new gear at CES 2023. The company’s latest headsets all support QuantumSurround, its 7.1 surround sound technology, and several new models offer spatial audio with head tracking.

The Quantum 910P (PlayStation) and 910X (Xbox) are the company’s new high-end wireless headsets, each color-themed for their corresponding consoles. The over-ear headphones have active noise canceling (ANC), 50mm drivers and spatial audio with head tracking. The built-in boom mic has echo and noise suppression; you can mute it by flipping it upwards. In addition to PlayStation, the Quantum 910P works with PC and Nintendo Switch, while the 910X is compatible with Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC. The headsets will cost $300 when they arrive in March.

The Quantum 360P and 360X are mid-range wireless variants that support surround sound on PCs. They have smaller 40mm drivers and shorter playback time (although still a healthy 22 hours). Meanwhile, the Quantum 100P and Quantum 100X are wired entry-level headsets with a 3.5mm connection, 40mm drivers and a boom mic. The 100P works with PlayStation 5 3D audio, and the 100X is compatible with Windows-sonic surround sound. Launching in March, the 360 P/X will cost $139, while the wired 100P/X is priced at $40.

JBL

The Quantum TWS Air is JBL’s latest gaming earbuds that work with PC, Mac, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. (Xbox isn’t listed, suggesting JBL passed on Microsoft licensing for the earbuds.) JBL included a USB-C dongle for devices lacking native Bluetooth playback support. The wireless earphones have 6.8mm, drivers, with an advertised eight hours of playtime (the charging case adds another 16 hours). They have four microphones (two each) and support surround sound when paired with a PC. The Quantum TWS Air launches this summer for $100.

Harman has pulled back the curtain on a new record player that it claims does not sacrifice audio quality during wireless playback. The JBL Spinner BT has Bluetooth 5.2 support and aptX HD encoding, which will ensure that you'll get the "authentic sound" of your records, according to Harman. If you'd rather stick with a wired connection, though, the turntable has analog output with switchable moving magnet phono stage and an integrated phono preamplifier.

The Spinner BT has locked speeds and a speed sensor that Harmon says will "guarantee perfect pitch." On the tonearm, you'll find a preinstalled Audio Technica moving magnet cartridge. A removable head shell should make replacing and upgrading the cartridge a piece of cake. As for the base, Harman has damped the feet to reduce vibration from external sources. The record player's black MDF plinth, meanwhile, has accents of JBL's signature orange.

The JBL Spinner BT, which includes a hinged dust cover, will be available this fall. Harman says it'll cost $399.

Of all the new products HP is showing off at CES this year, arguably the most noteworthy is a pair of new Dragonfly laptops. Adapted from the enterprise-centric Elite Dragonfly series, the new Dragonfly Pro and Dragonfly Pro Chromebook are designed for consumers who are overwhelmed by specs. HP believes that for some people, having to choose from 30 different laptop configurations of RAM, storage and other options is a deterrent. For that reason, the Dragonfly Pro and Pro Chromebook come in preset configurations and you really only need to decide whether you want the Pro or the Chromebook (though for the Pro you can choose one of two preconfigured models).

Both notebooks have 14-inch screens, with the Chromebook for some reason featuring a higher resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. The Windows machine, meanwhile, runs at 1,920 x 1,200. Both systems are also fairly similar in size, measuring almost exactly the same, though the Chromebook is 0.2 pounds lighter.

Frankly, I was a little underwhelmed by the design of both new Dragonfly laptops. I’ve grown used to the sleek chassis, premium finishes and attractive design of the Elite Dragonfly series, and the consumer models are just a little less refined. Put it this way: If the Elite Dragonfly devices were Hermes bags, then the Dragonfly Pro and Pro Chromebook are Michael Kors purses. Still good-looking, but not quite as high-end.

The two machines are different in quirky ways. For example, the Chromebook has an 8-megapixel webcam and has an LCD that gets as bright as 1,200 nits, while the Windows version packs a 5MP IR camera with a shutter and only goes up to 400 nits. The Pro also has a haptic trackpad and a fingerprint scanner, as well as Gorilla Glass on its screen.

The Chromebook doesn’t have any of those, but it sports an RGB keyboard that offers customizable colors. Using HP’s software, I could pick any shade on a spectrum or use the rainbow template, which is the only way to get the keyboard to show more than one color simultaneously.

HP also collaborated with Google on the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook’s software to incorporate an element of the Material You UI from Android. Using the laptop’s specific software, you can pick one of a selection of wallpapers and have the system determine what the image’s dominant colors are. It will then generate some hues for you to set as the computer’s color scheme.

Sam Rutherford / Engadget

While the Pro Chromebook comes with a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, the Windows version exclusively uses AMD processors. In fact, HP worked with AMD on a custom Ryzen 7 chip for the Dragonfly Pro, using the chip maker’s adaptive platform management framework to balance power consumption and speed boosts when necessary.

Possibly the most interesting feature of the Dragonfly Pro lies on its keyboard. Specifically, HP added a column of four hot keys to the right, offering shortcuts to a new control center, 24/7 dedicated tech support, camera settings and a programmable button. The control center is a portal containing various different settings that used to exist in separate HP apps, while the company is launching a support concierge service just for Dragonfly owners to answer questions specific to the series. These are staffed by actual people who HP says will have been trained on the Dragonfly Pro machines.

The camera settings button pulls up HP’s as-yet-unnamed app that offers system-level controls over the feed that apps like Zoom, Meet or Teams receive. I was able to use the app to tweak the intensity of the background blur, compensate for low light or backlighting or keep a subject in frame. I was particularly impressed by the key framing tool that basically acts like a green screen to remove parts of the background. Since the software at the demo wasn’t final, I can’t vouch for its performance, and I didn’t use it on an actual call.

Finally, the programmable key can be set up to launch an app like Excel or Outlook, or go straight to a website on the default browser or open a file or folder. There’s no option to stack actions at the moment, so the usefulness of this button feels fairly limited. Still, it’s nice to have an option for frequently used programs.

Both the Dragonfly Pro and Pro Chromebook's batteries should last up to 16 hours depending on how you use them, and support fast charge to get you to 50 percent in 30 minutes. The Dragonfly Pro and Pro Chromebook will be available this spring, and don't supplant the company's existing flagship Spectre series. HP hasn't shared pricing information yet, so we'll likely have to wait till closer to retail availability to find that out.

There are so many wireless earbuds on the market it’s gotten hard for a new pair to stand out, especially when it comes to enterprise-focused options. But Poly’s Voyager Free 60+ buds may have just broken through thanks to a couple of innovative features.

Like many of its rivals, the Voyager Free 60+ features a true wireless design and comes with a Qi charging case. The stems of each bud supports touch controls for adjusting playback, while three mics and active noise cancellation help ensure both your voice and your audio sounds clear. However, where things get interesting is when you check out the display built into the case, which is only the second of its kind following the release of JBL’s Tour PRO 2 buds back in August.

By tapping and swiping on the display, you can quickly do things like adjust volume, toggle ANC, check battery status, switch between paired devices and more. This means you can leave your phone or laptop in your bag or pocket while you focus on your call. And with the Voyager Free 60+ capable of remembering up to eight different devices (with two being paired at the same time), multi-device management is a cinch.

However, my favorite thing about the Voyager Free 60+ is its broadcast mode. This allows you to use the included 3.5mm to USB-C cable to connect the case to an older device with a headphone jack (like when you’re on an airplane), so you can watch movies during a flight without needing to carry a second set of headphones around. Sure, it’s a bit of a niche situation, but for frequent travelers, it’s a great way to streamline your luggage.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Additionally, despite being made for the enterprise world, the Voyager Free 60+ sound great. Mids and highs are crisp and vibrant, and while I’d like a bit more thump in lower tones, there’s still more than an acceptable amount of bass. I also appreciate some of the smaller details like the inclusion of different-sized eartips and a bonus travel pouch that holds both the charging case and all of the earbuds’ included accessories. You even get the ability to choose between a USB-A or USB-C dongle for simple pairing with a phone or laptop. And because the earbuds support dual-mode connectivity, you can also connect to devices via Bluetooth.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The biggest challenge for Poly’s Voyager Free 60+, though, is that priced at $360, it costs more than a lot of other high-end earbuds including the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4. Now I should mention that there will be a slightly less expensive non-plus version of the Voyager Free 60 buds that come with a more traditional case without a built-in screen, but even these cheaper models will start at $299.99. So despite some fancy features that could be very useful for business travelers, unless you can sweet talk your company’s IT department into upgrading your gadget kit, they might be hard sell when they come out sometime in March.

When JBL debuted its first Dolby Atmos soundbar at CES 2020, the company did so in a unit with detachable rear surround sound speakers. For 2023, the company has made Atmos audio standard across its entire lineup of the Bar Series, with three of the new models having those detachable satellite speakers and all but one comes with a wireless subwoofer. 

At the top of the group is the Bar 1300X, an 11.1.4-chanel speaker capable of 1,170 watts of power output. DTS:X joins Atmos for a second immersive audio option, powered by six upfiring drivers. Plus, Harman's MultiBeam tech works to enhance that spatial sound. Like the Bar 9.1 three years ago, the 1300X and the rest of JBL's 2023 soundbars that offer detachable rear speakers allow you to remove the ends of the soundbar to position wireless satellite units behind you. The 1300X also comes with a 12-inch subwoofer while the rest of the company's new lineup (except the Bar 300) come with a 10-inch wireless sub. 

Both the Bar 1000 and Bar 700 have those detachable speakers and offer Atmos in 7.1.4- and 5.1.2-channel setups respectively. The Bar 1000 packs in four upfiring drivers while the 700 has two. And while the 880-watt Bar 1000 does offer MultiBeam to lend a hand with immersive audio, the 620-watt Bar 700 does not. The Harman tech is on the Bar 500 though, a 5.1-channel option that still supports Dolby Atmos despite a lack of upfiring drivers. And lastly, the Bar 300 in an all-in-one setup with integrated subwoofers. 

JBL says all five soundbars have PureVoice, a feature that optimizes the audio for clear dialogue even when loud sound effects are also in use. The entire lineup features WiFi connectivity, JBL One app support and customizable EQ settings. All of them can be voice controlled via Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri and all five offer AirPlay 2, Alexa Multi-Room Music (MRM) and Chromcast built-in.

The company says all of its 2023 soundbars will be available on February 19th. When they are, you can expect to pay $1,699.95 for the Bar 1300X, $1,199.95 for the Bar 1000, $899.95 for the Bar 700, $599.95 for the Bar 500 and $399.95 for the Bar 300.