Self-driving car technology is currently limited to test programs and specialized vehicles, but Mobileye thinks it can play a key role in making driverless vehicles you can actually buy. The Intel-owned company has unveiled an EyeQ Ultra system-on-chip designed with consumer self-driving cars in mind. The SoC can juggle all the computing needs of Level 4 autonomy (full self-driving in most conditions), but it's reportedly the world's "leanest" such chip — car brands won't need to use more complex, power-hungry parts that could hike costs or hurt battery life.

The EyeQ Ultra is built on a more efficient 5-nanometer process, but the architecture is the key. Mobileye's design revolves around four task-specific accelerators tied to extra CPU cores, graphics cores and image processors. The result can process input from cameras, LiDAR, radar and the car's central computing system while handling 'just' 176 trillion operations per second. For context, NVIDIA's Drive Atlan is expected to manage 1,000 trillion operations.

Mobileye, an Intel company

You'll have to wait a while to see the chip in action. Mobileye doesn't expect the first working EyeQ Ultra chips until late 2023, and you won't see full production until 2025. That's roughly in sync with numerous automakers' self-driving vehicle plans, however, and could help the company fight NVIDIA's offering. It's not clear that you'll get to 'drive' a Level 4 car in three years, but that's no longer as far-fetched a concept as it once seemed.

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Panasonic has a history of courting more exacting viewers with its OLED TVs, and that's truer than ever for 2022. The company has unveiled an LZ2000 line that focuses on areas some of its rivals might overlook. Gamers get special attention through reduced lag at 60Hz, HDMI 2.1 support, automatic detection of NVIDIA GPUs and a Game Control Board overlay to help you adjust common settings like the viewing mode and HDR tone mapping. These aren't the only gaming-friendly TVs debuting in 2022, but they may be particularly useful if you rarely play beyond 60Hz or frequently connect to a PC.

There are some broader audiovisual upgrades. The 4K-capable LZ2000 is now available in a 77-inch size in addition to the earlier 55- and 65-inch variants, and sensors now measure the ambient light temperature to produce more natural tones. Improved processing also improves "mid-level" brightness for well-lit living rooms, and is better at detecting content types like sports. Revamped Dolby Atmos speakers provide clearer audio, a wider sound stage and directional sound that can aim at specific points or areas. You might watch a movie at night without waking your kids, for example.

Prices will be available closer to the LZ2000's release date sometime in summer 2022. The TV isn't going to make larger rivals nervous, but that doesn't appear to be the goal —Panasonic seems happy to serve those frustrated with mainstream options.

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A gaming brand probably isn't your first pick for a (mostly) no-compromise PC monitor, but you might want to reconsider after this. Dell has unveiled what it claims is the world's first quantum dot OLED monitor, the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Di. The ultra-wide panel mates the ultra-high contrast ratio of OLED with the improved brightness, color range and uniformity of a quantum dot pixel layer. In theory, you won't have to compromise on either image quality or gaming performance — you'll get 99.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and wide viewing angles, but you'll still have up to a 175Hz refresh rate and an 0.1ms gray-to-gray pixel response time.

The bid for a no-compromise panel extends to the software. A Creator mode makes it easier to tweak gamma settings and even flip between DCI-P3 and sRGB color spaces. While there are only so many creators who'll consider curved displays (the panels can introduce reflections and distortion), this could be helpful if you moonlight as a photo editor.

This isn't quite a dream display. HDR brightness is limited to a modest DisplayHDR 400, and the 3,440 x 1,440 resolution won't thrill anyone used to 4K or beyond. You might still like the abundance of ports (four USB 3.2 Gen 1 downstream ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 upstream, two HDMI 2.0 and one DisplayPort 1.4), and Alienware is promising to fight OLED's burn-in risk with "improved" reliability and a three-year warranty that covers burn-in artifacts.

The 34 QD-OLED reaches North America on March 29th. Dell said it would only share pricing closer to the release date, but it's safe to presume you'll pay a premium. The Alienware team is clearly courting enthusiasts who want do-it-all monitors, and OLED doesn't come cheap at these sizes.

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AMD is starting 2022 by bringing its RX 6000-series graphics to a wider range of laptops. The brand has unveiled an Radeon RX 6000S range of GPUs built specifically for thin-and-light laptops (under 0.78in and 4.5lbs). They tout power and performance-per-watt optimizations that theoretically allow for 20 percent thinner designs without steep hits to performance.

The mainstream RX 6600S reportedly delivers 80 frames per second or more at high detail settings across a range of recent games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Deathloop. Bump up to the RX 6700S and you'll get 100FPS or higher, while the RX 6800S musters 100FPS and beyond at maximum settings. Your real-world experience will almost certainly vary, but AMD clearly believes all of the new GPUs can handle common games without a struggle.

There are more options if you value performance above portability. The new Radeon RX 6850M is only 7 percent faster than the 6800M, but the mid-range RX 6650M and 6650M XT are up to 20 percent faster than the 6600M. You'll also find starter RX 6300M and 6500M chips that are billed as 200 percent faster than NVIDIA's GeForce MX450, although we'd expect that gap to narrow with the new MX550 and MX570.

You can expect a wave of laptops using these chips to be announced throughout CES 2022. Prices are bound to vary widely, but they should appear in the first quarter.

AMD

And yes, there's plenty for desktop gamers — including a long-awaited software feature. The Radeon RX 6500 XT rivals NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1650 with a claimed 20 to 60 percent higher performance in 1080p games. And importantly, there's a new Radeon Super Resolution feature that better counters NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling. Enable it in "thousands" of games and you can use a lower internal resolution (like 1440p) to boost frame rates at 4K. The Adrenalin Edition software needed to enable RSR won't be available until later in the first quarter, but it will come with perks like an enhanced AMD Link (up to four friends can connect to your desktop) and an eye-tracking Privacy View.

The RX 6500 XT arrives January 19th for $199. That's a solid value if the performance claims hold up, although we'd note that chronic GPU shortages could easily send that price skyward.

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Sony thinks it knows how to counter the latest OLED and mini-LED TVs from its rivals: add a dash of intelligence. Its 2022 A-series 4K OLED TVs, plus its Z- (8K) and X-series (4K) mini-LED and basic LCD models, can use a new Bravia Cam (the 'bump' shown at top) for video chat, gesture control and even optimizing the picture and sound quality. They can tweak the brightness, voice emphasis and sound balance based on your viewing distance and direction. You can also have the picture dim when you leave the room, or display a warning when your kids get too close to the screen.

The camera is bundled with the flagship A95K and Z9K models, and is optional for Sony's other 2022 sets. You'll need a firmware update to unlock more than video chat, but the company hasn't said when that might arrive. And yes, Sony is aware of privacy concerns. There's a hardware switch to disable the camera, and neither the camera nor the TV will store private data. You can delete any positional data through the TV menu.

Sony

The new TVs improve image and sound quality whether or not the camera is present. The A95K uses a new Quantum Dot OLED panel to reproduce a larger color range at wider viewing angles, while the Z9K and X95K have smarter backlighting that reduces mini-LED's characteristic light blooming without lowering brightness. A Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode adjusts output based on ambient light, while Bravia Core Calibrated Mode alters quality to match a director's "original vision." And yes, there's tight integration with other Sony products — they can harmonize with higher-end soundbars and speakers (the built-in speakers are also richer), while PlayStation 5 owners can take advantage of both automatic picture mode switching as well as auto HDR tone mapping.

Other improvements include a switch to the unified, media-centric Google TV interface and smaller, simpler remotes that add backlighting and a find-my-remote feature. A95K uses also have a stand that can sit at the front or back to suit your viewing environment.

Sony won't provide pricing and ship dates until the spring, but it's using a familiar size strategy. The Z9K is unsurprisingly limited to 8K-friendly 75- and 85-inch sizes, while the A95K sits in the sweet spot with 55- and 65-inch variants. The A90K is built for gamers' desks and dorm rooms with 42- and 48-inch sizes (and an optional high position stand), while the 'entry' A80K courts the mainstream with 55-, 65- and 77-inch panels. The X95K comes in 65-, 75- and 85-inch flavors, while the full array LED-lit X90K comes in 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch versions. The X80K and X85K have 'just' direct LED backlighting, but are available in a wide range of sizes from 43 inches through to 85 inches.

You won't have to look far to find a smart lock that takes advantage of Apple's virtual house keys. Schlage has introduced an Encode Plus deadbolt lock that is the company's first smart lock to support iOS 15's Home Keys. Once you've set it up, you can tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to lock or unlock your door. As you might imagine, this could be more than a little helpful when your hands are full — or you'd just rather reach into your bag or pocket.

The new Encode supports WiFi. You can manage it through either Apple's Home app or Schlage's own client, and you can still remotely control the deadbolt if you forgot to lock the door on your way out.

Schlage will release the lock this spring for $300, and will offer a variety of finishes to help the lock match your door. Like any Home Keys product, this only really makes sense if you're comfortably entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. If you are, though, this could easily save you time (or at least, pocket space) when you're in a hurry.

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It wouldn't be CES without a new round of Samsung TVs, and the 2022 models promise their share of quality upgrades — plus a few new conveniences. To start, the mainstream Neo QLED sets now include what Samsung says are the first 4K and 8K sets with 144Hz inputs instead of the usual 120Hz. The extra fluidity won't be immediately useful when even the fastest PCs struggle with high-speed 4K and 8K content, but you won't have to worry about your premium TV becoming obsolete any time soon.

The TVs promise image quality improvements regardless of the source. All the 8K and 4K Neo QLED sets have jumped from a 12-bit backlight to 14-bit, providing more accurate brightness. They also boast a new Shape Adaptive Light Control feature that theoretically improves the mini-LED sets' quality, and an AI-driven Object Depth Enhancer can help distinguish a picture's main subject from its background.

Software plays an important role as well. All the 2022 Samsung TVs have a new home screen that helps aggregate streaming content and offers an ambient display when idle. A Gaming Hub can directly launch console- and cloud-based games, while a new Game Bar helps you customize relevant picture settings. Watch Together is a SharePlay-style mode that lets you talk to distant friends while you watch broadcasts and streaming shows. And since this is 2022, you can even shop for and display NFTs.

Samsung

Other sets have their own share of upgrades. Samsung's MicroLED line (shown at middle) is now bezel-free, so your giant luxury TV should blend more seamlessly with your decor. They also tout a 10 percent wider color range, and you can buy a 'small' 89-inch preconfigured set if the 99- and 110-inch variants won't quite fit. And if the bezels are precisely what you want, 2022 The Frame (below) sets now have more canvas-like matte displays and a fresh art store interface.

As is often the case, Samsung hasn't provided availability and price ranges as of this writing. The Frame will be available in sizes between 32 and 85 inches, though, and you can presume both 8K screens and MicroLED models will carry stiff premiums. It's too soon to say whether they'll compete well against rival models from LG, Sony and other brands. With that said, it's evident Samsung still isn't in a rush to embrace OLED TVs and counter its best-known challengers.

Samsung

Microsoft is starting 2022 with a flashback to Y2K bugs. Bleeping Computerreports the company has released a temporary fix for a bug that broke email delivery for on-premises Exchange 2016 and 2019 servers on New Year's Day. As users discovered, Exchange was trying to store version date checks for its antivirus scanning engine in a 32-bit integer variable — a big problem when any date from January 1st, 2022 onward was too large. Any new checks made the malware engine crash and left email stuck in a queue.

The emergency fix uses a PowerShell script to pause two services, replace the older antivirus engine files with newer ones that use a new number sequence, and restart operations. The fix requires manual input and could take a long time to implement for larger companies, but an automatic solution is in development.

This shouldn't affect other Exchange customers. The timing is also 'ideal' as a holiday weekend likely limited the demand for email. Company IT managers probably didn't want to start 2022 patching servers, though, and it's unclear why Microsoft didn't foresee a date issue with software released just a few years ago. Whatever the reasoning, this serves as a clear lesson about anticipating date bugs.

Samsung is coming to CES with two high-end monitors aimed at very different audiences. As The Vergenotes, the company is starting things off with the Smart Monitor M8. The 32-inch 4K display offers TV functionality like its predecessors, but now includes a SmartThings hub to control compatible smart home devices directly from your screen. It's also better-suited for video chats thanks to an included magnetic SlimFit webcam you can use with Google Duo and other apps.

The M8 can also serve as a platform for (as yet unnamed) game streaming services, complete with wireless gamepad support. More details are coming closer to launch, Samsung said. Workspace also folds Microsoft 365 and other cloud productivity services into a single space.

Samsung hasn't mentioned pricing or a release date for the Smart Monitor M8. While it's smaller than the 43-inch M7 (normally $600), the smart home features and webcam could keep the price relatively high.

Samsung

The other display might cost less than previous models, however. Samsung has also unveiled a 32-inch Odyssey Neo G8 gaming monitor that should be far smaller than the 49-inch Neo G9 while preserving the pronounced 1000R curve, mini-LED technology, 240Hz refresh rate and 2,000-nit peak brightness. It even jumps to a 4K resolution — this is the first 4K monitor to support 240Hz and a 1ms pixel response time, Samsung claimed. Support for both NVIDIA's G-Sync and AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro should keep tearing artifacts to a minimum.

There's no mention of a price or ship date for the Odyssey Neo G8. Given the size reduction, it won't be surprising if the screen costs less than the $2,500 G9 even with the resolution bump.

AT&T and Verizon aren't delaying their 5G expansions any further after all. Bloombergnotes the two carriers' CEOs have issued a joint letter rejecting a request from the FAA and Transportation Department to stall their C-band service rollouts beyond January 5th to address concerns of interference with aircraft systems. The companies argued that the government's proposed plan would effectively give oversight of the network expansions to the FAA for an "undetermined number of months or years," and wouldn't cover rivals like T-Mobile.

The move would represent an "irresponsible abdication" of network control, the CEOs said. They also believed honoring the request would be to the "detriment" of customers.

Instead, AT&T and Verizon tried to negotiate a compromise. They vowed not to deploy C-band 5G towers near some airports for six months, but only so long as the aviation industry and regulators didn't do more to halt C-band deployments. American transportation agencies had asked on December 31st for a general delay no longer than two weeks, but called for a gradual deployment of service near "priority" airports through March to safeguard important runways.

It's not clear how the FAA and Transportation Department will respond. The rejection isn't shocking, mind you. C-band service promises to deliver more of the long-touted speed advantages of 5G without the short range and poor indoor service of millimeter wave technology. It could also add capacity to keep 5G networks running smoothly as more users upgrade their devices. However, officials and the aviation industry have a lot to lose as well —they're worried C-band 5G could disrupt flights and put passengers at risk. You might not see either side capitulate quickly.