HTC Vive has revealed a wrist tracker for its Focus 3 headset. The device is 85 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than the Vive Focus 3 controller.

The brand says the wearable can track your arm from fingertips to elbow. The Focus 3's cameras can monitor LEDs for standalone tracking. As such, attaching the Wrist Tracker to an object allows the headset to track it with six degrees of freedom.

With the help of high-frequency IMU (inertial measurement unit) data and an advanced kinematic model, Focus 3 will still know the exact position of your hand and wrist when the tracker isn't in the cameras' line of sight. It can predict your pose too, so if you, for instance, reach behind your head with a tennis racket to play a smash shot, the headset should still have a good idea of what you're doing.

The Vive Wrist Tracker will be released in early 2022, starting in the US. It costs $129/€129/£119. HTC Vive also revealed new accessories for the Focus 3, including a multi battery charger and charging case, in part to reduce downtime between sessions.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Ubisoft is bringing its game subscription service to Xbox. Ubisoft+ is currently available on PC and cloud gaming services like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna. Subscribers can access more than 100 Ubisoft titles (as well as DLC and monthly bonuses) for a monthly fee. The lineup includes titles like Assassins Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, Far Cry 6 and Riders Republic.

The publisher didn't provide a timeline for bringing Ubisoft+ to Xbox. Nor has it revealed pricing. The PC-only subscription is $15 and a PC and cloud plan is $18 per month. It's unclear whether Ubisoft will offer a console-only plan.

When Ubisoft+ does arrive on Xbox consoles, it will join a subscription service from a rival publisher. EA Play, formerly known as EA Access, has been on Xbox since 2014 (and PlayStation since 2019). Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can access EA Play titles at no extra cost.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Extraction will be available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass when it debuts on January 20th. Along with up to two teammates, you can take on hordes of aliens in the tactical shooter, which is based on a Rainbow Six Siege mode called Outbreak. Siege is already available on Xbox Game Pass and via cloud gaming on Game Pass Ultimate, and it's coming to PC Game Pass on January 20th as well.

Volvo says it will be the first automaker to offer direct integration with Google Home in its cars. You'll be able to control certain functions remotely via Google Assistant. You might tell your phone to lock the doors or ask a smart speaker to start warming up your car as you're getting ready to leave home.

Two-factor authentication is needed for "more sensitive commands," like unlocking the doors. You can also learn info related to your car through Google Assistant.

More features will be added later, such as the option to schedule charging. Volvo will roll out Google Home integration in the coming months. To use it, you'll need an Android-powered infotainment system that's connected to the Volvo Cars app and a Google Assistant-enabled device.

It's not the first time we've seen integration with connected home platforms in cars. GM and BMW owners can control smart home devices from vehicles with built-in Alexa, while Samsung and Google brought a SmartThings dashboard to some models with Android Auto. Still, Google Home is one of the more prominent connected home platforms around. If you have a smart speaker with Google Assistant enabled, these features might come in useful.

In addition, YouTube will be the first video streaming service on Volvo's infotainment system. You'll be able to download the app from the Play Store. The automaker offers unlimited data in certain markets, so you might be able to watch as many videos as you like without worrying about busting your data allowance.

For safety reasons, you'll only be able to watch YouTube videos on the screen when the car's stationary. That will ensure Volvo avoids the kind of controversy Tesla was embroiled in recently, when it emerged that games were playable on the infotainment system while a car was moving. The company said it would disable that option after the NHTSA said it was looking into the matter.

Other apps that Volvo owners will soon be able to download to their infotainment system include navigation apps Sygic and Flitsmeister; charging apps ChargePoint and Plugshare; and parking services SpotHero and ParkWhiz.

Earlier this week, Volvo announced it will use Qualcomm's car chipsets to power the infotainment systems in Polestar 3 and its upcoming electric EV. The automaker claims Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms will make the systems more responsive and more than twice as fast.

ASUS has a lot more to show off at CES than traditional laptops. The ZenBook 17 Fold is a full-screen foldable OLED tablet, which marks an evolution from the dual-screen Project Precog concept the company showcased in 2018.

The device comes with a Bluetooth keyboard with touchpad. When the screen is partially folded and the keyboard is positioned on the bottom half, it can effectively be used as a 12.5-inch laptop with a Full HD resolution. For more real estate, you can place the keyboard on the desk and stand the tablet up.

ASUS

When it's fully open, the 17.3-inch display has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1920, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 0.2 ms response time and 90 Hz refresh rate. The Pantone-validated touchscreen meets VESA's DisplayHDR 500 True Black standard and it supports Dolby Vision.

The ZenBook 17 Fold has a 75Wh capacity battery, WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, a Dolby Atmos quad-speaker system and 1 TB of NVMe M.2 SSD storage. You can have up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory as well as "the latest Intel CPU" with integrated graphics. Ports are limited to a sole Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

ASUS

It's hardly the first time we've seen a manufacturer attempt a foldable tablet PC. Lenovo revealed the ThinkPad X1 Fold at CES 2020, though we felt it wasn't up to scratch. Foldable phones, of course, have become more commonplace over the last couple of years too.

ASUS hasn't disclosed pricing though it's aiming to release ZenBook 17 Fold around the time of Computex in May. The device and keyboard weigh over four pounds combined, which could make it a hard sell for some folks. Whether ASUS can overcome that issue, as well as supply chain difficulties and problems other manufacturers have had with foldable devices, remains to be seen. 

Beyond Meat's plant-based chicken substitute is coming to KFC restaurants across the US. You'll be able to pick up Beyond Fried Chicken à la carte or as part of the fast food chain's first plant-based combo meal starting on January 10th. The item will be available on KFC menus for a limited time and while stock lasts (which might not last long, based on previous runs). It starts at $7, though the price will vary depending on location.

Beyond Fried Chicken, which Beyond Meat created exclusively for KFC, debuted at an Atlanta restaurant in 2019. Lines reportedly wrapped around the restaurant, which sold out of the plant-based item in just five hours. Other test runs took place in 2020 at restaurants in Nashville, Charlotte and Southern California, with locations in the latter region selling out of Beyond Fried Chicken in one week.

If you happen to miss out on Beyond Fried Chicken during this run, you'll still be able to find Beyond Meat's chicken alternative elsewhere. Some grocery stores started selling the company's "chicken" tenders a few months ago.

Although many other major tech companies withdrew from having a physical presence at CES 2022, Samsung stayed the course. A t this year's show, it made a bunch of announcements and revealed an array of products, including the Galaxy S21 FE, a slightly more budget-friendly version of the Galaxy S21.

At 55 inches, the wild Odyssey Ark is Samsung's largest curved monitor to date. Elsewhere, Samsung showed off a portable projector with a built-in smart speaker, its latest QLED sets, a remote that can recharge using router radio waves and an updated TV interface with cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia baked in. You can catch up with the company's biggest news from CES with our eight-minute supercut.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!

Samsung's making more moves in the portable projector market with its new Freestyle model. It weighs just 1.83 lbs, and with the help of auto focus and auto leveling features that'll help align whatever you're watching, you'll have a lot of options for where to place it.

Samsung

You'll be able to project content at a display size ranging from 30 to 100 inches with a 1080p resolution. It has a 180-degree cradle stand, so you can point it toward a ceiling and watch things while you're lying down. Alternatively, using a base accessory, the Freestyle can connect to a standard E26 lightbulb socket.

If you want to use the device on the go, there's an optional waterproof case and portable battery. You might not even need to connect it to speakers, as Samsung is promising 360-degree audio. Expect far-field voice control too.

The Freestyle will have much of the technology and customization features of Samsung's smart TVs, according to the company. In addition, you can attach the lens cap for mood lighting while you play your favorite music. The portable projector will be available for pre-order on Samsung's US website starting today for $899. It will be available in other regions over the coming months.

Volvo will use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms to beef up the infotainment systems in some of its upcoming models. Both the Polestar 3 and an electric SUV will harness the chipsets.

According to the automaker, Qualcomm partnership will bolster its Android Automotive-based infotainment system by making it more responsive and more than twice as fast. The chipset is said to be able to handle the graphics, audio and AI needs of an infotainment system with very low power consumption. Volvo notes that it'll be able to roll out over-the-air updates that should bring more improvements to the system in the future.

At CES, HP unveiled its latest lineup of gaming systems, including a tower with a new kind of cooling system. The Omen 45L Desktop (which leaked a couple of months ago) has a Cryo Chamber that's positioned above the main case.

The unit contains up to a 360mm AiO liquid cooler and it can pull in colder ambient air from outside the system to cool the radiator instead of using air from the main interior (which is heated up by the processor, graphics card and other components). HP says this can reduce CPU temperatures by a further six degrees Celsius compared with identical models that don't have the Cryo Chamber.

HP

The 45L is a souped-up version of the 40L desktop, which has one fewer 120mm fan and doesn't have the Cryo Chamber, though it's not quite as tall. The newer model is 21.85 inches (55.5 centimeters) high and HP notes that the Cryo Chamber can be used as a Gamecube-style handle.

HP made upgrading components a cinch, as the 45L has front and side panels that can be removed without tools. There are locks to keep the panels in place. The 45L Desktop will be available through HP's website on January 5th (and later at Best Buy). It starts at $1,900. Those who prefer to build their own rigs will be able to buy an Omen 45L ATX case, which includes the Cryo Chamber, in the coming weeks.

Also on the Omen front, HP has refreshed the 25L Desktop with an additional 120mm front fan, as well as an optional glass side panel. There's now a ceramic white color option, which is a first for Omen desktops. The revamped 25L should be available this spring. Pricing will be revealed later.

HP

Meanwhile, HP has revealed the first desktop for its mid-tier Victus brand. The 15L has a compact design and it's available in two colors: mica silver and ceramic white. The case (which has post-consumer recycled plastic in the bezel and water-based paint) features a customizable RGB “infinity mirror” logo.

The 15L can house up to a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT GPU. It's compatible with 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processors and AMD Ryzen7 5000 Series CPUs, and you can pack in up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. The Victus 15L Desktop PC should be available by February, with pricing to be revealed in the coming weeks.

HP

In addition, HP announced the first Omen gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 support. As well as PC gaming, the Omen 27u 4K Gaming Monitor is designed with the latest consoles in mind. The 120 Hz display has a 1ms refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR 400 450 nits of brightness and true 8-bit color. 

HP notes it's the first Omen monitor with a four-sided micro-bezel design, which should place more emphasis on the screen. The monitor will start at $700 and it should be available in the spring.

At CES, HP unveiled its latest lineup of gaming systems, including a tower with a new kind of cooling system. The Omen 45L Desktop (which leaked a couple of months ago) has a Cryo Chamber that's positioned above the main case.

The unit contains up to a 360mm AiO liquid cooler and it can pull in colder ambient air from outside the system to cool the radiator instead of using air from the main interior (which is heated up by the processor, graphics card and other components). HP says this can reduce CPU temperatures by a further six degrees Celsius compared with identical models that don't have the Cryo Chamber.

HP

The 45L is a souped-up version of the 40L desktop, which has one fewer 120mm fan and doesn't have the Cryo Chamber, though it's not quite as tall. The newer model is 21.85 inches (55.5 centimeters) high and HP notes that the Cryo Chamber can be used as a Gamecube-style handle.

HP made upgrading components a cinch, as the 45L has front and side panels that can be removed without tools. There are locks to keep the panels in place. The 45L Desktop will be available through HP's website on January 5th (and later at Best Buy). It starts at $1,900. Those who prefer to build their own rigs will be able to buy an Omen 45L ATX case, which includes the Cryo Chamber, in the coming weeks.

Also on the Omen front, HP has refreshed the 25L Desktop with an additional 120mm front fan, as well as an optional glass side panel. There's now a ceramic white color option, which is a first for Omen desktops. The revamped 25L should be available this spring. Pricing will be revealed later.

HP

Meanwhile, HP has revealed the first desktop for its mid-tier Victus brand. The 15L has a compact design and it's available in two colors: mica silver and ceramic white. The case (which has post-consumer recycled plastic in the bezel and water-based paint) features a customizable RGB “infinity mirror” logo.

The 15L can house up to a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT GPU. It's compatible with 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processors and AMD Ryzen7 5000 Series CPUs, and you can pack in up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. The Victus 15L Desktop PC should be available by February, with pricing to be revealed in the coming weeks.

HP

In addition, HP announced the first Omen gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 support. As well as PC gaming, the Omen 27u 4K Gaming Monitor is designed with the latest consoles in mind. The 120 Hz display has a 1ms refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR 400 450 nits of brightness and true 8-bit color. 

HP notes it's the first Omen monitor with a four-sided micro-bezel design, which should place more emphasis on the screen. The monitor will start at $700 and it should be available in the spring.

Follow all of the latest news from CES 2022 right here!