Following up on its Aonic 50 headphones that debuted at CES 2020, Shure announced a more affordable noise-cancelling option today. With the Aonic 40, the company offers a similar design to its premium model, maintaining adjustable active noise cancellation (ANC) and on-board controls with slightly more battery life than the 2020 version. 

Though the Aonic 40 will debut at $150 less than its elder sibling did two years ago, the new model doesn't look any less premium. Shure opted for a combination of aluminum and nylon, revising the silver and black or sliver and white/tan color schemes from the Aonic 50. The earcups on the 40 rotate flat and fold inward for easy storage, making them a decent option for travel. 

Shure

Shure says you can expect its "iconic sound" alongside a fully customizable EQ via its ShurePlus Play app on Android and iOS. That software will allow you to save any created settings for future access. The app also allows you to choose between three ANC options as well as tweak the Environment Mode (ambient sound). Shure also says the software is equipped with a hi-res music player that works with the Aonic 40. 

As is typically the case with headphones these days, Shure is hyping call quality thanks to dual beamforming microphones. On-board controls will allow you to easily answer those, in addition to volume adjustments and accessing both the ANC and ambient sound options. The company says you'll get up to 25 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation turned on — up from 20 hours on the Aonic 50. Plus, a quick charge option can offer five hours of use in 15 minutes. 

The Aonic 40 is available now in black and white color options for $249.

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

Hot on the (w)heels of our October test drive with BMW's iX, the luxury automaker has unveiled a more powerful — but equally-electrified — performance edition of the EV flagship at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the new 2023 iX M60. Building on more than 50 years of design development with the automaker's prestigious M line, the iX M60 (along with the upcoming i4 M50) mark BMW's first forays into high-performance electric vehicles.

BMW

In addition to sporting 610 horsepower, the all-wheel drive iX M60 will offer 811 ft-lbs of torque, which translates into a 3.6 second 0-60 (not bad for a vehicle weighing 6,900 pounds), a top speed of 155 mph, and an estimated 280 mile range using the standard 21-inch wheels. It's dual synchronous motors are current-energized, meaning that their rotational speed is based on the amount of electrical energy applied — rather than relying on permanent magnets to generate the magnetic field turns the wheels. According to BMW, this improves both the vehicle's overall power density and its peak power output while eliminating the need for rare earth elements in the motors' construction. 

Its battery pack has a usable capacity of 106 kWh (111.5 kWh total). A full charge (0-100 percent capacity) on an 11W AC plug will take around 10.5 hours to complete (or a whopping 33 hours at 3.7 kW). Charging up to 80 percent on a DC fast charger will take 97 minutes at 50 kW, 40 minutes at 120 kW or just 35 minutes if you're lucky enough to find a charging station outfitted with it a 250kW port (note that the M60's 369V architecture limits its DC charging rate to 195 kW even if you do get lucky with an ultrafast station).   

BMW

Outwardly, the M60 is quite similar to the iX. It measures 195 x 77 x 65 inches and incorporates an aluminum space frame and carbon cage with carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the roof, side and rear. But if you look closer, you'll notice M60-exclusive blue brake calipers and optional 22-inch rims. Of the eight available exterior colors, Titanium Bronze is only available on the M60, as are the optional Titanium Bronze wheels. 

BMW

On the interior, M60 drivers will have their pick of five seat color options (either using SensaTec material or perforated leather) as well as the regular set of features, gadgets and ADAS systems we've come to expect on luxury vehicles. That includes a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system, a panoramic "Sky Lounge" LED roof, adaptive LED headlights and myriad driver and traffic monitoring sensors, and something called BMW Natural Interaction, which allows you to control the infotainment system with verbal commands and hand gestures. 

Pricing for the M60 will start at $106,095 when the orders begin this June. BMW's keynote is scheduled for 11am PT on Wednesday, January 5th so stay tuned for more breaking news about the iX M60 and the rest of BMW's CES lineup. 

Like many other PC manufacturers, MSI is refreshing its gaming laptops this week with the new CPUs and GPUs Intel and NVIDIA announced at CES 2022. Among the models the company is updating are its popular Stealth GS77 and Stealth GS66 laptops. New to the 2022 versions of the laptop is a more durable zinc alloy hinge. They also feature larger trackpads and keycaps for a more comfortable typing experience. Between the Stealth GS77 and Stealth GS66, MSI will offer 10 different configurations.

With the latter, the most affordable model will cost $1,799 and feature an Intel Core i7-12650H processor, NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of NVMe storage. It also comes with a 17-inch 360Hz Full HD display. If you want MSI’s most powerful GS77 model, you’ll need to set aside $4,199. That gets you a computer with a 14-core, 20-thread i9-12900H; NVIDIA’s new flagship laptop GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti; 32GB of RAM; and a 1TB M.2 drive. Instead of a Full HD or QHD panel, it comes with a 4K 120Hz display that covers the entire Adobe RGB color gamut.

Moving to the smaller GS66, your most affordable option here is a $2,499 model with an i9-12900H, RTX 3070 Ti, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of internal storage and a 15-inch 360Hz Full HD display. For $1,000 more, you can get the computer with an RTX 3080 Ti, 32GB of RAM and 4K display.

MSI

If one of MSI’s new computers comes with at least an RTX 3070 and Core i7 processor, it will feature a “Meta-Ready” sticker on its case to tell you you’re ready to experience the Metaverse at its best. The company doesn’t say who decided you need one of NVIDIA’s latest GPUs for a technology that is more an idea than a reality at this point.

One of the ways MSI hopes to differentiate its laptops from all the other Intel 12th-gen machines you’ll have the chance to buy in 2022 is through its new cooling technology. The Core i9 Stealth GS77 will come with a metal pad that melts when the computer reaches a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid fills the space between the CPU and thermal block, leading to a more efficient transfer of heat, according to MSI. The company claims the technology allows for an up to 10 percent increase in performance.

MSI

MSI is also updating its Creator series of laptops, including the Z17, Z16P and M16. The highlight of the line is the Z17. It features a 17-inch 16:10 display with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. The base model comes with an RTX 3070 Ti, i7 12700H processor and 32GB of RAM for $3,249. We’re waiting on details for when MSI plans to release all the laptops it announced today.

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

Panasonic has trotted out all sorts of audio gear since reviving the iconic Technics brand in 2014. Recently, that list includes a smattering of true wireless earbuds and headphones, and at CES 2022, the company has yet another portable device ready to debut. With the EAH-A800, Technics has built a pair of hi-fi-ready wireless headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) and claims of a whopping 50 hours of use on a charge. 

The over-ear EAH-A800 packs in 40mm drivers that Technics says are the result of its experience building hi-fi audio gear. In addition to a new design and materials for that component, an Acoustic Control Chamber manages air flow to assist with driver performance and bass response. The company has also leveraged capacitor tech from its high-end amplifiers to limit distortion and maintain sound quality. The EAH-A800 supports LDAC for higher quality audio over Bluetooth, in addition to the typical AAC standard. 

Technics/Panasonic

Technics promises "industry-leading noise cancelling" via a dual hybrid setup. An analog filter equipped feed back mic and a digital filter outfitted feed forward mic monitor unwanted clamor inside and out. The EAH-A800 also has Natural Ambient and Attention modes. The difference is that the latter makes it easier to hear voices while the former is a more universal transparency setting. Technics also provides multi-point pairing here, which will allow you to connect to two devices simultaneously over Bluetooth and easily switch between them. 

The company is also making big promises when it comes to call clarity. Using a total of eight microphones, the EAH-A800 employs four to pick up your voice and four more to combat any environmental noise. Additionally, Technics says the feed forward mics are designed and positioned to reduce wind noise. 

Perhaps the most impressive claim on the EAH-A800 is the stated 50 hours of battery life. Technics says you can achieve this figure with ANC on listening to AAC audio. If you are listening via LDAC, the company says you can expect up to 40 hours of play time. Disable noise cancelling on either sound codec and listening time increases by 10 hours. So if you're willing to go without ANC or higher quality audio, you can get 60 hours of use out of these according to Technics. What's more, a 15-minute charge will give you 10 hours of use (ANC on, AAC quality streaming). 

The EAH-A800 will be available in black and white color options in February for $350 (£299/€349). 

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

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.

For the longest time, console gamers were second-class citizens when it came to gaming accessories. Keyboards and mice are, of course, mainly PC gaming peripherals, and the vast majority of customization software is made for desktop machines. Even most headsets were built with PC gaming in mind, though that’s changed in recent years. But for most folks a gamepad is the iconic console gaming accessory, and the options outside of first-party controllers have been lacking until recently. Now gamers have their option of high-end accessories from companies like Scuf, Razer and today, HyperX.

HyperX

This week HyperX introduces its first gamepad, the Clutch Wireless Gaming Controller. It’s an Xbox-style peripheral, with two thumbsticks, a D-pad on the left, dual shoulder buttons and triggers, and the standard four lettered buttons on the right. The name “clutch” comes from the included clip, which makes it possible to mount an Android phone to the controller, or prop up a phone on a surface for tabletop play. 

HyperX

The $50 Clutch is mainly intended for use with Android devices, and connects wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.2 or a USB-C wireless receiver. (A USB-C to USB-A cord is included for wired gameplay with the PC or console of your choice.) However, those wireless options should also make it compatible with the Nintendo Switch. Given that your gamepad selection for the Switch is mostly limited to the official Pro Controller and the various offerings from 8BitDo and PowerA, this is a welcome addition to the market, one which we’ll have to test once it ships in March.

HyperX

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

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!

How do you help your gaming monitor stand out when it's neither one of the largest nor a huge bargain? Cater to console gamers, apparently. HP has revealed the Omen 27u, a 27-inch monitor with full support for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The 4K screen, HDMI 2.1 input, DisplayHDR 400 support and built-in speakers aren't novelties in themselves, but should be appreciated if you want to play some console games at 120Hz without buying a separate TV.

The Omen 27u should be a solid monitor even if you don't care for console games. The IPS panel and 144Hz support will be helpful for color accuracy (95 percent of the DCI-P3 space) and action-heavy PC games, but you might also appreciate the RGB lighting and slicker profile. This is HP's first Omen monitor with thin bezels on all sides — it might be a good fit for a multi-display setup.

You'll have to be patient when the Omen 27u is only due to ship sometime this spring. At $700, though, it will cost significantly less than last year's Acer's HDMI 2.1-equipped Nitro monitor and competes well with other well-equipped 4K rivals. It's certainly easier to rationalize than a full-fledged gaming TV if desk space is at a premium.

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

With the pandemic now almost in its third year, it’s fair to say video calling won’t become a smaller part of our lives anytime soon. So it’s surprising we haven’t seen more monitors like the new U3223QZ from Dell. It has a webcam built directly into its frame. And judging by the spec sheet the company shared, it’s a pretty good one too.

It features a Stravis CMOS sensor from Sony that can capture 4K HDR video at 30 frames per second or 1080p footage at 60 frames per second. It also features an adjustable field of view you can switch between 65, 78 or 90 degrees depending on how much your environment you want your contacts to see. The camera automatically closes its shutter when you don’t have a video conferencing app open. On the front, there’s also a toggle to disable it entirely. But best of all, the webcam works seamlessly with Windows Hello, so no need to type in your PIN each time you want to unlock your PC.

Dell

As for the display itself, it’s a 31.5-inch 4K IPS panel that is DisplayHDR 400 certified and covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Dell claims the U3223QZ is the first monitor in its class to feature IPS Black technology. As a result, it has a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. For context, most IPS panels have contrast ratios of 1000:1, so they don’t display blacks as deeply as VA panels and OLEDs do.

As with most Dell monitors, the U3223QZ comes with plenty of ports. You’ll find Display Port 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 connections, as well as five USB-A ports capable of 10Gbps data transfers. If you need to power other devices, there’s one USB-C port capable of 90W PD and another capable of 15W PD. What you won’t find here is an HDMI 2.1 connection. If it wasn’t already clear, this is not a monitor Dell designed for gaming. So don’t expect FreeSync support or a faster than 60Hz refresh rate.

Dell will begin selling the U3223QZ on March 29th. The company said it would share pricing information closer to release.

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

Formlabs, one of the few companies to turn 3D printing into a useful, real-world tool, is here at CES to show off two new printers. The Form 3+ and 3B+ are updates to the models it launched in 2019, with these units described as its “fastest 3D printers to date.”

New for 2022 include higher-intensity lasers, new material settings and faster, more durable hardware, with a promise of 40 percent faster prints. It also comes with the Build Platform 2, an updated deck for manufacturing that makes it easier to remove prints when they’re done.

Formlabs

At the same time, the company is showing off ESD Resin, enabling you to build components that dissipate electrostatic discharges. This should, Formlabs hopes, open up new opportunities for prints that can be used inside the electronics industry and other high-tech operations.

There’s no word yet on how much the hardware will cost but you’ll be able to buy it at some point today and shipping starts immediately.

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