Here are our favourite new gadgets from CES 2022

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Note: This feature was first published on 7 January 2022.

The beginning of the year is always an exciting one because of CES 2022. Sadly, the event was dampened by the onset of a new wave of Covid infections in the US, which led to many companies' either pulling out or reducing their presence at the event. Nevertheless, CES 2022 still saw the announcement of many interesting new technologies and products. 

Here are some of our favourites. We have an eclectic pick of products that include usual suspects like gorgeous TVs and foldable notebooks. But we also have some oddball picks like a self-driving tractor and a soft toy that nibbles on your finger – no, that wasn't a typo.

We hope you enjoy reading about our picks and hopefully we can attend CES in person next year to bring you more personal and engaging coverage.

LG DualUp 28MQ780 monitor

Of all I covered during CES 2022, the one thing that I really liked was the LG DualUp 28MQ780 monitor.

I mean who doesn’t want to be able to see more from their display? The LG DualUp 28MQ780 monitor has the same screen real estate as two 21.5-inch displays in a Square Double QHD (SDQHD) resolution of 2,560 x 2,880 pixels. It also supports 98% of the wide DCI-P3 colour space, HDR10, and can reach a brightness of 300 nits.

TWO 21.5-inch displays on top of each other!

I can be typing my work on the bottom with all of my research open on the top allowing for a seamless flow for work. I can also work and stay entertained at the same time as the monitor has built-in dual 7W stereo speakers so I can game and watch streaming content as well.

The monitor comes supplied with LG’s Ergo stand, which fits most desks and tables to save on space and be easily adjusted to fit most users.

Even better, LG says it can also reduce my shoulder and neck aches as I don’t need to turn my head as much.

– Ken Wong, Senior Tech Writer

Amagami Ham Ham

While my colleagues gush over their favourite high-tech, high-refresh rate, high-performance gizmos seen at CES 2022, I chanced upon a new gadget that's simultaneously both my best and worst pick out of the annual tech conference. I mean, just look at it:

In case you couldn't tell, this plushie is supposed to be a nibbling robot bear that "play bites" your finger. Called the Amagami Ham Ham, this little guy is based on Liv Heart's cast of Nemu Nemu animals.

According to its Japanese creator - Yukai Engineering's CEO Tsubasa Tominaga  - the Amagami Ham Ham is "a robot that frees humankind from the conundrum of whether ‘to pursue or not to pursue’ the forbidden pleasure." On its official website, amagami (Japanese for "gentle biting") elicits "various emotions without words" and "indescribable comfort". 

It's no doubt cute and very comfy-looking, but the plushie goes against my natural instinct where I avoid placing my body parts inside random, unknown holes. Never mind the fact that Amagami Ham Ham comes with two dozens of different biting patterns and a 'hamgorithm' that picks these patterns at random.

Currently, the plushie doesn't have an official retail price or date, but it was available at CES 2022 for visitors to stick a finger in to, against their better judgement.

If a play-biting bear isn't to your taste, the same company also launched a disembodied cat tail pillow that waggles.

You can read more about Amagami Ham Ham here.

— Liu Hongzuo, Senior Tech Writer

John Deere autonomous tractor

It’s hard to explain why this is my favourite announcement from CES. There’s certainly been a bunch of more exciting vehicle-related news, like the new electric Chevy Silverado, Sony's electric SUV concept, and even the new EyeQ Ultra autonomous car SoC from Intel's Mobileye subsidiary.

I'd even have no hesitation in saying that this announcement won't matter to anyone in Singapore, a country where the urban population is 100% the total population.

But at the same time, there's something so absurd about saying, "Look at this tractor drive itself!"

To be fair, the autonomous tractor from agritech company John Deere isn’t one product per se. Instead, it’s additional hardware and software, such as a GPS guidance system, meant to be installed on the company's 8R tractors. It will work in tandem with existing tech on the 8R, including its six pairs of stereo cameras and obstacle-detection algorithms. 

John Deere has some lofty aims for the autonomous tractor; directly quoting from the tractor's press release, it says its purpose is "feeding the world", as a growing world population will, in the next few decades, have to contend with less arable land and skilled workers.

It's definitely a noble goal (even if John Deere has had some controversy with right-to-repair), and at the very least could provide relief to farmers who can afford it. But personally, I think it's my favourite just for placing the thought of "Hey, tractors are kind of cool" in my head.

— Glenn Chua, Intern