Here are our favourite new gadgets from CES 2022

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.

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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

ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED

The idea behind ASUS' new ZenBook 17 Fold OLED isn't new. Lenovo attempted something similar nearly two years ago with the ThinkPad X1 Fold.

But it appears that ASUS has put more thought into the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED. The 17.3-inch display sounds large and its 2560 x 1920 pixels resolution look to be out of place. But if you fold it, it creates two 12.5-inch 1920 x 1280 pixels displays, which makes it feel more like a typical notebook.

Another area that shows thoughtfulness is the ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard because ASUS has tried to design it so that it closely mimics the feel of a regular notebook keyboard. Features like dished keycaps, 19.05mm of key pitch, and 1.4mm of key travel prove this.

Perhaps the most crucial spec is that the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is powered by Intel's newest Alder Lake processor. It's still a relatively low-power chip but if Intel's claims are to be believed, it could make the ZenBook Fold 17 OLED a more confident performer.

Other niceties include quad speakers tuned by Harmon Kardon, a high-resolution 5MP web camera, and dual USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. Add them all together and what you get is a system that sounds more like a fully fleshed out product and less like a half-hearted attempt to show-off. I'm really looking forward to this.

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You can read our coverage of the ASUS ZenBook Fold 17 OLED here.

– Kenny Yeo, Associate Editor

Samsung Odyssey Ark

If there's one defining commonality that all these new televisions and monitors announcements from the likes of LG and ASUS have in common at CES 2022, it's that all of them have brought the adage "size does matter" back again. Quite literally.

LG is dead set on getting gamers to adopt their OLED television as their primary gaming display of choice, going as far as releasing a "smaller" 42-inch C2 model that uses their fantastic OLED Evo panel for 2022. Naturally, it supports 4K with a 120Hz refresh rate.

And even ROG isn't resting on its laurels – announcing their first 4K OLED gaming monitor that comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a gaming company. 120Hz refresh rate? Checked. RGB? Of course!

Then there's Samsung and its just-announced Odyssey Ark. I want to gush about its 4K display with mini-LED backlighting. I also want to talk about its incredulously huge 55-inch (16:9) curved real estate. But my goodness, what I really want most to talk about is how you can also turn vertically so that the screen curves over your head. It's absolutely brilliant, and I'm speechless. I'll just let these images speak for themselves.

– Aaron Yip, Lifestyle & Gaming Editor

Linkface Dearbuds

I already write, shoot and review tech products all year long. So, what's my highlight of CES 2022? The weird and the wonderful. I look out specifically for niche applications of technology we never knew we needed, until someone made them. But I do have a criterion. It mustn't be something that's just an improvement of an existing thing, such as the Y-Brush (CES 2019). It also cannot be something that I question its very existence, such as Hongzuo's pick of the Amagami Ham Ham finger nibbling robot. 

So what oddly specific tech product came out of CES 2022 that got the attention of this incredibly fussy tech editor? Linkface DearBuds, the world's first ear de-humidifier. These are a pair of ear-care earbuds. They look like audio earbuds, has a charging case like audio earbuds, and are worn like audio earbuds, but they don't play audio. They monitor ear temperature and humidity, and can circulate the air within to maintain "optimal humidity levels so that your ears stay fresh all day and night long". This will supposedly improve ear health, reduce wax build-up and prevent ear infections. 

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Linkface is a spin-off company from Samsung and is exhibiting at CES 2022 under the Samsung C-Labs startup and incubation program. 

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– Zachary Chan, Editor

Samsung 2022 Neo QLED TVs

Yes, I know it might sound weird why my favourite CES 2022 launch is a Samsung Neo QLED TV when Samsung has other interesting launches like their Odyssey Ark and their very own MicroLED TVs that are superior to the Mini-LED backlit Neo QLED TV. So bear with me a bit.

For starters, MicroLED TVs are priced in the six-figure range, so it's clearly not something most people can even think about it. Besides, they are not new for consumers who can spare no expenses either.

Back to why the Samsung 2022 Neo QLED TVs is my pick, it boils down to the TV nailing two aspects that have been difficult to achieve - Easy screen calibration to get the best out of your TV and Wireless Dolby Atmos audio delivery out of the box.

For their 2022 model, Samsung offers a phone app-based Smart Calibration feature that you can fine-tune your TV screen's output in your residence in just 10 minutes. Samsung claims that's all the time you need to get it up to par with professional home calibration services. What's more, there's a basic mode that does quick fine-tuning in just 30 seconds. I'm floored that you can finally skip the lengthy and expensive calibration services to ensure your TV looks best in your usage area and with respect to the TV's panel quality and out of the box performance. 

Audio-wise, while the last couple of launches like the Q950T in 2021 and the QN900A in 2020 already support Dolby Atmos audio delivery, this year's top of the line model sports an additional two up-firing speakers. That means there's now a total of four up-firing speakers and it's the recommended number by Dolby to achieve some overhead Dolby Atmos audio effects. In total, you'll get 90W of audio power in a 6.2.4-channel configuration out of the box. This makes the 2022 Neo QLED TV the most capable TV system to deliver Dolby Atmos audio without any additional speakers, wires or the mess associated with a typical home theatre setup.

This is not yet considering the many other advances the Samsung 2022 Neo QLED TVs have made such as 14-bit HDR mapping for even greater gradation control, Shape Adaptive Light tech, AI-based depth enhancer, EyeComfort mode, Human Tracking Object Tracking Sound, solar-powered remote, Q-Symphony 2.0 for up to 22 channels of audio power with a compatible Samsung soundbar and many more that I've covered in my article.

In essence, this is an understated TV that you should experience firsthand. You'll be surprised.

– Vijay Anand, Editor-in-Chief

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