9to5Toys’ Best of CES 2018 Awards

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It’s been a big week at CES 2018 in Las Vegas with a number of new products across nearly every category. For 9to5Toys, that includes a bevvy of new TVs, smart home products, storage and much more. We hit the show floor over the last few days to find our favorite new releases coming down the line this year.

Hit the jump for this year’s 9to5Toys Best of CES Awards…

Best Hard Drive |

SanDisk is known for being behind some of the best portable storage solutions on the market today. I’ve long been a big fan of its portable Extreme solid-state storage and CES delivered a refreshed model.

The new SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD delivers transfer speeds up to 550MB/s, which is perfect for transferring 4K content while on-the-go. Additionally, it is IP55, which is perfect for active lifestyles.

The rugged SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD delivers high‐speed transfers with up to 550MB/s read speeds, making it perfect for saving and editing hi‐res photos and videos. Its IP55 rating mean that it can stand up to rain, splashes, spills and dust.

SanDisk’s latest Extreme lineup is available in capacities up to 2TB in size, but pricing has yet to be announced. I was able to go hands-on with this drive during our SanDisk briefing, and I was particularly impressed with the new form-factor. SanDisk has departed from the square shape in favor of a new, slimmer build that fits better in your pocket. Look for this drive to be a hit with prosumers throughout 2018.

Best Smart Home Gear |

Elgato marches into 2018 with a pair of new HomeKit-enabled products, focused on quick access to data and your favorite scenes. The Eve Room sensor offers an e-ink display that tracks important data points in your home like temperature, air quality and humidity. Elgato has also dropped the external power source for a new rechargeable battery via microUSB. A fresh anodized aluminum casing makes Eve Room more attractive than the previous generation plastic sensors, as well.

During my time with Eve Room at our CES briefing I was struck by a few key features. Elgato opting for an e-ink display was the right move here, as this product is about data first. A color display wasn’t going to add any additional value and Eve Room’s battery life benefits as well. This is an easy way to get into smart home data tracking and it can even be used as an additional sensor with popular thermostats like Ecobee.

Best Portable Power Supply |

Anker announced its new PowerHouse 200 at CES 2018, delivering many of the same features as the previous generation in a smaller form-factor. I positively reviewed the original version and it looks like this year’s release should be popular.

The smaller PowerHouse 200 offers 200Wh of power with USB-C PD power and three additional USB-A ports. There’s also the expected 100W AC outlet. It’s also some 20% lighter than the larger version, which also makes it more attractive. Anker’s latest PowerHouse will sell for $300 this summer.

Best Home Theater Gear |

LG stole the show this year with a bevy of new displays. But my personal favorite was its new 4K projector that packs serious capabilities in a smaller form-factor. It is able to create a screen up to 150-inches in size with some 2,500 lumens of power. Features include two built in 7W speakers with HDMI, along with optical and Bluetooth connectivity. It runs LG’s webOS 3.5 software with access to all of the popular streaming services.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but you can expect this projector to be prosumer-focused. Portable projectors have seen a resurgence lately as more folks are taking their content on-the-go, be it by the pool or at a BBQ.

LG’s option certainly is high-end in comparison to some offerings, but look for it to be a noteworthy release for those looking to take the next step in 4K content.

Be sure to check out our complete CES 2018 guide for more of the latest releases and more for Las Vegas.

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