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pCES: BEST
NEW GAMERS
OAcer Nitro 5
The 2021 Nitro 5 comes in 15in
and 17in variants, and you can
pay as little as $750 for the base
model or treble that if you spec
it up to a Ryzen 5000 series CPU
and Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics.
from $750 / acer.com
OAsus ROG Flow X
A Stuff CES Most Wanted pick,
this sleek 13-incher looks more
business than Battlefield, but
it’s definitely here for a good
time. We’re especially keen on
the optional eGPU add-on.
from $3000 / asus.com
OLenovo Legion 7
Lo! Lenovo’s latest lovely Legion
laptop also sports a Ryzen 5000
and up to an RTX 3080 GPU...
but we’re more interested in its
16in 1440p display, which has
a tall-ish 16:10 aspect ratio.
from $1670 / lenovo.com
That Polk isn’t dummy any more
POLK REACT
As Tom Jones once sang, it’s not unusual to find a soundbar with Alexa
on board these days – but Polk reckons its new React is more advanced
than any other. What does it have to back up such outlandish claims?
Well, it’s got four far-field mics and supports Alexa’s Communication
features, so you can use it to make calls and announcements to Echo
devices, while Alexa Multi-Room Music means you can pair other
equally skilled speakers to form a musical network throughout your
gaff. It works with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 to make things sound as
lifelike as possible; and while there’s no Atmos support, you can add
SR2 wireless surround speakers (£159/pair) and a React Sub (£179).
£249 / polkaudio.comGive me just a little door chime
RING VIDEO DOORBELL WIRED
It’s never been cheaper to put up a camera-toting doorbell and start
peering out at your neighbours, thanks to Ring’s new ding-dong thang.
This mini option keeps all the familiar features of its pricier siblings,
including two-way communication, 1080p video recording and motion
alerts to your smartphone. You’ll need doorbell wiring to hook it up and
a paid Ring Protect Plan subscription to get the most out of it, including
the advanced motion-detection features, but you’re pretty much
getting the full package here for much less cash. It looks like an easy
entry point for anyone just dabbling in smart home tech en route to
the ultimate connected fortress (eventually, maybe).
£49 / ring.com