Anker and its constellation of lifestyle consumer electronics brands brought in a trove of new gear to the 2024 International CES. There's a lot to cover, and we begin with Nebula, a brand focused on portable audio and projectors. The Capsule 3 is a 6-inch tall cylindrical "pocket cinema" projector that's slightly larger than a portable speaker (it encloses one, too). Besides an 8 W Dolby Digital speaker set, it included a 52 Wh battery that can offer around 2.5 hours of playtime on battery power. It takes in USB-PD, and has a type-C USB port for power. The Capsule 3 throws a 200 ANSI Lumens beam as a DLP, with its lamp rated for 30,000 hours. The projector's resolution is Full HD (1080p), and is suitable for short-range projections (within 6 ft), with automatic keystone correction. Display inputs include HDMI, and playback from USB mass-storage devices. On the software side of things, the Capsule 3 packs Google TV, so all apps from the Play Store should work here.

Next up, we have the larger Nebula Mars 3 Air, a picnic basket-sized projector with a grab handle. This may be a Full HD DLP just like thew Capsule 3, but with double the brightness, of 400 ANSI Lumens, the same 8 W Dolby Digital speakers, and a 64.8 Wh battery for up to 2.5 hours of playback (more if you reduce the brightness). The higher brightness means that you can project onto larger screens, around the 80-inch to 100-inch range, from a distance of roughly 8 ft. The connectivity options and software loadout is exactly the same as the one on the Capsule 3. Available for pre-order, the Capsule 3 is priced at $549, and the Mars 3 Air at $599.

Apple today announced the next generation of Apple TV 4K—more powerful, entertaining, and affordable than ever, and offering impressive cinematic quality. Driven by the A15 Bionic chip that delivers faster performance and more fluid gameplay, the new Apple TV 4K features endless entertainment options for everyone to enjoy on the biggest screen in the home. HDR10+ support joins Dolby Vision on Apple TV 4K, so users can watch their favorite movies and TV shows in the best quality possible across more TVs. Running tvOS, the powerful and intuitive OS for the living room, and featuring the popular Siri Remote, Apple TV 4K simplifies the way users discover and enjoy their favorite content. Its seamless integration with other Apple devices and services magically transforms the living room in different ways for the entire family, while also adding convenience as a smart home hub.

The new Apple TV 4K is available in two configurations: Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi), which offers 64 GB of storage; and Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet), which offers support for Gigabit Ethernet for fast networking and streaming, Thread mesh networking protocol to connect even more smart home accessories, and twice the storage for apps and games (128 GB). Customers can order the new Apple TV 4K with Siri Remote today at a new starting price of $129, with availability beginning Friday, November 4.

Creative today introduced a limited-edition variant of its Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus discrete internal sound card, the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition (model: SBX-AE5P-WH). This is essentially a white color trim of the AE-5 Plus sound card which debuted in mid-April 2020, which sees silvery matte white make up the main shroud over the card, and much of the backside of the PCB being painted white. There are still some contrasting piano black bits, such as the ARGB insert.

The AE-5 Plus slots between the AE-5 and AE-7, while being almost identical to the former. It's only feature-additions over the AE-5 are Dolby Digital Live and DTS encoding support, which the AE-5 lacks. The hardware of the AE-5 Plus is identical to the AE-5, with 122 dB SNR, 32-bit 384 kHz audio format support, and 0.00032% total harmonic distortion. Available in limited quantities, the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition is priced around USD $170.

Creative rolled out the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus, a discrete internal sound card with PCIe interface. The card is a step up from the Sound BlasterX AE-5, and is positioned below the AE-7 the company debuted in June 2019. The new AE-5 Plus uses the same Sound Core 3D audio processor as the rest of the AE series, but with an ESS Sabre Ultra DAC carried over from the AE-5, which offers 122 dB SNR, sound resolution of 32-bit 384 kHz, and 0.00032% total harmonic distortion. Much like the AE-5, it lacks user-replaceable OPAMPs. What sets the AE-5 Plus apart is support for Dolby Digital Live and DTS encoding, just like the AE-7 and AE-9, which is something the original AE-5 lacks. It also only comes in a black color-scheme, unlike the AE-5. The company didn't reveal pricing, although we expect it to be around 10-15% pricier than the $149 AE-5.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster X3, its latest addition to the illustrious Sound Blaster line-up of sound cards which ignited the PC audio revolution 30 years ago. A high-resolution USB DAC with multi-channel audio playback, it combines Creative's multiple award-winning technological breakthroughs - the famed Sound Blaster digital processing technology and game-changing Super X-Fi headphone holography - for a compelling solution which audio enthusiasts simply cannot ignore.

Creative Technology Ltd continues its legacy of revolutionizing audio with the launch of its most advanced PCI-e sound cards ever - the Sound Blaster AE-9 and Sound Blaster AE-7. Built with only the most premium components, and complemented with the latest technologies from Creative, these sound cards are designed to define a new performance standard in this class for the ultimate PC entertainment experience.

Up till 1989, the only sounds coming out of the PC were mere beeps. The same year, Sound Blaster was born, and PC audio was transformed forever. Since then, over 400 million Sound Blasters have been sold; and the Sound Blaster brand has become synonymous with the term sound card and high-quality PC audio - first for gaming, and then movies and music. With experience and expertise refined over three decades of audio innovation, Sound Blaster has continued to reinvent itself with the development of digital audio processing technologies. Each new innovation served to redefine what the ultimate audio experience really means, such as when it evolved beyond the PC in the form of external sound cards for platforms like gaming and entertainment consoles.

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation announced today that Dolby Audio is selected to be a part of the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system and will be natively supported by the new Microsoft Edge browser for the playback of web-based content as well as accessible by third-party Windows Store apps. Users of Microsoft Windows 10 PCs and tablets will enjoy Dolby quality audio experiences through Windows entertainment apps and through Microsoft Edge.

Dolby Audio (supporting Dolby Digital Plus) will be available in x86 Windows 10 PCs and tablets for playback of movies, TV shows, and videos with crisp, clear dialogue and greater detail of sounds. Windows 7 and 8 users may upgrade to Windows 10 for free and continue to experience Dolby quality audio consistently across headphones, built-in PC and tablet speakers, or connected home theater systems. Microsoft Edge will be the first browser to leverage the Dolby Digital Plus decoder on the Windows 10 operating system, enabling online content providers to enrich the entertainment experiences of millions of Internet users globally with Dolby Audio.

"We are excited about the collaboration and partnership with Microsoft and share in the commitment to providing the best entertainment experiences possible to consumers across a wide range of devices in the Windows 10 ecosystem," said John Couling, Senior Vice President, E-Media Business Group, Dolby Laboratories. "With the launch of Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge in nearly 200 countries, Dolby and Microsoft will enable better user experiences with high-quality audio that is robust, consistent, and at a scale necessary for the large Windows ecosystem."

With the introduction of the new Aspire V5 Series, Acer continues to bring touch and type to the mainstream segment. Designed in line with the current trend towards thinner and lighter notebooks that allow users to enjoy both entertainment and content creation anytime, anywhere, the new V5-561P comes with a built in optical drive as there is are still a lot of customers who prefer to view and store content using an optical drive.

The Aspire V5-561P features an M-DISCTM enabled optical media drive, designed to save valuable content for up to several decades. This means it's capable of storing data into the M-DISC to provide permanent storage of up to 4.7GB. In addition, the M-DISC is not vulnerable to failure like traditional DVDs and CDs, as it's made up of a special layer that undergoes any permanent physical change not fading or deteriorating.

SteelSeries, the leading global manufacturer of gaming peripherals today, announced pre-order availability of the new, tournament-grade 9H Gaming Headset. Exclusively available on the SteelSeries Web Shop, the 9H features powerful, tournament-grade audio drivers and Dolby surround sound technologies. Its finely tuned, custom-engineered soundscape features a wide dynamic range, which makes it possible for the 9H to deliver a balanced and linear tournament-grade soundscape.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced an all new high performance external sound card - the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1. On top of enhancing audio playback via Creative's SBX Pro Studio suite of processing technologies, the Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 goes a step further to provide a more complete playback experience. The sound card comes with a 600 ohm headphone amplifier that allows discerning listeners to hear every enhanced audio detail through powerful studio-grade monitoring headphones.

It's the epitome of immersive gaming sound: the MEDUSA range, which revolutionised PC gaming audio with true 5.1 surround sound. Now SPEEDLINK is opening up this sound experience to the console gaming world. Following the successful launch of the stereo model for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the range of console sound solutions is now crowned by the multi-compatible MEDUSA NX 5.1 Surround Console Gaming Headset featuring true-to-life surround sound.

As you'd expect, the latest member of the legendary, multi award-winning MEDUSA family produces incredible sound. It also lets you determine precisely where sounds are coming from thanks to its eight integrated driver units - delivering a decisive tactical advantage in multiplayer games and a surround-sound experience that will blow you away.

Sharkoon presents the successor to their "X-Tatic Digital" 5.1 Dolby Digital headset series: The Sharkoon X-Tatic Pro comes with an improved design, more connectivity options and an additional Microphone Voice Monitoring (MVM) feature.

Designed to meet the needs of Gamers, the Sharkoon X-Tatic Pro delivers its full functional range to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. With Dolby Digital decoder and Chat support, it provides optimal gaming sound with realistic 3D tone and spatial sound location on both platforms. With its Sound Control Unit (SCU) and associated cables the Sharkoon X-Tatic Pro can also be connected to other sound sources like PCs, Tablet PCs, surround sound speaker systems or DVD players.

With the Sharkoon X-Tatic S7, Sharkoon has thankfully updated the sound format by providing two additional sound channels for authentic and room-filling 7.1 surround sound. The headset supports the new "Dolby ProLogic" version IIx, which combined with "Dolby Headphone" technology generates authentic and room-filling 7.1 Sound for stereo headsets from analog stereo signals and digital 5.1 Dolby Digital signals.

In addition, Sharkoon has replaced the previous USB2.0 cable for an included USB2.0 Y-cable, providing a stable energy supply to the headset via a second USB port for current or weaker sound sources.

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. today announced that Microsoft has selected Dolby Digital Plus to create the most realistic and immersive audio experiences for Windows 8 on tablets and PCs. The addition of Dolby Digital Plus enables the playback of Dolby-encoded content across a growing number of devices. Today's announcement underscores the essential role that Dolby Digital Plus plays in delivering high-quality sound for online entertainment services and personal media applications.

"Dolby's goal is to deliver the best possible entertainment experience, wherever content is delivered through broadcast, broadband, or wireless networks," said Ramzi Haidamus, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Dolby. "We are pleased to be working with Microsoft to address the growing demand for high-definition content delivered across a broad range of services and devices. Widespread availability of Dolby Digital Plus on Windows 8 will enable more people to enjoy cinematic sound anytime, anywhere, and on any device."

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Sound Blaster Recon3D, the USB audio device that provides unprecedented cross-platform audio immersion and realism and voice clarity for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Mac.

The Sound Blaster Recon3D comes in a compact size similar to a gaming mouse and easily connects to an Xbox 360, PS3, PC or Mac via USB. It dramatically improves the audio playback quality and experience with THX TruStudio Pro, a suite of audio enhancements developed by the collaborative expertise of Creative and THX audio engineers. The Sound Blaster Recon3D features Dolby Digital enabled via the optical input to provide full 5.1 surround decoding, which combines with THX TruStudio Pro Surround to deliver stunning accuracy and positional audio playback over a gaming headset and an amazing virtual multi-speaker movie listening experience over headphones. In addition, for voice communications, the Sound Blaster Recon3D improves voice quality with CrystalVoice processing, which implements innovative technologies that are specially designed to deliver crystal clear vocal fidelity in multiplayer games, online chats and video conferencing.

Sharkoon presents the newest model to their successful X-Tatic headset series: The Sharkoon X-Tatic SR offers, through Dolby Headphone Technology, realistic Surround Sound on the Xbox, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 gaming consoles, to include PC, Notebook and other audio sources.

The integrated Dolby Headphone Technology transforms "Dolby Digital 5.1" signals and, in conjunction with "Dolby Pro Logic II" Decoders, "Dolby Digital 2.0" signals into 5.1 speaker sound for stereo headphones. Thanks to authentic sounding localization while gaming, the player can approach their virtual opponents from all directions. High-quality 40mm speakers contribute to an intensive sound experience.

CompuExpert, a division of Digital Interactive Systems Corp., today announced the Sharkoon X-Tactic SR will begin shipping August 16 in North America, and will be available exclusively from Amazon.com. The latest in the award-winning line of specially designed gaming headsets delivers the ultimate in multi-directional audio performance for maximum immersion and combat advantage, yet is incredibly lightweight for continued comfort over long hours of gameplay. Experience a whole new world of crushing explosions, screaming commands and powerful game sound output through the Sound Control Unit (SCU) with the new 3D Sound Expander.

The X-Tatic SR features Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Pro Logic II and Dolby Headphone, creating completely new sound dimensions that allow players to hear enemies approach from any direction. In addition, the SCU offers one additional connection for a second headset with 3.5mm jack, so two can enjoy excellent surround sound.

The ASUS Xonar U3 is a portable, pocket-sized audio solution that delivers an upgraded audio experience for notebook users. Slightly larger than a standard USB flash drive, the U3 is designed for users looking to turn their notebooks into a personal high fidelity audio center complete with Dolby and GX2.5 support.

The onboard audio solution for most notebooks in the market offers just the bare minimum in sound quality and controls. The Xonar U3 with built-in headphone amplifier is the best solution for those users who use their notebooks as personal entertainment centers. Weighing only 25g and easily fitting in a pocket, the U3 enhances treble and bass while driving high fidelity headphones with impedance up to 150 ohms. Also built-in is Xonar exclusive hyper-grounding technology, which works like a watershed to separate audio signals from noise to provide clean and clear sound. Installation is easy and with multiple pre-set equalizer settings and modes for gaming, music, movies and headphone use, upgrading notebook sound is quick and simple.

Auzentech, Inc., announced the immediate availability of the Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 2G, the second generation of the Auzen X-Meridian 7.1. The original Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 was a game-changing high-performance audio card which marked the dividing line between audio that sounds great, and audio that sounds perfect. It was the world's first custom-designed audio card based on C-Media CMI 8788 chipset, and received rave reviews for its audio quality. Now, the award winning Auzentech audio development team and chipset manufacturer C-Media have teamed up again.

With the X-Meridian 7.1 2G, Auzentech has taken what many consider the greatest sound card of all time and updated it with the best of today's technology, making the X-Meridian 7.1 2G more than simply the must-have PC Audio solution for audiophiles-it's a feast for the ears. Under the hood, the new X-Meridian 7.1 2G has been upgraded with new Advanced Driver Software Architecture (ADSA) for the C-Media CMI8788 Oxygen HD PCI Audio Processor. Features include Dolby Digital Live Real-Time Content Encoder, DTS CONNECT and Xear3D sound technology.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products, today announced a refresh of their High-Definition media player product line. The Patriot Box Office has undergone a series of changes adding improved functionality, an enhanced user interface, new product packaging and a new product name. Box Office is now named PBO Core: a name inspired by the legions of devoted fans and active forum participants who often discuss the product under the name "PBO", short for Patriot Box Office.

PBO Core has an enhanced User Interface which is more visually pleasing, while also proving to be easier to use and navigate. Functionality has been enhanced with the addition of Internet Media Services (IMS), greater compatibility with HDTV's, ability to play data from external optical USB devices and album artwork during audio playback. The addition of IMS provides a variety of streaming and internet enabled services such as video RSS feeds, streaming podcasts, online photo albums, live stock info, weather, news and more! The latest firmware which provides these features and improved user interface is available now and is backwards compatible with all Patriot Box Office media players on the market.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, the number one worldwide brand of LCD display products, today announced two new lines of multi-function monitors (MFMs) offering consumers a computer monitor and HDTV in one. Ranging from 21.5 to 24 inches, the 30 and 90 display series allow viewers to switch easily from work to play with enhanced picture quality all in one space-saving device.

"People are looking to do more in smaller areas and multi-function monitors are a great way to maximize the functionality of a single device," said Young Bae, director of display marketing Samsung Enterprise Business Division. "Samsung continues to expand our multi-function offerings and these two new lines - the 30 and 90 series - provide a new range of options and value for our customers."

Creative Technology Ltd. today announced the PCI-E Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD and USB Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD, setting the gold standard for PC audio with the first discrete audio card and USB digital audio system to include THX TruStudio PC audio technology.

"The Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD and Sound Blaster X-Fi HD provide the highest quality audio playback of any sound products we have ever introduced, over a period of time where we have sold more than 400 million Sound Blaster cards," said Steve Erickson, Vice President and General Manager of Audio and Video at Creative. "We are thrilled to announce that our newest additions to the Sound Blaster line include THX TruStudio PC audio technology, bringing together two of the most respected names in sound quality to provide an unparalleled audio experience on the PC."

LaCie today introduced the most complete HD multimedia hard drive player, combining Full HD 1080p playback, unsurpassed format compatibility and DLNA media server functionality - LaCinema Classic HD, design by Neil Poulton. Users can browse, play and share HD media collections from anywhere in the home, directly on HDTV.

The LaCinema Classic HD offers a timeless and sleek design making it a great addition to any TV setup. Providing the widest media format compatibility, LaCinema Classic HD will play all your files without concern - from the most popular DivX format to high-quality MKV H.264 video format via its HDMI 1.3 connection. Uncompromising support for Dolby Digital audio quality enhances the LaCinema Classic HD, as well as your entertainment viewing experience.

Sharkoon has optimized their Dolby-certified 5.1 headset "X-Tatic Digital" and in the process simplified its particular operation. Instead of previously utilizing two power supply units, the X-Tatic Digital requires only one power supply to provide power to the headset and the Sound Control Unit. The compact power supply is also accompanied with a travel adapter for use in the U.S. and UK. Owners of the X-Tatic Digital Revision III, which was shipped with two power supplies, can purchase the newly designed power supply separately and refrain from having to use two bulky power adapters in the future. In addition, Sharkoon has also simplified the headset connection to the X-box controller and no longer comes in its former heat-sealed Blister, but rather in a quick and easy to open re-sealable package.

Whether a PC, Mac, Home-theater System, DVD player, X-box, or Playstation: The Sharkoon X-Tatic Digital can be connected to virtually all analog and digital audio sources. The headset cable ends in a nine-pin analog connector, which is then connected into the enclosed cable adapter to the Sound Control Unit and other digital audio devices. In addition to the optical digital input, the control unit has a USB port that connects to a PC or Playstation. The X-box is connected to the microphone via a 2.5mm headset jack located on the cable port.

Foxconn's newest entry to the HTPC crowd is the Cinema. Part of its Digital Life series of lifestyle products, the Foxconn Cinema is a micro-ATX motherboard based on the AMD 785G + SB710 chipset, supporting socket AM2/AM2+/AM3 processors from AMD, with support for DDR2-1066 memory. The ATI Radeon HD 4200 class integrated graphics processor (IGP) makes it capable of smooth full-HD video playback, accelerated by the IGP. The IGP is further aided by 128 MB of Sideport memory.

Video connectivity options include D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI. On the audio front, apart from the audio that Radeon HD 4200 provides over HDMI, the board's 8-channel audio CODEC supports Dolby Digital and DTS decode. Expansion slots include two PCI-E x1, and one each of PCI-E x16 and PCI. Connectivity options include gigabit Ethernet, USB, and FireWire. The Foxconn Cinema comes in two variants, Deluxe and Premium. The difference between the two is minor - a heatsink over the 5-phase CPU VRM for the Deluxe variant. While the Cinema Deluxe is priced at 11,680 JPY (US $125.5), the Cinema Premium goes for 10800 JPY (US$ 116).