CES 2020 - Alienware demos its new innovative dual-screen laptop that's all screen and no keyboard.

Alienware's new experimental Concept Duet laptop doesn't have a keyboard or any buttons. It's basically two 13-inch screens that fold together via a clamshell clamp that're both fully integrated in an Intel-powered Windows 10 platform. The screens are full touchscreen panels with pen support similar to a souped-up, high-powered Nintendo 3DS, and the device can be folded vertically like a book, horizontally like a traditional laptop, and can also use one screen as a kickstand for tabletop use (or folded into a tablet for single-screen use).

Dell's main use case for Duet Concept is for productivity and content creation like digital art. It looks pretty convenient for anyone who needs to bring their touch-oriented work with them on-the-go, and the demo showed a Skype call on one screen and a note-taking app on the bottom. Thankfully the Duet has a special magnetic keyboard that attaches to the bottom screen so you type more efficiently.

CES 2020 - Sony reveals just how big its PlayStation 4 platform is with some gargantuan figures, including over 1 billion games sold to date.

Sony didn't drop the big PS5 reveal we wanted at CES 2020, but it did clarify the enormity of the PS4's current dominance over the games industry. Since the PS4's original launch in 2013, Sony has sold over 106 million consoles worldwide, putting it just 49 million away from usurping the PS2's long-standing reign.

Hardware isn't everything though (especially when you sell the hardware at a loss). Consoles are just the beginning and serve as the entry point to an ecosystem. The real money is in software sales, and the PS4's numbers are just outrageous. In 7 years, gamers have bought an incredible 1.15 billion PlayStation 4 games. Rough estimates show the average PS4 owner has 9 games.

Ex-Xbox VP Mike Ybarra won't be buying an Xbox Series X console. The reason? He can play all Xbox exclusives on PC.

Mike Ybarra's recent Twitter comment is brief but speaks volumes about Microsoft's service- and software-first gaming business. Ybarra says he'll buy a PlayStation 5 because he's already a PC gamer, hinting it'd be redundant to own both a gaming PC and Xbox console. Honestly it's pretty true. All first-party Xbox exclusives are coming to Windows 10 PCs day-and-date of release, and that goes with Game Pass too.

This isn't a new development though. As far back as 2016, I said Microsoft's cross-platform synergy basically talks a portion of consumers out of buying Xbox hardware--namely existing PC gamers. This is a point of strength for Microsoft simply because it no longer cares that much about Xbox console sales. It's no longer trying to win over PC gamers by fighting with them, and joining the two platforms and making Xbox into a service rather than a console has been tremendously beneficial.

Interactive 3D renders of the Xbox Series X give an extensive look at the console's current case design, complete with ventilation, ports, and dual-orientation setup.

On the heels of AMD's recent Xbox blunder, key sources recently clarified info on the Xbox SX. Yes, the Xbox Series X has back and bottom thermal vents, and no, it doesn't have two HDMI ports with HDMI pass-through (at least currently).

The info has now also been independently verified with Windows Central, who made a nifty 3D render you can actually rotate and zoom in on. From what we can see, the Xbox SX has a pretty robust vertical-optimized cooling solution that mirrors the thermal cooling found in cases like the Phanteks Evolve Shift X.

CES 2020 - MSI unveiled its new Creator 17 laptop at CES 2020, touting that it was the "world's very first" laptop with a nifty Mini LED display.

Mini LEDs are much smaller traditional LEDs that are used as a backlight in displays, with MSI's new Creator 17 rocking a huge 17-inch 4K panel. The 17-inch panel can dim and brighten with more accuracy than a traditional LCD and LED backlight, with Mini LEDs being super-small down to less than 2mm.

MSI says that the Creator 17 panel can display 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, reach up to 1000 nits of brightness (great for HDR content), and speaking of HDR content we should expect stellar HDR abilities thanks to the high levels of contrast bet ween light and dark areas of images and video on the Mini LED display.

CES 2020 - Portable battery maker Goal Zero has just unveiled its new Yeti X range of portable batteries at CES 2020, with smaller portable batteries all the way through to huge home power backups that will power normal household appliances.

Goal Zero has provided USB-C Power Delivery inside of its new Yeti X portable chargers, with faster solar charging through MPPT (maximum power point tracking). The company has also added regulated 12V ports for better compatibility, for when you plug in power-hungry devices like portable fridges.

The new Yeti X 6000X is "the most powerful Yeti to date" says Goal Zero, and has been made to run critical home circuits for multiple days of power outages. In cases like the current fires raging across Australia where thousands of Australians have all electricity, a portable battery like the one here from Goal Zero and its new Yeti X 6000X would be invaluable.

There is still a lot of Skyrim players out there, and I'm sure out of the current player-base, there are a few players who are using monitors that are above 60Hz.

Skyrim supports uncapped framerates, but unfortunately, the game locks players' refresh rates to 60Hz. So, even if you do have a monitor that is above 60Hz (75Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz etc), you are aren't using its full capabilities in Skyrim. This is where mods come into play.

Modder SlavicPotato has released a new mod that can unlock the in-game refresh rate from 60Hz to 300Hz, enabling those higher refresh panel gamer to feel that glorious smoothness. If you are wondering how the mod works, the plugin is passive, meaning that after it performs the patch, there is no need for any fiddling around with files, it's basically plug and play. A download for the mod can be found here.

One of the few issues that players had with Capcom's incredible Resident Evil 2 Remake was that the zombies' animation was only in 30FPS. That problem can now be solved with this mod.

PC gamers really hate low FPS, and to some PC gamers, 30FPS is just unbearable. Luckily, PC gamers are competent when it comes to fixing these problems and release mods that solve said issues. That is precisely the case for Resident Evil 2 on the PC, modders have released a fix for distant zombies' animations being locked at 30FPS, bringing it up to a smooth 60FPS.

If you are wondering how to install the mod, follow these steps: Download the framerate unlocker from here, open the file and install it. You might have to select your games .exe file, which can be found here "Steamsteamappscommon RESIDENT EVIL 2 BIOHAZARD RE2". I'd advise checking your framerate before and after installing the mod as enabling could hinder performance on some not-so-powerful PC's.

Astronomers have managed to spot something quite unexpected at the outer rims of our Milky Way galaxy -- new stars forming.

How is this happening? According to Price-Whelan and his colleagues who presented their findings on January 8 at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu, spectral analysis has shown that these young stars are not of this galaxy and are actually from another. This means that these stars haven't formed from material located in the Milky Way, but have instead come from two close dwarf galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds.

Both of these galaxies are currently on a slow collision course with the Milky Way, and it seems that a stream of gas extending from the galaxies is making its way into the Milky Way and forming new stars. Primary discoverer Adrian Price-Whelan, a research fellow at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City, said "This is a puny cluster of stars-less than a few thousand in total-but it has big implications beyond its local area of the Milky Way". Price-Whelan also named the star cluster - Price-Whelan 1.

CES 2020 - American Airlines will be using Google Assistant's interpreter mode as a means of making travelers more comfortable in lounges.

If you weren't aware, Google Assistant has a really cool Interpreter Mode that allows for people to communicate over the language barrier. Engadget managed to spot Google Assistant's Interpreter Mode at the Los Angeles International Airport's Admirals Club lounge, where American Airlines was testing it out on Google Nest Hubs.

Interpreter Mode can currently translate 29 different languages in real-time; those languages are the following: Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Engadget has also said that according to American Airlines Interpreter Mode will only be used if a multilingual team member isn't present to assist travelers.

CES 2020 - IOGEAR has announced a big new line of live streaming video production tools aimed at content creators.

IOGEAR is introducing content creators to a new line of content creation tools called 'UpStream'. The new line of products is aimed at both content creators that require high-end video production, and ones that can do with simple on-the-go video capture. IOGEAR's new line of products comes under the guise of 'UpStream'.

Right off the bat, we have the UpStream Video Capture Adapter, this device can capture high-quality audio/video up to 1080p at 60FPS. It connects to an HDMI-enabled camera and uses its USB-C cable to save the file to a device such as a laptop or PC. For the gamers out there that want a bit more bang for their buck, IOGEAR has the UpStream Game Capture Adapter which outputs video at 1080p at 60FPS but can pass-through a 4K 60FPS signal to a monitor.

When an update drops for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, players' hearts have a sudden panic feeling as they are wondering if their main character has been nerfed (reduced in overall power). Luckily, today isn't one of those days.

Right off the bat, I can say that update 6.1.1 doesn't change any current fighter at all, meaning that no pro-player tier list will be altered. Update 6.1.1 is just an amiibo support update that has been rolled out to allow access to the new Dark Samus amiibo and Richter amiibo -- that's it!

How do I know this? Simply check out the patch notes on this link, as well as on your Nintendo Switch. At the moment, every current fighter now has their own amiibo, excluding the Fighter Pass DLC fighters -- Joker, Terry Bogard, Hero and Banjo-Kazooie. Nintendo is still yet to announce the final fighter for the Fighter Pass DLC, and if I were to speculate when they would do this, I'd say that they are most likely waiting for the next Nintendo Direct. So stay tuned.

CES 2020 - If you are bacon lover, you most likely wouldn't think that people could make plant-based bacon that tastes the same as normal bacon. Impossible Foods believes the opposite.

If you didn't know, Impossible Foods is a company whose sole purpose is to develop plant-based foods that are used as meat substitutes but taste the same. At this year's CES, Impossible Foods CEO, Pat Brown, was asked a question regarding research and development on a new product -- plant-based bacon.

The question was if the company was currently developing a plant-based bacon substitute for traditional bacon. In short, Brown said "of course we are!" Here's his full response, "In fact, we've already played around with it. We're not going to release a bacon product until we feel like anyone who is the most hardcore bacon worshiper thinks it's awesomely delicious. But we're definitely on track."

CES 2020 - Phillips has announced three new families of lights that will cover almost all of your lighting needs.

If you already have Phillips Hue lights throughout and you want to bring Phillips' lighting greatest to your outdoor areas, then you soon will be able to. Phillips will be launching three new families of lighting, first a wall-mount version called 'Appear,' which comes in at $140. Next is the Lily XL spotlight, which offers about double the brightness than the current Lily spots.

Lastly, Phillips is going to be launching the Hue Econic lights, which are in the above image. These lights are designed to give some tasteful color to pathways either out the front of your house or in your back yard. Basically, Phillips wants to be there for all your lighting needs, and with the recent popularity of the in-door Hue lighting range, these outdoor lights will no doubt be a hit as well. Side note - Hue Econic lights are priced at $130.

CES 2020 - If you are really into home security, and you have every right to be, then you might want to consider picking up the Sunflower Home Awareness System. It does cost close to $10,000, though.

When someone says home security, usually the first thing that pops into your mind is cameras placed around your home, or maybe even Wi-Fi routers that can detect motion. I bet that you wouldn't think of drones. Sunflower did think of drones, though. They thought about it enough to make an entire home awareness system that combines on-ground sensors and a deployable drone.

The Sunflower Home Awareness System uses on-ground sensors called Sunflowers, which resemble garden lights that can detect motion and vibration. The sensors can also tell the difference between people, cars, and pets. Once movement is detected by the Sunflowers, a notification is sent to the owner's phone via an app. After receiving the notification, the owner can then choose to deploy the drone from its home called the "hive".

CES 2020 - Razer decided it was time to turn the entire mobile gaming market on its head at CES 2020 with this announcement.

The image shows a Pixel 3a XL slotted in between what Razer has called the Kishi Controller. So what's Kishi? It's what every mobile gamer is going to want to increase their in-game performance and in-hand comfort. Kishi plugs straight into your Android (USB-C) or iPhone and can also charge your phone with another charging port located at the bottom right side.

Since the controller plugs straight into your phone, it has minimal latency when it comes to inputs. If you are wondering if it will fit your phone, Razer says that Kishi has a "universal fit" for devices that have a USB-C/Lightning port. This controller will no doubt be a gamer changer for competitive mobile gamers, and I won't be surprised if other gaming manufacturers will attempt to replicate something similar.

CES 2020 - Phillips Hue owners will be glad to know that later this year, Signify will be bringing out voice control for Phillips' smart lights.

Back in September last year, Signify launched the Phillips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. Unfortunately, while that device was great as it allowed Hue owners to connect their lights to their TV, it didn't have any voice commands with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. Luckily, Signify is rectifying their lack of voice comparability as this Spring they will be rolling out a software update that enables voice activation.

So how does this work? The Signify Sync Box analyzes the TV's incoming image and then will change your Hue lights to the best lighting scenario for that image. The lighting experience can also be more fine-tuned with three different modes; games, music and video.

CES 2020 - If you are a parent, a baby monitor is an essential thing to have around you when you are trying to relax. So why not get a baby monitor that can do it all?

KamiBaby seems to be the cream of the crop when it comes to baby monitors, as this small cute device can do it all when it comes to giving you everything you need to know about your baby while he/she is sleeping. So how is this baby monitor different from the one you already have?

KamiBaby uses a neural network AI to monitor everything your baby is doing; it can read breathing, magnify motion when it happens, has a high-resolution camera, gives sleep summary's, temperature readings, has crying detection, and more. The invention of KamiBaby originated from an Indiegogo fundraiser that accumulated over $62,000. YI Technology, the company behind the invention, is giving people a 50% discount on pre-orders priced at $99. When KamiBaby hits stores, it will be sold off the shelf for $199.

CES 2020 - So you might not be a people person, that's ok, but everyone needs a bit of companionship whether that comes in the form of a pet such as a dog, cat, goldfish or even a robot?

Meet PiBo, a helpful service robot that has multiple skills up his robotic sleeves. PiBo can act as your alarm clock, find out the weather for the day based on your location, fill you in on the top news stories, play your favorite music, and take pictures with its 5MP camera. Not only can PiBo do all those things, but it also has voice and facial recognition so just you can bond with PiBo and no one else.

So how tall is this robot? PiBo measures in at just over a foot tall and runs the custom Linux-based Circulus OS on a 1.4Ghz quad-core chip and 1GB of RAM. Unfortunately, there is a downside to PiBo. The battery inside of the robot is only 3,400mAh and only lasts for about 2 hours. That's not the worst of it though, PiBo takes 5 hours to charge... Hopefully, with new editions to PiBo, the Korean company behind it can implement some longer life into it.

Aside from all of CES 2020 news that is spilling out in the media, we have an announcement for Amazon's massive Lord of the Rings TV show.

The announcement is in regards to the lead actor for the show being chosen, and it's a familiar face if you watched the entire Game of Thrones series. According to both Variety and Deadline, Robert Aramayo, who played young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones' later seasons, has been cast to play the shows lead role of Beldor.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show will take place before the events of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and will focus on the Second Age of Middle-Earth. Amazon seems to be more than confident that their show will fill up the fantasy hole that The Witcher is currently sitting in as the filming studio has already greenlit season two.