The 12 Coolest Things We Saw at the Consumer Electronics Show

Samsung Galaxy Note

Why it’s cool: At 5.3 inches, it’s either a huge Android phone or a pocketable Android tablet, yet it’s only about as thick as the iPhone.  Aside from its size, the Galaxy Note stands out by attempting to resurrect the ill-fated stylus. This one’s much more than a simple plastic stick, though: Its pen strokes are detailed enough for complex sketches.

As Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung-Chee told me, “I love it. If I had this, I really would be able to use it for all of my sketching.”

Notable specs: 1280×800-resolution screen; 4G LTE connection; corporate security features.

Availability: “In the coming weeks” from AT&T; pricing hasn’t been disclosed.

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook

Why it’s cool: Dell has put together a thoughtful design with the XPS 13. It’s got an aluminum lid and a carbon fiber underbelly, and the 13.3-inch screen’s surrounding bezel is so narrow that the computer travels like an 11-incher. Dell’s promising close to nine hours of battery life, too.

Notable specs: Weighs 2.98 pounds; measures 3/4 of an inch thick.

Availability: Late February, starting at $999.

Toshiba Excite X10

Why it’s cool: Toshiba’s latest tablet is so thin and so light it plays tricks on the mind, yet this Android slate still includes a bevy of ports for hooking it up to a TV, connecting peripherals and expanding its memory.

Notable specs: Weighs 1.18 pounds; measures 0.3 inches thick.

Availability: February, starting at $529.

Intel Smartphone Reference Design

Why it’s cool: Intel’s betting big on smartphones, announcing a multi-year partnership with Motorola and rolling out an Intel-designed Android handset that its partners can toy around with as they work on their own designs. More players in the smartphone market hopefully means more competition, better selection and better prices.

Availability: We’ll see Intel-powered Motorola smartphones in the second half of the year. Expect pricing to be in line with other smartphones.

Samsung Series 9 Notebook

Samsung

Why it’s cool: The 13.3-inch, second-generation Series 9 barely tips the scales at 2.5 pounds and measures just a half-inch thick. Stepping up to the 15-inch model only adds an extra pound, which is still insanely light for a 15-inch notebook. Both models feature 1600×900-resolution screens; a huge upgrade over the 1366×768 screens found in last year’s line.
Notable specs: Weighs 2.5 pounds (13-inch version); measures half an inch thick; 1600×900 screen.
Availability: February, starting at $1399.

Nokia Lumia 900

Why it’s cool: Nokia’s first 4G LTE Windows Phone handset has a big screen and bigger ambitions. The polycarbonate handset gives it a premium touch, signaling the beleaguered mobile maker’s attempts to win back the hearts of U.S. cellphone users. If you’re 30 or older, wasn’t your first phone a Nokia?
Notable specs: 4.3-inch screen; 4G LTE compatibility; Windows Phone 7.5 software; carved from a single block of polycarbonate.
Availability: ”In the coming months,” says AT&T. No word on pricing.

 

Eye-Controlled Computing

Why it’s cool: Forget the mouse, just look directly at whatever you want to manipulate on your screen. That’s the promise of Tobii’s eye-tracking technology. It won’t be affordable enough as a consumer product for a couple years but once it’s here, we may wonder how we ever lived without it. Try looking at something on your screen and then move your mouse cursor to the same spot. See how much faster your eyes move?
Availability: Medical use in about a year, consumer use about a year after that

Motorola Droid Razr MAXX

Why it’s cool: Fast though they may be, the next-generation mobile data speeds afforded by new 4G LTE networks can sap a phone’s battery before your lunch has had a chance to digest. Motorola’s feat with the Droid Razr MAXX:? An enormous battery that’s been promised to clear 20 hours of talk time in a form factor no thicker than just about any other smartphone on the market.
Notable specs: 4.3-inch 960×540 display; 3,300 mAh battery rated at 21 hours of talk time; Android; 4G LTE compatibility; measures 0.35 inches thick.
Availability: ”In the coming weeks,” says Verizon, for $299 with a two-year contract.

Windows 8 Tablet/Laptop Hybrids

Doug Aamoth / TIME

Why they’re cool: Microsoft’s going big on touch with Windows 8, but many users will still want to be able to fall back on a traditional keyboard and mouse experience. Several companies showed off prototypes that attempt to address both needs, in the form of standard-looking laptops featuring detachable screens that transform into Windows 8 tablets for finger-friendly use.
Availability: Likely by the end of the year, shortly after Windows 8 ships.

OnLive Desktop

OnLive

Why it’s cool: Most well-known for its cloud gaming service, OnLive rolled out a pretty ambitious product for Windows users looking to get a little work done. The company’s new OnLive Desktop iPad app grants you access to a version of Windows and, most importantly, Microsoft Office apps that run from OnLive’s servers directly to your tablet. Oh, and it’s free.
Availability: Now; there’s a paid version with extra features available for $10 per month, too.

3D Body-Mapping

Why it’s cool: Bodymetrics leverages the same technology used in Microsoft’s Kinect camera to create a 3D model of your body that mirrors your every move. Drop that 3D version of yourself into your favorite online clothing store and before you know it, you’re virtually trying on outfits. The camera’s sensors even relay where certain garments are fitting too tightly or loosely so you’ll know if you need to go up or down a size.
Availability: This summer in certain U.S. retail stores, though partners haven’t been disclosed yet. Home versions should come along “in the near future.

Asus MeMo Tablet

Why it’s cool: It’s a 7-inch Android tablet that somehow delivers several cool features without an astronomical price tag. There’s an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core (yes, four cores) processor, 1280×800 display resolution, the newest version of Android, 16-gigabytes of storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. All that for just $250.
Availability: Second quarter, priced at $250.