John Sciacca

Soundbars are perfect problem solvers for many as they provide a greatly improved listening experience over the anemic audio offered by nearly every modern flat-panel display. Many opt for a soundbar because they require no additional hardware like an AVR, usually require just a single-wire connection to the display, need no extra controls, and are affordable. But what if there was a way to get all of these soundbar benefits while still enjoying far better sound, with actual front channel separation and true surround sound? That’s the promise Enclave Audio is delivering with its new CineHome wireless audio systems.

There have been lots of developments over the years in the category of smart lighting control, but most of these smart controls don’t really look much different or nicer than a classic paddle switch you can pick up for a couple of bucks at your local Home Depot. Hogar Controls feels that the modern smart home deserves something that looks better than just an ordinary light switch, and the company’s new Prima Touch Switch line offers a sleek designer finish that makes your modern home actually look modern!

If there is one thing you can count on at CES, it is to expand the world of smart, connected, Internet of Things devices. From smart salt shakers, to smart toothbrushes, to connected sex toys, to every kind of fitness/health tracker imaginable, CES has it all. To that list you can now add Robbox Tools’ world’s first Digital Smart Drill.

For years, the THX logo on a product meant you were buying something that was a cut above the rest, with the company’s demanding certification process guaranteeing that a component met a certain performance level criterion that ensured buyers they were getting the goods, especially when it came to home theater electronics or speakers. However, the certification became diluted over the years as THX seemed to start certifying products and systems well outside of their key areas, and the THX badge seemed to nearly become extinct. But the company is back at CES and has several new technologies, including the launch of Drop + THX Panda, the first audiophile wireless headphone to receive the THX badge.