PRESS RELEASE
10th January 2012: Stuff, the UK's leading gadget and consumer technology magazine, today announces the winners of the CES 2012 Hot Stuff Awards. The elite gadget shortlist showcases the 10 most desirable, most exciting and most innovative products launched at CES 2012 - the world's largest consumer electronics show. A crack squad of Stuff editors has plucked the winners based on a combination of design, ambition, innovation, power and sheer want-factor.
Stuff magazine editor Will Findlater commented, "Winners of the CES Hot Stuff Awards are at the vanguard of the year's gadget heroes, and are seen as the products that will shape tech trends in 2012.
"Once again, CES has been a maelstrom of technological innovation, and picking just 10 winners hasn't been easy. But, with everything from a touchscreen laptop that bends over backwards to provide the ultimate Windows 8 experience, to a tablet built exclusively for portable gaming, via a fridge that can chill a beer in five minutes flat, we're certain this list will get gadget fans salivating."
The CES 2012 Hot Stuff Winners in no particular order are:
1 - Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Stuff says: "Our love for Lenovo's hybrid Ultrabook/tablet hinges almost entirely on, well, its 360 degree hinge. Masquerading as a run-of-the-mill laptop, the Yoga makes the most of the forthcoming (and very finger-friendly) Windows 8 with a gorgeous 13.1in touchscreen, but without scrimping on the keyboard. So there's no compromise and we get a gadget that'll (literally) bend over backwards for us.
2 - Zik Parrot by Starck
Stuff says: "Gorgeous they may be, but Parrot's Zik over-ear headphones have more tricks up their sculpted aluminium sleeves than a kleptomaniac magician. There's triple-mic noise cancelling, a proximity sensor to automatically play tunes when you put them on and - the piece de resistance - touch-sensitive swipe volume and track controls. Bluetooth fitted as standard.
3 - Fujifilm X-Pro 1
Stuff says: "It was a matter of time before Fujifilm joined the compact system camera crew, and it's done so in serious style. Combining a tactile aluminium body with a large 16MP sensor and an innovative hybrid optical/digital viewfinder, and with three beautiful prime lenses in its launch line-up, it's sure to capture great snaps - and you'll look the part taking them.
4 - Samsung 55in Super OLED Smart TV
Stuff says: "We've seen OLED TVs before, but only minuscule ones. Now Samsung and LG are going head-to-head with ludicrously slim, amazingly bright and devilishly clever OLEDs at a lounge-tastic 55in across. The Samsung just edges it, though, as it also has facial recognition and is one of the first TVs with upgradeable innards. Vital, because this TV will not be cheap."
5 - LG Blast Chiller
Stuff says: "Finally, an end to finding a frozen beer explosion in your freezer the day after attempting to chill a beer on the quick. LG's Blast Chiller uses a Jet Flow system tucked inside one of its French doors to chill a can of beer in five minutes, or a bottle of wine in eight. Bottoms up."
6 - Sony Xperia S
Stuff says: "While we're taken with the transparent bar that magically separates this Android smartphone's base from its body, and equally so with its 4.3in hi-def screen, 8MP camera and mighty dual-core processor, it's the NFC technology that has us most excited. Stick its SmartTags around and about and you can customise its settings just by tapping it to them - so you can put it into airplane mode when Wonders of the Universe is about to start.
7 - Blue Spark Digital
Stuff says: "A cut above the masses of iPad accessories on show at CES, Blue's Spark Digital microphone lets you play old-school disc jockey with not so retro features like GarageBand compatibility and on-board volume and gain controls. More than just a vintage looker, then, and it connects to PCs and Macs if you're not of the tablet persuasion.
8 - HP Envy 14 Spectre
Stuff says: "Remember when laptops were metal and plastic? Those days are over if HP gets its way - the Envy 14 Spectre's top panel is a solid slice of glass with the silica theme continuing on the ultrabook's wrist rest. Elsewhere, there's a more traditional build, meaning you can still crank up the Beats Audio-enhanced tunes with a machined aluminium volume rocker. Mmm, jazz."
9 - ION LP 2 Go
Stuff says: "The vinyl revival continues apace, and ION's here to make sure you can enjoy your cherished slabs of music anywhere with the LP 2 GO. Running off four AA batteries this US$70 device will chuck out sweet, sweet analogue through its built-in speaker or headphones, and can rip records to a USB-connected computer."
10 - Razer Project Fiona
Stuff says: "Yes, people game on tablets, but it's not proper gaming. Proper gaming requires serious power, which is why Razer has crammed a Core i7 processor and PC architecture into a tablet shell. Two analogue stick-toting controllers provide precise, console-style controls, but you can also multi-touch Fiona's screen. Nice."
Stuff readers can vote for their favourite CES Hot Stuff product here - http://www.stuff.tv/news/ces/news-nugget/ces-hot-stuff-award-winners-announced
About Stuff magazine
Stuff is the world's best-selling gadget magazine (UK circulation: 92,959, ABC Jul-Dec 2010; 26 licensed editions worldwide) and it also peddles its gadgety knowledge online at www.stuff.tv, and via iPad apps. All are published by Haymarket Consumer Media.
