X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

CES 2016 Day 1: The highlights (pictures)

Check out the products and moments catching our eyes on the first day of the 2016 International CES.

Justin Yu
Justin Yu covered headphones and peripherals for CNET.
Justin Yu
cyc7igqwkaakdpa.jpg
1 of 25 CNET

Crowds flood the entrance to CES Day 1

It's the first official day of CES, which means tons of visitors, journalists, and exhibitors hitting the showroom floor.

screen-shot-2016-01-06-at-12-58-11-pm.png
2 of 25 Netflix

Netflix goes live in 130 new countries

Reed Hastings, CEO and co-founder of the video-streaming company, took the CES stage today to announce that Netflix has expanded to 130 more countries, growing to just about everywhere but China.

The announcement marks a huge expansion for the company's streaming service, which was previously available in 60 countries.

The new countries include South Korea, India, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Hastings said Netflix hopes to reach China in the future, as well, but offered no specific time frame.

brinks-array-product-photos-1.jpg
3 of 25 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Brinks Array

The Brinks Array, the first smart lock from the respected security firm, looks industrial but along with solar power, it packs in plenty of friendly features.

With built-in Wi-Fi, the Brinks Array connects directly to your router so you can use the iOS or Android app to lock and unlock your door from anywhere.

img3213.jpg
4 of 25 Dan Ackerman/CNET

Intel Compute Stick (2016)

Dan Ackerman checked out the latest version of the Intel Compute Stick. The look and feel is similar, although this new version adds a little bit of length to the chassis. That's because rather than the single USB port on the first Stick, this new model has two ports (one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0), which will be handy if you want to plug in wireless dongles for a keyboard and mouse, or any other peripherals. Of course, the smart move is connecting a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to avoid dongles altogether.

The new Intel Compute Stick is shipping now, for a suggested retail price of $159 in the US.

Dragonfly 2020 3D printer
Dragonfly 2020 3D printer
1:42
5 of 25 CNET

Dragonfly 2020 3D printer

Lexy Savvides went hands-on with the Dragonfly 2020 from Nano Dimension, a 3D printer that has the potential to change the electronics manufacturing industry. It prints circuit boards within hours.

sony-psh-x500-6114-001.jpg
6 of 25 Josh Miller/CNET

Sony PSH-X500 turntable

Sony's PSH-X500 USB turntable lets you rip your records in Sony's DSD format natively, which is actually a pretty cool thing. Most onboard solutions limit users to 16-bit/44.1kHz or CD quality. Of course, you'll need a compatible player like the Sony Walkman or other software to playback DSD files.

Carl Zeiss Optics
Carl Zeiss Optics
1:08
7 of 25 CNET

Carl Zeiss Optics

Scott Stein stopped by the Carl Zeiss booth to check out polycarbonate glasses that magnify the smart technology inside. They don't look like smart-glasses, and that's the point, with Carl Zeiss Optics leading the charge.

Netgear Arlo Q security camera
Netgear Arlo Q security camera
1:00
8 of 25 CNET

Netgear Arlo Q security camera

The indoor-only $219 Netgear Arlo Q security camera can do 1080p, motion, and audio alerts. You can also set activity zones to customize your profile. And it works with the same app as the original, indoor-outdoor Arlo for a whole-home security setup.

Fisher-Price Code-a-Pillar
Fisher-Price Code-a-Pillar
0:56
9 of 25 CNET

Fisher-Price Code-a-Pillar

The Code-a Pillar is a $50 toy that blinks, flashes, and crawls around while also teaching your kid how to code. Built for ages 3 to 8, you can also get expansion packs that add different functions. Have fun and learn at the same time!

jpeg-image-03d8079526bf-1.jpg
10 of 25 Ashlee Clark Thompson/CNET

Omron Healthcare Blood Pressure Monitor

Available at the end of 2016 for $200, Omron says its blood pressure monitor will let folks with severe high blood pressure keep better track of their numbers in a more discreet way. Omron's app will also keep tabs on your blood pressure readings so you can share the info with your doctor.

da961bda-23c2-4491-b186-56561645b56d.jpg
11 of 25 James Martin/CNET

Scott Stein interviews Fitbit CEO James Park

The CNET Stage was the place to find CEOs such as Fitbit's James Park (pictured) and Misfit's Sonny Vu talking about their new CES product debuts, the Fitbit Blaze and the Misfit Ray, respectively.

Asked about the mixed critical reaction and stock price dip after the Blaze announcement, Park said, "We want to create devices for our consumers, not necessarily for the press or Wall Street."

2016-chevy-bolt-5556-001.jpg
12 of 25 Josh Miller

2017 Chevrolet Bolt

Check out the 2017 Chevy Bolt in the flesh! Chevrolet engineers have developed a flat battery pack for the car that sits in the floor, much like that found in the Tesla Model S. This means a nice, low center of gravity for handling, but it also means no transmission tunnel and nothing but a flat, clean surface for designers to build upon.

The Bolt will be available to consumers nationwide for a starting price somewhere below $30,000. Just to be clear: that's after a $7,500 federal rebate for EVs, so the MSRP will probably actually be closer to $37,500.

Few would genuinely call that "cheap," but at that price the Bolt will become the best mix of cost and range for a mass-market EV.

hexoskin-01.jpg
13 of 25 Sarah Tew/CNET

​Hexoskin Smart

The Hexoskin Smart shirt is equipped with Bluetooth Smart, which improves battery life (yes, you have to charge it) and makes the shirt compatible with a number of third-party apps.

The Hexoskin Smart is available now for preorder through Indiegogo. Interested buyers can pick up the shirt for $299, a $100 savings on its retail price. The shirt is slated to arrive in May.

CleverPet
CleverPet
1:18
14 of 25 CNET

CleverPet

Worried your dog or cat is bored at home while you're away? Keep them occupied with this game console that dispenses food while they learn.

Kyocera DuraForce XD smartphone and DuraXE flip phone
Kyocera DuraForce XD smartphone and DuraXE flip phone
1:18
15 of 25 CNET

Kyocera DuraForce XD smartphone and DuraXE flip phone

Lynn La checked out the Kyocera DuraForce XD smartphone and DuraXE flip phone -- both are built supertough and waterproof.

Sensorwake
Sensorwake
1:13
16 of 25 CNET

Sensorwake

Lexy Savvides played around with an alarm clock that wakes you with the sweet smell of coffee, mint, croissants or even bacon.

LG E6 OLED
LG E6 OLED
1:22
17 of 25 CNET

LG E6 OLED

The LG E6 OLED TV is LG's second-most-expensive for 2016, featuring an ultraslim glass-on-glass design.

Samsung curved 98-inch 8K TV
Samsung curved 98-inch 8K TV
0:57
18 of 25 CNET

Samsung curved 98-inch 8K TV

Billed as the biggest 8K curved SUHD TV in the world, this massive set is supposedly shipping in 2016.

smarthelmet.jpg
19 of 25 James Martin/CNET

Daqri Smart Helmet

Jessica Dolcourt tried on the Daqri Smart Helmet that uses its clear plastic panels to project AR, or artificial reality, onto the screen. The point is to keep its wearer's hands unencumbered by extra devices or paper instructions, and the substance of what someone might see on the head-up display is entirely based on the person's job role at the site.

Check out the rest of CNET's CES 2016 coverage here.

razer-blade-stealth-01.jpg
20 of 25

Razer Blade Stealth

Razer's newest laptop is its smallest and cheapest yet. The Razer Blade Stealth is a 12.5-inch ultrabook that will start at $999 (which converts to AU$1,410, £685).

The base model fits a super high-definition 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution touchscreen display, a Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and 128GB of solid-state storage into a light 2.75-pound unibody aluminium frame. More expensive variants of the device come with a 4K screen and up to 512GB of solid-state storage.

The company will also be releasing the Razer Core, an external graphics docking station that allows you to use any desktop-grade graphics card to power the Razer Blade Stealth, for an undisclosed price in the first half of the year.

home-advisor-product-photos-1.jpg
21 of 25

HomeAdvisor

HomeAdvisor, a free app with a growing list of collaborators, will soon be able to automatically find the appropriate service person for you should your smart home detect a problem.

For example, if your (HomeAdvisor compatible) system senses a leak, you'll receive a notification as usual, and less than a minute later, a plumber from your area will call you. The app's back end algorithm searches through the same options it would normally present to you, calls them for you, and once someone answers, sends you the call.

macbook-storage.jpg
22 of 25 Sarah Tew/CNET

Tardisk Pear

Tthe tiny Tardisk Pear, available now, can add up to 256GB more data to MacBook's without any hardware. It works by creating a single managed logical storage volume on your computer, which mean that it provide extra space and allows OSX to decide where to store your files.

As you use your computer, files you access most often will stay on your computer, while others will get offloaded to Pear. The device ultimately gives you much more storage, so you don't have to delete files or offload them to an external hard drive.

tiptalk-finger-ear.jpg
23 of 25 Seamus Byrne/CNET

Samsung's TipTalk

The Samsung-backed TipTalk is a clever new "smart strap" for traditional watches, adding fitness tracking, notifications and calling features to any watch. Its greatest trick? Letting you take calls by pressing your finger into your ear like some kind of kids' make believe fake phone game has become reality.

oculus-rift-e3-2015-1677-015.jpg
24 of 25 Josh Miller/CNET

Oculus Rift

There was big news on the Oculus Rift front coming out of CES Day 1. It was announced that the final consumer version of the Rift headset will sell for $599, £499 and AU$649 and is scheduled to go on sale on March 28.

6496c0e8-ba10-42db-a91b-e8662305f035.jpg
25 of 25 Dan Graziano/CNET

Wilson X Connected Football

Sporting goods giant Wilson is developing the world's first smart football. The Wilson X Connected Football includes a built-in sensor that can measure speed, distance and spiral efficiency of your throws. The ball can even detect if your buddy catches it or drops it.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos