The Coolest Tech to Come Out of CES 2016

There's been a whole lot going on at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, from the latest in virtual reality gear to televisions that continue to slim down while producing higher quality images.

We've seen so many smart automobiles and appliances that it feels like pretty soon we'll have complete control over most parts of life from the touch of your smartphone. What follows are some of the highlights from this year's show.

TVs: Bigger Is Better

LG's ridiculous 98", 8K TV.

• Sony showed off its new line of 4K HDR televisions that use edge LED lighting, rather than traditional direct lighting. This results in thinner TVs that perform equal to or better than current models. More info here.
• LG unveiled a massive 98-inch, 8K TV (UH9800) with 16 times Full HD resolution. This is certainly more conceptual than other displays showcased, but damn is it pretty. More info here.
• LG's line of 4K TVs use OLED lighting with individual pixel dimming technology for deeper contrast and richer colors. These models should be Ultra HD (UHD) Premium certified. More info here.
• LG also gave a hands-on demonstration of its flexible screen, which you can read more about here.
• Samsung's showed off its SUHD (best guess for the "S" is "Samsung" or "Super") TVs that include one with the first bezel-less curved design. More info here.
• Panasonic showed off the world's first UHD Premium-certified TV, the DX900, as well as a UHD Blu-ray player, the UB900. The DX900 runs on Firefox OS. More info here.

Drones: They're Taking Over the Skies

• Chinese company EHang unveiled an autonomous drone that seats two passengers for short-to-medium-distance delivery services—think a driverless Uber that flies. More info here.
• On the other end of the spectrum, MOTA says its JETJAT Nano is the smallest and lightest drone in the world, though all it doesn't do much more than fly. More info here.
• The PowerUp FPV is a "paper airplane" drone that you can control by tilting your head with a VR headset on. More info here.

Wearables: More Form Factors

Samsung's Humanfit line includes a smart lapel pin for discreet wellness tracking.

• Samsung's Creativity Lab (C-Lab) showed off the WELT wellness belt and TipTalk, which we covered here.
• Samsung also showed some of its Humanfit ("Fashion in Technology"), like a handbag with solar panels attached to charge your smartphone. More info here.

The most stylish Fitbit yet?

• Fitbit unveiled its new Blaze smart watch with on-screen workouts and a sleeker look than its predecessors. It'll be available this March, but you can preorder one now for $199. More info here.
• HTC teamed with Under Armour to create the UA Box, a connected fitness system that measures fitness, nutrition, sleep, and more. Included is a fitness band, heart rate monitor, and scale that sends infomation to the UA Record app for Android and iOS. More info here.
• Digitsole's Warm Series is an insole that you can control with a smartphone app. It measures your walking distance, and also includes a heating element to warm up your feet on chilly days. More info here.
• Altra debuted its IQ running shoe, powered by iFit. It tracks your running form and provides feedback to help you improve your running and reduce the risk of injury. More info here.

Virtual Reality: Finally Consumer Ready

Call of Duty comes to life

• Laser Tag Pro has an interesting new twist on laser tag. Score is kept by an app on each player's smartphone, and there are several different game styles. There's even an accessory that works as a re-spawn point, ammo station, or weapon change box. Like Call of Duty in real life, but without that 10-year old kid saying horrible things about your mom. More info here.

• HTC and Valve collaborated on the Vive, a premium VR headset to compete with the Oculus Rift. However, no price has been announced yet for a consumer variant. More info here.
• The much-anticipated Oculus Rift is finally available for preorder, though there was some dismay about the $599 price tag. More info here.
• Sony has its own VR headset, Playstation VR, which works with a Playstation 4 and Playstation Camera. Sony CEO Kaz Hirai says there are over 100 titles in development. More info here.

Home Gadgets: Live Smart

• The SensorWake is an alarm clock that wakes you up with pleasant aromas rather than harsh buzzing or annoying ringtones. Suffice it to say, this will likely be a safer way to wake up to bacon. More info here.
• Vivitar's 2-in-1 LED Bluetooth Speaker Lightbulb lets you listen to music from a color-changing light in the ceiling without having to resort to drugs. More info here.
• We also covered a few new devices that will help you tie one on in the future.

Computing: Faster, Cheaper, More Portable

The Windows 10-running Galaxy TabPro S.

• Samsung debuted the Galaxy TabPro S 2-in-1 tablet that runs Windows 10. The thin, lightweight device includes a full-sized keyboard and stand. More info here.
• TP-LINK debuted the Talon AD7200 Multi-band WiFi Router that promises 7 Gbps Wi-Fi—fast enough to download a feature-length 4K HD movie in around four minutes. Which will be amazing until your ISP throttles your bandwidth. More info here.
• Next Thing Co. showed off C.H.I.P., its $9 computer that features 4 GB of storage and Wi-Fi. Use it with a monitor to do traditional computer things like play games or surf the web, or attach it to an old Teddy Ruxpin doll and have some fun. More info here.

Cover image via CES and Shutterstock