The best gadgets of 2014: We walked miles through CES to bring you the future

Vizio’s $1,000 4K TV

We can dream about fancy short-throw projectors, but Vizio has actually managed to deliver a 4K TV set that’s actually affordable. Its 50-inch P-Series 4K set will cost you only $1,000 — a price that could easily sway buyers away from low-cost 1080p HDTVs. And if you’re willing to spend a bit more, you can grab a massive 70-inch 4K set for $2,600. — Devindra Hardawar

Audi’s self-driving concept car

In this car, we can see the future of driving. Just like last year, Audi had a new self-driving concept car to show off at CES. But this year, instead of having a trunk full of components, Audi was able to fit the car’s brains in a single circuit board the size of an iPad. That’s progress.

The concept car, which can drive itself in typical street traffic, also served as a prime example of how mobile technology is infiltrating car tech. It’s powered by Nvidia’s Tegra K1 processor and Android, and it also has LTE connectivity from AT&T. — Devindra Hardawar

Finsix’s revolutionary power charger technology

Even though our laptops have become thinner and lighter, the lowly power adapter remains surprisingly bulky. Finsix’s tech could change that: the startup has created a 65-watt laptop charger that’s about a third of the size of today’s devices.

That may not sound very exciting, but it has the potential to transform the way laptop power adapters (and plenty of other power chargers) are built. And who wouldn’t want a tiny power adapter to go alongside their super-slim laptop? — Devindra Hardawar

Above: Parrot Mini Drone

Image Credit: Michael O'Donnell/VentureBeat

The Parrot Mini Drone

Parrot brought us the cool quad-rotor AR Drone a few years ago. Now it has unveiled two new drones, including the Parrot Mini Drone.

You can control the Mini Drone with your iPad or iPhone, via a Bluetooth connection. It has some very strong rotors that can lift it up and make it hover off the ground. It can also roll down the hallway at a high speed. Battery life is a little weak, as it can only fly for six minutes. But that’s enough time to surprise someone.

The Mini Drone will debut later this year. Its price hasn’t been set. — Dean Takahashi

Above: Basis unveiled its new Carbon Steel Edition in time for CES.

Image Credit: Basis Science

The Basis Carbon Steel Edition

Wearables were hot at CES, but not all of them make sense. Basis Science is selling one of the most expensive fitness bands on the market, with a price tag of $200. But its new version, the Basis Carbon Steel Edition, stands out from the crowd because it looks sleek and it offers analytics that no other band can do. Basis has a multi-sensor approach, with sensors that detect your heartbeat, sweat, and movement. It can determine if you are sleeping, biking, walking, or running.

Basis then takes that data and analyzes it on its cloud-based web platform. Soon it will be adding in-depth sleep analysis, telling you exactly how many minutes you spent in light sleep, REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, and deep sleep. It will make recommendations to you based on those analytics and set goals for you to pursue.

While other bands make look prettier, Basis gives you data that you can act on and a long-term view of your health over time. — Dean Takahashi

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