CES 2014 Review: Announcements, Products & Surprises

Sony (NYSE: SNE) surprised consumers when, after mere speculation, the company officially unveiled PlayStation Now.

The service was previously announced last summer, but it was a work-in-progress initiative with a generic 2014 release date. Very few details were known at the time.

During CES Sony revealed that PlayStation Now will work with PlayStation game systems (PS4, PS3 and PS Vita), Bravia TVs (though it is not clear which models will be supported), tablets and smartphones.

PlayStation Now will only work with Dual-Shock controllers to ensure that the familiar gaming experience is not tarnished by other platform restrictions.

TVs, for example, do not come with controllers. Smartphones don’t either.

PlayStation Now will stream PS3 games at launch, none of which were built for touch screen devices.

Parrot, one of the world’s most popular manufacturers of consumer drones, introduced two promising toys this week: The MiniDrone and Jumping Sumo.

The latter is a two-wheel drone with a front-facing camera that beams live video to the user’s Android or iOS device.

The device can also jump a couple feet into the air.

Parrot’s MiniDrone is a mini quadricopter that features two giant, removable wheels that allow users to control the copter on the ground and in the air.

Valve isn’t making a game console, but it is working with several manufacturers to produce pre-built PCs for gamers.

There are at least 14 different Steam Machine signed up to develop new hardware.

The result will be a flood of pre-built PCs geared at a very specific audience.

Valve has also made a unique, thumbstick-free controller that is specifically designed for Steam Machines.

Apple may be known as the consumer-friendly tech manufacturer because of its software, but Razer could soon earn similar praise for its hardware.

For this year’s CES, Razer developed an incredibly cool modular PC.

The concept computer allows users to plug in different components with ease, allowing them to custom-build the ultimate PC.

According to CNET, Razer plans to build modules for graphics, speakers, RAM, processors and Blu-ray drives.

The company hopes that other manufacturers will build modules as well.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) wants to change mobile by bringing console-level graphics to smartphones and tablets.

At least one analyst is convinced that the company will succeed.

Whatever happens, it seems that the Tegra K1 processor will usher in a new era of mobile graphics.

Alexx Henry (a director and photographer) teamed up with Nikon (OTC: NINOY) to develop the ultimate multi-camera feature.

Using more than 64 cameras, Nikon found a way to create an impeccable 3D model of any human subject.

The results were insanely impressive. Nikon took the 3D model and placed him into a video game, allowing the subject to control himself.

If this is the future of custom game characters, gamers have a lot to get excited about.

The preceding stories were just the beginning. Check out these other hot tech stories right here on Benzinga.

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