Technologies

Razer Ups Its Gaming Gear for 2023 with 18-inch Blade, Accessories

At CES, bigger Blade laptops are joined by a new high-end Kiyo Pro Ultra webcam for streamers and a beefier Leviathan V2 Pro gaming soundbar.

Razer’s new 16- and 18-inch Blade laptops join the pack of front-line CES gaming laptops. Like a lot of other models announced at CES, Razer has essentially replaced its 17-inch Blade with an 18-inch and brought back the «desktop replacement» terminology after a hiatus. Both boast the latest technologies announced at the show, including top-of-the-line 13th-gen Intel Core i9 HX chips and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series mobile graphics.

The Blade 16 does offer a novel 1,000-nit screen, which Razer refers to as «dual-mode»: In Creator mode, it operates at 4K-plus resolution (the 16:10 aspect ratio means it’s just off 16:9 4K) at a refresh rate of 120Hz, while in Gamer mode it drops the resolution to 1080p-ish to run at 240Hz. It’s an interesting concept, but the execution will make or break its usefulness.

Razer has also invented a new spec it calls «Graphics Power Density,» for the amount of graphics power per cubic inch (which, unsurprisingly, it has the most of!) in order to convey thin-but-powerful-ness. I suspect it’s because the Blades tend to be heavy, but it’s kind of nebulous and I really, really hope it doesn’t catch on.

The Blade 18 also has the new components, but instead a 1440p-plus 240Hz display. It gets one of the increasingly common 5MP webcams and incorporates a six-speaker array that uses Razer’s own THX spatial audio.

Both are slated to ship this quarter. The Blade 16 starts at $2,700, while the Blade 18 starts at $2,900.

Razer’s Leviathan V2 soundbar line has gotten an upscale sibling, the Leviathan V2 Pro. In addition to adding a gazillion lighting zones (OK, 30), the Pro beefs up its audio chops with head tracking (via IR cameras) and beamforming to more precisely target the sound toward your ears.

It also replaces the pairs of full-range drivers, tweeters and passive radiators with five full-range drivers which boosts the lower frequency response range down to 40Hz from 45Hz, while upping the power output to 98dB from 96dB. The Leviathan V2 Pro also puts back the headphone jack Razer had removed when it leveled the Leviathan up a generation. All of that makes it a bit longer, though.

You can preorder the soundbar now for $400; it’s scheduled to ship at the end of January.

Razer already had a Kiyo Pro webcam, so its newest model, which jumps to the top of the line, went Ultra. The 4K Kiyo Pro Ultra has been upgraded with a 1/1.2-inch sensor, much larger than typical webcams, which can help a lot with exposure (especially in low light) and color. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee a better result, but larger sensors usually do improve image quality over smaller ones.

It’s got an «ultra-large f1.7 aperture lens,» which doesn’t mean a lot; a larger sensor requires a larger lens, and f1.7 is neither here nor there. The webcam does, however, seem to have to have focusing behavior and depth of field, which is sadly lacking in webcams. Razer challenges Elgato’s Facecam Pro by claiming rawer raw processing, with in-camera conversion of the 40-30fps stream into lower resolutions and frame rates on the fly and directly stream out.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra has a built-in shutter in addition to a protective (but easily lost) standalone cover. That was also on my wish list.

It’s available now, albeit at a pricey $400.

The company also unveiled the first of a line of add-ons for the Meta Quest 2, padding developed with partner ResMed, and announced the availability of the Edge and Edge 5G tablet-plus-controller handhelds for cloud gaming.

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.