Gadgetory

it's time to get ready for the biggest tech event of the year I'm Bridget Carey and this is your cnet update it's almost time for the Consumer Electronics Show also known as CES and before we head to Las Vegas for the week-long convention a few companies are giving us early teases on their new products like the basis band fitness monitor it's a bracelet that's getting an upgrade to improve sleep tracking the company basis science says it's wristband will be able to track the difference between light and deep sleep and it knows when you drop into REM sleep the basis tracks fitness and sleep with more detail than other wrist bands because it has sensors that measure things like heart rate skin temperature and perspiration current basis B 1 fitness bands will get the sleep tracking software update later this month on january 21st but at CES the company will also show off a new model called the 2014 carbon steel addition it costs two hundred dollars last year's model which comes with a plastic strap dropped in price to 180 dollars at this year's show you can expect wearable tech like the basis band to be a hot topic but you'll also hear more buzz about gaming than in previous years the gaming company valve will be showing off its steam operating system for playing pc games on a living room TV and using steam machines and third-party pc makers will also show off their own versions of steam machines the virtual reality gaming headset oculus rift will return this year with upgrades and maybe the company will finally have details on when it will go on sale sony will also have some playstation news and rumors suggest that sony may show up some sort of virtual reality headset of its own televisions also get the spotlight as we and over how many pixels these companies can pack into their oversized displays the hype is around Ultra HD also known as 4k of course that means you need 4k video content to get any use out of those TVs at the show YouTube will be demonstrating a way to stream 4k quality video without slowing down your at work expect to also get your fill of new smart home appliances like internet-connected washing machines or do it yourself home security systems in the past year we've seen smarter lightbulbs smarter locks in smart home thermostats the news cnet appliance team will be paying special attention to this area of course you can always count on a few surprises remember the happy fork from last year that measured how fast you ate let's see what quirky gadgets will come out of this year show you can follow along the CES news at cnet com / CES and follow me on Twitter for updates from our studios in New York I'm Bridget Carey