The Little 4K Projector That Could, an Actual Xbox Toaster, and More Product News of the Week

As the Consumer Tech team prepares to head to Las Vegas for next week, we cannot stop thinking about LG’s adorable 4K projector while also wondering what an Xbox inspired BLT would taste like. Oh, and we also rounded up the top product stories of the week. LG recently announced a new 4K projector, the CineBeam Qube, and I’m pretty smitten with it.

It supports 4K and can project up to 120 inches, but its “eye catching minimal aesthetic” is what the company seems most proud of. The CineBeam Qube is cute. Dua Rashid Trying to draw attention back to its Metaverse ambitions, Meta of its . That’s exactly half of what the company’s latest Quest 3 costs.

An extra $50 will net you the 256 GB Quest 2, but if you’re looking to get one even cheaper, the company is advertising refurbished headsets starting at $230 and $270, respectively. No matter what, Meta is still in charge, and if the company giveth, it may also taketh away. Over the past week, Meta silently removed the option to let users stream to Chromecast.

first reported during the holidays that users no longer find the option to cast to Chromecast, though they can still cast to a phone or computer. Kyle Barr TV maker Vizio is being taken to task for making big claims of excessive refresh rates on its TVs when, in reality, an “effective frame rate” is based on software meant to give the impression of smoother viewing.

While folks who bought a Vizio TV shouldn’t expect any big payout, it’s a strong reminder not to take big framerate claims on your next television or monitor at face value. Kyle Barr Microsoft is trying to rebrand its Edge internet browser. No longer should its name remind you that its icon shortcut sits alone and forgotten at the edge of your Windows desktop.

Now Microsoft is trying to claim Edge is on the cutting of AI. The Redmond tech giant has started calling its native internet explorer “Microsoft Edge: AI Browser.” If you think that’s already a little on the nose, expect more companies to do so in the coming year. Kyle Barr A , “All toasters toast toast.” Well, sure enough, they… don’t, but some non toaster devices could be well adapted to aid me with making a quick BLT.

Now Microsoft, in all its wisdom, has decided to take its design and finally add a slot on top—not for discs—but for bread. Why turn a Series S into a toaster? For the memes, of course. Kyle Barr After the dopamine hit of CES 2024 wears off, we’ll need something else to carry us through the first month of the new year.

Fortunately, we’ll have Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked to look forward to. The company has officially announced its next flagship smartphone series will be revealed on , at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The event streams live on Samsung’s at . Florence Ion Microsoft’s has PC makers dancing along to the siren song of big tech’s new big obsession.

Along with the newly announced , there’s one small tidbit of information that isn’t nearly as engrossing but could prove to be Microsoft and the largest PC maker’s push to redefine how folks use their PC with a brand new “Copilot key” on users’ keyboards. Kyle Barr.