Razer Shows off Modular PC and Smart Wristband at CES 2014

The year is off to a busy start it seems. Razer made two announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier today, one of which marks the company’s first true foray into lifestyle products.

Razer Christine

First up is Project Christine, something Razer touts as “the world’s most modular gaming system.” Looking at the pictures, it’s a little hard to argue.

Unlike the Steam Machine prototypes shown off yesterday, Christine actually has a weirdly attractive design going for it. Using the magic of PCI-Express, the modules can easily be swapped out on-the-fly without all the hassle of cable management. The units should be incredibly easy to maintain as well – they’re sealed and pumped with an active liquid cooling system, so no scary-looking internals to mess with. The best part is that these components can be “safely overclocked without voiding warranties” for that little extra push.

As this is still just a concept, there aren’t any specifications or prices to work with. We can safely assume this will be an incredibly costly investment, as will the proprietary modules be in the future, though the convenience is definitely its strongest selling point.

Razer Nabu

Here’s another accessory vying for that valuable spot on your wrist. The Razer Nabu is an Android smartband easily summed up for three purposes: Notifications, Data and Social.

Sporting two different screens – a 32×32 pixel OLED for public icons and a 128×32 for private messages – the Nabu’s ambitions are far larger than its physical size. Other than the usual notifications (I doubt most would read long messages on it), the rain- and splash-proof band comes with an accelerometer, altimeter and a cylindrical vibration motor. These enable fitness-related features but also open up other social avenues; Razer provided examples such as discovering other people nearby or sharing contact information with a handshake.

Interestingly, this seems to be past the concept stage. The call for developers has already gone out with early kits available for purchase now, whereas software will be made available at a later date. If the price is right and the apps prove bug-free, then the Nabu could find itself on wishlists for the holiday period.

Source: Press Releases