While most PC displays are being engineered with ultra-thin bezels, Dell’s latest 4K UltraSharp monitor comes with the opposite: A large forehead.
What’s all the extra space in the new UltraSharp U3223QZ’s forehead for? Well, Dell says it’s used to house all the tech you’ll need to conduct a clear video conferencing call, including a high resolution webcam, noise canceling microphones, and capable audio speakers.
On top, straight in the center, is a circular-shaped camera that houses the 4K HDR Sony Starves CMOS sensor. The barrel-shaped 4K camera housing resembles Dell’s standalone 4K UltraSharp stand-alone webcam solution. It also bears some similarities to the wireless Concept Pari webcam.
The camera itself is mounted in the center of a top-mounted speaker bar and can record and playback 4K streams at 30 frames per second or FHD resolution at 30 or 60 fps. For the optimal recording angle, you can also tilt and adjust the camera. The webcam also supports Windows Hello.
The speaker positioning is rather unique, given that many rival designs use a bottom-mounted speaker positioning. According to the company, the top positioning is optimal, as it includes built-in echo cancellation microphones as well as two 14W speakers in the bar. Dell claimed that the monitor is certified for Microsoft Teams calls.
As far as the display is concerned, you’re getting a 31.5-inch 4K IPS Black capable panel here with a bright 2,000:1 contrast ratio. The screen is able to render 1.07 billion colors, cover 98% of the wide DCI-P3 color space, and is VESA Certified for DisplayHDR 400. The screen is able to reach a brightness of 400 nits. This makes the UltraSharp well adapted for collaboration and creative work.
Newer devices with USB-C support can connect to the monitor with a single cable for power and video output. The Dell UltraSharp 3223QZ includes a relatively high 90W of power delivery, which is great for higher power consumption devices, like the MacBook Pro and gaming notebooks, for example.
The monitor also includes an RJ45 Ethernet port, a USB hub, and a KVM switch so you can connect two PC sources and multitask with picture-in-picture mode.
Additionally, you can daisy chain two monitors together with Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology without any noticeable compromise to picture quality, Dell stated.
Dell isn’t the only manufacturer to lean in on integrated monitor solutions designed around video conferencing. Rivals such as Lenovo and HP are unveiling similar video conferencing monitors at CES 2022 to capitalize on the recent trend of remote and hybrid work as a result of the havoc wreaked by the ongoing global pandemic. The UltraSharp U3223QZ is designed to make it easier to communicate, collaborate, and multitask in this new reality.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.