每年，我都会回顾当年我选择的所有本周产品，并挑选对我印象最深刻的产品，以摘取年度产品称号。
今年的选举和大流行使我们的生活变得一团糟，为了保持工作状态，我们严重依赖于笔记本电脑，云服务，网络设备和协作应用程序。
我们还需要娱乐来保持理智，无论是HBO Max，Netflix还是Amazon Prime，我们都在在线娱乐中找到了我们的发行版。
让我们看一下我排名前13位的竞争者，然后我们将在争取2020年年度产品的同时排名前四位。
因此，这里我们以无特定顺序进行。
思科Webex Desk Hub
我最初是在IBM电信部门的技术部门工作，有一段时间，我是台式电话的竞争分析师。这项工作可以追溯到1980年代。我们创建的电话不仅限于语音，还包括有关谁在呼叫的关键信息，文本和语音消息，以及电子文本和语音消息的合并。
从那时起，我一直想使用其中的许多功能，但就功能和性能而言，办公电话已被智能手机超越。直到今年思科才通过Webex Desk Hub重新考虑了台式电话。
这种新的台式电话概念将您的智能手机与台式电话结合在一起，可提供无线充电功能，可存放工作耳机的地方以及自1980年代以来最显着的台式电话功能飞跃。它已经成为我梦dream以求的电话-比我希望的晚了30年-授予它，但迟来总比没有好！
万宝龙Summit 2 4G Smartwatch
除了Watch Fit之类的专注于运动的产品外，Apple Watch还有其他产品可以在一段时间内提供类似功能。在万宝龙峰会2 智能手表是第一款基于高通，Android平台的手表给苹果手表的钱跑了。
1,000美元的价格并不便宜。但在我看来，它的外观比Apple Watch更好，并且具有类似的功能。它始终处于连接状态，您可以将其用作腕上电话。这款智能手表防水至50m，比上一代具有更长的电池寿命，并且具有全套健身应用程序。对于那些不想被苹果生态系统束缚的人来说，这是一个不错的选择。
第四代回声
亚马逊Echo仍然是家用数字助理产品的佼佼者，在这种流行病中，对于我们太多人而言，Echo是我们唯一的家庭伴侣。这第四代回声改善音质，特别是在低端，成为了很多更便宜，这是在第三代产品一个巨大的进步。
Orb形状看起来比旧的圆柱形设计要先进得多，底部的蓝色光环几乎使设备看起来像在盘旋。虽然Alexa AI仍然经常使我的问题弄错，但最新的产品却以更多的样式和优雅来做到这一点。由于我们大多数人都将它们用于听音乐，因此音质的巨大提高使其成为2020年的竞争者。
Jacoti智能耳塞
该Jacoti智能耳塞设定声音质量和性能的新标准。这些与众不同之处在于它们内置了生物识别传感器，与手腕相比，您的耳朵是从这些数据中提取数据的更好位置。
这些耳塞具有上下文相关性，可以根据需要自动切换模式。他们可以针对听力缺陷进行调整，并进行调整以使其与您独特的听力能力最匹配。此产品是为有效地提供给我们超级力量而开发的少数产品之一，当您初次使用它们时，它们是第一批能够为您进行独特调整的耳机。使用技术使我们更加有能力的这种趋势将在本十年中显着增加-促进自然听力的Jacoti智能耳塞比大多数人都早发现了这一线索。
HP Omnicept VR耳机
未来是VR，但现在还不是。问题之一是负担得起的耳机很烂。惠普决定看看是否可以利用其独特的技能来创造更好的体验，并且使用Omnicept Headset做到了。
惠普具有一系列丰富的功能，因此这款耳机和解决方案是市场上最完整的。它不仅提供出色的性能，而且还提供了目前市场上最丰富的功能。当我们进入一个永无休止的虚拟旅行世界，需要摆脱几分钟的烦恼现实或与需要与社会保持距离的人合作进行物理项目时，正是这种服务使我们得以继续工作并帮助我们保持理智。
微软Surface Duo
微软凭借Surface Duo重新进入了智能手机市场，可以说与iPhone相反。这款双屏手机非常适合阅读或收发电子邮件，这是这款手机与众不同的地方。自从9月以来，我一直在从事我的工作，并且一直与我一起拥有出色的电子书阅读器，这真是天赐之物。
这种大流行使我们生活在一条线中，Surface Duo是我消磨时间而又不加剧或生气的一种方式。这是我读后感的理想选择，因为它读起来非常好。尽管我发现它可以与带有内置麦克风和扬声器的智能手表或耳塞配合使用，效果更好。唯一真正的抱怨是它需要一个更好的摄像头，如果没有耳塞就很难快速接听电话，而且两边都有玻璃杯会使它有点滑。否则，这已成为我的首选电话。
Ooler智能水冷床垫垫
该Ooler是在较早ChiliPAD一个巨大的进步。它看起来更好，看起来可以移动更多的水，并且使用智能手机应用程序而不是专用控制器。
像很多夫妻一样，我和妻子有不同的睡眠需求。我喜欢凉爽，她喜欢温暖。在我的温度下，她正在冻结，在她的温度下，我感觉我正在为晚餐做准备。Ooler会冷却或加热在您下方循环的水，以达到理想的温度，使我们俩都能幸福，婚姻和我的睡眠需求得以生存。Ooler基于与F1赛车手和宇航员冷却类似的技术，因此它也很酷。
小米电视LUX
有时有一种产品我可以看到并需要它。小米Mi TV LUX就是如此，它使用透明的OLED屏幕显示视频。关闭时，屏幕看起来就像一块玻璃。
在$ 7K的价格下，LUX对于55英寸的血液来说有点太富裕了（我刚买了一部昂贵的77英寸OLED电视，只有一半），但是当您谈论一台令人印象深刻的电视机时，LUX就是最重要的列表，尽管您需要一个完美的中间位置放置它。将其放在墙边将限制其“哇声系数”。这种技术在监视器中会很酷，因为通常我们的监视器会挡住我们的视线，您要做的就是将监视器空白以再次看到外面。我见过的最酷的产品之一；我仍然对此有欲望。
联想ThinkStaton P620剥线器工作站
过去十年投放市场的最出色的微处理器是大型AMD Threadripper。我一直认为，其巨大的核心优势将使其成为比游戏解决方案更好的工作站解决方案。好吧，联想今年加强了工作，并建造了一个Threadripper工作站，这正是我想象的一切。有了工作站，工程师通常比普通用户有更多发言权，因为他们生产与公司底线直接相关的关键任务产品。
如果工具人泰勒（Tim）还在，他会指定工作站，因为他一直都在“增强动力”。您的工作站电源不足，ThinkStation P620也不会令人失望。
Keurig的Drinkworks
我喜欢喝一杯，而且我有两个机器人调酒师。两者中最好的是Keurig的Drinkworks，因为它既有水冷却器，又有对某些饮料至关重要的碳酸化器。您插入饮料盒，脱水饮料，然后倒入完美的鸡尾酒。
如果在大流行期间我不能没有一件事情，那是我每天晚上喝的东西，可以让我平静下来，并摆脱政治。如果您不能去酒吧，这是下一件好事。尽管在一年中它遇到了一些可靠性问题，但Keurig坚持提供自己的产品，并且在维修方面表现出色（它只对我们造成了一次故障，几天之内就从Keurig那里得到了替代产品）。在大流行期间，Drinkworks是我们拥有的少数产品之一。
戴尔XPS 17笔记本电脑
我对理想的大流行笔记本电脑的想法是大屏幕，大量的性能，体面的电池寿命以及可承受的价格。我在2020年审查的所有产品中，Dell XPS 17笔记本电脑在性能，屏幕尺寸，电池寿命和价格（1,500美元）之间达到了最佳平衡。
大屏幕对于生产力意义重大，因为我们这几天不进行飞行，因此不需要将其放在沙发上（也不需要）。它时尚，吸引人，并且具有足够的电池寿命，可以在您不使用插头时（可能不经常使用）为您提供服务。它甚至在键盘上都带有碳纤维，看起来很高科技。当我们停止出门上班时，我们的需求发生了变化，到目前为止，这是我在2020年发现的家用笔记本电脑中最好的工作。
英伟达的GeForce Now
NvidiaGeForce Now是第一个真正可行的游戏平台，适合那些想要高端游戏体验而又无需高端PC成本的人。在线游戏在2020年实现了垂直发展，目前，电子竞技的薪水和奖励超过了许多其他体育专业人士，而且伤病更少。自从该产品投放市场以来，延迟和性能有了显着提高。在这一年的大部分时间里，由于有如此多的兴趣，很难获得这项服务。
令人敬畏的游戏和合理的价格使其成为2020年最便宜的商品之一-对于希望逃避到虚拟世界或让孩子被其占据的父母来说是必备品，因此这些孩子并没有让他们发疯。
联想Fold X1
也许2020年最具创新性的笔记本电脑是Lenovo Fold X1。这款引人入胜的产品具有可折叠的屏幕，可打开至完整的13.3英寸，折叠后可放入女士的钱包。
诚然，这可能使它成为女性的产品，而不是男性，但是我们需要更多的女性产品。这款笔记本电脑在今年的CES上对我来说是突出的产品，即使将近一年之后，我仍然认为它是2020年上市的最先进的笔记本电脑之一。联想在Fold是他们今年最令人兴奋的产品。
选择优胜者
在查看产品时，所有这些事情本身就是了不起的。但是，我将根据最适合我们当前大流行的产品选择前四名。因此，事不宜迟，这里是：
季军：Ooler 如果我们无法入睡，我们就无法工作，我们会生气，我们会将自己的家变成一个没人愿意成为的地方，包括我们。Ooler直接解决了睡眠问题，并帮助我们更好地生存在家里。
亚军：现在是Nvidia GeForce 在家里，我们需要兼顾工作和娱乐，同时减少外出感染的欲望。通过GeForce Now服务，我们可以尽情玩耍，让孩子们在屏幕上玩，而不会感染他们带回家共享的病毒。
亚军：Keurig的Drinkworks， 因为如果您用酒精充分润滑，在家呆会更好一些。这些精制的饮料使我错过了少去的旅行，并提供了夏威夷的一点味道（他们的Mai Tai很棒），而且我不确定我和我的妻子是否早就不会相亲了。这台机器。
HP Omnicept VR耳机
如果今年我们都需要一件事，那就是安全旅行的能力。Omnicept VR耳机承诺了一个未来，我们将能够从家中安全地探索现实世界和虚拟世界，并在不让亲人冒险的情况下获得乐趣。
这是我尚未发现的2020年逃生舱口的最接近的东西。今年，我们迫切需要一个逃生门-这个虚拟的就成了我的年度产品。
希望您的假期能满满，希望您和家人安全！
Every year I look back at all of the Products of the Week I've selected during the year and pick the one that made the most significant impression on me to crown the Product of the Year.
This year the election and pandemic kept our lives pretty messed up, and to keep working we relied heavily on our laptops, cloud services, networking gear, and our collaboration apps.
We also needed entertainment to stay sane, and whether it was HBO Max, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, we found our release in online entertainment.
Let's look at my top 13 contenders, and then I'll rank the top four products as we work toward the 2020 Product of the Year.
So here we go, in no particular order.
Cisco Webex Desk Hub
I started in tech working for IBM's telecommunications division, and for a time, I was the Competitive Analyst over desktop phones. This effort was back in the 1980s. We had created phones that went beyond voice to include critical information on who was calling, both text and voice messaging, and the merger of electronic text and voice messaging.
Since then, I've wanted many of these features, yet office phones were outstripped by smartphones in terms of functions and languished. That was until this year when Cisco rethought the desk phone with its Webex Desk Hub.
This new desk phone concept weds your smartphone with your desk phone, providing wireless charging, a place to store your work headphones, and the most significant desktop phone function jump I've seen since the 1980s. It has become my dream phone -- granted, 30 years later than I hoped -- but better late than never!
Montblanc Summit 2 4G Smartwatch
There has been the Apple Watch and little else, other than exercise focused products like the Fitbit, that could provide similar functionality for some time. The Montblanc Summit 2 smartwatch was the first Qualcomm-based Android platform watch to give the Apple Watch a run for its money.
It isn't cheap at $1,000. But it is, to my eye, better looking than the Apple Watch and has a similar set of features. It is always connected, and you can use it as a wrist phone. This smartwatch is waterproof to 50m, has longer battery life than the prior generation, and it has a full set of fitness apps. A decent alternative for those of us that don't want to get locked into Apple's ecosystem.
4th Generation Echo
The Amazon Echo still is the product to beat when it comes to a home digital assistant, and during this pandemic, for way too many of us, the Echo was our only home companion. This4th Generation Echoimproved sound quality, particularly at the low end, became a lot less expensive, and it's a vast improvement over the 3rd generation offering.
The Orb shape looks far more advanced than the old cylindrical design, and the blue halo on the bottom almost makes the device look like it is hovering. While the Alexa AI still often gets my questions wrong, it does so with more style and elegance with this latest offering. Since most of us use these for listening to music, the vast improvement in sound quality made this a contender for 2020.
Jacoti Smart Earbuds
TheJacoti Smart Earbudsset a new standard for sound quality and performance. What makes these different is they have biometric sensors in them, and your ears are a better place to pull this data from than your wrists.
These earbuds are contextually aware and will switch modes as needed automatically. They can adjust for hearing deficiencies and be tuned to best match your unique hearing capabilities. This offering is one of a handful of products evolving to give us superpowers effectively, and they are the first headphones to tune themselves uniquely for you when you first put them on. This trend of using technology to make us more capable will significantly increase this decade -- and the Jacoti Smart Earbuds which boost natural hearing are blazing that trail earlier than most.
HP Omnicept VR Headset
The future is VR, but it isn't the present yet. One of the problems has been that affordable headsets suck. HP decided to see if it could use its unique skills to create a far better experience, and it did with theOmnicept Headset.
HP hWrapped with a rich set of features, this headset and solution are the most complete in the market. It not only provides excellent performance, but the richest set of features currently available in the market. As we devolve into a world of perpetual virtual travel and the need to get away from a troubling reality for just a few minutes or collaborate on a physical project with someone who needs to remain socially distant, it's this kind of offering that will keep us working and help keep us sane.
Microsoft Surface Duo
Microsoft reentered the smartphone market with the Surface Duo, arguably the opposite of the iPhone. Twin screens ideal for reading or doing email is what makes this phone special. Since September, I've been carrying mine, and always having something with me that is a fantastic eBook reader has been a godsend.
This pandemic has us living in lines, and the Surface Duo has been a way for me to kill time without getting aggravated or angry. It's ideal for my peace of mind because it is such a good read. Though I've found it works a ton better with a smartwatch that has a built-in microphone and speaker, or with earbuds. The only real complaints are that it needs a better camera, it is hard to answer a call quickly without earbuds, and having glass on both sides makes it a tad slippery. Otherwise, this has become my go-to phone.
Ooler Smart Watercooled Mattress Pad
TheOoleris a massive improvement over the earlier ChiliPAD. It is better looking, appears to move more water, and uses a smartphone app rather than dedicated controllers.
Like a lot of couples, my wife and I have very different sleeping needs. I like it cool, she likes it warm. At my temperature she is freezing, at hers I feel like I'm being prepared as the dinner entrée. The Ooler will cool or heat the water that circulates under you to create the perfect temperature so that we both can be happy and our marriage and my need for sleep survive. The Ooler is based on similar technology to what cools F1 racers and astronauts, so it is also pretty cool.
Mi TV LUX
Sometimes there is a product where I see it and need to have it. That was true of theXiaomi Mi TV LUX, which uses a transparent OLED screen to display videos. When it is off, the screen looks like an exact piece of glass.
At $7K the LUX was a bit too rich for my blood at 55" (I just got an expensive 77" OLED TV for half that), but when you talk about a TV that would impress folks, the LUX is at the top of the list, though you'd need the perfect mid-room place to put it. Putting it next to a wall would limit its "wow factor." This technology would be cool in a monitor, because often our monitors block our view and all you'd have to do is blank the monitor to see outside again. One of the coolest looking products I've ever seen; I still have lust in my heart for it.
Lenovo ThinkStaton P620 Threadripper Workstation
The most awesome microprocessor brought to the market last decade was the massive AMD Threadripper. I'd always thought that its massive core advantage would make it a better workstation solution than a gaming solution. Well, this yearLenovostepped up and built a Threadripper Workstation, and it was everything I imagined it could be. With workstations, engineers generally get more say than regular users because they produce mission-critical products directly related to the firm's bottom line.
IfTim the Tool Man Taylorwere still around, he'd specify the workstation because he was always about "more power." You can't have enough power in a workstation, and theThinkStation P620doesn't disappoint.
Drinkworks by Keurig
I like a good drink, and I have two robotic bartenders. The best of the two is theDrinkworks by Keurigbecause it has both a water chiller and a carbonator critical for certain kinds of drinks. You insert your drink cartridge, a dehydrated drink, and then pour the perfect cocktail.
If there is one thing I can't live without during this pandemic, it's my nightly drink to calm me down and put politics out of my mind. If you can't go to a bar, this is the next best thing; and while it has had some reliability problems during the year, Keurig sticks by its offerings and has been great with repairs (it only broke on us once, and we got a replacement from Keurig within days). The Drinkworks is one of the few products we have we couldn't live without during this pandemic.
Dell XPS 17 Laptop
My idea of the perfect pandemic laptop has a big screen, tons of performance, decent battery life, and an affordable price. Of all the products I reviewed in 2020, theDell XPS 17laptop stands out as the best balance of performance, screen size, battery life, and price at $1,500.
The big screen makes sense for productivity since we aren't flying these days, so it doesn't need to fit on a couch table (and this won't). It is sleek, attractive, and it has enough battery life to cover you when you are away from a plug (which probably isn't that often). It even has carbon fiber on the keyboard, which looks high-tech. Our needs changed when we stopped traveling to work from home, and this, so far, is the best work from the home laptop I found in 2020.
Nvidia's GeForce Now
The NvidiaGeForce Nowwas the first genuinely viable gaming platform for those who wanted a high-end gaming experience without the high-end PC cost. Online gaming went vertical in 2020, and currently, esports salaries and awards exceed many of other sports professionals, and there are fewer injuries. Latency and performance have improved dramatically since this offering came to market; and for much of the year it was hard to get on this service because there was so much interest.
Awesome games and a reasonable price made this one of the great bargains of 2020 -- and a must-have for parents who either wanted to escape into a virtual world or have their kids occupied by it, so those kids didn't drive them nuts.
Lenovo Fold X1
Perhaps the most innovative notebook of 2020 was the Lenovo Fold X1. This fascinating product had a foldable screen that would open to a full 13.3" and fit in lady's purse when folded.
Granted, this likely made it a product more for a woman than man, but we need more products built for women. This laptop was the product that stood out for me in this year's CES, and even though it is nearly a year later, I still think it is one of the most advanced notebooks to come to market in 2020. Lenovo outshined the other PC vendors at the show this year, and the Fold was their most exciting product.
Picking a Winner
In looking at the products, all of these things were amazing in their own right. But I'm going to select the top four based on which product best fits our pandemic present. So, without further ado, here they are:
Third Runner-Up: Ooler If we don't get our sleep, we can't work well, we are angry, and we'll turn our home into a place no one wants to be, including us. The Ooler addresses the sleep problem directly and helps us better survive being captured at home.
Second Runner-Up: Nvidia GeForce Now While at home, we need to balance work and fun while reducing our desire to go out and get infected. The GeForce Now service allows us to game to our heart's content and keep our kids on the screen and not catch a virus they will bring home and share.
First Runner-Up: Drinkworks by Keurig Because staying home goes a little better if you are well-lubricated with alcohol. These crafted drinks made me miss going out less and provided a little taste of Hawaii (their Mai Tai is excellent), and I'm not sure my wife and I wouldn't have offed each other long before now if it wasn't for this machine.
The HP Omnicept VR Headset
If there is one thing we all needed this year, it was the ability to travel safely. The Omnicept VR headset promises a future where we will be able to explore real and virtual worlds from the safety of our homes and have fun without putting our loved ones at risk.
It is the closest thing to a 2020 escape hatch I've yet found. This year we desperately needed an escape hatch -- and this virtual one became my Product of the Year.
Here is hoping your holidays are everything you hope they could be and that you and your family remain safe!
