Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Turn your computer into a touchscreen with AirBar

The AirBar™ sensor - Get touch on your new or existing PC

We’ve all been there — tapping the laptop screen with a finger after forgetting that it’s not a tablet and doesn’t have touchscreen capabilities. But now, you won’t be made a fool of when you tap your computer screen … if you have an AirBar, that is. This new accessory turns your PC into a touchscreen device, because sometimes, using a trackpad or a mouse is just too hard.

The flagship device from Swedish company Neonode, the AirBar is now officially available for pre-order in the U.S. It’s compatible with most Chromebook notebooks and PCs running Windows 8.1 or 10, and allows users to “promptly and seamlessly activate touch functionalities on their laptops.”

Sleek and lightweight, the thin, matte black bar attaches magnetically to the bottom of your laptop for what just might be the easiest installation of all time. Don’t worry — you won’t have to download any software to get the device to work. Simply connect the AirBar via USB and start touchscreening.

The device makes use of Neonode’s patented zForce Air technology, which emits an invisible light field atop your laptop screen capable of sensing touch from fingers (even if they’re gloved), as well as paintbrushes. That means you could scroll down that recipe even as you’re cooking with an oven mitt, or turn your computer screen into a digital canvas.

“We developed this product knowing there is really nothing else like it on the market,” said Remo Behdasht, senior vice president of AirBar Devices at Neonode. “People want touchscreen capabilities, but until now their options were very limited by brand and cost. Our successful pre-order phase was further confirmation of the massive appeal and demand for this device.”

You can turn your laptop into a touchscreen laptop with AirBar for $69, and choose from 13.3-inch, 14-inch, and 15.6-inch size options. The device is currently available here, and will also be sold on Amazon, BestBuy, and Walmart.

Buy on Amazon

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Next-gen AirPods could let others override your ANC
A woman wearing AirPods 3rd Generation while exercising.

Ever since Apple debuted its now-iconic AirPods true wireless earbuds, it has been expanding what these handy devices can do. The list now includes hands-free access to Siri, enhanced hearing with Conversation Boost, head-tracking spatial audio, and the super-popular combo of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. But if a recently published patent application is any indication, Apple could soon let a trusted person remotely disable ANC mode, just by uttering a pre-determined word or phrase.

The patent application, entitled "Interrupt for noise cancelling audio devices" was first spotted by AppleInsider, and it details -- at great length -- how AirPods owners could allow their attention to be grabbed by another person, by automatically shutting off ANC mode when that person says a specific passphrase.

Read more
TCL’s NXTWEAR AIR wearable display is like a cinema on your face
TCL NXTWEAR AIR wearable display.

The TCL NXTWEAR AIR wearable display glasses come barely six months after the release of the company's first-generation NXTWEAR G wearable display, and it appears TCL has listened to some feedback and improved the glasses where they needed to the most: Comfort, fit, and wearability. The concept, revealed as part of TCL's CES 2022 range of products, remains the same, so think of the glasses as the equivalent of having a 140-inch screen right in front of your eyes. These aren’t Google Glass competitors, but more like a private cinema.

Crucially, TCL has made the NXTWEAR AIR lighter than the NXTWEAR G, and the glasses weigh 75 grams with the standard lenses in place, compared to the 100 grams of the first-generation pair. A 30-gram reduction in weight should make the NXTWEAR Air less fatiguing to wear for any length of time. Looking at the images, TCL has also changed the nose pad design, but it’s not clear how adjustable the new system will be.

Read more
The LG PuriCare AeroTower cleans your air with just a whisper
The LG AeroTower is a fan, heater, and air purifier in one.

The constant presence of the pandemic during the past two years has placed an increased focus on indoor air quality. As the temperatures outside drop, why not purify the air while also keeping it warm? LG's new PuriCare AeroTower is perfect for exactly that. Best of all, you can use it year-round -- the air purifier works as a fan and a heater in one. The LG PuriCare AeroTower is scheduled to make its debut at CES 2022.

The AeroTower can turn a full 360-degrees and deliver air in one of three modes: Direct, Wide, and Diffusion.

Read more