The Engadget team is on site in Las Vegas to cover CES 2024 and is ready to follow all the tech news that's ready to go to press. We've already published over 100 articles about the Las Vegas tech show, even though today is officially only the first day of the big tech show.
There are some big press conferences scheduled for today. Honda will unveil a new EV series at 1:30 p.m. ET, and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger will be on the show's main stage at 8:00 p.m. ET to talk about AI. More specifically, Gelsinger will apparently “explain the critical role that silicon and software play in making AI more accessible, providing powerful computing power, and enabling modern economies.” Of course.
However, the main event of the day is the opening of the exhibition space. There are over 4,000 exhibitors here at CES, and the Engadget team will be stopping by to talk to many of them, review their new products, and give you their impressions along the way.
We've already seen some cutting-edge tech like transparent MicroLED TVs, but we also want to track down some of the weirdest gadgets at the show, like AI-powered cat doors and noise-cancelling masks that let you answer private calls in public. Like yesterday, we will be live blogging for most of the day to bring you the main news, some commentary and lots of pictures and videos, as well as some links to our more in-depth coverage.
Live77 updates
Wed, Jan 10, 2024 at 00:30 GMTRabbit R1 is an adorable AI-powered assistant co-developed by Teenage Engineering
Rabbit R1 (Rabbit)
One of the few real surprises at CES 2024 isn't even an official exhibitor. The Rabbit R1 is a delightful little device dedicated solely to running an AI based on what the company calls the Large Action Model (LAM). While a Large Language Model (LLM) can understand and respond to you, LAM is able to learn your actions and perform tasks like making recipes, booking a vacation, or finding out who sampled a song. It's certainly interesting, and its Teenage Engineering design pedigree and reasonable $199 price certainly help. However, we're still waiting to get our hands on one in real life before we get too excited.
Read the whole story here.
- Wed, Jan 10, 2024 at 00:15 GMT
The Spacetop is a laptop that's desperate to swap its screen for AR glasses
Photos by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Many companies are currently trying to find new and better options for mobile working. Lenovo has created a laptop with dual displays and a detachable keyboard to give owners more screen real estate without taking up too much space. And there are headsets from Meta, Apple and others that offer a way to create a completely virtual workspace without the need for a connected PC. But with the Spacetop, the startup Sightful has developed an interim solution that uses the underside of a laptop, but is attached to AR glasses instead of a conventional display.
Read the whole story here.
- Wed, January 10, 2024 at 00:00 GMT
BMW presents automated valet parking at CES 2024
Employee Tim Stevens has just driven a BMW remotely through a parking lot. Why? You'll have to watch the video below to get the full story, but here's how the company describes the demo:
“The teleoperator uses sophisticated technology and live camera images to guide and move the vehicle so that it can be parked and picked up again in a controlled manner. Possible future applications of this technology could include parking at events, at airports or in the logistics sector.”
- Tue, January 9, 2024 at 11:30 p.m. GMT
OrCam Hear hands-on: A surprisingly effective voice isolation platform for people with hearing loss
Photo by Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Imagine you're at a crowded convention or a loud bar trying to carry on a conversation with someone across from you. It is difficult enough for people with hearing to concentrate on what the person is saying, let alone people with hearing loss. OrCam, an assistive technology company, is unveiling a number of new products at CES 2024, including a range of devices and an iPhone app designed to help people with hearing loss cope with hearing overload. The platform is called OrCam Hear, and after a quick hands-on at the show in Las Vegas, deputy editor Cherlynn Low was pleasantly surprised.
OrCam Hear consists of a pair of earbuds and a dongle that can be connected to any phone. The app allows you to control who you want to listen to. The system listens for voices (via the dongle) for a few seconds and uses AI to create speaker profiles for each person, which then allows you to “selectively isolate specific voices even in noisy environments.” This targets the problem sometimes known as the “cocktail party problem,” which poses a challenge to hearing aids.
Read the whole story here.
- Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 11:05 p.m. GMT
Honda is unveiling two futuristic 0-series EV concept models at CES 2024
Honda concept electric vehicles (Honda)
Today at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Honda unveiled two concept electric vehicles – a sedan called the Saloon and the minivan-like Space Hub. Honda said it plans to develop a model based on the sedan concept car for North American markets in 2026 before eventually reaching other buyers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America and Africa. Additionally, the automaker debuted a redesigned H logo that will be exclusive to its EV lineup.
The sedan, the flagship concept EV, has an aerodynamic design and rides low to the ground. While the Space Hub is a bit more boxy and the renderings show this with seats where the passengers face each other. Aside from touting a spacious interior, Honda hasn't revealed much about when and if it actually plans to produce a car inspired by the Space Hub concept.
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 10:45 p.m. GMT
Samsung's Ballie robot doesn't have much to offer at CES 2024, but it's definitely cute
Engadget
Samsung's Ballie robot is one of the most adorable things we've heard about at CES 2024. The spherical robot was a surprise from Samsung yesterday, although the company first introduced a version of it back in 2020. Ballie is now much larger and grows from a tennis ball to a bowling ball, and it has a built-in projector.
Unfortunately, Samsung won't let us meet Ballie in person here in Las Vegas, but the company showed a demo at its booth. It was obviously tightly planned and controlled, but it at least gave us an idea of how the company envisioned using Ballie.
Read the whole story here.
- Tue, January 9, 2024 at 10:25 p.m. GMT
LifeSpan's Ampera charges your phone while you pedal
Senior reporter Daniel Cooper checked out this stationary standing desk bike that charges your phone while you pedal:
“Unlike other table bikes, the Ampera is designed to capture your energy and use it to charge your phone via the 15W Qi charging plate. And when you feel like your legs have more power, you can recharge your laptop via the 65W charging plate USB-C port.”
You can read the full story here or watch a video of Dan personally testing it:
- Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 10:05 p.m. GMT
First impressions of MSI's Intel-based gaming handheld
We've already told you about MSI's attempt to compete in the gaming handheld space, but now you can see the Claw in action and get some thoughts on its development so far from Sam Rutherford:
- Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 9:45 p.m. GMT
LG Display's next-generation OLED panels address the technology's biggest weakness
Photo by Mat Smith/
This year, LG Display came to CES 2024 with something to prove. It featured multiple sizes of transparent OLEDs (the theme of the show seems to be transparent displays) and a gaming monitor with a 480Hz refresh rate – twice what we're used to are. Perhaps the most interesting things in the showroom were LG Display's most advanced OLED panels to date, featuring META Technology 2.0. While this may sound like advertising fluff (and there's a lot of it here), the company is trying to address what is arguably OLED's biggest weakness.
While the company introduced its META technology last year, version 2.0 features advanced microlens arrays (now called MLA+). These are micrometer-sized lenses with a dragonfly eye design that improves the viewing angle of OLED displays up to 160 degrees. These lenses (and there are 42.4 billion of them in LG Display's 83-inch 4K prototype), combined with new algorithms, result in an OLED that is far brighter than its predecessors – 42 percent brighter than traditional OLEDs, that is Company.
Read the whole story here.
- Tue, Jan 9, 2024 at 9:15 p.m. GMT
Grilly Steele on… Weber Summit and Searwood
I guess it's video lesson here. Get a first look at Weber's latest smart grills with our resident cooking technology expert Billy Steele:
- Tue, January 9, 2024 at 8:45 p.m. GMT
First impressions of BMW's AI-powered personal assistant
We've brought you the news of BMW's new AI push before, but Tim Stevens has since taken a closer look. Here you can see the system in action and get first impressions:
- Tuesday 9 January 2024 20:20 GMT
SAG-AFTRA inks deal for AI voice acting in video games at CES 2024
PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images
SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents thousands of artists, has reached an agreement with an AI voice acting platform that aims to make it easier for actors to license their voices for use in video games. Under the agreement, announced during a press event at CES 2024, SAG-AFTRA members can work with Replica Studios to license their voice to game studios.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator, said the agreement “paves the way for professional voice actors to safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice recreations.” The agreement comes as Hollywood is still exploring the use of AI has to fight. Last year, after a months-long strike, SAG-AFTRA reached an agreement with Hollywood studios that included AI protections. As a result, studios now have to pay actors (and get their consent) before using an AI-generated version of their likeness.
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 7:50 p.m. GMT
The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra is a home battery that can generate electricity from 42 solar panels
Ecoflow
EcoFlow has arrived at CES 2024 in Las Vegas to unveil its largest and most useful residential battery backup solution: the Delta Pro Ultra. The hardware is described as a “smart hybrid battery generator and whole-home backup” that draws power from a variety of sources. You can charge it using either high or low wattage solar panels, the grid, or even a gas-powered generator. (But please only do this when lives are at stake, the planet can't handle it.) The Delta Pro Ultra also dramatically increases the power you have available at any one time. The existing Delta Pro can scale up to 25kWh – with additional batteries – but if your wallet is deep enough, you can equip the Ultra with 90kWh of batteries, which the company says should be enough to power your home's basic needs up to one year to keep running month.
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 7:30 p.m. GMT
Amazon and BMW are replacing the driver's manual with AI
Amazon
Vehicle-based voice assistants represent the next big challenge, integrating artificial intelligence into the driving experience. At CES 2024, Amazon and BMW announced a partnership to significantly improve the previous experience and connect a large language model (LLM) with Alexa and the actual driver's manual. The final result? You can ask the Alexa-powered chatbot anything about your car and receive accurate, real-time information. That's right. The thick and cumbersome manual can stay in the glove compartment forever.
According to Amazon, this tool offers a “more natural way to get to know your new car.” You can ask how different functions work, such as the parking assistance system, and receive conversational answers. Both companies believe this voice technology will “reduce complexity and minimize distractions in the car.”
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 7:10 p.m. GMT
The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a stunning dual-screen laptop that seems to make no compromises
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Between the Zenbook 17 Fold, Project Precog, and previous Zenbook Duo devices, it seems like ASUS has been working on building a true dual-screen laptop for ages. And now, at CES 2024, the time has come, with the launch of the simply named Zenbook Duo.
Similar to Lenovo's Yoga Book 9i, the Zenbook Duo has two separate screens and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard that can be stored in the system for on-the-go use. The difference is that ASUS' OLED panels look even better, being slightly larger at 14 inches while offering 3K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and stylus support. Plus, with a starting price of $1,500, it costs $500 less than the Yoga Book and not much more than your average high-end ultraportable.
Read the full story here or watch our video preview:
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 6:50 p.m. GMT
In 2024, Google apps will be available for select Ford, Nissan and Lincoln vehicles
Google
Google has teamed up with additional automakers to offer vehicles pre-installed with Google apps, the company announced today at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Nissan, Ford and Lincoln are launching select models with integrated Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store – among other applications – this year, while Porsche is expected to follow suit in 2025. They are the upcoming addition to the growing list of car brands committed to tighter Google integration, including Honda, Volvo, Polestar, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Renault.
The company also announced new features for cars with built-in Google apps. One of those features rolling out today is the ability to send trips that users have planned in their Google Maps app for Android or iOS to their cars.
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 6:29 p.m. GMT
Watch Honda unveil a new electric vehicle live at CES 2024
Honda is hosting the first major press event of the day and promising to unveil an all-new electric vehicle. Watch starting at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 6:20 p.m. GMT
Android Auto will soon allow Google Maps to see electric vehicle battery levels and tell you where to charge your vehicle
Google
Much of the automotive news at CES 2024 focused on electric vehicles, and Google is no exception. The company has announced that Android Auto will share real-time battery updates with Google Maps. The update is expected to initially roll out to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in the coming months before expanding to other Android Auto-compatible electric vehicles in the future.
With this new feature, Google Maps will give you suggestions about charging stations along your route without having to stop and search. It should also inform you of the car's battery level once you arrive at a destination (which your EV should already be doing) and provide an estimate of how long it will take to charge. The latter is more novel and might be helpful if you're in a rush.
Read the whole story here.
- Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 6:05 p.m. GMT
The Intel-based MSI Claw challenges AMD's handheld gaming monopoly
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
With the ASUS ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go and the Steam Deck, AMD has a virtual monopoly over the chips that power high-end gaming handhelds. But for the Claw, MSI is working with Intel to bring a little more balance to the portable PC performance battle.
The Claw is powered by either an Intel Core Ultra 7 or Core Ultra 5 chip. And some people are probably wondering whether Intel's first foray into high-end gaming handhelds can compete. Especially since, in addition to a new chip, developers will also have to rely on Intel's integrated Arc graphics and a driver library that simply isn't as extensive or as well tested as AMD's. It's also unclear to what extent the NPU in Intel's latest chip will help with things like XeSS supersampling, which will certainly play a big role in the Claw's capabilities.
Read the whole story here.
- Tue, January 9, 2024 at 5:45 p.m. GMT
Amazon will introduce Matter Casting instead of Chromecast or AirPlay
Amazon
Amazon is the first major company to offer support for the Matter open casting standard, it announced at CES 2024. Matter Casting is an open protocol that allows you to send videos and related content from an app to a hardware device, just like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast. The feature has just rolled out to the Prime Video app and allows streaming to various Amazon hardware devices.
Currently, you can only stream on the Echo Show 15 Smart Display, but the company says it will soon offer support for Fire TVs, including Panasonic models with built-in Fire TV. As far as content streaming partners go, it's just Prime Video for now, but the company is promising more options later this year, including Plex, Pluto, Sling TV, Starz, and many more.
Read the whole story here.
Wed, Jan 10, 2024 at 00:30 GMT
We'll be reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6th to 12th. Stay updated with the latest news about the show here.