Cover Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 is the world's largest annual consumer technology trade at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Photo: Getty Images)
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 is the world's largest annual consumer technology trade at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Photo: Getty Images)
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From transparent TVs to robots with projectors, these are the products that caught our eye at the world’s biggest tech show this year in Las Vegas
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the annual technology convention that brings together the biggest, brightest and most innovative minds to Las Vegas. This year, the event took place from January 9 to 14, with more than 130,000 people from 150 countries gathering to witness the latest technologies showcased by some 4,300 exhibitors.
Some of the highlights included AI-powered devices, electric and autonomous vehicles, and wearable and implantable gadgets. Other products that caught people’s attention were the Punkt MC02 5G secure phone, a minimalist and privacy-focused device; the Evie Ring, a smart ring that can monitor your vital signs and alert you of any health issues; and the Segway Go Kart Pro 2, a modular and fun electric vehicle that can transform into different modes.
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When it came to hardware, CES 2024 also featured some stunning displays and projectors such as the LG Signature OLED T, a wireless and transparent TV that can adjust its opacity and contrast, and The Premiere 8K by Samsung, which is the world’s first wireless 8K projector that can create a 150-inch image from a short distance. Here are five innovations in particular that caught our eye.
1. The Rabbit R1
Above The R1 is a smart device that can help you with various tasks using AI (Photo: Rabbit)
Above The back of the AI-powered pocket device, R1 (Photo: Rabbit)
The R1 is a smart device that can help you with various tasks using AI (Photo: Rabbit)
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The Rabbit R1 is a compact and colourful pocket assistant with a 2.9-inch touchscreen, a push-to-talk button, a scroll wheel and a 360-degree rotating camera. Beyond its ’90s-inspired hardware, its software—aptly dubbed Rabbit OS—works similarly to virtual assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. It can interact with your favourite apps through natural language to book a hotel, order a ride, buy groceries, send messages and more without actually opening any apps.
Above Jesse Lyu, founder and CEO of the electronics company, Rabbit, talks about the Rabbit R1
What sets the R1 apart is its speed. Founder and CEO of Rabbit, Jesse Lye, says that the standalone device will answer your questions in 500 milliseconds—ten times faster than most other AI voice projects.
The company expects to ship its first batch to customers by March 2024.
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2. Samsung Ballie
Above Samsung Ballie is a rolling robot that can act as your personal home assistant
Samsung introduced a spherical robot called Ballie, which is described as an AI home companion. It has a 1080p projector along with LiDAR sensors and an infrared (IR) transmitter. It has a 2 to 3-hour battery life and can return to a dock for charging.
Ballie can connect and manage smart home appliances, such as lights, curtains, TVs and locks, and enable routines based on the user’s commands or schedule. While the user is away, it can help to monitor and interact with pets or loved ones by sending video updates to the user’s devices.
Samsung did not disclose any details about the release date or cost of Ballie, but it is expected to be available later this year.
3. LG Signature OLED 77-inch Transparent TV
Above The LG Signature OLED 77-inch Transparent TV is has a sleek, transparent screen that blends with the environment and creates a sense of openness (Photo: LG)
The LG Signature OLED 77-inch Transparent TV is has a sleek, transparent screen that blends with the environment and creates a sense of openness (Photo: LG)
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A transparent TV by LG was one of the head-turning devices at this year’s CES. The OLED TV has a unique feature: a see-through panel that can be raised or lowered using a contrast film. This allows the TV to either look like a regular OLED or reveal what is behind the screen. The panel can be controlled using the accompanying remote.
The TV comes with down-firing speakers underneath its display to deliver powerful audio. It can receive both video and audio signals from a device called LG’s Zero Connect Box, which can be placed up to 30 feet away and to which users can connect their streaming boxes and gaming consoles. LG says the TV is expected to ship this year but has not confirmed its price.
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4. Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid
Above The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid’s screen can be detached to function as a tablet
The concept of two-in-one computers isn’t new. Several models of Windows laptops already have a monitor that can be detached to become a tablet. But Lenovo’s latest ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid has one more cool trick up its sleeve: it can switch between Windows 11 and Android 13 operating systems. Sporting a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display, the base of the laptop, where its keyboard and trackpad are, can be connected to an external monitor and used as a laptop.
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5. Hyundai Mobion concept vehicle
Above Wheels on Hyundai’s Mobion concept car can rotate up to 90 degrees (Photo: Hyundai Mobis)
Wheels on Hyundai’s Mobion concept car can rotate up to 90 degrees (Photo: Hyundai Mobis)
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Drivers who hate parallel parking or backing out from a tight corner will rejoice at Hyundai’s new concept vehicle. The Mobion is an Ioniq 5 electric vehicle built to showcase the company’s Mobis technology. At the core of this high-tech vehicle is Hyundai’s e-Corner System motion technology, which allows the car to move laterally and diagonally, and pivot on the spot thanks to wheels that can rotate up to 90 degrees. It is currently unclear when the new technology from the South Korean automaker will be implemented in their vehicles.
Read more content on new innovations from Asia and the world.
