The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is one of the biggest and buzziest tech events of the year, offering a first look at next-generation TVs, laptops, smart home gadgets, cars, and more. For 2024, the event is being held in Las Vegas during the second week of January.
ICYMI, we discovered the founder of Leia is using a Red Hydrogen as his daily driver. The phone was one of our flops of the decade, and made our list of the worst gadgets we've touched. But... the maker of its screen is not only alive, but thriving! Take a look:
Leia is building a 3D empire on the back of the worst phone we’ve ever reviewed
And it plans to ship the first 3D OLED phone this year.
CES 2024: all the TVs, laptops, smart home gear, and more from the show floor
CES is the tech world’s biggest event of the year. The Verge is on the ground covering the biggest news in tech, gaming, transportation, and more.
Myhixel says the Myhixel Control, which it funded on Kickstarter in 2022, uses artificial intelligence via the company’s app to personalize the experience of this Bluetooth sexual device aimed at the sexual health of people with penises.
Myhixel says its Play app includes an 8-week training program that gamifies masturbation and is “clinically-proven” to treat premature ejaculation issues. Its studies are linked here.
The German Bionic Apogee+ is designed to protect backs of medical workers lifting patients out of beds and wheelchairs. It robotically lifts 66 pounds from lower back onto hips and legs, plus adds handles for patients to grab. Hours of use from a small Makita power tool battery!
It didn’t make me feel stronger or faster — except the new robotic spine automatically lifting me upright. It’s designed to be shared among a crew of workers for $9,900.
Swiss startup Flappie says its “AI-equipped cat door with integrated prey detection” uses a camera to see if your cat is trying to smuggle its victims inside.
Although, the company told Engadget, a clever cat could just drop its prey and then pick it up again after the door opens. Its US launch has no date yet, the article says.
Victoria Song highlighted a lot of beauty tech she saw at this year’s CES in a Verge video from this week. You could easily blink and miss Imprintu, the temporary tattoo printer. I want one. Or I did, until I saw that it’s $249.
LG’s DukeBox is pitched as a modern-day jukebox, but in person, it’s got much more potential.
A smooth-sounding 3D audio speaker with a 30-inch transparent OLED display that lets you see its retro-style insides and displays album art, the DukeBox is also a TV.
The music controls on the screen are just for show — it’s not a touch screen. But if LG ever ships this concept product it should totally be one. It would make a gorgeous smart display.
CES 2024 was all about interoperability beyond the smart home
In between all the flashy new monitors, electric vehicle prototypes, and palm-scanning door locks shown off at CES this year, there was a trend linking the less eye-catching announcements.
The service will soon support Nvidia-blessed VRR monitors, and — if your game’s running above 40fps but struggling to hit 60 — it helps! I saw a lil less tearing and visual weirdness as I moved around in Cyberpunk.
It’s less helpful if you’re not in the sweet spot, cuz Nvidia auto-lowers resolution when framerate goes too low. G-Sync is also exclusive to Nvidia’s Ultimate tier, but that’s the only flavor I recommend anyhow.
I’ve poked some fun at Razer’s me-too gaming chairs since the beginning, but the new Razer Iskur V2’s lumbar support is nice!
I tend to lean left and right in my seat, and the “6D” lumbar comfortably tilted with me at CES. The other “Ds” are how lumbar can adjust in/out/up/down with big dials on left and right. Does it stay this comfy after hours of sitting? Here’s hoping!
Rabbit, Ballie, and the other gadgets of CES 2024
On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk gadgets and cars and car gadgets and gadget cars.
This high-tech sex toy syncs its vibes with music
The Oh! by Ohdoki uses the same LRA motor as a PlayStation controller and can sync with adult content via the ‘Handyverse.’
This might be the year of the smart ring
I saw more smart rings on the CES show floor than I have in years. The Oura Ring might have some real competition soon.
This is the first public demonstration of Augmental’s retainer-like MouthPad accessibility gadget. It can be used to control devices that support a Bluetooth mouse, including phones, tablets, computers, and even sex toys, without significantly impairing speech.
Engadget said it’s “one of the most elegant and sophisticated” tongue-operated controllers to date after seeing a live demo at CES.
I totally believe TVs should also be smart displays for controlling your smart home; it just makes sense. So, I was intrigued to check out the new Now Plus dashboard screen, Map View, and Quick Access controls for SmartThings on Samsung TVs at CES this week.
The three new interfaces were colorful and responsive in the demo (you control them with the TV remote). And the Quick Access Panel looks super handy. (It will also look very familiar to Apple TV users.)
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Rabbit sells out two batches of 10,000 R1 pocket AI companions over two days
Preorders for two production runs of the $199 ‘Large Action Model’ R1 handheld AI device have sold out. A third is available now.
The company announced it sold out of its second round of 10,000 devices, 24 hours after the first batch sold out and barely 48 since it launched to the world. Something about the mix of ambitious AI, Teenage Engineering style, and that attainable $199 price just seems to be working for people.
The third batch is up for preorder now, but you won’t get your R1 until at least May.
Wheels that turn sideways to crab-walk into a parking spot. 360-degree spins so I don’t have to back up as often. Diagonal driving. I want this Ioniq 5 so bad.
The chief engineer tells us they haven’t tested the tech beyond 50MPH yet — but it should hit highway speeds by 2026, could make it into EVs by 2028, and he claims it shouldn’t cost much more than a car without.
Lenovo’s new 2-in-1 is a Windows laptop with a detachable Android tablet. They run on separate hardware. This is the least awkward way Lenovo could have done this.
Apple, on the other hand, uses the exact same chips for iPads and MacBooks and could simply make an iPad Pro that runs MacOS when the keyboard is attached. And yet!
Clicks hands-on: this BlackBerry-like iPhone case could be a winner
We tried CrackBerry Kevin and MrMobile’s keyboard case.
The concept at CES shown in this video looks to mix an earbuds case with a round OLED screen and a smartwatch-like interface. I’m not totally sold on earbuds cases with screens, but this seems pretty clever.
Corsair, Asus, and others are making it easier to build a beautiful PC
Daisy-chain RGB fans and motherboards with hidden connectors are a dream come true.
10,000-plus people are already sold on the big AI hit of CES 2024, but I’m not there yet. My Android homescreen layout can tell you that I’m left-handed, which is just one of the issues raised by comments like this one.
The size probably isn’t bad (David Pierce has seen the R1, and says it’s not that much thicker than an iPhone), but the keynote didn’t convince me that this voice assistant is worth my time, or that allowing a “Large Action Model” access to my accounts is a good idea in terms of privacy or security.
Sony’s Afeela needs to be more than a feeling
A look inside the Sony Honda car, and a quick chat with the man in charge.
TikTok might be the trendsetter these days, but we’ve been at this a while.