The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the world’s largest technology events, held annually on the first days of the year in Las Vegas, USA. At the show, Companies showcase their latest achievements and innovations in electronics, home appliances, gadgets, mobile tools, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and cars. Follow the event highlights with Trends.
The Next Generation of Toyota Vehicles Will Be Built With Supercomputers and Nvidia’s Autonomous Operating System.
Toyota and Nvidia have been collaborating for years and are now expanding this partnership surrounding autonomous technology. Toyota announced at CES 2025 that its next-generation vehicles will support autonomous driving capabilities through Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin supercomputer and the company’s safety-focused operating system, DriveOS.
DriveOS is Nvidia’s autonomous platform operating system that premises safe, real-time AI processing with its advanced features. The Drive AGX supercomputer, which princesses data in real-time, is one of the three computers forming the Nvidia autonomous toolkit. The other two include Nvidia DGX for training AI models and the Nvidia Omniverse platform for testing software and generating synthetic data in simulated environments.
Toyota has been a customer of two other Nvidia cloud computing systems for years. In 2019, the company began using these technologies to develop, train, and validate its autonomous vehicle technology. Two years ago, the company also announced its plans to install Nvidia supercomputers in its future vehicles: “Toyota is a prime example of our cloud-to-vehicle- strategy. We have previously partnered with Toyota in the cloud space, and we are now eager to expand this collaboration.”
At the CES 2025 exhibition, the autonomous technology startup Aurora Innovation and the automotive manufacturer Continental also announced their long-term collaboration with Nvidia to use the company’s Drive Thor chip in their autonomous trucks.
Related Links:
https://www.ces.tech/videos/2024/december/nvidia-takes-the-stage-ces-2025-keynote-reveal/
Sony Has Started Pre-Sales of the Afeela 1 Electronic Vehicle at a Base Price of $90,000
After five years, Sony Honda Mobility has finally begun pre-selling its first electric vehicle. Sony has been aiming to enter the electric vehicle market for several years and has collaborated with Honda. Now, the Sony Honda Mobility brand has started pre-sales of its first electric vehicle after five years. This vehicle was initially set to be offered in two trims, Vision0S and Vision-S 02, but it is now known as Afeela 1. The price of the Afeela electric vehicle will start at $89,900.
According to a Verge report, Sony Honda Mobility announced the price and pre-order details for the Afeela 1 at its press conference at CES on January 7. The vehicle will be available in two trims: Afeela 1 Origin, priced at $89,900, and Afeela 1 Signatur, priced at $102,900. Both prices include a complimentary three-year subscription for various internal vehicle features, including level 2+ driver assistance and an AI-equipped personal assistant. However, this new vehicle will only be available for sale in California for now.
The Afeela Electric Vehicle from Sony and Honda
Pre-orders will begin on January 7, and California residents can reserve the vehicle for a refundable deposit of $200. It’s unclear when Afeela will be available in other states and countries. Only the “Core Black: color option appears to be currently available. The Signature trim is scheduled for delivery in 2026, while customers will have to wait until 2027 for the more affordable Origin trim. In the latest released images, Honda Mobility’s CEO described the vehicle as “near-final” and similar to a combination of Tesla models with the Lucid Air.
A few months ago, when Honda Mobility’s CEO wanted to unveil the car, he asked it to come out on stage by saying, “Come out, Afeela,” on his phone. The car then appeared on stage. He said this was a demo of new technology, but it’s unclear if voice commands have been implemented in the final version of the vehicle.
Absence of Major Chinese Companies at CES 2025
While Chinese companies make up over a quarter of the registered exhibitors at CES 2025, many of the country’s tech giants are absent. According to the South China Morning Post, despite the intensifying technology war between Beijing and Washington, CES 2025 is seeing a surge in Chinese exhibitors. According to a list on the event’s website, over 1,300 Chinese companies are set to showcase their latest products. Together, they make up more than a quarter of the 4,500 registered exhibitors, making China the largest foreign participant this year. However, this indicates an increase compared to the 1,115 registered Chinese companies at CES 2024 and the 493 listed in 2023. The number of exhibitors this year is still lower than the record of 1,551 Chinese companies at CES 2018, which accounted for more than a third of all participants. A notable absence this year is BysteDance, which registered last year; however, its subsidiary TikTok is present at the exhibition.
Prominent names such as “Baidu,” “Huawei,” and “DJI,” which participated in previous years, are not present at this year’s exhibition. The “Alibaba Group” maintains its presence at the expo with its cloud computing and artificial intelligence unit, “Alibaba Cloud.” The participation of Chinese companies at the CES exhibition is overshadowed by increasing tensions between the two largest economies in the world. The Bureau of Industry and Security of the “U.S. Department of Commerce” announced on January 2 that it is reviewing a legal proposal to remove China from the drone supply chain. Additionally, according to informed sources, the U.S. intended to impose new restrictions on the supply of advanced artificial intelligence chips from China by third countries before Joe Biden left the White House. Artificial intelligence, which has emerged as a key battleground between the U.S. and China, is expected to dominate the exhibition. “Jensen Huang,” the CEO of the world’s most valuable AI chip supplier, Nvidia, is set to deliver the keynote speech on January 6. The company plans to unveil new graphics processors at this event. Areas like robotics, quantum computing, autonomous driving, augmented reality, and virtual reality are also hot topics at the exhibition.
The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), along with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Electronics Industries Association (HKEIA), is leading the largest delegation of technology companies at this year’s CES exhibition. According to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, exhibitors include five industrial sectors: artificial intelligence and data, advanced electronic and robotic equipment, advanced materials and sustainable technologies, digital transformation, and life and health. The number of visitors to CES 2025 is expected to exceed 138,000 from last year, with over 40% coming from outside the United States.
A revolution in vegetable cultivation; this greenhouse system consumes up to 99% less water.
This new approach could create a massive transformation in greenhouse farming.
At CES 2025, the Jordanian company Midbar introduced inflatable modules called AirFarm. These modules use aeroponics for faster crop growth and exceptional efficiency, representing a new and innovative approach to agriculture in indoor environments like greenhouses.
Traditional farming uses a lot of water, but the AirFarm system has managed to reduce water consumption by up to 99% compared to conventional methods using misting systems. This approach could revolutionize farming in water-scarce areas and urban environments. These pre-prepared inflatable modules can be used in less than half a day.
The lightweight and portable modules introduced by this Jordanian company are 75% lighter than conventional container farms and can be installed quickly. This efficient design can also improve transportation logistics, allowing 10 units to fit into one container eliminating the need for large trailers.
AirFarm’s main innovation is its advanced micro-mist aeroponic system. This system optimizes plant growth by delivering nutrients through fine mists sprayed directly onto the roots while minimizing resource use.
Compared to hydroponic systems, the AirFarm aeroponic system can reduce water consumption by up to 90% and fertilizer use by up to 60%. This method completely eliminates plant pests.
AirFarm says this new approach can grow leafy and root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots. The system is designed for easy use by farmers. Using a special application installed on their smartphones, farmers can monitor their crop status, including temperature, humidity, and pH, in real time.
Midbar recently began operating in the UAE and has installed some of its units in Japan.
With Sony’s new technology, you can smell the environment and elements of PlayStation games.
At CES 2025, Sony unveiled a new technology that allows players to smell elements, characters, and environments in games. The latest technology, “Future Immersive Entertainment Concept,” aims to provide gamers with a comprehensive and complete gaming experience. One of the key features of this technology is the ability to combine smells in the gaming experience, allowing players to smell characters, elements, and environments within the game. According to IGN, Sony introduced a new conceptual technology at CES 2025 that enables gamers to enter the world of PlayStation games like The Last of Us and closely observe elements and characters, shoot at them, or even feel the smell of the environment.
This technology is essentially a vast room that resembles a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) experience, but it is not new virtual reality technology. The room’s walls are made of ultra-high-quality screens that display the game world around the player. To fully immerse the user in the game world, the sounds and smells of the video game environment are entirely presented in this room. Players will also have a weapon with which they can shoot at enemies approaching them; for instance, when shooting at clickers in The Last of Us, the smell of rotten mushrooms may be released into the environment.
Previously, Sony had patented Smell-O-Vision-style technology to deliver scents in games; this company may use this technology for the scent aspect of its new technology. However, we are still a few years away from the full implementation of this technology, and it is likely to be very expensive. In the future, Sony may also utilize this technology in its other franchises, like God of War and Horizon.
The Best and Most Exciting Gadgets Introduced at CES 2025
Rokid Smart Glasses
There were many advanced smart glasses this year at the exhibition, but the Rokid glasses stood out because they answered a simple question: “What if Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses had a display?” The display of these glasses is not visible from the front; there are no strange protrusions like the old Google glasses, and they use a single-color green light for better visibility in brighter environments. We may still be far from the augmented reality seen in sci-fi movies, but adding a simple display is surprisingly practical in these glasses; for example, you can translate the text you see in real-time or have your notes appear in front of you while giving a speech.
Asus Zenbook A14
Asus unveiled the lightest Co-Pilot Plus laptop in the world at this year’s exhibition, which can be considered a strong competitor to Apple’s MacBook Airs. The Zenbook A14 laptop weighs 988 grams and features a 14-inch OLED display, offering 32 hours of battery life. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X and X Elite chips power the new Asus laptop. The X Elite model will be priced at $1,099, while the X Plus model will be priced at $899.
Roborock Saros Z70 Vacuum Cleaner
Roborock introduced its new robotic vacuum cleaner, the Saros Z70, at the exhibition, . This vacuumtands out from otothersue to its robotic arm. , whichxtends from inside the vacuum and can pick up socks, tissues, and other small objects that have fallen on the ground.
Paper Battery from Flint
One of the strange technologies unveiled at CES 2025 was a paper battery. The Singaporean startup Flint claims to have created a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for traditional lithium-ion batteries. The key element of this battery is cellulose, through which ions are transferred between the anode and cathode. The battery is entirely flexible and can be made as small as a coin cell or placed in a smartwatch band. It decomposes nature within six weeks.
Ozlo Sleepbuds
TAsthe name suggests, athe Ozlo Sleepbuds re not ordinary earbuds . Theycan help you sleep better. These earbuds are designed to be level with your ear, allowing you to sleep on your side without feeling pressure on your ear. Additionally, their design prevents the device from falling out of your ear.
Kirin Electric Spoon
At CES 2025, a booth attracted the attention of many people; in this booth, there was a spoon with the ability to induce a salty taste that can reduce salt consumption. The Kirin electric spoon was unveiled in June, but it was only displayed at CES to prepare for entry into global markets.
Swippitt Gadget
The Swippitt startup gadget was one of the most practical gadgets at CES, especially for those who use their phones frequently and constantly need to charge them. This gadget resembles a toaster, and to use it, you must first place your phone in a special case, then put it inside the gadget to add an external battery to your phone in just a few seconds.
L’Oréal Gadget
The cosmetics and personal care brand L’Oréal unveiled a new gadget called Cell BioPrint at CES 2025. This device is designed to analyze your skin condition and provides recommendations on reducing signs of aging. To use this gadget, a person must first place a unique adhesive on their cheek and then put it into a buffer solution. After that, this solution is placed in a cartridge for analysis by the Cell BioPrint. After processing the sample, the device takes a photo of your face, and you must answer a few questions about your skin concerns and aging.
So many different products to look forward to!
So many exciting things to look forward to.