CES 2024: The most interesting news and gadgets from tech's big show

Las Vegas: CES 2024 kicks off in Las Vegas this week. The multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association is set to feature swaths of the latest advances and gadgets across personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more — with burgeoning uses of artificial intelligence almost everywhere you look.

MERCEDES-BENZ MAKES TALKING TO YOUR CAR AN EXPERIENCE: Mercedes-Benz unveiled several in-car tech upgrades at CES 2024 today, including an AI-powered virtual assistant that will be rolling out to its vehicles soon.

The German automaker's boasts their new cloud-connected AI-assistant is “natural, predictive, empathetic and personal" as it works to personalize interactions between drivers and their cars.

The update will pair AI with added functions for infotainment, automated driving, seating comfort and charging. Mercedes-Benz CTO Markus Schäfer also announced a partnership with Google to pre-install and integrate certain apps into their vehicles.

Honda premiered two concept vehicles , dubbed the 'Saloon' (foreground) and “Space-Hub,” for a new global electric vehicle series on Tuesday. The Japanese automaker says the Zero Series approach for EV development focuses on models that are “thin, light and wise,” with specific goals to minimize battery size.

The first models of the Zero Series are aimed at making their way to the North American market in 2026, the company said, with plans to introduce those vehicles in Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East and South America afterward. Honda also unveiled a new "H mark" logo set to be used for its next generation of EVs.

LETTING THE RIGHT ONES IN: It can be tricky to keep track of your furry friends in and out of the house — but a new pet door might make it a little easier. Tech startup Pawport has unveiled a motorized pet door that will let your pet come and go as they please — while keeping other critters out. An accompanying collar tag that will open the door when your pet is near. But there’s also customizable guardrails.

The product, which can slide directly onto existing pet door frames, can be temporarily locked for specific pets or set to “curfews” using the Pawport app or with remote-control through compatible virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Pawport’s pet door and app are currently available for preorder and are set to make their ways into homes during the second quarter of 2024.

SMART LOCKS GO BIOMETRIC: It’s 2024, of course your face can unlock your phone. And your front door is next. Lockly, a tech company that specializes in smart locks, is showcasing a new lock with facial recognition technology that allows consumers to open doors without any keys. The new smart lock, dubbed “Visage,” is set to hit the market this summer.

In addition to facial recognition, this lock will feature a biometric fingerprint sensor and secure digital keypad for alternative ways of entry -- similar to past Lockly products. Visage is also compatible with Apple HomeKey and Apple Home.

AI TWINSIES: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a twin? Rex Wong, CEO of Hollo AI, says his company has created “AI personalization technology” that can create your digital twin in mere minutes after uploading a selfie and voice memos in a phone app expected to launch later this month. Wong said he wanted to create a technology that could help digital creators and celebrities connect with their fans in a new way.

Standing next to a television screen projecting her AI clone, Los Angeles-based content creator McKenzi Brooke told AP that her digital twin will allow her to interact 24 hours a day with her followers across various social media platforms – and make money off of it. “It’s not a 9-to-5 job. It's a 24-hour job. There’s no break,” she said, noting that she posts more than 100 times a day just on Snapchat, a photo-sharing social media platform. “Now I have my AI twin who is able to talk to my audience, but it talks the way I would talk.”

PLAYSTATION CONTROLLER MAKES A CAMEO APPEARANCE AT SONY ANNOUNCEMENT: Sony Honda Mobility returned to the CES this year with some updates to its Afeela EV. While the car itself may not be any closer to moving out from being a concept, Sony had some fun with it: they drove it onto the stage with a PlayStation controller.

President of Sony Honda Mobility Izumi Kawanishi was quick to point out that Afeela owners likely won’t be driving cars using controllers in the future.

HYUNDAI SEES A FUTURE IN HYDROGEN: Hyundai on Monday spotlighted its future plans for utilizing hydrogen energy. Beyond hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, the South Korean automaker pointed to the possibilities of moving further into move further into energy production, storage and transportation — as Hyundai works towards contributing to “the establishment of a hydrogen society.” Company leaders say this sets them apart from other automakers. Above: Jaehoon Chang, Hyundai Motor Company President and CEO.

Hyundai also shared plans to further define vehicles based off of their software offerings and new AI technology. With so-called "software defined vehicles," that could include opportunities for consumers to pay for features on demand — such as advanced driver assistance or autonomous driving — down the road. Hyundai also aims to integrate its own large language model into its navigation system. Above: Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Co.

SAMSUNG AND HYUNDAI TEAM UP TO ADD AI TO YOUR CAR: Samsung has announced that they are collaborating with Hyundai to develop “home-to-car” and “car-to-home” services to all Kia and Hyundai vehicles. What that means is that people will be able to use Samsung's SmartThings service to set your car’s cabin temperature or open its windows, and when you’re in your car, you’ll be able to control your home's lights and interact with any of your connected smart devices.

Samsung also announced a team-up with Microsoft to bring more Copilot AI functions to their flagship Galaxy smartphones.

A ‘PAWFECT’ COMPANION FOR YOUR PET?: Busy families with dogs may want to be on the lookout for a new AI-powered robot that promises to play with, feed and even give medicine to your furry best friend.

Consumer robotics firm Ogmen was at CES 2024 to show its new ORo pet companion , an autonomous robot designed to assist with pet care by feeding, providing medicine and even playing with your dog using a ball launcher built into its chest.

TRANSPARENT TVs ARE HERE: Consumer electronics giants LG and Samsung have unveiled transparent TVs at the show, with LG having just announced its OLED-powered display will go on sale later this year. Almost invisible when turned off, LG's 77-inch transparent OLED screen can switch between transparent mode and a more traditional black background for regular TV mode.

“The unique thing about OLED is it’s an organic material that we can print on any type of surface,” explains David Park from LG’s Home Entertainment Division. “And so what we’ve done is printed it on a transparent piece of glass, and then to get the OLED picture quality, that’s where we have that contrast film that goes up and down.”

Content is delivered wirelessly to the display using LG’s Zero Connect Box which sends 4K images and sound. Why would you need a transparent TV? When not being watched as a traditional TV, the OLED T can be used as a digital canvas for showcasing artworks, for instance. Samsung’s transparent MICRO LED-powered display showed off the technology as a concept.