I promised a look back at CES, and here’s what I’m seeing. I noted both spatial computing and AR/XR last week.
To give you an event overview, CES showcased a mix of businesslike and wacky tech products, including a voice-controlled luxury toilet seat, a transparent television set, Intel’s new line-up of desktop processors, Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, and Acer’s Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition laptop. Other highlights include wireless Wi-Fi 7 hardware, Volkswagen’s integration of ChatGPT into cars, Nvidia’s Super refresh of the RTX 40 series, and AMD’s Ryzen 8000G APUs and RX 7600 XT graphics cards. LG and Samsung also unveiled transparent displays, while Kohler introduced a voice-activated bidet seat.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced the certification of Wi-Fi 7, the latest iteration of the technology. Wi-Fi 7 promises faster speeds and improved efficiency, making it ideal for high-bandwidth activities such as streaming, AR and VR, gaming, and remote work. The Alliance expects over 233 million devices to enter the market in 2024, growing to 2.1 billion devices by 2028.
In reporting from CES, Wi-Fi 7 is quietly making its way into gaming laptops, offering better connectivity with lower latency. While some high-end models are already available, more affordable options are also on the horizon. However, Asus seems to be an exception, as their announced laptops do not list Wi-Fi 7 in their specs.
I wanted to hit on the Rabbit R1, a pocket-friendly device that aims to simplify tasks by using automated scripts called “rabbits” that can be activated through voice commands. It features a touchscreen, a rotating camera, and a push-to-talk button for voice commands. The R1 doesn’t have onboard apps but can connect to select apps via a web portal. It claims to prioritize privacy and doesn’t store user credentials. The device uses large language models and action models to understand and carry out requests. The R1 is not designed to replace smartphones but to handle menial tasks. Preorders started at $199, sold out ten thousand units in a day, and it is expected to ship in late March.
Amazon announced new generative AI-powered experiences for Alexa, including a chatbot platform called Character.AI, an AI music company called Splash, and a Voice AI game developer called Volley. These experiences allow users to have real-time conversations with different personas, create songs using their voice, and play a modern version of the game “20 Questions.” Amazon has been making various AI-related enhancements to Alexa, including giving it a more opinionated personality and the ability to adjust its tone and response.
Generative AI is going everywhere, and every device maker has tried to slam ChatGPT into their product. The Rabbit highlights exploring AI standalone devices. Does having a dedicated device to help AI with tasks make sense, or will that be in the smartphone? Does ChatGPT make sense in a Volkswagen? The battle is over who will be the AI platform – will it be your smartphone, or will it be something else? The Rabbit tells us something about the vision of AI usage, although there are many questions about the product’s viability, starting with how they cover cloud costs with a one-time purchase.
And remember, manufacturers are slamming AI on their devices because it’s the hype. That doesn’t mean it’s all hype.
Tactically, some WiFi upgrades will be done in the coming years, too.