For me, January doesn’t truly start until CES (Consumer Electronics Show) kicks off. Every year, I grab my coffee, tune into the livestreams from Las Vegas, and start daydreaming about how the future is going to park itself right in the middle of my living room.
This year, however, feels different. Usually, Day 1 is a bit of a “warm-up” lap. But CES this year? It came out swinging.
The tech world has clearly moved past the “look what we can build” phase and entered the “look how we change your life” era. Artificial Intelligence isn’t just a feature anymore; it’s becoming the “soul” of our devices. From our screens to our phones, and even down to our kitchen knives and LEGO bricks, everything is waking up.
I’ve been glued to the coverage, taking furious notes, and I’ve curated the 10 technologies that truly blew my mind on Day 1. No press release fluff—just my honest take on what matters.
Ready to take a trip to the near future? Let’s dive in.
1. LG CLOiD: Is “Rosie the Robot” Finally Real?
We’ve been promised the “do-it-all” home robot since the days of The Jetsons. With LG’s CLOiD, that sci-fi dream finally looks like it has some bones—literally. I love my robot vacuum, don’t get me wrong, but CLOiD is playing in a different league.
Why I’m Excited This isn’t just a machine that bumps into walls. It has two arms, actual fingers, and complex AI. LG claims this buddy can fold laundry and load the dishwasher. Considering laundry is my absolute nemesis, CLOiD might just be the MVP of the entire show for me.
- The Tech: It features arms with 7 degrees of freedom, similar to human movement, meaning it can handle delicate tasks.
- The Brain: It’s hooked into LG’s ThinQ platform, so it acts less like a tool and more like a household manager.
My Take: If LG can actually bring this to market at a price that doesn’t require selling a kidney (which is unlikely at first), it changes domestic life forever.
2. Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold: A Tablet in Your Pocket
I’ll admit, I was skeptical about foldable phones initially. “Will the screen break? Is the crease annoying?” Samsung solved those issues a while ago. But with the Galaxy Z TriFold, they’ve just rewritten the rulebook.
The Experience They teased this back in December, but seeing it live is different. It folds twice. When you open it, you’re holding a massive 10-inch tablet. When you close it, it’s the size of a standard phone (okay, maybe a slightly thick one).
- Engineering Magic: The fact that it’s thinner than the Z Fold 7 when closed (just 3.9mm at its thinnest point) is insane engineering.
- Multitasking Beast: You can run three full-sized apps side-by-side. For a content creator like me, this is a dream.
Samsung isn’t just making a phone here; they are trying to kill the standalone tablet market. And they might just succeed.
3. Donut Lab & The Solid-State Battery: The Game Changer
This might not be the “sexiest” gadget on the list, but mark my words: this was the most important announcement of the day. When it comes to Electric Vehicles (EVs), we all have the same anxiety: “How far can I go? How long to charge?” Donut Lab just slammed the answer on the table.
Why It’s Revolutionary We are talking about a commercial-ready all-solid-state battery. This is the technology that sends Lithium-Ion batteries to the retirement home.
- 5-Minute Charge: You read that right. A full charge in less time than it takes to order a latte.
- Durability: They guarantee 100,000 charge cycles. That means the battery will likely outlive the car itself.
My Take: Once this hits the mainstream, the term “range anxiety” will disappear from our vocabulary.
4. Verge TS Pro: The “Tron” Bike Come to Life
Speaking of that miracle battery from Donut Lab, we immediately saw it in action with the Verge TS Pro. I’m not even a huge motorcycle guy, but the design of this machine made my jaw drop.
Design Meets Power Did you look at the rear wheel? It’s hollow! The hubless design hides the electric motor inside the rim. It looks incredibly futuristic, but thanks to the new battery tech, the specs are scary good.
- Range: Up to 595 km on a single charge.
- Speed: You can add 300 km of range with just a 10-minute charge.
The future of transport is silent, fast, and apparently, very stylish.
5. LG OLED evo W6: Death to Cables
I can’t be the only one who hates that rat’s nest of cables behind the TV. LG has taken their “Wallpaper” concept to the absolute peak with the evo W6.
Where’s the Magic? The TV is only 9mm thick and sits flush against the wall like a picture frame. The cables? Gone. Video and audio are beamed wirelessly from a separate “Zero Connect Box.”
- Gamer Note: Usually, “wireless video” scares gamers because of lag. But LG promises 4K at 165Hz transmission. If this is stable in a real living room, it’s the new king of gaming setups.
6. Seattle Ultrasonics C-200: Sci-Fi in the Kitchen
Sometimes I see a product and ask, “Do we really need this?” but then I see how it works and shout, “Yes, absolutely!” The C-200 Ultrasonic Knife is exactly that.
How It Works The crystals in the handle vibrate 40,000 times a second. This turns the blade into a microscopic saw. You can slice through a soft tomato without squishing it, or cut meat with zero effort.
- Pricey? Yes, at $499 (with the dock). But for anyone who views cooking as an art form (or just loves tech toys), this is incredibly tempting.
7. Samsung OLED Concepts: Screens Everywhere
Samsung Display’s booth was like wandering into Wonderland. Their AI assistant robot concept really caught my eye.
Vision of the Future Imagine a cute robot with a 13.4-inch face guiding students around a university. But the real heavy hitter for me was the 1.4-inch micro-display for VR headsets.
- Pixel Density: It boasts 5,000 PPI (Pixels Per Inch). Do you know what that means? The “screen door effect” (where you see the black grid lines in VR) is officially dead. This is a massive leap for the Metaverse experience.
8. Pebble Round 2: The Return of a Legend
If you remember the early days of smartwatches, you remember Pebble. Before the Apple Watch domination, Pebble was the thing. And now, they are back!
Why It Matters Modern smartwatches do too much and die in 18 hours. The Pebble Round 2 is a manifesto for simplicity.
- E-Ink Screen: No bright OLED here. It uses electronic ink, meaning the battery lasts for weeks, not hours.
- Focus: It handles notifications, music, and basic health. It’s designed to give you time back, not distract you. I absolutely love this approach to “digital minimalism.”
9. LEGO Smart Brick: Upgrading Childhood
LEGO is more than a toy to me; it’s the building block of creativity. Now, they are giving those blocks a “heartbeat.” They are calling the Smart Brick their biggest innovation since 1955.
The Innovation From the outside, it looks like a standard 2×4 brick. Inside? It’s packed with sensors, Bluetooth, NFC, and a battery.
- Interaction: If you build a spaceship, it can detect movement and make sounds. It can “battle” other bricks. It lights up.
- Potential: This is a phenomenal tool for teaching kids (and adults like me) the logic of robotics and coding without wires. LEGO sets aren’t just static models anymore; they are alive.
10. Glyde Smart Hair Clippers: Trusting AI with Your Hair?
Let’s end with something a bit weird but fascinating. During the pandemic, many of us tried cutting our own hair. The results were… mostly tragic. Glyde thinks AI can fix that.
The AI Barber You choose a style in the app, and the clipper analyzes your hand angle, speed, and position in real-time. If you make a wrong move, it adjusts the blade instantly to prevent disaster.
Would I trust an AI to give me a fade? I’m not 100% sure yet. But it’s a perfect example of how hyper-specific AI solutions are becoming.
Final Thoughts: The Rollercoaster is Just Beginning
Day 1 of CES showed us that technology isn’t just chasing higher specs anymore. It’s seeping into our laundry rooms, our garages, and even our childhood toy boxes. It’s becoming more “understanding” and helpful.
My personal favorite has to be the Donut Lab battery tech, simply because it unlocks the future of travel.
But I want to hear from you: Which of these 10 gadgets would you want in your home right now? Would you trust the robot with your laundry or the AI with your haircut?
Let’s chat in the comments!