A wild Rabbit gadget appears while Google offers its own take on Apple software tricks

The present flooring at CES 2024 is open, and folks have been racking up their steps, canvassing Las Vegas’ huge conference facilities and resort ballrooms to see all the newest and weirdest tech merchandise. The Engadget crew has been getting our cardio in, braving each vehicular and human visitors to get face and hand time (and different physique components?) with probably the most intriguing demos right here, whereas firms haven’t stopped holding press conferences and asserting new gadgets. In the event you don’t have time to parse by means of each particular person headline or are right here in Vegas and wish to know the place to go, right here’s a recap of the largest information out of CES 2024’s second day.

One of many largest cubicles on the present is, as traditional, Google, and the corporate additionally had a fair amount of news to share. In line with the identical theme it’s been doing the previous couple of years of “Higher Collectively,” Google shared updates to its inter-device software program like Quick Pair and introduced it’s working with Samsung to combine and rename its Close by Share function to Fast Share, which is the present identify of Samsung’s model of the identical factor. This could hopefully simplify issues for Android customers, and provides them a extra cohesive various to Apple’s AirDrop. Particulars had been fairly scarce on whether or not there are modifications coming to Samsung customers, however those that have Close by Share ought to see a brand new icon fairly quickly.

Google additionally added help for folks to Chromecast TikTok movies to suitable TVs and screens and is bringing its apps to some Ford, Nissan and Lincoln vehicles later this 12 months. Android Auto can even be able to share your electric vehicle’s battery levels to Google Maps so it might think about recharge stations, cost instances and stops into your routes. That is, once more, just like a function in Apple’s next-gen CarPlay.

Talking of EVs, Honda additionally debuted new EV ideas referred to as the Saloon and the House Hub. The Saloon is a sedan with an aerodynamic design and rides low to the bottom, whereas the House Hub is a minivan that could be a little boxier and its seats has its passengers dealing with one another. Honda mentioned it would develop a mannequin primarily based on the Saloon idea automobile for North American markets in 2026, with no phrase but on the House Hub.

In different transportation information, Hyundai introduced an up to date model of its S-A2 Air Taxi to the present. The S-A2 is an electrical vertical take off and touchdown automobile that has a cruising velocity of 120mph when it reaches an altitude of 1,500 toes. It’s designed to fly quick journeys between 25 to 40 miles and the corporate envisions it as an on a regular basis transportation answer for city areas.

We additionally acquired extra sensible residence information from firms aside from Google, together with Amazon, which mentioned it would undertake the Matter commonplace for Casting, but it surely received’t help Chromecast or Apple’s AirPlay. How good. We additionally noticed new face-scanning and palm-reading door locks, smart outdoor lights by Nanoleaf and a brand new Weber Searwood smart grill that’s cheaper and extra versatile.

There was a smattering of cell information, together with the Clicks iPhone keyboard case and a stunning, lovable machine referred to as the Rabbit R1. It’s pitched as an AI-powered assistant in what’s principally a cute squarish walkie-talkie co-designed by Teenage Engineering. It has a tiny 2.88-inch touchscreen, an analog scroll wheel, two mics, a speaker and a 360-degree digicam you may spin to face towards you or by means of the again of the handset. You’re supposed to speak to the Rabbit AI by pushing down a button (like a walkie talkie) and ask it to do something like ebook an Uber or search for a recipe tailor-made to your particular listing of elements.

There’s been much more on the present, however I wished to take a while to shout out a bunch of intriguing accessibility merchandise. We noticed the OrCam Hear system that’s designed to assist folks with listening to loss isolate the voices of particular audio system in crowded environments. There’s additionally the GyroGlove, which is a hand-stabilizing glove for folks with hand tremors, in addition to the Mouthpad, which helps you to management your cellphone, pill or laptop computer through the use of your tongue.

We additionally noticed an replace to the Audio Radar system that gives visible cues for players who’re laborious of listening to to see the place sounds are coming from and what sort of sounds they could be. It’s very heartening to see all this growth in assistive expertise at CES, particularly when the business usually spends a lot money and time on less-worthy endeavors.

We’re nearing the top of the present and as we get able to do our ultimate sweeps of the present flooring, the Engadget crew can be wanting again and considering one of the best issues we noticed at CES 2024. We’ll be placing collectively our Better of CES awards listing quickly, so be sure to come again to see what we determined had been the winners of the present.

We’re reporting reside from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Sustain with all the newest information from the present here.