We’re halfway through CES and despite the soreness, we’re still bringing you the absolute best of the world’s biggest tech conference. Despite being a platform for new ideas, CES tends to follow trends. So, expect innovations in self-driving software, soundbars added to projector screens, and updated versions of current crafting gadgets.
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Still, it wouldn’t be CES with something a bit mind-blowing. If you dig deep enough you might encounter some mind-reading wearables, and a challenge that will pit you against everyone else at the conference to see who has the best concentration levels.
You’ve already seen heated jackets, exalted comedians, pixel art, calorie trackers, and smelly laptops. But that doesn’t scratch the surface of the wonders ahead in Las Vegas. Here’s your roundup of the most exciting, useful, or cutting edge-tech we encountered on the second day of CES 2025.
An MC20, with a built in chauffeur
You’re probably aware that the Maserati MC20 is one of the better driving experiences on the market these days. It looks fantastic, you’ve got a Nettuno V6 ICE engine pumping away just behind your head, and the dual-clutch gearbox will help you avoid any gear-change embarrassments.
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However, even with the gearbox and the various driver aids the quarter million-dollar vehicle comes with, if you’re lacking in the driving skills you really won’t get the most out of Maserati’s Super Sportscar. While the tech may whip you around a track on a hot lap one day, that’s not actually its main focus. The autonomous driving algorithm will instead be used to power things like driverless cabs and delivery trucks
The whole thing is the brainchild of Dr, Chiara Marchesi, who extended a university thesis into what could be a leading self-driving software platform. There are of course various rules, regulations and local laws in the way, but she has the Italian Government’s backing and her brainchild is completing stretches of the 500 Miglia, so who knows where it’s going next.
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Brain reading headphones for the distracted demographic
A drug free cure for ADHD is both a bold and disruptive claim, which is why you’ll never see someone from Neurable actually make it. Still, that’s what their MW75 Neurable headphones do if you read between the lines. They center on concentration, as they demonstrated during the conference through a mock-up arcade game. You concentrate on a rocket, or more specifically the number above the rocket, and it flies a bit faster. If that concentration breaks it drops to the ground. Neurable is running a competition during CES, with the individual with the best concentration levels taking home a headset free of charge.
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The brainwave magic is tough to test and prove, but in a worst-case scenario the MW75s are a solid set of headphones. They’re very comfortable, their noise canceling is enough to eliminate most travel noises, and music sounds pretty good when you pipe it through the over ear set.
John Deere is automating for the right reasons
Full disclosure: John Deere actually flew me out to California late last year to show me what they were showcasing this year at CES. Like years past, a lot of that focuses on AI and autonomy, but it’s more important to understand the why, rather than the what. John Deere is focusing on bringing autonomous driving vehicles to farms and construction sites, but it’s for a pretty important reason. Carmakers like Tesla and Ford want to bring autonomous driving to people because it seems like the next logical step. It’s a fun thing to add to a car that can bring value to (these days) precious few people.
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Meanwhile, according to the company, 88% of contractors in the U.S. struggle to find adequate labor for construction sites and farms. Other jobs on a farm need to be performed at not-ideal times, such as between 10pm and 5am. Meanwhile, many jobs in these areas are easily automated and AI saves money besides. If you need to spray down your crops or nut trees, AI can optimize your sprayers so that only the plants get the pesticides and not the air in between them.
Finally, John Deere is bringing self-driving to ride-on lawn mowers. These are not for you and me — they’re for large landscaping projects like country clubs and the like. The idea here is that a riding mower can go out and autonomously mow the lawn, saving your human labor for more landscaping areas that require more skill.
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Overall, I like the why — filling actual needs in labor fields rather than just making your commute a little easier — more than the what. If you want to know where autonomy is really paying off, don’t look at the highway, look at the fields you’re driving by.
Dell is changing its branding
Dell is bringing a number of desktops and laptops to CES, but the most interesting news of all of it is rebranding its entire lineup of computers. The rebranding might sound a bit familiar. Dell’s lineup will now consist of Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max models. No longer will there be XPS or Latitude computers coming from Dell. Every Dell PC and laptop will fall within one of these three categories. Each category will have three subcategories: Base, Plus, and Premium. That means, in theory, a Dell Pro Max Base computer could be more powerful than a Dell Premium computer.
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Dell’s hope is that this branding clears up any misunderstandings surrounding it laptops, and to be fair, this branding is far easier to understand. What is a “Latitude” after all (Dell’s words, not mine). But the fairly obvious crib on a certain other company’s naming scheme certainly leaves something to be desired.
It’s also worth mentioning that Dell brought some great looking hardware to the even as well. One might even suggest they seemed a little bit XPS-ish, but Dell would super appreciate it if you didn’t say that out loud.
XGIMI ascends
Xgimi is a projector company that we’re pretty familiar with. We’ve reviewed several of their products over the years, but the company is changing things up at CES in 2025 by introducing the Xgimi Ascend. This is a really neat projector screen and soundbar in one. The product itself is huge. I didn’t get an exact measurement, but I’d estimate a good six to eight feet wide.
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The screen extends up from the base until it reaches its full height — a 100″ diagonal screen. When paired with an Xgimi Aura 2 short throw projector, you basically get LG’s rollable TV from years ago, but larger, louder and cheaper. That’s not to say this will be cheap; far from it. As this is a concept device Xgimi doesn’t have a solid price point in mind yet, though the number $3000-ish was mentioned. Paired with a $2,600 Aura 2 projector, and this is not a cheap device.
But the sound is pretty great. You get a full range of sound from very deep bass (despite the fact that there’s no separate subwoofer) to the highest tones with no loss or distortion. The screen pairs wirelessly via Wi-Fi so that commands given to the projector can be reflected on the screen, including an ambient mode which opens the screen by one third, and displays a fireplace or a clock. If you want to play a movie from there, the screen automatically opens all the way without needing a separate controller. It’s also important to note that this screen pairs with any Xgimi projector; not just the Aura 2.
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xTool lets you engrave anything
xTool is a company that is designed to help creators create. The company has a number of laser engravers and what it calls “craft machines”. Its newest project, the F1 Ultra is a laser engraver that uses one each of a fiber and diode laser to engrave almost anything you can think of. This includes plastics, metals, wood, and more. The company engraved my daughter’s name onto an Airpods 4 (ANC) case in front of me. It was coo lto watch and only took seconds to do.
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You can set up your engravings in the software the company developed. Only black and white images will work, and you can create them from scratch in the software, or you can even import graphics and use the software to manipulate them into usable images.
Once you’re set, you need to calibrate the lasers so they both focus on the target properly. Then, you line up the item you want to engrave — there are tools you can use to ensure the items are aligned properly. Close the lid and within seconds, the item has your chosen engraving on it.
Of course, there’s a catch — the device costs $3,600. That’s a lot for an Airpod engraver. But you can engrave basically anything you want with this machine. The possible use cases are endless — if you can get past the price.
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