CES 2024 Day 2: The 8 announcements that intrigued us most
CES 2024 is in full swing, and more innovative product reveals were made on day 2 of the biggest tech show of the year. And since it's the biggest show, we know not everyone is going to catch the hundreds of announcements across the more than 4,000 exhibitors.
Also: CES 2024: What's Next in Tech
ZDNET has cut through all the noise to bring you the most important and biggest announcements and products of day 2 that you may have missed. We were even able to go hands-on with some of these products below.
Stay tuned for even more product and big tech announcements tomorrow for CES day 3.
1. New features coming to Android devices
Android users will appreciate the several exciting announcements that Google made at CES Day 2. The most important feature coming to Android devices next month is a cross-Android solution called Quick Share. Quick Share will offer peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of Android-based devices, such as phones and even Chromebooks.
Also: CES 2024 Day 1: The 10 product reveals that impressed us most
Other new features and updates include Fast Pair support expansion, more casting capabilities to more apps and devices (including TikTok), and Android Auto integration into more vehicles like the new Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
2. Nanoleaf's impressive smart lighting
Smart lighting company, Nanoleaf, announced some exciting additions to its smart lighting lineup, including a new Orchestrator software for music integrations. The software connects directly to a computer's sound source and isolates the response to the device, resulting in the lights reacting to an audio track's precise different layers.
Also: Home Depot is adding more smart home gear with new Hubspace integrations
The Nanoleaf Skylight was also revealed, which the company says is a set of square light panels that are meant to be installed on the ceiling and capable of emitting 1400 lumens per square. Other product announcements included multicolor outdoor string lights with Matter support.
3. EcoFlow's whole-house portable power station
The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra generator has been recognized as a 2024 CES Innovation Awards Honoree thanks to its impressive specs. These include a power capacity of 6kWh (an entire home), and capable of 7200W output and 5.6kW of solar input. The system is also compatible with expansion packs, increasing the power capacity to a whopping 90kWh which can run power to your home's essential appliances for up to an entire month.
Also: The best CES 2024 gadgets you can buy right now
ZDNET writer Maria Diaz got to try this powerful generator at her own home and called it the "Swiss Army Knife of home backup systems," adding that it's also "a whisper-quiet solution, one that you can't even hear when under 2000W."
4. Android's answer to Apple Watch's double-tap feature
The Wow Mouse app was built for Android smartwatches to act as an extension to the smartwatch, letting you control tech around you via Bluetooth with just a gesture of your hands. It's kind of similar to Apple's Double-Tap feature on the Apple Watch, but instead of controlling things on the watch itself, Wow Mouse takes it up a notch and allows users to turn their smart lights on or off or lower the volume of a speaker.
5. A battery that charges your phone in mere seconds
CES is all about using tech to provide solutions, and this external smartphone battery from Swappery solves the problem of a dead battery in just seven seconds. Here's how it works: When your phone runs out of juice, place it in the Swapery station, wait seven seconds, then remove it to get a new battery attachment that will last you approximately 8-10 hours, the company says.
Also: The best mobile accessories at CES 2024: Qi2 chargers, face-tracking phone stands, and more
Though it isn't your most conventional charger, it could give you a fully charged battery without needing any other cables, adapters, or plug-ins.
6. Lenovo's hybrid laptop
Lenovo announced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid at CES day 2, and it's impressive for two reasons. First, it's a 2-in-1 device that can be a laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, or a touchscreen tablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ processor. Second, it switches between Windows and Android seamlessly, depending on what "mode" (tablet or laptop) you choose.
Also: Lenovo made a Mac Studio for Windows users, and it might even be better
Each component of this hybrid device even has its own battery. It'll cost you $1,999, but you really get a seperate tablet and a laptop all in one for the price.
7. An AI gadget that interacts with apps so you don't have to
Rabbit is going back to the basics at CES 2024 with its Rabbit R1 device that wants to essentially replace the need for your smartphone when it comes to using apps. The little gadget fits into your palm and uses AI to see and learn how a user interacts with their typical smartphone apps and web experiences and then reproduce it (when verbally asked) on a customized cloud platform.
Also: The best robots and AI innovations we've seen at CES 2024 so far
The basis is really for those who may want to solve their smartphone addiction since it scrolls your apps for you. Rabbit says some of the popular apps you can task R1 with include Spotify, Apple Music, DoorDash, Uber, Amazon, and more.
8. Amazon introduces Matter Casting
Amazon is taking a page out of Apple and Google's casting playbook and introduced a new way to cast videos from your phones and tablets directly on supported Amazon devices. Called Matter Casting, you can now cast Prime Video content to the Echo Show 15. Support for Fire TV devices, including TVs with Fire TV built in, will roll out in the next few months, and Amazon added that it hopes to add Matter Casting capabilities to services like Plex, Pluto TV, Sling TV, STARZ, and more within the year.
Unlike Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, Amazon's Matter Casting uses the Matter Protocol of the open technology standard so that smart home tech from different brands can all work together more seamlessly.