CES − the most significant annual tech event on the planet − looms large on the first of every year. It’s the massive electronics-everything trade event that spreads gadgets, tech tools, and next-gen ideas over an area roughly the size of 43 football fields.
Organizers expect nearly 150,000 people to attend the Las Vegas spectacle, with an estimated 4,500+ exhibitors from all over the world hawking their wares.
The show doesn’t officially start until Jan. 7, but I’ve been here since the 4th getting exclusive first-looks and going hands-on with the most buzzworthy of what’s getting unveiled this week: Flying cars? Check. Robots that actually do something super helpful? Check. AI “agents” designed to help you grow old gracefully at home? Yep, I’ve seen those too, and can’t wait to show − and tell you − about it all.
We have some fun “gets” lined up this year, including interviews with some of the most notable CEOs in the world − and even a few celebrities. Of course, I’m also looking for the wackiest crowd favorites possible.
You can read, watch, and listen to my coverage on USA TODAY. This year, I’m posting more on social media than ever before, so you’ll be able to see my coverage there including on USA TODAY’s channels, too.
Be sure to ask me anything and everything, and let me know what you want me to cover! I’m here for you, to be your eyes, ears, and never-ending question-asking tech-ish self.
Here are some of the big trends I’m diving into this week:
📌 A-but-do-I really-care-IAI is everywhere, but what does that mean for you and me? Last year’s most coveted AI gadgets — the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin — were two of the worst devices I’ve ever wasted time and money on. Like ever. This year, I hope to see a whole lot more real-life substance.
There’s a lot of talk about “AI Agents,” which means your gadgets should start working more like your brain does without as much outside assistance from you. Yes, that’s both super cool and potentially incredibly creepy. That’s why I’m here. Related…new sustainability tech
📌 Age TechThis one is personal, not just because I’m over 50. My 80+-year-old parents live with my husband and me most of the year now. I’m excited to see how tech steps up in new ways for this demographic, whether it’s tools for safety, companionship, or simply improving quality of life.
📌 Smart HomeEven my home doesn’t feel all that smart when Apple gadgets don’t play nice with Amazon or Google gadgets in the sandbox. 2024 was supposed to be the year “Matter” made the Smart Home seamless, with devices working together regardless of platform. It didn’t quite happen, but I’m hopeful CES 2025 delivers more competent tech for more straightforward—and better—control over how we live at home.
📌 Parent TechFrom managing screen time to protecting our kids online, this space needs a whopping “come-to-Jesus-moment.” Helping kids grow up with devices intentionally and carefully, with guardrails across the internet, apps, and devices in general, should be a no-brainer simple. We shouldn’t have to save our kids — or ourselves — from all these gadgets. It’s time to do better…
📌 Wearables & Fitness TechHere’s another category that hits me personally. As a runner, weekend warrior, and all-around active human, I’m so ready for the next new thing here. I love — and use — the Peloton (bike), Lululemon Mirror, and Hydrow (rower) regularly, but the space has stalled a bit since those devices came out. (I can’t afford Tonal, but I would love to go a few months with it in our gadget-lab fitness studio… In addition to the “whats-next” fitness gadget, I’m watching smarter recovery tools (helllooo massage chairs), data-driven wearables that help achieve accurate results, and even tech to make our beds part of our wellness routines.
📌Car-Tech
Our vehicles continue to be the biggest gadgets we use daily. What’s next here? A solar-powered vehicle, new windshield smart displays, and I go hands-on with not one, but two “flying cars.” These are not just prototypes anymore, either. You can even buy one for a cool bajillion dollars. One company is trying to get me to take one for a flight. Do you think I should do it? Like solo, by myself, take a “flying car” for a spin in the skies?
What’s on your CES wishlist? Let me know in the comments, or send me a message. Here’s to a week of game-changing discoveries and unforgettable moments. Or, at the very least, here’s to surviving another CES!
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for “The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her at JJ@Techish.com or @JennJolly in Instagram.