• What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except at CES... hopefully. The world's biggest tech expo, known as the Consumer Electronics Show, is making a comeback this year after going virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic. Exhibitors are optimistic the technology displayed at the event will spread into the broader market, and with thousands of attendees hunting for innovations of the future, there's a good chance that it will.
• Hybrid event: While some companies like Amazon(NASDAQ:AMZN), AMD(NASDAQ:AMD), Intel(NASDAQ:INTC), Meta Platforms(NASDAQ:FB)and others have cancelled in-person appearances because of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, there will still be plenty of tech on display. Expect to see the latest advances in robotics, self-driving vehicles, space, artificial intelligence, digital health, 5G, NFTs and the Metaverse. Up to 75,000 attendees and over 2,200 exhibitors are expected to arrive for this year's conference, which will take place from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8.
• Those showing up to CES in person must be fully vaccinated, wear masks and have been asked to test themselves for COVID within the 24-hour period prior to entering one of the exhibition venues. "Certainly, it will be different from previous years. It may be messy. But innovation is messy. It is risky and uncomfortable," said Gary Shapiro, President of the Consumer Technology Association. While the actual conference starts today, a flood of CES announcements have already made headlines with keynote addresses and a "Media Day" taking place on Tuesday.
• Notable revelations: Sony(NYSE:SONY)unveiled an electric vehicle prototypeas it explores entering the market, while Deere(NYSE:DE)showed off the world's first autonomous tractor that will be available to farmers this year. Intel's Mobileye also set and audaciousnew self-driving car path, securing technology partnerships with Ford, Volkswagen and China's Geely. On the chip front, AMD (AMD) revealed a $200 graphics card, Nvidia(NASDAQ:NVDA)showed off a $249 gaming card, while Intel (INTC) unveiled a new generation of laptop chips.
• Other companies with a presence at the show:Abbott Laboratories(NYSE:ABT), AT&T(NYSE:T), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), BMW(OTCPK:BMWYY), General Motors(NYSE:GM), HP(NYSE:HPQ), IBM(NYSE:IBM), Lenovo(OTCPK:LNVGY), Pinterest(NYSE:PINS), Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT), Panasonic(OTCPK:PCRFY), Peloton(NASDAQ:PTON), Procter & Gamble(NYSE:PG), Qualcomm(NASDAQ:QCOM)and Samsung(OTC:SSNLF).