LAS VEGAS, USA – JANUARY 06: JH Han, Vice President, CEO and Head of Device Experience at Samsung … [+]
CES, the world’s largest trade show, has concluded its 2025 edition in Las Vegas. While artificial intelligence is poised to change everything, its presence at the show was more theoretical than tangible. This paradox — artificial intelligence is everywhere and nowhere — defined CES 2025. Sure, there were smart gadgets, predictive algorithms and personalized assistants sprinkled throughout the show, but few felt groundbreaking. It’s clear that we’re in the early days of consumer AI, where marketing is outpacing practical development. However, if you need more CES, we’ve got it CNet’s exciting CES gadgets, The last day of The Verge is over, ZDNet’s top smart glassesand Gadget you must see from Tom’s Guide. They clearly found a lot to love where I saw nothing but similarity.
Infinite Reality Raises $350 Million It moves the value to 12.25 billion. $. Infinite Reality (iR), a diversified company focused on artificial intelligence and immersive technologies, has secured a $350 million equity investment from a private multi-family office focused on global technology, media and real estate, in valuation of $5.1 billion. This funding follows iR’s $450 million acquisition of Landvault, a technology company specializing in immersive technology and digital twins for Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. iR previously acquired The Drone Racing League for $250 million.
high-tech mining
AI-powered mineral exploration company KoBold Metals raises $527 million. The Berkeley, California-based startup specializes in artificial intelligence-driven mineral exploration. KoBold uses genetic artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze historical geophysical data, identifying overlooked deposits of critical metals such as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt, essential for batteries and renewable energy technologies. The $527 million funding in a Series C funding round was led jointly by T. Rowe Price and Durable Capital Partners, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.
Roto VR can be Quester’s must-have accessory. Equipped with a motorized base and full-body haptics, Roto VR seeks to address common VR challenges such as motion sickness and limited physical space. Developed in partnership with Meta, the chair is compatible with Meta Quest headsets and is available for pre-order at $799, with shipments expected to begin in October 2024. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t make her flinch.
Cinematic AI
This column is also the basis of the AI/XR podcast hosted by its author, Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, former studio executive and co-founder of Red Camera, and Rony Abovitz, founder of Magic Leap. This week our guest is Dean Takahashi, lead writer for VentureBeat and GamesBeat. We can meet at Spotify, iTunesand YouTube.
What We Read
The weirdest tech at CES 2025 (Jennifer Cohen/The Verge)
Why Context-Aware AI Agents Will Give Us Superpowers in 2025 (Louis Rosenberg/VentureBeat)
