Allison Johnson

I appreciated Professor Hany Farid’s comments about AI photo manipulation in this recent episode of WBUR’s On Point. He addressed Pixel camera lead Isaac Reynolds — the segment’s first guest — and Google’s hypothesis about helping people create memories, not photos. I also contributed a few thoughts to the conversation, including the word “boogers.” Take a listen.

Delta’s CES keynote at the Sphere was truly an experience for all five senses. Wind whipped through my hair as a plane turned on a runway, and at one point, the place filled with the smell of hazelnut coffee as an Uber Eats driver “delivered” drinks to the speakers onstage. This recap doesn’t capture that aroma, but you’ll get an idea of the whole spectacle.

I was about to complain about the lack of cameras at Nikon’s CES booth when I came across this display. It’s a modified Z9 inside a special thermal blanket, and it will accompany astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis III mission. The big, simplified buttons will be easier to press with massive gloves on. Super cool!

Delta’s about to host a big, splashy CES keynote in Vegas’ biggest, roundest screen. And really, what’s more CES than a big spectacle and a giant screen? We’re going to hear from CEO Ed Bastian, and in the meantime, there are experiences to experience. How very Vegas.

TCL welcomes you to its booth with a giant robot featuring, naturally, TCL screens. But just behind it is the much smaller Ai Me, an AI companion robot concept. It’s not totally clear what it does, but it’s awfully cute and definitely more cuddly than the big robot.

John Deere has its autonomous vehicles on display here. They are, and I cannot emphasize this enough, big. Or at least this dump truck and tractor are. Is there interesting tech on board? Yep. But I’m not gonna lie, I’m here to take pictures of the big tractors because they are big and cool as hell.

We are descending on the LVCC from all directions and trading the gorgeous Nevada sunshine for the glow of digital screens. There will be robots. Screens that bend. Glasses with screens. And if we’re very lucky, lunch. Stay tuned.