Today’s Big Story

CES Is Here

What can we expect from the annual show of all things tech?

Do you get excited about CES? Because the annual trade show of all things tech, is upon us. The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, kicks off today in Las Vegas—where swaths of the latest gadgets and advances across industries like personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more are set to be on display. And, like last year, artificial intelligence seems to be already everywhere you look.

CES 2024 saw more than 138,000 attendees, according to the CTA, and organizers expect to see at least that amount again for this year’s show. Over 4,500 exhibitors, including 1,400 startups, are also anticipated across 2.5 million net square feet of floor space this week. Engadget's team got there early and begun the hard work of scouring the floral-carpeted show floors to find the most interesting products: By far, they were most impressed with NVIDIA’s AI-empowered humanoid worker robots. As one writer put it, “All I want is a robot to clean my kitchen and do dishes!” Same.

CNET says last year, “we saw exciting tech trends emerge, from transparent screens to new solutions to take your house off the grid.” They expecting to see how those trends have evolved in the intervening 12 months, as well as how “AI is making a difference to any products it's embedded in and isn't just lending itself to a label on a box or another bullet point on a spec sheet.”

And look, call me a neophyte, but sometimes the simplest gadgets are the coolest. Like Anker’s solar beach umbrella, which got some of the easiest buzz from tech reporters. TechCrunch points out, while “many solar-powered beach umbrellas are available on the market, Anker’s product stands out” due to its use of perovskite solar cells which makes it lighter to carry, provides brighter light from the lamps and more power to charge devices. Makes me already excited for summer beach days.

Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warnings on Alcohol

Well, this will have an interesting impact

Back in the day, doctors used to smoke. In the hospital. But that seems crazy now. Is that how we’ll eventually look back on booze? After all, alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer—which is what prompted the U.S. surgeon general to advise that alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label, similar to those found on packs of cigarettes.

The news sent stock prices for spirit companies plummet, no surprise there. Beer and wine brands also saw a spiral. And while it’s certainly a buzzkill, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says Americans should be better informed about the link between alcohol and cancer. Consuming alcohol raises the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer diseases, including liver, breast and throat cancer, research has found. His advisory also notes that as a person’s alcohol consumption goes up, so does the risk for developing those illnesses.

Alcohol consumption is deeply ingrained in our culture, but Dr. Faiz Bhora told CNBC that there’s never been a better time for this warning. “Ppeople are now very comfortable refusing alcohol at a restaurant or a party for health reasons,” and there’s plenty of quality N/A options on offer and they’re becoming incredibly popular with younger generations.

U.S. Steel and Nippon Sue Biden Over Decision to Block Merger

Is free trade “out” for 2025?

U.S. Steel and the Japanese firm that had sought to acquire it are suing the Biden administration after the president announced he was blocking a proposed deal for the iconic American manufacturer. U.S. Steel and Japan's Nippon Steel said in a release Monday that President Biden “ignored the rule of law” to gain favor with United Steelworkers, the union representing many of U.S. Steel’s employees, when he announced Friday he would not allow the acquisition to go through.

Biden said he rejected the deal citing national-security concerns and trade experts’ determination that the deal would create risks to the U.S. “President Biden will never hesitate to protect the security of this nation, its infrastructure and the resilience of its supply chains,” a White House spokesperson said. The Treasury Department, lead agency for Cfius—a federal interagency panel charged with probing foreign investments in U.S. companies for national-security risks—declined to comment about the deal to the Wall Street Journal.

The companies also filed a separate lawsuit against Cleveland-Cliffs, an American steel company that previously tried to buy U.S. Steel but was rebuffed. According to the New York Times, the legal actions represented a long-shot maneuver by the companies to preserve a deal that was ensnared in election-year politics. Presidents have broad authority to determine what constitutes a national security threat, and no transaction blocked under those powers has ever been overturned by the courts.

This Tech Company Grew 32,481%…

No, it’s not Nvidia… It's Mode Mobile, last year's fastest-growing software company according to Deloitte.

Mode’s disruptive $martphone, has already helped consumers earn and save $325M+ through simple, everyday use. That led to 32,481% revenue growth between 2019 and 2022, and presence in 170+ countries. Turning smartphones from an expense into an income stream, Mode is disrupting the $1 trillion smartphone industry, like Uber did with taxis and Airbnb with hotels.

They've just been granted the stock ticker $MODE by the Nasdaq, and you can still invest in their pre-IPO offering at just $0.26/share.

Make 2025 count.