The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has officially kicked off in Las Vegas, with Press Day bringing a slew of exciting announcements from industry giants Samsung, Nvidia, Toyota, and more. TechCrunch reporters are on the ground, providing live coverage of the event.

Samsung, a perennial CES favorite, made headlines with its long-awaited home robot, Ballie. After years of teasing, the company confirmed that Ballie will finally hit the market in 2025. Described as a "personal home assistant," Ballie is a ball-shaped robot designed to autonomously navigate your home, completing various tasks and connecting to your appliances.

Yukai Engineering, a Japanese startup, stole the show with its adorable gadgets and robots. The company introduced Mirumi, a fuzzy and expressive robot that mounts to a purse, designed to recreate the joyful experience of interacting with a human baby. Additionally, Yukai unveiled the Nekojita FuFu, a tiny robot cat that blows on your cup of tea or bowl of soup to cool it down for you.

LG showcased its "Affectionate Intelligence" concept, demonstrating how its AI agent, LG FURON, can be personalized for individual users and their homes. The system can detect temperature controls, remind you to bring an umbrella, and more. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft across its home, mobility, and commercial offerings, as well as an expanded cloud gaming experience for Xbox.

AMD made a significant impact with its new lineup of chips for laptops, desktops, and gaming handhelds. The company claims its gaming-focused 9950X3D is 8% faster on average in popular games compared to its 7950X3D. AMD also launched refreshed processors for Copilot+ PCs, including the Ryzen AI 300 series and Ryzen AI Max series, as well as new processors in its Ryzen Z2 series for lightweight and gaming-focused form factors.

John Deere, a surprise attendee, revealed an electric robot lawnmower designed for commercial-grade landscaping. The mower can operate for up to 10 hours and features 360-degree visibility. While the mower is quieter than its gas-powered predecessors, it raises questions about the potential impact on human jobs. The company also announced an autonomous 5ML orchard tractor, a larger 9RX tractor for tilling fields, and an autonomous articulated dump truck built for quarry operations.

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda provided updates on the company's ambitious Woven City project, a planned community at the base of Mt. Fuji. Toyoda demonstrated the dexterity of robot arms by having them fold T-shirts Japanese-style. In a surprise move, the chairman announced that Toyota is "exploring rockets," although no further details were provided. A rendering of a rocket designed by Japanese spaceflight company Interstellar Technologies was shown.

Samsung also unveiled Samsung Food, a new feature on its 2025 TVs that uses AI to recognize food on your screen and generate a recipe for it. The feature can also track grocery and takeout deliveries placed through the Samsung Food mobile app.

As CES 2025 continues, we can expect even more exciting announcements and product reveals. Stay tuned for further updates from the conference floor.