Bread-baking robot tops US show billing

An autonomous robot that can mix, proof and bake bread on its own is among the gadgets on show at the world’s biggest technology show.

An autonomous robot that can mix, proof and bake bread on its own is among the gadgets on show at the world’s biggest technology show.

The BreadBot, made by US firm the Wilkinson Baking Company, can produce a loaf every six minutes once up to full speed.

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It appeared at the CES Unveiled preview show, which offered an early glimpse of the gadgets going on display when the conference opens in Las Vegas today.

The show has not been without its issues, having been hit by the US government shutdown which has led to several government speakers cancelling their appearances at the annual event.

Organisers the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) confirmed that multiple government officials, including those from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Homeland Security would not be at the event.

The convention is expected to draw more than 180,000 visitors and is one of the biggest dates in the tech industry calendar, where new gadgets from the likes of Sony and Samsung are unveiled alongside discussions around key subjects such as artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous vehicles.

On the US government withdrawals, CTA president Gary Shapiro said: “Because of the government shutdown, some of our scheduled government speakers at CES 2019 have alerted us that they must cancel their travel to the show.

“As a result, some of our scheduled CES 2019 programming and speakers will change. We urge attendees who planned to hear US federal government speakers to check the sessions on the website to ensure those individuals are still speaking.”

The UK is set to be represented at the event by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, where he is leading a delegation of 100 British companies, the largest UK presence at the show to date.

He will use his time at the show to promote the UK as a leader in technology and a destination for inward investment.

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Ahead of the show, Samsung sprung a surprise by announcing a new TV partnership with long-standing rivals, Apple.

The iPhone maker’s iTunes Movies and TV Shows app is to be introduced on Samsung smart TVs later in 2019, the first time the two companies have co-operated in such a manner in the TV market.

Support for Apple’s wireless AirPlay 2 connection is also to be introduced, meaning Apple iPhone and iPad users will be able to stream content to their Samsung smart TVs.

The two companies have long been rivals in smartphone, tablet and other markets. The Korean firm’s executive vice-president for its visual display business, Won-Jin Lee, said: “Bringing more content, value and open platform functionality to Samsung TV owners and Apple customers through iTunes and AirPlay is ideal for everyone.”

Apple’s Eddy Cue said of the announcement: “We look forward to bringing the iTunes and AirPlay 2 experience to even more customers around the world through Samsung Smart TVs.”