Category: 3. Business

Samsung Electronics today announced that it will boldly break away from the conventional exhibition framework and present a new exhibition paradigm with The First Look at CES 2026, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 6–9.

For The First Look, the company is shifting from operating a public booth within the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) to establishing a standalone exhibition hall at The Wynn Las Vegas. There, Samsung will curate an experience that adopts techniques used in art galleries and museums to unveil its new products and technologies.

To this end, the company has built its exhibition space, the Samsung Exhibition Zone, on an industry-leading scale, enabling all activities — product exhibitions, presentations, events, technology forums and consultations with key clients and partners — to be conducted organically in a single integrated location. The Exhibition Zone reflects Samsung’s strong commitment to transforming the exhibition paradigm beyond a simple change of venue, toward an approach centered around the customer experience.

Beyond Simple Lineups: Experiencing the Essence of AI in a Well-Curated Space

At CES 2026, Samsung will present its unified AI approach for its Device eXperience (DX) Division and articulate the company’s overall business direction. It is because of this ambitious vision that the company has chosen to establish an industry-leading, large-scale premium standalone exhibition space at The Wynn. There, Samsung will have no limitations when showcasing its industry-leading innovations and will be able to fully convey its overall AI strategy and vision — and the real-life value it can bring to consumers.

The First Look event has been designed to demonstrate how Samsung’s technology transforms lives, moving beyond only showcasing new product features. To realize a fully immersive environment, the exhibition will provide minimized congestion and enhanced programming for a deeper, more meaningful visitor experience.

A Grand Showcase of Samsung AI at the Industry’s Largest Space

Through carefully curated storytelling, Samsung’s Exhibition Zone has been designed to allow visitors to intuitively engage with Samsung’s AI innovation, current key technologies and future direction. Under the theme of “Your Companion to AI Living,” the exhibition showcases how Samsung has extensively applied AI technologies not only across all its product categories — including mobile, home appliances and displays — but also the functions and services that connect them. Visitors will be able to experience these differentiated AI capabilities, which offer seamless, always-on connectivity anytime and anywhere. This hyper-connected ecosystem, where software and AI work together to overcome the normal limits of hardware, is something that only Samsung can deliver.

New Tech Forums Spotlight Recent Industry Trends and Technologies

At CES 2026, Samsung will also host a series of Tech Forum panel discussions dedicated to exploring the latest industry trends and future technologies. The panels will be held over two days on Jan. 5–6 (local time), and will consist of four sessions centered on AI, home appliances, services and design.

Each session will feature both Samsung experts and participants from partner companies, academia, media and the analyst community, who will engage in in-depth discussions on industry trends — as well as new technologies and the future of the industry.

To learn more about The First Look, visit Samsung Newsroom’s CES 2026 landing page.

Work to replace ageing metal gas pipes in East Yorkshire will begin in the new year.

Northern Gas Networks (NGN) described the installation of new plastic pipes in Bridlington as “essential”.

Roads will be closed during the upgrade, which starts on 5 January and is scheduled to run until the start of February.

Marton Road will be shut between the junctions of Watsons Avenue and Marton Avenue.

Wacky homemade rafts will drift down the River Derwent during the Matlock Raft Event which is set to be held on Boxing Day.

The event, which is due to start at 11:00 GMT on Friday and raises funds for the RNLI, first took place in 1961 has included Elvis Presley, the Blues Brothers and Madness impersonators in previous years.

Organiser Terry Radford says the winners are decided not by who finishes first, but by who entertains the thousands of spectators the most.

“There is nothing like it. It’s been going for over sixty years now and we want to keep that tradition going. It’s unique,” he added.

The end result was a system with two James Watt-style steam engines, powered by six coal-fired boilers, Mr Saint said.

With each stroke of an engine, 96 gallons (363 litres) of water would have been lifted to the surface as a 13-tonne beam got pushed in-and-out of the ground.

There were also two huge flywheels, one for each beam engine, which kept everything running “nice and smoothly” by storing excess energy, Mr Saint said.

However, despite the ingenuity, the technology was actually old for the time.

James Watt-style steam engines were an improvement on earlier designs because they ran far more efficiently, but they were already more than 100 years old by the time Papplewick Pumping Station was built in 1884.

“But being a water pumping station, Nottingham City Water Company wanted engines that they knew would be reliable,” Mr Saint said.

“They knew it would work, and work it did, from1884 right the way through until 1969, when it was superseded by electrical pumps.”

Liz Jarvis, a senior waste manager at Devon County Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service wrapping paper and Christmas cards could usually be recycled if they were not covered in plastic or glitter.

Ms Jarvis added food was a “number one nemesis” in terms of waste, with a 2022 analysis showing roughly a third of black bin waste as food.

“If you think you’ve bought something you don’t really need, then don’t forget that it can most likely be frozen and used another day,” she said.

A reminder has been issued by both councils about not putting old batteries in rubbish bins as they can cause fires.

“Take them to a supermarket or your local household waste and recycling centre for recycling,” Cornwall Council said.

Ms Jarvis added some electrical items could be taken to repair cafes – where people can take items to be fixed – to get a new lease of life.

Jason Gillman/Pixabay

‘Number one nemesis’

Cornwall Council

Gold, silver, and platinum hit record highs on Friday, as speculative momentum and thinning year-end liquidity powered the precious metals, along with markets pricing in more US rate cuts, and rising geopolitical tension.

Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,504.79 per ounce, as of 0423 GMT, after touching a record $4,530.60 earlier, while US gold futures for February delivery climbed 0.7% to $4,535.20.

Spot silver jumped 3.6% to $74.56 per ounce, after touching an all-time high of $75.14.

“Momentum-driven and speculative players have been powering the rally in gold and silver since early December, with thin year-end liquidity, expectations of prolonged US rate cuts, a weaker dollar and a flare-up in geopolitical risks combining to push precious metals to fresh record highs,” said Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst at OANDA.

“Looking ahead into the first half of 2026, gold could move towards the $5,000 level, while silver has the potential to reach around $90.”

Gold has staged a strong rally this year, recording its biggest annual gain since 1979, fueled by Federal Reserve policy easing, geopolitical uncertainty, strong central bank demand, rising ETF holdings, and ongoing de-dollarisation. Silver soared 158% year-to-date, outpacing gold’s nearly 72% gain, on structural deficits, its listing as a US critical mineral, and robust industrial demand.

With traders pricing in two US rate cuts next year, non-yielding assets like gold are likely to remain well-supported in a low-interest-rate environment.

On the geopolitical front, the US is focusing on enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil for the next two months. On Thursday, it struck Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria over attacks on local Christian communities.

Spot platinum rose 7.8% to $2,393.40 per ounce, after touching an all-time high of $2,429.98 earlier, while palladium climbed 5.2% to $1,771.14, following a three-year high in the previous session. All precious metals are headed for weekly gains.

Platinum and palladium, widely used in automotive catalytic converters, have surged on tight supply, tariff uncertainty, and rotation from gold investment demand, with platinum up roughly 165% and palladium more than 90% year-to-date.

“Platinum prices are being supported by strong industrial demand, and stockists in the US have been covering positions amid sanctions-related concerns, which is helping keep prices elevated,” said Jigar Trivedi, senior research analyst at Reliance Securities based in Mumbai.