Consumer Technology Association SmartBrief
Amazon transitions from Kia Soul deliveries to gig drops
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June 23, 2025
Consumer Technology Association SmartBrief
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Today's Digital Pulse
Gardening game plants itself at the top of Roblox
(Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Grow a Garden has become a major hit on Roblox, drawing over 16 million concurrent players in a single weekend and surpassing the popularity of Fortnite. The game has amassed approximately 9 billion visits since its debut in March. Despite its slower pace and gardening theme, many players, especially children, find it engaging, leading to discussions on its unexpected popularity.
Full Story: BBC (6/20) 
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Smart Home
Samsung has launched GameBreaks, a free gaming app for its Smart TVs that features original games and debuts with the puzzle game Ripplash. GameBreaks is designed to offer social and approachable gaming experiences directly on the TV, using a smartphone or remote as a controller.
Full Story: Digital Trends (6/18) 
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Gaming
Meta introduces Avatar Quests to boost VR engagement
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Meta is integrating AI into VR development, enabling users to create immersive experiences through AI-generated content. The updated Horizon Worlds editor allows for the creation of VR objects using AI prompts, supporting Meta's vision for a seamless VR creation process.
Full Story: Social Media Today (6/15) 
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Featured Content
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Tech News
A study by Geotab reveals that electric vehicle batteries degrade by an average of only 1.8% per year, allowing them to last more than 20 years, surpassing the typical lifespan of gas cars. The study, which analyzed over 10,000 EVs, highlights that battery failure rates are below 0.5%, though degradation can vary based on climate and charging methods.
Full Story: InsideEVs (6/19) 
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Retail Trends
Amazon transitions from Kia Soul deliveries to gig drops
(Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Amazon is ending its experiment with Kia Soul vehicles for same-day deliveries, opting instead to leverage gig workers through its Amazon Flex scheme. The trial, which began in 2023, was designed to give Amazon more control over deliveries. Amazon's Delivery Service Partners, who were part of this strategy, will transition to other routes with support from the company.
Full Story: Yahoo/Bloomberg (6/20) 
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Last Week's Top Headlines
Association News
From one small step for fitness trackers to 30+ health standards for all -- CTA's physical activity standards began with step counting and now include heart rate, intensity and more. CTA's Kerri Haresign unpacks how wearables contribute to the advancement of digital health and the role CTA standards play in ensuring accuracy for these devices.
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Judge the CES Innovation Awards® program! With five new categories for 2026, the annual competition celebrating outstanding design and engineering is seeking experts from across the industry. Selected judges will receive a complimentary Exhibit Plus Pass for CES® 2026 -- apply now.
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The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® is hosting a startup pitch competition in Lisbon during CTA's annual CEO Summit. The event will gather visionary startups and top investors in the region. The winning startup will receive complimentary exhibit space at Eureka Park, the global stage for startups, at CES® 2026 in Las Vegas.
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