All the News that Matters

• Fedora 42: doctl Update Advisory for Multiple Threats 2025-cfdb90b52d
  Update to 1.148.0

• Attention: Fedora 42 Nginx mod-naxsi Memory Disclosure Alert CVE-2025-53859
  Changes with nginx 1.28.1 23 Dec 2025 *) Security: processing of a specially crafted login/password when using the "none" authentication method in the ngx_mail_smtp_module might cause worker process memory disclosure to the authentication server (CVE-2025-53859).

• Fedora 42: nginx-mod-headers-more Critical Data Exposure CVE-2025-53860
  Changes with nginx 1.28.1 23 Dec 2025 *) Security: processing of a specially crafted login/password when using the "none" authentication method in the ngx_mail_smtp_module might cause worker process memory disclosure to the authentication server (CVE-2025-53859).

• Fedora 42: Critical Memory Disclosure in nginx-mod-vts CVE-2025-53859
  Changes with nginx 1.28.1 23 Dec 2025 *) Security: processing of a specially crafted login/password when using the "none" authentication method in the ngx_mail_smtp_module might cause worker process memory disclosure to the authentication server (CVE-2025-53859).

• Fedora 42: nginx-mod-modsecurity Critical Memory Leak Risk CVE-2025-53859
  Changes with nginx 1.28.1 23 Dec 2025 *) Security: processing of a specially crafted login/password when using the "none" authentication method in the ngx_mail_smtp_module might cause worker process memory disclosure to the authentication server (CVE-2025-53859).

• Fedora 42: nginx Critical Memory Disclosure CVE-2025-53859
  Changes with nginx 1.28.1 23 Dec 2025 *) Security: processing of a specially crafted login/password when using the "none" authentication method in the ngx_mail_smtp_module might cause worker process memory disclosure to the authentication server (CVE-2025-53859).

• Linux 6.19-rc4 Released Following A Quiet Holiday Week, 6.19-rc8 Already Planned
  Following the holidays, Linux 6.19-rc4 was released today in working toward the Linux 6.19 stable kernel release in early February...

• Linuxiac Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 1, 2026 (Dec 29, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026)
  Catch up on the latest Linux news: Manjaro 26, Devuan 6.1, IceWM 4.0, Archinstall 3.0.15, Orbitiny Desktop Pilot 8, Shotcut 15.12, key Linux and open-source moments of 2025, MiDesktop brings KDE 1 back to life, and more.

• M5Stack CoreS3 Thread BR Targets Matter and Thread IoT Gateways
  M5Stack has expanded its lineup with the CoreS3 Thread BR, a compact Thread Border Router kit designed for Matter- and Thread-based IoT deployments. The platform combines the CoreS3 controller with a dedicated IEEE 802.15.4 radio module in a DIN-rail-mountable enclosure for smart home, building automation, and low-power sensor networks. The system uses an ESP32-S3 application […]

• TrixiePup64 2601 Released For Debian 13 Powered Puppy Linux In Wayland & X11 Flavors
  For those with fond memories of Puppy Linux as a very lightweight Linux distribution, released last month was a new TrixiePup64 for continuing the Puppy Linux spirit atop Debian. The new TrixiePup64 is based on Debian 13 components while shipping in both X11 and Wayland flavors. Out now is TrixiePup64 2601 as the latest iteration of this lightweight Linux distribution...

• MYIR SoM Leverages Zynq UltraScale+ with Arm and FPGA Integration
  MYIR has announced the MYC-CZU3EG-V3, an updated SoM built around the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ ZU3EG MPSoC. The module integrates application-class Arm processing, real-time control cores, and FPGA fabric in a compact form factor targeting industrial automation, machine vision, edge computing, aerospace, and telecommunications systems. The MYC-CZU3EG-V3 combines a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 application processor running at […]

• Rust-Based Fjall 3.0 Released For Key-Value Storage Engine Akin To RocksDB
  In addition to the release of Stoolap 0.2 as a modern embedded SQL database written in Rust, Fjall 3.0 is available as another Rust-written database solution. Fjall is a log-structured, embedable key-value storage engine akin to RocksDB but with the benefit of being written in Rust. With Fjall 3.0 its performance is now very competitive...

• Claude is his copilot: Rust veteran designs new Rue programming language with help from AI bot
  Rust veteran Steve Klabnik is using an LLM to explore memory safety without garbage collectionNaming a new programming language "Rue" sounds like an acknowledgment of doubt about the project's prospects, if you take "Rue" to mean "regret."…

• NVIDIA Graphics On Haiku OS Make Progress With NVIDIA Open Kernel Modules + NVK/Zink
  As a wonderful New Year surprise, there's good momentum on NVIDIA graphics support for the BeOS-inspired Haiku open-source operating system...

• KDE Plasma 6.6 Improves Accessibility, Wayland Usability, and UI Polish
  The upcoming Plasma 6.6 release will introduce new accessibility features and UI refinements, including Slow Keys for Wayland and improved notifications.

• KDE Plasma 6.6 Fixes A Common Panel-Related Crash, Improves OpenBSD Support
  KDE developer Nate Graham is out with the first issue of This Week in Plasma for 2026. Last week was a warning that This Week in Plasma could become less frequent without new volunteers to help takeover. Nate Graham announced that John Veness has stepped up to help co-author these weekly KDE development posts...

• Pebble Round 2 Revives the Iconic Smartwatch With Open-Source PebbleOS
  Pebble Round 2 revives the iconic smartwatch with a color e-paper display, two-week battery life, and open-source PebbleOS.

• Stoolap 0.2 Released For Modern Embedded SQL Database In Rust
  Stooplap v0.2 released today as this SQLite alternative for providing embedded SQL database needs while written in the Rust programming language. Stoolap supports both in-memory and persistent storage models...

• Archboot Adds COSMIC Desktop as a New Install and Rescue Option
  Archboot, a menu-driven Arch Linux installer, expands its desktop lineup by adding COSMIC.

• Bring CachyOS Cosmic DE along with kernel 6.18.2 to Arch Linux Bare Metal Instance
  Following below is procedure which allows to install on Arch Linux CachyOS v3 repositories along with pacman fork belongs to CachyOS. Re-sync of v3 repos and core and extra works pretty stable ( u; sudo pacman -Syyu ) - the same commands as described in post after first reboot Arch Instance into CachyOS kernel. I also have to confirm that Re-sync might be randomly required. The hack step below is scp cachyos-rate-mirrors script from remote native CachyOS Instance to the target one.

• Linux Audio Quirk Handling On The Way For Dell Panther Lake Laptops
  Ahead of the initial batch of Intel Panther Lake laptops expected to be showcased at CES next week in Las Vegas, we're seeing last minute quirk updates for these products expected to soon come to market...

• Switched to Arch Hyprland: I Built HyprLTM-Net, a Rofi-Based Network Management GUI
  I remember the days when installing Arch Linux felt like the ultimate challenge for my Linux skills. It was a journey where I learned something new with every attempt. Today, that is no longer the case; Arch has become much more accessible thanks to the archinstall helper.Seeking a new challenge, I decided to build my own Hyprland ecosystem, which I’ve named HyprLTM. As the first major piece of this setup, I developed HyprLTM-Net: a sleek, open source network management graphical user interface (GUI). Powered by Rofi and NetworkManager (nmcli), it is now published on GitHub under the GNU GPL v3.0 license.In this post, I’ll walk you through what HyprLTM-Net is, its features, and how to install and use it.

• VLC 3.0.23 Media Player Improves Dark Palette in the Qt GUI, Codec Information
  VLC 3.0.23 has been released as the latest stable version of this popular open-source, free, and cross-platform media player software for GNU/Linux, Android, macOS, tvOS, and Windows platforms.

• Linux Addressing Out-Of-Memory Killer Inaccuracy On Large Core Count Systems
  A patch is on the way to the Linux kernel and looks like it could be ready for the 6.20~7.0 kernel for addressing out-of-memory "OOM" killer inaccuracy behavior when dealing with large core count systems...

• Hyprland 0.53.1 Released With Stability and Crash Fixes
  Hyprland 0.53.1 tiling Wayland compositor is out with backported fixes addressing crashes.

• New Linux Patches Allow More Easily Changing The Tux Kernel Boot Logo
  A new patch series that was posted this week allow for users to more easily replace the default kernel boot logo. While many of us are long accustomed to seeing the picture of Tux as the kernel boot logo, for those preferring to better customize your console boot experience these patches allow it to be easily manipulated via the kernel configuration "Kconfig" options...

• North Dakota Law Included Fake Critical Minerals Using Lawyers' Last Names
  North Dakota passed a law last May to promote development of rare earth minerals in the state. But the law's language apparently also includes two fake mineral names, according to the Bismarck Tribune, "that appear to be inspired by coal company lawyers who worked on the bill."The inclusion of fictional substances is being called an embarrassment by one state official, a possible practical joke by coal industry leaders and mystifying by the lawmakers who worked on the bill, the North Dakota Monitor reported. The fake minerals are friezium and stralium, apparent references to Christopher Friez and David Straley, attorneys for North American Coal who were closely involved in drafting the bill and its amendments. Straley said they were not responsible for adding the fake names. "I assume it was put in to embarrass us, or to make light of it, or have a practical joke," Straley said, adding it could have been a clerical error. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring questioned the two substances listed in state law during a recent meeting of the North Dakota Industrial Commission, which is poised to adopt rules based on the legislation... Friezium and stralium first appeared in the bill on the last afternoon of the legislative session as lawmakers hurried to pass several final bills... The amended bill is labeled as prepared by Legislative Council for Rep. Dick Anderson, R-Willow City, the prime sponsor and chair of the conference committee. Anderson said the amendments were prepared by a group of attorneys and legislators, including representatives from the coal industry... Jonathan Fortner, president of the Lignite Energy Council that represents the coal industry, said it's unfortunate this happened in such an important bill. "From the president on down, everyone's interested in developing domestic critical minerals for national security reasons," Fortner said. "While this may have been a legislative joke between some people that somehow got through, the bigger picture is one that is important and is a very serious matter."
  
  
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• Are Hybrid Cars Helping America Transition to Electric Vehicles?
  America's electric car subsidies expired at the end of September, notes Bloomberg. Yet in those last three months, "while fully electric cars and trucks made up 10% of all auto sales in the US... another 15% of transactions were for hybrid vehicles."The EV market is slowing in the U.S., but analysts expect hybrid sales to continue accelerating. CarGurus Inc., a digital listings platform that covers most of the US auto market, predicts nearly one in six new cars next year will be a hybrid, as automakers green-light more and better machines with the technology. And though these cars and trucks will still burn gas, they will quietly move the needle on both transportation emissions and the transition to fully electric cars and trucks... CarGurus calls hybrids the success story of 2025. Indeed, the fastest-selling car in the country this year has been the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid; it sat on lots for fewer than 14 days on average... While carmakers have struggled to turn a profit on fully electric vehicles, analysts say their investments in batteries and electric motors are helping them sell more and better hybrid machines. It's also increasingly difficult to discern a hybrid from a solely gas-powered model, said Scott Hardman, assistant director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California at Davis. Carmakers today often don't even label a hybrid as such. Consider Toyota's RAV4, one of the best-selling vehicles in America. The 2026 version of the SUV comes in six different variants, all of which include an electric motor and a gas tank. "A hybrid is just a regular car now," Hardman said. "You can buy one by accident...." While not as clean as an electric vehicle, hybrids offer sneaky carbon cuts as well. Americans, on average, drive about 38 miles a day, which requires about one gallon of gas in most basic hybrids. Contemporary plug-in hybrids, which can run on all-battery power, can cover almost that entire range without the gas engine kicking in. And a small crowd of cars will do even better, stretching their batteries well over 40 miles per charge. All told, hybridization can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of a vehicle by roughly 20% to 30%, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. Some interesting statistics from the article:By 2030 Ford expects fully or partially electrified vehicles will represent half its global sales. Toyota has already reached 50% ("in part thanks to all those hybrid RAV4s").Honda is "basing its entire business on hybrids until at least 2030."Around one-third of America's hybrid drivers "transition to a fully electric vehicle when they next switch cars." In September 57% of America's car shoppers "were considering a fully electric auto, according to JD Power. However, among hybrid households, that share was almost 70%."
  
  
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• Fleischer Studios Criticized for Claiming Betty Boop is Not Public Domain
  Here it is — Betty Boop's first appearance, which became public domain on Thursday. It's a 60-second song halfway through a longer cartoon about a restaurant titled Dizzy Dishes. (The first scene makes it clear this is a restaurant of anthropomorphized animals — which explains why the as-yet-unnamed character has floppy dog ears...) So Fleischer Studios has now warned that claiming Betty Boop is public domain "is actually not true."Very often, different versions of a character that have been developed later can independently enjoy copyright protection. Also, names and depictions of a character very frequently will remain separately protected by trademark and other laws, regardless of whether the copyright has expired. But is that really true? Fleischer Studios went out of business in 1946, notes Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik:By then it had sold the rights to its cartoons and the Betty Boop character. A new Fleischer Studios was formed in the 1970s by Fleischer descendants, including Max's grandson Mark Fleischer, and set about repurchasing the rights that had been sold. Whether it reacquired the rights to Betty Boop is up for discussion... According to a federal appeals court ruling in 2011, the answer is no. Having navigated its way through the three or four copyright transfers that followed the original rights sale, the appeals court concluded that the original Fleischer studios sold the rights to Betty Boop and the related cartoons to Paramount in 1941 but couldn't verify that the rights to the character had been sold in an unbroken chain placing them with the new studio. The "chain of title" was broken, the appellate judges found — but they didn't say who ended up with Betty Boop. And last month Cory Doctorow pointed out that "while the Fleischer studio (where Betty Boop was created) renewed the copyright on Dizzy Dishes, there were many other shorts that entered the public domain years ago." That means that all the aspects of Betty Boop that were developed for Dizzy Dishes are about to enter the public domain. But also, all the aspects of Betty Boop from those non-renewed shorts are already in the public domain. But some of the remaining aspects of Betty Boop's character design — those developed in subsequent shorts that were also renewed — are also in the public domain, because they aren't copyrightable in the first place, because they're "generic," or "trivial," constitute "minuscule variations," or be so standard or indispensable as to be a "scène à faire...." But we're not done yet! Just because some later aspects of the Betty Boop character design are still in copyright, it doesn't follow that you aren't allowed to use them! U.S. Copyright law has a broad set "limitations and exceptions," including fair use. So while Fleischer Studios insists Betty Boop "will continue to enjoy copyright and trademark protection for years to come," Doctorow has some thoughts on that trademark:Even the Supreme Court has (repeatedly) upheld the principle that trademark can't be used as a backdoor to extend copyright. That's important, because the current Betty Boop license-holders have been sending out baseless legal threats claiming that their trademarks over Betty Boop mean that she's not going into the public domain. They're not the only ones, either! This is a routine, petty scam perpetrated by marketing companies that have scooped up the (usually confused and difficult-to-verify) title to cultural icons and then gone into business extracting rent from people and businesses who want to make new works with them. "Trademarks only prevent you from using character names and depictions in a way that misleads consumers into thinking your work is produced or sponsored by the rightsholder," Duke University clarified in their January 1st explanation of Public Domain Day 2026 — "for example, by putting them on unlicensed merchandise. They do not prevent you from using them in a new creative work clearly unaffiliated with the rights owners..." "Regardless of who owns the later versions of the character, the original Betty Boop character from 1930 is in the public domain."This is another reason why copyright expiration is so important: It brings clarity... Under US copyright law, anyone is free to use characters as they appeared in public domain works. If those characters recur in later works that are still under copyright, the rights only extend to the newly added material in those works, not the underlying material from the public domain works — that content remains freely available. Second, with newer versions of characters, copyright only extends to those new features that qualify for such protection... Dozens of post-1930 Betty Boop cartoons, including Ker-Choo (1932) and Poor Cinderella (1934), did not have renewals. The newly added material in these animations is also in the public domain... To sum up the copyright story so far: in 2026, the underlying Betty Boop character goes into the public domain. She is joined there by the attributes, plot lines, and dialogue that were first introduced in those later cartoons without renewed copyrights, as well as the uncopyrightable attributes of her later instantiations... Certainly, there would be a risk of consumer confusion if you use Betty Boop as a brand identifier on the kind of merchandise Fleischer sells — jewelry, back packs, water bottles, dolls. Trademark law does protect Fleischer against that risk. Contrast these uses with simply putting the Boop character in a new artistic work. This is exactly what copyright expiration is intended to allow. Were trademark law to prevent this, then trademark rights would be leveraged to obtain the effective equivalent of a perpetual copyright — precisely what the Supreme Court said we cannot do... If courts have delineated the line between copyright and trademark, why is there so little clarity in this area? Sadly, companies sometimes claim to have more expansive rights than they actually do, capitalizing on fear, uncertainty, and doubt to collect royalties and licensing fees to which they are not legally entitled.
  
  
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• 'Fish Mouth' Filter Removes 99% of Microplastics From Laundry Waste
  "The ancient evolution of fish mouths could help solve a modern source of plastic pollution," writes ScienceAlert. "Inspired by these natural filtration systems, scientists in Germany have invented a way to remove 99 percent of plastic particles from water. It's based on how some fish filter-feed to eat microscopic prey."The research team has already filed a patent in Germany, and in the future, they hope their creation will help curb a ubiquitous form of plastic pollution that many are unaware of. Every time a load of laundry is done, millions of microplastics are washed from the fibers of our clothes into local waterways. By some estimates, up to 90 percent of plastic in 'sewage sludge' comes from washing machines. This material is then often used in agriculture as soil or fertilizer, possibly exposing those who eat the resulting crops to these pollutants... Unlike other plastic filtration systems on the market, this one reduces clogging by 85 percent.
  
  
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• A Drug-Resistant 'Superbug' Fungus Infected 7,000 Americans in 2025
  An anonymous reader shared this report from the Independent: Candida auris, a type of invasive yeast that can cause deadly infections in people with weakened immune systems, has infected at least 7,000 people [in 2025] across 27 U.S. states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fungus, which can spread easily in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, is gaining virulence and spreading at an "alarming" rate, the CDC says. Some strains of the fungus are particularly troublesome — and even considered a superbug — because they're resistant to all types of antibiotics used to treat fungal infections, The Hill reports. While healthy people may be able to fight off the infection on their own, the fungus can be deadly, especially in healthcare settings, where it can quickly spread amongst a vulnerable population. "If you get infected with this pathogen that's resistant to any treatment, there's no treatment we can give you to help combat it. You're all on your own," Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina, told Nexstar... A recent study found that Candida auris is gaining virulence and spreading rapidly, not just in the U.S., but also globally. Candida auris has already been found in at least 61 countries on six continents. Some context from Newsweek:There are strategies available to combat Candida auris infection. While the superbug can develop ways to evade the immune response, vaccination and treatment strategies are possible, but researchers would like them to be strengthened. Four classes of antifungal drugs are currently available, with varying degrees of efficacy, and three new drugs are currently in trials or at newly approved stages
  
  
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• Microsoft's Risky Bet That Windows Can Become The Platform for AI Agents
  "Microsoft is hoping that Windows can once again serve as the platform where it all takes off," reports GeekWire:A new framework called Agent Launchers, introduced in December as a preview in the latest Windows Insider build, lets developers register agents directly with the operating system. They can describe an agent through what's known as a manifest, which then lets the agent show up in the Windows taskbar, inside Microsoft Copilot, and across other apps... "We are now entering a phase where we build rich scaffolds that orchestrate multiple models and agents; account for memory and entitlements; enable rich and safe tools use," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a blog post this week looking ahead to 2026. "This is the engineering sophistication we must continue to build to get value out of AI in the real world...." [The article notes Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude will also offer desktop-style agentsthrough browsers and native apps, while Amazon is developing "frontier agents" for automating business processes in the cloud.] But Microsoft's Windows team is betting that agents tightly linked to the operating system will win out over ones that merely run on top of it, just as a new class of Windows apps replaced a patchwork of DOS programs in the early days of the graphical operating system. Microsoft 365 Copilot is using the Agent Launchers framework for first-party agents like Analyst, which helps users dig into data, and Researcher, which builds detailed reports. Software developers will be able to register their own agents when an app is installed, or on the fly based on things like whether a user is signed in or paying for a subscription... Agents are meant to maintain this context across apps, ask follow-up questions, and take actions on a user's behalf. That requires a different level of trust than Windows has ever had to manage, which is already raising difficult questions for the company. Microsoft acknowledges that agents introduce unique security risks. In a support document, the company warned that malicious content embedded in files or interface elements could override an agent's instructions — potentially leading to stolen data or malware installation. To address this, Microsoft says it has built a security framework that runs agents in their own contained workspace, with a dedicated user account that has limited access to user folders. The idea is to create a boundary between the agent and what the rest of the system can access. The agentic features are off by default, and Microsoft is advising users to "understand the security implications of enabling an agent on your computer" before turning them on... There is a business reality driving all of this. In Microsoft's most recent fiscal year, Windows and Devices generated $17.3 billion in revenue — essentially flat for the past three years. That's less than Gaming ($23.5 billion) and LinkedIn ($17.8 billion), and a fraction of the $98 billion in revenue from Azure and cloud services or the nearly $88 billion from Microsoft 365 commercial.
  
  
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• Trump Organization's $499 Smartphone Delayed Again, Now Until the End of January
  Last June the Trump organization announced sales of a $499 "T1" smartphone with a gold-colored case. But though they originally were scheduled for release in August, this week a customer service representative for the wireless carrier told CBS News the device will be pushed back again, now until the end of January, "attributing the delay to the recent U.S. government shutdown." Some context from The Independent:Shortly after the phone was first announced, language describing it as "Made in the USA" was removed from its official website with the vague claim that the devices are "brought to life" in the United States posted in its place... Other information about the phone has also changed or been removed since its first unveiling, The Verge has reported. Trump Mobile initially indicated the T1's screen measured 6.78 inches, but now claims it is 6.25 inches. It also said the phone had 12GB of RAM; however, that claim has now also disappeared. As the wait for the T1 continues, Trump Mobile has begun offering refurbished Samsung S23s, S24s, and Apple iPhone 15s and 16s for sale on its site, which appear to have no specific Trump branding and are priced considerably higher than customers might pay elsewhere.
  
  
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• Archboot Adds COSMIC Desktop as a New Install and Rescue Option
  An anonymous reader shared this report from the Linux news site Linuxiac:Archboot, a guided, user-friendly, menu-driven installer for Arch Linux that automates much of the traditional manual installation process (while still allowing advanced users to intervene when needed), has added the COSMIC desktop environment as a new selectable option. The change is part of Archboot's development cycle leading up to the 2026.01 release and is already available in the latest tagged builds. With COSMIC now integrated, users can boot an Archboot ISO and choose the desktop to either perform a full Arch Linux installation or start a live session for testing and recovery.
  
  
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• Furiosa's Energy-Efficient 'NPU' AI Chips Start Mass Production This Month, Challenging Nvidia
  The Wall Street Journal profiles "the startup that is now one of a handful of chip makers nipping at the heels of Nvidia."Furiosa's AI chip is dubbed "RNGD" — short for renegade — and slated to start mass production this month. Valued at nearly $700 million based on its most recent fundraising, Furiosa has attracted interest from big tech firms. Last year, Meta Platforms attempted to acquire it, though the startup declined the offer. OpenAI used a Furiosa chip for a recent demonstration in Seoul. LG's AI research unit is testing the chip and said it offered "excellent real-world performance." Furiosa said it is engaged in talks with potential customers. Nvidia's graphic processing units, or GPUs, dominated the initial push to train AI models. But companies like Furiosa are betting that for the next stage — referred to as "inference," or using AI models after they're trained — their specialty chips can be competitive. Furiosa makes chips called neural processing units, or NPUs, which are a rising class of chips designed specifically to handle the type of computing calculations underpinning AI and use less energy than GPUs. [Founder/CEO June] Paik said Furiosa's chips can provide similar performance as Nvidia's advanced GPUs with less electricity usage. That would drive down the total costs of deploying AI. The tech world, Paik says, shouldn't be so reliant on one chip maker for AI computing. "A market dominated by a single player — that's not a healthy ecosystem, is it?" Paik said... In 2024, at Stanford's prestigious Hot Chips conference, Paik debuted Furiosa's RNGD chip as a solution for what he called "sustainable AI computing" in a keynote speech. Paik presented data showing how the chip could run the then-latest version of Meta's Llama large language model with more than twice the power efficiency of Nvidia's high-end chips. Furiosa's booth was swarmed with engineers from big tech firms, including Google, Meta and Amazon.com, wanting to see a live demo of the chip. "It was a moment where we felt we could really move forward with our chip with confidence," Paik said.
  
  
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• The US Effort to Break China's Rare-Earth Monopoly
  The New York Times checks in on U.S. university researchers and start-ups trying to create domestic rare-earth processing facility:There is too little money to be made in rare earths for the elements to be of much interest to mining giants, so the challenge of reestablishing a domestic industry has fallen to small companies like Phoenix Tailings, a Boston-area startup that runs the metal-making plant in Exeter, New Hampshire. A handful of other companies in the United States are processing rare earths in small quantities, including MP Materials, which owns a mine in Mountain Pass, California, and recently began producing rare-earth metal in Fort Worth, Texas. Similar efforts are underway in Europe and Asia. "It's small volumes of low-value materials that are very expensive to process," said Elsa Olivetti, a materials science and engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Meaning it's hard to make money." Phoenix Tailings' New Hampshire operation is about 2 months old, housed in a converted medical device plant. The company buys metric-ton bags of powder — a mixture of neodymium and praseodymium bound with oxygen — from mining and refining companies in the United States, South America and Australia. It funnels that flour-like material into a drying oven and eventually into furnaces that heat it to the temperature of volcanic lava. This circuit takes up less than 15,000 square feet and is designed to generate no emissions other than those associated with the electricity Phoenix Tailings uses. The closed-loop design distinguishes this process from the more energy-intensive techniques used in China, where workers scoop up molten metal with ladles. That approach releases perfluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases that do not break down easily. In late 2024 the company was three weeks from bankruptcy — but it's recently been valued at $189 million.
  
  
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• Reddit Surges in Popularity to Overtake TikTok in the UK - Thanks to Google's Algorithm?
  Reddit "has overtaken TikTok as Britain's fourth most-visited social media service," reports the Guardian:The platform has undergone huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Three in five Brits online now encounter the site, up from a third in 2023, according to Ofcom. Its popularity is rising fastest with younger internet users. It is now the sixth most visited organisation of any kind by UK users aged between 18 and 24, up from 10th a year earlier. More than three-quarters of that cohort now visit it.... The UK is a boom market for the platform, with the second largest user base behind the US, according to company records. A series of factors are behind its rise. However, a change in Google's search algorithms last year to prioritise helpful content from discussion forums appears to have been a significant driver. A recent deal with Google that allows the company to train its AI model on Reddit's content also appears to have provided a boost. Reddit is the most-cited source for Google AI overviews, which is likely to see more people directed to its forums. It has a similar deal with OpenAI, which owns the most popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. According to the article, Reddit "believes it is also benefiting from shifting internet habits, as younger users seek out human-generated reviews and opinions."
  
  
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• New Tesla Video Shows Tesla Semi Electric Truck Charging at 1.2 MW
  An anonymous reader shared this report from Electrek:Tesla has released a new video showing a Tesla Semi truck charging at a massive 1.2 megawatts (MW), finally giving us a clear look at the charging speeds that will enable long-haul electric trucking...> Tesla claimed the Semi would be able to charge 70% of its range in 30 minutes. For a truck with a 500-mile range and an estimated battery pack of around 800-900 kWh, that requires an incredibly high power output, well beyond the 250 kW or even 350 kW we see on passenger EVs in North America. Today, the official Tesla Semi account on X released a video showing exactly that. In the video, Tesla engineers are seen monitoring a charging session where the power output climbs to a peak of 1.2 MW (1,206 kW). This is consistent with the capabilities Tesla announced for its new V4 Cabinet architecture earlier this year. The V4 cabinets are designed to support 400V-1000V vehicle architectures and can deliver up to 500 kW for cars (like the Cybertruck) and up to 1.2 MW for the Semi. There is some information missing from the video. For example, we don't see the state-of-charge of the truck, so we don't at what battery percentage Tesla Semi can achieve and maintain this charge rate. Peak speed is one thing, but sustaining that power without overheating the pack or the cable is the real challenge. The liquid-cooled charging cable and the immersion-cooled connector (part of the Megawatt Charging System or a high-power proprietary Tesla solution, though Tesla has been leaning toward MCS compatibility) seem to be doing their job.... This comes just as Tesla is gearing up for volume production of the Semi at its new factory expansion near Gigafactory Nevada. The automaker is targeting a start of production in the first half of 2026 and a ramp up to volume production in the second half.
  
  
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• What Happened When Alaska's Court System Tried Answering Questions with an AI Chatbot?
  An AI chatbot to answer probate questions from Alaska residents "was supposed to be a three-month project," said Aubrie Souza, a consultant with the National Center for State Courts told NBC News. "We are now at well over a year and three months, but that's all because of the due diligence that was required to get it right.""With a project like this, we need to be 100% accurate, and that's really difficult with this technology," said Stacey Marz, the administrative director of the Alaska Court System and one of the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA) project's leaders... While many local government agencies are experimenting with AI tools for use cases ranging from helping residents apply for a driver's license to speeding up municipal employees' ability to process housing benefits, a recent Deloitte report found that less than 6% of local government practitioners were prioritizing AI as a tool to deliver services. The AVA experience demonstrates the barriers government agencies face in attempting to leverage AI for increased efficiency or better service, including concerns about reliability and trustworthiness in high-stakes contexts, along with questions about the role of human oversight given fast-changing AI systems. These limitations clash with today's rampant AI hype and could help explain larger discrepancies between booming AI investment and limited AI adoption. The chatbot was developed with Tom Martin, a lawyer/law professor who designs legal AI tools, according to the article. But the project "had to contend with the serious issue of hallucinations, or instances in which AI systems confidently share false or exaggerated information.""We had trouble with hallucinations, regardless of the model, where the chatbot was not supposed to actually use anything outside of its knowledge base," Souza told NBC News. "For example, when we asked it, 'Where do I get legal help?' it would tell you, 'There's a law school in Alaska, and so look at the alumni network.' But there is no law school in Alaska." Martin has worked extensively to ensure the chatbot only references the relevant areas of the Alaska Court System's probate documents rather than conducting wider web searches. The article concludes that "what was meant to be a quick, AI-powered leap forward in increasing access to justice has spiraled into a protracted, yearlong journey plagued by false starts and false answers." But the chatbot is now finally scheduled to be launched in late January. "It was just so very labor-intensive to do this," Marz said, despite "all the buzz about generative AI, and everybody saying this is going to revolutionize self-help and democratize access to the courts. "It's quite a big challenge to actually pull that off."
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Google's $250M Deal with California to Fund Newsrooms May Be Stalled
  Remember how California's government negotiated a 2024 deal where Google contributed millions to California's local newsrooms to offset advertisers moving to the search engine? "A year after it was cemented — and billed as a model that could succeed where entire countries and continents had fallen short — the agreement is tangled in budget cuts, bureaucratic infighting and unresolved questions about who controls the money," reports Politico, "leaving journalists empty-handed and casting doubt on whether the lofty experiment will ever live up to its promise."The program, initially framed as a nearly $250 million commitment over five years, has secured just $20 million in new money for journalists in its first year, with no guarantee the funding will continue. It's changed hands twice since the University of California, Berkeley withdrew its support [with school officials "worried they wouldn't have enough of a say in how the money was distributed"]. Suggestions that other big tech players like ChatGPT-maker OpenAI could front more resources haven't materialized. A $62.5 million "AI accelerator" tied to the deal hasn't been set up yet. Not a single newsroom has seen a dollar of funding, and there's no definitive timeline spelling out when they will... [The article adds later that state officials "have yet to draft precise rules for how California will decide which newsrooms get cash..."] Conversations with at least 20 people involved in the deal's rollout reveal how California's budget shortfalls and intraparty spats among Democrats scrambled it... California's struggle to launch its program has dampened hopes of replicating its model in other states such as Oregon, Illinois and New York, where lawmakers have tried but failed to make Big Tech pay for news... When [California governor] Newsom unveiled his final state budget plan in May 2025 after a $12 billion deficit suddenly scrambled the state's finances, California's first-year commitment was reduced from $30 million to $10 million. Google followed suit within days and cut its first-year contribution from $15 million to $10 million... Whether the program even continues past 2026 is also unclear. Newsom's office declined to confirm whether the state will provide its $10 million commitment to the fund in the coming 2026-27 state budget. Newsom will also be termed out in 2027, and there's no requirement for his successor to honor the state's agreement with Google.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Has Microsoft Discontinued Offline Activation of Windows?
  An anonymous reader sharedthis report from Neowin:Offline Windows activation has been possible to do using the phone. However, it looks like Microsoft has quietly killed off that method as users online have found that they are no longer able to activate the OS using it... [As documented by Windows user Ben Kleinberg on his YouTube channel], Now when trying to activate the OS by attempting to call the phone number for Microsoft Product Activation, an automated voice response says the following: "Support for product activation has moved online. For the fastest and most convenient way to activate your product, please visit our online product activation portal at aka.ms/aoh" If you are wondering, that link takes users to the Microsoft Product Activation Portal for online activation. Thus it appears that offline ways to activate Windows may no longer be available even though the official support documentation by the company may not reflect it yet.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two
  In Part One of this series, we examined how the SONiC control plane and the VPP data plane form a cohesive, software-defined routing stack through the Switch Abstraction Interface.` We outlined how SONiC’s Redis-based orchestration and VPP’s user-space packet engine come together to create a high-performance, open router architecture. In this second part, we’ll turn [0]
  
  The post Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Lab Demo and Performance Insights  Part Two appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Architecture and Integration  Part One
  The networking industry is undergoing a fundamental architectural transformation, driven by the relentless demands of cloud-scale data centers and the rise of software-defined infrastructure. At the heart of this evolution is the principle of disaggregation: the systematic unbundling of components that were once tightly integrated within proprietary, monolithic systems.` This movement began with the separation [0]
  
  The post Disaggregated Routing with SONiC and VPP: Architecture and Integration  Part One appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance
  When teams consider deploying Kubernetes, one of the first questions that arises is: where should it run? The default answer is often the public cloud, thanks to its flexibility and ease of use. However, a growing number of organizations are revisiting the advantages of running Kubernetes directly on bare metal servers. For workloads that demand [0]
  
  The post Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• How to Deploy Lightweight Language Models on Embedded Linux with LiteLLM
  This article was contributed by Vedrana Vidulin, Head of Responsible AI Unit at Intellias (LinkedIn). As AI becomes central to smart devices, embedded systems, and edge computing, the ability to run language models locally — without relying on the cloud — is essential. Whether its for reducing latency, improving data privacy, or enabling offline functionality, local AI [0]
  
  The post How to Deploy Lightweight Language Models on Embedded Linux with LiteLLM appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Automating Compliance Management with UTMStacks Open Source SIEM 8 XDR
  Achieving and maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks can be challenging for many organizations. Managing security controls manually often leads to excessive use of time and resources, leaving less available for strategic initiatives and business growth. Standards such as CMMC, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2 and GDPR demand ongoing monitoring, detailed documentation, and rigorous evidence collection. Solutions [0]
  
  The post Automating Compliance Management with UTMStacks Open Source SIEM & XDR appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider
  Talos Linux is a specialized operating system designed for running Kubernetes. First and foremost it handles full lifecycle management for Kubernetes control-plane components. On the other hand, Talos Linux focuses on security, minimizing the user’s ability to influence the system. A distinctive feature of this OS is the near-complete absence of executables, including the absence [0]
  
  The post A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces
  OpenTelemetry (fondly known as OTel) is an open-source project that provides a unified set of APIs, libraries, agents, and instrumentation to capture and export logs, metrics, and traces from applications. The project’s goal is to standardize observability across various services and applications, enabling better monitoring and troubleshooting. Read More at Causely
  
  The post Using OpenTelemetry and the OTel Collector for Logs, Metrics, and Traces appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation.
  Exciting news! The Tazama project is officially a Digital Public Good having met the criteria to be accepted to the Digital Public Goods Alliance ! Tazama is a groundbreaking open source software solution for real-time fraud prevention, and offers the first-ever open source platform dedicated to enhancing fraud management in digital payments. Historically, the financial [0]
  
  The post Project Tazama, A Project Hosted by LF Charities With Support From the Gates Foundation, Receives Digital Public Good Designation. appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Xen 4.19 is released
  Xen Project 4.19 has been officially out since July 31st, 2024, and it brings significant updates. With enhancements in performance, security, and versatility across various architectures like Arm, PPC, RISC-V, and x86, this release is an important milestone for the Xen community. Read more at XCP-ng Blog
  
  The post Xen 4.19 is released appeared first on Linux.com.
  

• Advancing Xen on RISC-V: key updates
  At Vates, we are heavily invested in the advancement of Xen and the RISC-V architecture. RISC-V, a rapidly emerging open-source hardware architecture, is gaining traction due to its flexibility, scalability and openness, which align perfectly with our ethos of fostering open development ecosystems. Although the upstream version of Xen for RISC-V is not yet fully [0]
  
  The post Advancing Xen on RISC-V: key updates appeared first on Linux.com.
  

Engadget"Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics"

• PartyStudio is a wireless MIDI speaker with 128 built-in instrument sounds
  There are a slew of keyboards and apps that help people learn how to play the piano, but a small company called PopuMusic is showing off an intriguing set of products at CES to make the process easier. PartyKeys and PartyStudio are a 36-key MIDI keyboard and MIDI / Bluetooth speaker that pair together in seamless fashion. The PartyStudio is particularly interesting because it has a built-in library of 128 instrument tones and more than 50 different drum machine patterns. Naturally, it works with the PartyKeys, but any MIDI keyboard can connect to it and use those sounds.
  
  The PartyStudio and PartyKeys both use NFC to connect to each other — you can just tap and hold the keyboard up to the speaker for pairing. You can connect up to three devices using MIDI over Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE MIDI) as well as a fourth using a wired connection. If you have more than one keyboard, meanwhile, you can connect them together with NFC as well — you can pair three keyboards together total, giving you a huge 108-key surface to play.
  
  Both the PartyStudio and PartyKeys have an understated but appealing look to them (they’re available in black or white) and feel quite substantial and well-made. PopuMusic has been releasing hardware via Kickstarters campaigns for a few years now, so even though they’re a relatively small and new company they have some experience in this department. The speaker seems to hit a nice balance of portability and power; it has two tweeters and two woofers and weighs in at 3.75 pounds. It’s about 13.5 inches wide, 5.2 inches tall and 4 inches deep, so it’s not a tiny speaker you’ll just throw in your bag, but it still feels easy to tote around thanks to its attached handle.
  
  The other trick that the PartyStudio and PartyKeys have is on the software side. Using a companion app, multiple people can play along with a song. The light-up keyboard can show you what to play, and if you have multiple people playing each keyboard can display complimentary parts. It starts with simple three-key chord voicings, but I also saw a demo that used a familiar Guitar Hero-style interface of different notes flying down the screen, making for a more involved and advanced performance.
  
  The PartyKeys are up for order on Kickstarter now for $199, while the PartyStudio costs $349. The company says they’re on track to ship both products in Q1 of 2026.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/partystudio-is-a-wireless-midi-speaker-with-128-built-in-instrument-sounds-015511003.html?src=rss

• SwitchBot turned up to CES with an AI wearable that records everything you say
  We’ve all fantasied about sprawling on an embroidered chaise lounge while our amanuensis faithfully typed out everything we said. SwitchBot turned up to CES with something that does a similar job, but without the romance of the amanuensis, the typewriter or the chaise lounge. Instead, it’s launching the AI MindClip, a wearable microphone which records and transcribes every noise to come from your mouth. 
  
  The company isn’t alone, with many others turning up to CES this year offering devices to log your thoughts through the day. But SwitchBot does hope to distinguish itself from the crowd with an AI which can both summarize and extract useful data from your chats. The company’s representatives said it will use its initiative and create its own reminders based on what it thinks you’ll need to remember. Sadly, we couldn’t get to see it working in person, and we don’t know when it’ll be available or how much it’ll cost. 
  
  
  
  But it’ll probably be a little bit cheaper than a chaise lounge. 
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/switchbot-turned-up-to-ces-with-an-ai-wearable-that-records-everything-you-say-014959824.html?src=rss

• Lockin's everlasting vein-recognizing smart lock doorbell cam combo is peak CES
  Smart locks have a notable inconvenience: running out of power. Lockin, maker of vein-recognition locks, debuted its newest model on the CES floor. It charges wirelessly via an optical infrared beam with a four-meter range. A small device, connected to a standard outlet inside the house, shoots a beam at the lock, which has a small receptor panel that turns the light into power, sort of like a plug-in sun beaming at a tiny solar array. The tech carries certifications from two independent organizations, and won’t harm eyeballs or bodies that get in the way of the beam (though if the beam is interrupted, charging stops).
  
  The lock itself is a mortise lock that will likely require a pro to install, as it’s not just a standard deadbolt replacer. It’s not a standard lock in other ways too, with video and speaker capabilites, AI recognition as well as touchscreen features and vein recognition.
  
  The tall black rectangle looked sleek (if huge) in person with a pocket-style grip and a rather sizable display on the interior panel. The outer panel has a touchscreen along with two cameras allowing it to act as a doorbell video camera. You can unlock the door via palm, finger vein or 3D facial recognition.
  Lockin V7 Max smart lockLockin
  It’ll feed the video to any of the major smart home eco systems, including those from Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung. But for general setup and advanced AI features, such as recognizing a package delivery and speaking a canned request to the driver, you’d use Lockin’s own app.
  
  I can’t imagine this high-end do-everything lock will be cheap, and indeed the price is currently undisclosed, but units should start shipping in July or August of this year. There’s a cheaper version of the lock, with the same wireless charging capability but without the video features, that’ll sell for $350 and will be available in April.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/lockins-everlasting-vein-recognizing-smart-lock-doorbell-cam-combo-is-peak-ces-013431113.html?src=rss

• CES 2026: What to expect from tech's big January conference
  The pre-show events are already up and running at CES 2026 — the tech world’s biggest annual conference — and the news is already flowing. While the CES show floor doesn't officially open until Tuesday, January 6, Las Vegas is already abuzz with various pre-show events, including the CES Unveiled mini show and Samsung's First Look press conference, scheduled for late Sunday. Nearly all day Monday will be comprised of more press conferences from the likes of LG, Intel, NVIDIA and Sony. And that doesn't include the product demos, announcements and networking that will be happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center and other hotels all over the city. Engadget is covering the event in-person and remotely, bringing you news and hands-ons straight from the show floor.
  
  More specific details and pre-announcements are already trickling out as CES approaches, and thanks to the schedule of the Consumer Technology Association (the trade organization that runs the show) we have a full itinerary of press conferences. We’re also using our experience and expertise to predict what tech trends could rear their heads at the show.
  The CES 2026 schedule
  Press conferences and show floor booths are the bread and butter of CES. The CTA has already published a searchable directory of who will have an official presence at the show, along with a schedule of every official panel and presentation. However, the press conference schedule gives us a more digestible rundown of the first 48 hours of big events.
  
  On Sunday, January 4, Samsung will kick-off CES with "The First Look," a presentation hosted by TM Roh, the CEO of Samsung's DX Division, on the company's "vision for the DX (Device eXperience) Division in 2026, along with new AI-driven customer experiences." Ahead of that, though, Samsung has already outlined a variety of more specifics (scroll down for details). Concurrent with the Samsung presentation will be the official CES Unveiled mini-show, which is generally comprised of smaller and start-up vendors.
  
  That'll be followed by multiple press conferences throughout Monday, January 5. The LG CES 2026 press conference, titled "Innovation in Tune with You," is ostensibly to share "its vision for elevating daily life through Affectionate Intelligence." But, like Samsung, this fellow Korean giant has already spent the three weeks leading up to CES pre-announcing many of its new products, so this may be more of a summary than breaking news.
  
  Following LG, we’ll also see press conferences from Bosch and Hisense, as well as the first-ever CES appearance from Lego. As the Las Vegas afternoon rolls around, we get the first of three chip giants: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang takes the stage on January 5 at 1PM PT (4PM ET) and, according to the website, his presentation will last about 90 minutes. Based on the description on the listing, the presentation will “showcase the latest NVIDIA solutions driving innovation and productivity across industries.” NVIDIA’s presser is concurrent with one from Hyundai, where the Korean automotive company will focus on in-cabin car tech and robotics.
  
  Later in the day, we get to hear from NVIDIA frenemies Intel and AMD. Intel’s 3PM PT (6PM PT) event will ostensibly feature its new Core Ultra Series 3 processors, and AMD CEO Lisa Su will cover AMD's upcoming chip announcements at a keynote address that closes out the day. But expect both of them to be very heavy on AI applications, of course. Sandwiched in between those chip manufacturers will be Sony Honda Mobility. The joint venture will be offering yet more details on its Afeela EV.
  
  Finally, on Tuesday, January 6, Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang will host Lenovo's Tech World Conference at the Las Vegas Sphere, using the large and decidedly curved screen to share the company's "commitment to delivering smarter AI for all by constantly redefining how technology can engage, inspire, and empower." It’s worth noting that Lenovo is the parent company of Motorola, which still makes phones and foldables that feature AI tools, so it’s possible those devices feature in the presentation as well.
  
  Here’s a handy cheatsheet for easy access to all of Engadget’s coverage:
  
  Samsung (Sunday, Jan. 4, 10PM ET)
  
  Samsung CES liveblog and livestream
  
  LG (Monday, Jan. 5, 11AM ET)
  
  LG CES liveblog and livestream
  
  Bosch (Monday, Jan. 5, 12PM ET)
  
  Bosch CES livestream
  
  Hisense (Monday, Jan. 5, 1PM ET)
  
  Hisense CES livestream
  
  Lego (Monday, Jan. 5, 1PM ET)
  
  Lego CES liveblog
  
  NVIDIA (Monday, Jan. 5, 4PM ET)
  
  NVIDIA CES liveblog and livestream
  
  Hyundai (Monday, Jan. 5, 4PM ET)
  
  Hyundai CES livestream
  
  Intel (Monday, Jan. 5, 6PM ET)
  
  Intel CES liveblog and livestream
  
  Sony Honda Afeela (Monday, Jan. 5, 8PM ET)
  
  Sony Honda CES liveblog and livestream
  
  AMD keynote (Monday, Jan. 5, 9:30PM ET)
  
  AMD CES liveblog and livestream
  
  Lenovo (Tuesday, Jan. 6, 8PM ET)
  
  Lenovo CES liveblog and livestream
  Samsung and LG vie for pre-show publicity
  As noted above, both Samsung and LG have continued their recent trend of spoiling nearly all of their respective CES announcements in the days and weeks before the show. LG, for example, has said it will debut its first Micro RGB television at CES. While details are scarce, the company’s press release for the LG Micro RGB evo did confirm it has received certifications by Intertek for 100 percent color gamut coverage in DCI-P3 an Adobe RGB, and that it has more than a thousand dimming zones for brightness control.
  
  Elsewhere in the TV space, LG is throwing its hat into the “art TV” ring that Samsung pioneered with its Frame TVs: The LG Gallery TV will debut in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, and it will of course show off various artwork when it’s not otherwise in use. And if PC gaming displays are more your speed, LG will have that covered, too, with a new line of 5K-capable gaming monitors on deck with built-in AI upscaling.
  
  But LG’s not just showing off displays. The Korean multinational will also introduce a Dolby-powered modular home audio system, a new line of its xboom speakers (developed with will.i.am) and the company will flex its automation muscles with a humanoid home automation robot named CLOiD. We’re also looking forward to checking out the company’s new ultralight Aerominum laptops.
  
  Of course, Samsung refuses to be outdone by its hometown rival, and has also released a pre-CES press release document dump. Samsung will be launching its own lineup of Micro RGB TVs at CES, for starters. The company already introduced its first Micro RGB TV at CES 2025, which was a 115-inch model available for a cool $30,000. Next year, Samsung is expanding the range with 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, 100- and 115-inch models that use the next evolution of the company’s Micro RGB technology.
  
  Samsung is also countering LG’s 5K monitors with a 6K model that aims to deliver glasses-free 3D (another long-time CES staple). It’ll be one of several new displays in the company’s Odyssey gaming line. And the company is also updating its Freestyle projector for 2026, too.
  
  And on the audio front, Samsung has teased several new soundbars and speakers, including Sonos-style Wi-Fi streaming models call the Music Studio 5 and Studio 7.
  
  Outside of the formal introduction of new products and initiatives, reading the tea leaves of what was announced last year and what companies are reportedly working on, we can make some educated guesses at what we could see at CES 2026.
  New chips from AMD, Intel and Qualcomm
  CES is frequently the start of a cascade of new chip announcements for a given year, and one of the first places new silicon appears in real consumer products. AMD will likely use its keynote to introduce new versions of its Ryzen chips, including the recently spotted Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is expected to offer better single-threaded performance, and the Ryzen 9000G series, which could be built with AMD's Zen 5 architecture. The company might also use its CES stage to go over its new FSR Redstone AI upscaling tech.
  
  Intel has already publicly announced that it'll launch its Panther Lake chips at CES 2026. The officially titled Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips fit into Intel's overall "AI PC" push, but are specifically meant for premium laptops. Based on a preview from October 2025, Intel says the first chip made with its 2-nanometer 18A process will offer 50 percent more processing performance than previous generations and for the chip's Arc GPU, a 50 percent performance bump from last generation.
  
  Qualcomm is also rumored to be targeting laptops at the show, building on the work it's done moving its Snapdragon chips out of phones and tablets and into other types of computers. The company's Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Premium chips should start appearing in laptops at CES 2026, offering a look at the improved speed and AI performance the company promised in 2025.
  Brighter, "truer" screens
  As noted above, Samsung and LG appear to be going all-in on Micro RGB display tech for TVs. Expect that to be a huge buzzword at CES, with Hisense and Sony debuting new models, too.
  
  Sony announced a collection of new Bravia TVs in April 2025, replacing the company's flagship, filling in its midrange options and adding a new budget model to the mix. The star of this updated Bravia lineup is the Bravia 9, which features a QD-OLED panel, but Sony appears to be prepping entirely new display tech for 2026. In March 2025, Sony introduced a new RGB LED panel that uses individual Mini LED backlights colored in red, green and blue to produce even brighter, more accurate colors. In contrast to a QD-OLED, which filters a layer of blue organic light emitting diodes through quantum dots that change color, Sony's "General RGB LED Backlight Technology" can get as bright as a Mini LED panel without needing an extra filter layer or worrying about OLED's problems with burn-in. 
  
  The company has already trademarked the name "True RGB," which could end up being what Sony calls this new flavor of display if it decides to show them off at CES. It seems entirely likely, because CES is nothing if not a TV show — it’s a sure bet that we’ll see new TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung in addition to Sony. If the company doesn't introduce new display tech for its TVs, it does have a new 240Hz PlayStation monitor coming in 2026 that it could show off at CES instead.
  
  Sony isn't the only company hyped on bright screens. Samsung is reportedly pushing an updated version of the HDR10 and HDR10+ standards that could be ready to demo at CES 2026. The new HDR10+ Advanced standard would be Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision 2, which includes support for things bi-directional tone mapping and intelligent features that automatically adapt sports and gaming content. Samsung's take will reportedly offer improved brightness, genre-based tone mapping and intelligent motion smoothing options, among other improvements.
  
  And maybe your future TV won’t need a power cord, either: Displace will be showing off a mounting option that includes a 15,000mAh battery to juice up whatever giant TV screen you choose to attach.
  Ballie Watch 2026
  The ball-shaped yellow robot lovingly known as "Ballie" has been announced twice, first in 2020 and then again in 2024 with a projector in tow. Samsung said Ballie would go on sale in 2025 at CES last year and then shared in April 2025 that Ballie would ship this summer with Google's Gemini onboard. But it's nearly 2026, and Ballie is nowhere to be seen. It's possible Samsung could make a third attempt at announcing its robot at CES 2026, but whether or not it does, robotics will still be a big part of the show.
  
  Robot vacuums and mops were a major highlight of CES 2025, and it's safe to expect notable improvements from the new models that are announced at CES 2026. Not every company will adopt the retractable arm of the Roborock Saros Z70, but robot vacuums with legs for rising over small ledges like the Dreame X50 seem like they could become the norm. Roborock could also show off its new Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, the first of its robot vacuums to feature a retractable roller mop.
  
  Beyond just traversing spaces more efficiently, improving robots' navigation could also be a major concern at the show. Prominent members of the AI industry are turning their attention from large language models to world models, which aim to give AI a deep understanding of physical space. Those world models could be the key to making robots — like LG’s aforementioned CLOiD — competent at navigating homes and workplaces, and will likely be a significant talking point at CES 2026.
  
  We’ll be updating this article throughout the month as more rumors surface and new products are confirmed — stay tuned for future updates!
  
  Update, December 11 2025, 11:03AM ET: This story has been updated to include detail on Lenovo being Motorola’s parent company and how the latter might have a part in the Tuesday presentation.
  
  Update, December 16 2025, 1:33PM ET: This story has been updated to include the NVIDIA press conference, which was added to the CTA schedule within the last two days.
  
  Update, December 23 2025, 7:28AM ET: This story has been updated to include LG and Samsung’s Micro RGB TV announcements, which were made public in the past seven days. The intro was also tweaked to reflect how soon CES is at this point.
  
  Update, December 29 2025, 11:03AM ET: This story has been updated to include additional details on pre-announcements from Samsung, LG and Displace.
  
  Update, December 31 2025, 12:05PM ET: This story has been updated to include yet more early LG announcements.
  
  Update, January 3 2026, 8:45AM ET: This story has been updated to include still more Samsung and LG announcements.
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 8:45PM ET: This story has been updated to include new links and a press conference schedule.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-what-to-expect-from-techs-big-january-conference-120000956.html?src=rss

• Xreal updates its entry-level personal cinema glasses at CES
  If you’ve been on the fence about trying the sort of “AR glasses” that, until recently, were called “personal cinemas,” then check this out. Xreal has turned up to CES 2026 with an updated version of its entry level Xreal One glasses, first launched at the end of 2024. The new model, dubbed the 1S (yes, with a numeral rather than the word) gets marginally better specs and $50 knocked from the asking price.
  
  If you’re unfamiliar, One is a wearable spatial display that connects over USB-C to any compatible device including smartphones, tablets, laptops and consoles. It has two teeny-tiny displays in the eyecups that, when worn close to the eyes, trick your brain into thinking you’re looking at a big screen. The average would measure in at around 171 inches, but it’s possible to push the view to a screen closer to 500 inches if your eyes are capable of focusing that far.
  
  As for the changes, they’re all firmly in the welcome nip-and-tuck department, boosting many of the original’s key specs. For instance, the 1080p screens have been swapped out for 1200p full HD, while the field of view has gone from 50 degrees to 52. Brightness has been boosted from 600 nits on the old model to 700 nits here, while the aspect ratio has grown from 16x9 to 16x10. But the change Xreal is arguably most proud of is the drop in price, from $499 down to $449.
  
  Certainly, the bustling trade show floor is not the best place to sample the delights of Xreal’s 1S, but it was able to make a fairly persuasive argument as to its value. I was able to view Avatar: One Of The Avatar Movies and my eyes were almost tricked into thinking it was viewing it in a small multiplex cinema room. The usual Xreal strengths — that they don’t cause me eyestrain and offer a compelling degree of immersion — are fully evident here.
  
  At the same time, the company is launching the Xreal Neo, an external battery-cum-DisplayPort hub for your glasses. Inside you’ll find a 10,000mAh power bank to keep your glasses going for longer and, more importantly, offers better connection for your Switch consoles. After all, before now, if you wanted to play with your Switch or Switch 2, you’d need to hook it up to its own dock. With the Neo, however, you can eliminate that from your bag when you’re playing out and about. That’s available as a standalone purchase for $99 which, like the new 1S, are ready to buy right now.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/xreal-updates-its-entry-level-personal-cinema-glasses-at-ces-140000544.html?src=rss

• Withings' updated Body Scan scale tracks 60 different biomarkers
  Back in 2023, Withings launched Body Scan, a super-premium scale with the sort of tech found in a high-end gym or low-end clinic. It had a six-lead ECG, offered segmented body composition and could monitor your nerve health, among other things. Now the company has rocked up at CES 2026 in Las Vegas with a second-generation model that adds in tests for hypertension and cellular health. Withings hopes the new model will give you even more data you can use to fight against chronic illnesses brought on by our decadent modern lifestyle.
  
  The first generation Body Scan checked 40 biomarkers, while the new model has 60, and even the press materials need a bulleted list to talk about the new features. Topping the bill is the new Impedance Cardiography (ICG) which monitors your heart’s capacity to pump blood to the organs. Second, Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) uses a low level electrical current to check your body’s total water, letting the scale keep an eye on your cellular age, active cell mass and metabolic efficiency.
  
  Naturally, all of this data will then be extruded through the company’s “clinically validated” AI model to offer more insights, such as your risk of hypertension and glycemic regulation. You’ll also be told, based on your vital statistics, your health trajectory, and given tips on how to improve your “healthspan.” In short, the company wants to further position this as a clinic in a box, steering you toward healthier choices as and when it can.
  
  There’s one major hardware tweak from the first generation, as the retractable handle used for the ECG now contains the scale’s display. That, I’m sure, makes it easier to read if you’re squinting naked onto the scale after your morning shower. But I’m also concerned that it’s a single point of failure for the thin cable attaching the handle to the rest of the scale. 
  
  Withings hopes to get the Body Scan 2 cleared by the FDA in time for its planned launch in the second quarter of 2026. As for the price, expect to pay a pretty penny for the flagship gear, as it will set you back $599.95, €499.95 or £449.95, depending on your territory.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/withings-updated-body-scan-scale-tracks-60-different-biomarkers-010000703.html?src=rss

• Shure debuts a USB-C version of its MV88 microphone at CES 2026
  Shure’s original MV88 microphone (no, not the + version) was a convenient snap-on option for iPhone users. Since Apple ditched the port for USB-C, the audio accessory became obsolete for newer handsets. At CES 2026, the company debuted a revised version of the mic, swapping the Lightning connection for USB-C, which also adds compatibility for Android users and a host of other devices. The best part is the updated MV88 is available now, and it’s priced at $159.
  
  If you missed the 2015 version, the MV88 is a compact stereo condenser microphone that simply snaps onto a phone, tablet or one of your laptop’s ports. It provides a packable boost to any built-in mics on your devices, allowing you to capture better audio for voice and video clips. What’s more, it’s a simple, plug-and-play option that doesn’t require additional setup. And if you choose to employ Shure’s suite of apps, you’ll get access to things like presets, microphone gain control, a five-band EQ, limiter, compression and a high-pass filter. Plus, the company’s apps will give you a microphone level meter to keep tabs on your input.
  Shure MV88 USB-C Billy Steele for Engadget
  With Auto Level Mode, the mic automatically adjusts gain in real time so that your clips aren’t too loud or too quiet. There’s also a Real-Time Denoiser that works to reduce background noise. The MV88 USB-C has four selectable polar patterns — stereo, mono cardioid, mono bi-directional and raw mid-side — and you can tilt the microphone so that it either points straight up or towards you.
  
  I’ve been testing the new MV88 for a few days ahead of CES and I can confirm it’s a substantial boost over anything a device’s built-in microphone can offer. It’s also a nice alternative to popular lapel mics you’ve likely seen creators and influencers use. Those need to be held close to the speaker’s mouth, so they don’t pic up ambient sound or multiple speakers well without moving them. The MV88 would the better choice for capturing clips of live music, the great outdoors or other places where you want some level of background noise.
  Shure MV88 USB-C Billy Steele for Engadget
  Sound quality has been impressive thus far. After barely tweaking any settings, audio capture is warm, but also crisp and clear. That Real-Time Denoiser completely eliminated a noisy hotel room A/C unit during one of my testing sessions. This means the new MV88 will improve my sound if I need to do any voice or video interviews this week from my room. I’m also looking forward to seeing how well it does at some of the evening events and on the CES show floor.
  
  To me, the best part about the MV88 is the quick and easy setup. You literally just snap it on your phone, or another device with a USB-C port, and after a few taps you’re ready to record. Shure also included a small case for the microphone, so it’s less likely to get damaged any time you just need to chuck it in your bag.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shure-debuts-a-usb-c-version-of-its-mv88-microphone-at-ces-2026-010000294.html?src=rss

• Narwal's first mattress vacuum heats, taps, UV-blasts and sucks up all the ick living in your bed
  Narwal brought new cleaning robots with it to CES this year, including the Narwal Flow 2, it’s latest flagship robo mop-vac, and the Narwal U50, an automatic mattress vac designed for “deep mite removal.”
  
  While I’d hoped the latter vac was an automatic crawler that could navigate your mattress top, the U50 is a handheld device. Still, no one likes to think about what filters down into their mattress as they sleep — and there are lots of opinions on how and why to remove those dead skin cells, dust, oils and the mites that arrive to dine on those things.
  
  Narwal’s mattress vacuum cleaner not only sucks up all that ick, it heats up to 137 degrees and shines a UV light for sterilization. Then it uses high-speed tapping to dislodge what’s living in your bed before sucking it up with 16.000 Pa of suction power. The dust bag seals itself so all the bad stuff stays put before you throw it away.
  The Narwal mattress vac uses heat and UV light to clean your bed. Narwal
  The new flagship is the Flow 2, powered by a new “autonomous system” that incorporates dual cameras and an AI vision-language model for object recognition. Not only will the bot vacuum around any obstacles it sees, it can let you know they’re there. It also has different modes, including the intriguing PetCare Mode, that not only focuses on “pet zones” (places your dog or cat hangs out), it can also find your pet. Say you’re not home and don’t see Sparky lying on her usual spot on the couch. Just ask your Flow 2 to locate your dog and it goes off on a special mission, beaming video of your girl sleeping in a sun puddle. Then if you decide to talk, the vacuum will oblige, complete with video and a speaker that lets you talk to your fur baby.
  
  Of course, the vacuum’s real job is cleaning stuff up and this one uses a track-mop design that keeps infusing the mop with (now hotter) water along with downward pressure to clean up messes. The automatic hot-air drying feature makes sure there’s not too much wetness left behind when its done. The auto-empty base now comes with an upgraded reusable dust bag and washable debris filter, so you throw less stuff away. The collection capacity is rated at 120 days, so you only have to empty the machine once every few months at most.
  
  The vacuums should be available in Spring of this year.
  
  
  
  
  The new Narwal Flow 2 vac mopNarwal
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/narwals-first-mattress-vacuum-heats-taps-uv-blasts-and-sucks-up-all-the-ick-living-in-your-bed-004929304.html?src=rss

• At CES, Belkin launches a new charging case for the Switch 2 with a screen for checking battery life
  Belkin just introduced the appropriately-named Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2 at CES 2026. This is a high-end charging case specifically designed for Nintendo9s latest console.
  
  The 10,000mAh power bank delivers up to 30W of fast charging, which is a decent enough metric. I9m more excited, however, about the bells and whistles. The Charging Case Pro boasts an LCD screen on the exterior, making it easy to keep track of remaining battery life. It also doubles as a tabletop stand, which is always nice. The built-in Switch 2 stand is better than what we got with the first Switch, but it9s still not the sturdiest thing in the world.
  Belkin
  It also includes a dedicated flap for game card storage and a hidden compartment for smart trackers. Take that, would-be Switch 2 thieves. Belkin promises this case has been made from premium materials and has been designed for "long-term durability." 
  Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
  At CES 2026, the company had a sample on display (though, bizarrely, no Switch 2 to protect it), so we saw some clever design choices, such as an oval cutout on the front of the case where the battery indicator (and USB-C port) peeks out. On the original, you had to lift out the battery out in order to charge it. The built-in tabletop stand appears solid and can be used both inside and outside the case. ("I knew had should have brought my own Switch 2 along" — Engadget9s Mat Smith.)
  
  The Charging Case Pro is available in off-white, sage and dark grey color options and is available right now and costs $100 — a bump up from the $70 original.
  Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
  The company also introduced a number of other charging accessories at CES. The UltraCharge Pro Power Bank juices up two devices at once and also costs $100, with availability in February. The BoostCharge power bank is an extremely slim unit that easily slides into pockets. That one starts at $60, but isn9t coming until later in the year.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/belkin-charging-case-for-the-switch-2-ces-2026-screen-for-checking-battery-life-170029146.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Samsung 'First Look' CES 2026 presentation
  NurPhoto via Getty Images
  Are you ready for CES 2026? While the show floor doesn9t open until Tuesday, things are effectively kicking off this evening with the first big press event of the show. Samsung is taking the stage to set the agenda for the new year and share an overview of its latest and greatest advances. 
  
  Instead of its longtime midday Monday press conference, the Korean giant will take the lead of the show with a Sunday night presentation. Over the past few weeks, Samsung has been dropping press releases left and right, so we know at least some of what to expect in Vegas this year. Of course, we9re holding out hope that we get to hear an update on the Ballie robot — a star of previous CES presentations that ostensibly missed its previously promised 2025 release date.
  How to watch Samsung9s "The First Look" presentation at CES 2026
  The event will stream live from the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas tonight — Sunday, January 4 at 10PM ET (7PM PT). There are several ways to tune in: you can watch via Samsung Electronic9 official YouTube channel (which we9ve embedded below), Samsung Newsroom or via Samsung TV Plus. 
  
  Engadget is on-site at the event, and we9ll be running a Samsung CES 2026 liveblog as well. Tune in for real-time updates and commentary. 
  What to expect from Samsung at CES 2026
  Keynote speaker TM Roh, the CEO of Samsung9s Device eXperience (DX) Division, will discuss the company9s plans for the new year and beyond, which will (of course) include "new AI-driven customer experiences," the company said in a press release. In addition, we9ll hear from the President and Head of the Visual Display Business, SW Yong and Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Appliances Business, Cheolgi Kim. Those two will "share their respective business directions for the upcoming year."
  
  But if you9re looking for more specifics, Samsung has been following its "Advent calendar" approach to early CES announcements, with new press releases dropping nearly every day in late December and early January. So far, we know that — like competitors LG and Hisense — the company will be offering details on a line of micro RGB TVs (replete with confirmed screen sizes of 55 to 115 inches). Also confirmed: a full line of appliances infused with what Samsung calls Bespoke AI. Samsung will also display its two newest speakers, Music Studio 5 and 7, at CES this year. Additionally, it9ll debut its latest Freestyle+ portable projector.
  
  Just before the holidays, Samsung also unveiled a slew of new gaming monitors, but most impressive is the Odyssey gaming monitor. It boasts a 32-inch 6K screen and has glasses-free 3D. It9s likely we could see this at CES, along with other models like the 27-inch Odyssey G6 and the Odyssey G8 models.
  
  It9s possible that Samsung will share even more early CES announcements in the hours preceding its presentation. If that happens, we9ll add them here!
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 11:15AM ET: This story has been updated to include the embedded YouTube viewer for the Samsung event.
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 7:25PM ET: This story has been updated to include a link to the Engadget liveblog of this event.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-watch-the-samsung-first-look-ces-2026-presentation-190027420.html?src=rss

• Yukai Engineering's latest gadget at CES is a fan for babies
  Yukai Engineering, maker of the weirdly cute Mirumi robot, has another interesting gadget at CES 2026. Baby FuFu is a portable fan for babies that attaches to strollers.
  
  Baby FuFu is modeled on the company9s smaller (but otherwise identical-looking) drink-cooling gadget, Nekojita FuFu. "Baby FuFu grew out of Nekojita FuFu fans9 feedback that their children love not only cooling their food with it but also playing with it, pretending to fan their faces and blow-dry their hair," Yukai Engineering CEO Shunsuke Aoki said.
  Baby FuFu, positioned on the stroller handle.Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
  The company says the fan blades are concealed behind a slit plate that blocks even the tiniest fingers from entering. The cat-like fan’s "hands" and "feet" are designed to latch onto stroller handles. Parents can angle Baby FuFu to aim airflow at the child9s face (or anywhere else). It has three airflow settings, adjustable with a single button. It charges via USB-C.
  Baby FuFuImage by Mat Smith for Engadget
  Yukai Engineering plans to launch Baby FuFu in mid-2026 for somewhere between $50 and $60. It will join the company9s "shy" Mirumi charm robot, which has raised over $250,000 on Kickstarter. Mirumi9s crowdfunding campaign expires on January 22.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/yukai-engineerings-latest-gadget-at-ces-is-a-fan-for-babies-000000172.html?src=rss

• The Subtle Voicebuds use AI to transcribe your words below a whisper, or in very loud spaces (like the CES show floor)
  There9s a good chance you spend more time talking to your phone9s virtual assistant, or dictating text with your voice, instead of actually calling people these days. But, as convenient as voice input can be, you don9t want to be the obnoxious person shouting commands to Siri or ChatGPT in a quiet library. And you probably won9t have much luck dictating an email in a room with toddlers screaming and Peppa Pig blaring on the TV. (Ask me how I know.)
  
  At CES 2026, the startup Subtle is unveiling its solution to those issues: Voicebuds. While they look like a typical pair of wireless earbuds, they feature a custom AI model that lets you dictate text below the sound of a whisper. Additionally, they can also filter out noisy environments so that you don9t have to shout for dictation and voice commands. The Voicebuds seem similar to the WHSP ring we saw at CES 2024, which let whisper to your phone, and they also compete with other AI earbuds like the Notebuds One.
  Subtle Voicebuds.Subtle
  Subtle claims its Voicebuds deliver five times fewer transcription errors than the AirPods Pro 3 with OpenAI transcription. At $199, they9re also priced competitively with Apple9s best buds. As with many new hardware products, though, there9s also an additional subscription for premium features on Subtle9s app, including instant dictation and the ability to transcribe notes without looking at your phone. You9ll get a year9s worth of access to the Subtle iOS app (there9s no Android support so far) when you buy the Voicebuds, but after that it9s a $17 a month fee. Without the subscription, the Voicebuds still offer better overall transcription accuracy with its on-device machine learning model.
  
  When I tried the Voicebuds at the absolutely raucous CES Unveiled show floor, it was able accurately dictate several sentences at my normal speaking voice. Subtle CEO Tyler Chen was able to replicate that experience across several demos. In a separate remote demonstration, he was also able to dictate several sentences while barely whispering in a quiet room. (He was so quiet, I couldn9t even hear what he was saying over video chat).
  
  As you’d expect, you can use Voicebuds to take calls and listen to audio just like any other pair of headphones. They also offer other modern features, like active noise cancellation and a multi-mic array. Still, I can9t imagine a fledgling startup will be able to match the refined audio quality we9ve seen from the AirPods Pro 3 and Sony9s latest buds, or their well-honed ANC capabilities.
  
  As someone who9s practically attached to my AirPods Pros, primarily because they handle Siri voice commands so well, it would have to take a truly transformative product to replace them. Voicebuds won9t support Apple9s "Hey, Siri" command, since that involves having one of Apple9s proprietary chips, though Chen says the company is integrating its own AI assistant. But if the Voicebud9s transcription is as great as the company claims, they may eventually earn a coveted place in my pocket alongside Apple9s buds.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-subtle-voicebuds-use-ai-to-transcribe-your-words-below-a-whisper-or-in-very-loud-spaces-like-the-ces-show-floor-000000019.html?src=rss

• How to watch the AMD CES 2026 keynote with CEO Lisa Su live
  AMD is kicking off CES 2026 on Monday, where it9ll cover its latest AI developments and perhaps show off its newest Ryzen chips. The company will outline the full scope of its vision for AI implementations across the full spectrum of consumer and enterprise applications. The presentation — which is the lead keynote for CES 2026 — will be led by CEO Dr. Lisa Su.
  
  We9ll tell you how to tune in to the livestream and what else you can expect to see.
  How to watch AMD9s keynote live
  Dr. Su will deliver a keynote speech from the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian on Monday, January 5 at 9:30PM ET (6:30PM PT). You can watch the event live on the CES YouTube channel (we9ve embedded the livestream below).
  What to expect
  While AMD says it9s keeping its product details under wraps, we can expect "updates on AI solutions, from cloud to enterprise, edge and devices."
  
  It9s also likely that AMD will unveil its new versions of the Ryzen chips during its keynote on Monday, as Su will talk about the "advancements driven by Ryzen CPUs." That could include the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is expected to have better single-threaded performance. Additionally, we can expect to see the Ryzen 9000G series, which is potentially built with AMD9s Zen 5 architecture.
  
  Regarding AI, AMD could further discuss its new FSR Redstone technology, which it previously previewed on December 10. AMD9s upscaling tech aims to close the gap on NVIDIA9s DLSS 4, which was announced during CES 2025.
  
  Su9s presentation caps off CES9s press day, so she9ll be taking the stage in the hours after rivals NVIDIA and Intel present their chipmaking and AI plans to the world. As a reminder of how cross-linked these companies have become: OpenAI has pledged billions of dollars of hardware orders to AMD, while rival NVIDIA has invested billions in OpenAI — and taken a stake worth billions in Intel, too. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/how-to-watch-the-amd-ces-2026-keynote-with-ceo-lisa-su-live-190012438.html?src=rss

• Belkin announces a wireless HDMI dongle that doesn't need Wi-Fi access
  Belkin has announced a plug-and-play casting system at CES 2026 that allows for screen sharing from a laptop, tablet or smartphone to another display without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The $150 ConnectAir Wireless HDMI Display Adapter comes with a USB-C transmitter dongle and a USB-A to HDMI receiver that can be connected to a TV, monitor or projector to wirelessly cast over a range of up to 131 feet (40 meters). 
  Belkin9s ConnectAir Wireless USB-C transmitter and HDMI receiverBelkin
  The ConnectAir Wireless casts in 1080p at 60Hz, with latency under 80ms according to Belkin. It9s compatible with USB-C devices that support DisplayPort Alt Mode, including Windows, macOS and ChromeOS laptops, tablets such as the M1 and M2 iPad Pro and iPad Air, and smartphones with video output. Belkin also says it supports multi-user screen sharing at up to 8 transmitters. The dongle comes in black and while it’s not available to purchase just yet, it’s expected to be released early this year. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/belkin-announces-a-wireless-hdmi-dongle-that-doesnt-need-wi-fi-access-215513179.html?src=rss

• LG reveals its laundry-folding robot at CES 2026
  LG has unveiled its humanoid robot that can handle household chores. After teasing the CLOiD last week, the company has offered its first look at the AI-powered robot it claims can fold laundry, unload the dishwasher, serve food and help out with other tasks. 
  
  The CLOiD has a surprisingly cute "head unit" that9s equipped with a display, speakers, cameras and other sensors. "Collectively, these elements allow the robot to communicate with humans through spoken language and 9facial expressions,9 learn the living environments and lifestyle patterns of its users and control connected home appliances based on its learnings," LG says in its press release. 
  
  The robot also has two robotic arms — complete with shoulder, elbow and wrist joints — and hands with fingers that can move independently. The company didn9t share images of the CLOiD9s base, but it uses wheels and technology similar to what the appliance maker has used for robot vacuums. The company notes that its arms are able to pick up objects that are "knee level" and higher, so it won9t be able to pick up things from the floor.
  The CLOiD robot unloading a dishwasher.LG
  LG says it will show off the robot completing common chores in a variety of scenarios, like starting laundry cycles and folding freshly washed clothes. The company also shared images of it taking a croissant out of the oven, unloading plates from a dishwasher and serving a plate of food. Another image shows it standing alongside a woman in the middle of a home workout, though it9s not clear how the CLOiD is aiding with that task.
  
  We9ll get a closer look at the CLOiD and its laundry-folding abilities once the CES show floor opens later this week, so we should get a better idea of just how capable it is. It sounds like for now LG intends this to be more of a concept rather than a product it plans to actually sell. The company says that it will "continue developing home robots with practical functions and forms for housework" and also bring its robotics technology to more of its home appliances, like refrigerators with doors that can automatically open.
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/lg-reveals-its-laundry-folding-robot-at-ces-2026-215121021.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Sony Honda Afeela CES 2026 presentation
  
  Sony9s CES 2026 press conference is just a few days away, and this year comes with a twist: Rather than an overview of Sony9s electronics, video game and Hollywood studio plans for the new year, the presser will have a more narrow focus: electric vehicles. Sound odd? That9s because the traditional end-of-press-day slot isn9t just Sony, but rather Sony Honda Mobility — the joint venture responsible for the Afeela 1 electric car that has been showcased at CES for the better part of a decade. But this year, we9ll get to see an all-new concept model at the event. 
  How to watch the Sony Afeela CES 2026 press conference
  The event will be streamed live from Las Vegas on Monday, January 5 at 8PM ET via the Afeela official YouTube channel, which we9ve embedded below.
  What to expect from Sony Afeela at CES
  The Afeela 1 has been shown in various incarnations since CES 2020, where it was originally announced as the Vision-S. But so many more important details were confirmed in the past couple of years, including the price, which starts at a staggering $89,900. However, the earlier impressions were less than impressive, and as of CES 2025, that thought remains the same. Engadget9s automotive expert Tim Stevens said a year ago that the EV "feels like a PlayStation 4 in the PS5 era," and that "the car lost what little interesting styling it had while sticking true to some specifications that sounded good five years ago." Ouch. 
  
  But the Afeela 1 won9t be the only vehicle on display. Its CES booth will showcase "several Afeela 1 pre-production vehicles in multiple color variations, alongside a new Afeela concept model," Sony Honda Mobility said in a press release.
  
  The company recently announced that the Afeela will be the first vehicle ever to offer PlayStation Remote Play, which lets players stream their PS4 or PS5 games from their consoles remotely while inside the car. That9s no doubt built on the same streaming improvements that have been incorporated into the PlayStation Portal. 
  
  We9re hoping to hear about what else is new and improved at CES 2026, and we9re also excited to see its newest concept model. And between booth displays and press releases, we9re hoping we9ll get to see at least a few new Sony Electronics products on the docket for 2026, too.
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 4:17PM ET: This story has been updated to include the embedded YouTube stream for the Afeela presentation.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/how-to-watch-the-sony-honda-afeela-ces-2026-presentation-130048804.html?src=rss

• How to watch the NVIDIA CES 2026 press conference with Jensen Huang live
  CFOTO via Getty Images
  During CES 2025, NVIDIA spent much of its keynote touting its leading position in artificial intelligence. Still, the company managed to squeeze in a few notable hardware announcements, including its RTX 5000-series GPUs and Project Digits desktop supercomputer (later redubbed Spark). For this year9s show, the company9s website says it9s "lighting up CES 2026 with the power of AI." To that end, NVIDIA is going big in Las Vegas, promising hands-on demos in its Fontainebleau booth, replete with the "latest NVIDIA solutions driving innovation and productivity across industries."
  
  But if you won9t be in Vegas for the action, don9t worry. Here9s how you can watch the livestream of the company9s January 5 press conference, and what NVIDIA is expected to unveil at CES this year.
  How to watch the NVIDIA CES 2026 keynote
  NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will deliver a 90-minute keynote at CES 2026. The event will be livestreamed on Monday, January 5 at 4PM ET via NVIDIA9s website (and likely on YouTube as well). We9ll embed the link here once it9s available.
  What to expect
  NVIDIA9s game plan for CES is suitably vague so far, including "cutting-edge AI, robotics, simulation, gaming and content creation at the NVIDIA Showcase." It also notes there will be more than 20 demos. Although we9re unsure if all of these will be shown during the keynote, we can at least expect to see them throughout the week of CES.
  
  NVIDIA arrives at CES as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world (a stunning $4.6 trillion at the time of this writing, albeit down from an even higher valuation earlier in 2025). And given that the health of the US and global economy seems increasingly linked to infrastructure spending on AI data centers — largely powered by chips from NVIDIA and its competitors — expect Huang9s remarks to be as closely followed by Wall Street investors as technology acolytes, if not more so. Will we get any insight on a successor to the company9s Blackwell chip? A more detailed look at how NVIDIA9s partners are applying AI to real-world robotics? Time will tell, but you might want to keep your stock portfolio in a split screen while taking in Huang9s presentation.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/how-to-watch-the-nvidia-ces-2026-press-conference-with-jensen-huang-live-130028602.html?src=rss

• LG's 'Aerominum' Gram Pro laptops feel impossibly light and strong
  For years, LG has pushed its ultra-light Gram laptops as a way to stand out from the PC crowd, for better or worse. I was9t a big fan of the flex-prone case in the 2017 Gram, and we had similar concerns with the first 17-inch Gram in 2019. But in fairness, it9s been a while since we9ve reviewed one, and we found a lot to like in our preview of last year9s AI-equipped model. Now LG is back with a major Gram Pro redesign at CES 2026, which features a new aluminum/magnesium alloy it9s dubbed "Aerominum." And finally, it seems LG has found a balance between building a super-light notebook (the 16-inch Gram Pro weighs just 2.6 pounds), and crafting something that actually feels durable.
  
  Admittedly, the Gram Pro doesn9t look particularly impressive at first glance. It has a large 16-inch 2.8K OLED screen, which certainly looks nice, but doesn9t really stand out from the glut of other OLED laptops on market. It9s also powered by Intel9s new Panther Lake chips, and it supports dual NVMe SSDs. The magic happens when you pick it up: My brain had a hard time computing how such a large computer felt so light in my hands. And best of all, it didn9t flex much when I tried to squeeze the case.
  LG Gram Pro 16 side ports.Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  There9s still a bit of give, to be clear, but it didn9t feel as precariously bendy as earlier models. I wouldn9t stress too much about throwing it into a messenger bag without additional protection. The more I handled the Gram Pro, the more I wished other PC makers strived for similar weight reduction. The Gram Pro weighs about as much as the 13-inch MacBook Air! That9s certainly an impressive feat.
  The LG Gram Pro 169s disappointing keyboard.Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  I just wish LG spent as much time refining the Gram Pro9s keyboard as its case design. There9s barely any key travel, which made for an unresponsive and unsatisfying typing experience. I get it, LG probably doesn9t have the available vertical height for much key movement, but there are other ways to make typing feel more dynamic. The Gram Pro9s trackpad, meanwhile, is serviceable, but it also didn9t feel as smooth and responsive as what we see from Apple9s notebooks or Microsoft9s Surface Laptop.
  LG Gram Pro 17LG
  In addition to the 16-inch Gram Pro, LG also debuted a 17-inch model with an Aerominum case, which is notable for being the lightest notebook at that size with an NVIDIA RTX GPU. Specifically, it9s toting the RTX 5050, which should be enough to play most games at the laptop9s native 2,880 by 1,800 resolution (or 1440p blown up a bit). Given the more powerful hardware, the Gram Pro 17 is heavier than the 16-inch model, but it still comes at a relatively light 3.8 pounds. I didn9t get a chance to play any games on the laptop, unfortunately, but overall it looks like a decent option for someone who wants a large screen with a bit of horsepower.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lgs-aerominum-gram-pro-laptops-feel-impossibly-light-and-strong-200317743.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Lego CES 2026 press conference live
  picture alliance via Getty Images
  Are you a Lego Adult? No guilt implied — we hear you, whether you enjoy building Death Stars, Starship Enterprises or even just the occasional flower bouquet. But you may be surprised to hear that the Lego Group is set to host its very first press conference at CES 2026. Exactly what it plans to unveil is still under wraps, however. The iconic toy brick maker has offered no clues about what9s on the agenda, leaving speculation wide open, from new video games to Formula 1 race cars.
  
  Here9s how you can watch Lego9s presentation at CES, along with what we think the company could reveal.
  How to watch The Lego Group9s CES 2026 press conference
  The Lego CES press conference is scheduled for Monday, January 5 at 1PM ET. While Lego and the Consumer Technology Association haven9t yet provided the details, we expect that the press conference will be available as a livestream. Once the details are confirmed, we9ll update this post to confirm them. But if a livestream isn9t immediately available, the Engadget team will be liveblogging the Lego presser and posting timely details.
  What to expect
  Thus far, Lego hasn9t shared any public info about its CES plans, so we9re largely in the dark as to what to expect. At CES 2025, for instance, the toy production giant partnered with Sony to announce the animated Lego Horizon Adventures online game. As such, Lego may spend some time talking up its new 2026 game, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. The company may also give some stage time to its Lego Group F1 Academy racing car, though that too would be more about brand building than consumer products.
  
  And given Lego9s focus on the environment, the company may discuss its efforts to reach its 2032 ecological goals, including making its Lego bricks more sustainable and reducing carbon emissions by 37%.
  
  While there are plenty of new Lego sets for 2026, however, this is CES, not Toy Fair. So we9re assuming that the company will be showcasing something that9s more tech-centric. Stay tuned.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-the-lego-ces-2026-press-conference-live-130005019.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Hisense CES 2026 press conference live
  Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
  Hisense is typically best known for its affordable electronics and home appliances, from TVs to refrigerators. But at CES 2025, the China-based company showed off its premium side with a massive 136-inch micro LED TV — now available for a jaw-dropping $100,000. So what9s in store for this year9s show? New leadership, for starters.
  
  The company has two new hires, including Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Larsen and Chief Commercial Officer James Fishler. In a press release, Hisense said Fishler9s experience in home entertainment, appliances and HVAC is important as the company "builds toward a milestone 2026 and its presence at CES."
  
  We9ll give you a rundown of what to expect during Hisense9s presentation and how you can watch it live.
  How to watch Hisense9s presentation
  Hisense will have a livestream available on Monday, January 5 at 1PM ET on its website. We9ll embed the link here once it9s available.
  What to expect
  With its new hires in place, Hisense is clearly aiming to further polish its brand. Between Fishler and Larsen, the new front office is bringing to bear their experience from such high-powered competitors as LG, Samsung and Beats. And in a recent interview with Tom9s Guide, Larsen emphasized a continued focus on the company9s fast turnaround time from concept to market as a key differentiator for Hisense.
  
  As for actual announcements, expect Hisense to split the difference between large appliances and consumer electronics. In an early press release, the company is touting (what else) the enhanced AI smarts of its ConnectLife platform, stretching across everything from HVAC systems to kitchen gear to washer/dryers ("... with the enhanced AI Laundry Agent, fabric types and soil levels are automatically identified..."). 
  
  Meanwhile, Larsen9s aforementioned interview specifically calls out the emerging RGB TV space as a focus. We expect this year9s show will be all about explaining the shades of difference between mini and micro LED display technologies, as both Samsung and LG have already thrown down pre-announcement gauntlets on the latter. Will any of them cost less than six figures? Let9s hope Hisense has some good news to share on that front.
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 2:17PM ET: This story has been updated to include information on the Hisense ConnectLife AI platform.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/how-to-watch-the-hisense-ces-2026-press-conference-live-190040504.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Lenovo Tech World event at CES 2026
  We9ve known for several months now that tech giant Lenovo is hosting its Tech World event at Sphere is Las Vegas during CES week. And like many other tech conglomerates, the world9s largest PC manufacturer by units shipped is centering its focus on AI. Lenovo says it will be a "Tech World experience unlike anything CES has seen before." We9ll tell you where to livestream the event and what the company has teased so far.
  How to watch the Lenovo CES 2026 event live
  Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang will host the event on Tuesday, January 6 at 8PM ET. You can follow along to the livestream on YouTube once the event starts. (We9ve embedded the code below.)
  What to expect
  Lenovo is using the high-profile Sphere venue to share some of its tie-ins to the sports world, offering an exclusive look at how the company9s technology has "revolutionized F1," Yang said in a press release. He9ll also preview the plans for leveraging AI at this summer9s FIFA World Cup, which takes place in the US.
  
  After the event has wrapped up, pop singer Gwen Stefani will take the stage to perform.
  
  As for real products, look for Lenovo to build on some of its successful launches from CES 2025. A year ago, we saw the portable Lenovo Legion Go S – the first third-party SteamOS handheld gaming device – as well as its "stretchy" laptop, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable that extends 2.7 inches taller with a touch of a button. To Lenovo9s credit, both products were actually released and available for sale within months, unlike the vaporware that seems to comprise the bulk of many companies9 CES announcements.
  
  Lastly, don9t be surprised if we see some new Motorola smartphones, given that Lenovo is the parent company of the phone manufacturer. Maybe a new Razr foldable? We9ll find out either way on Tuesday evening.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/how-to-watch-the-lenovo-tech-world-event-at-ces-2026-130004983.html?src=rss

• How to watch the LG CES 2026 press conference
  LG
  For years, LG has opened CES press day with the first event of the morning. Though arch-rival Samsung getting the jump on its fellow Korean rival by giving its presentation the evening before, LG will be hitting the podium at breakfast time with the theme "Innovation in Tune with You." 
  
  As with many tech-focused events nowadays, AI is expected to serve as the unifying thread of LG9s CES 2026 presentation. That said, LG — much like Apple — has its own take on the acronym, referring to it as "Affectionate Intelligence." The company will share "its vision for elevating daily life through Affectionate Intelligence — delivering harmonized and seamlessly connected customer experiences." The irony, though, is that LG has already shown its cards, thanks to a long string of pre-show press releases offering details about a litany of new products (see below).
  How to watch LG9s CES 2026 presentation
  The event will stream live from Las Vegas on Monday, January 5 at 11AM ET. You9ve got a few options for tuning in — watch the livestream on the LG website, the LG Global X channel or the LG Global YouTube channel (embedded below).
  What to expect
  Here9s what LG has already confirmed it will be showcasing at CES 2026: 
  
  LG will debut its first Micro RGB TV, a display with a cutting-edge screen technology with multicolor backlights that should one-up mini LED displays. The size options are 100 inches, 86 inches and 75 inches.
  
  The company is countering Samsung9s Frame TVs with its new LG Gallery TV, arriving in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes.
  
  Look for a new LG humanoid home automation robot named CLOiD to take the stage. 
  
  In the audio realm, the Korean multinational will also introduce a Dolby-powered modular home audio system and a new line of its xboom speakers (developed with musician will.i.am). 
  
  LG is revamping its ultralight Gram laptop line with a proprietary material it calls Aerominum. 
  
  Does that leave any surprises for the CES press conference? We9ll find out on January 5. 
  
  Update, December 31 2025, 12:36PM ET: This story has been updated to include more LG CES pre-announcements, and to embed the YouTube stream. 
  
  Update, January 4 2026, 1:09PM ET: This story has been updated to include information on LG9s new laptop line.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/how-to-watch-the-lg-ces-2026-press-conference-190159378.html?src=rss

• Plaud's latest AI wearable has a button for flagging key moments
  Plaud is back with another conversation-recording AI wearable. This one, the NotePin S, is only a minor iteration on the original NotePin. This model adds… a button.
  
  The recessed recording button replaces the squeeze-to-record mechanism on the 2024 original. A single long press starts recording. It also adds a new "press to highlight" feature. The idea is to flag what9s most important in a conversation, helping the AI learn what to emphasize in its summary.
  
  Otherwise, you9re getting the same package as in the first NotePin. The capsule-sized "S" model still has two microphones, weighs 0.6 ounces and has an advertised reliable recording range of 9.8 feet. (Students may want to keep that last point in mind before considering one for classes in lecture halls.) It includes hardware to set it up as a pin / lapel, lanyard, wristband or clip.
  
  The NotePin S is available today for $179. You can order it from Plaud9s website and Amazon. Just be sure to look out for your fellow humans and get their consent before recording them, okay?
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/plauds-latest-ai-wearable-has-a-button-for-flagging-key-moments-170000172.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Intel CES 2026 launch event
  SOPA Images via Getty Images
  We9re just hours away from the start of CES 2026, and with that comes Intel9s launch event. The chip giant is expected to provide more details on its AI PC initiative and the new processors powering it: The Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs (aka Panther Lake) are made using an 18A process — that9s 18 angstroms, or just under 2nm — and designed for high-end laptops and gaming devices.
  
  For Intel, the stakes at CES are higher than ever. In the past 12 months, both NVIDIA and the US government acquired ownership stakes in the company, helping nearly double the stock price by the end of the year. But that9s still down over more than 20 percent since 2021, as rivals like TSMC, Qualcomm, AMD and NVIDIA have taken the leadership mantle in chip fabrication and AI hardware. 
  How to watch Intel9s launch event
  Senior VP of Intel9s Client Computing Group Jim Johnson will kick off the launch event on Monday, January 5 at 6PM ET. A livestream will be available on the Intel Newsroom YouTube channel, which we9ll post here when it9s live.
  What to expect from Intel at CES 2026
  As we noted above, Intel has publicly confirmed that it will be highlighting "the next generation of Intel-powered PCs, edge solution, and the AI experiences enabled by the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Processors." We9ll be keen to hear if the company can address the profitability concerns that have surrounded those next-gen chips since at least last summer, when published reports indicated that yields were still under 50 percent. (In response, Intel told Engadget that it felt "very good" about its trajectory on Panther Lake, though it didn9t hit the late 2025 release date it had envisioned at the time.)
  
  Will we get any updates on that NVIDIA partnership? It9s possible. But don9t expect to hear anything about Intel possibly fabricating the chips for that rumored new entry-level MacBook Air. If that comes to pass, the announcement will definitely be at a time and place of Apple9s choosing. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/how-to-watch-the-intel-ces-2026-launch-event-130040089.html?src=rss

• Govee's CES lineup includes a ceiling lamp that simulates skylights
  Govee, which makes some of the more unique and interesting smart lighting products, has a new batch at CES 2026. That includes two ceiling lights (one of which simulates a skylight) and a floor lamp that supports trillions of colors.
  
  Govee describes the new Ceiling Light Ultra as "the industry9s first ceiling light designed as a true creative canvas." It uses 616 individually controlled LEDs (the highest in its class, according to Govee) to provide that level of detail. Using the Govee app, you can design visuals for it "with up to eight distinct layers of motion, color and shapes."
  Govee Ceiling Light UltraGovee
  The product will support an upcoming AI Lighting Bot 2.0 update. The new version of the scene creation chatbot lets other compatible lights (including the Gaming Pixel Light) "generate dynamic GIF animations."
  
  If your ceiling lamp needs are as simple as “look like a skylight, please,” there9s the Govee Ceiling Light with Blue Sky Effect. The company says it emulates natural skylights "with high accuracy." (However, it9s also less flexible than the Ultra, with far fewer individually controlled LEDs.) You can also use it as a more traditional white-light fixture, and Govee says it9s good for spaces are large as 300 square feet.
  Govee Floor Lamp 3Govee
  Finally, there9s the Govee Floor Lamp 3. The sleek light9s 16-bit RGBIC array allows it to reproduce over 281 trillion colors. Its white lighting capabilities range from 1000K to 10000K. It also supports a new DaySync system that can adjust lighting effects to match the time of day.
  
  Unfortunately, we don9t yet know precisely when any of the new lights will be available — or how much they9ll cost. But we did learn that Govee lights will now work with Samsung SmartThings, joining their existing support for Matter, Alexa and Google Assistant.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/govees-ces-lineup-includes-a-ceiling-lamp-that-simulates-skylights-130000611.html?src=rss

• Volkswagen is bringing physical buttons back to the dashboard with the ID. Polo EV
  We could be witnessing the start of the renaissance for real buttons in cars, courtesy of Volkswagen9s ID. Polo. The German automaker unveiled the interior of its upcoming compact EV, which features real buttons, switches and even a knob for audio controls.
  
  "We have created an interior that feels like a friend from the very first contact," Volkswagen9s chief designer, Andreas Mindt, said in a press release. "Clear physical buttons provide stability and trust, warm materials make it appealing, and charming details such as the new retro views of the instruments show the typical Volkswagen wink."
  Volkswagen
  Last year, Mindt told ID. 2all concept car that has since evolved to become the ID. Polo. The EV maker backed up those claims since the ID. Polo will feature tangible buttons underneath the infotainment display, along with a steering wheel that9s packed with even more clear buttons. Between the driver and passenger, Volkswagen even included a knob that can adjust audio volume or shuffle between tracks and radio stations.
  Volkswagen
  Besides the renewed emphasis on physical controls, Volkswagen still included a 10.25-inch digital cockpit behind the steering wheel. In the center, there9s a nearly 13-inch touchscreen that serves as the infotainment system. For a retro throwback, the ID. Polo can swap its cockpit display to one that9s inspired by the classic Golf I from the 1980s through a button on its steering wheel or with the infotainment touchscreen.
  
  The ID. Polo is expected to be the first of four new EVs in Volkswagen9s small and compact car segment, which will see releases in European markets starting this year. However, it9s not all good news, since Volkswagen has no plans to release the compact EV in the US.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagen-is-bringing-physical-buttons-back-to-the-dashboard-with-the-id-polo-ev-190246116.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Hyundai CES 2026 presentation live
  A look at Hyundai9s Holographic Windshield Display. (Hyundai)
  CES has long felt like a full-on auto show, but the car-centric energy seems somewhat muted at CES 2026. Sure, the Afeela electric vehicle from the Sony-Honda joint venture is returning to the show floor, but with the Trump administration yanking most EV incentives from the market, the industry isn9t offering a full-court press of new vehicles in Las Vegas this year. That said, there9s no shortage of in-cabin car tech on display, including Hyundai9s Holographic Windshield Display.
  
  Indeed, the company9s Mobis subsidiary will present "more than 30 mobility convergence technologies" during CES. And we9ll also get to see Hyundai9s AI Robotics Strategy, which will showcase its new Atlas robot fresh out of the lab.
  How to watch Hyundai9s presentation at CES 2026
  Hyundai9s presentation takes place on January 5 at 4PM ET, and you can livestream it on either its HyundaiUSA YouTube channel or its global YouTube channel. We9ll embed the stream here once it9s available.
  What to expect
  As mentioned above, Hyundai will have its Holographic Windshield Display for viewing. It9s essentially a next-gen heads-up display that projects key data from the vehicle9s dash on the windshield for less distraction, and without obstructing the driver9s view. It9s a vertically expandable 18.1-inch large display, and passengers can even watch videos without being visible to the driver.
  
  Hyundai Mobis collaborated with German optics specialist Zeiss to develop the "world9s first system to utilize holographic film to transform the entire front windshield into an ultra-large display surface." It says it will begin mass production in 2029, so don9t expect to see this on the market anytime soon.
  
  Beyond automotive, though, we9ll also get a first-ever look at the company9s new Atlas robot. In the teaser image shown in the press release, Atlas looks rather dog-like, which makes sense when you remember that Boston Dynamics was purchased by the Korean multinational back in 2020.
  
  "This next-generation Atlas represents a tangible step toward the commercialization of AI Robotics, highlighting the Group’s commitment to building safe and adaptable robotic co-workers," the company said in the same press release.
  
  Hyundai said it will also discuss its other tech areas, including electronics and chassis system safety, as well as an AR head-up display, low-power display solutions and EV drive systems.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/how-to-watch-the-hyundai-ces-2026-presentation-live-190051072.html?src=rss

• California introduces a one-stop shop to delete your online data footprint
  Californians can now put a stop to their personal data being sold around on an online trading floor, thanks to a new free tool. On January 1, the state launched its Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, shortened to DROP, that allows residents to request to delete all of their personal information online that9s been harvested by data brokers.
  
  According to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy), which was responsible for DROP9s release, it9s a "first of its kind" tool that imposes new restrictions on businesses that hoard and sell personal info that consumers didn9t provide directly. The process requires verifying your California residency before you can send a "single deletion request to every registered data broker in California."
  
  On the other end, CalPrivacy will require data brokers to register every year and to process any deletion requests from DROP. Data brokers will also have to report the type of information they collect and share, while also being subject to regular audits that check for compliance. If any data broker is found skirting the requirements, they could face penalties and fines.
  
  Besides being the first in the country to offer this type of comprehensive tool that deletes online personal data, CalPrivacy said it9s one of four states, including Oregon, Texas and Vermont, to require data broker registration. According to the agency, data brokers will start processing the first deletion requests from DROP starting August 1, 2026.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/california-introduces-a-one-stop-shop-to-delete-your-online-data-footprint-173102064.html?src=rss

• How to watch the Bosch CES 2026 press conference live on Monday
  You might recognize Bosch as a home appliance name (thanks to its partnership with Siemens), but the German multinational brand9s core business is really about providing the underlying technology and engineering that powers cars, homes and factories around the world. That focus is reflected at CES 2026, where much of what Bosch is unveiling is intended to be licensed to other companies rather than sold as Bosch-branded products on store shelves.
  
  Case in point is Bosch9s automotive plans at CES. The company is showcasing what it calls "AI in the car," or more specifically, in the cockpit of the car. "Bosch9s AI-powered cockpit makes driving more comfortable, intuitive, and safer for all occupants," Bosch board member Markus Heyn said in a press release. We9ll get into all the details below, as well as how to tune in to the press conference on Monday.
  How to watch Bosch9s CES 2026 presentation
  You can livestream the event on Monday, January 5 at 12PM ET via the Bosch press page or YouTube. (We9ve embedded the stream link below.)
  What to expect
  Bosch will be setting up shop in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (booth 16203), where the company will be focusing on its three big themes — mobility, smart home integrations and manufacturing — all of which will include hardware, software and AI solutions.
  
  Like many other CES 2026 exhibitors, look for Bosch to emphasize its partnerships with the big dogs of the AI space at the show. For instance, that AI-powered car cockpit mentioned above will feature integrations with both Microsoft and NVIDIA. For instance, Bosch is touting the ability to use voice commands to join a Teams call, while the car9s system will automatically activate adaptive cruise control. And it9s noting that NVIDIA9s software suites will help manage "real-time sensor processing and vision-language models."
  
  Here9s a glimpse of what the booth will look like:
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-watch-the-bosch-ces-2026-press-conference-live-on-monday-130020396.html?src=rss

• Prices for an old Star Wars game have ballooned because of its role in a PS5 jailbreak
  The price for a PS4 copy of the relatively obscure Star Wars racing game, Star Wars Racer Revenge, has dramatically increased in the last few days because of the game’s use in the latest PlayStation 5 jailbreak, in 2019. Its role as a key ingredient in the jailbreaking process was announced on December 31.
  
  Interested jailbreakers need Racer Revenge to jailbreak PS5 12.00 firmware because of a bug in the game9s Hall of Fame feature, according to Eurogamer. The bug makes it possible to inject new code into Sony9s console, and because the PS5 is able to load and play PS4 discs, Star Wars Racer Revenge is an easier method to pull the jailbreak off. Retail releases of games are a common way to execute exploits and hacks because, unlike digital copies, they can’t be directly patched.
  
  While the PS4 version of Star Wars Racer Revenge was available for anywhere between $14.99 to $37.50 when it went on sale originally, used copies are currently listed for as high as $411 on eBay. Sellers are naturally trying to capitalize on the game9s new position in the jailbreaking meta and raising the price accordingly. Of course, it helps that there9s only a small number of copies to go around.
  
  As the company9s name suggests, Limited Run Games releases old games in limited quantities as collector items. The company only ever made 8,500 copies of Racer Revenge per its own data, so the game is already rare in some sense, and now expensive to boot while there9s interest in the PS5 jailbreak.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/prices-for-an-old-star-wars-game-have-ballooned-because-of-its-role-in-a-ps5-jailbreak-230604276.html?src=rss

• The best VPN deals: Up to 88 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
  Christmas may be over, but some holiday VPN deals are still going strong. The early days of January are a great time to grab a last-minute subscription for yourself or a loved one. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers.
  
  Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, jumping on the first deal that comes along might get you stuck with a substandard app. Beyond that, even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be.
  
  Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. Plenty of the best VPNs — including our top pick, Proton VPN — are still running end-of-year deals that can save you anywhere from 67 to 88 percent on annual subscriptions. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but as long as you're comfortable with a service before you take the plunge, committing actually makes sense. You pay more at the start, but if you divide the cost by the months of subscription, it's much cheaper over time.
  Best VPN deals
  
  
  
  
  ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 73 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.
  
  split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.
  
  NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This holiday deal gives you 74 percent off the two-year plan, which also comes with three extra months.
  
  Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
  
  EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.
  
  Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
  What makes a good VPN deal
  Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
  
  One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-88-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056445.html?src=rss

• Where are Engadget's CES 2025 winners now?
  With CES 2026 slated to officially start next week, the focus is understandably on all the new products that will be announced at this year's event. But before diving into what’s new, we thought it was a good idea to revisit our best of show winners from last year to see where they're at. After all, CES is synonymous with vaporware. The good news is the Engadget team has a keen sense for BS. Of the ones we awarded at CES 2025 that haven’t been released, most are coming this year. For the remaining few, we’ll be hunting them down this CES.
  ASUS Zenbook A14An Asus Zenbook A14 sits out a patio table. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  When we saw the ASUS Zenbook A14 at CES 2025, it left us impressed with its lightweight but well-made chassis, beautiful OLED screen and excellent mix of ports. After spending more time with it, the A14's shortcomings became more apparent. In his review of the ultraportable, Engadget's Devindra Hardawar gave the laptop a score of 78, lamenting its poor performance and expensive price tag. In the end, it wasn't quite the Windows MacBook Air competitor he had hoped for initially.   
  BioLite Backup The BioLite Backup powers a Galan2 fridge. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  At CES 2025, BioLite was already taking pre-orders for its automatic home backup power supply. The BioLite Backup didn't arrive in 2025, but if you visit the company's website today, you can reserve one for $100, with final pricing expected to start at $2,000. BioLite says units will start shipping this year.       
  Jackery Solar RoofA CES display shows the Jackery XBC solar panels in obsidian.Jess Conditt for Engadget
  Before CES 2025, Jackery was already an established player in the domestic solar power industry, and at the event, it impressed us with its XBC curved solar shingles. They look like regular roof shingles, but Jackery said they would deliver cell conversion efficiency of more than 25 percent. 
  
  It's taken longer than anticipated, but Jackery says it now expects the shingles to go on sale in the US "very soon," with pricing likely to range between $1,100 and $1,300 per square meter depending on the customer's design requirements and how they purchase the product. When contacted by Engadget, Jackery also teased a handful of announcements for CES 2026, including updates on devices like the Solar Mars Robot it's been working on for the last little while. 
  Lenovo Legion Go SThe Lenovo Legion Go S sits on an opaque glass table with a comic book behind it. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  With the Legion Go S, Lenovo promised two different versions of its new handheld: one running Windows 11, and the other Valve's Steam OS. Unfortunately, the Windows variant arrived first (shortly after CES), and was about as good as expected. However, the wait for the SteamOS model was well worth it. When Engadget's Sam Rutherford finally reviewed it over the summer, he praised it for fast performance, bright display and of course the ease of use offered by SteamOS. 
  LG OLED evo M5A man and his dalmatian gaze at a 77-inch LG OLED TV.LG
  LG's OLED TVs are a perennial CES favorite at Engadget, and the company's 2025 slate was no different. The flagship evo M5 model impressed with its 165Hz refresh rate for gaming, better image processing for lower resolution content and a wireless transmission system for video and audio. At $4,300, the set is expensive, but the good news is LG typically does a good job of trickling down features to its more  affordable sets, and I'm sure the company will continue to improve on its OLED technology this year.
  Moonbird Moonbuddy  A hand holds the Moonbird Moonbuddy. The device has the teddy sleeve on. Moonbird
  The Moonbuddy was one of two "cute" gadgets that made Engadget's best of CES 2025 list. We liked Moonbird's decision to make a screenless meditation and sleep aid for children. The good news is you can buy your kid a Moonbuddy right now, with the device currently discounted to $110.42 as part of Moonbird's end of year sale.
  
  Unfortunately, when Engadget contacted the company to ask about its CES 2026, all it sent us back was a response from "Luna," its automated AI agent. "I don't have specific information about our CES 2026 exhibition plans to share with you right now," the bot told me, adding I should email the address I just emailed to get a response from a human being. 
  OhSnap MCONEngadget senior reporter Jessica Conditt holds the OhSnap MCON in her hand at CES 2025. The attached phone displays Minecraft.Jess Conditt for Engadget
  The OhSnap MCON won us over with its simple pitch: it basically had the ability to turn any smartphone into a Xperia Play. Actually accomplishing that feat was more complicated, with components like Hall effect joysticks for added durability increasing the time it took for OhSnap to get the product ready. For that reason, the MCON didn't make it out to consumers in 2025. However, you can preorder one now for about $210, with shipments slated to start this year.  
  Roborock Saros Z70The Roborock Saros Z70 uses its robotic arm to put a handful of socks into a basket. Karissa Bell for Engadget
  The Saros Z70 was one of a handful of robot vacuums that debuted at CES 2025 with a built-in extendable arm, but Roborock's flagship was the one that made the best impression. We didn't end up recommending it in our robot vacuum guide; there are more affordable options that will appeal to a greater number of people. But if you want the latest and greatest, the Saros Z70 is on sale right now for $2,000.  
  Yukai Engineering MirumiA Mirumi robot sticks to a pink purse. Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  Of all the gadgets Engadget saw at CES 2025, it's fair to say the Mirumi robot from Yukai Engineering was the only one to steal our hearts. All this cute little charm does is stare at you and move its head around a little until you’ve been tricked into a few moments of happiness, and honestly that was more than enough for us to award it a best of CES award. Right now, you can find Yukai Engineering accepting pre-orders for Mirumi through Kickstarter. The project, which began at the start of December, easily surged past its modest $4,878 goal, raising $267,170 as of the writing of this article. The campaign ends on January 22, so you still have time to secure your Mirumi preorder. 
  Technics EAH-AZ100 earbudsA pair of Technics AZ100 earbuds sit on a wooden desk, with an iPhone and a pair of books next to them. Billy Steele for Engadget
  They might have only been a pair of earbuds, but a lot of us left CES really excited about the Technics EAH-AZ100. The reason for that was that they were the debut of the company's new magnetic fluid drivers technology, which promised to deliver even more clarity, detail and bass than the drivers in Technics' already excellent AZ80 earbuds. When Engadget's resident audio guru Billy Steele got a chance to review the EAH-AZ100 a couple of months later, he gave them a score of 85, saying they offered "some of the best sound quality in any of the hundreds of earbuds I’ve tested over the years." 
  Urtopia Titanium ZeroThe Titanium Zero sits at a CES display with other e-bikes nearby.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  As a cyclist, the Urtopia Titanium Zero was the one product I left CES 2025 excited to see in the real world. If a titanium bike wasn't cool enough already, the Zero's Quark DM1.2 motor offered something actually innovative: a mid-drive motor with more power output than even the best hub motor. Unfortunately, while you can buy plenty of other e-bikes off of Urtopia's website, the Titanium Zero isn't on sale yet. That said, the company plans to showcase the bike, alongside the Quark DM1.2, at CES 2026.  
  WeWalk Smart Cane 2A person uses the Wewalk Smart Cane 2 to find their way through a CES booth. Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  The WeWalk Smart Cane 2 won two awards from Engadget during CES 2025, including our coveted best in show nod. At an event where nearly every manufacturer found a way to add AI to their devices, the Smart Cane 2 appealed to us for its thoughtful use of the tech. It offers turn-by-turn navigation and obstacle detection, in addition to a GPT-powered voice assistant to give users a way to access information without also having to juggle their phone at the same time. If you visit WeWalk's website today, there's a "buy now" link for the Smart Cane 2 that leads to a dead end. When Engadget reached out to WeWalk, the company said it would be once again at CES demoing the Smart Cane 2.    
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/where-are-engadgets-ces-2025-winners-now-194500216.html?src=rss

• GE's new Smart Refrigerator automates grocery shopping with a barcode scanner and Instacart
  Smart fridges are a dime a dozen at CES, and LG and Samsung have thoroughly explored what9s possible when you connect your fridge to the internet or slap a touchscreen on the front. The new GE Profile Smart Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant GE is announcing ahead of CES 2026 doesn9t reinvent the wheel in that regard, but it does include a first: a built-in barcode scanner for adding items to your shopping list.
  
  GE9s "Scan-to-List" feature uses the barcode scanner to quickly (and precisely) add items to a shareable shopping list in GE9s SmartHQ app. You can refer to that list while you9re shopping in person, or sync it  with Instacart and have it delivered, eliminating the need to go grocery shopping entirely. Inside the fridge, GE also includes a flush-mount LED bar with a built-in camera that can deliver "real-time, on-demand snapshots of crisper drawers, focusing on the most costly and perishable items." This "FridgeFocus" feature is supposed to prevent you from overbuying perishable produce that you might already have, by letting you see which perishables might go bad first.
  GE9s fridge is stainless steel and has a built-in touchscreen display.GE
  On top of those smart features, the GE Profile Smart Refrigerator has a four-door stainless steel design, with door-in-door storage and an adjustable temperature drawer. The fridge also has an 8-inch touchscreen display for viewing recipes or the current weather conditions, and microphones for accepting voice commands. When you9re dispensing water, the fridge9s water dispenser is supposed to be smart enough to fill a container with the exact right amount of water using built-in sensors, too.
  
  The GE Profile Smart Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant will be available from GE and select retailers starting in April 2026 for a suggested MSRP of $4,899.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/ges-new-smart-refrigerator-automates-grocery-shopping-with-a-barcode-scanner-and-instacart-194326610.html?src=rss

• Amazon's base Kindle is $20 off right now
  The latest entry-level Kindle ereader is on sale for $90 via Amazon. This is a nice discount of $20. It9s not a record-low price, but it9s certainly a budget-friendly way to keep that New Year9s resolution to read more.
  
  This made our list of the best ereaders, and for good reason. It9s an iconic device that gets the job done. It doesn9t have much by way of modern bells and whistles, but it ships with 16GB of storage and comes in two snazzy colorways.
  
  
  
  The build is compact and durable. It9s also light, which makes it easy to pack and easy to hold up with one hand. It allows access to the vast Kindle library and this deal comes with three months of Kindle Unlimited. That9s sort of like Netflix, but for books. The selection isn9t comprehensive, but I9ve always found something to read when in a pinch.
  
  This is an entry-level device. There9s no color screen and no option to use a stylus. The battery, however, does last around six weeks with regular use. This is a metric I can personally confirm. It seems like I barely charge mine and it9s always ready to go.
  
  The only major downside here is that this is one of those Amazon devices that forces ads on you. There is a version without lockscreen ads, but it costs more. I never really found them to be all that intrusive, given that they are tethered to the lockscreen and mostly advertise books.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-base-kindle-is-20-off-right-now-183302484.html?src=rss

• Clicks is bringing its first smartphone and a new keyboard to CES 2026
  Clicks is bringing its physical keyboard products to CES yet again, and these are chock full of nostalgia. The company has also unveiled its first smartphone, aimed at "communication, not consumption," that it says will function as a second phone used mostly for messaging.
  
  The phone is dubbed the Clicks Communicator and features a tactile keyboard, a 4-inch OLED display, a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable microSD storage up to 2TB. The interface is built on Android 16 and supports hardware-level encryption.
  
  Even though Clicks says it wants to leave "content capture" to a users9 primary device, the Communicator still sports a 50MP main camera and 24MP front camera. The phone also has NFC to support Google Pay, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability. Its 4,000 mAh battery can be charged via USB-C or wireless charging.
  
  While the Communicator may look like a Blackberry or Palm device from days gone by, it carries modern features like a fingerprint sensor in the spacebar. It also has what Clicks calls a Signal LED, which is a customizable alert light that lets users know when specific people or apps are causing notifications.
  
  As much as Clicks talks about its new phone as a secondary device, it follows the trend of minimalist or "dumb" phones as more users pull away from an overexposure to technology, social media and notifications. Some might even find it compelling as a primary device. But the secondary device idea feels unproven: having two phones would mean two phone plans with two phone numbers, which could be impractical for many users. The Communicator can be reserved now for $399 and will increase to $499 on February 27.
  
  For users wanting a tactile keyboard to use with standard smartphones, Clicks has made the Power Keyboard. It features a QWERTY layout with directional keys and a number row. It attaches via MagSafe or Qi2 and has a 2,150 mAh battery to help keep your phone topped up. The phone can then be flipped into either a horizontal or vertical orientation, which ends up resembling a T-Mobile Sidekick.
  Clicks
  The keyboard is compatible with both iOS and Android and since it pairs via Bluetooth, it can also be used with tablets, smart TVs and virtual reality headsets. Pre-orders for the Power Keyboard will open January 2 and an actual launch is expected in the spring. The keyboard will retail for $110, though early-bird pricing is available for $80.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/clicks-is-bringing-its-first-smartphone-and-a-new-keyboard-to-ces-2026-182239003.html?src=rss

• How to watch Awesome Games Done Quick 2026
  It9s time for more speedrunning (and other shenanigans) with the Games Done Quick (GDQ) crew. The first event of the year, Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ), kicks off on Sunday, January 4, with Super Mario Sunshine. Donations for this year9s shindig will benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
  
  AGDQ 2026 has a whole week of 24/7 speedruns on tap. You9ll see slots for some of 20259s biggest games: the official GDQ Twitch channel. You can browse the full schedule for more details.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-awesome-games-done-quick-2026-174938687.html?src=rss

• LG made up a new word for its next ultralight Gram laptops: 'Aerominum'
  LG just announced some new Gram AI laptops ahead of CES 2026. These are incredibly portable laptops that the company says are the "lightest in their class." This is largely thanks to a proprietary material that LG has dubbed Aerominum.
  
  This material reportedly "reduces the laptop9s weight while reinforcing" structural strength. In other words, these computers are both light and durable. Each model offers improved scratch resistance, while providing a "sleek metallic finish." The laptops have also been designed to meet military-grade durability standards.
  
  The AI in the name refers to the inclusion of Microsoft Copilot+ PC and LG9s on-device system. The laptops should be able to handle some AI tasks without an active internet connection.
  
  These computers can also access LG9s Link technology, which allows file sharing and screen mirroring across multiple devices. This works with smartphones, webOS devices, TVs, monitors and projectors.
  
  There are two new laptops in the refreshed line. The LG gram Pro 17 boasts a 17-inch WQXGA LCD screen. It also comes with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU. This is being called the "world9s lightest 17-inch laptop." The LG gram Pro 16 features an OLED display and is powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors.
  
  We don9t have pricing or availability yet on these. We9ll update this post when we find out. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lg-made-up-a-new-word-for-its-next-ultralight-gram-laptops-aerominum-172323577.html?src=rss

• Pebble brings its round-faced smartwatch back from the dead
  You’ve probably heard people say it’s impossible to go back and correct some error from the past. To those people, you should raise a middle finger in defiance (they are miserable, after all), and then point them to the tale of Pebble’s unlikely revival. The smartwatch pioneer’s return was a surprise of 2025, and now the company has resurrected one of its last great triumphs. It’s announcing the Pebble Round 2, and company founder Eric Migicovsky is looking to put right what once went wrong.
  
  The Pebble Round 2 is the successor to the Pebble Time Round, which debuted in 2015 to what can only be described as frustrated reviews. It was a truly thin smartwatch, with a glorious round display, but that came at the cost of battery life and durability. The fancier components also added to the cost which pushed it to an unreasonable-for-the-time $249. It’s these flaws which the company has sought to address with the Round 2, as well as some of the issues that weren’t deal breakers at the time, but certainly weren’t ideal. 
  
  For instance, the massive bezel around the display is now a thing of the past, with the Round 2’s 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen now stretching to the edge of its case. The viewing angles have also been dramatically improved, enabling you to check the time without having to move your wrist. The display has also been bonded to the glass crystal, reducing reflectivity and glare which was another downside for the original model. 
  
  Better still, the battery life is now more than two weeks on a single charge, giving it the sort of Pebble-esque longevity its users demand. And it’s retained that thinness — measuring in at just 8.1mm — which is far more elegant than the chunkier smartwatches from other manufacturers. Plus, there’s dual microphones for interacting with AI agents and dictating messages, as well as step and sleep tracking.
  
  Migicovsky explained that the focus here isn’t just to correct some of the more glaring issues from the first model. As he wrote back in 2022, Pebble’s failure was down to its attempt to broaden its appeal beyond the users who had so warmly adopted it in the first place. Consequently, rather than include bulky features like a a built-in optical heart-rate sensor, the focus is on utility. Not to mention a desire to reintroduce some much-needed whimsy into hardware, and empowering users to tinker with their devices, enabling them to craft their own watch faces.
  
  Hopefully, we’ll get some time in person with the Pebble Round 2 in the next few days, but in the meantime, it’s up for pre-order from today. It’ll set you back $199, and will begin shipping in May. And if you’ve already put down cash for a Pebble Time 2, and want to change your mind, you can switch your order over, no questions asked.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebble-brings-its-round-faced-smartwatch-back-from-the-dead-150000172.html?src=rss

• Engadget Podcast: Everything we expect at CES 2026
  We’re gearing up for CES 2026! Engadget will be on the ground, once again, to dive into the latest TVs, wearables and other wild tech from the world’s biggest consumer electronics show. In this episode, we chat about some new products we expect to see, like Micro RGB LED TVs and AI devices, and peer into what’s ahead for the rest of 2026.
  Subscribe!
  iTunes
  
  Spotify
  
  Pocket Casts
  
  Stitcher
  
  Google Podcasts
  Credits
  Hosts: Devindra Hardawar
  Producer: Ben Ellman
  Music: Dale North and Terrence O9Brien
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/engadget-podcast-everything-we-expect-at-ces-2026-144657955.html?src=rss

• Elon Musk's Grok AI posted CSAM image following safeguard 'lapses'
  Elon Musk9s Grok AI has been allowing users to transform photographs of woman and children into sexualized and compromising images, uproar among users on X and prompted an "apology" from the bot itself. "I deeply regret an incident on Dec. 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user9s prompt," Grok said in a post. An X representative has yet to comment on the matter.
  
  According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, CSAM includes "AI-generated content that makes it look like a child is being abused," as well as "any content that sexualizes or exploits a child for the viewer’s benefit."
  
  Several days ago, users noticed others on the site asking Grok to digitally manipulate photos of women and children into sexualized and abusive content, according to acknowledged that "a company could face criminal or civil penalties if it knowingly facilitates or fails to prevent AI-generated CSAM after being alerted." 
  
  The Internet Watch Foundation recently revealed that AI-generated CSAM has increased by an increase orders of magnitude in 2025 compared to the year before. This is in part because the language models behind AI generation are accidentally trained on real photos of children scraped from school websites and social media or even prior CSAM content.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musks-grok-ai-posted-csam-image-following-safeguard-lapses-140521454.html?src=rss

• Fender Audio will introduce a new line of Bluetooth speakers and headphones at CES
  Fender Audio, the consumer electronics arm of the instrument maker, will introduce two flagship audio products at this year9s CES in Las Vegas. These products were made under a licensing agreement with Singapore-based company RiffSound.
  
  First up is a line of Bluetooth speakers dubbed the ELIE (Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive). The lineup includes two models, the E6 and E12. The speakers leverage a combination of DSP and system-on-a-chip processing, which Fender says can deliver more volume while maintaining greater power efficiency.
  
  Each speaker can handle up to four audio channels at once, including a Bluetooth source, a wired XLR or 1/4-inch input and two additional wireless channels with compatible Fender Audio accessories. Users can also sync up two ELIE speakers in a stereo set-up. The announcement was light on specific differences between the E6 and E12, but in images shared with Engadget, the E12 appears larger. We9ll be seeing these in person at CES for a more thorough evaluation.
  
  Fender will also introduce the MIX headphones, a set of modular cans that the company says are designed to adapt to a user9s sound and style preferences. The headphones include a USB-C transmitter that offers lossless, low-latency and Auracast transmission modes.
  
  The headphones are powered by 40mm graphene drivers and feature active noise cancellation. They work in wired or wireless mode, with up to 100 hours of battery life, according to Fender. The company hasn9t shared much about the modular aspect of these headphones, but we9ll get a closer look at CES. Details on pricing and availability have not been shared.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/fender-audio-will-introduce-a-new-line-of-bluetooth-speakers-and-headphones-at-ces-130041696.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: Instagram boss says ‘more practical to fingerprint real media than fake media’
  Instagram’s top exec Adam Mosseri expects AI content to overtake non-AI imagery and discussed the implications for the platform and users.
  
  Mosseri shared his thoughts on broader trends he expects to shape Instagram in 2026. “Everything that made creators matter — the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn’t be faked — is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools,” he wrote. “The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything.” He added: “There is already a growing number of people who believe, as I do, that it will be more practical to fingerprint real media than fake media.”
  
  Mosseri doesn’t address the risk that this will alienate many photographers and other creators who have already grown frustrated with the app — it looks like Instagram is leaning into the AI firehose. And hey: whatever keeps its users using it.
  
  Mosseri suggests many complaints stem from an outdated vision of what Instagram even is. The feed of “polished” square images, he says, “is dead.” Instead of trying to “make everyone look like a professional photographer,” Mosseri says that more “raw” and “unflattering” images will be how creators can prove they are real — not AI.
  
  Or you could CES 2026: What to expectFirst up, Samsung.preview that we’ll update in the run-up to the full show, but the major tech announcements will likely center on chips (ah, AI) and new TV tech (ah, CES). Intel is finally taking the wraps off its Panther Lake (Core Ultra Series 3) chips — the first to debut on the company’s 18A process. With a promised 50 percent performance boost, Intel needs to prove it can still compete with NVIDIA and AMD. Meanwhile, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang will deliver a keynote at the Las Vegas show, while AMD’s Lisa Su teases Ryzen 9000-series refreshes and more.
  
  This year’s TV obsession is Micro RGB. Samsung is going big — literally — with a Micro RGB lineup spanning 55 to 115 inches. LG, meanwhile, has its own Micro RGB Evo panels, boasting over a thousand dimming zones for that elusive “perfect” contrast. We’ll be on the ground in Vegas to separate the legitimate, exciting new tech from the marketing fluff and AI assistant tchotchkes. And remember me mentioning the celebrity CES parade? Well, will.i.am is back at CES, this time curiously involved with The era of foldable handheld consoles is comingOneXSugar Wallet has a 4:3 foldable screen and a terrible name.OneXSugar
  OneXPlayer is quickly establishing itself as a company unafraid to get weird as hell. (Take, for example, its pseudo-foldable dual-screen console). This time, while it initially appears to be another standard dual-screen model, the Android-powered OneXSugar Wallet instead uses a single foldable screen. The OneXSugar Wallet was teased in a 54-second video on the Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili. Retro Handhelds reports the Wallet uses an 8.01-inch OLED with a 2,480 x 1,860 resolution. That’s a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, making it very retro-gaming friendly.
  
  Given the foldable screen tech, the price might not be. OneXSugar hasn’t shared that detail yet.
  
  Continue reading.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121544371.html?src=rss

• Minimal phone pioneer Punkt is back with a new privacy-focused model at CES
  The Swiss minimal phone pioneer Punkt is back with another model, the MC03. The new handset continues Punkt9s focus on privacy, security and digital minimalism.
  
  If you9ve never seen Punkt9s MP01 and MP02, the company9s gorgeously minimal dumb phone line, they9re something to behold. (The MP01 is quite literally a museum piece, in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.) Meanwhile, this new MC03 is the company9s second stab at a more practical touchscreen smartphone, following 2023’s MC02. What you lose in physical beauty and tactile buttons, you gain in flexibility.
  
  As before, the smartphone runs the privacy- and security-focused AphyOS, based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The fork on the MC03 appears to borrow a page from the Light Phone line. Its UI includes a Light Phone-adjacent row of text for the most common shortcuts, like mail, contacts and calendar.
  Punkt MC03Punkt
  The MC03 splits data into two sections. There9s The Vault, a secure enclave for apps Punkt has vetted for privacy and security. The second, Wild Web, gives you the freedom to install any Android app. To protect you while using that section, there9s Ledger, which Punkt describes as "strict, visible safeguards that allow easy privacy controls." Much like Android9s Permission Manager, Ledger lets you define which data, sensors and background resources each app can access. In exchange for the tediousness of approving and denying permissions, you get more gradual control over your data.
  
  All the apps from another Swiss company, Proton, are available in The Vault. (That includes Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN, and Proton Pass.) Proton founder and CEO Andy Yen said he hopes the collaboration can "inject a little more choice into the marketplace, giving users more ways to take control of their data and regain their privacy."
  
  Folks buying the MC03 aren9t doing so to get cutting-edge hardware. The phone has an OLED display with a high (120Hz) frame rate, great for showing off that clean, black UI. The MC03 has a removable 5,200mAh battery and a 64MP camera. The device is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
  
  Shipments for the Punkt MC03 begin this month in the European market. The phone costs €699 / CHF699 / £610. As with its previous models, the MC03 requires a subscription. (Punkt frames this as paying to retain your data, rather than paying with your data.) One year of the subscription is included with your purchase. After that, you9ll have to pay €9.99 / CHF9.99 / £8.99 monthly. However, paying ahead for a long-term subscription lets you save up to 60 percent. You can learn more on the company’s website.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/minimal-phone-pioneer-punkt-is-back-with-a-new-privacy-focused-model-at-ces-110000705.html?src=rss

• The best rice cooker for 2026
  A great rice cooker can change the way you handle weeknight meals. Instead of watching the pot or dealing with uneven results, you get fluffy, consistent rice with almost no effort. Modern rice cookers can do a lot more than white rice, too. Many handle brown rice, oatmeal and grains, and some function like mini multi-cookers for soups or stews.
  
  With so many options available, the best rice cooker for you depends on how often you cook, how much counter space you have and which features matter most. We tested a range of models to find the best rice cookers for everything from small kitchens to big family dinners.
  Best rice cookers for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  How we test rice cookers
  Since rice is a foundation for so many different cuisines, I placed a high value on a machine’s ability to cook different types of rice well. I started testing each electric rice cooker by making a Japanese style, sushi-grade white rice. The appliances that delivered tasty results moved on to the brown rice round, then the top performers made long-grain white basmati as a final challenge. Some models I tested included a steamer basket, but I didn9t try all of them out. This is a rice-only party. Multi-cookers and steaming functions are merely a nice bonus in these, although if that9s a feature you want, an instant pot might be more your jam.
  
  While I weighed rice tastiness and texture as the most important criteria, I also assessed how easy the machines were to use and to clean. That includes things like how intuitive the cooking functions are, whether the inner pot is nonstick and how well the keep warm setting performs. I also took note of helpful kitchen tools that came included like a measuring cup, which is essential when getting the amount of water just right for each cup of rice. Because a cool piece of gear that sits in your cabinet gathering dust is a cool, but ultimately useless piece of gear. I limited my testing to models retailing for less than $300, which felt like the most I could recommend investing in a specialized appliance, and value for cost wound up being the distinguishing point for a good rice cooker.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-rice-cooker-120015478.html?src=rss

• The best laptops for gaming and schoolwork in 2026
  A good laptop for both gaming and schoolwork strikes a balance that goes beyond raw power. It should handle essays and research during the day, then jump into your favorite games when you are ready to take a break. That mix is easier to find now, with more laptops offering capable GPUs, solid battery life and designs that do not look out of place in a classroom.
  
  Whether you want a budget gaming laptop for lighter titles or a more powerful system that can run demanding games, there is something that fits just about every schedule and workload. We rounded up the best laptops for gaming and schoolwork so you can find a machine that does both without compromise.
  Table of contents
  Best laptops for gaming and school in 2026?
  
  Best laptop for gaming and schoolwork FAQs?
  Best laptops for gaming and school in 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Best laptop for gaming and schoolwork FAQs Are gaming laptops good for school?
  As we’ve mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you9re doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn9t just limited to PC gaming. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle laborious tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity machines, like Dell9s XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse: Pay attention to the specs; get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it’s worth investing what you can up front to get the most out of your PC gaming experience long term. Also, don’t forget the basics like a webcam, which will likely be necessary for the schoolwork portion of your activities.
  
  The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we9d recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportable. Today9s gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won9t be lugging around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you9re not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models that still feature essentials like a webcam (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).
  Do gaming laptops last longer than standard laptops?
  Not necessarily — it really depends on how you define "last longer." In terms of raw performance, gaming laptops tend to pack more powerful components than standard laptops, which means they can stay relevant for longer when it comes to handling demanding software or modern games. That makes them a solid choice if you need a system that won’t feel outdated in a couple of years, especially for students or creators who also game in their downtime.
  
  But there’s a trade-off. All that power generates heat, and gaming laptops often run hotter and put more strain on internal components than typical ultraportables. If they’re not properly cooled or regularly maintained (think dust buildup and thermal paste), that wear and tear can shorten their lifespan. They’re also usually bulkier and have shorter battery life, which can impact long-term usability depending on your daily needs.
  
  Gaming laptops can last longer performance-wise, but only if you take good care of them. If your needs are light — browsing, writing papers and streaming — a standard laptop may actually last longer simply because it’s under less stress day-to-day.
  What is the role of GPU in a computer for gaming and school?
  The GPU plays a big role in how your laptop handles visuals — and it’s especially important if you’re using your computer for both gaming and school.
  
  For gaming, the GPU is essential. It’s responsible for rendering graphics, textures, lighting and all the visual effects that make your favorite titles look smooth and realistic. A more powerful GPU means better frame rates, higher resolutions and the ability to play modern games without lag or stuttering.
  
  For schoolwork, the GPU matters too — but its importance depends on what you9re doing. If your school tasks mostly involve writing papers, browsing the web or using productivity tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Office, you don’t need a high-end GPU. But if you’re working with graphic design, video editing, 3D modeling or anything else that’s visually demanding, a good GPU can speed things up significantly and improve your workflow.
  
  Georgie Peru contributed to this report.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-for-gaming-and-school-132207352.html?src=rss

• Starlink is lowering thousands of satellites' orbits to reduce risk of collisions
  Starlink will lower the orbits of roughly 4,400 satellites this year as a safety measure, according to engineering VP, Michael Nicolls. In a post on X, Nicolls wrote that the company is "beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation," in which all satellites orbiting at around 550 kilometers (342 miles) will be lowered to around 480 km (298 miles). The move is intended to reduce the risk of collisions, putting the satellites in a region that9s less cluttered and will allow them to deorbit more quickly should an incident occur. 
  
  "Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways," Nicolls wrote, also pointing to the coming solar minimum — a period in the sun9s 11ish-year cycle when activity is lower — as one of the reasons for the move. The next solar minimum is expected to occur in the early 2030s. "As solar minimum approaches, atmospheric density decreases which means the ballistic decay time at any given altitude increases - lowering will mean a >80% reduction in ballistic decay time in solar minimum, or 4+ years reduced to a few months," Nicolls wrote.
  A screenshot of an X post by Starlink VP of engineering Michael Nicolls announcing that satellites orbiting at around 500 kilometers will be lowered to 480km
  The announcement comes a few weeks after Starlink said one of its satellites had experienced an anomaly that created some debris and sent it tumbling. Just a few days earlier, Nicolls posted about a close call with a batch of satellites he said were launched from China seemingly without any attempt to coordinate with operators of existing satellites in the space. With his latest announcement, Nicolls added that lowering Starlink9s satellites "will further improve the safety of the constellation, particularly with difficult to control risks such as uncoordinated maneuvers and launches by other satellite operators."
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/starlink-is-lowering-thousands-of-satellites-orbits-to-reduce-risk-of-collisions-030509067.html?src=rss

• Samsung's latest Freestyle portable projector is brighter and smarter
  Samsung has upgraded its Freestyle portable projector for 2026. The company announced a new model, the Freestyle+, ahead of CES, touting twice the brightness of its predecessor at 430 ISO lumens, and AI-powered screen optimization features. As with Freestyles past, the Freestyle+ offers 180-degree rotation and 360-degree audio. This one also supports Q-Symphony so it9ll work with some Samsung soundbars. Samsung hasn9t revealed much else in the way of specs or pricing, but it9ll be showing off the Freestyle+ at CES 2026, so we9re likely to learn more details soon. 
  
  While previous iterations of Samsung9s compact projector offered automatic screen adjustment features, like auto focus and auto leveling, the Freestyle+ uses AI to take optimization a step further. With AI OptiScreen, as the company is calling it, the projector offers 3D auto keystone to fix distortion on uneven or non-flat surfaces, real-time focus when the projector is moved, automatic screen fit for compatible accessories and wall calibration to reduce visual distractions from the projection surface. It9ll also support Samsung9s Vision AI Companion. 
  
  The company hasn9t announced a specific release date yet for the new projector, but says it9s targeting the first half of the year. It9ll be released in phases globally. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsungs-latest-freestyle-portable-projector-is-brighter-and-smarter-014026804.html?src=rss

• Pick up a four-pack of AirTags for only $65 right now
  Most Apple products are pretty expensive, but some of the most affordable (and useful) ones are AirTags. The Bluetooth trackers are priced pretty reasonably even when not on sale, but they can be a steal if you can get them on a discount — like right now. A four pack of AirTags is on sale for $65 at Amazon, which is only a few dollars more than the record-low price we saw during Black Friday a couple of months ago.
  
  
  
  AirTags can be useful for people who travel frequently, helping you to keep track of essentials like your passport as well as a way to keep tabs on luggage while you9re on the go. If you do purchase some AirTags, we have some recommendations for useful accessories to go along with them, such as different styles of cases to best attach the trackers to different types of items. These are worth looking over and adding to your shopping cart in order to make the most of the product. 
  
  AirTags have an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance and their replaceable batteries should last for about a year. They can also support Precision Finding, which gives more exact directions to a lost item, when paired with most models after the iPhone 11. Up to five people can share an AirTag9s location, which is helpful for families or large travel groups. 
  
  If you really only need one AirTag, that configuration is also on sale at Amazon right now — it9s 34 percent off and down to just $19 a pop.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-a-four-pack-of-airtags-for-only-65-right-now-202333572.html?src=rss

• Airloom will showcase its new approach to wind power at CES
  One of the many concerns about artificial intelligence these days is how the rush to build data centers is impacting local communities. Data centers can create a drain on resources, and some utility companies have already said customers can expect to see their electricity bills growing as these facilities increase demand. There have been some discussions of what other power sources could support the AI engine, and wind power specialist Airloom is one company that9s looking to address the problem. Ahead of the business9 upcoming appearance at CES, we9ve learned a bit about what Airloom has accomplished this year and what it is aiming for next.
  
  Rather than the very tall towers typically used for this approach, Airloom9s structures are 20 to 30 meters high. They are comprised of a loop of adjustable wings that move along a track, a design that’s akin to a roller coaster. As the wings move, they generate power just like the blades on a regular wind turbine do. Airloom claims that its structures require 40 percent less mass than a traditional one while delivering the same output. It also says the Airloom9s towers require 42 percent fewer parts and 96 percent fewer unique parts. In combination, the company says its approach is 85 percent faster to deploy and 47 percent less expensive than horizontal axis wind turbines. Airloom broke ground on a pilot site in June for testing out its approach and confirming how those figures work in practice.
  
  It’s not feasible to bring a wind farm, even a small one, into CES, but Airloom will have a booth at the event with materials about its technology and engineering. While the business isn9t in a consumer-facing field, the impact of Airloom9s work could have a future positive impact on people if the data center boom continues.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/airloom-will-showcase-its-new-approach-to-wind-power-at-ces-160000063.html?src=rss

• In 2025, quitting social media felt easier than ever
  For a tech writer, being very offline is sort of like being a marathon coach who doesn’t run. So in 2025, I tried to reverse years of studied avoidance towards the most ubiquitous technological phenomenon on earth — I got back on social media. The change was short-lived. 
  
  My first exodus from the feeds took some work — disabling notifications, removing apps from my homescreen and then deleting accounts entirely. This time, the phone put itself down. The whole thing has simply lost its luster.
  
  I started with Instagram. Every experience went like this: I’d see a single post from one of the rare family members or IRL friends who are active on the platform. Next, I was fed a sponsored post, followed by suggestions to follow randos. After that, a series of influencer videos that, admittedly, appeal to my taste (funny/absurdist women and dissertations on urban planning). That was followed up with more sponsored posts, mostly from brands I’d looked up for work. Then it’d circle back to the influencers. My eyes glazed over and I tossed the phone aside.  
  
  Years back, the platform gave off a jolt of quasi-social connection that I’d spend hours sucking up. I fed on pointless thoughts from an ex-coworker, vacation reels from a college roommate, a half-baked loaf of bread that an old friend dropped on the floor but took a picture of anyway. Now it’s a bare sliver of that stuff, shoehorned between towers of sponsored content and posts from people who make or promote their living on Instagram. The real people have left. The connection is gone. The FOMO is no more.   
  
  I experienced some variation of the same disappointment on every platform I rejoined. When I got back on TikTok a few months after the ban, it felt like a frenzied shopping mall. Every video seems to be about four seconds long and most are promotional and/or shoppable. YouTube Shorts is drowning in AI-generated videos, and I don’t hit up social media to watch fake footage of desperate wild animal babies clambering onto the boats of helpful humans. My life has no need for simulated toddlers admonishing their pets. Occasionally, I’d hit on something compelling: a clip from late night TV, a stupidly decadent dessert recipe, people from other countries explaining cultural subtleties. 
  
  But for me, these social media platforms are no longer velcro for the eyes. I remember losing focus, spending long hours on YouTube Shorts and IG. I’d look up bleary-eyed and shame-faced after hours scrolling TikTok’s For You Page. Now, after a few minutes, a bored ickiness sets in. I feel like I’m trapped in a carnival of bots hawking shampoo at me and I just want to go home. 
  
  It’s not a mystery how or why things feel different; The answer is always money. These billion- and trillion-dollar companies have shareholders who prize year-over-year performance over anything else. So we get more sponsored posts on Instagram. TikTok purposefully, enthusiastically overloads itself with shoppable content (which isn’t going to change no matter who owns it). YouTube is obsessed with engagement so it ends up rewarding people who flood the platform with AI slop. These platforms aren’t about human connections and the spread of creativity — the stuff that used to draw me in — they’re thinly varnished ecommerce sites sprinkled with brute-forced AI oddities.   
  
  I’d be sadder about the whole thing if I thought it could be any different. These companies are among the most valuable in the world. The fact that I can’t connect with my fellow common people using their services is not surprising. The change isn’t even driving everyone away. Instagram reported more users than ever this year, to the tune of 35 percent of the planet. Billions of users still scroll TikTok and watch YouTube Shorts. So maybe it’s just a me thing.  
  
  And I have options. Over-monetization may have made me not want to engage with a few social media behemoths, but things aren’t so dire everywhere. Bluesky reminds me of Twitter before X. I take comfort in seeing posts that prove most people are as dismayed as I am over a government and wider economic system that are nakedly uninterested in serving the public. The hot takes aren’t quite as funny as they were on Twitter years back — maybe it’s just all been said before or perhaps things have gotten too dire for levity. I still don’t end up spending a lot of time on the platform, however. It’s not as weird as it was before the defection and I get tired of the stream of news headlines contextualized with tut-tutting and handwringing — I’m perfectly capable of doing that myself.  
  
  It’d be easy to say that social media just isn’t my thing, but that’s not true because I can’t quit Reddit — the shining exception to my social media ennui. It feels filled with actual people. Ads exist, but in a subdued, manageable way. And every contributor, commenter and moderator I’ve come across on the app is militantly vigilant against the onslaught of artificially generated content. I also like the organizational structure. I know my Home tab will only expose me to my chosen subs and I derive great joy from happy cows, greeble-chasing cats, enigmatic night feelings and freaky abandoned spaces. I use my local subreddit r/Albuquerque daily to answer questions and keep tabs on the world (directly) around me. 
  
  Sadly, Reddit is an outlier, a misfit exception to the rule, and now that it’s gone public, it may follow a similar monetization push. Bluesky is tiny, new and not yet profitable, so who knows where its financial journey will lead it (though the “world without Caesars��� shirt gives us some hope). 
  
  There’s something lamentable about the loss of the connections we gleaned from platforms that were once compelling, engrossing and rife with the creativity of our fellow humans. Ultimately, any public-facing company that prioritizes profits over everything else has no incentive to look out for its users. So I don’t expect any of the larger social platforms to pull back on their monetization marches. For now, I’ve decided I’m comfortable with my admittedly narrow interaction with the world of social media. As a Gen-Xer, online-first wasn’t how my relationship to the world started out. And I’m pretty confident I know enough about other tech-related stuff to be useful to my editors and readers without a black belt in social. (Ed. note: She is.) Besides, Karissa’s got us covered. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/in-2025-quitting-social-media-felt-easier-than-ever-140000374.html?src=rss

• EU OS: A Bold Step Toward Digital Sovereignty for Europe
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  A new initiative, called "EU OS," has been launched to develop a Linux-based operating system tailored specifically for the public sector organizations of the European Union (EU). This community-driven project aims to address the EU's unique needs and challenges, focusing on fostering digital sovereignty, reducing dependency on external vendors, and building a secure, self-sufficient digital ecosystem.
  What Is EU OS?
  EU OS is not an entirely novel operating system. Instead, it builds upon a Linux foundation derived from Fedora, with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It draws inspiration from previous efforts such as France's GendBuntu and Munich's LiMux, which aimed to provide Linux-based systems for public sector use. The goal remains the same: to create a standardized Linux distribution that can be adapted to different regional, national, and sector-specific needs within the EU.
  
  Rather than reinventing the wheel, EU OS focuses on standardization, offering a solid Linux foundation that can be customized according to the unique requirements of various organizations. This approach makes EU OS a practical choice for the public sector, ensuring broad compatibility and ease of implementation across diverse environments.
  The Vision Behind EU OS
  The guiding principle of EU OS is the concept of "public money – public code," ensuring that taxpayer money is used transparently and effectively. By adopting an open-source model, EU OS eliminates licensing fees, which not only lowers costs but also reduces the dependency on a select group of software vendors. This provides the EU’s public sector organizations with greater flexibility and control over their IT infrastructure, free from the constraints of vendor lock-in.
  
  Additionally, EU OS offers flexibility in terms of software migration and hardware upgrades. Organizations can adapt to new technologies and manage their IT evolution at a manageable cost, both in terms of finances and time.
  
  However, there are some concerns about the choice of Fedora as the base for EU OS. While Fedora is a solid and reliable distribution, it is backed by the United States-based Red Hat. Some argue that using European-backed projects such as openSUSE or KDE's upcoming distribution might have aligned better with the EU's goal of strengthening digital sovereignty.
  Conclusion
  EU OS marks a significant step towards Europe's digital independence by providing a robust, standardized Linux distribution for the public sector. By reducing reliance on proprietary software and vendors, it paves the way for a more flexible, cost-effective, and secure digital ecosystem. While the choice of Fedora as the base for the project has raised some questions, the overall vision of EU OS offers a promising future for Europe's public sector in the digital age.
  
  Source: It's FOSS
  European Union

• Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
  
  Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight
  
  Linux kernel lead developer Linus Torvalds has admitted to forgetting to release version 6.14, attributing the oversight to his own lapse in memory. Torvalds is known for releasing new Linux kernel candidates and final versions on Sunday afternoons, typically accompanied by a post detailing the release. If he is unavailable due to travel or other commitments, he usually informs the community ahead of time, so users don’t worry if there’s a delay.
  
  In his post on March 16, Torvalds gave no indication that the release might be delayed, instead stating, “I expect to release the final 6.14 next weekend unless something very surprising happens.” However, Sunday, March 23rd passed without any announcement.
  
  On March 24th, Torvalds wrote in a follow-up message, “I’d love to have some good excuse for why I didn’t do the 6.14 release yesterday on my regular Sunday afternoon schedule,” adding, “But no. It’s just pure incompetence.” He further explained that while he had been clearing up unrelated tasks, he simply forgot to finalize the release. “D'oh,” he joked.
  
  Despite this minor delay, Torvalds’ track record of successfully managing the Linux kernel’s development process over the years remains strong. A single day’s delay is not critical, especially since most Linux users don't urgently need the very latest version.
  
  The new 6.14 release introduces several important features, including enhanced support for writing drivers in Rust—an ongoing topic of discussion among developers—support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chip, a fix for the GhostWrite vulnerability in certain RISC-V processors from Alibaba’s T-Head Semiconductor, and a completed NTSYNC driver update that improves the WINE emulator’s ability to run Windows applications, particularly games, on Linux.
  
  Although the 6.14 release went smoothly aside from the delay, Torvalds expressed that version 6.15 may present more challenges due to the volume of pending pull requests. “Judging by my pending pile of pull requests, 6.15 will be much busier,” he noted.
  
  You can download the latest kernel here.
  Linus Torvalds kernel

• AerynOS 2025.03 Alpha Released with GNOME 48, Mesa 25, and Linux Kernel 6.13.8
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  AerynOS 2025.03 has officially been released, introducing a variety of exciting features for Linux users. The release includes the highly anticipated GNOME 48 desktop environment, which comes with significant improvements like HDR support, dynamic triple buffering, and a Wayland color management protocol. Other updates include a battery charge limiting feature and a Wellbeing option aimed at improving user experience.
  
  This release, while still in alpha, incorporates Linux kernel 6.13.8 and the updated Mesa 25.0.2 graphics stack, alongside tools like LLVM 19.1.7 and Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0. Additionally, the Moss package manager now integrates os-info to generate more detailed OS metadata via a JSON file.
  
  Future plans for AerynOS include automated package updates, easier rollback management, improved disk handling with Rust, and fractional scaling enabled by default. The installer has also been revamped to support full disk wipes and dynamic partitioning.
  
  Although still considered an alpha release, AerynOS 2025.03 can be downloaded and tested right now from its official website.
  
  Source: 9to5Linux
  AerynOS

• Xojo 2025r1: Big Updates for Developers with Linux ARM Support, Web Drag and Drop, and Direct App Store Publishing
  Image
  Xojo has just rolled out its latest release, Xojo 2025 Release 1, and it’s packed with features that developers have been eagerly waiting for. This major update introduces support for running Xojo on Linux ARM, including Raspberry Pi, brings drag-and-drop functionality to the Web framework, and simplifies app deployment with the ability to directly submit apps to the macOS and iOS App Stores.
  
  Here’s a quick overview of what’s new in Xojo 2025r1:
  1. Linux ARM IDE Support
  Xojo 2025r1 now allows developers to run the Xojo IDE on Linux ARM devices, including popular platforms like Raspberry Pi. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for developers who want to create apps for ARM-based devices without the usual complexity. Whether you’re building for a Raspberry Pi or other ARM devices, this update makes it easier than ever to get started.
  2. Web Drag and Drop
  One of the standout features in this release is the addition of drag-and-drop support for web applications. Now, developers can easily drag and drop visual controls in their web projects, making it simpler to create interactive, user-friendly web applications. Plus, the WebListBox has been enhanced with support for editable cells, checkboxes, and row reordering via dragging. No JavaScript required!
  3. Direct App Store Publishing
  Xojo has also streamlined the process of publishing apps. With this update, developers can now directly submit macOS and iOS apps to App Store Connect right from the Xojo IDE. This eliminates the need for multiple steps and makes it much easier to get apps into the App Store, saving valuable time during the development process.
  4. New Desktop and Mobile Features
  This release isn’t just about web and Linux updates. Xojo 2025r1 brings some great improvements for desktop and mobile apps as well. On the desktop side, all projects now include a default window menu for macOS apps. On the mobile side, Xojo has introduced new features for Android and iOS, including support for ColorGroup and Dark Mode on Android, and a new MobileColorPicker for iOS to simplify color selection.
  5. Performance and IDE Enhancements
  Xojo’s IDE has also been improved in several key areas. There’s now an option to hide toolbar captions, and the toolbar has been made smaller on Windows. The IDE on Windows and Linux now features modern Bootstrap icons, and the Documentation window toolbar is more compact. In the code editor, developers can now quickly navigate to variable declarations with a simple Cmd/Ctrl + Double-click. Plus, performance for complex container layouts in the Layout Editor has been enhanced.
  What Does This Mean for Developers?
  Xojo 2025r1 brings significant improvements across all the platforms that Xojo supports, from desktop and mobile to web and Linux. The added Linux ARM support opens up new opportunities for Raspberry Pi and ARM-based device development, while the drag-and-drop functionality for web projects will make it easier to create modern, interactive web apps. The ability to publish directly to the App Store is a game-changer for macOS and iOS developers, reducing the friction of app distribution.
  How to Get Started
  Xojo is free for learning and development, as well as for building apps for Linux and Raspberry Pi. If you’re ready to dive into cross-platform development, paid licenses start at $99 for a single-platform desktop license, and $399 for cross-platform desktop, mobile, or web development. For professional developers who need additional resources and support, Xojo Pro and Pro Plus licenses start at $799. You can also find special pricing for educators and students.
  
  Download Xojo 2025r1 today at xojo.com.
  Final Thoughts
  With each new release, Xojo continues to make cross-platform development more accessible and efficient. The 2025r1 release is no exception, delivering key updates that simplify the development process and open up new possibilities for developers working on a variety of platforms. Whether you’re a Raspberry Pi enthusiast or a mobile app developer, Xojo 2025r1 has something for you.
  Xojo ARM

• New 'Mirrored' Network Mode Introduced in Windows Subsystem for Linux
  
  Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) continues to evolve with the release of WSL 2 version 0.0.2. This update introduces a set of opt-in preview features designed to enhance performance and compatibility.
  
  Key additions include "Automatic memory reclaim" which dynamically optimizes WSL's memory footprint, and "Sparse VHD" to shrink the size of the virtual hard disk file. These improvements aim to streamline resource usage.
  
  Additionally, a new "mirrored networking mode" brings expanded networking capabilities like IPv6 and multicast support. Microsoft claims this will improve VPN and LAN connectivity from both the Windows host and Linux guest. 
  
  Complementing this is a new "DNS Tunneling" feature that changes how DNS queries are resolved to avoid compatibility issues with certain network setups. According to Microsoft, this should reduce problems connecting to the internet or local network resources within WSL.
  
  Advanced firewall configuration options are also now available through Hyper-V integration. The new "autoProxy" feature ensures WSL seamlessly utilizes the Windows system proxy configuration.
  
  Microsoft states these features are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders running Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.2359 or later. They remain opt-in previews to allow testing before final integration into WSL.
  
  By expanding WSL 2 with compelling new capabilities in areas like resource efficiency, networking, and security, Microsoft aims to make Linux on Windows more performant and compatible. This evolutionary approach based on user feedback highlights Microsoft's commitment to WSL as a key part of the Windows ecosystem.
  Windows

• Linux Threat Report: Earth Lusca Deploys Novel SprySOCKS Backdoor in Attacks on Government Entities
  
  The threat actor Earth Lusca, linked to Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups, has been observed utilizing a new Linux backdoor dubbed SprySOCKS to target government organizations globally. 
  
  As initially reported in January 2022 by Trend Micro, Earth Lusca has been active since at least 2021 conducting cyber espionage campaigns against public and private sector targets in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Their tactics include spear-phishing and watering hole attacks to gain initial access. Some of Earth Lusca's activities overlap with another Chinese threat cluster known as RedHotel.
  
  In new research, Trend Micro reveals Earth Lusca remains highly active, even expanding operations in the first half of 2023. Primary victims are government departments focused on foreign affairs, technology, and telecommunications. Attacks concentrate in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Balkans regions. 
  
  After breaching internet-facing systems by exploiting flaws in Fortinet, GitLab, Microsoft Exchange, Telerik UI, and Zimbra software, Earth Lusca uses web shells and Cobalt Strike to move laterally. Their goal is exfiltrating documents and credentials, while also installing additional backdoors like ShadowPad and Winnti for long-term spying.
  
  The Command and Control server delivering Cobalt Strike was also found hosting SprySOCKS - an advanced backdoor not previously publicly reported. With roots in the Windows malware Trochilus, SprySOCKS contains reconnaissance, remote shell, proxy, and file operation capabilities. It communicates over TCP mimicking patterns used by a Windows trojan called RedLeaves, itself built on Trochilus.
  
  At least two SprySOCKS versions have been identified, indicating ongoing development. This novel Linux backdoor deployed by Earth Lusca highlights the increasing sophistication of Chinese state-sponsored threats. Robust patching, access controls, monitoring for unusual activities, and other proactive defenses remain essential to counter this advanced malware.
  
  The Trend Micro researchers emphasize that organizations must minimize attack surfaces, regularly update systems, and ensure robust security hygiene to interrupt the tactics, techniques, and procedures of relentless threat groups like Earth Lusca.
  Security

• Linux Kernel Faces Reduction in Long-Term Support Due to Maintenance Challenges
  
  The Linux kernel is undergoing major changes that will shape its future development and adoption, according to Jonathan Corbet, Linux kernel developer and executive editor of Linux Weekly News. Speaking at the Open Source Summit Europe, Corbet provided an update on the latest Linux kernel developments and a glimpse of what's to come.
  
  A major change on the horizon is a reduction in long-term support (LTS) for kernel versions from six years to just two years. Corbet explained that maintaining old kernel branches indefinitely is unsustainable and most users have migrated to newer versions, so there's little point in continuing six years of support. While some may grumble about shortened support lifecycles, the reality is that constantly backporting fixes to ancient kernels strains maintainers.
  
  This maintainer burnout poses a serious threat, as Corbet highlighted. Maintaining Linux is largely a volunteer effort, with only about 200 of the 2,000+ developers paid for their contributions. The endless demands on maintainers' time from fuzz testing, fixing minor bugs, and reviewing contributions takes a toll. Prominent maintainers have warned they need help to avoid collapse. Companies relying on Linux must realize giving back financially is in their interest to sustain this vital ecosystem. 
  
  The Linux kernel is also wading into waters new with the introduction of Rust code. While Rust solves many problems, it also introduces new complexities around language integration, evolving standards, and maintainer expertise. Corbet believes Rust will pass the point of no return when core features depend on it, which may occur soon with additions like Apple M1 GPU drivers. Despite skepticism in some corners, Rust's benefits likely outweigh any transition costs.
  
  On the distro front, Red Hat's decision to restrict RHEL cloning sparked community backlash. While business considerations were at play, Corbet noted technical factors too. Using older kernels with backported fixes, as RHEL does, risks creating divergent, vendor-specific branches. The Android model of tracking mainline kernel dev more closely has shown security benefits. Ultimately, Linux works best when aligned with the broader community.
  
  In closing, Corbet recalled the saying "Linux is free like a puppy is free." Using open source seems easy at first, but sustaining it long-term requires significant care and feeding. As Linux is incorporated into more critical systems, that maintenance becomes ever more crucial. The kernel changes ahead are aimed at keeping Linux healthy and vibrant for the next generation of users, businesses, and developers.
  kernel

• Linux Celebrates 32 Years with the Release of 6.6-rc2 Version
  
  Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Linus Torvalds introducing the inaugural Linux 0.01 kernel version, and celebrating this milestone, Torvalds has launched the Linux 6.6-rc2. Among the noteworthy updates are the inclusion of a feature catering to the ASUS ROG Flow X16 tablet's mode handling and the renaming of the new GenPD subsystem to pmdomain.
  
  The Linux 6.6 edition is progressing well, brimming with exciting new features that promise to enhance user experience. Early benchmarks are indicating promising results, especially on high-core-count servers, pointing to a potentially robust and efficient update in the Linux series.
  
  Here is what Linus Torvalds had to say in today's announcement:
  Another week, another -rc.I think the most notable thing about 6.6-rc2 is simply that it'sexactly 32 years to the day since the 0.01 release. And that's a roundnumber if you are a computer person.Because other than the random date, I don't see anything that reallystands out here. We've got random fixes all over, and none of it looksparticularly strange. The genpd -> pmdomain rename shows up in thediffstat, but there's no actual code changes involved (make sure touse "git diff -M" to see them as zero-line renames).And other than that, things look very normal. Sure, the architecturefixes happen to be mostly parisc this week, which isn't exactly theusual pattern, but it's also not exactly a huge amount of changes.Most of the (small) changes here are in drivers, with some tracingfixes and just random things. The shortlog below is short enough toscroll through and get a taste of what's been going on. Linus Torvalds

• Introducing Bavarder: A User-Friendly Linux Desktop App for Quick ChatGPT Interaction
  
  Want to interact with ChatGPT from your Linux desktop without using a web browser?
  
  Bavarder, a new app, allows you to do just that.
  
  Developed with Python and GTK4/libadwaita, Bavarder offers a simple concept: pose a question to ChatGPT, receive a response, and promptly copy the answer (or your inquiry) to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.
  
  With an incredibly user-friendly interface, you won't require AI expertise (or a novice blogger) to comprehend it. Type your question in the top box, click the blue send button, and wait for a generated response to appear at the bottom. You can edit or modify your message and repeat the process as needed.
  
  During our evaluation, Bavarder employed BAI Chat, a GPT-3.5/ChatGPT API-based chatbot that's free and doesn't require signups or API keys. Future app versions will incorporate support for alternative backends, such as ChatGPT 4 and Hugging Chat, and allow users to input an API key to utilize ChatGPT3.
  
  At present, there's no option to regenerate a response (though you can resend the same question for a potentially different answer). Due to the lack of a "conversation" view, tracking a dialogue or following up on answers can be challenging — but Bavarder excels for rapid-fire questions.
  
  As with any AI, standard disclaimers apply. Responses might seem plausible but could contain inaccurate or false information. Additionally, it's relatively easy to lead these models into irrational loops, like convincing them that 2 + 2 equals 106 — so stay alert!
  
  Overall, Bavarder is an attractive app with a well-defined purpose. If you enjoy ChatGPT and similar technologies, it's worth exploring.
  ChatGPT AI

• LibreOffice 7.5.3 Released: Third Maintenance Update Brings 119 Bug Fixes to Popular Open-Source Office Suite
  
  Today, The Document Foundation unveiled the release and widespread availability of LibreOffice 7.5.3, which serves as the third maintenance update to the current LibreOffice 7.5 open-source and complimentary office suite series.
  
  Approximately five weeks after the launch of LibreOffice 7.5.2, LibreOffice 7.5.3 arrives with a new set of bug fixes for those who have successfully updated their GNU/Linux system to the LibreOffice 7.5 series.
  
  LibreOffice 7.5.3 addresses a total of 119 bugs identified by users or uncovered by LibreOffice developers. For a more comprehensive understanding of these bug fixes, consult the RC1 and RC2 changelogs.
  
  You can download LibreOffice 7.5.3 directly from the LibreOffice website��or from SourceForge as binary installers for DEB or RPM-based GNU/Linux distributions. A source tarball is also accessible for individuals who prefer to compile the software from sources or for system integrators.
  
  All users operating the LibreOffice 7.5 office suite series should promptly update their installations to the new point release, which will soon appear in the stable software repositories of your GNU/Linux distributions.
  
  In early February 2023, LibreOffice 7.5 debuted as a substantial upgrade to the widely-used open-source office suite, introducing numerous features and improvements. These enhancements encompass major upgrades to dark mode support, new application and MIME-type icons, a refined Single Toolbar UI, enhanced PDF Export, and more.
  
  Seven maintenance updates will support LibreOffice 7.5 until November 30th, 2023. The next point release, LibreOffice 7.5.4, is scheduled for early June and will include additional bug fixes.
  
  The Document Foundation once again emphasizes that the LibreOffice office suite's "Community" edition is maintained by volunteers and members of the Open Source community. For enterprise implementations, they suggest using the LibreOffice Enterprise family of applications from ecosystem partners.
  LibreOffice