All the News that Matters

• Fedora 42: Critical Remote Code Exec Flaw in MariaDB 10.11.15 Found
  MariaDB 10.11.15 Release notes: https://mariadb.com/docs/release-notes/community- server/10.11/10.11.15

• Fedora 42: wget2 Critical Memory Crash Advisory 2026-28b0f7bd35
  New version 2.2.1

• Fedora 42: Critical Buffer Overflow and Heap Vulnerabilities in libpng
  fixes several security issues

• Fedora 43: python-urllib3 High Threat HTTP Redirect Issue CVE-2026-21441
  2.6.3 (2026-01-07) Fixed a high-severity security issue where decompression-bomb safeguards of the streaming API were bypassed when HTTP redirects were followed. GHSA-38jv-5279-wg99, CVE-2026-21441

• Fedora 43: mariadb10.11 Important Remote Code Execution 2026-39e035a84c
  MariaDB 10.11.15 Release notes: https://mariadb.com/docs/release-notes/community- server/10.11/10.11.15

• Fedora 43: Critical Update for libsodium to Prevent Information Leak
  Version 1.0.21 This point release includes all the changes from 1.0.20-stable, which include a security fix for the crypto_core_ed25519_is_valid_point() function, as well as two new sets of functions: The new crypto_ipcrypt_* functions implement mechanisms for securely

• LMDE 7 Users Get the Cinnamon 6.6 Desktop Environment
  Cinnamon 6.6 has landed in LMDE 7, allowing Linux Mint Debian Edition users to experience the updated desktop before Mint 22.3 arrives.

• TrueNAS WebShare: ZFS-Backed, Enterprise-Grade File Sharing From The Web Browser
  For situations where Samba (SMB) or NFS usage aren't appropriate or desiring the convenience of accessing files from a web browser on any device, TrueNAS is introducing TrueNAS WebShare as an easy-to-use solution for enterprise-grade file sharing in the web browser...

• Most devs don't trust AI-generated code, but fail to check it anyway
  Developer survey from Sonar finds AI tool adoption has created a verification bottleneckTalk about letting things go! Ninety-six percent of software developers believe AI-generated code isn't functionally correct, yet only 48 percent say they always check code generated with AI assistance before committing it.…

• Steam Is Coming to ARM64 as Ubuntu Opens Testing via Snap
  Steam is moving closer to ARM64 availability as Ubuntu opens testing of a Snap package powered by FEX x86 emulation.

• QEMU 11.0 Could Finish Removing 32-bit Host CPU Support
  The QEMU emulator already deprecated 32-bit host CPU support while for the QEMU 11.0 release this year they could eliminate the 32-bit host support for good...

• KDE Frameworks 6.22 Brings Internal Cleanups Across Core Libraries
  KDE Frameworks 6.22 is out with broad stability improvements, internal cleanups, and refinements across core KDE libraries used by Plasma and apps.

• Debian goes retro with a spatial desktop that time forgot
  Trixie plus a carefully configured MATE setup, and absolutely nothing elseThe Desktop Classic System is a rather unusual hand-built flavor of Debian featuring a meticulously configured spatial desktop layout and a pleasingly 20th-century look and feel.…

• KDE Frameworks 6.22 Fixes Multiple Clipboard-Related Issues on Wayland
  The KDE Project released today KDE Frameworks 6.22 as the monthly update to this collection of more than 80 add-on libraries to Qt and a companion to the KDE Plasma desktop environment and KDE Gear software suite.

• Brave Adblock Engine Rewrite Delivers 75 Percent Lower Memory Use
  Brave reduces adblock memory consumption by more than 45 MB after a major Rust-based engine overhaul, now shipping in Brave v1.85.

• Canonical Builds Steam Snap For Ubuntu ARM64 Leveraging FEX
  Canonical is making it easier for ARM64 Ubuntu users like those on the NVIDIA DGX Spark to do a bit of gaming with Steam. Canonical engineers have assembled a Steam Snap for 64-bit ARM that comes complete with the FEX emulator for running Windows/Linux x86-based games on ARM64 Linux...

• loss32 Wants to Turn Linux Into a Full Win32 Desktop Powered by WINE
  loss32 is an experimental Linux project that runs an entire Win32 desktop under WINE, aiming to make decades of Windows software feel native on Linux.

• KDE Gear 25.12.1 Released with Various Improvements for Your Favorite KDE Apps
  The KDE Project released today KDE Gear 25.12.1 as the first maintenance update to the latest KDE Gear 25.12 series of this collection of open-source apps for the KDE Plasma desktop environment and other platforms.

• Latest SteamOS Beta Now Includes NTSYNC Kernel Driver
  Valve released the SteamOS 3.7.20 beta overnight and with it they are finally building the NTSYNC kernel driver for helping accelerate Windows NT synchronization primitives...

• EU Launches Call for Evidence on European Open Digital Ecosystems
  The European Commission has opened a public consultation on a new Open Digital Ecosystems strategy focused on open source, security, and EU tech sovereignty.

• Arch-Based Omarchy 3.3 Brings AI Dictation Hibernation and Hyprland Fixes
  Arch-based Omarchy 3.3 introduces local AI dictation with Voxtype, hibernation support, dynamic themes, and more.

• Linus Torvalds: "The AI Slop Issue Is *NOT* Going To Be Solved With Documentation"
  The Linux kernel developers for months now have been debating proposed guidelines for tool-generated submissions to the Linux kernel. As part of the "tools", the main motivator for this documentation has been around the era of AI and large language models with coding assistants and more. Torvalds made some remarks on the Linux kernel mailing list around his belief in focusing the documentation on "tools" rather than explicitly focusing on AI, given the likelihood of AI-assisted contributions continuing regardless of documentation...

• Linus Torvalds: Stop making an issue out of AI slop in kernel docs -- you're not changing anybody's mind
  'Because the AI slop people aren't going to document their patches as such'Today, it is hard to escape LLM bots and the endless slop they emit, but the Linux kernel might be largely safe … for now.…

• Linux Kernel Considers Linking The Relocatable x86 Kernel As PIE In 2026
  To allow for additional security hardening of the Linux kernel, a patch series has been updated more than one year later to link the relocatable x86_64 kernel as Position Independent Executable (PIE) code...

• Linux is Great, but It May Not Be For You
  Linux offers control, security, and freedom, but its learning curve, software, and hardware issues may challenge some users.

• Linux 6.18 LTS vs. Liquorix Kernel On AMD Ryzen Threadripper Workstation Performance
  It's been a while since running benchmarks of the Liquorix kernel as an enthusiast-tailored downstream version of the Linux kernel focused on responsiveness for gaming, audio/video production, and other creator/enthusiast workloads. In today's article is a look at how the latest Liquorix kernel derived from Linux 6.18 is competing against the upstream Linux 6.18 LTS kernel on the same system.

• Meta Signs Deals With Three Nuclear Companies For 6+ GW of Power
  Meta has signed long-term nuclear power deals totaling more than 6 gigawatts to fuel its data centers: "one from a startup, one from a smaller energy company, and one from a larger company that already operates several nuclear reactors in the U.S," reports TechCrunch. From the report: Oklo and TerraPower, two companies developing small modular reactors (SMR), each signed agreements with Meta to build multiple reactors, while Vistra is selling capacity from its existing power plants. [...] The deals are the result of a request for proposals that Meta issued in December 2024, in which Meta sought partners that could add between 1 to 4 gigawatts of generating capacity by the early 2030s. Much of the new power will flow through the PJM interconnection, a grid which covers 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and has become saturated with data centers. The 20-year agreement with Vistra will have the most immediate impact on Meta's energy needs. The tech company will buy a total of 2.1 gigawatts from two existing nuclear power plants, Perry and Davis-Besse in Ohio. As part of the deal, Vistra will also add capacity to those power plants and to its Beaver Valley power plant in Pennsylvania. Together, the upgrades will generate an additional 433 MW and are scheduled to come online in the early 2030s. Meta is also buying 1.2 gigawatts from young provider Oklo. Under its deal with Meta, Oklo is hoping to start supplying power to the grid as early as 2030. The SMR company went public via SPAC in 2023, and while Oklo has landed a large deal with data center operator Switch, it has struggled to get its reactor design approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If Oklo can deliver on its timeline, the new reactors would be built in Pike County, Ohio. The startup's Aurora Powerhouse reactors each produce 75 megawatts of electricity, and it will need to build more than a dozen to fulfill Meta's order. TerraPower is a startup co-founded by Bill Gates, and it is aiming to start sending electricity to Meta as early as 2032.
  
  
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• AI Models Are Starting To Learn By Asking Themselves Questions
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: [P]erhaps AI can, in fact, learn in a more human way -- by figuring out interesting questions to ask itself and attempting to find the right answer. A project from Tsinghua University, the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), and Pennsylvania State University shows that AI can learn to reason in this way by playing with computer code. The researchers devised a system called Absolute Zero Reasoner (AZR) that first uses a large language model to generate challenging but solvable Python coding problems. It then uses the same model to solve those problems before checking its work by trying to run the code. And finally, the AZR system uses successes and failures as a signal to refine the original model, augmenting its ability to both pose better problems and solve them. The team found that their approach significantly improved the coding and reasoning skills of both 7 billion and 14 billion parameter versions of the open source language model Qwen. Impressively, the model even outperformed some models that had received human-curated data. [...] A key challenge is that for now the system only works on problems that can easily be checked, like those that involve math or coding. As the project progresses, it might be possible to use it on agentic AI tasks like browsing the web or doing office chores. This might involve having the AI model try to judge whether an agent's actions are correct. One fascinating possibility of an approach like Absolute Zero is that it could, in theory, allow models to go beyond human teaching. "Once we have that it's kind of a way to reach superintelligence," [said Zilong Zheng, a researcher at BIGAI who worked on the project].
  
  
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• AI Is Intensifying a 'Collapse' of Trust Online, Experts Say
  Experts interviewed by NBC News warn that the rapid spread of AI-generated images and videos is accelerating an online trust breakdown, especially during fast-moving news events where context is scarce. From the report: President Donald Trump's Venezuela operation almost immediately spurred the spread of AI-generated images, old videos and altered photos across social media. On Wednesday, after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in her car, many online circulated a fake, most likely AI-edited image of the scene that appears to be based on real video. Others used AI in attempts to digitally remove the mask of the ICE officer who shot her. The confusion around AI content comes as many social media platforms, which pay creators for engagement, have given users incentives to recycle old photos and videos to ramp up emotion around viral news moments. The amalgam of misinformation, experts say, is creating a heightened erosion of trust online -- especially when it mixes with authentic evidence. "As we start to worry about AI, it will likely, at least in the short term, undermine our trust default -- that is, that we believe communication until we have some reason to disbelieve," said Jeff Hancock, founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab. "That's going to be the big challenge, is that for a while people are really going to not trust things they see in digital spaces." Though AI is the latest technology to spark concern about surging misinformation, similar trust breakdowns have cycled through history, from election misinformation in 2016 to the mass production of propaganda after the printing press was invented in the 1400s. Before AI, there was Photoshop, and before Photoshop, there were analog image manipulation techniques. Fast-moving news events are where manipulated media have the biggest effect, because they fill in for the broad lack of information, Hancock said. "In terms of just looking at an image or a video, it will essentially become impossible to detect if it's fake. I think that we're getting close to that point, if we're not already there," said Hancock. "The old sort of AI literacy ideas of 'let's just look at the number of fingers' and things like that are likely to go away." Renee Hobbs, a professor of communication studies at the University of Rhode Island, added: "If constant doubt and anxiety about what to trust is the norm, then actually, disengagement is a logical response. It's a coping mechanism. And then when people stop caring about whether something's true or not, then the danger is not just deception, but actually it's worse than that. It's the whole collapse of even being motivated to seek truth."
  
  
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• Intel Is 'Going Big Time Into 14A,' Says CEO Lip-Bu Tan
  Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says the company is "going big time" into its 14A (1.4nm-class) process, signaling confidence in yields and hinting at at least one external foundry customer. Tom's Hardware reports: Intel's 14A is expected to be production-ready in 2027, with early versions of process design kit (PDK) coming to external customers early this year. To that end, it is good to hear Intel's upbeat comments about 14A. Also, Tan's phrasing 'the customer' could indicate that Intel has at least one external client for 14A, implying that Intel Foundry will produce 14A chips for Intel Products and at least one more buyer. The 14A production node will introduce Intel's 2nd Generation RibbonFET GAA transistors; 2nd Gen BSPDN called PowerDirect that will connect power directly to source and drain of transistors, enabling better power delivery (e.g., reducing transient voltage droop or clock stretching) and refined power controls; and Turbo Cells that optimize critical timing paths using high-drive, double-height cells within dense standard cell libraries, which boost speed without major area or power compromises. Yet, there is another aspect of Intel's 14A manufacturing process that is particularly important for the chipmaker: its usage by external customers. With 18A, the company has not managed to land a single major external client that demands decent volumes. While 18A will be used by Intel itself as well as by Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Defense, only Intel will consume significant volumes. For 14A, Intel hopes to land at least one more external customer with substantial volume requirements, as this will ensure that Intel will recoup its investments in the development of such an advanced node.
  
  
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• Microsoft May Soon Allow IT Admins To Uninstall Copilot
  Microsoft is testing a new Windows policy that lets IT administrators uninstall Microsoft Copilot from managed devices. The change rolls out via Windows Insider builds and works through standard management tools like Intune and SCCM. BleepingComputer reports: The new policy will apply to devices where the Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed, the Microsoft Copilot app was not installed by the user, and the Microsoft Copilot app was not launched in the last 28 days. "Admins can now uninstall Microsoft Copilot for a user in a targeted way by enabling a new policy titled RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp," the Windows Insider team said. "If this policy is enabled, the Microsoft Copilot app will be uninstalled, once. Users can still re-install if they choose to. This policy is available on Enterprise, Pro, and EDU SKUs. To enable this policy, open the Group policy editor and go to: User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows AI -> Remove Microsoft Copilot App."
  
  
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• Google: Don't Make 'Bite-Sized' Content For LLMs If You Care About Search Rank
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a big business. While some SEO practices are useful, much of the day-to-day SEO wisdom you see online amounts to superstition. An increasingly popular approach geared toward LLMs called "content chunking" may fall into that category. In the latest installment of Google's Search Off the Record podcast, John Mueller and Danny Sullivan say that breaking content down into bite-sized chunks for LLMs like Gemini is a bad idea. You've probably seen websites engaging in content chunking and scratched your head, and for good reason -- this content isn't made for you. The idea is that if you split information into smaller paragraphs and sections, it is more likely to be ingested and cited by gen AI bots like Gemini. So you end up with short paragraphs, sometimes with just one or two sentences, and lots of subheads formatted like questions one might ask a chatbot. According to Google's Danny Sullivan, this is a misconception, and Google doesn't use such signals to improve ranking. "One of the things I keep seeing over and over in some of the advice and guidance and people are trying to figure out what do we do with the LLMs or whatever, is that turn your content into bite-sized chunks, because LLMs like things that are really bite size, right?" said Sullivan. "So... we don't want you to do that." The conversation, which begins around the podcast's 18-minute mark, goes on to illustrate the folly of jumping on the latest SEO trend. Sullivan notes that he has consulted engineers at Google before making this proclamation. Apparently, the best way to rank on Google continues to be creating content for humans rather than machines. That ensures long-term search exposure, because the behavior of human beings -- what they choose to click on -- is an important signal for Google.
  
  
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• CES Worst In Show Awards Call Out the Tech Making Things Worse
  Longtime Slashdot reader chicksdaddy writes: CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, isn't just about shiny new gadgets. As AP reports, this year brought back the fifth annual Worst in Show anti-awards, calling out the most harmful, wasteful, invasive, and unfixable tech at the Las Vegas show. The coalition behind the awards -- including Repair.org, iFixit, EFF, PIRG, Secure Repairs, and others -- put the spotlight on products that miss the point of innovation and make life worse for users. 2026 Worst in Show winners include: Overall (and Repairability): Samsung's AI-packed Family Hub Fridge -- over-engineered, hard to fix, and trying to do everything but keep food cold.Privacy: Amazon Ring AI -- expanding surveillance with features like facial recognition and mobile towers.Security: Merach UltraTread treadmill -- an AI fitness coach that also hoovers up sensitive data with weak security guarantees, including a privacy policy that declares the company "cannot guarantee the security of your personal information" (!!).Environmental Impact: Lollipop Star -- a single-use, music-playing electronic lollipop that epitomizes needless e-waste.Enshittification: Bosch eBike Flow App -- pushing lock-in and digital restrictions that make gear worse over time."Who Asked For This?": Bosch Personal AI Barista -- a voice-assistant coffee maker that nobody really wanted.People's Choice: Lepro Ami AI Companion -- an overhyped "soulmate" cam that creeps more than it comforts. The message? Not all tech is progress. Some products add needless complexity, threaten privacy, or throw sustainability out the window -- and the industry's watchdogs are calling them out.
  
  
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• Latest SteamOS Beta Now Includes NTSYNC Kernel Driver
  Valve has added the NTSYNC kernel driver to the SteamOS 3.7.20 beta, laying the groundwork for improved Windows game synchronization performance via Wine and Proton. Phoronix reports: For gearing up for that future Proton NTSYNC support, SteamOS 3.7.20 enables the NTSYNC kernel driver and loads the module by default. Most Linux distributions are at least already building the NTSYNC kernel module though there's been different efforts on how to handle ensuring it's loaded when needed. The presence of the NTSYC kernel driver is the main highlight of the SteamOS 3.7.20 beta now available for testing.
  
  
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• Italy Fines Cloudflare 14 Million Euros For Refusing To Filter Pirate Sites On Public 1.1.1.1 DNS
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Italy's communications regulator AGCOM imposed a record-breaking 14.2 million-euro fine on Cloudflare after the company failed to implement the required piracy blocking measures. Cloudflare argued that filtering its global 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver would be "impossible" without hurting overall performance. AGCOM disagreed, noting that Cloudflare is not necessarily a neutral intermediary either. [...] "The measure, in addition to being one of the first financial penalties imposed in the copyright sector, is particularly significant given the role played by Cloudflare" AGCOM notes, adding that Cloudflare is linked to roughly 70% of the pirate sites targeted under its regime. In its detailed analysis, the regulator further highlighted that Cloudflare's cooperation is "essential" for the enforcement of Italian anti-piracy laws, as its services allow pirate sites to evade standard blocking measures. Cloudflare has strongly contested the accusations throughout AGCOM's proceedings and previously criticized the Piracy Shield system for lacking transparency and due process. While the company did not immediately respond to our request for comment, it will almost certainly appeal the fine. This appeal may also draw the interest of other public DNS resolvers, such as Google and OpenDNS. AGCOM, meanwhile, says that it remains fully committed to enforcing the local piracy law. The regulator notes that since the Piracy Shield started in February 2024, 65,000 domain names and 14,000 IP addresses were blocked.
  
  
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• Microsoft Windows Media Player Stops Serving Up CD Album Info
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft is celebrating the resurgence of interest in physical media in the only way it knows how... by halting the Windows Media Player metadata service. Readers of a certain vintage will remember inserting a CD into their PC and watching Windows Media Player populate with track listings and album artwork. No more. Sometime before Christmas, the metadata servers stopped working and on Windows 10 or 11, the result is the same: album not found. We tried this out at Vulture Central on some sacrificial Windows devices that had media drives and can confirm that a variety of compact discs were met with stony indifference. Some 90s cheese that was successfully ripped (for personal use, of course) decades ago? No longer recognized. A reissue of something achingly hip? Also not recognized.
  
  
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• Identity and Ideology in the School Boardroom
  The abstract of a paper on NBER: School boards have statutory authority over most elementary and secondary education policies, but receive little attention compared to other actors in education systems. A fundamental challenge to understanding the importance of boards is the absence of data on the policy goals of board members -- i.e., their ideologies -- forcing researchers to conduct tests based on demographic and professional characteristics -- i.e., identities -- with which ideology is presumed to correlate. This paper uses new data on the viewpoints and policy actions of school board members, coupled with a regression discontinuity design that generates quasi-random variation in board composition, to establish two results. The first is that the priorities of board members have large causal effects across many domains. For example, the effect of electing an equity-focused board member on test scores for low-income students is roughly equivalent to assigning every such student a teacher who is 0.3 to 0.4 SDs higher in the distribution of teacher value-added. The second is that observing policy priorities is crucial. Identity turns out to be a poor proxy for ideology, with limited governance effects that are fully explained by differences in policy priorities. Our findings challenge the belief that school boards are unimportant, showing that who serves on the board and what they prioritize can have far-reaching consequences for students.
  
  
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• The Golden Age of Vaccine Development
  Microbiology had its golden age in the late nineteenth century, when researchers identified the bacterial causes of tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, and a dozen other diseases in rapid succession. Antibiotics had theirs in the mid-twentieth century. Both booms eventually slowed. Vaccine development, by contrast, appears to be speeding up -- and the most productive era may still lie ahead, Works in Progress writes in a story. In the first half of the 2020s alone, researchers delivered the first effective vaccines against four different diseases: Covid-19, malaria, RSV and chikungunya. No previous decade matched that output. The acceleration rests on infrastructure that took two centuries to assemble. Edward Jenner's 1796 smallpox vaccine was a lucky accident he didn't understand. Louis Pasteur needed ninety years to turn that luck into systematic methods -- attenuation and inactivation -- that could be applied to other diseases. Generations of scientists then built the supporting machinery: Petri dishes for bacterial culture, techniques to keep animal cells alive outside the body, bioreactors for industrial production, sterilization and cold-chain logistics. Those tools have now compounded. Cryo-electron microscopy reveals viral proteins atom by atom, a capability that directly enabled the RSV vaccine after earlier attempts failed. Genome sequencing costs collapsed from roughly $100 million per human genome in 2001 to under $1,000 by 2014, according to data from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The mRNA platform, refined through work by Katalin Kariko, Drew Weissman, and others, allows vaccines to be redesigned in weeks rather than years. The trajectory suggests more breakthroughs are possible. Whether they arrive depends on continued investment, however.
  
  
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• America Is Falling Out of Love With Pizza
  The restaurant industry is trying to figure out whether America has hit peak pizza. From a report: Once the second-most common U.S. restaurant type, pizzerias are now outnumbered by coffee shops and Mexican food eateries, according to industry data. Sales growth at pizza restaurants has lagged behind the broader fast-food market for years, and the outlook ahead isn't much brighter. "Pizza is disrupted right now," Ravi Thanawala, chief financial officer and North America president at Papa John's International, said in an interview. "That's what the consumer tells us." The parent of the Pieology Pizzeria chain filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December. Others, including the parent of Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta, earlier filed for bankruptcy. Pizza once was a novelty outside big U.S. cities, providing room for growth for independent shops and then chains such as Pizza Hut with its red roof dine-in restaurants. Purpose-made cardboard boxes and fleets of delivery drivers helped make pizza a takeout staple for those seeking low-stress meals. Today, pizza shops are engaged in price wars with one another and other kinds of fast food. Food-delivery apps have put a wider range of cuisines and options at Americans' fingertips. And $20 a pie for a family can feel expensive compared with $5 fast-food deals, frozen pizzas or eating a home-cooked meal. [...] Pizza's dominance in American restaurant fare is declining, however. Among different cuisines, it ranked sixth in terms of U.S. sales in 2024 among restaurant chains, down from second place during the 1990s, Technomic said. The number of pizza restaurants in the U.S. hit a record high in 2019 and has declined since then, figures from the market-research firm Datassential show. Further reading, at WSJ: The Feds Need to Bail Out the Pizza Industry.
  
  
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• Amazon's New Manager Dashboard Flags 'Low-Time Badgers' and 'Zero Badgers'
  Amazon has begun equipping managers with a dashboard that tracks not just whether corporate employees show up to the office but how long they stay once they're there, according to an internal document obtained by Business Insider. The system, which started rolling out in December, flags "Low-Time Badgers" who average less than four hours daily over an eight-week period and "Zero Badgers" who don't badge into any building during that span.
  
  
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• Torvalds Tells Kernel Devs To Stop Debating AI Slop - Bad Actors Won't Follow the Rules Anyway
  Linus Torvalds has weighed in on an ongoing debate within the Linux kernel development community about whether documentation should explicitly address AI-generated code contributions, and his position is characteristically blunt: stop making it an issue. The Linux creator was responding to Oracle-affiliated kernel developer Lorenzo Stoakes, who had argued that treating LLMs as "just another tool" ignores the threat they pose to kernel quality. "Thinking LLMs are 'just another tool' is to say effectively that the kernel is immune from this," Stoakes wrote. Torvalds disagreed sharply. "There is zero point in talking about AI slop," he wrote. "Because the AI slop people aren't going to document their patches as such." He called such discussions "pointless posturing" and said that kernel documentation is "for good actors." The exchange comes as a team led by Intel's Dave Hansen works on guidelines for tool-generated contributions. Stoakes had pushed for language letting maintainers reject suspected AI slop outright, arguing the current draft "tries very hard to say 'NOP.'" Torvalds made clear he doesn't want kernel documentation to become a political statement on AI. "I strongly want this to be that 'just a tool' statement," he wrote.
  
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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]
  
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• 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
  
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• 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"

• Engadget's best of CES 2026: All the new tech that caught our eye in Las Vegas
  Over 4,000 exhibitors flocked to Las Vegas, Nevada this week to showcase their wares at CES 2026. The Engadget team, as usual, was out in full force covering the show. The week began with press conferences from huge companies at the show, mostly filled with AI buzzwords, vague promises and quite little in the way of hard news.
  
  More than one company even decided to forgo announcing things during their conferences to make way for more AI chatter, only to publish press releases later quietly admitting that, yes, actually, they did make some consumer technology. It9s appropriate, I guess, that as we9re beginning to feel the knock-on cost effects of the AI industry9s insatiable appetite for compute resources — higher utility bills and device prices — companies would rather use their flashy conferences to reinforce AI9s supposedly must-have attributes rather than actually inform the public about their new products.
  
  We9re by no means AI luddites at Engadget, but it9s fair to say that our team is more excited by tangible products that enrich our lives than iterative improvements to large language models. So, away from all of the bombast of NVIDIA9s marathon keynote and Lenovo9s somehow simultaneously gaudy and dull Sphere show, it9s been a pleasure to evaluate the crowd of weird new gadgets, appliances, toys and robots vying for our attention.
  
  Over the course of several days of exhaustive discussion and impassioned pitching, our CES team has whittled down the hundreds of products we saw to pick our favorites. Starting with an initial shortlist of around 50 candidates across a diverse range of product categories, we eventually landed on 15 winners and our singular best in show.
  
  If you9ve been with us all week, stay tuned for a lot more to come — despite publishing almost 200 articles from the show already, there9s still plenty we have to tell you about. For now, though, here are our winners, each introduced by the editor most familiar with it. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief
  Best robot: Switchbot Onero H1Onero H1 robotOnero
  We saw a lot of robots showing off intriguing and useful capabilities at CES 2026. While a lot of robots impressed us, there were fewer companies willing to commit to actually making them available. But Switchbot9s Onero H1, which we watched pick up clothes and load a washing machine, is a helper robot the company intends to sell this year. 
  
  The demo we saw was limited, but Switchbot claims it can help with an array of household chores (even if it might do them more slowly than a human). It9s also kind of cute. The company hasn9t said how much Onero will cost, though it promises the droid will be less than $10,000. A nearly five-figure price tag is still out of reach for most, but it at least gives us hope we9ll see it somewhere outside of the CES showfloor. — Karissa Bell, Senior reporter
  Best accessibility tech: WheelMoveWheelMove power assist for manual wheelchairsCheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  WheelMove offers a simple upgrade for manual wheelchairs that could make it much easier for the rider to navigate rough surfaces like grass and uneven dirt paths. The add-on is affixed to the front bars of the wheelchair and can lift the small caster wheels off the ground, in addition to providing power assistance with five speed options. It9s portable, has a decent range of about 15 miles — with the option to swap out its battery on the go — and could give wheelchair users greater access to areas that would otherwise be difficult to move about in. It can also keep the wheelchair from speeding up when a person is traveling on a downward slope.
  
  This feels very much like a product that will actually see the light of day, and could be genuinely helpful. It builds upon an existing category of wheelchair accessories to address a real issue in a way that doesn9t overcomplicate things, and would work with the wheelchairs people already use. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor
  Best TV: LG Wallpaper TV (OLED Evo W6)LG OLED Evo W6 "Wallpaper TV"LG
  I’ve seen plenty of TVs at CES this year, but few stopped me in my tracks like LG’s OLED Evo W6. It’s the resurrection of the company’s “Wallpaper TV,” but this time it’s even thinner (about the depth of a pencil), and it’s no longer tied to a soundbar. It also uses LG’s wireless control box to reduce cabling — the only cord you need to hide is the one for power.
  
  And best of all, the OLED Evo W6 features LG’s latest OLED technology, which promises to be about 20 percent brighter than previous generations. Video demos looked absolutely stunning, with all of the wonderful contrast and black levels we’ve come to love from OLED. But it’s also a work of art when it’s turned off, one that practically disappears when viewed from an angle. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter
  Best AI hardware: Subtle VoicebudsSubtle VoicebudsSubtle
  Subtle’s Voicebuds are earbuds with a twist: They feature an AI model that’s trained to transcribe your voice accurately in very noisy environments, or when it9s below a whisper in quiet spaces. We’ve seen these things in action on the bustling CES show floor, where they managed to transcribe several sentences amid the chaos. The only downsides is that the Voicebuds require internet access to use the best transcription models, and you need to subscribe to the Subtle app to use it. Without the app, it relies on a smaller local model for transcription.
  
  While we still need to put the Voicebuds through their paces, they’re intriguing because we haven’t seen many genuinely useful AI hardware products. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a tiny startup deliver hardware trying to take on the likes of Apple. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter
  Best smart home: IKEA Matter-compatible smart homeIKEA KAJPLATS smart bulb rangeIKEA
  The best smart home devices I saw at CES had nothing to do with AI or robots. It seems every other company, from Bosch to LG to Samsung, had one or both of the buzzy technologies baked into their new smart home offerings. But IKEA came to its first CES with a simple lineup of basic, Matter-enabled smart plugs, sensors, lamps and remotes at screamingly good prices. Function paired with accessible pricing is sort of what IKEA is known for, so the lineup didn’t exactly surprise me as much as make me appreciate that someone is finally simplifying and democratizing smart home stuff.  
  
  There are 21 Matter-compatible devices in all. They include a $6 smart bulb, an $8 smart plug, a $6 smart remote and a slew of home sensors. A slightly pricier ($15) globe bulb looks very lovely. Finally, there’s a smart bulb you’d actually want to look at — one that doesn’t cost $50. Another standout is the BILREA remote control. Not only is it an intuitive controller for IKEA’s smart devices and new smart lamps, it also has a magnetic mount so you don’t lose the thing. Matter devices require a hub to function. Here, you can either go for IKEA’s own DIRIGERA or use a Matter hub you already own. The new lineup should land at IKEA’s website and stores sometime in January. — Amy Skorheim, Senior reporter
  Best home theater: Samsung HW-QS90HSamsung HW-QS90H soundbarBilly Steele for Engadget
  Many companies claim their soundbars have enough bass that you don’t need a separate subwoofer. Those promises rarely pan out, even when the company devises new technology to solve the problem. With the HW-QS90H, Samsung is pledging to do the same with its Quad Bass woofer system. Those woofers move in two directions, producing a lot more low-end tone than most soundbars are capable of on their own. What’s more, Samsung included its Convertible Fit Design tech that debuted last year, so you can lay this speaker flat or mount it on a wall and the built-in sensors will automatically adjust the driver output accordingly. So, if you’ve longed for deep bass on a soundbar without a large or ugly sub in the corner, you may finally get your wish later this year. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor
  Best audio: Shokz OpenFit ProShokz OpenFit ProShokz
  When it comes to open fit earbuds, companies that claim to offer active noise cancellation (ANC) usually don’t deliver; It’s difficult to effectively block external sound when your ears aren’t completely sealed off. Shokz is one of the few that has cracked the code with its OpenFit Pro. The over-the-ear hook design allows the earbuds to sit outside of your ear for a clear line to your surroundings. When you need a bit more quiet, the company’s noise reduction tech does well to silence moderate sounds in a cafe, office and more. It’s seriously impressive how much noise reduction you’ll get here, and the fact that nothing is stuck in your ear canals makes them very comfortable to wear. Plus, Shokz improved overall sound quality with new drivers, and tacked on Dolby Atmos for good measure. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor
  Best outdoor tech: Tone Outdoors T1Tone Outdoors T1Whisper Aero
  Outdoor tool companies have increasingly shown up at CES, especially the ones that offer a range of battery-powered gear. Tone Outdoors isn’t your usual power tool outfit though; it’s a spin-off of the aerospace engineering company Whisper Aero. Through its development of quieter electric airplane engines, Whisper Aero realized its technology had other uses. Enter the T1 leaf blower.
  
  The T1 is significantly quieter than most handheld gas models, clocking in at just 52 decibels of peak noise on average. It’s also more powerful than most of them with 880 CFM of airflow volume. The T1 can run longer too, and an upcoming backpack will extend run time for several hours. But the most important advancement here is not annoying your neighbors — or yourself — when it’s time to do some yard work. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor
  Best toy: Lego Smart PlayLego Smart PlayLego
  Lego is constantly evolving, but rarely does it make as big a move as it did with Smart Play. The system is designed to take standard Lego sets and make them more interactive thanks to a tech-packed Smart Brick. Those bricks have a tiny chip the size of a Lego stud that enables things like motion, color and proximity sensing. They also have a tiny speaker that further helps bring Lego builds to life. 
  
  The Smart Brick is mostly a blank slate, but pairing it with Lego9s Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures is what enables these new play scenarios. Unsurprisingly, Lego introduced the Smart Play system alongside Star Wars sets that make these new immersive elements more obvious. An X-Wing piloted by Luke Skywalker can get into a dogfight with Darth Vader9s TIE fighter, and you9ll hear the engines roar to life, the characters exclaim as they come under fire and the spaceship explodes if it gets hit too many times. And Smart Play requires no setup, meaning that the technology packed into the Smart Brick fades away and lets kids (and kids at heart) get down to the business of playing. You don9t need to know how it works — it just does. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy editor
  Best PC or laptop: Dell XPS 14 + 16The Dell XPS 14 and 16.Dell
  In a way, this award is for Dell’s latest flagship laptops but also the company itself. Last year, Dell showed up with a new naming scheme for all of its hardware that included replacing the iconic XPS line with the word “Premium.” And despite our objections, the company followed through with the rebrand. But now at CES 2026, not only has Dell admitted its mistake, it’s righting wrongs with two new members of the XPS family that are exactly what we wanted all along.
  
  On the XPS 14 and XPS 16, we’re getting brand new chassis featuring the latest chips from Intel, gorgeous tandem OLED displays and precision engineering that embodies everything we loved about XPS laptops from previous years. Dell also streamlined its designs with the larger XPS 16 dropping an entire pound compared to the previous generation. The company even addressed a number of our previous critiques by switching from capacitive touch controls back to a classic row of function keys and reverting to segmented touchpads instead of seamless glass ones that made it hard to keep track of your cursor. 
  
  But perhaps the best part is that Dell isn’t stopping here, because the company also teased a new version of its legendary XPS 13 slated for later this year, the thinnest and lightest member of the family yet. There are also placeholders for two more XPS models slated to arrive in the not too distant future. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter
  Best health tech: Eyebot vision test boothEyebot vision testEyebot
  Wouldn’t it be nice if getting an updated eyeglasses prescription wasn’t as lengthy a process as it is right now? Eyebot’s new kiosk is designed to automate the process of visiting a doctor’s office to three minutes rocking up to a machine. It uses a combination of analog and digital wizardry to identify what you need to see properly in no time at all. Even better is that the prescriptions have to be signed off by a licensed eye doctor, so you can still rely on a degree of professional rigor. We like Eyebot because it proved itself in our tests: its brief examination matched my professionally completed prescription from last year. But its ability to make effective eye care accessible and affordable in a way that it isn’t at present is even more compelling than the tech itself. — Daniel Cooper, Senior reporter
  Best gaming tech: ASUS ROG Zephyrus DuoASUS ROG Zephyrus DuoASUS
  The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo is big, weird and potentially awkward to set up. But honestly, what kind of gamer doesn’t want more screens? Even if you can’t use its second display in the middle of a firefight, more real estate means extra room for Discord, build guides or anything else you might need. Furthermore, ASUS included not one but two brilliant OLED panels with up to 1,100 nits of brightness and color accuracy so good you won’t have a problem editing photos or videos. You also get a ton of ports, and with support for up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU, the ROG Zephyrus Duo has more than enough performance to handle anything you can throw at it. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter
  Best mobile tech: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFoldSamsung Galaxy Z TriFoldSam Rutherford for Engadget
  Samsung might have announced the latest iteration of its foldable smartphones in Korea, but CES was the first chance for many of us to see the Galaxy Z TriFold in person. It’s a 10-inch Android tablet hidden within a 6.5-inch smartphone form factor. 
  
  The jump from the almost-square screen ratio of Samsung’s past foldables to approximately 4:3 is a major improvement. This is a device that I could happily watch entire movies on. There’s more horizontal space to read, more room to type and more bright, vivid AMOLED everything. Unfurling the sides is incredibly satisfying and, perhaps because it’s thicker, it has a reassuring heft, too. The rest of the spec sheet reflects another fashionable Galaxy phone with a 200-megapixel main camera and the biggest battery yet in a Samsung foldable.
  
  It’ll likely be expensive though. Samsung hasn’t confirmed pricing in the US, but based on its launch cost in Korea, it could be around $2,500. — Mat Smith, UK bureau chief
  Most promising concept: Lenovo Legion Pro RollableLenovo Legion Pro RollableLenovo
  Concept devices are hard to judge because even the ones with a ton of potential might be too difficult to make or too niche to bring to market. But with the Legion Pro Rollable concept, Lenovo created something with a simple yet powerful premise: A gaming laptop with a screen that gets wider at the touch of a button.
  
  To make the Legion Pro Rollable, Lenovo took a regular Legion Pro 7i and then swapped its standard 16-inch display for a flexible one that can expand all the way up to 23.8 inches — with a bonus stop in between. This means you have the option to choose from 16:10, 21:9 or even 24:9 depending on the situation, which feels like an incredible way to enhance racing games, flight sims and anything else that can take advantage of extra wide aspect ratios. Granted, when its screen is fully deployed, it does look a bit ungainly. But of all the concepts we saw this year at CES, the Legion Pro Rollable is the one we hope survives to become a proper retail product someday. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter
  Best emerging technology: IXI autofocus lensesIXI Autofocus lensesIXI
  IXI’s autofocusing glasses were a late addition to our discussions, but we were impressed by what could be a significant advancement in spectacle technology — something that’s been largely static since the 1950s. IXI’s glasses feature an elegant, unique, cameraless eye-tracking system that uses ultra-low-power LEDs and photodiodes to precisely monitor the user9s eye movement and focus convergence. This data drives a liquid crystal lens layer, enabling a focus switch between near and far distances in approximately 0.2 seconds. Focus your gaze elsewhere, and your glasses return to their normal prescription. Think of them as a high-tech take on the often thick and clunky multifocal lenses we’re currently stuck with.
  
  IXI is now finalizing the production process, developing manufacturing and gaining the necessary medical certification to sell its glasses, but it has already struck deals with lens manufacturers in Europe. The company has a busy year ahead as it turns its technology into a consumer product. — Mat Smith, UK bureau chief
  Best in show: Lego Smart PlayLego Smart PlayLego
  There9s perhaps no place better than CES to highlight how quickly industry trends die. Over the years the show has been a driver of cornerstone technologies like the VCR, DVD, flatscreen TVs, PDAs and more. Some trends stick, some don9t.
  
  Lego could almost be seen as the antithesis of the typical CES product: The company9s core concept of creative play has remained in place throughout its long history, boosted by a gradual and ongoing evolution of block types and brand tie-ins.
  
  Announced at its first-ever CES press conference, Smart Play represents a thoughtful integration of technology to the classic toy. A tiny chip the size of a single Lego stud allows the company9s Smart Bricks to sense what9s around them, opening up new ways to play. The system will debut with a trio of Star Wars sets, but we’re sure Lego has plans for a wide range of licensed and unlicensed options.
  
  Our team instantly fell in love with Smart Play, and Deputy editor Nathan Ingraham had the opportunity to both build some sets and talk with some of the people behind the technology. Amid parental anxieties about screentime, it9s refreshing that Smart Play doesn9t require an app or a screen to get started. Kids can just get building. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadgets-best-of-ces-2026-all-the-new-tech-that-caught-our-eye-in-las-vegas-200057123.html?src=rss

• It's time for Apple to reinstate ICEBlock
  In October, Apple caved to pressure from the Trump administration and removed ICEBlock — and similar apps which crowdsourced the location of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity — from its App Store. Apple's stated rationale? The apps could "be used to harm law enforcement officers." But armed-to-the-teeth ICE officers don’t need protection from civilians. Apple had that exactly backward.
  
  That became impossible to ignore on Wednesday, when ICE agent Jonathon Ross killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in cold blood. By now, you don't need me to recount her brutal last moments. But the footage (graphic and disturbing as it is) is out there, and we can see the Trump administration's propaganda about the event for what it is.
  
  ICE was a dangerous force long before this week. This was the agency’s ninth shooting since September. 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025. Around a third of those arrested by ICE agents — often masked and refusing to identify themselves — don’t even have criminal records.
  
  What changed this week was, arguably, that the victim wasn’t a brown-skinned person. ICE claimed the life of a white American citizen, one who, according to her wife, was a kind, loving mom and a Christian. Unfortunately, the US has a dark history of shrugging off violence as long as it’s directed towards a marginalized group. That wasn’t possible for mainstream newsreaders here.
  LOS ANGELES, CA  - JANUARY 8, 2026 Dozens, holding photos of Renee Nicole Good, protest her death a day after an ICE agent killed Good in Minneapolis, in front of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on January 8, 2026. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Genaro Molina via Getty Images
  On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance smeared Good baselessly, insisting the mother was part of a "left-wing network." He also claimed ICE holds "absolute immunity" when it comes to doing things like killing Americans in broad daylight. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the deadly incident as the "result of a larger, sinister left-wing movement that has spread across our country." And the FBI has blocked Minnesota's criminal investigation bureau from accessing evidence to complete a thorough examination of the homicide.
  
  In short: an agency with the full backing of the federal government killed an innocent citizen, and while there are tools to inform the public about the likely locations that agency may be acting in, Apple has chosen to keep them from us.
  
  Apple has a history of presenting itself as a safer, socially progressive alternative within Big Tech. Its keynotes are replete with heartfelt testimony of iPhone and Apple Watch features saving lives. It releases Pride-themed accessories to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and the company has (so far) resisted government pressure to eliminate its DEI programs. Hell, its modern era was kicked off by the “Here’s to the crazy ones” TV ad, which intercut images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon and Gandhi — explicitly cloaking its corporate image in civil disobedience and social justice.
  A photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Apple's homepage (2015)Apple / The Internet Archive
  But the company also wields that progressive image for selfish reasons, wrapping business priorities in the guise of conscientiousness. For example, when government regulations push for openness or interoperability, Apple warns of the security and privacy risks for its users. When Apple tightly controls where you can buy apps, it’s about keeping porn away from the kids. And Apple has decided the theoretical safety of ICE officers is more valuable than the very real threat they pose to the communities they harass.
  
  ICEBlock's availability on the App Store may not have changed the outcome of Wednesday's events. But it could resume its job as a community informer. It could make it easier to notify the public of where these masked thugs are congregating, perhaps even helping others avoid Good's fate.
  
  Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment on reinstating ICEBlock; we’ll update if we receive a response.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/its-time-for-apple-to-reinstate-iceblock-220802356.html?src=rss

• Amazon is apparently planning a big box store in the Chicago suburbs
  Amazon is making a return, of sorts, to physical retail via plans to build a big-box retail store in the Chicago suburbs, physical bookstores and gift shops in 2022.
  
  The new store will offer in-store shopping, but also act as a fulfillment center for online orders, which could make it similar to competitors like Target and Walmart, and some of Amazon9s existing Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh locations. "The proposed development will offer a wide selection of products, including groceries and general merchandise, with accessory services and potentially dining locations for prepared food sold onsite," Amazon wrote in a planning document The Information viewed.
  
  While best known as an online marketplace, Amazon has made multiple attempts to have a physical retail presence. Amazon Books sold books based on what was trending on the company9s website, Amazon 4-star sold a variety of products that were rated four or more stars in Amazon reviews and the company9s Amazon Go stores sold pre-made food and select groceries via its cashier-less "Just Walk Out" technology. 
  
  Amazon has abandoned basically all those experiments in favor of sticking with the grocery brand it bought in 2017, Whole Foods, and the new one it’s formed in the years since, Amazon Fresh. This new store could be an entirely new concept, or an evolution of Amazon Fresh, but whatever it is, it9ll have to be approved by the Orland Park Village Board to move forward, according to the Chicago Tribune.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-apparently-planning-a-big-box-store-in-the-chicago-suburbs-213451978.html?src=rss

• Monarch Money's budgeting app is 50 percent off for new users
  A new year is the perfect time to get your spending in order, and if you9re not trying to build your own spreadsheet, budgeting apps are one of the best ways to do it. To save yourself some money in the process, you can pick up a year-long subscription to Monarch Money, one of Engadget9s favorite budgeting apps, for just $50 if you use code NEWYEAR2026 at checkout and you9re a new subscriber. That9s a 50 percent discount on the service9s normal $100 price.
  
  Monarch Money makes for a capable and detailed budgeting companion. You can use the service via apps for iOS, Android, iPadOS or the web, and Monarch also offers a Chrome extension that can sync your Amazon and Target transactions and automatically categorize them. Like other budgeting apps, Monarch Money lets you connect multiple financial accounts and track your money based on where you spend it over time. Monarch offers two different approaches to tracking budgeting (flexible and category budgeting) depending on what fits your life best, and the ability to add a budget widget on your phone so you can know how you9re tracking that month.
  
  
  
  How budgeting apps turn your raw transactions into visuals you can understand at a glance is one of the big things that differentiates one app from another, and Monarch Money offers multiple graphs and charts to look at for things like spending, investments or categories of your choice based on how you9ve labelled your expenses. The app can also monitor the spending of you and your partner all in one place, to make it easier to plan together.
  
  The main drawbacks Engadget found in testing Monarch Money were the app9s learning curve, and the differences in features (and bugginess) between Monarch9s web and mobile versions. Still, for 50 percent off, the Monarch Money is well worth experimenting with if you9re trying to save money in 2026, especially if you want to do it collaboratively with a partner.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/monarch-moneys-budgeting-app-is-50-percent-off-for-new-users-204507740.html?src=rss

• The Morning After: The best of CES 2026
  We’re wrapping up coverage of the biggest tech show in the world. CES 2026 is almost over, and while we have more stories and wrap-ups to come, here are the most interesting products we’ve spotted, written about and critiqued/praised. That includes our picks for the best of CES. We gave out 15 awards as well as our best of show, and you might be surprised by some of our picks — I know I was.
  
  Read on for some of the best things to come out of Las Vegas this week, but first up, our Best of the Best winner, which was Lego Smart Play. As Engadget’s editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris put it, “Lego could almost be seen as the antithesis of the typical CES product.”
  
  Regardless of trends, Lego has always persisted. And in 2026, it’s getting much smarter.
  Smart Brick, Tags and Minifigures. They’re packed with modern technology, so they can respond to how you play with them or the sets you build. The Smart Brick has a 4.1mm ASIC chip, which Lego says is smaller than a standard Lego stud. It senses things like motion, orientation and magnetic fields, but also has a tiny built-in speaker, which produces audio “tied to live play actions,” not just canned clips.
  
  It’s hard to explain it in only a few words (we’ve got a deep-dive hands-on All the winners at CES 2026Wait, IKEA?Everything NVIDIA announced at CES 2026NVIDIA has started production of its Vera Rubin supercomputer.Engadget
  On Monday, which feels like an age ago, Jensen Huang shared the latest from NVIDIA. While the presentation was more a refresher than a barrage of new announcements, it was a pretty low-key presentation, with lots of AI chat. One announcement was Alpamayo, a family of open-source reasoning models designed to guide autonomous vehicles through difficult driving situations. The centerpiece is Alpamayo 1, a 10-billion-parameter chain-of-thought system NVIDIA says can drive more like a human.
  
  When it comes to tech we all might use, we had to wait for a separate event, when NVIDIA announced DLSS 4.5 and G-Sync Pulsar. For both features, you’ll need a 50-series GPU. You got one, right?
  
  Continue reading.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-193045065.html?src=rss

• WhatsApp might soon be subject to stricter scrutiny under the EU's Digital Services Act
  Meta9s messaging app WhatsApp could soon be subject to deeper scrutiny (and punishment) under the European Commission9s Digital Services Act, WhatsApp Channels grew to around 51.7 million average monthly active users in the European Union in the first six months of 2025, the feature has crossed the 45-million-person barrier that lets DSA rules apply.
  
  A platform is designated as a "very large online platform" or VLOP once it has 45 million monthly users or more, according to the European Commission. Once an app or service passes that amount, it9s subject to the DSA and all its rules about how digital platforms should operate, particularly around removing illegal or harmful content. Companies can be fined up to six percent of their global annual revenue for not complying with the DSA.
  
  WhatsApp traditionally functions as a private messaging app, but its Channels feature, which lets users make one-sided posts to anyone who follows their channel, does look a lot more like Meta9s other social media platforms. "So here we would indeed designate potentially WhatsApp for WhatsApp Channels and I can confirm that the Commission is actively looking into it and I wouldn9t exclude a future designation," a Commission spokesperson said in a daily news briefing Reuters viewed.
  
  Engadget has asked Meta to comment on WhatsApp’s possible new designation. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
  
  The possibility that WhatsApp could become a regulatory target in the EU was first reported in November 2025, but Meta has been dealing with DSA-related fines since well before then. Meta was charged with violating the EU law in October 2025 because of how it asks users to report illegal content on Facebook and Instagram. Earlier that month, a Dutch court also ordered the company to change how it presents the timelines on its platforms because people in the Netherlands were not "sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems" in the company9s apps.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/whatsapp-might-soon-be-subject-to-stricter-scrutiny-under-the-eus-digital-services-act-191000354.html?src=rss

• ExpressVPN two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now
  ExpressVPN is back on sale again, and its two-year plans are up to 78 percent off right now. You can get the Advanced tier for $101 for 28 months. This is marked down from the $392 that this time frame normally costs. On a per-month basis, it works out to roughly $3.59 for the promo period.
  
  
  
  We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact, it9s our current pick for best premium VPN. One of the biggest drawbacks has always been its high cost, and this deal temporarily solves that issue.
  
  In our review we were able to get fast download and upload speeds, losing only 7 percent in the former and 2 percent in the latter worldwide. We found that it could unblock Netflix anywhere, and its mobile and desktop apps were simple to operate. We gave ExpressVPN an overall score of 85 out of 100.
  
  The virtual private network service now has three tiers. Basic is cheaper with fewer features, while Pro costs more and adds extra perks like support for 14 simultaneous devices and a password manager. Advanced sits in the middle and includes the password manager but only supports 12 devices.
  
  The Basic plan is $78 right now for 28 months, down from $363, and the Pro plan is $168, down from $560. That9s 78 percent and 70 percent off, respectively. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, so you can try it without committing long term if you’re on the fence.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/expressvpn-two-year-plans-are-up-to-78-percent-off-right-now-180602025.html?src=rss

• CES: So very big, so little sustainability tech
  Every third booth at CES showed off some new AI product or other. If you wanted to find a robotic lawn mower, throw a rock. Humanoid robots, smart locks and super thin TVs were everywhere. But if you went looking for sustainability products, you’re going to have to hunt a bit.
  
  Last year, the Sustainability section at the Las Vegas Convention Center had 20 booths. This year, there were 38, but that’s in part due to the combination of the energy and sustainability categories. So exhibitors like South Korea’s largest electric utility company, a nuclear power company from the same country and lots of battery manufacturers. There was also an AI data platform booth in the section that had nothing to do with sustainability as far as I can tell. Guess the organizers just ran out of room for all the AI.
  
  Within the sustainability section, and at other CES venues, I found a few encouraging displays of sustainable products — organizations and devices that were trying to address the multitude of problems the world is facing when it comes to energy production, climate and pollution.
  
  But none of it quite achieved Engadget’s best of CES status this year. Some of what we saw was utility-scale, some wasn’t quite ready for consumer consumption and other stuff was too niche or had too many caveats to make the list. I won’t go so far as to say sustainability is dead at CES, because that sends me into dark downward spirals, but it’s getting sparse out there, friends.
  
  Here are the companies I saw that had promise and innovative ideas. And gosh darn it, at least these guys are trying.
  Shine Turbine 2.0Spinning the Shine 2.0 wind turbineAmy Skorheim for Engadget
  This little guy could be a precursor to some serious personal wind power generation. That’s where the company is heading. For now, the Shine 2.0 can use as little as a light breeze to start generating power to charge your smartphones, laptops or even a power station. The whole unit weighs three pounds and sets up in around two minutes. The second generation model can output up to 75 watts and the company is working on a third version that goes up to 100 watts for even more substantial energy production.
  
  Learn more at Shine.
  Flint battery techFlint batteries break down by 70 percent in four weeks in a compost pile. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  When I approached Flint’s booth, the rep told me the company made cellulose batteries. And I thought, like paper-wrapped batteries? Nope. The chemicals inside the batteries are made from cellulose. They have a solvent-free, lithium-free, PFAS-free chemistry and break down by 70 percent in four weeks in a composting environment. They use the same basic architecture as a lithium-ion cell, with an anode, cathode and separator with ion transfers between the two. As of now, Flint is focused on partnering with manufacturers, and consumer products are on the horizon.
  
  Learn more at Flint.
  Clear Drop soft plastics compactorThe Clear Drop soft plastics compactor next to a pile of the bricks it produces.Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  The Clear Drop is a soft plastics compactor that creates eight by twelve by four-inch bricks out of hundreds of grocery bags, bubble wrap, ziplocks and plastic packaging. One brick is equivalent to a 30-pound trash bag-worth of bags. Once the brick is created, it can be shipped to one of Clear Drop’s partner facilities in a pre-paid USPS shipping envelope. They currently work with a few US-based recycling facilities and hope to one day create an infrastructure to include municipal recycling.
  
  Learn more at Clear Drop.
  Alpha Power by CPTIAlpha power by CPTIAmy Skorheim for Engadget
  From what I’ve learned at the show, perovskite is the hottest thing in solar right now. It’s a mineral compound that’s been used to create more efficient solar panels. Some so sensitive to light that just indoor illumination is enough to create usable energy. Alpha Power by CPTI creates lightweight, flexible perovskite solar panels that can conform to multiple surfaces. Again, this is a company that’s partnering with manufacturers, so look for panels built into your laptop to charge it under the glare of your too-harsh office lights.
  
  Learn more at CPTI.
  Green Vigor 3D models of buildings using Green Vigor technology. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  Down in the lower levels of the Venetian Expo at CES I found Green Vigor in the Hong Kong pavilion. This small company has two solutions to create energy for buildings by harnessing the potential energy from existing systems. HydroVigor generates power from water systems. So every time someone washes their hands or flushes a toilet in a building, the roof-top system generates a bit of power. CoolVigor uses the same principles to harness energy from HVAC systems. HydroVigor is currently in use in many buildings in Singapore and Hong Kong and they’re working to expand to more buildings globally.
  
  Learn more at GreenVigor.
  Jackery Solar GazeboJackery9s Solar Gazebo. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  This outdoor hangout spot can produce up to 10kWh of power on a given day. It’s a modular design that lets you choose louvered walls, sunshades, lights and fans when you order it and the solar panels are so strong that a full-sized human Jackery rep was able to stand on a sample panel in front of me and nothing cracked (though the company officially rates it at 20 pounds of snow per square foot). You can use the power directly, tie it into your home system, feed it into the grid or hook it up to one of Jackery’s many power stations to save the power for later. The gazebo costs $12,000 and will ship in mid-2026.
  
  Learn more at Jackery.
  Bluetti RV Solar SystemBluetti9s DIY RV Solar power systemAmy Skorheim for Engadget
  Bluetti, like Jackery, is known for its vast lineup of portable and fixed power stations and batteries. This year, it brought a new power station made with bio-based plastic as well as a DIY system for adding solar power to your existing RV.
  
  Learn more at Bluetti.
  Airloom wind power generationAirloom9s roller coaster-like wind power generator for data centers. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  Engadget’s Anna Washenko does a great job of explaining the tech behind Airloom. In short it’s a roller coaster for wind that’s comprised of 40 percent less mass than a standard wind turbine and uses 42 percent fewer parts and 96 percent fewer unique parts. That makes it faster to deploy and cheaper to instal. I can also be sited in more places. Again, this is a utility-scale solution, geared towards data centers and their insatiable need for energy to power Very Important AI Things.
  
  Learn more at Airloom.
  Gaotu Innovation Energy GroupGaotu had a range of solar products in various formats. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  If you are looking for a solar-powered anything, hit up Gaotu. At the company’s booth, I saw hats, a fishing chair, a backpack, a sunbrella and a car roof-top enclosure that unfurls to charge up your Tesla. The Shenzhen-based company has been in business for 18 years and plans to just keep sticking solar panels on anything it can.
  
  Learn more at Gaotu.
  Segway Muxi cargo e-bikeSegway9s latest cargo e-bikeAmy Skorheim for Engadget
  The single largest booth in the CES sustainability section was Segway. This year, the company showed off two new e-bikes, which our own Dan Cooper covered. This one here is the Muxi, a cargo bike with an easily swappable battery, an optional passenger seat with foot pegs and an optional middle basket. Plus a beverage cup holder.
  
  Learn more at Segway.
  
  If we don’t all fall into the ocean before then, perhaps CES 2027 will have a stronger showing of sustainability tech. In the meantime, I’ll take a modicum of comfort in these few brave organizations still dedicated to keeping us afloat.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/ces-so-very-big-so-little-sustainability-tech-180000648.html?src=rss

• CES 2026 proved the PC industry is hosed this year
  Dell9s XPS 14 now costs over $2,000. An AMD executive predicts that PC builders will likely make piecemeal upgrades this year, instead of building entirely new systems. And new AI supercomputers from NVIDIA and AMD are gobbling up the RAM market. At CES 2026, it was hard not to notice the dire year ahead for the computing industry, one that will likely lead to higher prices and more limited availability for consumer goods across the board.
  
  Really, though, the show just confirmed what was apparent since RAM prices skyrocketed over the last few months, driven by demand from AI datacenters. As Samsung9s marketing leader, Wonjin Lee, told Bloomberg at CES: "There9s going to be issues around semiconductor supplies, and it9s going to affect everyone. Prices are going up even as we speak."
  
  Dell9s new XPS 14 and XPS 16 are among the earliest systems hit by these demands. Last year9s models started at $1,699 and $1,899, respectively, and we were initially told the new models would actually come in cheaper at $1,650 and $1,850. But Dell later announced a shocking price jump: The XPS 14 now starts at $2,050, while the XPS 16 is $2,200.
  
  While it didn9t take much to configure the earlier models upwards of $2,000, it9s genuinely wild to me that the entry-level models are already starting there. And meanwhile, Apple still hasn9t budged its $1,599 MacBook Pro 14-inch pricing. At least Dell still comes in cheaper than the $2,499 MacBook Pro 16-inch.
  
  On the desktop front, AMD9s David McAfee, Corporate Vice President and GM of Client Channel Business, noted that the longevity of the company9s AM4 and AM5 platforms might be a boon for gamers, since they can upgrade their CPUs without buying new RAM kits and motherboards. That allows for a pathway to better performance without paying out the nose for over-priced RAM.
  
  "I think that will be potentially a trend that we see in 2026 with more component upgrades, as opposed to full system swap outs and, and altogether rebuilds," he said in a group interview with Engadget and other outlets. "Some of the most popular CPUs that are still running in gamers’ platforms are parts like the 2600 back to the Pinnacle Ridge days, or 3000 series... Stepping even from there into a little bit more modern 5,000 series processors in an AM4 socket and motherboard, there9s a pretty big boost there."
  
  McAfee added that around 30 to 40 percent of AMD9s business still revolves around the AM4 platform, even without the specter of a wild memory market.
  
  "There9s no product that has memory in it that9s immune to some of these forces around DRAM pricing and, and what it9s doing to the market," he said, when asked about potential GPU price increases. "I think the, the truth is the volatility that we9ve seen over the past two months or so has really been unprecedented."
  
  Looking ahead, he said he expects prices to settle within the first three to six months of the year, but he didn9t discuss his reasoning further. As an aside, he also noted that AMD9s X3D chips, which feature 3D V-cache, actually don9t see much of a hit from slower RAM. Their high amounts of onboard L2 and L3 cache make up for less ideal memory transfer speeds, McAfee said.
  
  That McAfee commented at all about the state of RAM is noteworthy. Every PC maker I’ve asked, including Dell and Acer, refused to comment on the volatile state of the memory industry ahead of CES. Perhaps they were hoping things would calm down before they had to price their new systems. Ultimately, they’re beholden to an increasingly limited supply of RAM.
  
  And where is all that memory going? At CES, NVIDIA announced its new Vera Rubin AI supercomputer, which supports up to 54TB of RAM across 36 Vera CPUs and 20.7TB of memory across 72 GPUs. AMD, as well, announced its new Helios AI rack, which supports up to 31TB of memory across 72 AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs. Given the endless appetite for computing to power AI model building and inferencing, there’s likely going to be a significant demand for these beastly systems.
  
  Put simply: Our global supply of memory is being sacrificed to appease the AI industry. That’s good news for the likes of OpenAI, Microsoft and NVIDIA, but bad news for anyone who cares about PCs and the consumer products we use every day. Get ready for a year of price hikes.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/ces-2026-proved-the-pc-industry-is-hosed-this-year-174500314.html?src=rss

• The Clicks co-founder explains who its tiny Communicator phone is for
  Clicks is an apologetically gadgety company, making gear that feels charmingly out-of-place in a world where almost every smartphone out there is an all-screen slab. That was obviously two years ago when the company first revealed its keyboard case that brought tactile typing to the iPhone and eventually other Android devices. Rather than that being a one-off curiosity, the company had two new announcements at CES 2026: a magnetic keyboard accessory that also doubles as a battery bank and small, squat mobile phone with a keyboard. And while there isn’t a working prototype of the Clicks Communicator available for the press to see, I got to check out the new Power Keyboard talk with Clicks co-founder and former BlackBerry marketing director Jeff Gadway about where he thinks his products fit into the smartphone world.
  
  At first glance, the $79 Power Keyboard feels like a big improvement over the original Clicks Keyboard case. It magnetically attaches to any phone with Qi2 and connects over Bluetooth. The keyboard itself is similar to the original Clicks keyboard, but there’s a dedicated number row which is a nice improvement. But the thing that really caught my eye was its old-school slider form factor. When closed, the Power Keyboard sits on the back of your phone like a thick wireless battery pack — but it satisfyingly slides up to reveal the keyboard like the Palm Pre or BlackBerry Torch smartphones of old.
  The magnetic, sliding Clicks Power Keyboard.Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
  The Power Keyboard’s last trick is that it can charge your phone up when attached. The battery itself isn’t huge, so you’re not going to fully recharge a modern smartphone. But it’s still a nice addition for if you need some power in a pinch. You can also set it up so it doesn’t charge your phone and instead uses all the battery to power the keyboard; in that situation, the keyboard will last weeks without a charge. Or you can designate a percentage that can only be used by the keyboard — for example, if the battery pack’s charge drops below 20 percent, it’ll stop charging your phone and instead save that power for the keyboard.
  The Clicks Power Keyboard, without a phone attached.Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
  As someone who has never owned a smartphone with a keyboard, I can’t say how good the Clicks keyboard actually is — there would be a definite learning curve before I got comfortable with it. It certainly feels tiny to me, but if you just type on and trust autocorrect you should get the hang of it before too long. Whether the benefits of using a physical keyboard matter are up to you to decide. It’s nice seeing a bigger screen unobstructed by the virtual keyboard, but I feel far too set in my touchscreen ways to consider switching it up. But some people just loved their keyboards, and for them this gadget might hit the spot.
  
  The Clicks Communicator is the more unexpected of the two new devices the comapny is working on, but without a working demo model I can’t render any judgement about how it will actually work. When it was announced, Clicks specifically said they were targeting people who used multiple devices, a demographic that I wasn’t fully convinced was large enough to justify the Communicator’s existence. But Gadway assured me the company had done plenty of research before moving into the hardware production phase.
  
  “You9ve got people who are mandated to carry a second device for corporate deploy. Then you9ve got people who are small business owners and want to have a separate phone for their small business,” he said. “In markets like Europe, there9s a requirement for employers to give people the option to have a separate device and create more separation. You9ve got travelers who want a second SIM, and then you9ve got this growing cohort of digital detox, digital minimalism, digital well-being people.” None of those segments might be huge on its own, but add it all up and the Clicks team felt like they had a decent opportunity.
  The Clicks Communicator has an LED Light on its side button that you can customize for different notifications.Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
  The other half of the thought process was making the Communicator different from an iPhone or Pixel — instead of having two essentially identical devices, Clicks wanted to make the Communicator with a distinct focus. “Our thought process was that complementary devices in tech are on the rise,’ Gadway said. “You wear an Oura Ring and you wear a smart watch; you carry an e-reader for reading and a tablet for content consumption. So why shouldn9t your second phone be better at certain things than your first phone instead of just being a straight duplicate?”
  
  That’s where the squarish, 4-inch touchscreen, keyboard and custom implementation of the Niagara Android launcher, which is a list-based UI rather than a grid of apps. The custom Clicks implementation of it focuses on your messaging apps and quickly triaging through new items (hence the Communicator name). The keyboard itself is touch sensitive and can be swiped across to navigate and take actions on what you see. But the Communicator is just an Android phone at heart which means you can install any apps that you find essential — though its form factor changes what it is best used for. “You can download whatever apps you want, but we9ve optimized it to be better at specific things,” Gadway said. “So, you know, do you want to watch letterboxed TikTok videos on this? Probably not. You could, but it9s not the thing you9re going to reach for to do that. But we9re not going to give you a product that restricts what you can do.”
  
  The good thing about being a smaller hardware maker is that Clicks doesn’t need to sell millions of these — they’re just interested in offering an alternative for people who might enjoy it, just as they’ve done with their keyboard accessories. Of course, the Communicator is a bigger investment; it’s up for pre-order now for $399 (that’s Pixel 9a territory, for comparison). Once it launches in the second half of the year, we’ll find out if it can find its audience.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-clicks-co-founder-explains-who-its-tiny-communicator-phone-is-for-170000501.html?src=rss

• Meta announces a slew of nuclear energy agreements
  Meta has announced three new agreements to purchase nuclear power for its AI infrastructure as well as the Prometheus supercluster, a 1-gigawatt data center being built in Ohio. The social media giant is partnering with power companies Vistra, TerraPower and Oklo to deliver an expected 6.6 gigawatts of generation to its projects by 2035.
  
  The company9s agreement with TerraPower will fund the development of two new reactors capable of delivering up to 690 megawatts of power as early as 2032. The deal also gives Meta rights to energy from six other reactors that could deliver an additional 2.1 gigawatts by 2035. All this power would come from TerraPower9s "Natrium" reactors, which use sodium instead of water as a coolant.
  
  A partnership with Oklo will bring 1.2 gigawatts of nuclear power online as early as 2030. Meta says the agreement opens the door to the construction of multiple Oklo reactors, which it claims will create thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs in Ohio. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is one of Oklo9s largest investors, and owns just over 4 percent of the company.
  
  Meta’s agreement with Vistra focuses on keeping existing nuclear plants running longer and boosting their output. Through new 20-year deals, Meta will buy more than 2.1 gigawatts of electricity from some of Vistra’s existing plants in Ohio, while also backing added capacity at those sites, plus another in Pennsylvania. Vistra expects the added capacity, totaling 433 megawatts, to come online in the early 2030s.
  
  Big tech is increasingly turning to nuclear to power its AI ambitions. Meta signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy for nuclear power last year. Meanwhile Microsoft is famously reopening Three Mile Island and will be the plant’s sole customer as part of a 20-year deal.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/meta-announces-a-slew-of-nuclear-energy-agreements-165337159.html?src=rss

• All the tech and gadgets announced at CES 2026
  It9s the first week of a new year and there9s no time for the tech world to slowly ease back into things following the holidays. That9s because CES 2026 is upon us. All manner of companies descended on Las Vegas to reveal their latest innovations and what they9re planning to bring your way in the near future. 
  
  Many of the Engadget crew were on the ground to check out as much of the new tech as possible. Of course, we kept tabs on all of the major CES press conferences too. Samsung held its First Look presentation, which focuses on home products, LG showed off a wide array of TVs and Lego unveiled its new Smart Brick technology. We’ve heard from the major chipmakers, gone hands-on with Samsung’s trifold phone, checked out some funky laptops and seen some cute robots. There was some hot gaming gear at the show too, not to mention some weird tech.
  
  You don’t necessarily have to wait to get your hands on all of these gadgets either. Some are available to buy right now.
  
  You can catch up on all of the big CES 2026 announcements (and some of the more offbeat gizmos we’ve seen) right here. We also had CES live updates with all the latest news from the event. Be sure to check out Engadget’s best of CES 2026 as well, in which we highlighted 15 winners across several categories, and named our best in show honoree.
  LegoLego introduced the Smart Brick at CES 2026.Lego
  In its first CES appearance, Lego announced the Smart Brick, a standard-sized brick with a 4.1mm ASIC chip inside that’s designed to respond in different ways depending on what set you’re building and how you’re building it. Using what Lego calls the “Play Engine” and integrated copper coils, each brick can sense things like motion, orientation and magnetic fields, plus its own distance, direction and orientation in relation to other Smart Bricks. Each brick also has a teeny tiny speaker built in that will play audio “tied to live play actions” rather than only pre-recorded clips.
  
  Accompanying Smart Bricks are Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, which have their own capabilities — one of which is letting Smart Bricks know what context they are being used in. All of these pieces tie together via a local wireless layer dubbed BrickNet that, in part, lets Smart Bricks know where they are placed in relation to other smart components.
  
  The first “Smart Play��� partner is, unsurprisingly, Star Wars, which will unleash three “all-in-one” sets using Smart Bricks, Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures. The 473-piece Darth Vader TIE Fighter set will cost $70; the 584-piece Luke’s Red Five X-Wing set comes in at $100 and the 962-piece Throne Room Duel & A-wing set will set you back $160. The speakers in these sets can emit lightsaber swooshes, fighter sounds and the imperial march.
  
  Engadget deputy editor Nathan Ingraham got to check out Lego’s Smart Play system in person and I’ve never been more envious of him. One of the Star Wars sets allows you to have an interactive lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Not only does the Vader minifigure have his signature heavy breathing sound, the speaker emits the Sith Lord’s “nooooo” yell if he loses the duel.
  
  All of this seems extremely cool. I9m looking forward to seeing what else Lego and fans can do with the Smart Play tech.
  LGLG9s CLOiD robot.LG
  Along with some TVs (which we’ll get to momentarily), LG brought plenty of other products to CES. For one thing, the company shone a spotlight on its CLOiD robot. Like the far creepier-looking 1X Neo, the CLOiD is designed to help with household tasks such as starting laundry cycles, folding clothes, unloading the dishwasher and serving food.
  
  This appears to be more of a concept than something you9ll be able to buy anytime soon. During an in-person CES demo, Engadget senior reporter Karissa Bell saw CLOiD competently pull off some household tasks, albeit very slowly.
  
  The company also debuted the LG Sound Suite, a modular home audio system it developed in conjunction with Dolby to take on the likes of Sonos. Just ahead of CES, LG pulled back the curtain on a new batch of xboom speakers as well as some monitors and ultralight Gram laptops that are made with a material it9s calling Aerominum. 
  The chipmakersNVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang presents at CES 2026, wearing a black snakeskin-like jacket.NVIDIA
  It9s CES, so of course we9re going to see a bunch of laptops and desktops, along with announcements about the tech that powers the new models. That means NVIDIA, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm were all in town to talk up their latest chips and other innovations.
  
  Given its lofty position in the industry (and the economy) NVIDIA’s CES press conference is always one to keep an eye on. This year’s edition was largely a recap of the company’s recent moves, but it did have some fresh news to share.
  
  NVIDIA announced Alpamayo, which is a group of open-source reasoning models designed to help autonomous vehicles handle difficult driving scenarios (self-driving car tech, in other words). The company also revealed that a supercomputer built on the Vera Rubin GPU architecture which it first unveiled in 2024 is now in production.
  As Intel wraps up, Johnson is eager to assure the viewers that Intel has ways to make AI profitable. He may have a better case than OpenAI does right now.Sam Chapman for Engadget
  Things haven’t exactly been going great for Intel in recent times, but the company is surely hoping that its Core Ultra Series 3 chips can help it steady the ship. These are the first chips built using Intel’s 18A (18 angstroms, which is just under 2nm) process. The company says these chips offer improvements to performance — 60 percent more than the previous-gen Lunar Lake processors — and battery life for laptops.
  
  The Ultra Series 3 includes a new Arc B390 integrated GPU, with 50 percent more graphics cores, double the cache and 120 GPU TOPS of performance. Put all that together and these chips should deliver up to 77 percent faster gaming performance than Lunar Lake models, Intel said. To that end, the company teased an Ultra Series 3-powered gaming handheld for later this year.
  
  Engadget senior editor Devindra Hardawar played some Battlefield 6 on a Core Ultra Series 3-powered Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 (an ultraportable) and came away impressed. The game ran at up to 190 fps in 1080p with the graphics settings on high, even without a dedicated GPU. That’s a promising sign for the embedded Arc graphics on Intel’s chips, as well as the company’s upscaling and frame generation tech.
  A screenshot from AMD9s CES 2026 press conference showing a hellish vision of the future of gaming.AMD
  Of course, AMD wasn’t going to be left out of the CES party. The company announced several CPUs for laptops and desktops, while chillingly declaring that “AI is everywhere” and “changing the face of gaming.” Ick. There was a lot of AI chat during the two-hour(!) keynote, along with a “a jet-powered flying robot.”
  Illustration showing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus on a stylized red circuit board showing the abbreviation "X2."Qualcomm
  And then there’s Qualcomm. The company revealed the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip at the show. This isn’t quite as powerful as the higher end Snapdragon X2 Elite — it doesn’t have as many CPU cores, for one thing. Still, Qualcomm claims the X2 Plus offers as much as 35 percent faster single-core performance over the previous gen. The company also says the Adreno GPU offers a performance boost of up to 29 percent compared with the previous iteration.
  Laptops Samsung Galaxy Book 6 series hands-onMat Smith for Engadget
  What would CES be without some new hardware that makes use of those new chips? As ever, laptop and desktop makers were at the show to offer up their latest models for your consideration. (Be sure to check out our dedicated roundup of all the laptops that grabbed our attention at this year’s show.)
  
  Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 Ultra, Galaxy Book 6 Pro and Galaxy Book 6 boast Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 chips and revamped designs that are said to improve heat management. You can read our story on the Galaxy Book 6 series for more detailed specs of these laptops, though we don’t have pricing or a release window as yet.
  
  Dell realized it messed up by killing off the XPS name as part of a broader rebranding effort and we’re glad to see that the company is making a U-turn on that front. A full lineup of XPS laptops is coming this year, including an all-new XPS 13 (a long-time Engadget fave on the Windows ultraportable front). Dell also has 14- and 16-inch XPS models in the hopper, along with others it’s keeping under wraps for now.
  On top of having two displays, the Zephyrus Duo's screens also feature excellent brightness at up to 1,100 nits.
  We love an odd laptop and ASUS didn’t disappoint with the ROG Zephyrus Duo. This is a dual-screen gaming laptop with two 16-inch OLED panels, one of Intel’s new CPUs and up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU. The keyboard is detachable and can work wirelessly. A kickstand can help you set up the Zephyrus Duo in all kinds of orientations. You can even position the dual screens in an upside-down “V” tent mode. We don’t know the price of the Zephyrus Duo as yet, but it surely won’t be inexpensive.
  Marketing photo of a Kojima-inspired ROG Flow Z13 tabletASUS
  That’s not all ASUS brought to the dance. The company made a special edition of the ROG Flow Z13 some that’s styled after the works of the famed game designer Hideo Kojima. The ROG Flow Z13-KJP has visual flair that’s draws from the likes of Death Stranding and Metal Gear. Kojima’s Ludens mascot is here too. There’s no pricing or release date for this variant or its matching accessories just yet.
  
  Lenovo, meanwhile, showed off a concept laptop with an expandable, rollable screen. You really need to see this thing in action.
  Micro RGB TVs Samsung9s 130-inch Micro RGB TV. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  As ever, TVs were front and center at CES. Micro RGB is a term you can expect to hear about quite a bit in the coming months and years, especially when you9re shopping for your next TV.
  
  Micro RGB is a new tech that9s similar to Mini LED, though it uses red, green and blue LEDs instead of white backlights. Contrast ratios aren9t quite as high as those on Micro LED and OLED displays, since the pixels can9t be turned on and off individually.
  
  However, Micro RGB units are said to be brighter and more color accurate than TVs that use other display tech, in part because the LEDs in these screens offer smaller, more customizable dimming zones. Read reporter Steve Dent’s explainer for a deeper dive into how Micro RGB differs from other types of display tech.
  
  We saw more of these TVs at CES 2026, including a mammoth 130-inch concept model that Samsung brought to Las Vegas. The company unveiled its first Micro RGB TV in August — that’s a 115-inch, $29,999 model. This year, you can expect it to start offering Micro RGB TVs in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes. There are also 85-, 100- and 115-inch models on the way.
  
  LG revealed its first Micro RGB set at CES as well. The largest variant is 100 inches, but there are 86- and 75-inch models too. Elsewhere, LG showed off its latest Wallpaper TV, which is a 100-inch OLED display. We also got a look at LG9s new Gallery TV — The Gallery is the company9s take on Samsung9s Frame TV format.
  Other new TVs and OS updatesEmber Artline TV.Amazon
  We’ve got another competitor to The Frame, as Amazon has entered that arena with the Ember Artline TV. The 4K OLED model has Amazon Photos integration and you can choose from 2,000 pieces of free art to show on the screen. The Ember Artline can switch on or off automatically when someone enters or leaves the room.
  
  It runs on the Fire TV platform and (of course) there’s Alexa+ integration, along with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Wi-Fi 6. The Ember Artline is expected to start shipping this spring. It starts at $899 for the 55-inch model.
  The rounder redesigned Fire TV UI.Amazon
  Speaking of Fire TV, Amazon has revamped the platform’s user interface with rounded corners for show, movie and app tiles; a little more space for said tiles; and typography and color gradient changes. The company has reworked the platform’s codebase as well, and it says the latest Fire TV OS will be up to 30 percent faster. Amazon will start rolling out the updated UI next month.
  
  On the Google side of TV land, you can expect more Gemini-powered features. The company is bringing the ability to search Google Photos for certain moments and people to Google TV, along with the options to remix photos into different styles and create slideshows on the fly. The Veo and Nano Banana AI video and photo generation models are coming to Google TV as well. You can also expect the ability to adjust TV settings using your voice. These Gemini features are coming to Google TV-powered TCL models first, then other devices in the following months. In the meantime, you can check out senior reporter Amy Skorheim’s hands-on impressions of the Gemini updates.
  
  Also in TV-related news, Peacock and Dolby have expanded their partnership. Currently, Peacock’s Sunday Night Football streams have Dolby Atmos support. You’ll soon be able to watch more live sports on Peacock with Dolby Vision and Atmos, as support for NBA and MLB events are on the way. Dolby Vision is coming to Sunday Night Football on Peacock too.
  
  Belkin, meanwhile, has a new wireless HDMI dongle that doesn9t require a Wi-Fi connection. That should make it easy to beam videos from a device with a USB-C port to a TV, monitor or projector — handy if you’re planning an outdoor movie night in a space with spotty internet access.
  Monitors and projectors
  Let9s keep the focus on display tech for a bit with a look at some of the monitors and projectors we9ve seen at CES this year. Dell revealed a 52-inch ultrawide curved 6K monitor (the first such model on the planet, according to the company). The UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor has a nifty feature, in that it9s possible to hook up four PCs simultaneously and have a dedicated section of the display for each. That could make co-op games pretty fun if you9re dedicated enough to try that setup. You can control all four connected PCs with a single mouse and keyboard too. This monitor is available now for $2,900 with a stand and $2,800 without.
  
  Dell also showed off a new 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor with Dolby Vision and True Black 500 HDR support. The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K QD-OLED Monitor can be all yours for $2,600 as of February 24.
  
  Samsung and LG revealed some new gaming monitors just ahead of CES. Samsung’s 32-inch Odyssey 3D is a model that offers glasses-free 3D on a 6K display, while LG has a new bunch of 5K monitors. During CES, though, the latter also pulled back the curtain on the 27-inch UltraGear GX7, a $1,000 QHD OLED display with a 540Hz refresh rate.
  
  Samsung brought the latest version of its FreeStyle+ projector to the show. Engadget’s UK bureau chief Mat Smith checked out the new model in person and reckoned that Samsung has given the projector a serious upgrade over the previous iteration. The FreeStyle+ is now much brighter, while the updated keystone correction feature seems very useful.
  
  Elsewhere, Anker’s Soundcore announced the Nebula P1i, a 1080p portable projector with speakers that you can fold out and tilt. At $369, that seems like a pretty decent option if you’re looking for an entry-level projector you can take anywhere. The P1i should arrive in time for summer camping trips, since Soundcore says it’ll be available in the early part of this year. The brand also said its higher-end Nebula X1 Pro, a version of its 4K Nebula X1 that includes a 160W surround sound system, will be available this month for $4,999.
  
  XGIMI was also at CES to show off its latest high-end projector, the Titan Noir Max. There’s no word on pricing yet, but this appears to be an upgraded version of the $3,999 Titan model.
  SamsungSamsung9s Music Studio 5 speakers at CES 2026.Billy Steele for Engadget
  Samsung being Samsung, the company had a lot more up its sleeve at CES than just TVs. In the lead up to the event, it announced its two new soundbars (we9re had some hands-on time with one) and the stylish Music Studio speakers (we9ve got some IRL impressions of those as well). It also announced plans to bring Google Photos to TVs.
  
  At the First Look showcase on Sunday, Samsung talked up "AI experiences everywhere. For everyone" (sigh). Here, we saw more TVs, such as the thin S95H OLED, which has a zero-gap mount that allows you to position the unit flush against a wall. 
  
  The First Look event has long been focused on home products. Naturally, Samsung execs discussed some features for the company9s fridges, such as ​​recipe selection updates, AI cooling tech and Google Gemini-powered AI Vision that9s said to be able to recognize more items and help you figure out what you need to buy without having to manually take inventory. FoodNote, meanwhile, is a weekly summary that breaks down what has gone in and out of your fridge.
  
  Moreover, Samsung highlighted the Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo and its new AI wash cycle. With the new Air Dresser — which has an Auto Wrinkle Care feature — Samsung aims to help you do away with irons (thank you, Samsung). As for the Bespoke AI smart vacuum and mop, that can apparently keep an eye on your pets when you9re not home.
  L9OrealA pair of transparent eye masks with wires and bulbs inside them.L9Oréal
  L9Oreal often brings some interesting beauty tech to CES and the company did so again this year with a trio of gadgets. The LED Eye Mask uses red light and near-infrared light to address the likes of puffiness, discoloration and fine lines.
  
  The LED Face Mask seems to be a more pliable version of masks that we9ve seen from the likes of Dr. Dennis Gross, Omnilux, Therabody and Shark in recent years. However, it9s at the prototype stage and it isn9t expected to hit the market until next year. 
  
  The Light Straight + Multi-styler uses infrared light to help dry and style hair in similar fashion to L9Oreal9s AirLight Pro. It has sensors that employ "built-in proprietary algorithms and machine learning" so they can adapt to your gestures and "maximize individual experience." L9Oreal claims that while traditional straighteners can operate at 400°F or higher (temperatures that can damage hair), its latest innovation "effectively straightens hair while never exceeding 320°F." You can expect the Light Straight to arrive in 2027 as well.
  MobileSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold Engadget
  At CES 2026, we had our first chance to go hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which the company officially announced last month. Senior writer Sam Rutherford had qualms about the bulkiness and the price (not confirmed yet for North America, but it costs around $2,500 in Korea).
  
  However, after Sam opened up the Galaxy Z TriFold, his “concerns were quickly pushed aside” by “10 inches of vivid AMOLED goodness.” That extra real estate may come in handy for many folks. Combined with a keyboard and perhaps a mouse, it could well be the laptop/tablet replacement many have been waiting for. Be sure to read Sam’s hands-on story for his full initial impressions.
  
  Almost exactly three decades after releasing its first proper clamshell flip phone, Motorola revealed its very first side-folding phone. The Razr Fold has a 6.6-inch external screen and a 8.1-inch main display, with stylus support on both. The camera array includes a 50MP main sensor from Sony, a 50MP ultra-wide/macro lens and a 50MP telephoto. There’s a 32MP external selfie camera and a 20MP internal sensor too. We’ll learn the full specs, pricing and availability info in the coming months.
  
  Back at CES 2024, we got to try out a keyboard phone accessory from Clicks. Fast forward two years, and the brand is making its own Blackberry-esque phones, as well as a new physical phone keyboard accessory. The Android 16-based Clicks Communicator has a tactile keyboard with a fingerprint sensor in the spacebar, a 4-inch OLED display, a 3.5mm headphone jack (hooray!) and expandable microSD storage up to 2TB. You can reserve one now for $399 — the price will increase to $499 on February 27.
  
  As for the new accessory, Clicks is calling that the Power Keyboard. It connects to an iOS or Android phone via MagSafe or Qi2, and it can operate as a power bank in a pinch thanks to the 2,150mAh battery. The Power Keyboard has Bluetooth functionality as well, so you can use it with devices like tablets, smart TVs and virtual reality headsets. Pre-orders are open now and the Power Keyboard is expected to ship in the spring. Early adopters can lock in a pre-order for $79 before the retail price jumps to $110.
  The Punkt MC03 phone.Punkt
  Those who prefer their mobile phones to have fewer bells and whistles might be interested in the latest model from Punkt. The MC03 is a nifty-looking touchscreen model that runs on the privacy- and security-centric AphyOS, which is based on the Android Open Source Project. It has a UI that borrows a page out of the Light Phone9s playbook, though you can still install any Android app.
  
  The MC03 will hit European markets this month for €699 / CHF699 / £610. There9s a mandatory subscription, however. You get a year of access included with a phone purchase, then there’s a €10 / CHF10 / £9 monthly fee (paying for a long-term plan up front can reduce the cost by up to 60 percent).
  Charging tech
  Anker and Belkin feel like CES mainstays at this point. They each had some interesting charging gear to show off this year. Belkin offered up a refreshed Nintendo Switch 2 case that recharges the console via its 10,000mAh power bank (which delivers up to 30W of fast charging). The case has an LCD screen on the outside to show you at a glance how much juice it has left and there’s a built-in kickstand for you to prop the console up on. Belkin’s new Switch 2 charging case costs $100 and it’s available now.
  
  The company’s new $100 UltraCharge Pro Power Bank can recharge two devices simultaneously. You can get your hands on that next month. There’s also a very slim BoostCharge power bank that can fit into your pocket. That will run you $60 and will ship later this year.
  Anker Nano Charger (45W, Smart Display, 180° Foldable)Anker
  Anker unveiled its neat Nano Charger, which can identify the iPhone model you hook up to it and provide the appropriate level of charging power. This plug will arrive later this month for $40.
  
  The company announced a string of other products that can charge multiple devices at the same time. The $150 foldable Prime Wireless Charging Station can juice up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, with up to 25W of Qi2 wireless power. That’ll arrive by the end of March.
  
  There’s a 10-in-1 Nano Power Strip ($70, late January release) with 70W of output, surge protection and multiple USB-C ports, USB-A ports and AC outlets. Anker also showed off a 13-in-1 Nano Docking Station that you can snag right now for $150. Among other things, this supports up to three 4K displays, as much as 100W of upstream charging and 10 Gbps of data transfer between devices that are hooked up to it. Handy!
  AI Amazon introduced Alexa.com to Alexa+ Early Access customers.Amazon
  No prizes for guessing that there was a ton of AI-related news at CES this year. Amazon, for one, announced that it9s rolling out a web-based version of Alexa+. That means you won9t necessarily need to have an Amazon device to try out the generative AI-powered assistant. However, Alexa+ Early Access customers are getting first dibs on the web version.
  Two Sweekar devices are pictured on a table, one wearing a pink and blue snowboarder outfit and the other (behind it) wearing a cowboy hat and outfitKarissa Bell for Engadget
  There were a boatload of AI-powered devices on the CES show floor too. One that we saw early on is a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet from a startup called Takway. The Sweekar will remember your interactions with it (you9ll need to feed and play with the pet to keep it healthy and happy). Once it9s all grown up, the Sweekar will head off on virtual adventures and tell you about its exploits when it "returns." Takway will soon start a Kickstarter campaign for the Sweekar, which will likely cost between $100 and $150.
  Ludens AI9s Cocomo robot,Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  Ludens AI, meanwhile, showed off a pair of AI companion robots that are admittedly pretty cute. Cocomo can react to your voice and touch interactions, follow you around your home and learn about you over time. It stays close to human body temps, so it feels cozy if you hug it. Inu, on the other hand, stays on your desktop. It, too, responds to your voice and touch.
  The Fraimic art display at CESAmy Skorheim for Engadget
  We also saw the Fraimic, an E Ink display that can tap into OpenAI to generate images. There9s no subscription for the Fraimic ($399 for the standard size, which has a 13-inch display) and you get 100 AI-generated images per year included with your purchase. Pre-orders are open now and the Fraimic is expected to start shipping this spring.
  MindClip held in a hand.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  Some companies are still trying to make wearable AI devices happen. SwitchBot has a wearable mic called the AI MindClip, which can seemingly record and transcribe everything you say (no, thank you!). Anker’s Soundcore division got in on the mix too with its Work voice recorder.
  
  Plaid, meanwhile, brought its NotePin follow up to the dance. This time around, the NotePin S has a button that you can push to record conversations. You can also press the button to flag key moments for an AI-generated summary to focus on. The NotePin S is available now for $179, should you be enticed to buy such a thing.
  Subtle Voicebuds and the Subtle appSubtle
  As for Subtle’s Voicebuds, those are said to be capable of picking up audio below the sound of a whisper, so you can very quietly dictate information to them and an AI model will transcribe what you can say. You can use the $199 voicebuds as regular earbuds too for making calls and listening to audio.
  
  However, you’ll need to fork over $17 a month for access to features like instant dictation and the option to transcribe notes without having to look at your phone (internet access is required to use Subtle’s best transcription models too). If you opt not to subscribe, the Voicebuds will use a smaller local model for transcription.
  
  On a similar note, Bee provided an update on what it’s bee-n up to since Amazon bought the company last year. It has developed four features that it’s rolling out to its existing AI voice recording wearable devices, including one that can draft an email when you mention that you need to send one, and another that highlights trends in what you say over a period of weeks or months. There’s also a voice notes feature, because that’s something you can’t do with your phone already.
  RobotsThe product version of Boston Dynamics9 Atlas.Boston Dynamics
  Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot is ready to roll. We’ve seen a few iterations of this machine over the last few years and now the company’s latest model is set to go into production. In addition, Boston Dynamics has teamed up with Google DeepMind to fuse Gemini Robotics AI foundation models into Atlas robots. 
  
  Per a press release, the partnership "will focus on enabling humanoids to complete a wide variety of industrial tasks and is expected to become a driving force of manufacturing transformation, beginning in the automotive industry." As it happens, Hyundai (Boston Dynamics’ majority shareholder) and DeepMind will be among the first to receive Atlas robots.
  Switchbot9s Onero H1.Karissa Bell for Engadget
  LG’s CLOiD is still a concept helper robot for now, but the Onero H1 is one you may be able to buy as soon as this year. During an in-person demo, we saw Switchbot’s Onero H1 robot (slowly) pick up clothes, chuck them in a washing machine and close the door. The company has also released a video that shows the Onero H1 carrying out other household tasks, from serving food and drinks to washing windows. We’re told Switchbot plans to sell the robot for "less than $10,000."
  Two OlloBots — one with a long furry purple neck, making it about two feet taller than the other — are pictured on a light purple floor, in front of a screen displaying a closeup of a child playing with blocks.
  Then there’s OlloBot, a companion robot with an optional extendable, fuzzy neck that’s warm to the touch. OlloBot is designed to “grow” alongside your family — it can capture special moments and develop its own personality. Data is stored locally on a removable heart-shaped module for both privacy and the ability to move it to a new OlloBot should your first one break.
  
  The device’s “face” is a tablet that can display videos, photo and expressions. The robot can handle calls, find missing items and help you control Matter-compatible smart home devices. It responds to your voice and touch too.
  
  The team behind the robot plans to fire up a Kickstarter campaign this summer. The regular model will cost about $1,000, while the one with an extending neck will run you about twice that. Best of all, there will be several outfits available for the robots, including a giraffe suit. Adorable!
  TransportationSony Honda Mobility Afeela Press Conference at CES 2026Afeela
  Sony and Honda brought the latest revision of their first Afeela EV to CES 2026. We already knew that you’d be able to play your PS5 remotely while the vehicle is parked, though we learned some new details from the companies’ presentation. The Afeela 1 will debut with an advanced hands-off, eyes-on driver assistance system. The aim is to eventually offer Level 4 autonomy via over-the-air updates.
  
  Sony Honda Mobility plans to start shipments at the tail end of 2026, first in California, then in Arizona. However, after getting a close-up look at the latest iteration of the EV, Engadget contributor Tim Stevens reckons the Afeela 1 feels “more and more out of touch��� with each passing year, even though it “was an audacious product when it was announced at CES 2020.”
  
  We also got our first look at a model that’s a further down the pike. The Afeela Prototype 2026 is a taller version of the first EV. Just don’t expect to be able to try it yourself until at least 2028.
  Longbow Motors SpeedsterTim Stevens for Engadget
  Longbow Motors announced a pair of lightweight EVs that have a curb weight of just 2,200 pounds. The Speedster and Roadster boast advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Labs, a Verge Motorcycles spinoff. Longbow brought the Speedster to CES and the EV looks quite fetching.
  
  The vehicles will be pricey, though. Given current conversion rates from UK prices, the Speedster will start at around $100,000 and the Roadster at roughly $75,000, and that’s before factoring in costs such as tariffs.
  MuxiSegway
  Segway is expanding its e-bike lineup with two new models that have a heap of smart features, from Apple Find My integration and GPS tracking to remote locking and health app functions. The Muxi looks quite pretty and it has a cup holder (love that), while the $2,000 Myon has a chunkier frame and features such as electronic gear shifting. Both are cargo-centric step-through models. You can buy the Myon now, and the $1,700 Muxi will be available in March, just in time for spring.
  
  Along with those e-bikes, Segway had a new electric dirt bike to tell us about. The Xaber 300 was created with off-roading in mind. There are three power modes, offering the equivalent of 150cc, 200cc and 300cc engines. Segway hasn’t revealed pricing for the Xaber 300, which should be available this spring or summer.
  Gaming Slide from NVIDIA9s CES 2026 presentation about DLSS 4.5NVIDIA
  NVIDIA announced the latest version of its DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) upscaling tech. DLSS 4.5 is said to offer sharper visuals thanks to the 2nd Generation Super Resolution Transformer, which is available now for all RTX GPUs. NVIDIA says this offers better temporal stability, reduced ghosting and improved anti-aliasing.
  
  On GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, DLSS 4.5 will be able to generate up to five extra frames for each traditionally rendered one and deliver up to 4K 240Hz path traced performance, NVIDIA says. The Dynamic 6x Frame Generation feature will be available for those graphics cards sometime this spring.
  
  NVIDIA also detailed a new version of its G-Sync variable refresh rate tech. It says that G-Sync Pulsar can minimize motion blur by effectively quadrupling your refresh rate. So 250Hz gameplay will seemingly offer up a perceived effective motion clarity of over 1,000Hz with G-Sync Pulsar enabled.
  
  You’ll need a G-Sync Pulsar-compatible display to use this feature. Most displays have a backlight that’s always on, so images fade from one frame to the next. On G-Sync Pulsar displays, there are several horizontal backlight sections. The backlights pulse from top to bottom. This is said to help the pixels in each frame stabilize before they’re backlit, resulting in lower motion blur.
  
  It’s interesting stuff. Acer, AOC, ASUS and MSI are each releasing a G-Sync Pulsar-compatible 27-inch monitor this week.
  8BitDo FlipPad8BitDo
  The FlipPad is one of my favorite things I’ve seen coming out of CES this year, even though I don’t think I’d actually use it very much. It’s an 8BitDo mobile game controller that’s designed for vertical use.
  
  There are a bunch of neat physical controllers for phones that are built for landscape mode. But many mobile games are played with the phone oriented to the vertical position. There are also several emulators that allow you to play the likes of Game Boy titles while your phone stands tall. So it’s neat to see 8BitDo offering a physical controller that’ll do the trick. As noted in our live blog, Engadget’s UK bureau chief Mat Smith had a chance to try out the FlipPad.
  
  We also saw a new Xbox controller from 8BitDo that has swappable joysticks and button modules.
  A keyboard thing.Corsair
  Why have a numpad on the side of your keyboard when you can have a highly customizable controller instead? Corsair slapped a Stream Deck into a keyboard and it looks absolutely rad. I’ve yet to take the plunge on a Stream Deck-style controller — partly because I’d rather not have an extra device on my desk. So, I’m very tempted to pick up the $350 Galleon 100 SD, which is available now.
  
  It has 12 programmable keys that you can use for gaming (give me that Helldivers 2 profile so I don’t have to keep punching in stratagem codes) or livestreaming, but there are plenty of other applications too. The side panel can help with video editing, controlling smart home devices or simply adjusting media playback. There’s a five-inch screen and two dials for fine control too. Oh, and it’s a full-sized mechanical keyboard to boot.
  
  GameSir had a couple of interesting controllers to tell us about. The Swift Drive (which seems to be a working name) has a steering wheel with force feedback in the middle of a regular gamepad. It’s a cool idea and it seems to work pretty well. The Swift Drive should hit the market later this year.
  
  In addition, GameSir teamed up with Hyperkin to make a modular controller that works with phones, tablets and Nintendo Switch consoles. You’ll be able to slot those devices into the X5 Alteron’s grip (as you might with a Backbone or Razer Kishi controller) though there’s a Bluetooth option for PC gaming too. The magnetic modules include ones styled after the GameCube and Nintendo 64, and there’ll be one with a trackpad that’s made with first-person shooters in mind. There’s no pricing or release date for the X5 Alteron yet, but I’m eager to try it.
  
  Elsewhere on the gaming front, Lenovo revealed a SteamOS-powered version of the Legion Go 2. That variant of the handheld is heading your way in June for $1,199.
  
  Razer had some concept gear to show off, including an AI-driven headset with built-in cameras that can recognize objects and text, and a gaming chair with haptic feedback and spatial audio. There’s also an AI desktop companion device with several avatars to choose from, including an anime girl and legendary League of Legends player Faker.
  AudioA speaker and a turntable.Victrola
  Victrola announced a pretty Bluetooth speaker that sits neatly underneath its turntables. You can use a cable to connect the two as well. Of course, you can play audio from other devices, including phones and tablets. I’ve had my eye on a Victrola turntable for a while (largely due to the Sonos integration), and the Soundstage speaker — available this summer for $350 — is tempting too.
  The three sizes from the Cambridge Audio L/R speaker series. Green speakers in three sizes.Cambridge Audio
  Speaking of pretty speakers, I really like the aesthetic of these three wireless bookshelf options from Cambridge Audio. The classy-lookin’ L/R Series speakers start at $549 for a 100W model with a 21mm hard-dome tweeter with a 3-inch long-throw woofer but there’s no support for Wi-Fi streaming (there is Bluetooth aptX HD, though).
  
  At the top end is the $2,299 L/R X, a 800W speaker that has a a 2.5-way acoustic design with a 28mm Torus tweeter and dual five-inch woofers. There’s even a touch of LED underlighting on this model as well as on the $1,599 L/R M, which has 300W of power, smaller four-inch dual woofers and the same 28mm tweeter. All three speakers will be available later this year.
  
  There’s lots more audio gear at CES beyond the Victrola and Cambridge Audio speakers, of course. JBL was at the event to show off a whole bunch of earbuds and gaming headsets. Shure now has a USB-C version of its MV88 condenser microphone, making it compatible with Android devices and recent iPhones. That’ll run you $159. The latest version of JLab’s teeny JBuds Mini earbuds now have customizable active noise cancellation (ANC) and yet they still cost $40.
  PartyStudio is a speaker with 128 different instrument sounds that works with any MIDI keyboard.Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
  PartyStudio seems like a fun product — it’s a MIDI speaker with 128 built-in instrument tones and 50-plus drum machine patterns. There’s a companion 36-key MIDI keyboard called PartyKeys as well (the speaker will work with any MIDI keyboard, though). PopuMusic is the company behind both.
  
  Anker, meanwhile, has new AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds that are pretty interesting. They’re the company’s first open-ear buds with ANC. You can snap them up in February for $180. There’s also a new portable Bluetooth speaker from Anker called the Soundcore Boom Go 3i. It’s a 15W unit with (according to Anker) up to 22 hours of battery life, and it should cost between $65 and $80 when it drops in March.
  
  Engadget deputy editor Billy Steele has been checking out some of the audio gear at CES, including Shokz’ $250 OpenFit Pro earbuds — which have Dolby Atmos support — and Fender Audio’s headphones and speakers.
  
  Billy has also had some hands-on (or heads-on) time with Klipsch’s first new headphones in years. There are initially three models in the company’s Atlas series, including the Atlas HP-1, a wireless set with ANC that has a lovely wood finish on the outside of the earcups. Klipsch is only allowing demos with lossless audio over USB-C for now. Still, the audio quality is “excellent,” as Billy wrote in his hands-on story.
  Smart homeDreame Cyber X robot vacuumEngadget
  As ever, there was a ton of smart home gear at CES this year. One thing that caught our eye is a robot vacuum concept from Dreame. It9s one of several companies working on models that can climb stairs, but the Cyber X is a slightly terrifying one since it has large legs that look a bit like chainsaws. The teeth in these legs help provide traction so that the Cyber X can climb stairs that are almost 10 inches high.
  
  While Dreame’s vacuum positions its legs horizontally to climb stairs with tank-style traction, Roborock’s Saros rover pushes itself upwards on extendable legs to reach higher floors. The legs have wheels on the bottom and knee-like joints — these can help the robot vacuum to raise itself over obstacles on floors too.
  
  Narwhal built a new vacuum for your mattress. The U50 is a handheld model that has a UV sterilization light. It has a high-speed tapping feature that can help dislodge gunk and mites. The company also showed off a new robot vacuum and mop with a "PetCare Mode" you can use to track down your bestest furry friend and keep an eye on them when you9re not home. You can even talk to your pet via a speaker system. Both of these products should be available in the spring.
  
  Anker9s Eufy brand has a new robot vacuum too, along with a video doorbell, outdoor light and smart lock. This one’s pretty interesting: Lockin’s latest vein-recognition smart lock can wirelessly recharge via an optical infrared beam emitted by a separate device that’s plugged into an outlet.
  
  On a similar note, Ring has updated its door, window and break glass sensors, and it has introduced an OBD-II car alarm, motion detectors and panic buttons. Most of those will be available in March, though you can pre-order the car alarm now.
  
  Elsewhere in home security, Ugreen announced a modular system that, refreshingly, does not require a subscription. Devices that are part of Ugreen’s platform — including a video doorbell and 4K cameras — should be available later this year.
  
  IKEA made its CES debut to show off some of its smart home tech, namely a string of budget-friendly, Matter-compatible devices. Along with some home sensors, the company plans to offer a $6 smart bulb, an $8 smart plug and a $6 smart remote in the coming weeks. Senior reporter Amy Skorheim checked out the products and particularly liked the BILREA remote, which you can use to control IKEA9s lamps and other devices.
  
  Amy also went hands-on (well, voice-on) with some pretty interesting devices from Emerson Smart. The company’s on-device voice command tech means that you can control its smart plugs, fans, heaters and air fryers without a Wi-Fi connection or having to set things up through an app.
  Philips Hue SpatialAware feature
  Speaking of smart bulbs, Philips announced some Hue updates at CES. You9ll need a Hue Bridge Pro to use the SpatialAware feature, which uses augmented reality to make sure all of the lights in a room are working together harmoniously to create, for instance, a more natural-looking sunset scene. Philips will be rolling out SpatialAware to Hue users this spring. Also on the way is Apple Home support for the Hue Secure Camera, Hue Secure video doorbell and Hue contact sensors.
  
  Elsewhere in lighting, Govee has a new floor lamp, as well as a ceiling light that9s said to simulate a skylight.
  GE Profile Smart Fridge on display at CES Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  In terms of kitchen tech, GE Appliances has a new smart refrigerator that9s designed to make restocking easier. It has a built-in barcode scanner you can use to quickly add items to a shopping list. It9s possible to sync the items to Instacart for grocery delivery. There9s also an interior camera that can help you keep tabs on the goods in your fridge9s crisper drawer.
  
  As you might expect for a smart fridge, it has a touchscreen on the door that you can use to call up recipes. The GE Profile Smart Refrigerator will be available in April for $4,899. Check out Amy’s hands-on story for our initial impressions.
  NoshDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  Nosh, meanwhile, is an AI cooking robot that you9ll be able to buy in the next few months. Load it with ingredients, pick one of the 500 dishes in Nosh9s repertoire and the robot will put everything together. While it has water and oil reservoirs, as well as a built-in spice rack, you9ll still need to prep fresh ingredients before adding them to the machine. Nosh will cost $2,000 but if you9re ready to pre-order now, you can snag one for an early bird price of $1,200.
  
  Moving outside, Whisper Aero claims that the T1 leaf blower (from its Tone Outdoors division) is 80 percent quieter and 60 percent more powerful than “leading gas handheld blowers.” That seems pretty great on paper, so here’s hoping that your noisy neighbors will be convinced to shell out $599 for a T1 when it arrives in September. Meanwhile, Segway’s Navimow unit has a bunch of new robot mowers.
  Health and accessibilityImage of the Throne Toilet Computer perched on the side of a toilet.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that a toilet computer made an appearance in our roundup of weird CES tech. But if I’ve learned anything from watching Throne is a pretty compelling device.
  
  It has a camera and microphone to track your bowel movements and urination levels. The idea is to figure out your regular toilet usage and then flag any deviations from that. The creators hope that Throne will help you gain a better understanding of your gut health, which could be beneficial for those on GLP-1 drugs or who have gastrointestinal conditions. Throne will start shipping in February for $340 and a $6 per month subscription.
  Image of Vivoo9s FlowPadVivoo
  Vivoo also showed off a toilet device that can monitor your urination levels. Not only that, the company unveiled a smart menstrual pad. The idea is for for wearers to scan the pad with their phone camera after use.
  
  Elsewhere, the latest version of Withing’s Body Scan scale can track 60 biomarkers, up from the 40 the first model;s 40. The Body Scan 2 should be available in the spring for $600.
  Image of the Eyebot KioskDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  One other health-focused product we found interesting was the Eyebot vision test booth. This kiosk aims to speed up the eye exam process with a test that takes just a couple of minutes. A licensed eye doctor who works remotely will take a look at Eyebot’s findings before signing off on a prescription.
  
  The kiosk can’t run medical tests, such as the brief blast of air that eye doctors use to assess the risk of glaucoma. But Engadget senior editor Daniel Cooper found that Eyebot’s findings perfectly matched the prescription he received from a professional last year.
  A man sits in a manual wheelchair with an add-on attached that gives it a large central front wheel and raises the casters off the groundCheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  Accessibility tech is a welcome presence at CES, and WheelMove looks like it could be useful for many wheelchair users. It’s a device with a large front wheel that can quickly be attached to any manual wheelchair. It can then raise the wheelchair’s smaller front wheels off the ground, primarily to help users navigate rough terrain. The $6,000 WheelMove will debut in France later their year before a broader rollout.
  
  ReviMo has built a robotic lift that it says can help people move themselves from (for instance) a bed to a wheelchair without the assistance of a caregiver. The company expects Niko to cost around $15,000, but it’s attempting to get the device covered by insurance.
  Dephy9s Sidekick, which the company describes as "bionic footwear."Karissa Bell for Engadget
  Dephy’s Sidekick is designed as a walking aid. It’s an ankle-worn exoskeleton that hooks into a sneaker. The Sidekick has sensors that can detect the user’s gait and adapt to it in order to deliver an effective boost in each step.
  
  At $4,500, the Sidekick isn’t cheap, but it could be a boon for those who are perhaps not as physically active as they’d like to be. Dephy is also adapting the tech for athletic use — the company is working with Nike on a robotic sneaker project.
  WearablesPebble Round 2Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  As ever, there were lots of wearables at CES. Pebble successor Core Devices was there with a followup to the Pebble Time Round, which debuted just over a decade ago. The circular ​​Pebble Round 2 has a far thinner bezel than its predecessor, a 1.3-inch color e-paper display and a promised battery life of over two weeks. The latest model from the revived smartwatch brand is coming your way in May for $199, and we9ve had a chance to try it out.
  Three Pebble Indexes side by side on a table.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  There9s also a Pebble smart ring called the Index 01. It has a button that you can press to talk to Pebble9s Claude-powered AI when there9s something you want to remember. Engadget managing editor Cherlynn Low had a chance to pop one on at CES, and reckoned that Pebble and Core Devices founder Eric Migicovsky and his team might "have the right approach to making an AI ring."
  
  You can pre-order the Index 01 now for $75. Once it starts shipping in March, the price will jump up to $99.
  Meta9s neural band in Garmin9s Unified Cabin at CES 2026.Karissa Bell for Engadget
  There was some intriguing news on the wristband front, particularly in terms of the Meta ecosystem. The company demoed a way to use its EMG wristband (which comes with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses) to control other devices, such as a car9s infotainment system.
  
  On top of that, a startup called Hapware has made a haptic wristband that works with the computer vision functions of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. It9s said to be capable of understanding the facial expressions and other nonverbal cues of people you9re chatting with, which could be beneficial for folks who are blind, low vision or neurodivergent. The Alaye wristband starts at $359. You can pay $637 for a version that includes a one-year subscription. Otherwise, Hapware9s required plan costs $29 per month.
  
  Smart glasses were present at CES as well. Xreal gave its entry-level One cinema glasses a spec bump and a new name. The 1S has brighter, 1200p (up from 1080p) displays, a slightly wider field of view and a lower price — $449 instead of $499. There’s a new power bank/DisplayPort hub that you can use to recharge Xreal glasses and easily hook them up to a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. The Xreal Neo is $99. Like the Xreal 1S, it’s available now.
  The ROG XREAL R1 AR smartglasses are a collaboration between ASUS and XREAL made just for gamers.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  ASUS and Xreal teamed up to make the gaming-focused ROG Xreal R1 smart glasses. They have 1080p displays with a 240Hz refresh rate. An included control dock has two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, making it a cinch to hook up and switch between console, handhelds and PC inputs. ASUS and Xreal have yet to announce a release date or pricing.
  
  Projector maker XGIMI also debuted its first smart glasses at CES, while Lumus demoed models with 30-degree and 70-degree fields of view. IXI had something compelling to show off too: a pair of glasses that can automatically focus on what you9re looking at. The company is hoping to release a consumer version this year,
  Other things that caught our eye
  This roundup is pretty darn exhaustive (if I do say so myself), but there9s still so much more that grabbed our attention at CES. Much of that tech perhaps doesn9t quite fit neatly into the above categories. So let9s jam through some of those announcements in bullet point format:
  
  HP revived an old trend by stuffing a computer inside a keyboard.
  
  We9ve long liked Satechi9s Thunderbolt 4 docking stations around these parts, so you can bet the brand9s first Thunderbolt 5 version will make us sit up and pay attention. With the Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure and new Pro Cable, Satechi is promising support for multiple 8K monitors, 180W smart power delivery and up to 120 Gb/s transfer speeds. The dock has several other ports and slots, including a headphone jack. You can stuff an 8TB SSD into the $400 CubeDock too.
  
  Yukai Engineering9s Baby FuFu is a larger version of the company’s drink-cooling Nekojita FuFu gizmo. It’s a portable fan for babies that hooks onto strollers.
  
  Anker9s Eufy showed off a baby bottle washer with built-in water softener to help remove stubborn minerals, sterilization up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the ability to dry bottles in 40 minutes. The Bottle Washer S1 also offers app control, the capability to clean up to eight bottle sets at once and the option to keep them in a sterile state for up to 72 hours.
  
  Clear Drop can compress soft plastics (such as grocery bags that recycling centers typically don9t accept) into cubes that can be sent off for recycling. It9s a compelling idea, even if the company9s device costs $1,400.
  
  It9s always fun to learn about developments in the smart bird feeder space. Birdbuddy showed off two new models in different sizes, each with HD cameras and mics that can identify birds by their songs. The larger Birdbuddy 2 also has built-in solar panels.
  
  That about does it for all the key news coming out of CES 2026. Thanks for sticking with us this week!
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/all-the-tech-and-gadgets-announced-at-ces-2026-130124023.html?src=rss

• CES 2026 offered a lonely vision of the future
  LG opened CES 2026 by outlining its vision to reduce the physical effort and mental burden of life. Buy enough of the devices it’s presently working on and you’ll exist in an environment of “ambient care,” coddled by the machinery in your home. It sounds positively utopian: When the sensors in your bed know you’ve not slept well and are getting a cold, a robot will wake you with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. When you’re in a rush to get to work, the robot will make you a sandwich for you to eat on the go, sparing you the effort of making it yourself. The more I roamed the halls of the show after that, the more I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about what so many companies here were pitching. To me, the vision of the future on show here is equal parts solitary and infantilized.
  
  There’s obvious reasons for this: AI swallowed the tech industry’s oxygen, sapping any chance of innovation in consumer hardware. The advent of Panther Lake is a win for Intel, but it’s not going to enable dramatic changes in how people work with their PCs on a daily basis. The US policy shift away from EVs and toward fossil fuel-powered vehicles, too, means that the big names in auto manufacture have similarly shied away from the show. That left CES full of various robotics startups offering early visions of humanoid robots designed to work on production lines, take care of your home and replace your pet. I saw more than a few stands where booth attendants were pretending to delight in teaching their wheeled robot pets to play fetch. At least, I hope they were pretending.
  
  I’m painfully aware of how many devices felt like they were only a hop, skip and a jump away from the Sharper Image catalog. Gadgets that are designed to fill some perceived hole in your life that won’t actually make things better or easier in the long run. I’m leery about denigrating assistive technology that offers a vital lifeline to people with accessibility needs. I’m also leery about knocking devices that may enable people to keep working despite wrestling with long term injuries — I9ve got one eye on the raft of exoskeletons exhibited at the show which might help me work in the garden despite the weakness in my lower back. But I’m also not quite sold on how many toilet computers, massage chairs and scootcases we all need in our daily lives. 
  
  There’s also the elephant in the room that many of these innovations seem intent on acting as a replacement, substitute or supplement for real interaction. Robotic panda bears scuttling around your home to save you the effort of caring for a real flesh-and-blood pet. Holographic AI waifus that will obsequiously respond to whatever you ask of it with nothing but flattery and agreement. The sheer volume of AI Labubus operating as friend, enemy, companion or a combination of all the above. Cuddly home robots that are little more than a tablet on a moveable base that’ll keep your kids entertained so you don’t have to. Yes, I’m being unfair, but sometimes shows like this make me sound like someone’s grandpa angrily insisting you darn kids get off your screens. 
  
  I feel some of these gadgets are specifically designed to enable a degree of detachment from our own bodies. We’re spending so much time getting dopamine from our devices that we’re no longer able to pay attention to how our bodies are feeling. In LG’s vision of the future, moving around for ourselves and making our own food is a thing of the past, which will, surely, put a dent in our physical and mental health. We lose the ability to connect with the people around us because we’ve spent too long being flattered by our AI lackeys. We need a machine to monitor the food we eat and the crap we excrete because we’re not willing to pay attention to what we’re doing. Much in the same way that AI encourages us to take shortcuts rather than enjoy the process of being creative, the rest of the tech industry seemingly wants us to shortcut the fundamentals of life.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ces-2026-offered-a-lonely-vision-of-the-future-160000993.html?src=rss

• This Apple 25W MagSafe charger is on sale for only $30
  If you want a wireless charger for your iPhone and prefer to stick with Apple, Amazon has a sale that may pique your interest. The retailer is selling the one meter Apple Magsafe charger for $30, saving you $10 off the regular price, while also selling the two meter model for $40 ($10 off).
  
  
  
  If you have an iPhone 16, iPhone 17 or iPhone Air, this cable can charge your device at 25W as long as it9s connected to a 30W power adapter on the other end. While you9ll need a more recent iPhone to get the fastest MagSafe charging speeds, the charger can wirelessly top up the battery of any iPhone from the last eight years (iPhone 8 and later). With older iPhones, the charging speed tops out at 15W. The cable works with AirPods wireless charging cases too — it9s certified for Qi2.2 and Qi charging.
  
  The MagSafe charger is one of our favorite iPhone accessories, and would pair quite nicely with your new iPhone if you9re picking up one of the latest models. If you9re on the fence about that, be sure to check out our reviews of the iPhone 17, iPhone Pro/Pro Max and iPhone Air.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-apple-25w-magsafe-charger-is-on-sale-for-only-30-141707593.html?src=rss

• Sharpa's ping-pong playing, blackjack dealing humanoid is working overtime at CES 2026
  There were no idle hands at Sharpa9s CES booth. The company9s humanoid may have been the busiest bot at show, autonomously playing ping-pong, dealing blackjack games and taking selfies with passersby. On display wasn9t just the robot and its smarts, but also SharpaWave, a highly dexterous 1:1 scale human hand. 
  
  The hand has 22 active degrees of freedom, according to the company, allowing for precise and intricate finger movements. It mirrored my gestures as I wiggled my hand in front of its camera, getting everything mostly right, which was honestly pretty cool. Each fingertip contains a minicamera and over 1,000 tactile pixels so it can pick up objects with the appropriate amount of delicateness for the task at hand, like plucking a playing card from a deck and placing it gently on the table. 
  
  Sharpa9s robot was a pretty good ping-pong player, too. We9ve seen ping-pong robots plenty of times before, but these typically come in the form of a disembodied robotic arm, not one that9s humanoid from the waist up. The company9s products are meant to be general-purpose, with the ability to handle a wide range of jobs, and its humanoid wore a lot of hats at CES to drive the point home.  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/sharpas-ping-pong-playing-blackjack-dealing-humanoid-is-working-overtime-at-ces-2026-150000488.html?src=rss

• The new Anker 45W Nano charger with smart display from CES is $10 off already
  Anker rolled out a bunch of new chargers and other gear at CES 2026, including a cute one that's already on sale. The new Nano charger with smart display, which is an upgrade to the existing Nano charger in Anker's lineup, is on sale for $30 right now while you can pre-order it. That's $10 off the regular MSRP, and shipments will start going out on January 20.
  
  The 45W charger includes a smart display that shows real-time data like power flow, temperature and charging status. It also features "fun animations to keep things cheerful." Anker says it can recognize what's being charged and automatically adjust certain metrics to ensure a longer battery lifespan.
  
  
  
  To that end, it works with just about everything. The company advertises that this charger is a good fit for the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and Samsung devices, among others. The new Nano Charger is on the smaller side, with dual folding prongs that rotate to fit most outlets.
  
  The deal does require a coupon code, but it's auto-applied at checkout. If that doesn't work, it's WS24D5XT3DV9. We haven't gotten a chance to try this one yet, but it looks promising.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-new-anker-45w-nano-charger-with-smart-display-from-ces-is-10-off-already-160707620.html?src=rss

• AirTag deal: Get four of the Bluetooth trackers for only $65
  Apple keeps most of its product pricing on a tight leash, but we do see the company9s AirTags go on sale pretty frequently. Another cost cut has come around for this item just in time for the holidays. Amazon is currently selling a four-pack of AirTags for $65. At a third off the regular cost, that price is pretty close to the record low discount of $63 we9ve seen for these Bluetooth trackers.
  
  
  
  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. 
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/airtag-deal-get-four-of-the-bluetooth-trackers-for-only-65-202333516.html?src=rss

• The weirdest tech we've seen at CES 2026 so far
  CES is a launchpad for serious tech, but it’s also where companies proudly unveil devices that make you stop mid-scroll and whisper, “Wait, this is real?” We’ve been keeping a running list of the strangest, funniest and most unexpectedly compelling gadgets we’ve spotted in Las Vegas, from bathroom computers to robots that look like they escaped a Pixar pitch meeting.
  
  Also, be sure to check out our list of the best CES tech we saw this year at the show.
  Dreame Cyber X robot vacuumDreame Cyber XEngadget
  Robot vacuums can be a little unsettling already, but Dreame’s Cyber X takes it up a level by sprouting chunky treaded “legs” and hauling itself up a full staircase like a tiny cleaning tank. In person, it navigated both up and down with surprising confidence, using its treads horizontally rather than actually stepping. The vacuum itself docks inside the climbing rig, so it’s more about getting your bot to the next floor than scrubbing the stairs, which still feels like a fair trade if you hate hauling appliances around.
  OlloBotTwo OlloBots — one with a long furry purple neck, making it about two feet taller than the other — are pictured on a light purple floor, in front of a screen displaying a closeup of a child playing with blocks.
  CES loves a companion robot, but OlloBot might be the first one we’ve met that’s part cyber pet, part penguin, part ET and somehow comes with a warm, furry, telescoping neck. Its “face” is basically a tablet for expressions, photos and messages, and it’s meant to evolve a personality over time based on how your household interacts with it. Bonus: its memories live in a removable heart-shaped module, so if the body breaks, you can (theoretically) transplant your robot’s soul into a new shell.
  ASUS ROG Zephyrus DuoOn top of having two displays, the Zephyrus Duo's screens also feature excellent brightness at up to 1,100 nits.
  Dual screens on a laptop aren’t new, but ASUS cramming two 16-inch OLED panels into a gaming notebook is the kind of chaotic CES energy we respect. The Zephyrus Duo uses a detachable keyboard and a built-in kickstand so you can stack screens, spread out, or generally arrange your portable battle station however you like. It’s hefty, it’s ambitious and it almost certainly won’t be cheap — but if you’ve ever wanted your gaming rig to moonlight as a two-screen creator setup, this is the loudest possible way to do it.
  Throne toilet computerThe Throne device perched on the side of a toilet.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  Throne is a toilet-mounted computer that uses cameras and microphones to analyze your bowel movements, which is a sentence we did not expect to type this week. Designed to establish a personal “baseline” for your bathroom habits, it aims to flag changes that could indicate digestive or metabolic issues, including for people on GLP-1 drugs. We can’t speak to its effectiveness yet… but if knowledge is power, this thing might know way too much.
  Vivoo Hygienic FlowPad smart menstrual padVivoo9s FlowPadVivoo
  Vivoo looked at at-home health tracking and decided the bathroom was still underutilized. Alongside its clip-on smart toilet that analyzes your hydration by literally monitoring your pee, the company also unveiled a menstrual pad infused with microfluidics that can track fertility and hormone markers once you scan it with your phone. It’s a bold reminder that CES 2026 is fully committed to quantifying everything — even the stuff we’d rather not discuss over brunch.
  Lenovo Legion Pro RollableWhile it normally has a 16-inch display, the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable concept9s screen can expand up to 23.8 inches across.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Lenovo’s Legion Pro Rollable is what happens when a gaming laptop decides it wants to be a widescreen monitor mid-match. Its 16-inch display can physically expand sideways into ultra-wide formats, turning flight sims and racing games into full cockpit experiences at the press of a couple of keys. It’s impractical, faintly ridiculous and absolutely the kind of CES concept we hope survives long enough to escape the demo floor.
  Lenovo ThinkBook XD RollableWith its XD Rollable concept, Lenovo took the Thinkbook Plus Gen 69s basic design and made it even more futuristic by allowing its flexible display to wrap around onto its lid.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  If the Legion Pro Rollable is excessive, the ThinkBook XD Rollable is philosophically confusing. Its flexible display doesn’t just grow taller, it wraps over the lid to create a “world-facing” screen for people sitting across from you, which feels either futuristic or deeply unnecessary depending on your mood and situation (maybe this is the perfect device for hotel check-ins and other points of sale?). Still, it’s a gorgeous piece of hardware theater and proof Lenovo is determined to roll screens onto every surface it can reach.
  OhDoki Handy 2 ProImage of The Handy 2 and Handy 2 ProDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  OhDoki’s Handy 2 Pro arrived at CES with one clear message: more power, fewer limits and absolutely no chill. The upgraded sex toy model cranks battery life up to five hours and unlocks a Turbo mode so aggressive it was described as “overclocked,” which is not a term we expected to hear in this category. It can also charge your phone, because apparently even pleasure tech needs to justify itself with productivity.
  iPolishiPolishDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  iPolish finally made Total Recall nail tech real, minus the dystopia and Schwarzenegger. These press-on acrylic nails use an electric charge to switch between hundreds of colors in seconds, letting you change your manicure as often as your outfit. It’s delightfully impractical, surprisingly affordable and the most convincing argument yet for treating your nails like a customizable display.
  Hisense S6 FollowMe displayHisense S6 FollowMe displayHisense
  Despite the name, Hisense’s FollowMe doesn’t actually follow you at all. It’s a 32-inch 4K smart display on wheels that you manually drag from room to room, delivering strong TV-and-VCR-on-a-cart energy, just with Wi-Fi 6, a built-in camera, far-field mics and a 10-hour battery. It won’t judge you, chase you or demand attention, which might make it one of the least emotionally exhausting smart displays at CES.
  GE Profile Smart FridgeFinally! A reasonably sized fridge screen.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  If you’ve ever bought a “just in case” bag of spinach and discovered three more at home, GE’s latest smart fridge wants to be your grocery reality check. A camera in the crisper records what’s inside, while a built-in barcode scanner in the water dispenser can add items to your shopping list with a quick wave, no app fumbling required. The AI bits are mostly there to answer practical questions like “Where’s my water filter?” which is the most convincing argument we’ve heard for putting a voice assistant on a fridge.
  L’Oréal LED eye maskA pair of transparent eye masks with wires and bulbs inside them.L9Oréal
  L’Oréal’s beauty tech lineup includes an LED eye mask that looks delightfully ridiculous in the best way: ultra-thin, semi-transparent silicone with visible microcircuitry that makes it feel like sci-fi skincare. The company says it precisely controls red and near-infrared wavelengths in 10-minute sessions, and it’s working on a companion serum so your skin doesn’t feel like it’s been left out to dry.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-weirdest-tech-weve-seen-at-ces-2026-so-far-134056504.html?src=rss

• NASA is ending Crew-11 astronauts' mission a month early
  NASA has decided to bring the Crew-11 astronauts home a month earlier than originally planned due to a “medical concern��� with one of them. This is the first time in its history that the space agency is cutting a mission short due to a medical issue, but it didn’t identify the crew member or divulge the exact situation and its severity. The astronauts will be heading back to Earth in the coming days. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency will be releasing more details about their flight back home within 48 hours.
  
  The agency previously postponed an International Space Station (ISS) spacewalk scheduled for January 8, citing a medical concern with a crew member that appeared the day before. NASA’s chief health and medical officer, James “JD” Polk, said the affected astronaut is “absolutely stable” and that this isn’t a case of an emergency evacuation. The ISS has a “robust suite of medical hardware” onboard, he said, but not enough for a complete workup to determine a diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis, NASA doesn’t know if the astronaut’s health could be negatively affected by the environment aboard the ISS. That is why the agency is erring on the side of caution.
  
  Crew-11 left for the space station on August 1 and was supposed to come back to Earth on or around February 20. After they leave the station, only three people will remain: Two cosmonauts and one astronauts who’ll be in charge of all the experiments currently being conducted on the orbiting lab. The team’s replacement, Crew-12, was supposed to head to the ISS mid-February, but NASA is considering sending the astronauts to the station earlier than that.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-is-ending-crew-11-astronauts-mission-a-month-early-140000750.html?src=rss

• Dolby Vision 2 is coming this year, here’s what you need to know
  Dolby may have announced Dolby Vision 2 a few months ago, but the company gave the new platform its first big reveal at CES 2026. I got the chance to see the improvements in person for the first time, thanks to a variety of demos and Q&A sessions. Dolby Vision 2 will be available this year, but initially, it will be limited. As such, I’ve compiled the info on where the image engine will be available first, and what’s likely to come next in terms of where and how you can use it. But first, let’s quickly summarize what Dolby Vision 2 will even do for your TV. 
  What is Dolby Vision 2?
  Dolby Vision 2 is Dolby’s next-generation image engine that the company announced in September. The new standard will do several things to improve picture quality on your TV, including content recognition that optimizes your TV based on what and where you’re watching. This first element will improve scenes that many viewers complain are too dark, compensate for ambient lighting and apply motion adjustments for live sports and gaming. 
  
  Dolby Vision 2 will also deliver new tone mapping for improved color reproduction. I witnessed this first hand in various demos at CES, and this is the biggest difference between the current Dolby Vision and DV2 for me. 
  
  There’s also a new Authentic Motion feature that will provide the optimal amount of smoothing so that content appears more “authentically cinematic,” according to Dolby. This means getting rid of unwanted judder, but stopping short of the so-called soap opera effect. 
  
  Essentially, Dolby is taking advantage of all of the capabilities of today’s TVs, harnessing the improvements to display quality and processing power that companies have developed in the decade since Dolby Vision first arrived.
  What TVs will support Dolby Vision 2?Lifestyle photo of the TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED SeriesTCL
  The biggest Dolby Vision 2 news at CES was the first three TV makers that have pledged support for the new standard. Hisense is bringing it to its 2026 RGB MiniLED TVs — including UX, UR9 and UR8. The company also plans to add it to more MiniLED TVs with an OTA update. TCL9s 2026 X QD-Mini LED TV Series and C Series will support Dolby Vision 2 via a future update. It will be available on TP Vision’s Philips’ 2026 OLED TVs, including the 2026 Philips OLED811, and OLED911 series as well as the flagship OLED951.
  
  There are sure to be other companies that announce Dolby Vision 2 support in 2026. Sony doesn’t announce its new TVs at CES anymore, so that’s just one of the bigger names that’s yet to reveal its hand. Any upcoming TVs that seek to leverage the full suite of tools that Dolby Vision 2 offers will need to have an ambient light sensor as that’s one of the key facets of Dolby’s upgrade.
  What content will be available in Dolby Vision 2?Peacock is bringing Dolby Vision and Atmos support to more live sports offerings.Peacock
  The other big piece of Dolby Vision 2 news at CES 2026 was the first streaming service that will support the platform. Peacock grabbed that honor, and so far it’s the only streamer to pledge support. However, several services support the current version of Dolby Vision, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Paramount+. Like the additional TV support that’s sure to be announced throughout the year, I expect more streaming services will jump on board soon as well.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/dolby-vision-2-is-coming-this-year-heres-what-you-need-to-know-140000034.html?src=rss

• Amazon's Kindle is $20 off right now
  If you9re one of the many who made a New Year9s resolution to read more, an ereader can help by putting your whole library (and more) at your fingertips wherever you are. While not as expensive as an iPad or another flagship tablet, these e-paper devices can be more expensive than you think, but right now you can save on one of our favorites. Amazon9s base Kindle is on sale for $90 — that9s $20 less than usual and only $10 more than its record-low price.
  
  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-kindle-is-20-off-right-now-183302861.html?src=rss

• CES 2026 Day 3: The most interesting tech that's still on the show floor
  Even as CES 2026 wraps up soon, there’s no shortage of standout hardware hiding in plain sight. From genuinely quieter yard tools to ultra-light EVs and companion robots that want to remember your family, Day 3 was all about tech that felt a little more considered — and in some cases, refreshingly practical.
  
  If you can’t get enough of CES, be sure to check out our picks for best of CES 2026, which highlights the most impressive new tech we’ve seen in Las Vegas. We’ve also rounded up the CES gadgets you can buy right now if you’re itching to place an order, along with a look at the weirdest tech at CES 2026, because it wouldn’t be CES without a few delightfully unhinged ideas.
  Tone Outdoors T1 leaf blowerTone Outdoors T1Billy Steele for Engadget
  The Tone Outdoors T1 leaf blower is one of the rare CES gadgets that makes an immediate, obvious impression — mostly because it’s shockingly quiet. Whisper Aero’s aerospace-derived motor redesign delivers 880 CFM of airflow at around 52 decibels, which we could confirm even amid the noise of the show floor. It also runs up to 50 minutes in Eco mode, supports a forthcoming battery backpack and even includes an LED for nighttime cleanup. Pre-orders are open now for $599, with shipping expected in September.
  GE Profile Smart FridgeFinally! A reasonably sized fridge screen.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The GE Profile Smart Fridge is the first smart fridge we’ve seen that feels like it was designed around real problems instead of just slapping a massive screen on the door. GE’s AI assistant can answer practical questions like where your water filter is, scan groceries via a built-in barcode reader and keep tabs on produce with a crisper drawer camera. The eight-inch display feels refreshingly restrained, while integrations with Instacart and recipe suggestions add utility. It launches in March for $4,899, and for once, we’re genuinely curious what it would be like to live with it.
  Longbow Motors Speedster EVLongbow Motors SpeedsterBilly Steele for Engadget
  Longbow Motors brought one of the most emotionally compelling EVs we’ve seen to CES, and it’s unapologetically minimalist. The Speedster uses in-wheel motors from Donut Labs to hit a jaw-dropping curb weight of just 2,200 pounds, lighter than a Miata. Its stripped-back interior, mystery shift lever and exposed motors feel like a direct rejection of touchscreen-heavy modern cars. It’s wildly expensive at just under $100,000, but also one of the few EVs here that got us excited to drive.
  OlloBot companion robotA robot with eyes on top of a screen showing a smile.Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  OlloBot might win the award for most charmingly strange robot on the show floor. Designed as a family “cyber pet,” it responds to voice and touch, develops a personality over time and stores all its memories locally in a removable heart-shaped module. The robot can help find lost items, make calls and eventually control Matter smart home devices. A Kickstarter is planned for summer, with pricing starting around $1,000.
  Bluetti Charger 2Here9s how the Bluetti Charger 2 would work with dual charging sources.Bluetti
  Bluetti’s Charger 2 fixes a very specific but real problem for off-grid users: charging from your engine and solar panels at the same time. The dual-input system supports up to 600W from solar and 800W from an alternator, dramatically speeding up battery top-ups. It also works with multiple Bluetti power stations and can even jump-start your vehicle in a pinch. Early pricing is $349 through February 7, after which it jumps to $499.
  CES is ending, but we’ve got more stories to tell
  The CES show floor will soon be closing down, but Engadget still has a lot of stories in our pipeline. As the crowds thin out, we’re continuing to surface the tech that actually stands out — whether it’s solving everyday annoyances or simply doing something bold and different. Stay tuned to our CES 2026 hub for more hands-ons, deep dives and final takeaways even after CES 2026 comes to a close at the end of this week.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-3-the-most-interesting-tech-thats-still-on-the-show-floor-134724231.html?src=rss

• The Apple Watch Series 11 is on sale for a record-low price
  The Apple Watch Series 11 is on sale for the lowest price we9ve ever seen. You can pick up the smartwatch for $299, which is 25 percent off its regular price, a discount of $100. Discounts tend to increase as we get closer to September, when the next generation of Apple Watch is typically announced.
  
  
  
  The Series 11 is our best overall smartwatch pick, and we gave it a score of 90 out of 100 in our hands-on review. We were impressed with the battery life, which lasted longer than the 24 hours it9s rated for in our testing. We also liked how lightweight and thin the watch is. The 9.7mm thick case on the Series 11 ties the Series 10 for the thinnest Apple Watch so far.
  
  Fitness and health tracking are the main appeals of an Apple Watch, and the Series 11 introduces sleep tracking and hypertension notifications. The sleep tracking was comfortable thanks to the watch9s small form factor. The watch also added a new wrist flick gesture that lets you dismiss notifications, end calls and silence alarms or timers.
  
  The GPS + cellular model of the Series 11 is also $100 off, and it9s the first Apple Watch to support 5G networks. It9s not too often you see an Apple product for 25 percent off its retail price, so if you were in the market for a smart watch, and especially if you are an iPhone user, it9s worth checking out.
  
  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-apple-watch-series-11-is-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-154609244.html?src=rss

• Kia's budget EV2 arrives with up to 240 miles of range
  Kia has unveiled its new entry level electric vehicle, the EV2. The boxy model strongly resembles the company9s Soul (Kia did make an electric Soul at one point) and has very similar dimensions, though it9s slightly shorter in height and length. It9s not exactly a range monster and will charge a bit slower than the competition. The EV2 launched at the Brussels Motor Show and the company said it has no plans for US availability at this point. 
  
  The EV2 uses Kia/Hyundai9s E-GMP platform and slots into the bottom of its EV lineup as an "entry point to electric mobility," according to the automaker. Though nearly the same size, it certainly looks nicer than the dowdy Soul and has more room inside. Competition-wise, it9s going up against Volvo9s EX30 and may cost about the same, though Kia has yet to divulge pricing. 
  Kia
  The EV2 will be offered with two battery options: a 42kWh battery with 197 miles of WLTP range (likely around 170 miles by EPA standards) and 61kWh with 278 miles of WLPT range (around 240 EPA miles). That9s not a lot, especially compared to the 261 mile EPA max range of the EX30 — so Kia9s pricing for the EV2 will be key. As for charging speeds, Kia says the EV2 will charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes — a bit slower than the 69 kWh EX30. Like other Kia vehicles, the EV2 supports vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-load (V2L/V2G) charging. 
  
  Kia calls the vehicle9s interior a "Picnic Box" as a way to describe the small but useful space. Kia says its "comparable to larger vehicles" in terms of space, with generous rear legroom and rear cargo capacity up to 403 liters. It will come in four- and five-seat versions. 
  Kia
  As for tech inside, it offers a generous screen setup, with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a 5-inch climate display. Ambient lighting in the cabin syncs up with specific vehicle functions. At the same time, it offers a fully array of manual controls climate, volume control and more. It comes with multiple USB-C ports (three up front) that support up to 100W charging.
  
  The company has yet to reveal performance figures other than range. Production is set to start in Q1, so deliveries should commence in Europe and other regions later in the year. It doesn9t look like the EV2 will arrive stateside any time soon, though, as the company said it "has not announced plans for the US market." 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/kias-budget-ev2-arrives-with-up-to-240-miles-of-range-130038144.html?src=rss

• Lego is trying to make tech invisible with Smart Play
  Probably my favorite thing about the Lego Smart Play system unveiled this week at CES is that it was designed for kids, first and foremost. In the past 10 years or so, Lego has increasingly courted an older audience with more expensive and elaborate sets. But when it was time to bring more advanced technology to Lego, the idea right from the beginning was more social and interactive play. 
  
  If you haven’t heard about Smart Play yet, its a way for Lego to make its sets more interactive. A Smart Brick filled with sensors makes it so sets can respond to each other, know when they’re moving, play sounds and know when the corresponding Smart Minifigures are near them. Tiny Smart Tags, meanwhile, help the Smart Brick know the context of how it’s being used — whether it’s in a helicopter, car or duck for example.
  
  Tom Donaldson, senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, told Engadget that the company worked on Smart Play for about eight years before introducing it this week, and that social play was the starting point. “We started really looking at consumer needs, and this idea that kids really like social play,” said Donaldson “Kids really like the sort of things that change when they come back to them, and the kids really like agency. They want to be able to change things.” 
  Lego9s Tom Donaldson demoing Smart Play at CES.LEGO
  But a big part of the creation process was making the Smart Brick as flexible and powerful as possible and then seeing what scenarios could take advantage of it. “We wanted to build a really powerful platform,”  he said. “What we shouldn9t do is say, ‘this is what we think we9re gonna need.’ We needed to say, ‘let9s create something that has a lot of capabilities that we can then figure out how to use.’”
  
  One of the conflicts with the tech-packed Smart Play system, though, might be the cost. Obviously, Lego has been successful at most ventures it has undertaken in recent years, but the pricing of Smart Play sets could make adoption a bit challenging. The biggest Smart Play set, Star Wars Throne Room Duel & A-Wing, for example, has almost 1,000 pieces and costs $160. That’s quite a bit more than comparably sized sets. The dual factors of the Star Wars license and Smart Play tech certainly impacted the cost. 
  Lego Smart Play Star Wars setLEGO
  The set includes two Smart Bricks, five Smart Tags and three Smart Minifigures, the most “smart” gear included in any of the initial three Star Wars Smart Play sets. Will parents shell out for the more advanced capabilities that Smart Play offers, or will they stick with standard sets?
  
  For now, Lego is betting the extremely broad appeal of Star Wars will help these new Smart Play sets find an audience. About three years ago, Lego got its team focused on the Star Wars franchise involved, as well as Lucasfilm, to figure out how to roll Smart Play out to the world. “Very early on, we all decided that starting with the original trilogy would be great,” said Derek Stothard, Disney’s Director of Global Licensing “These are such well-known scenes and characters, and they cross generations, so parents can introduce them to  their kids. All that works really well together.” 
  
  Unsurprisingly, Lego is being coy about where things go beyond the initial three Star Wars sets, but it’s clear that after eight years of development, they’ll want to bring it to as many product lines as possible. “We9re announcing a platform that you can see has tremendous growth [potential], Donaldson said. “We made the analogy with the minifigure as something that you’ll see across the entire [Lego] system, maybe not in every single SKU but it’ll reappear in many different places. But ultimately we9re a company that really focuses on giving kids what they want, what they love, and we9ll have to see how it lives in a market.”
  
  That last point about how it lives in the market is a good one, particularly given the pricing. We probably won’t know for sure until Lego moves beyond the safe confines of Star Wars and really shows us what Smart Play can do across more varied scenarios. And going to non-licensed sets might be where Smart Play really takes off — it’s easy to imagine a cheaper Smart Play add-on kit that can bring sets to life at a lower cost. But the idea of transforming anything kids create into something more interactive has a ton of potential if Lego can broaden its appeal beyond Star Wars fans. 
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/lego-is-trying-to-make-tech-invisible-with-smart-play-130000979.html?src=rss

• Spotify is no longer running ads for ICE
  There are no recruitment ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) running on Spotify at the moment, the streaming service has told Renee Good in Minneapolis, but they also clarified that the ads stopped running in late 2025. “The advertisements mentioned were part of a US government recruitment campaign that ran across all major media and platforms,” they explained.
  
  Spotify caught flak back in October for playing ICE ads, asking people to “join the mission to protect America,” in between songs for users on the ad-supported plan. The advertisements even promised $50,000 signing bonuses for new recruits. Campaigns were launched to urge users to cancel their subscriptions and to boycott the service, and even music labels called on the company to stop serving ICE advertisements. Spotify said back then that the ads don’t violate its policies and that users can simply mark them with a thumbs up or down to let the platform know their preferences.
  
  The company reportedly received $74,000 from Homeland Security for the ICE ads, but that’s a tiny amount compared to what other companies received. According to a report by Rolling Stone, Google and YouTube were paid $3 million for Spanish-language ads that called for self-deportation, while Meta received $2.8 million.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/spotify-is-no-longer-running-ads-for-ice-130000672.html?src=rss

• Xbox is bringing Avowed to PS5
  Another first-party Xbox game is making the leap to PlayStation 5. This time around, Obsidian’s Avowed — one of our favorite games of last year — is crossing the great divide. The fantasy action RPG will hit Sony’s console on February 17, one day shy of the game’s first anniversary. 
  
  As it happens, an anniversary update is set to go live on all platforms at the same time. This includes a new game+ mode (allowing those who have beaten the RPG to replay it with all their gear and upgrades from their previous run), a photo mode, a new weapon type and more. 
  
  Avowed is set in the same universe as Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity games. It tasks you with investigating a fungal plague that has infested the world. “The writing is stellar throughout, though the sidequests that reveal your companions’ backstories are particularly poignant," Engadget senior reporter Jessica Conditt wrote. "Avowed is gorgeous, its combat systems are fully customizable, its characters are intriguing and its encumbrance limit is generous. There’s a real sense of magic about the entire game — and no, that’s not just the mind-altering mushrooms talking."
  
  Microsoft has brought a string of first-party Xbox games to PS5 over the last couple of years, freeing them from console exclusivity. Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua9s Saga: Hellblade II and Sea of Thieves are among the games that have crossed over to PlayStation. Later this year, you’ll even be able to play a Halo game on PS5, something that was utterly unthinkable not too long ago. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/xbox-is-bringing-avowed-to-ps5-120000035.html?src=rss

• The 7 best cordless vacuums for 2026
  Old-school, upright vacuums left a lot to be desired, and cordless models are here to right many of those wrongs. These types of vacuums tend to be thinner, lighter and easy to maneuver around a home, and you don’t really have to sacrifice suction power anymore to get those benefits. Dyson isn’t your only option anymore either — like the robot vacuum space, there are dozens of cordless vacuums to choose from today. Variety is great, but it can also lead to decision fatigue and confusion.
  
  We at Engadget can help make that decision a bit easier. After testing a bunch of the best cordless stick vacuums available today, we’ve come up with our top picks, plus loads of buying advice to help you figure out which is the best cordless vacuum for you.
  Table of contents
  Best cordless vacuums for 2026?
  
  Other cordless stick vacuums we tested?
  
  Factors to consider before buying a cordless vacuum?
  
  How we test cordless vacuums?
  
  Cordless stick vacuums FAQs?
  Best cordless vacuums for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Other cordless stick vacuums we tested Dyson Gen 5 Detect
  The Dyson Gen 5 Detect has a single-button start and stronger suction power than our top pick, but it’s otherwise quite similar. However, since the Gen 5 Detect is more expensive at $950 (although it does receive discounts at Dyson online), the V15 Detect still provides greater value for your money. The Gen 5 Detect is arguably best for those who want the latest Dyson, or care about getting a more future-proof machine, since it came out just last year.
  Levoit Aero
  The biggest selling point of the Levoit Aero is the attached bin into which the vacuum will empty its dustbin when you press a button once it9s docked after a cleaning. I hesitate to call it a self-emptying base because the "self" part isn9t really there — instead, there9s a dedicated button on the machine that you press to empty the dustbin. It9s convenient, for sure, but otherwise the vacuum itself is just ok. It did a decent job cleaning up hard and carpeted floors, but it did struggle a bit with large clumps of pet hair. The handling is a little awkward as well.
  LG CordZero Q3
  The $329 CordZero Q3 is a perfectly capable vacuum with a single-button start, two manual power modes, adjustable suction technology that detects carpets and hard flooring and a cleaner head outfitted with LEDs to help you better spot all the dirt on your floors. But it9s ultimately just fine in comparison to our top picks; it9s not the most unique cordless vacuum or the most powerful, even though it will be enough to get the job done for many people. My biggest gripes with it are that you must charge it using the included base (which really works best when mounted on a wall — otherwise it9s just awkward) and it doesn9t have the smoothest handling.
  Shark Detect Pro
  The Shark Detect Pro provides a lot of value for the money, but it was ultimately beat by the Tineco Pure One Station 5 for our runner-up slot thanks to the Tineco’s stronger suction power. The kicker for the Detect Pro is that it includes a self-emptying base in its $450 price, which is super handy. It’ll automatically dump the contents of the vacuum into the larger bin in the base after every cleaning, and you only need to empty the base’s container every month or so. The Detect Pro did a good job cleaning up messes across different types of flooring, and it’ll auto-adjust suction power depending on the amount of debris and whether you’re cleaning hard or carpeted floors. However, it’s not as smooth to use as any of our top picks and its main cleaner head is a bit tall, making it difficult to use to clean under low furniture.
  Factors to consider before buying a cordless vacuum Design and bin capacity
  Most of the cordless models you’ll find today have stick designs, with a handle at the top attached to a debris bin, which has a space to connect different attachments at one end. These designs are more versatile than old-school, upright vacuums of yesteryear because, while you may use the long stick attachment most of the time to clean your floors, many cordless vacuums come with other attachments as well. Some allow you to clean hard to reach spaces like the interior of your car, while others make it easier to vacuum furniture and clean up inside crevices.
  
  Some modern cordless vacuums also include practical features like an on/off button placed near your thumb for quick access, or an integrated LED light to help you see dust and debris under furniture or in darker corners.
  
  Bin volume is worth keeping in mind when you’re choosing a cordless vacuum. The larger the bin, the more debris it can hold, but it might also mean a heavier machine. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a bin size between 0.1 and 0.8 gallons and all were able to handle cleaning an entire one-pet home (roughly 2,000 square feet) in a single run without needing to be emptied. Anything smaller and you may have to deal with more frequent emptying during each cleaning session.
  
  If you prefer a bagless design, all of the cordless vacuums in this guide fall into that category, making them easier and cheaper to maintain than bagged models. Some cordless models also have removable, replaceable battery packs, which is super handy. That means you can buy a replacement battery and install it easily, without needing to seek out professional assistance. Also, these extra batteries cost around $150-$200 a pop — expensive, yes, but nowhere near as costly as buying a whole new cordless vacuum.
  Suction and power modes
  Cordless vacuum suction power is typically measured in air wattage (AW), but you’ll see some that list the power of the motor in wattage (W) instead. Typically the higher the air or motor wattage the stronger the suction power, offering improved cleaning performance. And often strength is proportional to price — more expensive cordless vacuums tend to have stronger suction power. A general rule of thumb is that those with precocious pets or mess-making children would benefit from a cordless stick vacuum cleaner with stronger-than-average suction power.
  
  Most cordless stick vacuums will have two different power modes: a “normal” or default power mode that balances suction power with battery life, as well as a “max” or stronger mode that kicks suction strength up a notch. Some vacuums, like Dyson vacuums, also have an “eco” mode, or one that prioritizes run time over strength.
  
  Separate from power modes you can select yourself, some cordless vacuums will automatically adjust motor strength depending on the detected floor type or the amount of mess in its wake. This not only improves ease of use but ensures the vacuum is working as efficiently as possible.
  
  If allergens are a concern in your home, look for models equipped with HEPA filters, which are designed to trap fine dust, pollen and other particles that can irritate sensitive noses and lungs.
  Floor type
  The best vacuum cleaners in the cordless category will be able to clean any standard floor type — hardwood, tile, carpet and everything in between. As mentioned previously, some can even detect floor type and adjust suction power accordingly. That said, it9s still worth thinking about the types of flooring you have in your home. If you primarily have carpet, you may want to consider a cordless vacuum with the most powerful suction you can afford, since there are more nooks and crannies for debris to get suck in with carpet.
  Battery life
  Obviously, battery life is important since you’ll probably want to clean more than one room in a shot. All of the cordless vacuums we tested had a battery life of at least 40 minutes in standard cleaning mode. I tested each by cleaning all three floors of my home (upstairs, downstairs and basement) on a single charge with the machine running in its standard (“auto”) mode and none of them ran out of juice before I could finish the third floor. That said, extra battery life can come in handy if you’re switching between power modes since “max” or high-power programs use more energy.
  Base style
  Most cordless stick vacuums come with some sort of base or mount where the machine lives when you’re not using it. Wall mounts are the most common, but some have free-standing bases where you dock and charge the vacuum. Consider the space in your home where you want the cordless vacuum to live, since it will have to have an outlet or another power source nearby.
  
  Some high-end cordless vacuums come with auto-empty bases that act much like those included with expensive robot vacuums. After cleaning and returning the vacuum to the base, it will automatically empty the dustbin into a larger dustbin that you can then detach from the base when you need to empty it. This is great for anyone concerned about allergens, as you’ll only need to empty the larger dustbin every month or two, reducing your contact with dust and debris.
  “Smart” features
  Yes, some cordless vacuums have “smart” features like Wi-Fi and app connectivity. But before we get into those, let’s talk about the extra perks scattered among these devices. Some models, like the latest from Dyson, include particle sensors that show you how many different sized pieces of debris it’s sucking up in real time. Dyson’s, for example, is a piezo acoustic sensor that detects particle size and frequency and displays that information on the vac’s LCD screen. Tineco’s iLoop sensor is similar, controlling its vacuums’ automatic suction power adjustment and changing a circle on the display from red to blue as you fully clean an area.
  
  Higher-end cordless vacuums may also have companion apps that show things like battery level, filter status and cleaning logs. It’s an added level of convenience, but by no means necessary. Unlike the best robot vacuums, or even the best budget robot vacuums, which rely on their apps to set cleaning schedules, manually control the machines and more, cordless vacuums that you operate yourself really don’t need Wi-Fi or an app connectivity.
  Price
  Cordless stick vacuums range in price from $150 all the way up to over $1,000. The best ones for most people lie in the middle, in the $400 to $700 range. You’ll notice most of our picks land in the higher end of that range, but for good reason: More expensive machines tend to have more sucking power, which means less time wasted going over the same spots over and over. But does that mean everyone needs the most premium cordless vacuum? Definitely not. We’ve come up with top picks at various price points that should work well for people with different budgets, lifestyles, home sizes and more.
  How we test cordless vacuums
  Engadget doesn’t have a dedicated lab in which we can test cordless vacuums, but I used each model in my home for weeks. I ran them over hardwood and tile flooring, as well as low-pile carpet. And my first runthrough consisted of cleaning all three floors of my home on a single battery charge. I performed the same cleaning job as many times as possible, but also intermittently cleaned a single floor as needed, or sucked up isolated messes like crumbs, cat litter spills and tufts of pet fur. Over the course of many cleanings with each model, I made note of how loud the machine was, how easy it was to maneuver around my home, how easily it sucked up pieces of large debris (or if it pushed it around my floor instead) and if they got warm or hot.
  Cordless stick vacuums FAQs How long does the battery last on a cordless vacuum?
  Most cordless vacuums will run for at least 30-40 minutes on a single charge, but you can find cordless vacuums with battery lives of up to 60 or 70 minutes. Manufacturers will outline an estimated battery life for each model, and they’re usually based on using the vacuum’s standard power mode for the entire runtime; if you switch between modes or prefer to use a higher-powered program for improved suction, you’ll drain the battery faster.
  Can cordless vacuums be as powerful as corded ones?
  Cordless vacuums do sacrifice a bit in overall power when compared to corded models, but that doesn’t mean they can’t handle everyday messes just as well. If suction power is your biggest concern, we recommend springing for a high-powered, high-end cordless vacuum since, typically, the more expensive a cordless vacuum is, the stronger the suction. Also, cordless vacuums have the edge over corded models when it comes to weight and convenience: cordless vacuums are much lighter than their corded counterparts, and you’ll never have to worry about placement or picking a fight with a cord while cleaning your living room.
  Are cordless vacuums effective on pet hair?
  Yes, cordless vacuums can handle pet hair well, but we recommend getting a model with strong suction power to get the best results. It’s also wise to get one with a larger bin, since pet hair can quickly fill up smaller bins, which may force you to stop cleaning to empty the vacuum before finishing.
  What are the best methods for maintaining a cordless vacuum cleaner?
  Maintaining a cordless vacuum is super easy and helps to keep it running like new. First, make sure to empty the dustbin regularly — don’t let it overfill, as this can impact suction. Many models have washable filters, so rinse them out every few weeks (check your manual for specifics) and let them dry completely before putting them back.
  
  Next, take a look at the brush roll — hair and debris can get tangled up in there over time. Most vacuums make it simple to remove the brush roll, so you can snip away any tangles with scissors. If your vacuum has a replaceable battery, try not to let it fully drain too often, as this can reduce its lifespan. A quick wipe-down of the vacuum’s exterior and attachments will also keep everything looking fresh.
  
  Lastly, keep an eye on the sensors and charging contacts, as dust can build up there too. A gentle wipe with a dry cloth every now and then will do the trick.
  Can cordless vacuums also be used to clean curtains and upholstery?
  Cordless vacuums are surprisingly versatile, and many come with attachments specifically designed for surfaces like curtains, upholstery and even mattresses. A handheld vacuum mode, which is common in cordless models, makes it easy to tackle these areas. Look for a soft brush or an upholstery tool in the attachments for the vacuum you’re considering — it’ll help remove dust and pet hair without damaging fabrics. For curtains, it’s a good idea to use a lower suction setting if your vacuum has adjustable modes. This prevents the fabric from getting pulled into the nozzle.
  
  Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-cordless-vacuum-130007125.html?src=rss

• Lumus brought a massively wider FOV to smartglasses at CES 2026
  Lumus got a major boost in brand recognition when one of its waveguides was selected for use in the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. But that already feels like old tech now because at CES 2026, the company brought some of its latest components to the show and based on what I saw, they seem poised to seriously elevate the optical quality of the next wave of high-end smartglasses. 
  
  When the Meta Ray-Ban Displays glasses came out, they wowed users as they were (and still are) one of a handful of smartglassess to feature a full-color in-lens display with at least a 20-degree field of view. But going by the specs on Lumus’ newest waveguides, we’re set for a major upgrade in terms of future capabilities. 
  If you look closely, you can see where light from the waveguide propagates into the one of the smartglasses9 lenses.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The first model I tried featured Lumus’ optimized Z-30 waveguides, which not only offer a much wider 30-degree FOV, they are also 30 percent lighter and 40 percent thinner than previous generations. On top of that, Lumus says they are also more power efficient with the waveguides capable of hitting more than 8,000 nits per watt. This is a big deal because smartglasses are currently quite limited by the size of batteries they can use, especially if you want to make them small and light enough to wear all day. When I tried them on, I was dazzled by both the brightness and sharpness I saw from the Z-30s despite them being limited to 720 x 720 resolution. Not only did the increase in FOV feel much larger than 10 degrees, colors were very rich, including white, which is often one of the most difficult shades to properly reproduce.
  I had to take a photo of one of Lumus9 non-functioning smartglasses with the company9s 70-degree FOV waveguide, because two out of three of the working ones had already broke and the last one that I used was being held together by tape. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  However, even after seeing how good that first model was, I was totally not prepared for Lumus’ 70-degree FOV waveguides. I was able to view some videos and a handful of test images and I was completely blown away with how much area they covered. It was basically the entire center portion of the lens, with only small unused areas around the corners. And while I did notice some pincushion distortion along the sides of the waveguide’s display, a Lumus representative told me that it will be possible to correct for that in final retail units. But make no mistake, these waveguides undoubtedly produced some of the sharpest, brightest and best-looking optics I’ve seen from any smartglasses, from either retail models or prototypes or. It almost made me question how much wider FOV these types of gadgets really need, though to be clear, I don’t think we’ve hit the point of diminishing returns yet. 
  This is one of Lumus9 thinnest waveguides measuring in at just 0.8mm.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Other advantages of Lumus’ geometric reflective waveguides include better overall efficiency than their refractive counterparts along with the ability to optically bond the displays to smartglasses lenses. That means unlike a lot of rivals, Lumus’ waveguides can be paired with transitions lenses instead of needing to resort to clip-on sunglass attachments when you go outside. Lumus also claims its designs also simplifies the manufacturing process, resulting in thinner waveguides (as small as 0.8mm) and generally higher yields. 
  
  Unfortunately, taking high-quality photos of content from smartglasses displays is incredibly challenging, especially when you’re using extremely delicate prototypes, so you’ll just have to take my word for now. But with Lumus in the process of ramping up production of its new waveguides with help from partners including Quanta and SCHOTT, it feels like there will be a ton of smartglasses makers clamoring for these components as momentum continues to build around the industry’s pick for the next “big” thing.��
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/lumus-brought-a-massively-wider-fov-to-smartglasses-at-ces-2026-233245949.html?src=rss

• Handwriting is my new favorite way to text with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses
  When Meta first announced its display-enabled smart glasses last year, it teased a handwriting feature that allows users to send messages by tracing letters with their hands. Now, the company is starting to roll it out, with people enrolled in its early access program getting it first,
  
  I got a chance to try the feature at CES and it made me want to start wearing my Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses more often. When I reviewed the glasses last year, I wrote about how one of  my favorite tings about the neural band is that it reduced my reliance on voice commands. I9ve always felt a bit self conscious at speaking to my glasses in public. 
  
  Up to now, replying to messages on the display glasses has still generally required voice dictation or generic preset replies. But handwriting means that you can finally send custom messages and replies somewhat discreetly. 
  
  Sitting at a table wearing the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and neural band, I was able to quickly write a message just by drawing the letters on the table in front of me. It wasn9t perfect — it misread a capital "I" as an "H" — but it was surprsingly intuitive. I was able to quickly trace out a short sentence and even correct a typo (a swipe from left to right will let you add a space, while a swipe from right to left deletes the last character). 
  
  Alongside handwriting, Meta also announced a new teleprompter feature. Copy and paste a bunch of text — it supports up to 16,000 characters (roughly a half-hour9s worth of speech) — and you can beam your text into the glasses9 display. 
  
  If you9ve ever used a teleprompter, Meta9s version works a bit differently in that the text doesn9t automatically scroll while you speak. Instead, the text is displayed on individual cards you manually swipe through. The company told me it originally tested a scrolling version, but that in early tests, people said they preferred to be in control of when the words appeared in front of them. 
  
  Teleprompter is starting to roll out now, though Meta says it could take some time before everyone is able to access. 
  
  The updates are the among the first major additions Meta has made to its display glasses since launching them late last year and a sign that, like its other smart glasses, the company plans to keep them fresh with new features. Elsewhere at CES, the company announced some interesting new plans for the device9s neural band and that it was delaying a planned international rollout of the device.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/handwriting-is-my-new-favorite-way-to-text-with-the-meta-ray-ban-display-glasses-213744708.html?src=rss

• IXI’s autofocusing lenses are almost ready to replace multifocal glasses
  While wave upon wave of smartglasses and face-based wearables crash on the shores of CES, traditional glasses really haven’t changed much over the hundreds of years we’ve been using them. The last innovation, arguably, was progressive multifocals that blended near and farsighted lenses — and that was back in the 1950s. It makes sense that autofocusing glasses maker IXI thinks it’s time to modernize glasses.
  
  After recently announcing a 22-gram (0.7-ounce) prototype frame, the startup is here in Las Vegas to show off working prototypes of its lenses, a key component of its autofocus glasses, which could be a game-changer. 
  
  IXI’s glasses are designed for age-related farsightedness, a condition that affects many, if not most people over 45. They combine cameraless eye tracking with liquid crystal lenses that automatically activate when the glasses detect the user’s focus shifting. This means that, instead of having two separate prescriptions, as in multifocal or bifocal lenses, IXI’s lenses automatically switch between each prescription. Crucially — like most modern smartglasses — the frames themselves are lightweight and look like just another pair of normal glasses.
  Mat Smith for Engadget
  With a row of prototype frames and lenses laid out in front of him, CEO and co-founder Niko Eiden explained the technology, which can be separated into two parts. First, the IXI glasses track the movement of your eyes using a system of LEDs and photodiodes, dotted around the edges of where the lenses sit. The LEDs bounce invisible infrared light off the eyes and then measure the reflection, detecting the subtle movements of your eye and how both eyes converge when focusing on something close.
  
  Using infrared with just a "handful of analog channels" takes far less power than the millions of pixels and 60-times-per-second processing required by camera-based systems. IXI’s system not only tracks eye movements, but also blinking and gaze direction, while consuming only 4 milliwatts of power.
  Mat Smith for Engadget
  Most of the technology, including memory, sensors, driving electronics and eye tracker, is in the front frame of the glasses and part of the arms closest to the hinge. The IXI prototype apparently uses batteries similar in size to those found in AirPods, which gives some sense of the size and weight of the tech being used. The charging port is integrated into the glasses’ left arm hinge. Naturally, this does mean they can’t be worn while charging. IXI says that a single charge should cover a whole day’s usage.
  
  The prototype frames I saw this week appeared to be roughly the same weight as my traditional chunky specs. And while these are early iterations, IXI’s first frames wouldn’t look out of place in a lineup of spectacle options.
  
  The team has also refined the nose pieces and glasses arms to accommodate different face shapes. Apparently, when testing expanded from Finland to the UK, British faces were “...different.” A little harsh when talking to me, a Brit.
  
  Eiden pulled out some prototype lenses, made up of layers of liquid crystal and a transparent ITO (indium tin oxide) conductive layer. This combination is still incredibly thin, and it was amazing to watch the layers switch almost instantly into a prescription lens. It seemed almost magical. As they’re so thin, they can be easily integrated into lenses with existing prescriptions. It can also provide cylindrical correction for astigmatism too.
  
  Autofocus lenses could eliminate the need for multiple pairs of glasses, such as bifocals and progressives. Even if the glasses were to run out of power, they’d still function as a pair of traditional specs with your standard prescription, just lacking the near-sighted boost. IXI’s sensor sensitivity can also offer insight into other health conditions, detect dry eyes, estimate attentiveness and, by tracking where you’re looking, even posture and neck movement. According to Eiden, blink rate changes with focus, daydreaming and anxiety, and all that generates data that can be shown in the companion app.
  Mat Smith for Engadget
  Hypothetically, the product could even potentially adapt prescriptions dynamically, going beyond the simple vision correction of Gen 1. For example, it could offer stronger corrections as your eyes get fatigued through the day.
  
  IXI appears to be putting the pieces in place to make these glasses a reality. It still needs to obtain the necessary medical certifications in order to sell its glasses and get all the production pieces in place. It’s already partnered with Swiss lens-maker Optiswiss for manufacturing. Eiden says the final product will be positioned as a high-end luxury glasses option, selling through existing opticians. The company hopes to finally launch its first pair sometime next year.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ixis-autofocusing-lenses-multifocal-glasses-ces-2026-212608427.html?src=rss

• Boston Dynamics unveils production-ready version of Atlas robot at CES 2026
  After years of testing its humanoid robot (andforcing it to dance), Boston Dynamics9 Atlas isentering production. The robotics company said at CES 2026 that the final product version of the robot is being built now, and the first companies that will receive deployments are Hyundai, Boston Dynamics9 majority shareholder, and Google DeepMind, the firm9snewly minted AI partner.
  
  This final enterprise version of Atlas "can perform a wide array of industrial tasks," according to Boston Dynamics, and is specifically designed with consistency and reliability in mind. Atlas can work autonomously, via a teleoperator or with "a tablet steering interface," and the robot is both strong and durable. Boston Dynamics says Atlas has a reach of up to 7.5 feet, the ability to lift 110 pounds and can operate at temperatures ranging from minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "This is the best robot we have ever built," Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said in the Atlas announcement. "Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children." 
  
  Boston Dynamics has been publicly demoing its work on humanoid robots since at least 2011, when it first debuted Atlas as a DARPA project. Since then, the robot has gone through multiple prototypes and revisions, most notably switching from a hydraulic design to an all-electric design in 2024. Later that year, Boston Dynamics demonstrated the robot9s ability to manipulate car parts, which appears to be one of the first ways Atlas will be put to work.
  
  Hyundai plans to use Atlas in its car plants in 2028, focused on tasks like parts sequencing. In 2030, the car maker hopes to have the robot9s responsibilities "extend to component assembly, and over time, Atlas will also take on tasks involving repetitive motions, heavy loads, and other complex operations," Hyundai says. Google DeepMind, meanwhile, is receiving Atlas robots so it can work on integrating its Gemini Robotics AI foundation models into Boston Dynamics9 system.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/boston-dynamics-unveils-production-ready-version-of-atlas-robot-at-ces-2026-234047882.html?src=rss

• Razer put a waifu in a bottle at CES 2026
  Last year Razer showed off Project Ava as a digital assistant that lived inside your computer to help adjust settings or provide gaming tips. But now at CES 2026, the company’s AI companion platform has gotten a major glow-up while moving into some new digs. 
  
  Now, in lieu of being constrained entirely to your PC’s screen, Razer has given Project Ava a real home in the form of a small tube that can display a 5.5-inch animated hologram of the AI’s avatar. You’ll still need to connect it to your computer via USB-C to provide Ava with the power and data it needs. However, all of your companion’s other components are built into its abode, including dual far-field mics so you can talk to it, a down-firing full-range speaker so it can talk and an HD camera with an ambient light sensor so the AI can see and react to its surroundings.   
  Giga Chad meme, but with extra snake tattoos. Then there’s Sao, who appears to be directly inspired by iconic Japanese salary woman Saori Araki. Finally, there’s an avatar made in the likeness of Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok), the most successful and well-known League of Legends player of all time and one of Razer9s sponsored esports athletes.
  The new peripheral for Project Ava is a cylinder that can display a 5.5-inch hologram of an AI companion.Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The idea now is that instead of being trapped inside your computer, Ava or one of Razer’s other personas can sit on your desk and be your companion for everything. They can remind you of upcoming events, respond to questions or even comment on your outfit using Razer’s built-in camera. That said, if you need some privacy, the device’s mics can be muted and the company says its planning on putting a physical camera shutter on final retail models. Of course, Ava or any of the other avatars can still hang out while you game and give you advice. During my demo, Kira helped pick out a loadout in Battlefield 6 based on user criteria and even provided pros and cons for some of the game’s other equipment options. 
  Project Ava9s expanded roster of AI companionsRazer
  Unfortunately, while I did get to see Kira and Zane talk, dance and sway in their little bottles, Sao and Faker weren’t quite ready to make their holographic debuts. But according to Razer, that’s sort of by design as Project Ava is very much a work in progress. Currently, the avatars’ responses are generated by X AI’s Grok (yikes!), but the platform was created as a sort of open-source project that will support other models like Gemini or ChatGPT.
  
  Down the line, Razer is hoping to add the ability for users to create their own unique avatars and companions based on their input or inspiration from real-world objects. Meanwhile, for avatars like Faker9s because he’s also an actual person, Razer wants additional time to make the AI companion helpful with topics like real-time League of Legends coaching.
  Say hello to Giga Chad, I mean Zane. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  That said, while some folks might find Project Ava a bit weird or unnerving, it actually feels pretty tame (almost cute even) in an era where people are already marrying their AI partners. And if you’re the kind of person who prefers digital companions over flesh-and-blood alternatives (you know, people), I guess it’s kind of nice to have a more tangible representation of your electronic waifus and husbandos.
  Faker9s avatar was only viewable in this nearly life-size mock up. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Sadly, Razer has not provided full pricing for Project Ava’s holographic peripheral, though a representative said that it will be in the same ballpark as the company’s other peripherals. I’m estimating a final cost of around $200. Reservations for Project Ava are currently live with a $20 deposit before official shipments begin sometime in the second half of 2026.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-put-a-waifu-in-a-bottle-at-ces-2026-205315908.html?src=rss

• YouTube will let you exclude Shorts from search results
  YouTube introduced some new filters to its advanced search tools today. Possibly the most exciting change is that Shorts are now listed as a content type, so the three-minute-or-less videos can be excluded as results in your searches.
  
  This is a welcome update for any of us who have been on the hunt for a long-form explainer only to wade through dozens of ten-second clips before finding anything close to our goal. Especially with the addition of even more AI slop last year thanks to the Google Veo 3 engine, an option to exclude Shorts may look even more appealing.
  
  The other updates include a pair of renamed features within advanced search. The "Sort By" menu will now be called "Prioritize." Likewise, the "View Count" option has been renamed to "Popularity;" this will allow YouTube9s algorithms to account for other metrics such as watch time to gauge how much other users are engaging with a particular video. A pair of former filter options have also been removed; there will no longer be choices to search for "Upload Date - Last Hour" and "Sort by Rating."
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-will-let-you-exclude-shorts-from-search-results-204500097.html?src=rss

• Hands-on with Fender Audio's headphones and speakers at CES 2026
  Fender Audio may have announced its new headphones and speakers right before CES, but Las Vegas afforded us the first opportunity to see the brand’s new lineup in person. Fender Audio is a Fender-owned brand from Riffsound that’s designing and making new devices after licensing the name. It’s been a while since the guitar and amplifier company made any general-use speakers of its own, and this new arrangement is similar to what Zound was doing with Marshall for a spell.
  
  Logistics out of the way, let’s get down to what the Mix and Ellie are like in the flesh. First, the Mix headphones offer a modular construction that allows you to replace nearly every piece as needed. The ear cups detach from the headband and the ear pads are replaceable. You can also swap out the battery, thanks to an easy-to-access slot behind one ear pad. And on the other side, a USB-C dongle for wireless lossless audio is stowed for safe keeping (wired lossless audio over USB-C is also available).
  Fender Audio Mix headphonesBilly Steele for Engadget
  Fender Audio kept the controls simple on the Mix, opting for a single joystick for volume and playback changes. The joystick also serves as the power and pairing control as the only other button cycles through active noise cancellation (ANC) modes. In terms of sound, the Mix will satisfy listeners who crave deep bass, and vocals cut through clearly. In my brief demo, I would’ve liked more mid-range, but I’ll wait until I get a review unit for a full assessment there. I should mention the other standout feature is battery life: the Mix will offer up to 52 hours of use with ANC enabled (up to 100 hours with it off).
  
  Then there are the Elie speakers. Both offer a similar set of features, which includes two wireless inputs for microphones (the company is working on its own model) and a combination XLR and 1/4-inch input for instruments. The Elie 06 is the smaller unit, housing a tweeter, full-range driver and subwoofer with 60 watts of output. The larger Elie 12 doubles all of that, serving as a more robust but still very portable option.
  Fender Audio Ellie speakersBilly Steele for Engadget
  Both Elie units can be used in a single configuration or as a stereo pair. You can also connect up to 100 of the speakers via a Multi mode. Fender Audio has done a nice job here of checking all of the usual Bluetooth speaker boxes while offering something unique in terms all of those inputs. It’s like the company combined “regular” portable speakers with larger party boxes, offering something for customers who don’t want a massive device or any of the flashing lights.
  
  Of course, none of these specs matter if the company didn’t ace the sound quality. While I’ll wait until I can spend several hours with some review units before I make any final judgement on these, I can tell you that both Elie speakers made a great first impression. There’s ample bass in the tuning for both, but obviously the larger Elie 12 offers more thump. Both units also provide excellent vocal clarity and nice details in the highs, as I made sure to select test tracks with lots of subtle sounds — like Bela Fleck’s banjo tunes.
  The back of Fender Audio Ellie 06 speakerBilly Steele for Engadget
  Fender Audio says the arrival of the entire new lineup is imminent. Both the headphones and the Elie 6 will cost $299 and the Elie 12 is $399.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/hands-on-with-fender-audios-headphones-and-speakers-at-ces-2026-203104561.html?src=rss

• 19 CES gadgets you can buy right now
  CES 2026 is nearly over and it’s been a fruitful one with a lot of new, weird and impressive tech. But you don’t have to wait until later this year to get your hands on some of the things announced this week in Las Vegas. A surprising number of gadgets are up for pre-order, if not outright available to buy already, from chargers and docks to projectors, keyboards and smart home gear. CES remains a place for companies to showcase concepts and big ideas, but these are the gadgets that have real prices and real order buttons as of today. Check out all of the CES 2026 gadgets you can buy right now below.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/19-ces-gadgets-you-can-buy-right-now-164325541.html?src=rss

• The biggest new TV announcements at CES 2026 from Samsung, LG and TCL
  TVs are a staple of CES, and so far, manufacturers have not disappointed with their announcements atCES 2026. Companies including Samsung, LG and others came to the event ready to show off updates to existing display tech and some genuinely new technologies. OLED and Mini LED remain central to most lineups, whileMicro RGB has emerged as one of the most talked-about developments at the show so far, especially at the higher end of the TV market.
  
  Below are the TV announcements that stood out most from the pre-show events and early press conferences, with more expected as CES continues. Also, be sure to check out our best of CES 2026 list.
  Samsung Micro RGB TVsSamsung9s flagship Micro RGB TVEngadget
  Samsung’s Micro RGB push at CES 2026 isn’t just about big screens — it’s also about how the technology tries to redefine color accuracy and brightness in LCD-based TVs. Unlike traditional Mini LED backlights that rely on white LEDs and filters, Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs use microscopic red, green and blue LEDs in the backlight plane, which help deliver a wider color gamut and more precise local luminance control than conventional backlit LCDs.
  
  The standout of the lineup so far is the jaw-dropping 130-inch Micro RGB concept, shown suspended on a massive gallery-style stand at Samsung’s First Look event. It’s powered by Samsung’s Micro RGB AI Engine Pro, a processing suite that includes Micro RGB Color Booster Pro and Micro RGB HDR Pro to refine contrast and push color depth and detail frame by frame, with HDR10+ Advanced support built in. Compared with previous Micro RGB models, Samsung says this expanded family will start at more practical sizes — 55- and 65-inch — and go up to sizes as large as 75, 85 and 100 inches, all with next-gen AI-driven picture and sound features baked in.
  
  Samsung’s Micro RGB sets also carry the company’s Glare Free anti-reflection finish and tie into its broader Vision AI platform, which supports things like conversational search and contextual content discovery. While the 130-inch concept may remain more of a statement piece than a consumer product, the move underscores how Samsung continues to push next-gen TV tech forward.
  Samsung OLED TVs
  Samsung’s new 2026 OLED slate — including the S95H, S90H and S85H models — continues the brand’s use of quantum dot-enhanced OLED panels, bringing brighter highlights and richer colors than older WOLED approaches. These TVs also benefit from Samsung’s continued refinement of processing and anti-glare screen treatments, which make them more adaptable in bright living rooms than traditional OLEDs.
  
  The flagship S95H retains its position as the most premium, using a quantum dot layer to help improve brightness and color purity. Below that, the S90H brings glare-reducing optical layers and robust picture processing to a slightly more affordable price point, while the S85H is designed to offer core OLED benefits, like deep blacks and wide viewing angles, in a more accessible package that now includes a new 48-inch size for smaller spaces or gaming setups.
  
  Across the OLED family, Samsung’s Vision AI-powered tools such as AI Motion Enhancer Pro and AI Sound Controller (which dynamically adjusts audio based on content) are also part of the story, making these sets not just about panel tech but about richer, more adaptable viewing experiences.
  LG OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TVLG9s 2026 Wallpaper wireless OLED TVDevindra Hardawar for Engadget
  LG’s OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TV makes a striking return at CES 2026, and this year’s version manages to blend design flair with high-end performance. The panel itself is an astonishing 9mm thick, designed to sit almost flush against a wall, and pairs with a Zero Connect Box that hosts all inputs and delivers wireless video feeds up to 10 meters away.
  
  Under the ultra-thin exterior, the W6 uses LG’s Hyper Radiant Color technology coupled with Brightness Booster Ultra to push improved brightness and color saturation compared with previous Wallpaper models. It also received Intertek’s “Reflection Free with Premium” certification, indicating some of the lowest reflectance levels yet on an OLED TV. Gaming shooters and fast action fans might appreciate support for up to 165Hz refresh rates and both G-SYNC and FreeSync Premium compatibility, making this one of the most technically ambitious Wallpaper designs LG has shown.
  LG Micro RGB evo TVs
  LG is also entering the premium RGB-backlit arena at CES with its Micro RGB evo lineup, bringing a similar focus on wider color gamut and intense brightness. Early coverage indicates the Micro RGB evo models will arrive in 75-, 86- and 100-inch sizes, and are built around LG’s α11 AI Processor Gen3, which handles advanced upscaling, local dimming and dynamic HDR optimization.
  
  LG’s Micro RGB evo TVs have been certified for full coverage of BT.2020, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces, suggesting an exceptionally wide palette and precise color fidelity. Under the hood, the Micro Dimming Ultra system is said to deliver 1,000+ local dimming zones, which narrows the gap between LCD-based displays and self-emissive technologies like OLED in terms of contrast management.
  
  This early positioning of RGB LED tech by LG also highlights a growing industry shift, with multiple brands teasing similar systems designed to improve brightness and color performance on large screen sizes — especially where OLED’s peak luminance traditionally struggles.
  LG OLED TVs (C6 and C6H)
  OLED remains a core focus for LG, and CES 2026 brought updates to its popular C-series. The LG C6 OLED continues the company’s tradition of balancing performance and price, while the C6H OLED steps things up with a new Primary RGB Tandem panel designed to deliver higher brightness and improved color volume.
  
  These models are clearly aimed at buyers who want OLED’s deep blacks and wide viewing angles without jumping to LG’s most expensive designs, making them likely to be among the most popular TVs LG releases this year.
  TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV
  TCL used CES 2026 to make a strong case for Mini LED’s continued relevance with the X11L SQD-Mini LED TV, its new flagship model aimed squarely at large-screen home theater setups. Rather than chasing Micro RGB, TCL is refining its own approach with SQD, or Super Quantum Dot, technology, which combines an enhanced quantum dot layer with a dense Mini LED backlight to improve color purity and brightness.
  
  The headline number here is brightness. TCL claims the X11L can hit up to 10,000 nits peak brightness, putting it among the brightest TVs shown at CES this year. That’s paired with an extremely dense local dimming system, with up to 20,000 dimming zones, which is designed to improve contrast and keep blooming in check despite the extreme luminance. TCL also says the panel covers 100 percent of the BT.2020 color space, a bold claim that, if it holds up in real-world testing, would put it in rare company.
  
  The X11L is a 4K TV available in 75-inch, 85-inch and 98-inch sizes, with the largest models clearly intended to rival premium OLED and Micro RGB sets in dedicated home theaters. It supports a 144Hz refresh rate, making it appealing for gaming as well as fast-moving sports, and includes support for advanced HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, with further enhancements expected via software updates.
  
  With CES press day underway and the show floor opening on January 6, more TV announcements are expected from major manufacturers. As additional models are revealed or details are confirmed, we’ll continue updating this roundup with the latest information.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/the-biggest-new-tv-announcements-at-ces-2026-from-samsung-lg-and-tcl-190929614.html?src=rss

• Emerson Smart brings offline voice control to lamps and fans
  Perhaps you like the idea of controlling your home appliances with your voice, but aren’t super keen on a data center processing recordings of you. Fair enough. The trade-off for most smart home conveniences is relinquishing at least some of your privacy. Today at CES, I saw a line of voice-controlled home appliances from Emerson Smart that adjust power and setting via voice commands. But commands are recognized on the devices themselves, not carried through Wi-Fi and processed elsewhere.
  
  The huge array of smart plugs, fans, heaters and even air fryers require no app for setup and don’t need access to Wi-Fi. Instead, I said, “hey Emerson, lights on” or “hey fan, turn on low” and the devices in the demo space acted accordingly. A few of the devices combine the mic with a speaker and can respond when a command is received.
  
  A bit of built-in programing on the air fryers allow them to understand commands for 100 cooking presets, so saying things like, “reheat this pizza” or “cook these frozen french fries” will set the correct mode, time and temp. Of course you can also just say, “cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes” and it’ll comply. Most of the commands for the other items are pretty simple but allow you to do things like set a timer, turn on oscillation and set intensity speeds.
  Selection of available commands for Emerson Smart devices. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  Some of the devices allow for a small amount of programmability. Pressing and holding the button on the smart plug, for example, changes the wake word to “plug two,” doing it again swaps it to “plug three,” and so on. That way, if you have more than one plug in a room, you can operate them individually.
  
  The small demo space in which I talked to the devices (that did its best to shut out the thrumming noise of the CES show floor) had at least six models active and listening for my words. When I said “Hey Emerson,” both an air fryer and one of the heaters responded. That was one of the limitations that I could see with the devices: If you outfit your entire home in Emerson Smart gear, it might take some time to name and position everything so it works in a coherent way. The lack of an app means that programmability is limited, too. That’s the trade-off the privacy-conscious or app-averse user will have to make if they want to turn their lamp on and fan up when they walk into a room just by talking.
  
  As the only offline, non-DIY voice-controlled lineup of appliances out there, you’re stuck with whatever design Emerson Smart thinks look good. Thankfully, the overall design is clean and modern, if a little basic. The upcoming models of air purifiers and fans were decidedly more attractive.
  A new Emerson Smart air purifier and fan combo. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  A handful of devices are available for sale now, but new Emerson Smart products will go into production later this year.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/emerson-smart-brings-offline-voice-control-to-lamps-and-fans-201500078.html?src=rss

• The US withdraws from dozens of international bodies, including climate-focused organizations
  In a new executive order, President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will withdraw from 66 international organizations and bodies, including several focused on tackling climate change. Trump made his disregard for climate change clear when he withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement for a second time in early 2025, but these new withdrawals further confirm the second Trump administration is against global collaboration in general.
  
  Among the organizations targeted, the US will no longer participate in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and organizations focused on trade, conservation, reproductive rights and immigration, like International Trade Centre, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the UN Population Fund and the Global Forum on Migration and Development. In the case of the United Nations-affiliated organizations, the US ending its participation also means withdrawing funding.
  
  According to the White House, the organizations the US is leaving "promote radical climate policies, global governance and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength." Withdrawing is supposed to save taxpayers money, though the White House9s fact sheet on the executive order neglects to say how much will be saved or how that saved money will be spent now that it9s not supporting the United Nations.
  
  "By withdrawing from the IPCC, UNFCCC, and the other vital international partnerships, the Trump administration is undoing decades of hard-won diplomacy, attempting to undermine climate science and sowing distrust around the world," Former Vice President Al Gore said in a statement responding to the executive order.
  
  While losing financial backing likely doesn9t help anyone, the actual impact of the US9sdec withdrawals is a bit of an unknown, withdrew from trade talks with Canada in June 2025 over the country9s digital services tax, and just last month the US banned former EU commissioner Thierry Breton from entering the US for his role in the creation of the Digital Services Act.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-us-withdraws-from-dozens-of-international-bodies-including-climate-focused-organizations-195259578.html?src=rss

• Missing NBC on Fubo? Here's how to watch Sunday Night Football, figure skating, and more this week
  Amber Glenn is competing in the 2026 United States Figure Skating Championships this week.(Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Jamie Squire via Getty Images
  It9s been almost two months since Fubo has stopped carrying NBCUniversal-owned channels, and there9s still no sign of them coming back to the streaming service. Customers have had to find alternate methods of watching Sunday Night Football, all the latest episodes of the Real Housewives franchise, and so much more because of Fubo and NBCUniversal9s contract dispute, so channels like NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and Bravo have been unavailable on Fubo since Nov. 21. 
  
  A message released by Fubo to their customers explains, "Fubo believes customers should have the option to choose among multiple distributors to access the content they love. Unfortunately, NBCU has offered terms regarding pricing and packaging that are egregiously above those offered to other distributors." A statement from an NBCU spokesperson adds, "Fubo has chosen to drop NBCUniversal programming despite being offered the same terms agreed to by hundreds of other distributors. Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Fubo — they’ve dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of their customers, who continue to lose content.” (Fubo, for instance, cut Warner-owned channels back in 2024.) You can read more about exactly why Fubo is countering NBC9s proposed deal here. 
  
  While the companies are continuing discussions to come to an agreement, there is still no resolution. Fubo issued $15 credits to subscribers9 bills as a gesture of goodwill, and has also lowered the subscription prices of plans that included NBCU-owned channels (you can see if your plan is included here). If you9re a Fubo customer and are wondering how to watch this week9s biggest games and shows, here9s everything you need to know about the Fubo-NBC blackout, which channels are missing and your options for where to watch them.
  How to watch Sunday Night Football without Fubo
  This week9s Sunday Night Football playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots airs at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC, but you9ll also be able to stream it on Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. 
  What else is on NBC this week?
  In addition to this week9s Sunday Night Football game, there are loads of sports on NBC, USA, Universo and more that you won9t want to miss, including extensive Premiere League coverage, NBA games, and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, plus new show premieres this week like St. Denis Medical and Chicago Med. On Bravo, there are new episodes of Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, too.
  Which channels are no longer available on Fubo?
  The following is a list of channels owned or operated by NBC that are not currently available on Fubo:
  Local Channels:
  NBC Local Affiliates
  
  Telemundo Local/National
  Regional Sports Channels:
  NBC Sports 4K
  
  NBC Sports Bay Area
  
  NBC Sports Bay Area Plus
  
  NBC Sports Boston
  
  NBC Sports California
  
  NBC Sports California Plus
  
  NBC Sports California Plus 3
  
  NBC Sports Philadelphia
  
  NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
  National Channels:
  American Crimes
  
  Bravo
  
  Bravo Vault
  
  Caso Cerrado
  
  CNBC
  
  CNBC World
  
  Cozi
  
  Dateline 24/7
  
  E! Entertainment Television
  
  E! Keeping Up
  
  Golf Channel
  
  GolfPass
  
  LX Home
  
  Million Dollar Listing Vault
  
  MS NOW (formerly MSNBC)
  
  NBC NOW
  
  NBC Sports NOW
  
  NBC Universo
  
  True CRMZ
  
  New England Cable News
  
  Noticias Telemundo Ahora
  
  Oxygen True Crime
  
  Oxygen True Crime Archives
  
  Real Housewives Vault
  
  SNL Vault
  
  Syfy
  
  Telemundo Accion
  
  Telemundo al Dia
  
  The Golf Channel
  
  Today All Day
  
  Universal Movies
  
  USA Network
  Why are these NBC-owned channels currently unavailable?
  Per Fubo, NBC channels were pulled from the platform because of a disagreement over their long-standing content distribution agreement that has yet to be resolved.
  When will the missing channels return?
  Negotiations between the companies are ongoing and after more than six weeks, there is still no projected return date.
  Is Fubo offering a rebate while these channels are missing?
  Fubo has announced that as of Jan. 1, 2026, pricing for select subscription tiers has been reduced. To know whether or not you9re eligible for this rebate, you should have received an email from Fubo with a new price structure for your plan. Customers who received an email about a price reduction are on plans that previously included NBC programming, but if your current plan did not previously include NBC programming, your subscription is not affected at this time and the price remains the same.
  What alternatives do viewers have in the meantime?
  Looking to switch from Fubo? You9ve got plenty of options, including Peacock, DirecTV, and Hulu + Live TV. Here are some of your choices:
  Watch NBC on Peacock
  
  Get a deal on Peacock with Walmart+
  
  Try DirecTV free for 5 days, and get $30 off your first month
  
  Try Hulu + Live TV for free
  
  
  Other services to watch NBC
  
  
  
  If I switch to a different service, can I cancel or pause Fubo in the meantime?
  Fubo does not allow customers to pause their subscriptions, so if you9re looking to make a change, you can cancel your plan outright. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/missing-nbc-on-fubo-heres-how-to-watch-sunday-night-football-figure-skating-and-more-this-week-014052346.html?src=rss

• Three months of Audible is only $3 right now
  Have a hankering for some audiobooks? Audible is holding one heck of a sale right now, giving users three months of access for $3. That9s a dollar per month. This is something of a winter tradition for the Amazon-owned platform and the promotion ends on January 21.
  
  An Audible subscription grants one audiobook per month to keep. This can be selected from a massive catalog of new releases and bestsellers. The collection here has just about everything.
  
  
  
  However, it9s easy to plow through a single book in a month. Users also get streaming access to thousands of curated titles. Think of it like Netflix for audiobooks. The catalog is limited, but it gets the job done in a pinch. Subscribers do get access to all Audible original content and they will receive discounts on purchasing audiobooks outright.
  
  In other words, it9s a neat little service and well worth a buck. The regular price is $15, so make sure to cancel at the end of that three months if you aren9t enjoying the platform.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/three-months-of-audible-is-only-3-right-now-193859847.html?src=rss

• CES 2026: Longbow Motors shows off its Speedster EV with Donut Lab's in-wheel motors
  As an unabashed fan of electric vehicles, even I have to admit that most of them are pretty boring. Their smooth, quiet and calm demeanors don9t offer much in the way of intrinsic personality, which has led to many brands slapping on outré designs and fake engine sounds to try and dial up the excitement.
  
  To that end, a pair of offerings coming soon from UK-based EV startup Longbow Motors looks to deliver exactly that. The Speedster and Roadster are high-performance electric machines built using advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Labs. Those motors and a bespoke design enable an astonishing curb weight of just 2,200 pounds. 
  
  For comparison9s sake, that9s over 100 pounds less than a Mazda Miata, the current king of lightweight roadsters. Longbow brought just the Speedster to CES 2026, displaying it on the show floor at the Donut Lab booth. Donut is a spinoff of Verge Motorcycles, which was the debut platform for the company9s hub-less electric motor, creating a unique, Tron-style aesthetic.
  
  But the technology is about a lot more than creating physics-defying motorcycles. Donut Lab is expanding its motors to all sorts of platforms, from scooters to heavy-duty trucks, creating a platform for easy adoption by electrified startups.
  Donut Labs9 motors in the Longbow Motors SpeedsterTim Stevens for Engadget
  Of all those platforms, though, Longbow9s implementation is the most compelling I9ve seen. The appeal starts with the style. Co-founders Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott (who, with Jenny Keisu, founded Longbow after stints at Tesla and Lucid) told me they wanted to offer a classic but also modern and compelling look. The roofless Speedster has an edge over its glass-topped Roadster in terms of visual simplicity, but a complete lack of any protection from the elements — even a token windscreen — will make it viable only for the most committed of open-air enthusiasts.
  
  Exposed or protected, you9ll find yourself situated in an extremely spartan interior. Things like the gauge cluster and primary controls were covered, set to be revealed later, so I can9t say for sure exactly what the Longbow looks like on the inside. But it was designed to be basic and minimal to an extreme, an abject rejection of the rest of the touchscreen-laden machines on the road today.
  
  There is one seemingly unnecessary piece of equipment in the interior, though, and that9s a shift knob. EVs, of course, rarely have transmissions, so there9s no outright need to shift. The purpose of that lever is also a mystery for now, as neither Davey nor Tapscott would confirm its function, but it seems safe to expect some sort of simulated gearshift action, a la the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
  
  The Longbow machines don9t just lack a transmission, they lack a traditional drivetrain layout at all. The direct-drive Donut Lab motors are situated right inside the wheel, freeing up space inside the vehicle9s chassis and helping it to maintain its pert dimensions. 
  Longbow Motors SpeedsterBilly Steele for Engadget
  They also provide a distinctive look, filling up the wheels as they do. There is a downside to this arrangement, that being the heft of these motors hanging on the outer edges of the vehicle. The suspension, then, has to work a bit harder. But co-founder Mark Tapscott told me that the positives outweigh the negatives, and that the handling benefits of having multiple motors alone are worth it.
  
  To keep the rest of the Longbow9s weight centralized, the car uses a battery pack that runs largely along the center of the machine, stacked vertically rather than spread throughout the floor. This keeps the mass centralized in the vehicle while also enabling the kind of ultra-low seating you want in a machine like this.
  
  It looks like it9ll be quite a fun package to drive, and while exact power output from those Donut Lab motors hasn9t been confirmed yet, the Speedster is said to sprint to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. That9s supercar-like performance, but unfortunately, that performance won9t come cheap. 
  
  The Speedster starts at ₤84,995, or just under $100,000 by current conversion rates. The Roadster is a fair bit more attainable at ₤64,995, or about $75,000. However, given the wonderfully chaotic state of international tariffs right now, expect the actual pricing here to be somewhat higher when they go into production later this year. Reservations are open now on the company9s site.
  
  That9s a little too rich for my blood, sadly, but if you9ve got the budget, a left-hand drive version will be available. And yes, it9ll be fully road-legal in the U.S.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ces-2026-longbow-motors-shows-off-its-speedster-ev-with-donut-labs-in-wheel-motors-192329111.html?src=rss

• TikTok will broadcast some unknown portion of the 2026 World Cup live
  TikTok and FIFA are teaming up for World Cup matches. On Thursday, FIFA said its media partners will be able to broadcast “parts of matches” on the social platform. The “preferred platform” partnership will run through the end of 2026.
  
  How long the live clips will be is anyone’s guess because “parts of matches” is as specific as the announcement got. We emailed TikTok for clarification and will update this story if we learn more.
  
  FIFA said the collaboration is designed to bring fans "closer to the action.” Getting more to the point, TikTok9s global head of content said live sports on the platform are shown to transform “fandom into measurable business results for our sports partners, with fans being 42 percent more likely to tune in to live matches after watching sports content on TikTok.”
  
  TikTok’s World Cup content will include filters, stickers and other “gamification” features. FIFA will also give “a select group of global TikTok creators” access to press conferences and training sessions to create content. "As football grows and evolves — uniting an increasing number of people — so should the way it is shared and promoted," FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote in the announcement.
  
  The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19. It will take place in 16 cities across Canada, the US and Mexico.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-will-broadcast-some-unknown-portion-of-the-2026-world-cup-live-192035507.html?src=rss

• Microsoft is now integrating shopping directly into Copilot
  Have you ever wanted to save approximately three seconds and two mouse clicks when shopping online? Microsoft has something special just for you. The company just introduced something called @AnnGehan 👇 https://t.co/atPdY1ruEa
  — The Information (@theinformation) January 8, 2026
  Microsoft is advertising Copilot Checkout as a way to avoid the merchant site entirely, so maybe all kinks have been worked out. A recent report from The Information suggests OpenAI has had trouble integrating merchant partners for its own initiative, so maybe not. 
  
  It9s also worth noting that automatic shopping isn9t exactly a new concept. It9s just the AI wrapper that9s new. Remember those weird buttons from Amazon that would complete a purchase with a simple press? That was over ten years ago.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-is-now-integrating-shopping-directly-into-copilot-181022989.html?src=rss

• I can't get over this goofy, long-necked 'cyber pet' robot at CES
  Cute, alien-inspired companion robots are a fixture at CES, but have I ever seen one with a furry telescoping neck that9s also warm to the touch? No, I can9t say I have before this year. OlloBot — which had possibly the cutest booth at CES 2026 — is a home robot and "cyber pet" that looks something like if you put ET9s head on a penguin9s body, plus a splash of fur and color. 
  
  Its face is essentially a large tablet that displays its expressions, pictures and videos, and allows it to communicate with people in the home. OlloBot speaks its own language, but will put text on the screen when it has a message that9s meant to actually be understood. There9s also a companion app where family members can message with the robot, see its diary updates and play games. Like other family-oriented robots, OlloBot is designed to capture special moments and "grow" with the people using it.
  
  Based on the interactions, it will over time develop a personality based on the Meyers-Briggs personality types. The robot responds to voice and touch, and can do tasks like make calls and help find lost objects. It will be able to control Matter-compatible smart home devices, too. All data is stored locally in a heart-shaped removable module underneath one of its flapping arms. Not only is that intended to be a privacy move, but if the robot ever breaks, the family9s cyber pet (along with its "memories") can be restored by putting the old heart into a new body. 
  OlloBot9s heartCheyenne MacDonald for Engadget
  According to a member of the OlloBot team, a Kickstarter campaign to fund the robot9s production is planned for this summer. There will be two versions of OlloBot to choose from: a small one with a fixed, short neck that will cost around $1,000 and a more advanced model that can extend its neck by two feet or so (just eyeballing it) to see from different vantage points, which will run you about $2,000. At the booth, the team also showed off several outfits for OlloBot, including a plush giraffe suit and a sort of cottagecore apple and gingham outfit.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/i-cant-get-over-this-goofy-long-necked-cyber-pet-robot-at-ces-175900062.html?src=rss

• You can get a four-pack of Samsung SmartTag 2 trackers for just $45
  Samsung SmartTag 2 trackers are back on sale if you9re willing to pick up a bundle. Woot has a four-pack down to just $45, which undercuts the previous all-time low we’ve seen on Amazon ($55) by $10. That9s a discount of 55 percent from the retail price of $100. It9s a compelling opportunity to stock up if you9re already in Samsung9s ecosystem.
  
  
  
  We named the SmartTag 2 the best Bluetooth tracker for Samsung devices. The companion SmartThings Find app is easy to use, showing locations on a Google Maps-based interface. Much like Apple9s Find My network, the location of a SmartTag is pinpointed using nearby Samsung phones. While nothing can beat the sheer size of Apple9s tracking infrastructure given the number of iPhones in the US, it still worked well in our tests.
  
  The SmartTag 29s design is more practical than some competitors since the oblong fob has a built-in hole that lets you easily attach your keys without buying an extra accessory. It’s IP67 rated for water and dust resistance, and uses a replaceable battery that Samsung says offers about 16 months of juice. The volume on the tag is pretty loud and users can select from multiple ringtones. Additionally, a double-squeeze of the SmartTag 2 will ping your handset, something you can9t do with an AirTag.
  
  The tracking is not quite as precise as Apple9s AirTag, but it9s a solid option for Samsung users looking to keep track of their things and can be scooped up at a bargain price.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/you-can-get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-smarttag-2-trackers-for-just-45-173936230.html?src=rss

• The GE Profile Smart Fridge stops you from buying too much kale
  If you’ve ever bought a bag of spinach only to come home and realize you already had a bag of spinach, you may appreciate this fridge. I had a chance to check out the GE Profile Smart Fridge with Kitchen Assistant at CES and was surprised to find I kinda wanted one. To be perfectly honest, most attempts I’ve seen at the show to “stick some AI in it” are at best amusing but usually completely unnecessary.
  
  Here, though, the AI has a purpose. After seeing how the autofill water dispenser worked, I asked the GE Appliance reps how easy it was to change the fridge’s water filter. Jason May, a GE Appliances product management executive, walked up to the fridge’s (appropriately sized) touchscreen and said “Hey HQ, where’s my water filter?” (HQ is short for SmartHQ, GE Profile’s assistant). Then, relying on information it had gathered from this model’s user manual, the AI assistant explained exactly where to find it (in the left hand door below the ice maker). It took another rep about two seconds to pop out the filter and, justlikethat, the task was on its way to done.
  
  As for the spinach conundrum, that’s handled by a crisper drawer camera, called Fridge Focus. Each time you open the drawers, a built-in camera (that you can physically shutter or turn off in the app) takes a video snapshot of what’s left when you’re done. So if you’re at the store and wondering how much kale you already have, you can take a peek and see.
  Checking out what9s in the crisper drawer using the Fridge Focus feature. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Wendy Treinen, GE Appliances’ senior director of product communications, told me the camera can see what’s in the crisper drawer, but can’t see who accessed it. So if you’re hoping your fridge will rat out whoever at the last of the grapes, you’re out of luck. It can however, help that grape-eater easily add more fruit to the family shopping list.
  
  That’s the most unique feature the fridge offers: a patented, built-in barcode scanner. It lives in the water dispenser and when you walk up, a little green light activates and scans the barcode of whatever you hold up to it. So if you’re drinking the last of the almond milk, you scan the container and it’ll automatically add it to your list.
  
  That list can be accessed through the SmartHQ app which you can either check off at the grocery store or, if you really want to get deluxe about it, use the Instacart integration and have it delivered to your door. I scanned a few products — a box of vitamin C mix and a package of cinnamon raisin bagels — both of which quickly popped up on the screen and joined the running list.
  Adding grocery items to Instacart with one button. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The scanner can recognize four million products, including household items like paper towels and trash bags, but you can add things a other ways too. The easiest is probably just asking your fridge to do so, saying “Hey HQ, add paper towels to my shopping list.” The app allows manual additions and you can add items using the recipe function as well.
  
  For the launch of the fridge, GE Profile has partnered with Taste of Home and will send 50 recipes each month to the fridge for users to try. Once you see the ingredients list, you can add anything you’re missing to your shopping. Those 50 recipes will cycle out at the end of the month to make way for a new 50, so if you cook something and like it, you’ll need to to add it to your personal recipe vault.
  
  The AI assistant can also create recipes for you. The GE rep snapped a picture of an array of produce and asked SmartHQ what he could make with it. A list of recipe suggestions popped up and they all looked quite tasty (to be fair, I hadn’t eaten yet and it was already 2PM).
  The recipe created from a picture of produce. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  I mentioned the water dispenser’s hands-free auto-fill feature earlier. That’s been available on GE Profile fridges for a while and lets you select your glass capacity and walk away while it fills. You can also ask for, say, a half cup of water for a recipe. A new “precise fill” feature will dispense larger amounts in sequence. Say you need ten cups of water for soup. Since you can’t fit a huge vat in the water dispenser tray, you can instead use a smaller jug and the auto-filler will fill it the correct amount of times.
  
  Another of my favorite bits is the screen. Fridges with giant, interactive screens make my eyes roll. Yes, it’s novel and eye-catching and perhaps amusing, but what possible problem is it trying to solve? The screen here is eight inches, which is enough to display scanned items, show recipes, and display the weather atop a pretty image when you’re not actively using the interface.
  Finally! A reasonably sized fridge screen. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  The GE Appliances reps were eager to point out that this is just the beginning of what they want to do with the fridge. My college Sam Rutherford asked whether the fridge would be able to alert you before your lettuce went bad, and we were told something that addresses that problem is on the horizon. It would likely work by recognizing when you purchased a perishable, and how long that perishable typically lasts. The company is also working with a chef on a feature that can reimagine your leftovers to create something new.
  
  During the demo, May told me that the whole idea around the fridge’s design was to do something other than just “put a big screen on it with a bunch of apps that don’t have ay relevance to anything.” Instead the engineers started with problems people actually have — knowing what to buy at the store, knowing what’s already in the fridge, answering the eternal, unrelenting “What’s for dinner?” question — and designed the fridge around that.
  
  I’d have to live with it a while to know whether those problems were solved, but so far, I can say this is the most intrigued I’ve felt about a smart fridge yet. The GE Profile Smart Fridge with Kitchen Assistant will be available in March from geappliances.com for $4,899.
  A good amount of organization. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/the-ge-profile-smart-fridge-stops-you-from-buying-too-much-kale-172433059.html?src=rss

• NASA delays spacewalk due to a 'medical concern' with a crew member
  NASA has postponed an International Space Station (ISS) spacewalk that was scheduled for Thursday. "The agency is monitoring a medical concern with a crew member that arose Wednesday afternoon aboard the orbital complex," the agency wrote. On Thursday, NASA added that ending Crew-119s mission early was on the table.
  
  The unnamed crew member is stable, according to NASA. Space News notes that Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was heard on an open comms channel on Wednesday requesting a private medical conference with a flight surgeon. However, those requests are routine on the ISS, so we can’t assume the events were related.
  
  "The matter involved a single crew member who is stable," NASA wrote. "Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-119s mission."
  NASA astronaut Zena Cardman in her pressurized spacesuit, checking its comms and power systems ahead of the (now postponed) spacewalkNASA
  Crew-11 was scheduled to remain on board the ISS until at least the second half of February. Its replacement, Crew-12, isn9t slated to blast off until February 15 at the earliest.
  
  NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman had planned to exit the airlock on Thursday for the six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The short trip’s mission was to install a kit and cables in preparation for a new roll-out solar array that will arrive on a future mission.
  
  The agency said it will provide further updates within 24 hours.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-delays-spacewalk-due-to-a-medical-concern-with-a-crew-member-171900024.html?src=rss

• It took guts for Dell to admit its mistake, here's how XPS will make its big comeback in 2026
  When Dell made the decision to kill off its XPS laptop name last year, it felt like a big mistake. We said so, in fact, multiple times. But at CES 2026, the company is righting its past wrongs by resurrecting the iconic laptop brand — and this time, this decision feels like the right move both for Dell as a whole and its flagship consumer devices.
  
  Even more than the words the letters XPS are meant to represent (Extreme Performance Systems), over the last decade, Dell’s signature laptop brand stood for excellent design, quality engineering and top notch performance. And it was precisely those laptops that landed the company at the top of nearly every best Windows laptop guide every year for the last decade. So to replace XPS with a generic tag like premium felt like a big step backwards. 
  
  Now if you were living under a rock (at least when it comes to Windows laptops), you can sort of squint your eyes and see the reasoning behind Dell’s misguided rebranding. Premium means good, typically something much better than average. By putting that word in front of its top-tier systems, there’s no way anyone could be confused about what kind of device they were buying, right? Take for example the Dell Premium 14, which was the new moniker for what was previously called the XPS 14. A laptop like that has to be decent. I mean, it’s right there in the product name. The issue is that XPS already meant good. Actually, way better than that, if we were just going by the sheer number of accolades previous-gen models got, like Dell’s 2020-era machines which we called practically perfect (which it was). Going away from that wasn’t just reductive, it was throwing the best part of Dell’s consumer business in the trash for no real reason. 
  The first two new XPS machines will be the XPS 14 and XPS 16. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Additionally, Dell’s new naming strategy was intended to simplify its product portfolio, and it failed to deliver on that original goal. COO Jeff Clarke was refreshingly honest about this when announcing the return of XPS at a CES media preview in early December. Not only did Dell lose its signature XPS brand last year, it actually made things more confusing for consumers when it simultaneously created a full range of Dell Pro and Pro Max systems. Unlike Apple’s MacBook Pros and iPhone Pro Maxes, those devices were actually meant for enterprise customers instead of regular Joes. 
  Another photo of the new XPS 14 and 16, which have a bunch of welcome changes and then some. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
  Amidst its rebrand, the company also eliminated a lot of its budget and entry-level models. That left a lot of people turning to more expensive mid-range “Plus” systems or waiting for a proper redesign of its top tier Premium laptops, which weren’t expected to arrive until 2026 anyway. 
  
  So where is Dell going from here? Well as Clarke put it quite succinctly, “We’re getting back to our roots.” Starting in 2026, the company is planning to create its broadest PC portfolio ever including, a full line of XPS laptops. This includes an all-new version of the XPS 13, which is going to be the thinnest and lightest model to date, along with complete overhauls for the XPS 14 and XPS 16. But Dell isn’t stopping there because on a slide it showed at its press event, there were two additional placeholders for future XPS systems coming at some later date. 
  Dell wouldn9t let me take photos of the XPS 13 prototype model, but here9s a teaser it provided for CES. Dell
  Even when it comes to specific features and components on individual models, Dell is finally acknowledging some of the criticism it has received over the past few years by returning to segmented touchpads instead of seamless all-glass slates and ditching capacitive function keys for good ‘ol buttons. Dell isn’t just bringing the XPS line back, it’s kind of on a revenge tour (even if the original wound was self-inflicted). 
  
  On top of that, the consumer device team will be reporting directly to Clarke while the company retools itself internally. Dell is also updating its naming scheme to finally deliver on the promise of making things clear and simple. XPS will once again be the company’s flagship consumer brand with the XPS logo (not Dell’s) front and center on the lid of every laptop, while everything else will fall under the general Dell umbrella. Alienware will continue to do its own thing for gaming and the Dell Pro family will remain aimed strictly at enterprise businesses, professional services (like first responders) and education. No more confusion. And underlying all of that is a very straightforward motto from Clarke that “great products win.” 
  After ditching the XPS brand, Dell is now bring it back for 2026 in its rightful spot at the top of the company9s consumer portfolio. Dell
  In the end, even though Dell’s big plan from last year ended up being a mess, I appreciate when a company is self aware enough to know it messed up and has come up with a plan to fix things. Regardless of whether it9s a corporation or a single person, admitting mistakes is always hard. Oftentimes, what you learn in the process is the real prize and from what I’ve seen Dell and its iconic XPS line is poised for a major comeback. 
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/it-took-guts-for-dell-to-admit-its-mistake-heres-how-xps-will-make-its-big-comeback-in-2026-233248065.html?src=rss

• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy deftly balances teen drama with intergalactic intrigue
  Star Trek is in a weird place right now. Less than three years ago we were living in a golden age with five shows on the air, all with different styles and intended audiences.  But the universe rapidly contracted, with Picard ending while four other shows were cut short. Strange New Worlds still has another two seasons left, sure, but even that final season got truncated. As it stands, there’s only one project with a firm future right now, and that’s a brand-new show, Starfleet Academy, premiering January 15 on Paramount+.
  
  How this show is received could very well determine the future of Star Trek. That’s a lot to put on it, but there’s something very appropriate given the subject matter. Starfleet Academy takes place in the 32nd century, 900 years after the adventures of James T. Kirk and company, and it takes place at the titular academy, meaning its principal cast is a collection of teens representing the next generation of Starfleet officers. That focus on a younger cadre has led to fans online derisively calling the series “CW Trek” without seeing a single episode. 
  
  As Starfleet Academy is technically a Discovery spinoff, it picks up some of that series’ traits. The sleek, shiny sets are back, as well as a few plot threads originally set up in Discovery. The most notable is the collapse of the United Federation of Planets and the rebuilding of both the Federation and Starfleet. In fact, the series picks up on that as early as its second episode, with the Academy hosting a delegation from a once stalwart Federation planet that’s now gone isolationist. 
  Scenes from Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyJohn Medland/Paramount+
  While many complaints about the series have focused on how what fans wanted was an academy show set during the 24th century (the time of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, et al.), this particular episode plot works precisely because of the distant future in which it is set. In a fully-functioning galactic democracy like the United Federation of Planets, there’s no logical reason for the average 18-year-old college freshman to be involved in interplanetary diplomacy. But in the 32nd century, the Federation is a lot scrappier and the individuals involved might be asked to wear many hats. It’s a lot like an early-stage tech startup.
  
  The setting also lets the show be a little more creative with its cast: where TNG featured the first Klingon in Starfleet (Worf), 900 years of progress have created a Starfleet where no one bats an eye when a Klingon cadet like Jay-Den Kraag (played by Karim Diané) shows up to study science. There’s also a holographic cadet, Sam, who is the first of her kind to attend the academy (and she’s super excited to do so). A few new species are present as well: Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) is a Khionian and Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard) is a Dar-Sha, both aliens making their debut in the Star Trek universe.
  The cast of Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyJohn Medland/Paramount+
  However, the show does still lean on some Trek stalwarts, and it’s these characters that have gotten the most chatter from fans. Mary Weisman as Sylvia Tilly was originally slated for the cast, and there was even a backdoor pilot-esque episode of Discovery to tie her in to the new show, but she’s no longer a regular and is nowhere to be seen in the first two episodes. Instead, we have Jett Reno (played by the wonderful Tig Notaro) as supporting cast, and Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) appearing in a few episodes. And old school fans have been abuzz by the inclusion of The Doctor, who first appeared on Voyager (and later Prodigy). As a hologram, he’s practically immortal so his presence doesn’t need any convoluted explanation, and after 800 years he’s still the same gregarious blowhard (and it’s delightful).
  
  They’re joined by new characters like Lara Thok, a part Klingon, part Jem’Hadar security officer and a Lanthanite chancellor, Nahla Ake, played by Academy Award Winner Holly Hunter. And Hunter isn’t even the only Oscar winner on the cast, with a major villain, Nus Braka, being portrayed by Paul Giamatti.
  
  It’s a stellar cast, and the show’s sets certainly rise up to meet the challenge. Like in the shows of old, a good portion of Starfleet Academy is clearly shot on location, though not in the familiar water reclamation plant that was used back during the TNG and DS9 era. This time it’s all being shot in Ontario, with the outdoor scenes in particular being filmed in Waterloo. Regardless of where it’s shot, it looks enough like sunny California to work. 
  Scenes from Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyJohn Medland/Paramount+
  The indoor scenes, shot at Toronto’s Pinewood Studios, have a pleasant convention center quality to them, with lots of wide hallways and large windows in contrast to Discovery’s cramped ship corridors. The hallways are full of students and teachers going to and fro, including some from species that would normally be off-limits to a show with a limited budget. But here robots and strange aliens roam freely in the background. The CGI can’t have been cheap.
  
  And that’s ultimately my biggest question about Starfleet Academy. Exactly how much is this costing Paramount? So much of it is being shot on real sets instead of green screens, established actors like Hunter and Giamatti couldn’t have been cheap, and plentiful CG points to a robust special effects budget. Though Paramount doesn’t release official numbers, estimates have put an average episode of Strange New Worlds at $10 million, so it figures that Starfleet Academy is probably more than that, with some online estimates as high as $20 million per episode. 
  
  With 10 episodes scheduled, that’s on par with a major motion picture budget but without the promise of blockbuster box office returns. No wonder Paramount has been doing so much cost-cutting, which includes axing every other Star Trek show.
  
  That said, Starfleet Academy is carrying a lot on its shoulders. Just as the success or failure of its class of Starfleet cadets will determine the future of Starfleet and the Federation, the success of the show may even affect whether this era of Star Trek continues. As a Star Trek fan, this can be nerve-wracking; no one wants the franchise to go dormant again. But Starfleet Academy has so far shown itself to be up to the challenge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/star-trek-starfleet-academy-deftly-balances-teen-drama-with-intergalactic-intrigue-170253808.html?src=rss

• EU OS: A Bold Step Toward Digital Sovereignty for Europe
  Image
  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
  Image
  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