All the News that Matters

• Ubuntu 25.10: Tornado Critical XSS DoS Flaws USN-7950-1 CVE-2025-67724
  Several security issues were fixed in Tornado.

• Ubuntu 25.10: GnuPG Critical Remote Code Exec Vulnerability USN-7946-1
  GnuPG could be made to crash or run programs if it received specially crafted network traffic.

• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS: GnuPG Critical Remote Code Exec Vulnerability USN-7946-2
  GnuPG could be made to crash or run programs if it received specially crafted network traffic.

• SUSE: curl Moderate Security Update CVE-2025-14524 CVE-2025-15079
  An update that solves three vulnerabilities can now be installed.

• SUSE: Podman Moderate Security Update CVE-2025-47914 Advisory 2026:0067-1
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• openSUSE: podman Moderate CVE-2025-47914 DoS Risk Advisory 2026:0067-1
  An update that solves one vulnerability can now be installed.

• 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.

• The state of Enterprise Linux for networking
  Discover the state of Enterprise Linux for networking in 2026. Compare RHEL 10, SLES 16, and Ubuntu alongside NOS leaders like SONiC and Nvidia Cumulus

• CuerdOS 2.0 Skycatcher Xfce: Spanish Distro Takes Chances, Mostly Succeeds
  CuerdOS 2.0 Skycatcher’s Xfce edition leans on Debian Trixie, custom tuning, and some unconventional app choices like Vivaldi and Harmony Music.

• Dell Pro Max GB10 vs. AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Framework Desktop For Llama.cpp, OpenCL & Vulkan Compute
  Over the past number of weeks the Dell Pro Max with GB10 has been undergoing a lot of testing at Phoronix. This NVIDIA GB10 powered mini PC with its 20 Arm cores (10 x Cortex-X925, 10 x Cortex-A725) and Blackwell GPU offers a lot of combined compute potential for AI and other workloads. In this article is a look at how the Dell Pro Max with GB10 competes with AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" within the Framework Desktop SFF PC.

• Debian Urgently Seeks Volunteers After Data Protection Team Resigns
  Debian seeks contributors interested in privacy to restore its Data Protection Team after all members stepped back, shifting responsibilities temporarily to the project leader.

• Nitrux 5.1 Drops Virtual Machine Support and Shifts Fully to Bare Metal
  Nitrux 5.1 ends official support for virtual machines, focusing exclusively on physical hardware for performance, stability, and a tightly controlled system design.

• Gentoo Linux Made Progress On RISC-V, WSL & More In 2025 While Pulling In Just $12k USD
  The Gentoo Linux project published their 2025 retrospective this week with their many accomplishments, including the recruitment of four more developers and now being up to 31,663 ebuilds and a total of 89GB worth of x86_64 binary packages on mirrors...

• IPFire Linux Firewall Distro Adds Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 Support, LLDP and CDPv2
  IPFire 2.29 Core Update 199 has been released today by developer Michael Tremer as a new update to this hardened Linux firewall distribution that primarily performs as a router and a firewall, which introduces Wi-Fi 7 support and many other changes.

• TUXEDO Launches InfinityBook Max 16 With OLED Display and RTX Graphics
  TUXEDO InfinityBook Max 16 launches with Intel Core Ultra 9 HX, RTX graphics, OLED display, and full Linux support.

• Radeon RADV Vulkan Driver Is On The Verge Of Another Big Ray-Tracing Performance Gain
  Natalie Vock as one of the open-source developers on Valve's Linux graphics team has been spearheading another big ray-tracing performance improvement for the AMD Radeon Vulkan driver. RADV ray-tracing performance improved a lot in 2025 but it's looking like 2026 could be even more exciting...

• Try Joplin: Your Open Source Evernote Alternative
  If you rely heavily on note-taking apps and want to switch from a proprietary to an open-source solution, this app might be what you're looking for.

• Gentoo’s 2025 Report: Financial Health and the Push Away From GitHub
  Gentoo’s 2025 report outlines stable finances, ongoing migration to SPI, and plans to move development infrastructure away from GitHub toward Codeberg.

• Open Source Initiative (OSI) Not Doing Its Job, Instead It's Promoting Microsoft Ponzi Schemes
  And the site they were meant to manage as a successor/heir/continuity for opensource.org has been inactive for 6 months (it'll be 6 months tomorrow)

• All Fedora 44 KDE Variants To Use Plasma Login Manager Rather Than SDDM
  The Fedora Engineering and Steering Committee (FESCo) has approved a Fedora 44 change for switching all KDE variants away from using the SDDM display manager to instead use the newer Plasma Login Manager...

• There’ll Be More AI Than Open Source at Spacewalk 2026 — But Not by Much
  Spacewalk 2026 will kick off ATO’s year with a slate of AI?focused talks in Raleigh — and organizers say open source will still be woven through the entire evening.

• HSBC app takes a dim view of sideloaded Bitwarden installations
  Customers report being locked out after grabbing the password manager via F-DroidSome HSBC mobile banking customers in the UK report being locked out of the bank's app after installing the Bitwarden password manager via an open source app catalog.…

• Immutable Distro Nitrux 5.1 Released with Linux Kernel 6.18 LTS, New Tools
  Nitrux developer Uri Herrera announced today the general availability of Nitrux 5.1 as a new stable update to this immutable and systemd-free distribution featuring new and updated components.

• Acer Laptop Battery Control Driver Looks Toward The Upstream Linux Kernel
  For those with Acer laptops running Linux on GitHub there has been an out-of-tree driver providing an experimental "acer-wmi-battery" kernel module to allow controlling battery-related features. Now a cleaned-up version of that driver is working on getting into the mainline Linux kernel...

• Some Super-Smart Dogs Can Learn New Words Just By Eavesdropping
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: [I]t turns out that some genius dogs can learn a brand new word, like the name of an unfamiliar toy, by just overhearing brief interactions between two people. What's more, these "gifted" dogs can learn the name of a new toy even if they first hear this word when the toy is out of sight -- as long as their favorite human is looking at the spot where the toy is hidden. That's according to a new study in the journal Science. "What we found in this study is that the dogs are using social communication. They're using these social cues to understand what the owners are talking about," says cognitive scientist Shany Dror of Eotvos Lorand University and the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. "This tells us that the ability to use social information is actually something that humans probably had before they had language," she says, "and language was kind of hitchhiking on these social abilities." [...] "There's only a very small group of dogs that are able to learn this differentiation and then can learn that certain labels refer to specific objects," she says. "It's quite hard to train this and some dogs seem to just be able to do it." [...] To explore the various ways that these dogs are capable of learning new words, Dror and some colleagues conducted a study that involved two people interacting while their dog sat nearby and watched. One person would show the other a brand new toy and talk about it, with the toy's name embedded into sentences, such as "This is your armadillo. It has armadillo ears, little armadillo feet. It has a tail, like an armadillo tail." Even though none of this language was directed at the dogs, it turns out the super-learners registered the new toy's name and were later able to pick it out of a pile, at the owner's request. To do this, the dogs had to go into a separate room where the pile was located, so the humans couldn't give them any hints. Dror says that as she watched the dogs on camera from the other room, she was "honestly surprised" because they seemed to have so much confidence. "Sometimes they just immediately went to the new toy, knowing what they're supposed to do," she says. "Their performance was really, really high." She and her colleagues wondered if what mattered was the dog being able to see the toy while its name was said aloud, even if the words weren't explicitly directed at the dog. So they did another experiment that created a delay between the dog seeing a new toy and hearing its name. The dogs got to see the unfamiliar toy and then the owner dropped the toy in a bucket, so it was out of sight. Then the owner would talk to the dog, and mention the toy's name, while glancing down at the bucket. While this was more difficult for dogs, overall they still could use this information to learn the name of the toy and later retrieve it when asked. "This shows us how flexible they are able to learn," says Dror. "They can use different mechanisms and learn under different conditions."
  
  
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• YouTube Will Now Let You Filter Shorts Out of Search Results
  YouTube is updating search filters so users can explicitly choose between Shorts and long-form videos. The change also replaces view-count sorting with a new "Popularity" filter and removes underperforming options like "Sort by Rating." The Verge reports: Right now, a filter-less search shows a mix of longform and short form videos, which can be annoying if you just want to see videos in one format or the other. But in the new search filters, among other options, you can pick to see "Videos," which in my testing has only showed a list of longform videos, or "Shorts," which just shows Shorts. YouTube is also removing the "Upload Date - Last Hour" and "Sort by Rating" filters because they "were not working as expected and had contributed to user complaints." The company will still offer other "Upload Date" filters, like "Today," "This week," "This Month," and "This Year," and you can also find popular videos with the new "Popularity" filter, which is replacing the "View count" sort option. (With the new "Popularity" filter, YouTube says that "our systems assess a video's view count and other relevance signals, such as watch time, to determine its popularity for that specific query.")
  
  
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• Lawsuit Over OpenAI For-Profit Conversion Can Head To Trial, US Judge Says
  Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Reuters: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk persuaded a judge on Wednesday to allow a jury trial on his allegations that ChatGPT maker OpenAI violated its founding mission in its high-profile restructuring to a for-profit entity. Musk was a cofounder of OpenAI in 2015 but left in 2018 and now runs an AI company that competes with it. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, said at a hearing that there was "plenty of evidence" suggesting OpenAI's leaders made assurances that its original nonprofit structure was going to be maintained. The judge said there were enough disputed facts to let a jury consider the claims at a trial scheduled for March, rather than decide the issues herself. She said she would issue a written order after the hearing that addresses OpenAI's bid to throw out the case. [...] Musk contends he contributed about $38 million, roughly 60% of OpenAI's early funding, along with strategic guidance and credibility, based on assurances that the organization would remain a nonprofit dedicated to the public benefit. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of plotting a for-profit switch to enrich themselves, culminating in multibillion-dollar deals with Microsoft and a recent restructuring. OpenAI, Altman and Brockman have denied the claims, and they called Musk "a frustrated commercial competitor seeking to slow down a mission-driven market leader." Microsoft is also a defendant and has urged the judge to toss Musk's lawsuit. A lawyer for Microsoft said there was no evidence that the company "aided and abetted" OpenAI. OpenAI in a statement after the hearing said: "Mr Musk's lawsuit continues to be baseless and a part of his ongoing pattern of harassment, and we look forward to demonstrating this at trial."
  
  
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• Illinois Health Department Exposed Over 700,000 Residents' Personal Data For Years
  Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed that a misconfigured internal mapping website exposed sensitive personal data for more than 700,000 Illinois residents for over four years, from April 2021 to September 2025. Officials say they can't confirm whether the publicly accessible data was ever viewed. TechCrunch reports: Officials said the exposed data included personal information on 672,616 individuals who are Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program recipients. The data included their addresses, case numbers, and demographic data -- but not individuals' names. The exposed data also included names, addresses, case statuses, and other information relating to 32,401 individuals in receipt of services from the department's Division of Rehabilitation Services.
  
  
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• Google Is Adding an 'AI Inbox' To Gmail That Summarizes Emails
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Google is putting even more generative AI tools into Gmail as part of its goal to further personalize user inboxes and streamline searches. On Thursday, the company announced a new "AI Inbox" tab, currently in a beta testing phase, that reads every message in a user's Gmail and suggests a list of to-dos and key topics, based on what it summarizes. In Google's example of what this AI Inbox could look like in Gmail, the new tab takes context from a user's messages and suggests they reschedule their dentist appointment, reply to a request from their child's sports coach, and pay an upcoming fee before the deadline. Also under the AI Inbox tab is a list of important topics worth browsing, nestled beneath the action items at the top. Each suggested to-do and topic links back to the original email for more context and for verification. [...] For users who are concerned about their privacy, the information Google gleans by skimming through inboxes will not be used to improve the company's foundational AI models. "We didn't just bolt AI onto Gmail," says Blake Barnes, who leads the project for Google. "We built a secure privacy architecture, specifically for this moment." He emphasizes that users can turn off Gmail's new AI tools if they don't want them. At the same time Google announced its AI Inbox, the company made free for all Gmail users multiple Gemini features that were previously available only to paying subscribers. This includes the Help Me Write tool, which generates emails from a user prompt, as well as AI Overviews for email threads, which essentially posts a TL;DR summary at the top of long message threads. Subscribers to Google's Ultra and Pro plans, which start at $20 a month, get two additional new features in their Gmail inbox. First, an AI proofreading tool that suggests more polished grammar and sentence structures. And second, an AI Overviews tool that can search your whole inbox and create relevant summaries on a topic, rather than just summarizing a single email thread.
  
  
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• French Court Orders Google DNS to Block Pirate Sites, Dismisses 'Cloudflare-First' Defense
  Paris Judicial Court ordered Google to block additional pirate sports-streaming domains at the DNS level, rejecting Google's argument that enforcement should target upstream providers like Cloudflare first. "The blockade was requested by Canal+ and aims to stop pirate streams of Champions League games," notes TorrentFreak. From the report: Most recently, Google was compelled to take action following a complaint from French broadcaster Canal+ and its subsidiaries regarding Champions League piracy.. Like previous blocking cases, the request is grounded in Article L. 333-10 of the French Sports Code, which enables rightsholders to seek court orders against any entity that can help to stop 'serious and repeated' sports piracy. After reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, the Paris Court granted the blocking request, ordering Google to block nineteen domain names, including antenashop.site, daddylive3.com, livetv860.me, streamysport.org and vavoo.to. The latest blocking order covers the entire 2025/2026 Champions League series, which ends on May 30, 2026. It's a dynamic order too, which means that if these sites switch to new domains, as verified by ARCOM, these have to be blocked as well. Google objected to the blocking request. Among other things, it argued that several domains were linked to Cloudflare's CDN. Therefore, suspending the sites on the CDN level would be more effective, as that would render them inaccessible. Based on the subsidiarity principle, Google argued that blocking measures should only be ordered if attempts to block the pirate sites through more direct means have failed. The court dismissed these arguments, noting that intermediaries cannot dictate the enforcement strategy or blocking order. Intermediaries cannot require "prior steps" against other technical intermediaries, especially given the "irremediable" character of live sports piracy. The judge found the block proportional because Google remains free to choose the technical method, even if the result is mandated. Internet providers, search engines, CDNs, and DNS resolvers can all be required to block, irrespective of what other measures were taken previously. Google further argued that the blocking measures were disproportionate because they were complex, costly, easily bypassed, and had effects beyond the borders of France. The Paris court rejected these claims. It argued that Google failed to demonstrate that implementing these blocking measures would result in "important costs" or technical impossibilities. Additionally, the court recognized that there would still be options for people to bypass these blocking measures. However, the blocks are a necessary step to "completely cease" the infringing activities.
  
  
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• Microsoft Turns Copilot Chats Into a Checkout Lane
  Microsoft is embedding full e-commerce checkout directly into Copilot chats, letting users buy products without ever visiting a retailer's website. "If checkout happens inside AI conversations, retailers risk losing direct customer relationships -- while platforms like Microsoft gain leverage," reports Axios. From the report: Microsoft unveiled new agentic AI tools for retailers at the NRF 2026 retail conference, including Copilot Checkout, which lets shoppers complete purchases inside Copilot without being redirected to a retailer's website. The checkout feature is live in the U.S. with Shopify, PayPal, Stripe and Etsy integrations. Copilot apps have more than 100 million monthly active users, spanning consumer and commercial audiences, according to the company. More than 800 million monthly active users interact with AI features across Microsoft products more broadly. Shopping journeys involving Copilot are 33% shorter than traditional search paths and see a 53% increase in purchases within 30 minutes of interaction, Microsoft says. When shopping intent is present, journeys involving Copilot are 194% more likely to result in a purchase than those without it.
  
  
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• Wi-Fi Advocates Get Win From FCC With Vote To Allow Higher-Power Devices
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission plans to authorize a new category of wireless devices in the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band that will be permitted to operate at higher power levels than currently allowed. The FCC will also consider authorizing higher power levels for certain wireless devices that are only allowed to operate indoors. The FCC said it scheduled a vote for its January 29 meeting on an order "to create a new category of unlicensed devices... that can operate outdoors and at higher power than previously authorized devices." These so-called Geofenced variable power (GVP) devices operating on the 6 GHz band will "support high data rates suitable for AR/VR, short-range hotspots, automation, and indoor navigation," and "overcome limitations of previous device classes by allowing higher power and outdoor mobility," the FCC said. They will be required to work with geofencing systems to avoid interference with fixed microwave links and radio astronomy observatories. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr attributed the FCC's planned action to President Trump in a press release titled, "President Trump Unleashes American Innovation With 6 GHz Win." That's consistent with Carr's relatively new stance that the FCC takes orders from the president, despite his insisting during the Biden era that the FCC must operate independently from the White House. While many of Carr's regulatory decisions have been criticized by consumer advocates, the 6 GHz action is an exception. Michael Calabrese, of New America's Open Technology Institute, told Ars that "increasing the power levels for Wi-Fi connections to peripheral devices such as AR/VR is a big win for consumers" and a change that has been "long advocated by the Wi-Fi community." Carr said that the FCC "will vote on an order that expands unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band so that consumers can benefit from better, faster Wi-Fi and an entirely new generation of wireless devices -- from AR/VR and IoT to a range of innovative smart devices. [It] will do so through a set of forward-looking regulations that allow devices to operate at higher power while protecting incumbent users, including through geofencing systems." [...] A draft of the order said the planned "additional power will enable composite standard-power/LPI access points to increase indoor coverage and provide more versatility to American consumers." The FCC will also seek comment on a proposal to authorize LPI access points on cruise ships.
  
  
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• The Gap Between Premium and Budget TV Brands is Quickly Closing
  The long-standing hierarchy in the TV market -- Sony, Samsung and LG at the top, TCL and Hisense fighting it out in the midrange -- is eroding as the budget brands close the performance gap and increasingly lead on technology innovation, The Verge writes. Hisense debuted the first RGB LED TV last year, and TCL's X11L announced at CES 2026 is the first TV to use reformulated quantum dots and a new color filter. TCL's QM9K release last year was "a pretty clear statement that they're ready to fight with the big boys." The premium brands retain certain advantages: Sony's processing remains unmatched and LG's OLEDs deliver contrast that mini LED cannot match. "Even as the gap in performance across technologies continues to shrink, and TVs from all the manufacturers get closer to parity, the challenge for TCL and Hisense shifts from creating incredible, competitive products to altering perception," The Verge notes. Samsung once owned the art TV segment entirely; CES 2026 saw announcements from Amazon's Ember Artline and LG's Gallery TV, all using similar edge-lit technology and magnetic frames. The experience across brands is "remarkably similar." If the pricing gap persists and performance remains comparable, "the big three will have to respond by bringing their pricing down or risk losing sales," the publication concluded.
  
  
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• Iran in 'Digital Blackout' as Tehran Throttles Mobile Internet Access
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Internet access available through mobile devices in Iran appears to be limited, according to several social media accounts that routinely track such developments. Cloudflare Radar, which monitors internet traffic on behalf of the internet infrastructure firm Cloudflare, said on Thursday that IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), a standard widely used for mobile infrastructure, was affected. "IPv6 address space in Iran dropped by 98.5 per cent, concurrent with IPv6 traffic share dropping from 12 per cent to 1.8 per cent, as the government selectively blocks internet access amid protests," read Cloudflare Radar's social post. NetBlocks, which tracks internet access and digital rights around the world, also confirmed it was seeing problems with connectivity through various internet providers in Iran. "Live network data show Tehran and other parts of Iran are now entering a digital blackout," NetBlocks posted on X.
  
  
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• 'The Downside To Using AI for All Those Boring Tasks at Work'
  The promise of AI-powered workplace tools that sort emails, take meeting notes, and file expense reports is finally delivering meaningful productivity gains -- one software startup reported a 20% boost around mid-2025 -- but companies are discovering an unexpected tradeoff: employees are burning out from the relentless pace of high-level cognitive work. Roger Kirkness, CEO of 14-person software startup Convictional, noticed that after AI took the scut work off his team's plates, their days became consumed by intensive thinking, and they were mentally exhausted and unproductive by Friday. The company transitioned to a four-day workweek; the same amount of work gets done, Kirkness says. The underlying problem, according to Boston College economist and sociologist Juliet Schor, is that businesses tend to simply reallocate the time AI saves. Workers who once mentally downshifted for tasks like data entry are now expected to maintain intense focus through longer stretches of data analysis. "If you just make people work at a high-intensity pace with no breaks, you risk crowding out creativity," Schor says.
  
  
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• TV Makers Are Taking AI Too Far
  TV manufacturers at CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week unveiled a wave of AI features that frequently consume significant screen space and take considerable time to deliver results -- all while global TV shipments declined 0.6% year over year in Q3, according to Omdia. Google demonstrated Veo generating video from a photo on a television, a process that took about two minutes to produce eight seconds of footage, The Verge writes in a column. Samsung presented a future where viewers ask their sets for sports predictions and recipes to share with kitchen displays. Hisense showed an AI agent that displays real-time stats for every soccer player on screen, a feature requiring so much space the company built a prototype 21:9 aspect ratio display to accommodate it. Demos repeatedly showed video shrinking to make room for sports scores and information when viewers asked questions -- noticeable on 70-inch displays and likely worse on anything 50 inches or smaller. Amazon's Alexa Plus can jump to Prime Video scenes based on verbal descriptions. LG's sets switch homescreen recommendations based on voice recognition of individual family members.
  
  
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• Former Google CEO Plans To Singlehandedly Fund a Hubble Telescope Replacement
  An anonymous reader shares a report: Prior to World War II the vast majority of telescopes built around the world were funded by wealthy people with an interest in the heavens above. However, after the war, two significant developments in the mid-20th century caused the burden of funding large astronomical instruments to largely shift to the government and academic institutions. First, as mirrors became larger and larger to see deeper into the universe, their costs grew exponentially. And then, with the advent of spaceflight, the expense of space-based telescopes expanded even further. But now the tide may be turning again. On Wednesday evening, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, announced a major investment in not just one telescope project, but four. Each of these new telescopes brings a novel capability online; however, the most intriguing new instrument is a space-based telescope named Lazuli. This spacecraft, if successfully launched and deployed, would offer astronomers a more capable and modern version of the Hubble Space Telescope, which is now three decades old. A billionaire with a keen interest in science and technology, Schmidt and his wife did not disclose the size of his investment in the four telescopes, which collectively will be known as the Schmidt Observatory System. However, it likely is worth half a billion dollars, at a minimum.
  
  
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• Tailwind CSS Lets Go 75% Of Engineers After 40% Traffic Drop From Google
  Adam Wathan, the creator of the popular CSS framework Tailwind CSS, has let go of 75% of his engineering team -- reducing it from four people to one -- because AI-generated search answers have decimated traffic to the project's documentation pages. Traffic to Tailwind's documentation has fallen roughly 40% since early 2023 despite the framework being more popular than ever, Wathan wrote in a post. The documentation is the primary channel through which developers discover Tailwind's commercial products, and without that traffic the business has struggled to sustain itself; revenue has dropped close to 80%. The reduced team also means Wathan cannot currently prioritize implementing LLMS.txt, a proposed feature that would make documentation more accessible to large language models. "Tailwind is growing faster than it ever has and is bigger than it ever has been, and our revenue is down close to 80%," he wrote in the forum post.
  
  
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• Samsung Hit with Restraining Order Over Smart TV Surveillance Tech in Texas
  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a temporary restraining order against Samsung, blocking the company from continuing to collect data through its smart TVs' Automated Content Recognition technology. The ACR system captured screenshots of what users were watching every 500 milliseconds, according to the state's lawsuit, and did so without consumer knowledge or consent. The District Court found good cause to believe Samsung's actions violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The TRO prohibits Samsung and any parties working in concert with the company from using, selling, transferring, collecting, or sharing ACR data tied to Texas consumers. Samsung is one of five major TV manufacturers the Texas Attorney General's office has sued over ACR deployment. Paxton previously secured a similar order against Hisense.
  
  
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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]
  
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• 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
  
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• 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"

• 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

• The weirdest tech we've seen at CES 2026 so far
  The usual suspects always show up at CES — new TVs, laptops, chips, robots and the like. But CES is also a place where companies feel free to ask some very strange questions about how technology could further infiltrate our lives. For example, should your toilet analyze your poop? Should your nails change color on command? From experimental laptops to health tech that probably didn’t need a camera, these are the weirdest gadgets we spotted at CES 2026. Also, be sure to check out our list of the best CES tech we saw this year at the show.
  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
  Hisense’s FollowMe display is a screen that physically follows you around the room — which no one really asked for, but CES happily delivered anyway. Designed to reposition itself automatically so content stays in view, it feels like the logical endpoint of smart TVs becoming increasingly clingy. We haven’t seen it in action yet, but the idea of a display that refuses to be ignored is deeply on brand for 2026.
  
  
  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

• 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

• Engadget's best of CES 2026: All the new tech that caught our eye in Las Vegas
  This year, over 4,000 exhibitors descended on Las Vegas, Nevada to showcase their wares at CES, and the Engadget team was out in full force. The week started with press conferences from the biggest companies at the show, which were often a flurry of AI buzzwords, vague promises and very 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

• 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

• Bose made the consumer friendly move to open source its SoundTouch speakers
  Bose recently announced the pending end of cloud support for its SoundTouch line of home speakers. This will, in effect, turn the smart speakers into dumb speakers as they will no longer have access to many features and any related software updates. Well, there9s a spot of good news for SoundTouch owners. The company is turning to an open source model for the software, allowing third parties to keep the music playing.
  
  The company has already begun mailing out the API documentation to customers so "independent developers can create their own SoundTouch-compatible tools and features." This will take some time, so Bose is also extending the end-of-life (EoL) date for the SoundTouch speakers. They were set to stop receiving cloud updates in February, but that has been moved to May 6.
  
  It made a couple of other changes to make life a bit easier for SoundTouch owners. The speakers will still be able to use AirPlay and Spotify Connect after EoL, which was something that had been in doubt. The app will also continue to work in a stripped-down format. That app was originally set to stop working altogether, so all of those angry customer comments on Reddit must have done the job.
  
  The SoundTouch speakers were introduced in 2013 and were on the expensive side, starting at $600. Nobody likes spending hundreds of dollars on something only to have it become a useless brick several years later. Good on Bose for listening to their customers on this.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/bose-made-the-consumer-friendly-move-to-open-source-its-soundtouch-speakers-163459024.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 in full swing, with all manner of companies descending 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 are on the ground to check out as much of the new tech as possible. Of course, we9re keeping tabs on all of the major CES press conferences too. Samsung held its First Look presentation, which focuses on home products, while LG has shown 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’s 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. We9ll be keeping this story updated throughout the week. We also have CES live updates, with all the latest news from the event.
  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 launch 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 the 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 are 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 laregly a recap of the company’s recent moves, but it did have some news to share.
  
  NVIDIA announced Alpamayo, which is a group of open-source reasoning models designed to help autonomous vehicles handle difficult driving scenarios. The company also revealed that a super computer built on the Vera Rubin GPU architecture NVIDIA unveiled in 2024 is 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 for a while, but the company is surely hoping that its Core Ultra Series 3 chips can help it right the ship. These are the first chips to be built using Intel’s 18A (18 angstroms, which is just under 2nm) process. The company says they offer improved performance — 60 percent more than the previous-gen Lunar Lake processors — and battery life improvements 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 a 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. It’s more of a mid-range chip that 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 last generation.
  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 the 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 by bringing the ROG Zephyrus Duo to CES. 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.
  Micro RGB TVs Samsung9s 130-inch Micro RGB TV. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
  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.
  
  We9re seeing more of these TVs pop up 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 scene 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 Fire TV OS will deliver speed boosts of up to 20 to 30 percent. 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 of those 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 give each a dedicated section of the display — that could make co-op games pretty fun if you9re dedicated enough to try that set up. It9s possible to 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 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 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 camping trips too, 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 leadup to the event, it announced its two new soundbars (we9re had some hands-on time with one of those) and the stylish Music Studio speakers (we9ve got some IRL impressions of those). 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. 
  
  First Look 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 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 only in prototype form for now 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. It9s said to have 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 price (not confirmed yet for North America, but it costs around $2,500 in Korea) and bulkiness.
  
  However, after Sam opened it up, “my concerns were quickly pushed aside because suddenly you’re greeted with 10 inches of vivid AMOLED goodness.” That extra real estate could come in very useful 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 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 get the full specs, pricing and availability info in the coming months.
  
  Back at CES 2024, we got to try out a physical 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 2,150 mAh 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 it9s 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 it will ship later this year.
  Anker Nano Charger (45W, Smart Display, 180° Foldable)Anker
  Anker unveiled its neat Nano Charger, which can seemingly 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 also 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 there9s going to be 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 are 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 (which costs $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 in 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.
  
  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 draft an email when you say 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 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."
  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.
  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 (above) looks quite pretty and has a cup holder(!), 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 250 Hz gameplay will seemingly offer up a perceived effective motion clarity of over 1,000 Hz 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. 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. And that’s not to mention 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. The company also unveiled a new Xbox controller with 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 and since I’d rather not have an extra device on my desk, 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. They 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 built in. 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 thanks to its Sonos integration, and the Soundstage speaker is tempting too. The Soundstage will be available this summer for $350.
  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 hut 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 and 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 Victorla 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 earbuds 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. 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 exterior of the earcups. Klipsch is only allowing demos with lossless audio over USB-C for now, but the audio quality is “excellent,” 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 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 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 can pre-order the car alarm now.
  
  Elsewhere in home security, Ugreen announced a modular system that does not require a subscription. At a time when so many companies are desperate to sell you a subscription for dependable monthly revenue, that’s quite refreshing. 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.
  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.
  
  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.
  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 the 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 motions 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, for instance. 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 that the first model from 2023 can keep tabs on. The Body Scan 2 should be available in the spring for $600.
  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 sight 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’s attached to 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.
  
  
  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

• Dell unveils a massive 52-inch 6K ultrawide curved monitor at CES 2026
  PC and gaming monitors are among the CES 2026 announcements, and Dell may just have one of the most impressive. The company launched an ultrawide, curved 52-inch 6K monitor at the show this year, a productivity behemoth designed for stock traders, engineers and other professionals. Dell claims the UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is the first 52-incher to market that’s also ultrawide, curved and supports 6K resolution (but with that many qualifiers almost anything can be a world first).
  
  Given Dell’s experience in the monitor realm, this could be a dream display for professionals who handle vast data sets such as trading platforms, AutoCAD, 3D rendering software, spreadsheets and more. It sports a 120Hz refresh rate on an IPS Black panel and emits up to 60 percent less blue light when compared to competing monitors. It delivers an impressive 129 ppi (for comparison a 4K 32-inch monitor delivers 138 ppi) and an ambient light sensor helps avoid eye strain during long work sessions.
  
  Users can connect up to four PCs to the monitor simultaneously, which can use picture-by-picture to treat each partitioned screen as an individual monitor. It also features built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) features that let users control all connected PCs via a single mouse and keyboard. The monitor can also charge your laptop with up to 140W of power via a Thunderbolt 4 connection.
  
  Dell also rolled out a new 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor with support for both True Black 500 HDR and Dolby Vision. It claims true-to-life color accuracy out of the box and excellent gamut coverage at 99 percent of DCI-P3. This monitor would be a strong fit for film and photo editing.
  
  The Dell UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is priced at $2,900 with stand or $2,800 without. It will be widely available starting January 6. The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K QD-OLED Monitor comes in at $2,600 and will be available beginning February 24.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/dell-unveils-a-massive-52-inch-6k-ultrawide-curved-monitor-at-ces-2026-140024842.html?src=rss

• The gaming monitors that caught our eye at CES 2026
  CES 2026 has been a big event for screens of all sizes: TVs, laptops and everything in between. New PC monitors are among the CES announcements, with several companies are using the trade show as an opportunity to update their gaming monitor lineups. Some companies are showing off expanded OLED panels with improved refresh rates, brightness and color production, while others are showing off weirder ideas like a glasses-free 3D monitor. The collection below are some of our favorite gaming monitors that have already been announced: 
  LG UltraGear GX7LG9s latest QHD OLED gaming monitor is its brightest to dateLG
  The LG UltraGear GX7 is the fastest and brightest gaming monitor LG has offered so far and a gaming-focused showcase for LG Display9s 4th-gen RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED technology. The new display tech splits up the yellow layer of the company9s 3rd-gen OLED tech into distinct red and green layers that, when stacked with blue layers, create brighter, more energy-efficient screens.
  
  In the case of the UltraGear GX7, the new 27-inch monitor reaches a typical brightness of 335 nits, and is VES DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified, for deeper contrast between the dark and bright parts of the screen. LG touts the display9s Dual Mode, which lets discerning gamers switch between two distinct settings: a 540Hz refresh rate mode at QHD resolution, when image quality is what you care about most, or a 720Hz refresh rate mode at HD resolution, when speed is your priority.
  
  Whichever mode you choose, LG promises the monitor will offer a smooth and stutter free experience. It has a 0.02ms response time and supports both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSYNC Premium Pro, so you should be set, regardless of what your computer9s specialty is. For $1,000, the LG UltraGear GX7 seems like a high watermark for OLED gaming monitors.
  Samsung Odyssey 3D and Odyssey OLED G8
  Samsung9s new Odyssey 3D monitor is the "world9s first 6K display with glasses-free 3D," with a 6,144 x 3,456 resolution, and the ability to take games "beyond 2D" by tracking the position of your eyes, and enhancing terrain, distance and object separation. Even if you9re not interested in playing formerly 2D games like Lies of P: Overture with an added sense of depth, a 32-inch LCD screen with a 165Hz refresh rate that9s capable of being boosted to 330Hz through Samsung9s Dual Mode is nothing to sneeze at, especially with a 1ms response time.
  
  On top of its big 3D monitor, Samsung is also pushing its own updated OLED tech at CES. The company9s new 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 uses a 4K QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and a glare-free treatment for added visibility. The monitor has a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, but unlike LG9s display, its brightness is capped at 300 nits.
  ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM and ROG Strix Pulsar XG27AQNGVThe back and front of ASUS9 new ROG Swift monitor with a Tandem OLED panel.ASUS
  While the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM uses a Tandem OLED panel – a panel with two light-emitting layers, like the Ultra XDR Retina display on Apple9s recent iPad Pros – the big change ASUS is focused on at CES 2026 is its new RGB Stripe OLED layout, technology LG helped pioneer. These updated panels use "a full RGB sub-pixel arrangement" to produce sharper text and more accurate color reproduction when compared to the QD-OLED panels the company has used in the past.
  
  The 27-inch ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM can be run at 4K with a 240Hz refresh rate or at FHD with a 480Hz refresh rate. The display also has a 0.03ms minimum response time for smooth and clear action, and 99 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage for more vibrant and accurate color reproduction. The OLED monitor also includes a "Neo PRoximity Sensor" which automatically turns the screen off when you9re not looking at it, to prevent burn-in.
  
  NVIDIA9s new G-Sync Pulsar tech, which uses variable backlighting to reduce blur, is specifically meant for competitive gamers, and ASUS9 new ROG Strix Pulsar XG27AQNGV monitor is one of the first to support the new tech. The monitor features a 27-inch, 1440p  panel with a 360Hz refresh rate and "the fastest response time" ASUS has ever achieved in a 1440p LCD display. The monitor also includes DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1 and multiple USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports for whatever devices you want to connect to it.
  MSI MPG 314CQR QD-OLED X36MSI9s new curved MPG monitor with a QD-OLED panel.MSI
  The star monitor of MSI9s new products at CES 2026 is the wordily titled MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, a curved, 34-inch ultrawide monitor, with new OLED panel. Like Asus, MSI is mixing different OLED display technologies for better results. This new monitor uses a 5th-gen Tandem QD-OLED panel with an "RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout" for sharper visuals. MSI also applies what it calls "DarkArmor Film" to "enhance light absorption," eliminate the reddish tint some QD-OLED panels have under ambient light, and boost black levels by "up to 40 percent."
  
  As an ultrawide, the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 has a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, an aspect ratio of 21:9 and a refresh rate of 360Hz. MSI says the monitor can reach a peak brightness of 1,300 nits, and the company provides multiple HDR modes to switch between depending on your needs. Similar to ASUS, the monitor also includes a sensor for detecting whether a human is in front of the screen – MSI calls it an AI Care Sensor – so that the monitor can power-off or enter standby mode when not in active use.
  ViewSonic VX2738 2K OLED Gaming MonitorViewSonic9s new 24-inch OLED monitor.ViewSonic
  ViewSonic9s new gaming monitors are more approachable and (presumably) more affordable than the options from competitors, but not necessarily less performant. The company top-of-the-line model, the ViewSonic VX2738 2K OLED Gaming Monitor has a 27-inch 2K QHD QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and up to 0.03ms response time.
  
  The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync for smoother gameplay. The VX2738 also has the ability to scale down its image via a 24.5-inch "esports mode" for competitive settings. ViewSonic says the monitor will include HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports and be available for $500.
  HP HyperX Omen OLED 34HP9s new curved OLED monitor with a headphone hook.HP
  HP9s newest monitor under its unified HyperX Omen gaming brand is the HyperX Omen OLED 34, a curved 34-inch monitor with a QD-OLED panel. HP says the monitor uses V-stripe QD-OLED tech, which like in MSI and ASUS9 monitors, means sharper text and better color accuracy. The HyperX Omen OLEd 34 has an aspect ratio of 21:9, a 360Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time.
  
  The monitor has 100W USB-C power delivery for whichever laptop you decide to connect to it, and a built-in KVM switch, HP says. Plus, the company is offering a customizable, 3D-printable headphone hook, if you want to store your accessories nearby.
  Acer Predator XB273U F6 Gaming MonitorAn Acer Predator monitor on a white background.Acer
  Acer is showing off multiple new monitors at CES 2026, but the Predator XB273U F6 Gaming Monitor stands out for its ridiculously fast refresh rate. Acer says the 27-inch screen has a 500Hz refresh rate by default, that can be boosted to 1000Hz at a 1,280 x 720 resolution if you use the company9s Dynamic Frequency and Resolution (DFR) mode. 
  
  The Predator XB273U F6 otherwise features a 2,560 x 1,440 IPS panel with a brightness of 350 nits, that9s calibrated to cover 95 percent of the DCI-P3 and 99 percent of the sRGB color gamut. The monitor also has 2-watt speakers built-in, and includes HDMI2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 and audio out ports for connecting to the rest of your PC gaming setup. Acer says the Predator XB273U F6 will be available for $800 when it launches in Q2 2026 in North America.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-gaming-monitors-that-caught-our-eye-at-ces-2026-130000433.html?src=rss

• The next Xbox Developer Direct showcase is on January 22
  Xbox will kick off the fourth installment of its Developer Direct event on January 22 at 1PM ET. As usual, we9ll get a glimpse at what the upcoming year has in store along with news, new gameplay footage and more directly from the teams behind this year9s slate of games.
  It9s officially Developer_Direct season!
  
  Join us on January 22 at 10am PT for an exclusive look at Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation: https://t.co/FvFUT7RzVZ | #DeveloperDirect pic.twitter.com/GMRpVDxucs
  — Xbox (@Xbox) January 8, 2026
  In a blog post announcing the event, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief Jon Skrebels said Xbox9s 25-year anniversary will be marked by the return of some beloved franchises. Gamers will also get their first extended look at Fable, a reboot of the iconic series. The event will also be unveiling gameplay footage for Forza Horizon 6, the upcoming open-world racing game set in Japan. UK studio Playground Games is behind both titles.
  
  The showcase will also include new details and gameplay from Beast of Reincarnation, the "one-person, one-dog" role-playing game. The game is being developed by Game Freak, the studio best known for its series of Pokémon games, and follows protagonist Emma and her canine companion in post-apocalyptic Japan.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-next-xbox-developer-direct-showcase-is-on-january-22-154444166.html?src=rss

• Nintendo reveals its first Switch 2 Joy-Con color variant
  Nintendo has unveiled the first color variants for the Switch 2 Joy-Cons in light purple and light green, set to arrive on February 12 alongside pre-order for $100 and include matching wrist-straps. 
  
  
  
  Other than the colorway, these are standard Joy-Con 2 controllers with motion controls and HD rumble, along with the C Button for GameChat and the mouse controls for compatible games. However, you may have noticed something weird about them — the colors are on the inner rails, so you9ll barely be able to see them when the Joy-Con 2s are connected to a Switch 2 console, except around the thumbsticks. By contrast, previous Joy-Concolor variants covered the entire shell. The new Switch 2 Joy-Con colors also clash with the light blue and orange strips on the inner left and right of the console.
  
  Along with the new Joy-Con 2 controllers, Nintendo released a lengthy game-play video for Mario Tennis Fever, also set to arrive on February 12th. It details some of the key gameplay features, like "fever shots," the ice racket and moves like slides and dives. 
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-reveals-its-first-switch-2-joy-con-color-variant-142725414.html?src=rss

• Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are on sale for $165
  It9s hard to find better wireless earbuds than Google9s Pixel Buds Pro 2 if you9re an Android user. The statement is even more true if you have a Pixel phone. If you9re on the market for a new pair, you can grab the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $165 in the hazel colorway, which is $54 off their usual price. Other color options are also discounted, just not as steeply. 
  
  The device made our list of the best wireless earbuds, and this is particularly true for those tied into the Pixel ecosystem. These earbuds are on the smaller side and, more importantly, comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They also manage to deliver pristine audio, as we were fans of the punchy bass, full mids and crisp highs on offer.
  
  
  
  The battery lasts for 30 hours when you include return trips to the charging case, at around eight hours a pop. They offer multipoint Bluetooth that switches between audio sources with just a single button press. There9s an app for keeping an eye on battery levels and ANC levels.
  
  The primary downside when these were first released was the high price tag, which has been alleviated by this sale. Beyond that, there9s really just one nitpick. Smaller earbuds translate to a smaller touch panel, which requires precision to operate.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-earbuds-are-on-sale-for-165-193444985.html?src=rss

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale at a record low price
  The AirPods Pro 3 are on sale and back at their record low price of $200. This is marked down from $250, a hefty 20 percent discount. This model was just released in September of last year, so consider this a substantial discount for such a recent product.
  
  
  
  We gave these AirPods a score of 90 out of 100 in our review and we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. The third generation model is a substantial update to an already impressive product, bringing new features like live translation to the table.
  
  The AirPods Pro 3 also offer heart-rate tracking, allowing them to stream live data to Apple Fitness and other third-party workout apps. This lets you track your fitness and close activity rings similarly to when using an Apple Watch.
  
  Apple also improved the sound quality of this generation thanks in large part to a redesigned acoustic architecture that improves how air is delivered into the ear canal. Additionally, the company changed the angle of the drivers to help more sound get where it needs to go instead of bouncing off the sides of your ear. We felt the jump in audio quality from the last generation to this one was substantial.
  
  The ANC on the AirPods Pro 3 has also been improved. Apple claims this model filters out twice as much noise as the AirPods Pro 2 and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro. We found the noise cancellation to be top-notch.
  
  Live Translation is as neat as it sounds, leveraging the AirPods9 noise cancellation tech, Apple9s AI and beamforming mics to help you understand a speaker in a different language. Right now, this is limited to a handful of languages with more being added over time.
  
  It9s not often you see one of Apple9s best and most recent products on sale for 20 percent off, so if you9re in the market for an upgrade or your first set of AirPods, consider taking advantage of this deal.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-airpods-pro-3-are-back-on-sale-at-a-record-low-price-140752004.html?src=rss

• CES 2026 Day 2: All of the coolest tech we saw on the show floor during the second day
  CES 2026’s second day was all about hands on time with new tech. From Lego’s most ambitious play experiment yet to assistive mobility tech, smart home ideas that actually feel affordable and robots that might one day fold your laundry, here’s what stood out most on January 7.
  Lego Smart PlayLego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke9s Red Five X-WingNathan Ingraham for Engadget
  LEGO’s new Smart Play system feels far more compelling in person than it did on stage. The Smart Brick, combined with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, responds dynamically to movement, proximity and context, triggering sounds and interactions without screens or apps. Seeing kids physically act out Star Wars battles while the bricks reacted in real time made it clear this is designed first and foremost for active social play, not digital distraction.
  WheelMoveA 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
  WheelMove’s motorized wheelchair attachment is compact, surprisingly quick to install and genuinely empowering in action. The add-on lifts a chair’s front wheels and adds powered assistance, making grass, cobblestones and slopes far easier to navigate. After seeing it demonstrated on uneven surfaces, it’s easy to imagine this opening up spaces that would otherwise be exhausting or inaccessible for manual wheelchair users.
  ThroneImage of the Throne Toilet Computer perched on the side of a toilet.Daniel Cooper for Engadget
  Throne’s toilet-mounted health tracker is exactly as strange as it sounds, but it’s also thoughtfully designed. Using computer vision to analyze bowel movements and urination, the device aims to establish a personal baseline and flag changes over time, with gut health and GLP-1 users firmly in mind. It’s too early to judge accuracy, but seeing it in person made it feel less gimmicky and more like a niche wellness tool worth testing.
  IKEA smart home gearThe popular VARMBLIXT donut lamp is now smart. Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  IKEA’s first CES appearance leaned heavily into what it does best: simple, affordable design. The new Matter-compatible smart home range includes bulbs, plugs, remotes and sensors priced low enough to make smart homes feel accessible again. Standouts like the magnetically mounted BILREA remote and playful TEKLAN lamps showed that IKEA hasn’t sacrificed charm in its push toward interoperability.
  SwitchBotSwitchbot9s Onero H1.Karissa Bell for Engadget
  SwitchBot’s Onero H1 was one of the most intriguing robots on the show floor because it’s meant to ship this year. The wheeled humanoid robot uses articulated arms and onboard AI to perform household chores, like loading a washing machine, albeit at a deliberate pace. Watching it work made the case that speed matters less than reliability when a robot can handle tasks while you’re not home.
  Eyebot vision testingImage of the Eyebot KioskDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  Eyebot’s self-service vision testing kiosk turns a 20-minute optometrist visit into a process that takes just a few minutes. The test is guided by a large touchscreen and reviewed remotely by a licensed eye doctor, striking a balance between automation and oversight. After comparing results with a recent traditional exam, the accuracy felt reassuring, even if it doesn’t replace full eye health screenings.
  Dephy Sidekick sneakersDephy9s Sidekick, which the company describes as "footwear."Karissa Bell for Engadget
  Dephy’s Sidekick robotic sneakers deliver a subtle but noticeable boost with each step. The ankle-mounted exoskeleton adapts to your gait, and walking with it feels bouncy rather than overpowering, especially at lower assist levels. It’s not for everyone, but after hours on the CES floor, the idea of powered help for people with limited mobility started to make a lot of sense.
  Klipsch headphonesKlipsch Atlas HP-1Billy Steele for Engadget
  Klipsch’s return to headphones starts strong with the Atlas HP-1. The wireless ANC model looks premium, borrows familiar design cues and delivers the brand’s warm, balanced sound in early demos. Pricing is still unknown, but based on build quality and audio alone, these feel positioned firmly at the high end.
  Clear DropThe Clear Drop soft plastics compactor next to a pile of the bricks it produces.Amy Skorheim for Engadget
  Clear Drop’s home plastic compactor tackles a real recycling problem most households face. The machine takes bags and wraps them into dense bricks that can be shipped to partner recycling facilities, and watching it swallow soft plastics was oddly satisfying. It’s expensive and not perfect, but it’s one of the more practical attempts at dealing with waste outside municipal systems.
  Nosh cooking robotNoshDaniel Cooper for Engadget
  Nosh is an AI cooking robot designed for low-effort, sauce-heavy meals like soups, curries and pasta. Multiple ingredient trays allow you to prep meals ahead of time, then slide them in when you’re ready to eat. It’s not replacing real cooking anytime soon, but as an alternative to microwaved meals, it’s more appealing than expected.
  
  Day two leaned heavily toward tech you could physically interact with, whether that meant flying Lego ships through the air, watching a robot load laundry or testing a vision exam in a kiosk. With more show-floor time still ahead, we’ll be back with additional hands-ons, impressions and daily recaps as CES 2026 continues.
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-2-all-of-the-coolest-tech-we-saw-on-the-show-floor-during-the-second-day-134608348.html?src=rss

• ElevationLabs' 10-year extended battery case for AirTags is 30 percent off
  AirTags already have a decently long battery life, but you will end up needing to replace the coin cell every two years or so. If you don9t even want to be bothered with that, ElevationLab made just the accessory for you: its AirTag battery case that can power the tracker for up to 10 years is on sale for 30 percent off. You can pick one up for only $16, and it9s available in two- and four-packs as well at a discount.
  
  The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032 battery that powers an AirTag. The company based those estimates on Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, so your mileage may vary. Once an AirTag is seated inside the case, which is a compact 4.45 x 1.57 inches, it is sealed shut with four screws at the corners. The case is fiber-reinforced, according to Elevation Lab, and rated IP69 waterproof.
  
  
  
  The company says it’s intended for use cases where you might place an AirTag for long periods of time, like in a vehicle, a piece of luggage or a work bag. We9ve already got a couple of Elevation Lab products on our list for best AirTag accessories, so while we haven9t reviewed the battery case, we tend to like this company9s products.
  
  If you9re in the market for more AirTags or considering picking some up for the first time, you can still get a pack of 4 for just $65, which is only a few dollars off the lowest price we9ve seen.
  
  
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/elevationlabs-10-year-extended-battery-case-for-airtags-is-30-percent-off-162308110.html?src=rss

• Volvo's EX60 electric crossover promises 400 miles of EPA range
  Ahead of a launch later this month, Volvo has teased some impressive details about its upcoming electric crossover. The EX60, which slots between the EX40 and EX90, will offer an EPA range of 400 miles, beating all other Volvos and most EVs in general. It will also be the first Volvo car to use a megacasting process designed to reduce weight and boost manufacturing efficiency. 
  
  "With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car," said Volvo CTO Anders Bell. "The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety." 
  Volvo
  Volvo considered that main worry to be range anxiety, so it focused on maximizing endurance to the largest extent possible. Key to that is Volvo9s advanced SPA3 EV architecture, which integrates the battery directly into the structure of the car with cell-to-body technology. Volvo also developed its e-motors in-house to improve efficiency and reduce weight. 
  
  The company also made the EX60 fast to charge with an 800-volt electrical system and support for up to 400kW fast charging, letting you add up to 168 miles of range in just 10 minutes. New lighter materials and lower heat generation aid in that, "meaning the EX60 can add over 100 miles or range in just a few minutes," Volvo wrote on its blog. 
  Volvo
  The megacasting, meanwhile, helped Volvo replace hundreds of smaller parts with a single, high-precision casting to reduce weight. The Volvo EX60 will be revealed on January 21, 2026 at a livestream on Volvo9s website. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvos-ex60-electric-crossover-promises-400-miles-of-epa-range-130008964.html?src=rss

• Gmail is getting a Gemini AI overhaul
  In a move that should surprise nobody, Google is stuffing more Gemini AI into Gmail. A host of new features, some of which are already familiar to Workspace users, are rolling out today for Gmail users in the US. Some are free, while others require a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.
  
  The first premium feature is AI Overviews, the same name as a similar feature in Google Search. Gmail’s version lets you ask questions about your messages in the search bar, using natural language. Google uses the example of, "Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?" It’s hard to imagine that saving much time over a basic search for "plumber quote" or “plumbing estimate,” but maybe it could help in some situations.
  
  There9s also a free portion of AI Overviews that summarizes mail threads for easy catch-ups. However, the ability to ask your inbox questions requires a subscription.
  
  Meanwhile, Proofread is a subscription-only feature that9s essentially Grammarly for Gmail. As you9d guess, it suggests improvements in grammar, word choice, conciseness, voice and sentence structure.
  AI InboxGoogle
  Finally, there9s the AI Inbox, a feature that "filters out the clutter so you can focus on what9s most important." Google says it9s like a personal briefing that flags to-dos and catches you up on what it thinks is most important. (It identifies VIPs based on frequent contacts, your contact list, and inferred relationships.) The company claims, without adding further detail, that this all "happens securely with the privacy protections you expect from Google." AI Inbox is another subscription-only feature.
  
  Now onto the free stuff. Help Me Write is a tool for all Gmail users that generates email copy from a prompt. This kind of thing should be well-familiar by now, as Big Tech increasingly encourages users to avoid drafting anything from scratch. And Suggested Replies can draft replies for you that mimic your tone and style. (Google describes it as a next-gen version of Smart Replies.) Help Me Write and Suggested Replies are rolling out to everyone (no subscription required) today.
  
  The new Gemini-powered features begin rolling out to Gmail today. Although they9re starting with English speakers in the US, Google says they9ll arrive in more languages and regions "in the coming months."
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gmail-is-getting-a-gemini-ai-overhaul-130000422.html?src=rss

• Disney+ is launching vertical videos this year
  Disney+ will add vertical videos to its service in the US sometime this year, in hopes that they can entice viewers to engage with its app every day. The company has made the announcement at its Tech + Data Showcase event at CES 2026. Disney first dabbled in vertical content with Verts, which launched for the ESPN app in August 2025, giving it the insight it needed on how its users respond to the video format.
  
  Erin Teague, Disney Entertainment’s EVP of Product Management, told Deadline that the company will use the format for all kinds of content. The service isn’t just planning to use it as a vehicle for movie and series teasers, but also for original short-form programming. She didn’t say what kinds of original programming Disney+ will be adding as vertical videos to its app, but vertical micro-dramas have become incredibly popular over the past year.
  
  “We’re obviously thinking about integrating vertical video in ways that are native to core user behaviors,” Teague said. “So, it won’t be a kind of a disjointed, random experience.” The company is targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha users, in particular, since they’re not inclined to sit and watch long-form content on their phones for hours. Disney said in a statement that the experience will “evolve as it expands across news and entertainment” and will be personalized for users, with making the service “a must-visit daily destination” as its goal. After all, if a user is already in the app, they’re more likely to explore and watch the service’s programming.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-is-launching-vertical-videos-this-year-120000776.html?src=rss

• You won’t be able to buy Samsung’s household Ballie robot after all
  For years, we’ve been wondering when Samsung would actually bring Ballie, its cute household companion robot, to market and now we finally have our answer: it won’t. After the planned summer 2025 release window came and went, the company has opted not to release the gizmo as a consumer product, at least not for the foreseeable future. 
  
  According to first clapped eyes on the robot at CES 2020, (and two years after a redesigned larger version debuted), it appears to be doomed as a consumer device. 
  
  It’s a bit of a shame, as Ballie seemed like a fun gadget. In fairness to Samsung, companies are now likely having to be more judicious about what products — especially more experimental ones — go into full production amid rising costs of things like RAM. 
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/you-wont-be-able-to-buy-samsungs-household-ballie-robot-after-all-104529942.html?src=rss

• The best E Ink tablets for 2026
  I’m a longtime lover of pen and paper, so E Ink tablets have been intriguing to me ever since they started becoming more widely available. After having hundreds of half-filled notebooks over the years, I, at some point, turned to digital tools instead because it was just easier to store everything on my phone or laptop so I always had my most important information at my fingertips.
  
  E-Ink tablets seem to provide the best of both worlds: the tactile satisfaction of regular notebooks with many of the conveniences found in digital tools, plus easy-on-the-eyes E-Ink screens. These devices have come a long way in recent years — now you can find them in multiple sizes, some have color E Ink screens and others double as full-blow ereaders with access to ebook stores and your local library’s offerings. I’ve tested out close to a dozen E Ink tablets over the past year or two to see how well they work, how convenient they really are and which are the best tablets using E Ink screens available today.
  Table of contents
  Best E Ink tablets for 2026?
  
  Are E Ink tablets worth it??
  
  What to look for in an E Ink tablet?
  
  Other E Ink tablets we9ve tested?
  Best E Ink tablets for 2026
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Are E Ink tablets worth it?
  An E Ink tablet will be a worthwhile purchase to a very select group of people. If you prefer the look and feel of an e paper display to LCD panels found on traditional tablets, it makes a lot of sense. They’re also good options for those who want a more paper-like writing experience (although you can get that kind of functionality on a regular tablet with the right screen protector) or a more distraction-free device overall.
  
  The final note is key here. Many E Ink tablets don’t run on the same operating systems as regular tablets, so you’re automatically going to be limited in what you can do. And even with those that do allow you to download traditional apps like Chrome, Instagram and Facebook, E Ink tablets are not designed to give you the best casual-browsing experience. This is mostly due to the nature of E Ink displays, which have noticeable refreshes, a lack of vibrant colors and lower picture quality than the panels you’ll find on even the cheapest iPad.
  
  Arguably the biggest reason why you wouldn’t want to go with an iPad (all models of which support stylus input, a plethora of reading apps, etc) is because it’s much easier to get distracted by email, social media and other Internet-related temptations.
  What to look for in an E Ink tablet Writing and latency
  Arguably the most important thing to consider when looking for an E Ink tablet is the writing experience. How good it is will depend a lot on the display’s refresh rate (does it refresh after every time you put pen to “paper,” or at a different regular interval) and the stylus’ latency. Most of the tablets I’ve tested have little to no latency, but some are certainly better than others. Finally, you should double check before buying that your preferred E Ink tablet comes with a stylus, or if you need to purchase one separately.
  Reading
  How much will you be reading books, documents and other things on this tablet? E Ink tablets come in many sizes, but most of them tend to be larger than your standard e-reader because it makes writing much easier. Having a larger display isn’t a bad thing, but it might make holding it for long periods slightly more uncomfortable. (Most e-readers are roughly the size of a paperback book, giving you a similar feeling to analog reading).
  
  The supported file types for e-books can also make a big difference. It’s hard to make a blanket statement here because this varies so much among E Ink tablets. The TL;DR is that you’ll have a much better reading experience if you go with one made by a company that already has a history in e-book sales (i.e. Amazon or Kobo). All of the titles you bought via theKindle or Kobo store should automatically be available to you on your Kindle or Kobo E Ink tablet.
  
  Also with Kindle titles, specifically, since they are protected by DRM, it’s not necessarily the best idea to try tobring those titles over to a third-party device. Unless the tablet runs an operating system like Android that supports downloads for apps like Kindle and Kobo, you’ll be limited to supported file types, like ePUB, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, PNG and others.
  Search functionality
  Most E Ink tablets have some on-device search features, but they can vary widely between models. You’ll want to consider how important it is to you to be able to search through all your handwritten notes and markups. I noticed in my testing that Amazon’s and Kobo’s E Ink tablets made it easy to refer back to notes made in books and files because they automatically save to the specific pages on which you took notes, made highlights and more.
  
  Searching is less standardized on E Ink tablets that have different supported file types, but their features can be quite powerful in their own right. For example, a few devices I tested supported text search in handwritten notes along with handwriting recognition, the latter of which allows you to translate your scribbles into typed text.
  Sharing and connectivity
  While we established that E Ink tablets can be great distraction-free devices, most manufacturers understand that your notes and doodles aren’t created in a vacuum. You may want to access them elsewhere, and that requires some form of connectivity. All of the E Ink tablets I tried have Wi-Fi support, and some support cloud syncing, companion mobile apps and the ability to export notes via email so you can access them elsewhere.
  
  None of them, however, integrate directly with a digital note taking system like Evernote or OneNote, so these devices will always be somewhat supplementary if you use apps like that, too. I’d argue that, if you already lean heavily on apps like OneNote, a standard tablet with a stylus and screen protector might be the best way to go. Ultimately, you should think about what you will want to do with the documents you’ll interact with on your E Ink tablet after the tablet portion is done.
  Price
  E Ink tablets aren’t known for being cheap. They generally fall into the $300-$800 price range, which is what you can expect to pay for a solid regular tablet, too. A key factor in price is size: cheaper devices with E Ink displays are likely to have smaller screens, and stylus support isn’t as much of a given. Also, those types of devices are generally considered e-readers because of their size and may not be the best for note-taking, doodling and the like.
  
  E Ink tablets have gone up in price recently. Supernote and Onyx Boox increased prices, as did reMarkable. The former said it was due to "increased costs,” and a reMarkable representative confirmed this to Engadget and provided the following statement: "We regularly review our pricing based on market conditions and operational costs. We9ve communicated an upcoming adjustment for the US market effective in May to provide transparency to our customers. Multiple factors influence our pricing decisions, including supply chain dynamics and overall operational costs in specific markets.”
  
  As a result, the reMarkable Paper Pro jumped from $579 to $629 (that9s for the bundle with the standard Marker and no Folio). This isn9t great, considering the Paper Pro was already on the expensive side of the spectrum for E Ink tablets. It9s also worth noting that Supernote and Onyx Boox have raised prices in the past few months as well.
  Other E Ink tablets we9ve tested Onyx Boox Tab X C
  The Boox Tab X C is a color-screened version of the Tab X, the company’s all-purpose e-paper Android tablet. The Tab X C has a lovely 13.3-inch Kaleido 3 E Ink color display, an octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM and it runs on Android 13, making it one of the most powerful tablets in Boox’s lineup. I’ve used the Tab X in the past and this color version runs similarly, if not better, and at 5.3mm thick, it’s impressively svelte even when you pair it with its folio keyboard case. As someone who loves legal-pad sized things to write on, I also like how the Tab X C is most akin to A4-size paper. But at $820 for the bundle with the standard case (or a whopping $970 for the tablet and its keyboard case), it’s really only best for those who are ready to go all-in on a premium E Ink tablet.
  Lenovo Smart Paper
  Lenovo made a solid E Ink tablet in the Smart Paper, but it9s too pricey and too married to the company9s companion cloud service to warrant a spot on our top picks list. The hardware is great, but the software isn9t as flexible as those of competitors like the reMarkable 2. It has good Google Drive integration, but you must pair it with Lenovo9s cloud service to really get the most use out of it — and in the UK, the service costs £9 per month for three months, which is quite expensive.
  Onyx Boox Tab Ultra
  The Boox Tab Ultra has a lot of the same features we like in the Note Air 2 Plus, but it’s designed to be a true, all-purpose tablet with an E Ink screen. Running Android 11 and compatible with a magnetic keyboard case, you can use it like a standard 2-in-1 laptop, albeit a low-powered one. You can browse the web, check email and even watch YouTube videos on this thing — but that doesn’t mean you should. A standard 2-in-1 laptop with a more responsive screen and better overall performance would be a better fit for most people who even have the slightest desire to have an all-in-one device. Like the rest of Onyx’s devices, the Tab Ultra is specifically for those who put reading and eye comfort above all else.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-e-ink-tablet-130037939.html?src=rss

• Anker unveils a new lineup of chargers, docks and accessories at CES 2026
  Anker dove intoCES 2026 with a slew of announcements that bring new chargers and accessories under its umbrella. The new accessories include improved visual interfaces, faster Qi2 wireless charging and “upgraded ecosystems” that support the latest iPhones. Some of the latest devices are even available to buy right now.
  
  First up is the Anker Nano Charger with smart display, which features a tiny screen, 180-degree foldable prongs and provides up to 45W of power. The plug can identify the exact iPhone model connected and then deliver the right amount of power for your phone. Anker says the Nano uses three-stage power delivery and a "Care Mode" that the company claims keeps batteries cooler than some competing 45W chargers. It arrives in late January 2026 and will retail for $40.
  
  For fans of wireless charging stations, the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station offers a 3-in-1 solution for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. It uses a "AirCool" system for "faster, safer performance" and offers up to 25W of Qi2 wireless power. The design is also foldable for compact travel. It's set for release in Q1 2026 and will retail for $150.
  
  The company debuted a clamp-on 10-in-1 Nano Power Strip with 70W of output and built-in surge protection. It sports two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and six AC outlets. The Nano Power Strip is getting a late January release, and it will sell for $70.
  
  Anker also unveiled a 13-in-1 Nano Docking Station. This serves as an all-in-one hub with support for up to three displays (with 4K resolution supported on a single display), up to 100W of upstream charging and 10 Gbps of data transfer between connected devices. It also features a removable 6-in-1 hub with SD and microSD card readers, a USB-A port and a 5 Gbps USB-C port. The Nano Docking Station is available now and retails for $150.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/anker-unveils-a-new-lineup-of-chargers-docks-and-accessories-at-ces-2026-160021025.html?src=rss

• CES 2026: The Tone Outdoors T1 solved the biggest problem with leaf blowers
  Every fall, dozens of maple and oak trees in my neighborhood shed their leaves. Thus begins the constant drone of gas-powered leaf blowers every day through early December. The noise is by far the most annoying thing about these yard tools, but I can appreciate it’s a necessary evil — unless you prefer to pick up a blister-inducing rake.
  
  Whisper Aero argues there’s a better way. The company is using aerospace tech to quiet the noisy devices, introducing the T1 leaf blower at CES 2026 under its sub-brand Tone Outdoors. The company promises the T1 is 80 percent quieter and 60 percent more powerful than “leading” handheld gas leaf blowers. More specifically, the T1 has 880 CFM of air flow, which easily surpasses my battery-powered EGO. And at 52 decibels of average noise at peak volume, his model is drastically quieter than any leaf blower I’ve used. I was able to confirm its lower roar on the CES show floor.
  
  Tone says the T1 also offers extended run time of up to 50 minutes on a charge in Eco mode. That too is greater than what I get on my mid-grade EGO. What’s more, the company plans to sell a battery backpack that will extend any clean-up sessions for several hours. The T1 also has a built-in LED “nightlight” so you can still use it after dark. And since it’s quieter than what you have now, you can do so without annoying your neighbors.
  Tone Outdoors T1 Billy Steele for Engadget
  So, how does Whisper Aero achieve this? The company originally set out to devise a quieter solution for electric aerospace motors. Its engineers discovered that they could dramatically reduce noise and increase overall efficiency by redesigning the fan and motor. They9re still pursuing that, but the company discovered its technology had other uses too.
  
  The T1 is already available for preorder for $599 and it’s scheduled to ship in September. If you don’t care for the standard green color, you can spend another $100 for limited edition “Silence Is Golden” version. The battery backpack won’t arrive until Q1 2027 though (price TBD). Tone also says it has additional models in the works and it has a partnership with Stanley Black and Decker that will likely produce additional products with this tech on board.
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ces-2026-the-tone-outdoors-t1-solved-the-biggest-problem-with-leaf-blowers-234309500.html?src=rss

• JPMorgan Chase is taking over the Apple Card
  Apple announced today JPMorgan Chase will be the new issuer for the Apple Card. The official news arrived shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported that the two businesses had reached a deal regarding Apple9s credit card service. According to the tech company, the transition to the new provider should take about two years to complete, but customers can continue to use their Apple Cards as usual during the interim. Apple has already published an FAQ about the change, but the main takeaway is that the status quo is currently continuing and customers will receive information at a later date if any action is required. Mastercard will remain the Apple Card payment network under the new partnership.
  
  Goldman Sachs was Apple9s collaborator when it launched the Apple Card in 2019. We9ve seen signs for a few years, though, that Goldman Sachs had been looking for a way out of its arrangement. Apple didn9t disclose many details around either the current or future deals for its credit card, however the WSJ report claims the negotiations with JPMorgan Chase have been underway for more than a year. Sources told the publication that Goldman Sachs is offloading about $20 billion in outstanding customer balances at a discount of more than $1 billion.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/jpmorgan-chase-is-taking-over-the-apple-card-232711979.html?src=rss

• Bluetti's Charger 2 uses solar and engine power to charge your portable battery
  If you’re off-roading, it’s a neat idea to use your engine to top up your battery, which prompted Bluetti to launch the Charger. You could hook it to your alternator and draw off energy as you drove to make sure you turned up to your campsite with full batteries. But if you’re also toting around solar panels on your roof, then it’s a shame you can’t also use that power to top up. This omission is what prompted Bluetti to turn up to CES 2026 with the Charger 2, which will take power from your engine and your solar panels at the same time.
  
  Bluetti says the Charger 2’s dual-input architecture will accept 600W from the panels, 800W from the engine. All of that power will charge your batteries significantly faster than the first model, claiming it’s 13 times faster than a standard car charger. In addition, Charger 2 can manage more than one Bluetti power station and expansion batteries, should your power needs stretch. And the system is smart enough to know where the energy is coming from, managing the sources based on their availability. Plus, you can use it to jump start your engine should you need the help.
  
  If you’re a Charger 1 owner and want to upgrade, it’s fairly painless to drop the old unit out in favor of its replacement. It uses the same cabling, so you can just hook the new model to your existing wires without having to get your fingers greasy. To reward that loyalty, the company will sell you an upgrade for $99, at least through February 7.
  
  As for everyone else, you’ll be able to pick up the Charger 2 for $349 through February 7, at which point the price leaps to $499.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/bluettis-charger-2-uses-solar-and-engine-power-to-charge-your-portable-battery-230000270.html?src=rss

• Engadget Podcast: CES 2026 and the rocky year ahead for the PC industry
  CES 2026: A rocky year ahead of the PC industry
  We9re halfway through CES 2026, and it’s clear that it9s going to be a rough year for the PC industry. In this episode, Devindra chats with Engadget9s Dan Cooper about Intel, AMD, NVIDIA and the sad state of the PC industry. We9ve got some new CPUs, but the volatile RAM market will likely make everything expensive this year. Also, they dive into Dell9s revival of the XPS brand, as well as iPolish9s smart nails and Subtle9s AI-powered VoiceBuds.
  Subscribe!
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  Topics
  The state of the PC industry in 2026 -- 02:22
  
  Intel9s new Core Ultra Series 3 chips --  12:41
  
  Dell9s XPS lineup is back -- 17:41
  
  Our favorite products from  CES: 26:36
  Credits
  Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Dan Cooper
  Producer: Devindra Hardawar
  Music: Dale North
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/engadget-podcast-ces-2026-and-the-rocky-year-ahead-for-the-pc-industry-221500019.html?src=rss

• Samsung Display at CES 2026: Playful demos and mysterious prototypes
  Samsung Display is the part of its giant parent company that makes OLEDs, LCDs and other screens for both Samsung devices and anyone else that can afford them. This year, it’s going all-in on OLEDs of the future. And that meant things like foldable displays with invisible creases, robots hurling basketballs at supertough OLED panels, and OLED screens packed into baffling form factors for no good reason.
  CreasesSamsung Display
  The “seamless” foldable display that might be a part of a future foldable iPhone disappeared from the booth during our tour, reappearing when it was time to leave. (This is an image provided by Samsung Display.) The device was labelled as an R&D concept, but it somehow disguised the crease in the center of the main display, making the (unlabelled) Galaxy Z Fold on the left look like a messy first-iteration foldable. There9s still a crease there Will it actually form part of Apple’s foray into foldables, or just part of the Z Fold 8?
  
  Why not both?
  Put an OLED on itMat Smith for Engadget
  This isn’t a record player you’ll ever buy. You don’t need an OLED display on the side of your wireless headphones, but you could have them. I liked the cute OLED pendants; a customizable near-future button badge, but a lot of this is just devices for the sake of making them.
  
  The booth tour had a small segment dedicated to portable gaming OLED, adding more possibilities whether that’s an eye-sight for FPS games or extra HUD for the most important info.
  The world’s brightest OLED TVMat Smith for Engadget
  Reaching 4,500-nit brightness, I had to squint when sat in front of this beastly OLED. For reference, consumer-level TVs typically peak at around 2,700 nits. Compared to other display technologies, OLED can achieve deeper contrast and more accurate color reproduction, but it often lacks the brightness of rival TV technologies. Not for this prototype. Let me get my sunglasses.
  Kobe!Mat Smith for Engadget
  I didn’t consider OLED displays to be more fragile than other display technology, but that didn’t stop Samsung Display from installing a robot arm that throws a basketball at a hoop with a backboard made of 18 foldable OLEDs. With a bang, making Samsung Display execs and engineers nearby increasingly anxious as the days of CES go on.
  Foldables have come a long wayMat Smith for Engadget
  After Samsung finally solved the problem of weight and thickness with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it made life hard for itself again with the TriFold, with 50 percent more foldable screen. But it9s worth seeing how Samsung’s foldables have evolved over the past few years. A solid reminder that the first Galaxy Fold (2019) was beefy.
  The next big thing in gaming displaysMat Smith for Engadget
  Samsung Display has begun mass production of its 360Hz QD-OLED panel, with new “V-Stripe” RGB pixel structures. Inside each pixel, subpixels are vertically aligned, which appears to improve the clarity of text edges and other small contrast objects. While it was framed at the booth as a boon for office workers, a corner was dedicated to gaming applications.
  Screens across your sedanMat Smith for Engadget
  Digital cockpits are the lifeblood of a CES showfloor, and Samsung Display’s version is predictably loaded with yet more OLEDs. The centerpiece is a “Flexible L” display that flows into the dashboard. A dedicated 13.8-inch display on the passenger side also slides out of the dash.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsung-display-ces-2026-playful-demos-and-mysterious-prototypes-220407696.html?src=rss

• This haptic wristband pairs with Meta smart glasses to decode facial expressions
  It9s only been a few months since Meta announced that it would open its smart glasses platform to third-party developers. But one startup at CES is already showing off how the glasses can help power an intriguing set of accessibility features.
  
  Hapware has created Aleye, a haptic wristband that, when paired with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, can help people understand the facial expressions and other nonverbal cues of the people they are talking to. The company says the device could help people who are blind, low vision or neurodivergent unlock a type of communication that otherwise wouldn9t be available.
  
  Aleye is a somewhat chunky wristband that can vibrate in specific patterns on your wrist to correspond to the facial expressions and gestures of the person you9re talking to. It uses the Meta Ray-Ban glasses9s computer vision abilities to stream video of your conversation to the accompanying app, which uses an algorithm to detect facial expressions and gestures.
  The bumps on the underside of the Aleye vibrate to form unique patterns.Karissa Bell for Engadget
  Users can customize which expressions and gestures they want to detect in the app, which also provides a way for people to learn to distinguish between the different patterns. Hapware CEO Jack Walters said in their early testing people have been able to learn a handful of patterns within a few minutes. The company has also tried to make them intuitive. "Jaw drop might feel like a jaw drop, a wave feels more like a side to side haptics," he explains.
  
  The app is also able to use Meta AI to give vocal cues about people9s expressions, though Hapware9s CTO Dr. Bryan Duarte told me it can get a bit distracting to talk to people while the assistant is babbling in your ear. Duarte, who has been blind since a motorcycle accident at the age of 18, told me he prefers Aleye to Meta AI9s other accessibility features like Live AI. "It will only tell me there9s a person in front of me," he explains. "It won9t tell me if you9re smiling. You have to prompt it every time, it won9t just tell you stuff."
  
  Hapware has started taking pre-orders for the Aleye, which starts at $359 for the wristband or $637 for the wristband plus a year subscription to the app (a subscription is required and otherwise will cost $29 a month). A pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses is also not included, though Meta has also been building a number of its own accessibility features for the device.
  
  
  
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/this-haptic-wristband-pairs-with-meta-smart-glasses-to-decode-facial-expressions-214305431.html?src=rss

• ChatGPT is launching a new dedicated Health portal
  OpenAI is launching a new facet for its AI chatbot called ChatGPT Health. This new feature will allow users to connect medical records and wellness apps to ChatGPT in order to get more tailored responses to queries about their health. The company noted that there will be additional privacy safeguards for this separate space within ChatGPT, and said that it will not use conversations held in Health for training foundational models. ChatGPT Health is currently in a testing stage, and there are some regional restrictions on which health apps can be connected to the AI company9s platform.
  
  The announcement from OpenAI acknowledges that this new development "is not intended for diagnosis or treatment," but it9s worth repeating. No part of ChatGPT, or any other artificial intelligence chatbot, is qualified to provide any kind of medial advice. Not only are these platforms capable of making dangerously incorrect statements, but feeding such personal and private information into a chatbot is generally not a recommended practice. It seems especially unwise to share with a company that only bothered paying even cursory lip service to the psychological impacts of its product after at least one teenager used the chatbot to plan suicide.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-is-launching-a-new-dedicated-health-portal-210150083.html?src=rss

• The best VPN deals: Up to 88 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more
  It's a new year, and a great time to fulfill your resolution to practice better cybersecurity. The early days of January are a great time to grab a last-minute subscription for yourself or a loved one. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers.
  
  Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, jumping on the first deal that comes along might get you stuck with a substandard app. Beyond that, even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as available as they seem to be.
  
  Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. Plenty of the best VPNs — including our top pick, Proton VPN — are still running end-of-year deals that can save you anywhere from 67 to 88 percent on annual subscriptions. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but as long as you're comfortable with a service before you take the plunge, committing actually makes sense. You pay more at the start, but if you divide the cost by the months of subscription, it's much cheaper over time.
  Best VPN deals
  
  
  
  
  ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This discount, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 78 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.
  
  split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.
  
  NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This deal gives you 70 percent off the two-year plan.
  
  Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
  
  EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.
  
  Private Internet Access (PIA) for a little bit under $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
  What makes a good VPN deal
  Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like the holidays. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
  
  One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
  
  Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-88-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056445.html?src=rss

• Motorola just announced a foldable phone to rival Samsung and Google at CES
  Samsung and Google have new competition in the foldable space. At CES 2026, Motorola unveiled its first side-foldable smartphone: the Razr Fold. The handheld sports an impressive 6.6-inch external screen and an 8.1-inch flexible main display. Motorola hasn’t provided dimensions yet, so we don’t know how thick it is yet or how it compares to other foldables in that respect.
  
  We do know, however, that it9ll include support for the Moto Pen Ultra stylus. This is actually a fairly big deal, as Samsung dropped the feature for the Z Fold 7. Modern foldables basically double as tablets, so a stylus is always appreciated.
  A phone.Motorola
  There9s a robust camera system here, with a 50MP Sony sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide/macro, a 50MP telephoto, a 32MP external selfie lens and a 20MP internal camera. It also offers the ability to record in Dolby Vision.
  
  The Razr Fold will be available in blue and white. We don9t have any information regarding internal specs, pricing or availability. Motorola says that "more specifications will be shared in the coming months."
  
  It9s worth noting that while this is the company9s first side-folding camera, Motorola has always made top-folding phones. After all, that9s what a flip phone is. The company continues to refine this basic idea with its standard Razr line of midrange top-folding smartphones.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/motorola-just-announced-a-foldable-phone-to-rival-samsung-and-google-at-ces-010015323.html?src=rss

• How to use a VPN on iPhone
  Installing a virtual private network (VPN) on an iPhone or iPad is easy. The days are gone when Apple users had to be content with the leavings from the Windows ecosystem — in 2026, all the best VPN services have secure, user-friendly iOS apps on par with every other platform. If you9ve decided to add a VPN to your iPhone to stay anonymous online and change your virtual location, you9ve got plenty of great choices.
  
  Since you9re here, chances are you9re familiar with the benefits of using a VPN, including security on public Wi-Fi and the ability to explore streaming libraries in other countries. But you may still be daunted by the process of actually choosing, installing and configuring a VPN on your iPhone.
  
  In this article, I9ll walk you through the steps, including how to configure a VPN manually without going through a service. Check out my how to use a VPN piece for more general information.
  How to choose an iPhone VPN
  One of the trickiest parts of installing an iPhone VPN is picking the right service. That brings us to our first pro tip: Don’t just go to the App Store and search on “VPN.” That will simply front-load whichever vendor(s) are paying for top placement (note the little “Ad” icon) as well as a laundry list of free services that come with big caveats. There are dozens of mobile VPNs out there, and many of them don9t put the user first (for example, I reported last year on popular VPNs that failed to disclose shared security flaws). Choosing hastily can leave you stuck with an iOS VPN that9s either mediocre or actively harmful.
  
  Before downloading an iPhone VPN, do some research into the provider9s background. A dependable VPN should have a well-written customer support page, a clear timeline of its history and a way to tell at a glance who actually owns and operates it. Check the reviews on the app store — it should have at least several hundred, almost all 4s and 5s.
  
  iPhone users have a particular advantage here: several VPNs let you download their iOS app and start using it without paying. You can use this free trial period to put the VPN through its paces. Start by testing its speed using Ookla speedtest or a similar app. You should also use an IP address checker to make sure it isn9t leaking; to confirm this, just check your phone9s IP address before and after connecting to the VPN and make sure it9s different the second time.
  
  To keep things simple, my top recommendation for all platforms is Proton VPN. Out of all VPNs, it strikes the best balance of solid security, fast performance, useful features and a commitment to user privacy. Other iPhone VPNs I love include ExpressVPN, Surfshark and NordVPN.
  How to install a VPN on your iPhone
  Installing an iPhone VPN is like installing any other app. Just go to the App Store, find the VPN you9ve chosen and download it onto your phone. When it finishes downloading, open the app to grant permissions and finish setup. However, since there are a couple of potential sticking points, I9ll run through the steps in more detail.
  Proton VPN on the iOS app store.Sam Chapman for Engadget
  Open the App Store.
  
  Tap the search bar and type in the name of your chosen VPN. Hit Search and look through the list of results. Be careful to pick the right one — there are some "mockbuster" VPNs that try to snare people looking for well-known names. As a rule, the one with the most reviews is the service worth using.
  
  On the page for the VPN app, tap Get. Enter your Apple ID and password to begin the installation.
  
  Once installation is complete, either tap Open in the App Store or find the new VPN icon on your home screen.
  
  Create a VPN account with a username and password. Most services let you do this within the app, but you may have to shift temporarily to a browser, so make sure you9ve got internet access.
  
  Choose a subscription. If there9s a free trial, grab it and use it to test the VPN. If not, or if it9s already expired, choose a plan that fits your budget and needs. Longer-term plans tend to save you money on average, but cost more at the start.
  
  On the VPN app, log in with your new credentials. You9re now ready to get started.
  
  If you aren9t interested in paying for software right now, you can still get an iOS VPN. Check out my list of the best free VPNs, which all have iPhone apps. We also constantly update a curated list of the best VPN deals for bargain hunters.
  How to configure and use a VPN on your iPhone
  An iOS VPN is generally usable with the default settings. Even so, it9s a good idea to look through the options — you may not end up using all of them, but many of them are vital security checks or important quality-of-life boosters.
  Proton VPN9s NetShield content blocker on iOS.Sam Chapman for Engadget
  Here are some quick steps to make sure you9re getting the best performance. These settings are in different places on each VPN, but most can be found by clicking a button with a gear icon, or any page labeled "settings" or "preferences."
  
  Turn on the kill switch. This will protect you from broadcasting any data the VPN hasn9t encrypted. In the event the VPN suddenly disconnects, the kill switch also cuts off your internet connection.
  
  Set the VPN to always reconnect automatically if it disconnects. The method for doing this varies between services, so check the VPN9s help page. Some (like Proton VPN) have an always-on VPN setting in the app itself, while others (like ExpressVPN) handle it through iOS settings.
  
  Configure split tunneling. Not many iPhone VPNs have this option, but if yours does, you can use it to let certain apps or websites skip the VPN tunnel. Make sure to only bypass the VPN on sites and apps that share no sensitive information, or that refuse to work with a VPN active (some banks are like this).
  
  If your VPN has a feature for blocking ads and malware domains, I recommend using it — the worst it can do is not work. Some also include parental controls, in case you9re setting up the VPN on your child9s phone.
  
  Create shortcuts. Sometimes called Profiles, this relatively common feature lets you connect to the VPN and open a certain website with one tap.
  
  Decide when and how you want the VPN to send you notifications.
  
  Check available protocols. It9s almost always best to let the VPN pick for you, but if you want to choose for yourself, IKEv2 is generally the fastest.
  
  Look over the server list to see what choices are available.
  
  When choosing a VPN server, think about what you need the VPN for. If you9re just using it for privacy, pick the fastest server (or let the VPN app choose it for you). On the other hand, if you want to watch a movie or TV show that9s only on streaming in another country, choose the fastest server in that country. If you9re on a good VPN, it still shouldn9t slow you down too much.
  
  If you have the address of a VPN server and the necessary credentials, iOS lets you set up your own VPN and connect directly. This is less convenient than using a provider app, since you need to know the details about every server you connect to, but it9s nice if you9re worried about trusting your privacy to a third party. It can also be convenient for quickly accessing a work or school VPN from your phone. Here9s how to do it.
  Manually setting up a VPN connection on iOS.Sam Chapman for Engadget
  Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap General.
  
  Scroll down again and tap VPN & Device Management. Tap the word VPN on the new page, then tap Add VPN Configuration. You should reach the screen shown above.
  
  Make sure Type is set to IKEv2, then enter the Description, Server and Remote ID for the server you9re connecting to (plus the Local ID if there is one).
  
  Your source for the server information should also have told you if it authenticates access with a username/password or certificate. Pick the correct option, then enter the credentials required.
  
  Tap the Done button or the blue checkmark at the top-right of the screen.
  
  You9ll arrive back on the previous menu with your new VPN option available. Toggle it on to connect. To turn it off, return to the same menu and deactivate the switch.
  Do you need an iPhone VPN?
  Whenever you get online, your internet service provider (ISP) assigns an IP address to your device — a unique fingerprint that follows you throughout the session. Your ISP may sell this knowledge to marketers to target ads at you, or in worse cases, collaborate with governments willing to violate their citizens9 rights to privacy.
  
  When you use a VPN, though, your real IP address is hidden behind that of the VPN server, so nothing you do on the internet connects back to you. That9s why I always advise using a VPN on any device, including iPhones, that connects to the internet. It9s even more important on the unprotected public networks you sometimes find in cafes and hotels. On the fun side, you can also use a VPN to change your virtual location to show you different content libraries on Netflix and other streaming platforms.
  
  One more thing: I often hear iPhone users ask whether they need a VPN, since iCloud Private Relay comes standard on iOS devices. Just to clear this up, iCloud Private Relay is not a VPN. As you can see from this support page, your ISP can still see your real IP address when it’s active.
  This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-use-a-vpn-on-iphone-201743118.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
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  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.
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• 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.
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• 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