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Audio brand JLab has unveiled its first headphones with adaptive active noise cancellation at CES 2025. The company's Epic Lux Lab Edition Wireless Headphones will cost $199. Pre-orders begin today and shipments are expected to go out starting January 30.The Epic Lux Lab is an over-ear headphone set with 32mm high-fidelity custom dynamic drivers. The set's adaptive ANC can react in real-time to changes in ambient noise levels. Its noise cancelling mode can diminish environmental audio up to 42 dB, while the Be Aware mode allows outside sounds to reach the user. Both modes can be customized with the JLab app.The headphones come with a magnetic wireless charging pad and also have a built-in USB-C port for wired charging. JLab says the Epic Lux Lab can deliver "over 90+ hours of playtime on a single charge," or 60 hours when active noise cancelling is in use.In addition to the Epic Lux Lab, JLab is also introducing an on-ear headset at CES called the Go Lux ANC Wireless. This option provides hybrid active noise cancellation of up to 30 dB as well as a Be Aware mode. The Go Lux ANC Wireless only support wired charging via USB-C, but will last up to 70 hours depending on use cases. These entry-level headphones retail for $50. Like the upscale option, pre-orders are open now and the product is slated to begin shipping on January 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/jlab-debuts-its-first-adaptive-active-noise-cancellation-headphones-at-ces-2025-160036341.html?src=rss

Smart glasses tend to be devices that overpromise and underdeliver, especially when being shown off for the first time at an event like CES. There's always a steady stream of companies promising we're on the cusp of having our very own Gary-from-Veep attached to our faces before fading away into obscurity. The weight of promises Halliday has laid upon the table is a sign of braggadocio, but it'll take a while before we know if it's deserved or not. For CES 2025, Halliday has turned up with a pair of eponymous smart glasses seemingly filled to the brim with technology. The right eyecup has a waveguide display that will project the equivalent of a 3.5-inch screen into the wearer's view, while keeping that viewport easy to read in strong lighting. The company also promises that this hardware is invisible to onlookers." The glasses themselves weigh just 35 grams and should get up to eight hours of battery life on a single charge. Halliday There's no outward-facing camera, but Halliday says its product comes with a proactive" AI assistant, anticipating your needs before you ask. The glasses have built-in microphones that are listening to your conversations, analyzing them and answering prompts as they come up. If you were to wear one of these in a meeting, say, you'd be able to ask the system to produce a summary of said meeting immediately afterward. (And yes, we are curious about the privacy implications of such a system.) As well as barking instructions to your glasses, the sides are touch sensitive, but it's more likely your main mode of interaction will be with the bundled trackpad ring. You should be able to discreetly control what the AI is pumping to your eyes without attracting attention. Halliday There's a fairly long list of tasks Halliday says the glasses will be able to grease the wheels for you. As well as listening out for questions in conversation and throwing up answers from the internet, you can use the screen as a hidden teleprompter. It can also translate 40 different languages, offer real-time directions and play music with the accompanying on-screen lyrics. Of course, none of this is anything but sweet words until we've been able to see how this performs in the real world. Halliday says that pre-orders for the glasses will begin at the end of CES, with shipping starting at some point before March 2025. We don't know the price yet, but the company says it'll be between $399 and $499. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/halliday-promises-its-smart-wayfarers-have-a-proactive-ai-assistant-inside-010007688.html?src=rss

This week at CES, Google presented an early look at new software and hardware upgrades coming to Google TV devices. The new features include the integration of Gemini, Google's AI model, to the Google Assistant, as well as a new ambient experience. New smart TVs with Google TV will also gain far-field mics and proximity sensors to support the new software perks. If you've used a Google TV or Google streaming device, you may have already used the "hey Google" prompt to search for shows to watch. With the addition of Gemini, those "conversations" should now feel more natural. Asking follow up questions or even changing topics to ask about something else won't require you to say the prompt again. You should also be able to search for content more intuitively, saying things like, "What are the newest movies from Disney?" Interacting with your connected smart home devices should be easier as well, letting you say, for example, "Who's at the front door?" to view your video doorbell feed. The new Google TV experience will include YouTube videos to supplement answers to your queries. So if you ask, "what are the best pizza places in Chicago?" your TV will give you a list of videos to check out. To facilitate the new AI-fueled Assistant capabilities, Google TV sets will now come standard with far-field microphones so you can talk to the Google Assistant without the remote. Google is also working on a new ambient experience that will rely on proximity sensors to trigger an on-screen hub that shows personalized widgets like weather, news, traffic and so on. And when you're not viewing the hub or actively watching TV, an always-on mode can display art or even AI-generated screensavers, again enabled by Gemini's smarts. We've seen versions of some of these features before. Amazon's Echo Show smart displays rely on proximity sensors to display personal details. Supplementing your queries with YouTube videos and creating AI screensavers with voice prompts are both features we saw with the new Google TV Streamer from last year. And of course, AI integration has been an unofficial mandate for every tech company throughout 2024 and it's everywhere at CES this year. If the new smarts makes finding something good to watch an easier endeavor, it'll be a welcome use of the technology. Google demonstrated the new features at CES this week and has said the technology will be available on new Google TV devices sometime this year, but we don't have a firm date for when the new devices will be available. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/gemini-ai-is-coming-to-google-tv-devices-in-2025-making-them-easier-to-talk-to-160003805.html?src=rss

Samsung's Frame series of TVs are some of the best art TVs available, which are great for those who want a screen that blends more seamlessly into their home decor. Samsung CES 2025 announcements include an expansion of the Frame lineup with new Frame Pro sets, which are more advanced models that include the company's top-of-the-line Neo QLED panels.Besides the panel, the Frame Pro also uses Samsung's Wireless One Connect box, which lets you transmit content from consoles or set-top boxes to the TV without needing to plug things in directly. Instead, you plug into the Wireless One Connect and it'll beam things to the TV, which means you can make a much cleaner, cable-free setup that feels particularly useful with a set like the Frame.It also uses Samsung's NQ4 Gen3 AI processor, an update on the 2nd-generation one that Samsung used on some of its sets last year. As is usually the case, we don't know exactly what this does for the set, but given the amount pixels a modern TV needs to push, an annual update makes sense. The NQ4 also gives a hint that this might be a 4K rather than 8K panel, as Samsung's just-announced Neo QLED 8K QN990F TV uses the NQ8 processor - perhaps the 4 or 8 are a nod to the TV's resolution. Either way, we'll know more soon.For those who haven't seen the Frame before, it's a TV meant to be mounted to the wall, complete with a frame that's more reminiscent of something you might find in an art gallery rather than a media room. When you turn it off, you can choose to have it display a fine art image from a collection Samsung has curated, and the screen itself is matte with anti-glare coating that goes a long way towards making it feel like just another big TV mounted to a wall.As is typically the case, Samsung is holding a CES showcase tonight where we'll get to see the Frame Pro as well as other new Samsung TVs in person - if we get more details on the Frame Pro, we'll update this post.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsungs-frame-pro-tv-features-the-companys-high-end-neo-qled-panel-030042346.html?src=rss

Until now, I could count on one finger the amount of smart rings that offered a one-line ECG in a small package. Bodimetrics' Circul+ debuted in 2021, but where it excelled in heart-monitoring features it fell short in style - or even looking like a real ring you'd want to wear 24/7. But today at CES 2025, Circular is showing off its second-generation ring that promises to keep an eye on your heart health.We had a chance to check out the new ring at CES Unveiled last night and they are indeed shiny and jewelry-like. They also feel remarkably lightweight. While the sensor nodes are noticeable when you first put on the ring, they're less obtrusive after a minute or so of wearing it. Eventually, it hardly feels like you're wearing a ring at all.Circular says the Ring 2 boasts improved sensors as well as the aforementioned ECG, an eight day battery life and a better wireless charging dock. The company added that its companion app and AI has been completely redesigned to offer a more intuitive and refined user experience." Not to mention that the body is now cast in titanium with four color finishes; Gold, Silver, Black and Rose Gold.This latest generation doesn't have the vibrations featured in Circular's first-gen rings, but the company's co-founder told us that the vibrations will return in an upcoming iteration. For now, the second-generation rings should hit store shelves in February or March 2025, but the company says it'll cost you $380 when it does.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/circulars-new-smart-ring-has-a-built-in-ecg-010003422.html?src=rss

New year, new hobby? I don't know about you, but I often find that cost is what's standing in the way of me pursuing new crafts (okay, and time, but that's much harder to fix). So, I'm always excited when a device is on sale that allows people to pursue creativity and fun. In this case, it's not just the device: Right now, you can get the GoPro Hero13 Black accessory bundle for $300, down from $450 - a 33 percent discount. This sale brings it to a record-low price and $50 lower than its Black Friday deal. The GoPro Hero13 accessory bundle comes with the action cam and the Handler, two Enduro batteries, two curved adhesive mounts, a 64GB SanDisk MicroSD Card and a carrying case. Basically, if your new year's resolution was to dive (literally or figuratively) into using a GoPro, then this sets you up with everything you need. GoPro released the Hero13 in September and it offered a few upgrades. It comes with a 10 percent bigger battery than its predecessor, which allows it to capture an hour and a half of 4K video at 30fps. It should also run longer in extreme temperatures. The action cam offers a max resolution of 5.3K at 120fps and supports Hybrid Log Gamma. Plus, it's Bluetooth compatible with AirPods and other wireless headphones. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/gopros-hero-13-black-bundle-with-accessories-is-150-off-right-now-144540567.html?src=rss

Samsung's CES 2025 theme is "AI for all."SamsungSamsung is the 800-pound gorilla of CES, a global electronics giant that produces mobile devices, TVs and home theater products and kitchen appliances - just to name a few. The company has traditionally used the show to remind the world that it's a major player in all of those spaces, while offering a peek behind the curtain of some more of its cutting-edge tech. (If it's smartphones you're interested in, you'll have to wait for the next Unpacked since Samsung saves those announcements exclusively for its own events.)Last year in 2024, for example, Samsung's CES press conference covered all the usual iterative updates - new TVs, projectors and soundbars - but also offered up some first looks at genuinely futuristic products as well. You may not be able to buy a transparent MicroLED screen at your local Best Buy anytime soon, but you can get your hands on the Music Frame speaker that debuted at the show last year. But it's the Ballie robot, a two-time CES veteran, that we're most hoping will make a return appearance - ideally with a real-world release date this time.What to expect at the Samsung CES 2025 press conferenceOr perhaps Ballie will be more autonomous this time around. That would better fit the "AI for All: Everyday, Everywhere" theme that the company has announced for its presentation in Las Vegas. (If that sounds familiar, that's because it's nearly identical to the CES 2024 theme.)The Korea-based giant has already posted several weeks worth of early CES announcements in its online newsroom, touting AI-enhanced refrigerators and appliances with built-in screens. But there's non-AI stuff, too: Samsung has preannounced a 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor, and the company is teaming up with Google (!) to deliver Eclipsa, a new 3D audio technology that is apparently aiming to be an alternative to Dolby Atmos and DTS.There are two things you shouldn't expect to see in Vegas from Samsung. The first is the presumed Galaxy S25 smartphone line. If it follows its recent scheduling, Samsung will likely slate that unveiling for the second half of January, when it will have the tech news spotlight to itself. (Last year it was a January 17 event, which was announced on January 11.)The second is an on-stage appearance from director Michael Bay. His 2014 mid-presser walk-off is still the stuff of CES legend, and the sort of thing Samsung's media team will no doubt ensure never happens again.Samsung's CES 2025 livestreamYou can watch the Samsung CES press conference as it happens here. The feed will start Monday, January 6 at 5:00PM ET. (We'll add the embed once it becomes available.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/samsung-ces-2025-press-conference-watch-it-here-monday-at-5pm-et-005529946.html?src=rss

Swimming is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Cleaning a pool, however, is an absolute drag. For my money, pool-cleaning robots are much handier than even standard robovacs. If you have access to a pool, the forthcoming Wybot S3 could ensure you never have to walk around like a doofus with an oversized net ever again. Announced at CES, the Wybot S3 is an improvement over the S2 in nearly every way. The company says it's the first self-docking, self-emptying automatic charging pool cleaning robot." It includes an automated self-emptying system, which is standard with land-based robovacs but new to water-adjacent models. The unit transfers debris from its body to a 10-liter above ground base station. This bin is big enough to go 30 days without having to be manually emptied. Wybot Another first? The robot charges itself automatically via integrated solar panels. Under optimal sunlight, it'll suck up around 1.5 hours of runtime per day. If the weather is less than ideal, the unit can also be charged by plugging into a traditional power outlet. As for the actual cleaning, the unit includes a whole bunch of sensors that help it create a 3D map of the entire underwater environment." This lets it plan the most efficient cleaning route and minimizes the chances of blind spots. The company says this is particularly important for irregularly shaped pools. It also comes with a camera that susses out the largest amounts of debris, for improved efficiency and accuracy. Wybot The Wybot S3 can be monitored and controlled in real-time via a proprietary app, with a connection that combines Wi-Fi and sonar. The aquatic robovac is available for preorder right now, with shipments going out in the second quarter of the year. However, all of that waterproof tech is gonna cost you. The robot will be priced between $2,500 and $3,000, depending on which options are selected. Pool cleaning robots have been popping up all over the place lately. A company called Aiper brought an impressive model to CES back in 2023 and the Beatbot Aquasense Pro has been receiving rave reviews. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/the-wybot-s3-just-might-be-the-pool-cleaning-robot-of-your-dreams-140100715.html?src=rss

Ring makes doorbells, cameras, floodlights, alarms and intercoms, a list best summed up as stuff to keep your home safe." The obvious omission in the lineup is smoke detectors, which is why the company has rocked up to CES 2025 arm-in-arm with experts Kidde. The pair has put together a range of detectors for the home which are connected by WiFi to the Ring ecosystem.That way, should the whiff of smoke (or, if you buy a combination alarm, smoke and carbon monoxide) wafts through your home, you'll get a ping on the Ring app. You'll also, and this is perhaps the most desirable feature of the package, get a warning seven days before your battery runs out, letting you avoid the dreaded alarm chirps.Given Ring's penchant for subscription platforms, it's no surprise that there's a 24/7 smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring service available. For $5 per month, a remote monitoring service can keep an eye on your home and raise the alarm if the undesirable gases are spotted. There's no word on how much the new alarms will cost, but they'll be available exclusively at the Home Depot at some point in April 2025.At the same time, Ring has announced it is upgrading the video quality for its existing Floodlight Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Pro. If you already own these models, you'll soon be able to view their outputs not in HD, but 2K thanks to improvements in Ring Vision. This software update will start rolling out on January 8.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-and-kidde-launch-connected-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-alarms-140052259.html?src=rss

Brisk It debuted its first AI-enabled smart grill concept at CES last year, and now the company is back with a new, low-cost model for 2025. Dubbed the Zelos 450, this compact unit joins the Origin series machines in the company's lineup. Despite the dramatically lower price of $399, Brisk It still managed to pack in its AI cooking tech to assist in all areas of backyard grilling. The company says its Zelos line of pellet grills were designed to offer its advanced features at a more affordable price. Although the company has only announced the 450-square-inch version at CES 2025, it sounds like a larger option could be on the way. Like Brisk It's other models, the main selling point is the company's Vera generative AI platform. Now in version 2.0, Vera offers image recognition on your phone to construct personalized recipes, replicate completed dishes, make a meal based on photographed ingredients or provide inspiration based on what's in your shopping cart at the store. Every recipe is automated with the grill, which the company says will reduce stress and ensure consistent results. Brisk It says the tech makes BBQ and grilling as easy as asking a question and pressing a button. In fact, the company claims the combination of Vera and the Zelos 450 can even compensate for mistakes like forgetting to baste a prime rib roast. Like most smart pellet grills, the Zelos 450 has Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to control the grill and monitor progress from anywhere via your phone. The grill also can smoke as low at 180 degrees Fahrenheit and sear at 500 degrees, or anything in between like baking and roasting. The Zelos 450 has a simpler design than Brisk It's Origin series, with a more basic onboard controller and display than those first two models. This makes sense given the much lower price tag. The Zelos 450 will be available in Q1 2025 at Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes and directly from the company for $399. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/brisk-its-latest-ai-infused-smart-grill-only-costs-399-140035250.html?src=rss

If you've been toting around a separate mixer to record two audio sources, Shure's latest USB-C microphone will lighten your load. Following the MV7+, the company has introduced the MV7i, which it says is the first microphone with a built-in, two-channel audio interface. To achieve this, Shure swapped the XLR output for a combination XLR and 1/4-inch input. All of the mixing can be done inside the company's MOTIV apps, or with your go-to recording software, thus eliminating the need for a mixer to connect two mics, or a mic and an instrument. Like the MV7+, the MV7i is inspired by the popular SM7B microphone. If you've watched a video podcast recently, you've likely seen the SM7B, or a variant of it, in action. The overall shape of that more robust model is carried over to the MV7 line once again, complete with a durable metal frame. This new version also keeps the customizable LED touch panel that shows levels and acts as a mute button. The combo XLR and 1/4-inch input around back offers 60dB of gain and 48 volts of phantom power, so you can employ dynamic and condenser microphones with the MV7i. If you connect an instrument, the microphone automatically detects the input type and applies the correct DSP for recording. The USB-C output is compatible with Mac, Windows and select mobiles devices. It's MFi certified for use with iPhone and iPad as well. Billy Steele for Engadget With Shure's tech, the MV7i and the MOTIV app automate a lot of the production steps for you. There's an Auto Level mode with SmartGate that calibrates gain based on several factors and reduces the volume of a channel when no one is talking. That latter item should minimize crosstalk during recording, Shure explains. There's also a real-time denoiser for ambient sounds, a digital pop filter and three different types of reverb. Inside the MOTIV Mix desktop app, you can capture multi-track recordings and tweak settings like sound signature and gain. There are also three output options - Mixdown, Multi-track and Stereo - that give you the ability to combine everything into one mono output for quick uploads, keep the two inputs separate (mono) for edits or combine the two inputs into a stereo track. The MV7i also works with MOTIV Audio and MOTIV Video mobile apps, complete with direct recording to supported devices. I've been testing the MV7i over the last few weeks as part of a full review coming later this month. So far, the microphone has offered the same great sound quality at its predecessor. I continue to be amazed at how well the MV7 series mics block out background noise and the options inside the MOTIV desktop app provide some room for customization. I'm also very glad you can alter the level meter LED on the MV7i like you could on the MV7+. I find the active lighting to be a distraction during recording, especially when you're on video for a podcast. The MV7i was made for me. I'm getting ready to launch a podcast in a few weeks and I've been dreading having to buy a mixer for a two-mic setup. With this device, I can plug in the MV7+ to the MV7i via XLR and do all of the levels and settings in an app. And when I need to record remotely, all I need to pack up is two microphones and two cables. The MV7i is available now for $349 with a 3-meter USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. You'll want to make plans to buy a stand though, since the microphone doesn't come with one. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shure-put-a-two-channel-audio-interface-inside-its-latest-mv7-microphone-140016646.html?src=rss

Intel is revving up its AI chip lineup at CES 2025. Today, the company unveiled the Core Ultra 200H chips for "performance thin and light" notebooks, alongside the Core Ultra 200HX chips for mobile gamers who demand powerful discrete GPUs. There aren't any big surprises with these chips, but if you were eyeing the Core Ultra 200V AI chips, but wanted something with a bit more horsepower, the 200H and 200HX are exactly what you're looking for.IntelThe Core Ultra 200H family tops out with the Core Ultra 9 285H processor, which offers 16 cores (six performance, eight efficient and two low-power) and a top speed of 5.4GHz. It also sports 8 Intel Arc GPU cores, which is enough to play some smaller titles. The Core Ultra 200HX family adds more cores to make them better suited to games and high-intensity workloads. The high-end Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 cores (eight performance and 16 efficient) and a maximum speed of 5.5GHz. While it offers only 4 Intel GPU cores, it's not meant much to game much on its own. Instead, it'll be paired up with discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD in gaming laptops.IntelIntel didn't have many other details to share on these chips, other than the fact that we can expect to see systems featuring them sometime in the first quarter. That's also when desktops powered by the Core Ultra 200S chips start shipping. But hey, it's CES, and AMD almost certainly has its own chip refresh in tow. Intel had to announce something, otherwise all we'd be talking about is how much trouble the company is in following the ouster of former CEO Pat Gelsinger.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-unveils-arrow-lake-ai-chips-for-gaming-laptops-at-ces-2025-140010111.html?src=rss

Every year at CES, Stern Pinball has a new game to show off. They're one of the oldest and most well-known pinball manufacturers (not to mention one of the few left standing in 2025) so it's always fun for me, a pinball nerd, to check out what they have to show off. This year, it's a new machine meant to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons called Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye. And like many pinball games, you can just walk up and play without knowing the intricacies of the game, but there's a lot here to uncover over time.The thing that caught my eye was the fact that you can pick a character and level them up over time, provided you use Stern's Insider Connected app. That app already lets you create a profile and keep track of achievements, games in your area, your top scores and other features (you "log in" by scanning a QR code from the app). But with Dungeons & Dragons, you can actually improve your character over time and save your progress through the game's many modes. When you first start, you choose a character and location, and those choices will affect the goals you need to achieve. Stern specifically say that its new "PinSave" system will let you save character experience points, inventory items and game campaign progress across multiple games.That's a subtly wild move for a pinball game - usually you get three balls and that's it. It's a nod to how complex newer games can get these days, and Stern already experimented with something similar on its Venom game from 2023. The same lead designer built both Venom and Dungeons & Dragons, and a representative from Stern said he looked at the saved progress in Venom as a way to experiment and trial for the bigger system in place for the latest game.I got to take Dungeons & Dragons for a spin (the Stern rep told me I was the first person who wasn't an employee to play the game), and while there's only so much you can glean from a couple plays, it feels much like other modern Stern machines. That's not a bad thing - the playfield is lovely, and the large dragon on the left side presents some interesting challenges. Stern told me that it can try and block shots and also it enables a wild eight-ball multiball mode, with the dragon actively trying to bounce your balls into the drain. I didn't get to try this, but I'm looking forward to seeing it sooner or later. There's also a gelatinous cube that can freeze your ball in place via magnets.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetFinally, there's an impressive voice cast on this game, including Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) and Kevin Smith, as well as Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray and Laura Bailey from Critical Role. That's just a handful of those participating in the game; you can check out the full list here.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetI've never bothered using Stern's Insider Connected app before, mostly because I'm lazy - but if there's a Dungeons & Dragons machine near me I'll probably give it a shot. While you can easily enjoy the game and play your three balls without making an account, more hardcore players will probably enjoy the process of leveling up over time, and it's a feature that makes perfect sense given D&D's focus on progression over time.As usual, this machine is not cheap - Stern is only making 740 total, with prices ranging from $6,999 for the Pro edition up to $12,999 for the limited edition. Start saving those quarters, D&D / pinball fans. Or, on a more reasonable note, start keeping an eye out at your local arcades. Stern's app will help you find games near you, too, if you want to go the more modern route.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sterns-latest-pinball-machine-is-a-loving-tribute-to-dungeons--dragons-131053243.html?src=rss

At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, which kicks off this week, Roborock, a Chinese manufacturer of robot vacuums and other household cleaning appliances, has unveiled a new robotic vacuum model with a foldable robotic arm. It had already piqued my curiosity, but now I really want one.The OmniGrip arm has five-axis movement and can lift objects under 300 grams, like socks and dog toys. It marks objects it can lift while cleaning the floor and then circles back to pick them up when it's done. It even cleans the areas under the objects on its second pass - that's attention to detail! The Saros 270 will go on sale later this year, but the price is TBA.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest CES stories you missedCES 2025: Spit on this stick to see how burned out you areCES 2025: Watch the Samsung press conference here today at 5PM ETCES 2025: Belkin's new Creator Bundle is a DIY kit for fledgling TikTokersWe're live from CES 2025!TVs, cars, headphones, weirdness.The previews are done and CES 2025 is full steam ahead. The Engadget team is in Las Vegas, reporting on all the biggest tech launches. And all the ridiculousness. We're running a dedicated live blog with all the news from Vegas - follow along here.CES 2025: All the keynotes of noteAnd what we already know is coming.In addition to the usual tradeshow floor chaos, there will be keynotes by NVIDIA's founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and more. We've also seen Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X (Twitter), will be interviewed by journalist Catherine Herridge at a keynote on January 7. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel will speak about the future goals of the platform" on January 8. Those last two might be the most interesting.Continue reading.Meta sends its creepy AI-generated profiles to hellWhere they belong.MetaMeta has killed most of its AI-generated profiles from Facebook and Instagram, the company confirmed, after the AI characters prompted widespread outrage and ridicule from users on social media. AI managed by Meta launched in September 2023, rolling out alongside the company's celebrity-branded AI chatbots (also discontinued). Meta has updated none of these profiles for several months, and the pages seem to have been largely unnoticed until this week. On Instagram, their profiles also featured AI-generated posts that, as 404 Media noted, looked a lot like the AI slop that's filling the corners of the internet.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122437246.html?src=rss

Elvie, the company known for its popular wearable breast pump, is showing off a new piece of baby gear at CES. Called Rise, it's an app-controlled baby bouncer that can transform into a bassinet with a baby inside. The $799 device is made for infants in the first few months of their lives. Elvie says the bouncer works for babies up to 20 lbs or 6 months old, while the bassinet is meant for babies up to 5 months or 22 lbs. While in bouncer mode," parents can customize the specific bounce pattern from the accompanying Elvie Rise Sleep & Soothe app. The company says its SootheLoop" technology is meant to be a gentle motion that's more like the movement of a caregiver rather than a repetitive robotic movement. There's also a manual mode for babies to bounce themselves as they grow a bit bigger and stronger. In its press release, Elvie says its own study found that two-thirds of babies between 0 and 3 months often sleep in non-safe" products like bouncers or swings. The Rise is meant to address this as parents can switch from bouncer mode to bassinet mode without - hopefully - waking their child. Elvie The Rise is equipped with a "transition handle" that allows parents to transition the device between modes. While in bouncer mode, this involves pushing on the bottom end, near the feet, and squeezing the handle to pull up the sides to form the walls of the bassinet. The straps from bouncer mode automatically retract to make it a surface suitable for sleeping. The company says its bassinet complies with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)'s sleep safe guidelines, though babies should not be left in the bouncer unattended. The device is also meant to be more portable than the typical bassinet. It collapses for easier transport and has a magnetic charger so it can be used even when it's not plugged in. The Elvie Rise is available now for pre-order. The company expects to begin shipping orders March 14, 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/elvies-newest-product-is-a-smart-baby-bouncer-that-transforms-into-a-bassinet-111550670.html?src=rss

The Espresso 17 Pro is our favorite portable monitor. It delivers great image quality, has a rugged build, boasts built-in speakers and includes a touchscreen function. The only real trouble is that, with a 17-inch screen, it's perhaps not as truly portable as it could be.Enter the Espresso 15 Pro.As you might have guessed, the latest model has a 15-inch display. This is the second Pro-level portable monitor from Espresso Displays. The company already has a 15-inch non-touch version, but as the name implies, this one's geared toward professionals and business travelers who could do with more on-the-go screen real estate.The Espresso 15 Pro, which was unveiled at CES 2025, has a resolution of 4K and 1,500:1 contrast. It's said to display 1.07 billion colors with full coverage of the AdobeRGB color spectrum. The LCD panel is actually brighter than the 17-inch model at 550 nits versus the larger monitor's 450 nits of peak brightness. It also has two USB-C inputs. On the downside, the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz.Espresso DisplaysAlong with MacOS and Windows devices, the Espresso 15 Pro works with iPhones, iPads and DeX-enabled Samsung Galaxy devices. It's possible to use the Espresso Pen for notetaking on the touchscreen as well.Elsewhere, the Espresso 15 Pro will come with the brand's new Stand+. The monitor magnetically attaches to the Stand+, which supports landscape and portrait orientations.Pricing and availability for the Espresso 15 Pro has yet to be revealed, though it's slated to arrive in the coming months. Logic dictates that the price will fall somewhere in between the $299 Display 15 and $799 Espresso 17 Pro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-espresso-15-pro-is-a-compact-version-of-our-favorite-portable-monitor-105237176.html?src=rss

If you've ever been confused about the vast array of skincare products on the market and exactly which ones are right for you, L'Oreal claims to have the answer. For CES 2025, the company introduced a gadget called the Cell BioPrint that can biochemically analyze your skin and provide advice on how to make it look younger.The company partnered with a startup called NanoEntek, a Korean manufacturer that develops microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology. To use the system, you place a facial strip on your cheek, then transfer it over to a buffer solution. That is then loaded into a Cell BioPrint cartridge, which is in turn inserted into the machine for analysis. While that's being processed, the device also takes images of your face and has you fill out a short questionnaire around skin concerns and aging. All of that takes just five minutes, the company says.In an interview with Engadget, Loreal's Guive Balooch said that the skin strip can be applied near the jawline, and that even if someone has sunscreen on, it won't affect the results.Once the data is crunched using something L'Oreal calls proteomics, Cell BioPrint can provide advice on how to improve your skin's appearance. It can suggest how well you may respond to certain ingredients like retinol, and predict potential cosmetic issues like dark spots or enlarged pores before they become visible.It all sounds good and reasonably science-based, but L'Oreal didn't cite any peer-reviewed studies that may prove the machine's efficacy. Still, it seems like a good time for such a product as skincare awareness has blown up of late thanks in part to Covid, influencers and Sephora. That has generated in a lot of new information (and misinformation), allowing L'Oreal to come in and save the day using science to hypothetically fix your issues.In any case, the BioPrint machine won't be available for consumers just yet, and to be clear, the first iteration of the device isn't meant for at-home use. It's slated to start pilot tests in stores in Asia sometime in 2025, but so far, there's no firm launch date or price. Balooch indicated it would follow a similar rollout pattern to the company's other tech launches in the past, by appearing first at the counters in flagship stores for one of L'Oreal's luxury brands. Over time, it may make its way to more mainstream segments.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/loreals-latest-device-promises-to-help-find-out-how-well-your-skin-responds-to-ingredients-like-retinol-090300942.html?src=rss

Samsung is kicking off 2025 with a lineup of new AI-enhanced televisions. At CES 2025, Samsung unveiled the Neo QLED 8K QN990F and QN900F, plus the Neo QLED 4K QN90F, QN80F and QN70F. The TVs come with glare-free technology and a suite of AI features driven by Samsung Vision AI.The Neo QLED 8K QN990F is Samsung's top-of-the-line model and it features a super-slim, minimalist footprint and an NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor. Its AI abilities include proprietary 8K upscaling, frame-by-frame HDR remastering, adaptive sound, color boosting and AI Mode, which automatically optimizes picture and sound based on the content on screen. These represent updates to existing Samsung AI efforts.In line with the minimalist aesthetic, Samsung is also shipping a Wireless One Connect Box for the QN990F, allowing users to keep their TV space wire-free. This is similar to LG's Zero Connect Box, and it's a clever bit of clutter-clearing equipment. Samsung claims the Wireless One Connect Box works at a distance of up to 10 meters, even with obstacles in its transmission path.Meanwhile, Samsung's QLED 4K line features an NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, 4K AI Upscaling Pro, improved picture quality and a 165Hz refresh rate. The QN80F has a 100-inch option, while the QN90F comes in 115 inches.Samsung's AI ambitions cover all of its 2025 TVs, with Vision AI delivering new personalization and optimization features across the board. Click to Search can identify people, places and products on-screen and then provide relevant information about these things in real time. Identify the actors in a scene, specific pieces of clothing or the displayed location, for instance. In a similar vein, the new Samsung Food ability can identify the grub on your TV and even provide relevant recipes. This feature can also analyze the contents of your connected Samsung fridge and build specific shopping lists, or prompt you to order groceries or takeout from the TV using third-party apps.Samsung AI Home Security turns your TV into a house-monitoring hub. It leverages the built-in microphone and connected cameras on your Samsung TV, and can detect unusual sounds and movements. It then delivers alerts to your phone or directly on the TV. Live Translate delivers real-time subtitle translations, and Generative Wallpaper allows users to create dynamic, personalized art canvases.In OLED land, Samsung is introducing the S95F, S90F and S85F. As the flagship in this line, the S95F includes an NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, improved glare-free technology, a 165Hz variable refresh rate and a brighter display than ever before.There's also The Frame Pro, a TV so special that we have a separate story all about its new features.As usual, Samsung is primed to reveal more details about pricing and availability of its new hardware during CES 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsungs-ces-2025-tv-lineup-includes-8k-ai-enhancements-and-a-wireless-connect-box-030058512.html?src=rss

Samsung has new soundbars and updates to an existing model to show off at CES 2025. First, the HW-QS700F is an all-new speaker that's designed to sit on a shelf or TV stand, but it can also be mounted at 90 degrees flat on a wall under a TV. The QS700F can optimize the sound based on how you've situated it for the best performance. This adjustment happens automatically thanks to a built-in gyro sensor. The QS700F will come with Samsungs redesigned subwoofer, the same one that is packaged with the new Q990F.In a quick demo, the QS700F sounded every bit as crisp and clear as the Q990F. However, I only got a few seconds in a noisy room, so I'll have to wait for a full review to see if this holds true. Still, Samsung's trademark clarity is likely to be a main aspect of the sound profile, and the included sub provides ample bassy thump. That low-end tone was apparent even in the raucous demo area.The company's flagship soundbar returns for 2025 with a significant tweak. The HW-Q990F will remain an all-in-one package with wireless subwoofer and rear satellite speakers included and retains the same angular look. But, the company says it reduced the size of the sub to less than half of the previous version. What's more, Samsung explains that it did so while providing even more powerful audio performance from the unit. As someone who reviewed both the Q990D and Q990C, I can tell you the previous subwoofer was enormous, so this is a great update.The Q990F remains an 11.1.4-channel speaker with "clearer, richer and more effortless sound" and Dolby Atmos support. The included rear surround speakers also pack in up-firing drivers, which enhances the overall effect of the immersive audio. And as I've noted before, having everything in one package is convenient and saves you from having to make extra purchases on top of a pricey soundbar. I was able to hear the Q990F in Samsung's CES demo area, and it's as loud as ever, with the crisp, clear details I've encountered on the two previous models. As I already noted, that smaller sub packs a punch, and it should fill in nicely as a replacement for the larger unit the flagship soundbars were previously packaged with.Samsung Q990FSamsungSamsung will use AI to boost sound quality on its soundbars in 2025. Two features, Active Voice Amplifier Pro and Q-Symphony Pro, use artificial intelligence to enhance dialog over background noise and analyze sound with a Samsung TV's processor respectively. The company says Q-Symphony Pro will also be available on two new B-series soundbars, the HW-B750F and HW-B650F, which will arrive in 2025.Another item Samsung is keen to discuss at CES is its Eclipsa Audio platform it's developing in collaboration with Google. Details are scarce on the new 3D audio standard for now, but Samsung has already said its 2025 TVs and soundbars will support it. According to the press release, Eclipsa Audio enables content creators to adjust sound data and location for spatial audio. It sounds like Samsung and Google are developing their own take on Dolby Atmos. What's more, Samsung says creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio to YouTube later this year, but there's no word on support for other platforms yet.Samsung first announced plans to develop 3D spatial audio in 2023 when it collaborated with Google on Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). IAMF was adopted by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), which lists Amazon, Apple and Netflix among its members. This also isn't the first time Samsung has shunned Dolby as it has opted for HDR10+ over Dolby Vision for its TVs.There's no word on pricing and availability on any of the new soundbar models just yet. That info is likely to arrive closer to launch. For reference, the Q990D is $2,000, but once again, it includes a subwoofer and rear speakers. Sony's Bar 9 is $1,400 just for the soundbar itself.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/samsung-debuts-the-qs700f-soundbar-and-updates-the-q990-at-ces-2025-030042257.html?src=rss

At CES 2025, Bosch is showing off an AI-enabled bassinet with sensors that can detect just about anything an anxious parent could ever hope to monitor about their baby. It's not clear when the device, called Revol, may actually be available, but it's able to track an impressive amount of data.At first glance, the Revol looks somewhat similar to other smart bassinets like the ever-popular Snoo. It has mesh walls and can soothe a sleeping baby with automated movements. But unlike the Snoo, which rocks in a horizontal motion, the Revol moves vertically with the mattress slowly raising and lowering like a tiny elevator.But most of the power of the crib lies in the built-in baby monitor that provides a live video feed to caregivers. Inside the arm that extends over the crib is an array of sensors that can track both the environment around the bassinet and what's going on inside.Karissa Bell for EngadgetIt uses a millimeter wave radar sensor that Bosch says can accurately measure the heart rate and respiration of the baby. That data is then sent to an app on the caregiver's phone, where they can view real-time stats and health reports. There are also sensors for monitoring the environment of the baby's surroundings, including temperature and humidity sensors, as well a particle meter to measure air quality.Finally - because it's 2025 and every product needs to have an AI component - the Revol also has AI-enabled features. It uses computer vision to detect if an object, like a blanket or stuffed animal, is near the baby's face and can alert parents to the danger (the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against keeping any soft objects in babies' sleep area).All that sounds like a pretty impressive list of features for a bassinet, but expecting parents shouldn't hold their breath for the Revol to become available. A Bosch rep told me that the company plans to bring the bassinet to the Chinese market first and that it's targeting sometime in 2026 for a launch in the US, citing the need to comply with US laws and regulations.There's also no price yet on the device, though Bosch told me they are hoping to price it at around $1200. That may seem steep, but the company plans to offer additional add-ons that can convert the crib into a changing table and desk, so parents and kids can get more use out of it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/boschs-ai-enabled-bassinet-tracks-everything-youd-ever-want-to-know-about-your-babys-sleep-025258549.html?src=rss

It's been ten years since LG introduced its Gram line of ultra thin and light laptops, and despite my early skepticism about its longevity and build quality, the company continues to make new models regularly. It's expanded the portfolio to offer pro variants, clamshells and 2-in-1s, and in keeping with every laptop maker in recent years, LG is now infusing the Gram Pros with more of its own... you guessed it... AI.We already learned about this year's LG Gram Pro lineup when they company unveiled the details last week. From the announcement, we found out that four new models are available. Here at CES 2025, I was able to check out the LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 in person to see what I was able to learn beyond the press release. The short answer is: not much.In the six days or so since LG shared the 2025 Gram lineup with the world, the company has yet to disclose pricing and availability. That's pretty common for many CES launches, so I wouldn't chalk that up as a warning sign.Besides the fact that it has new Intel Arrow Lake processors and displays with variable refresh rates that go up to 144Hz, though that's reserved for the LCD panel option. For models with OLED, you can only go up to 120Hz. There's also improved treatment to deal with glare, which was surprisingly effective at mitigating the overhead fluorescent lights on the show floor. I could still see the floating glowing orbs reflected on the display, but for the most part I was able to view the YouTube video playing on the demo unit just fine.As is becoming tradition for me at CES by now, I tried to bicep curl the Gram Pro 2-in-1 and frankly, the laptop remains unsatisfying for serious gym rats looking for heavy weights. Those wanting a truly portable system that fits into the thinnest of pockets without dragging on your shoulders will appreciate the Gram Pro. But, its 16-inch screen means it's fairly hefty and won't fit into many purses.I also appreciate the sturdy hinges LG has used in the Gram lineup. The Gram Pro 2-in-1's case hasn't been tweaked since last year's model, and I was mildly concerned when the lid started to flex a bit when a rep at the LG booth was flipping it over. But the device remained intact, and frankly all Gram laptops have always exhibited some level of flex because of how thin they are.The other main update to the Gram Pro 2-in-1 is the addition of LG's Gram AI suite of services. These include "Gram chat," which is available in on-device and cloud-based versions. The former uses LG's own EXAONE large language model, while the latter taps OpenAI's GPT-4o. Gram Chat Cloud can also integrate with your calendar and inboxes to help manage your schedules and "send and receive emails more efficiently," according to LG.There are also features like Time Travel, which is LG's take on Microsoft's Recall, helping users find what they're looking for by feeding parameters like date viewed or inline text to the AI system. When I asked an LG rep how the service would avoid the security concerns that Microsoft's Recall was criticized over, they said that people would have to grant permission before continuing to use their laptops.Like I mentioned, LG has yet to share details on price or when these Grams will be available, but with last year's Gram Pro 2-in-1 going for about $1,300 on Amazon right now, I'd imagine this year's models won't be too far off.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lg-gram-pro-2-in-1-2025-hands-on-of-course-a-thin-and-light-laptop-gets-ai-at-ces-2025-023252332.html?src=rss

LGLG is the debut act at CES "press day," the full day of press conferences that precede the show floor's opening on Tuesday. LG execs will take the stage at Mandalay Bay promptly at 8AM PT on Monday - and you can watch it all right here.Last year, LG pre-empted Apple by reinventing what the "AI" initials stand for. In LG parlance, it's "Affectionate Intelligence" - an angle they are leaning into again this year. As for more tangible products, the transparent OLED-T TV the company announced in 2024 did make it across the preorder finish line before New Year's Eve - with a $60,000 price tag. And in addition to its usual big appliance push, LG even touted new EV chargers. But the little home robot that LG introduced last year hasn't been seen since.What to expect at the LG CES 2025 press conferenceBeyond the "AI everywhere" angle (which you'll hear from nearly every vendor this year), expect LG to tie together its full range of product categories, from TVs to appliances and everything in between. And because LG (like Samsung) has tended to tip its hand in the days and weeks before CES, we already have some idea of what to expect. For instance, we already know that the company's 2025 OLED evo TV line will pair 4K resolution with gaming-friendly 165Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the new PF600U packs an HD projector, Bluetooth speaker and LED mood lamp into something that looks like an old-school oscillating floor fan. On the audio front, Engadget's Billy Steele already likes the "punchy highs" he heard during a quick demo of the compact S20A soundbar. And the newest LG Signature microwave includes a built-in 27-inch touchscreen display on its door, so your kitchen will never be without a screen.Of course, we're hoping to see another take on transparent TVs (maybe with a more consumer-friendly price point) and maybe a real-world look at that robot, too.Watch the LG CES 2025 livestreamYou can watch the LG CES press conference as it happens below. The feed will start Monday, January 6 at 11:00AM ET. We'll also be embedding Engadget's liveblog coverage, so you can get up-to-the-minute commentary as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lg-ces-2025-press-conference-and-liveblog-watch-it-here-monday-at-11am-et-013155504.html?src=rss

Current Backyard made its CES debut last year with an electric smart grill and griddle, but for 2025, the company is going in a slightly different direction. Looking to cater to the pizza oven craze, the company revealed the Model P Smart Pizza Oven in Las Vegas. As you might expect, the unit is all-electric, but it's certified for use indoors and outside. The "smart" portion of the recipe here is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity that provides access to tools in the company's app. The company says the Model P can hit a maximum temperature of 850 degrees Fahrenheit, the level at which a Neapolitan-style pie can cook in two minutes. For comparison, that's the same max heat output as the pricier Ooni Volt 12. Current Backyard explains that the internal design of its electric oven uses an algorithm alongside top-mounted graphite and under-stone circular calrod elements to ensure uniform heating. The company says this construction also eliminates the need to rotate pizzas during cooking. A cordierite cooking stone assists with the even doneness, especially for crisping up the crust. What's more, Current Backyard says the Model P will recover quickly between pizzas to keep the cooking process moving along. In fact, the company explains that you can cook three Neapolitan-style pizzas in about 10 minutes. The Model P will alert you when it's okay to launch another pie after you retrieve one from the oven. The Model P has five cook modes for different styles of pizza and other uses: Neapolitan, New York, thin crust, frozen pizza and a broil function with high and low settings. Those presets can be chosen on the oven or with an app. Also inside the company's app, there's a Pizza Build Calculator that offers customized cook time and temperature based on a selected style and ingredients. This tool takes into account the amounts of sauce, cheese and toppings along with the thickness of the dough. You can also select well done if you're like me and prefer your pies extra crispy. Current Backyard didn't include an exact arrival date in the Model P announcement, but it did say that the pizza oven will cost $599 when it's available for purchase sometime in Q2. You'll be able to purchase accessory kits and an outdoor cart for the Model P as well, with that latter add-on priced at $399. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/current-backyard-debuts-the-model-p-smart-pizza-oven-at-ces-2025-010054271.html?src=rss

Concept devices are always tricky. For every one that gets turned into a real product a year later there are a thousand disappointments. Maybe the concept can't be mass-produced affordably enough to make it viable to the business. Maybe the technology isn't reliable enough to really make good on the promises its creators made during the glossy launch. And sometimes, it was never anything more than a bit of Kabuki to juice the stock price or lure in some new investors.With that wariness in one hand, we can now examine Withings' new concept device, Omina, which it says is its vision for the future of health monitoring. It's a floor mat and smart mirror designed to usurp your bathroom scale and take up way more room in your home. The idea is it'll offer a holistic" view of your physical health, demystifying your biological markers as it goes.WithingsClimb aboard and you'll be shown a 3D body model that will visualize the results of whatever metrics it can access. Omina will be able to check your weight, heart health and metabolic health, which will be integrated with any data from your other Withings devices. That includes stats on your activity, sleep health and blood pressure, depending on what you own.Omina comes" with its own AI voice assistant, offering real-time feedback to help you hit your fitness goals. It'll also answer questions, offer motivational quotes and guide you through any roadblocks you may find. Plus, it'll connect with any telemedicine provider that integrates with the system, letting you share your vitals with your physician.WithingsNaturally, as a concept device, you won't be able to buy one now, or potentially ever, but it is described as being in development." Withings has, however, pledged that the AI assistant and telemedicine features will arrive on its Health Mate app at some point this year. In the meantime you should probably think about buying a house with a bathroom big enough to accommodate one of these things.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/withings-omina-is-its-vision-for-the-future-of-bathroom-scales-010024945.html?src=rss

It's not as if any period in human history was particularly gentle, but we do seem to live in very stressful times. Maybe it's not the stress that's changed, but that we're more able than ever to notice, monitor and analyze what's going on in our bodies. Here at CES 2025, startup Eli Health is launching Hormometer, an at-home kit that tests your cortisol and progesterone levels.Hormometer is a wand with a collection tip at one end that you hold in your mouth for 60 seconds. Once it's absorbed your spit, you'll sit it down on a table for 20 minutes while the cartridge's network of built-in microfluidics gets to work. After that, the assay will start displaying lines in a specific color, which can be read and interpreted by your smartphone camera.The app will then be able to, presumably once it's established your individual baseline levels, offer helpful suggestions for how to better manage your health. It's likely those will get more detailed over time, as Eli Health says it's creating the first data set of its kind. Which, if you're unaware, means your hormone levels are likely going into a very large database with all of its users. The company will have to answer many questions about how it's planning to protect the privacy of its users, especially in the US.Cortisol, of course, is better known as the stress hormone, which increases when you're in a tough spot. It's cortisol that's behind your fight-or-flight response, spiking your blood sugar to get you ready for fighting or fleeing, suppressing other critical bodily functions to do so. High cortisol levels will weaken your immune system, waste your muscles and prevent bone growth.Progesterone, meanwhile, is crucial for regulating the reproductive system, particularly for those able to become pregnant. Low levels can risk ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or premature labor. Excessively high levels, meanwhile, can create problems with temperature and mood regulation as well as low fertility. Progesterone is sometimes given to transfeminine individuals as well, where it's believed to play a role in breast development.It's worth noting that saliva-testing gadgets aren't particularly new, and we've reported on them in 2005, 2009 and 2016. What's attractive about this device, and the rest of the current crop of saliva analysis tools, is the easier accessibility. Eli Health isn't stopping at just those two hormones, and says it's already working to develop tests for testosterone and estradiol.The first tests will be available to buy in the US and Canada from January 2025, with various subscription plans available, including one where each test will cost $8 if you commit to a whole year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/this-saliva-testing-wand-knows-how-stressed-you-are-010002378.html?src=rss

We're here! The Engadget CES 2025 team has mostly arrived in Las Vegas, where we'll be covering tech's biggest annual conference. Our war room is open, the team has been seeing products and the coverage will ramp up in just a few short hours. Still, the show doesn't officially kick off for a couple of days, since the convention center is only truly open on January 7. But we'll have plenty of press conferences to cover tomorrow, and companies are already holding somewhat secretive briefings to preview their news.Based on our experience, as well as observation of recent industry trends, it's fairly easy to make educated predictions about what we might see here. Over the years, the focus of the conference has spanned areas like TVs, cars, smart home products and personal health, with a smattering of laptops and accessories thrown in. At CES 2025, we expect to see AI get even more pervasive in all areas of the show floor. But we are also likely to get the usual slew of new processors and subsequent laptops, as well as all manner of wearables, trackers, bathroom appliances and massage chairs. Oh, the massage chairs.What we already know aboutThere's already a lot we know is coming, just by a cursory glance at the lineup published by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In addition to numerous panels and talks, there will be keynotes by NVIDIA's founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Delta CEO Ed Bastian as well as C-suite executives from companies like Panasonic, SiriusXM, Waymo and Volvo group. We've also seen that Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X (Twitter), will be interviewed by journalist Catherine Herridge at a keynote on January 7, while Snap CEO Evan Spiegel will be speaking about the "future goals of the platform" on January 8.Press conferences of note at CES 2025Engadget will be running a liveblog all through the show, starting on Monday January 6th. That's the day many press conferences by companies like NVIDIA, LG, Samsung and AMD will be taking place, and we'll be covering them live. We'll be paying particular attention to NVIDIA, LG, Samsung and Sony, but are keeping tabs on the dozens of other press conferences that will be happening, as well as the talks with Yaccarino and Spiegel. Here's how to watch those noteworthy press conferences if you want to tune in yourself:

Belkin just unveiled a unique bundle at CES 2025 that's being described as a comprehensive toolset designed to meet the needs of budding creators." The appropriately-named Creator Bundle comes with a bunch of useful accessories and offers everything needed for hands-free recording."The bundle ships with wireless mics, a tripod and a magnetic smartphone mount. The pair of tiny wireless clip-on microphones offer a 100m transmission range. They're battery-powered and last up to 5.5 hours per charge (with the included USB-C cable). The mics operate via a handy push-button design, making it easy for folks to mute, record or make adjustments to the sound.The included tripod reaches 1.7m in height (about 5.5 feet) and the magnetic mount can be adjusted to suit different shooting angles. However, the camera won't track people as they move around the room, so creators will have to stay in the center of the frame. The company does note that the bundle has been designed to integrate with its previously announced Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, which does track movement, but that costs an extra $180.Speaking of pricing, Belkin hasn't announced how much this bundle will cost. That'll likely come closer to the launch date in May 2025. It will be interesting to see how it compares to wireless microphone options from DJI, Sennheiser and Rode, none of which include bundled tripods.Update, January 5 2025, 6:18PM ET: This story has been updated to add references to comparable products.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/belkins-new-creator-bundle-at-ces-2025-is-a-diy-kit-for-fledgling-tiktokers-170006163.html?src=rss

LG has unveiled its OLED evo TV lineup for 2025 and is showing them off at CES this year, along with its other home entertainment products. The new models are powered by the company's latest (Alpha) 11 AI processor Gen2, with deep learning algorithms that give the TVs the ability to sharpen the visuals of low-resolution and low-quality images. LG says the new TVs are also the industry's first with 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 165Hz, as certified by NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium. That enables the models to delivery stutter-free gameplay with minimal input lag.The company has upgraded its Brightness Booster Ultimate technology for the new OLED TVs, which means they can achieve brightness three times higher than conventional OLED models. For dark scenes, LG promises "top-notch black levels," as these models have received UL Solutions' "Perfect Black" and "Perfect Color" verification. LG was notably the first in the industry to obtain the Perfect Black verification back in 2022, ensuring viewers that their TVs can achieve true black when the image on screen calls for it.Photo by Billy Steele / EngadgetLG's rapid brightness and color temperature stabilization feature allows viewers to enjoy the best of what their TV can offer as soon as they turn it on. And if they choose to watch a film, the models' Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation feature will kick in to automatically adjust the picture's settings based on the environment's lighting conditions in order to stay true to how the filmmaker wants viewers to experience their movie.When it comes to audio, the TVs come with AI Sound Pro that can deliver 11.1.2 channels of surround sound. Meanwhile, the models' AI Remote can recognize individual voices for tailored recommendations. Viewers can also use AI Search powered by Microsoft Copilot to understand conversational queries and "uncover subtle user intentions."One of LG's new OLED TVs is the latest M5 series, which serves as the successor to its previous M-series models that can wirelessly transmit video and audio. The latest M5 TVs are capable of wireless audio and video transmission at up to 144Hz without loss in picture and quality. While they have a slightly lower refresh rate than the other models in the lineup, the wireless M-series TVs also promise a "tear-free, stutter-free gaming experience." LG has been showing off this technology for a few years now, but they're bringing it to more and more TV in their lineup lately. Back in December, LG announced its new, more affordable QNED TVs would work with the Zero Connect Box, for example. Previously, it was available on the OLED M series but only at sizes of 77 inches and up.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lgs-oled-evo-tvs-for-2025-come-with-ai-and-a-165hz-refresh-rate-200037568.html?src=rss

LG is carrying over much of its 2024 soundbar lineup to 2025, but the company has one all-new model that it plans to debut this year. At CES, I got a preview of the compact speaker, the S20A, that will provide a boost to your TV audio without taking up too much space. The 2.0-channel unit offers 50 watts of power and works best with LG's TVs.When paired with one of the company's televisions, you can expect its Wow Interface that allows you to make sound adjustments through the TV UI. There's also AI Sound Pro tech that calibrates the audio based on each scene. LG will offer a three-band EQ on the S20A, so you can tweak treble, mids and bass to fit your preferences.Billy Steele for EngadgetDuring a quick demo of the S20A, I was impressed with the punchy highs and clarity from the smaller unit. LG says it won't come with a subwoofer as the company uses the soundbar's drivers for that low-end tone. Of course, this setup doesn't provide the booming bass that a standalone wireless sub would, but the company doesn't see that as an issue here. We'll look forward to testing that theory later in the year when the S20A is available for review.There's no word on pricing or availability just yet as LG is only teasing this new soundbar here at CES. That info, as well as more detailed specs, should arrive closer to launch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/lg-previews-the-compact-s20a-soundbar-at-ces-2025-191337487.html?src=rss

If you've been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your Kindle Scribe, now wouldn't be a bad time - Amazon is running its first sale on the new model, which has only been out for a month. Normally $450, the 2024 Kindle Scribe is 19 percent off, bringing the 64GB model down to $365. With the latest generation, Amazon tweaked the appearance of the tablet and added some AI features, along with some new note-taking options. The second-gen Kindle Scribe has white bezels around the screen and either a green (Metallic Jade) or gray (Tungsten) border, in contrast to the previous model's thick black border. The discount applies to both colors and, for the gray version, all storage options (16GB, 32GB and 64GB). When we tried out the new Kindle Scribe, we liked the new design and found the reading and writing experiences to be smooth. The new Kindle Scribe uses AI to help you clean up and summarize your notes, with the Summarize and Refine tools - and you can apply these to individual pages or the entire Notebook. These features worked out pretty well for us. In her review, Engadget's Deputy Editor of Reviews Cherlynn Low found the Scribe was able to make sense of a disorganized plan" she'd written out by properly putting list items in sequential order, and she saw largely accurate results" when it summarized her notes. Any mistake the system made felt reasonable, since I have horrible handwriting," she wrote. There's also now a better way to write directly on ebooks. With the 2024 Kindle Scribe, Amazon introduced Active Canvas - a little box that will pop up when you put your pen to whatever you're reading. The box can be resized and won't disappear when you leave the page. You'll also soon be able to write in collapsible margins, a feature expected to arrive early this year. One of our biggest gripes about the new Kindle Scribe was the relatively high cost, so if it appeals to you, don't miss your chance to get it at a discount. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-second-gen-kindle-scribe-is-on-sale-for-the-first-time-184403045.html?src=rss

Belkin has a new phone accessory at CES 2025 that somehow brings something fresh to the crowded field of magnetic charging accessories (in other words, MagSafe and non-Apple-certified alternatives). The company's Stage PowerGrip is a wireless power bank, camera-like grip and stand rolled into one. It even has a little screen and comes in several fun colors.Belkin pitches the PowerGrip as an accessory for creators and travelers. While modern smartphones are all most people need for photography, holding a candy-bar-shaped handset in landscape mode for long periods doesn't feel as comfortable or natural as the heartier grip of a dedicated camera. This accessory remedies that with a thick bulge similar to what you'd find on a DSLR or mirrorless camera.BelkinInside that lump is its 10,000mAh battery, which offers 7.5W magnetic wireless charging. An LED on its backside gives you a quick way to check its battery level. And a retractable USB-C cable is tucked inside the accessory, so you don't need to remember to throw a separate one in your bag.Belkin says the PowerGrip will be available in powder blue, sandbox, fresh yellow, pepper and lavender (the company's press images show a sixth black option, too). It's scheduled to ship this May. Unfortunately, Belkin hasn't yet announced pricing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/belkins-new-accessory-is-a-magnetic-power-bank-and-camera-grip-rolled-into-one-170057685.html?src=rss

United Airlines has announced plans to start testing Starlink on flights in February, and eventually add SpaceX's satellite internet service to its entire fleet. The company first announced a partnership with SpaceX to "set a new standard of inflight connectivity" in September 2024.After testing, United expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to be on a United Embraer E-175 in the spring. The rest of the the airline's "two-cabin regional fleet" will have Starlink installed throughout 2025, and United says it will have the "first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air" before the end of year.Starlink will available for free to all members of United's MileagePlus program. Besides improving the quality of inflight Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to "unlock new partnership" for its members. Do not be surprised if United cooks up new deals with streaming services to offer more free content during flights.United is joining both Delta and Hawaiian Airlines in partnering with Starlink for inflight Wi-Fi. SpaceX originally announced its intentions to offer 350 Mbps internet speeds to planes in 2022, and both Delta and Haiwaiian Airlines have either tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.Starlink has expanded in some serious ways in the last year. SpaceX got to test Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite service with T-Mobile during Hurricane Milton's landfall in the US, made plans for a larger beta test of the service for February and launched a nationwide satellite texting service in New Zealand.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/united-will-start-testing-starlink-on-flights-in-february-130047392.html?src=rss

These are the new releases that caught our attention this week: a (surprisingly refreshing) post-apocalyptic tale, and an exorcism thriller. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-the-friends-you-make-in-the-apocalypse-150002035.html?src=rss

Microsoft has published a lengthy piece talking about its vision for artificial intelligence development over the next four years, under the incoming Trump administration. In the piece, the company has revealed that it's spending a total of $80 billion on AI-enabled data centers in 2025. Microsoft said it's building out the data centers to be able to train and deploy AI models, as well as to power its cloud-based applications. While that's the entirety of its budget for projects around the world, more than half of it will go towards building data centers in the United States.The company explained that none of the progress on AI the industry has achieved thus far would be possible "without new partnerships founded on large-scale infrastructure investments." It's now calling for the incoming Trump administration to expand the government's support for the advancement of AI within the US, such as providing the National Science Foundation and US universities more funding for research.Microsoft admitted in the piece that it knows AI will "disrupt the economy and displace some jobs," but it also said its "confidence has grown that AI will create new opportunities that will outweigh many of the challenges ahead." The key, Microsoft explained, is to train Americans so that they'd be able to use AI as a tool for their jobs, similar to how they're currently using smartphones and laptops. Finally, it said that the third critical priority for 2025 is the promotion of American AI exports. There will be a race between the United States and China to spread their technologies to other countries, so the US needs a smart strategy because the race "will be won by the fastest first mover."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-spending-80-billion-on-data-centers-this-year-130016150.html?src=rss

Streams on TikTok Live were used to exploit children, according to a newly unredacted lawsuit filed by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. The lawsuit says that TikTok was not only aware that TikTok Lives were exposing minors to concerning messages from adults, but the company also directly profited off of some of the exchanges through TikTok Live's virtual gifting system.Following an investigation by Forbesinto TikTok Live, TikTok conducted its own review called "Project Meramec," according to the suit. The company found that "hundreds of thousands of children" were getting around TikTok's age restrictions, hosting livestreams and interacting with adults.Because TikTok pockets a portion of the sale of digital gifts in livestreams, the company was technically making money on "transactional gifting" over "nudity and sexual activity" that happened during streams. And since TikTok's algorithm favors livestreams where virtual gifts are being exchanged, the lawsuit says, some of these sexually exploitative streams were also distributed more widely than they would have been otherwise.The lawsuit details another TikTok investigation, "Project Jupiter," that looked in to whether TikTok Live's gifting feature was being used to launder money. As it turns out, it was. According to the lawsuit, the company found that "criminals were selling drugs and running fraud operations" during livestreams.When reached for a comment on the lawsuit, TikTok shared the following statement:

Meta has nuked a bunch of its AI-generated profiles from Facebook Instagram, the company confirmed, after the AI characters prompted widespread outrage and ridicule from users on social media.The AI-generated profiles, which were labeled as AI managed by Meta," launched in September of 2023, rolling out alongside the company's celebrity-branded AI chatbots (also discontinued). Meta doesn't seem to have updated any of these profiles for several months, and the pages seem to have been largely unnoticed until this week, following an interview published by the Financial Times with Meta's VP of Generative AI, Connor Hayes.In the interview, Hayes spoke about the company's goal to eventually fill its services with AI-generated profiles that can interact with people and function kind of in the same way that accounts do." Those comments brought attention to the extant fMeta-created AI profiles and, well, users were not exactly impressed with what they found.With handles like hellograndpabrian," a supposed retired textile businessman who is always learning" and datingwithCarter," an AI dating coach," the chatbots were meant to showcase unique interests and personalities" for users to chat with. On Instagram, their profiles also featured AI-generated posts that, as 404 Media noted, looked a lot like the AI spam that's become prevalent in many corners of Facebook.MetaAn AI persona called Liv" sparked particular outrage. The Instagram profile identified Liv" as a proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller." Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah posted a series of screenshots in which she interrogated Liv" about how Meta trained the AI, with Liv" sharing that it was created by a predominantly white team." Independent journalist Mady Castigan posted another conversation in which Liv" said that its creators had been inspired in part by Sophia Vergara's character from Modern Family, a character that is neither queer nor Black.There is confusion: the recent Financial Times article was about our vision for AI characters existing on our platforms over time, not announcing any new product," a spokesperson told Engadget. The accounts referenced are from a test we launched at Connect in 2023. These were managed by humans and were part of an early experiment we did with AI characters."Beyond sparking ridicule for their responses and attempts to appropriate marginalized identities, users found the AI profiles were impossible to block, for reasons unknown. Rather than fix the issue, Meta's solution was to kill the experiment entirely. "We identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block those AIs," a spokesperson said, "and are removing those accounts to fix the issue."While this trial run has gone up in flames, the company doesn't seem to be abandoning its plans to bring more AI-generated characters" to its apps. Earlier this year, the company teased AI clones of human creators capable of holding lifelike video calls. Creators can already train their own chatbots to respond to followers on their behalf. Meta also began experimenting with inserting its own AI-generated imagery into users' Facebook feeds.In an interview last year, Hayes told me that Meta likely will become more proactive" about surfacing AI-generated content over time, comparing it to the shift from showing recommended content instead of posts from people you follow.In the beginning of social apps ... the corpus of stuff that you could see on a given day was sort of constrained by who you followed or were friends with. And over the last like, five or six years, a lot of apps - ourselves included - have moved to, you know, relax that constraint and start recommending content from accounts you don't follow.I think probably the next leap that's going to happen there is relaxing the constraint of what humans can create, and actually getting to feeds of content that are a combination of things that, you know, humans have created, but also that are entirely machine generated."It may still be awhile before Meta fully realizes that vision. But if the reaction to its early experimentations is any indication, the company still has a lot of work to do to convince people AI personas are worth interacting with in the first place.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-sends-its-ai-generated-profiles-to-hell-where-they-belong-204758789.html?src=rss

The first few days of the year are typically sleepy for deals - and 2025 is proving no different. Since most Black Friday sale prices have expired, big ticket items are back to full price, but we found a few new discounts on smaller tech and accessories from brands we recommend, like Anker, Sony, Amazon Echo and JBL. You can get an Anker charging station for 40 percent off and pick up the Apple Watch Series 10 for $329, a return to its all-time low. An Amazon Echo display is also selling for close to a record low. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.8Bitdo

Hisense unveiled its latest L9 series laser TV - the L9Q - at CES 2025. The television" (an ultra-short-throw laser projector paired with a screen) comes with one of five screen sizes, ranging from 100 to 150 inches. The L9Q is the first in the series with auto screen alignment to ease the transition when you project it onto a different-sized screen.The L9Q uses a proprietary Hisense triple-laser light engine, which helps the TV reach 110 percent of the BT.2020 (aka Rec. 2020) color space - a good omen for lifelike colors that pop. This model also boosts the brightness from previous models, reaching up to 5,000 lumens and a 5,000:1 contrast ratio.The laser projector's paired ambient light rejection (ALR) screen comes in five sizes: 100, 110, 120, 136 and 150 inches. (ALR screens tend to have better contrast and viewing angles in brightly lit environments.) In addition to auto screen alignment, the projector has manual keystone correction to adjust for any proportional irregularities in the image.Hisense says the L9Q is the first laser TV with a 6.2.2 surround sound system. It supports Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual X and eARC audio technologies.The projector has a sleek black walnut decor panel" with brushed metal finishes. It has HDMI 2.1 and supports Wi-Fi 6E and NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) for broadcast channels. It runs Google TV and can be controlled by Google Assistant, Alexa and Apple HomeKit.Hisense hasn't yet shared a launch date or pricing info. But for the uninitiated, premium laser TVs like this don't come cheap - typically retailing for at least several thousand dollars.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/hisenses-new-laser-tv-projector-boosts-the-brightness-and-contrast-172431429.html?src=rss

Anthropic has partly resolved a legal disagreement that saw the AI startup draw the ire of the music industry. In October 2023, a group of music publishers, including Universal Music and ABKCO, filed a copyright infringement complaint against Anthropic. The group alleged that the company had trained its Claude AI model on at least 500 songs to which they held rights and that, when promoted, Claude could reproduce the lyrics of those tracks either partially or in full. Among the song lyrics the publishers said Anthropic had infringed on included Beyonce's Halo" and Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5.In a court-approved stipulation the two sides came to on Thursday, Anthropic agreed to maintain its existing guardrails against outputs that reproduce, distribute or display copyright material owned by the publishers and implement those same measures when training its future AI models.At the same time, the company said it would respond expeditiously" to any copyright concerns from the group and promised to provide written responses detailing how and when it plans to address their concerns. In cases where the company intends not to address an issue, it must clearly state its intent to do so.Claude isn't designed to be used for copyright infringement, and we have numerous processes in place designed to prevent such infringement," an Anthropic spokesperson told Engadget. "Our decision to enter into this stipulation is consistent with those priorities. We continue to look forward to showing that, consistent with existing copyright law, using potentially copyrighted material in the training of generative AI models is a quintessential fair use."As mentioned, Thursday's pact doesn't fully resolve the original disagreement between Anthropic and the group of music publishers that sued the company. The latter party is still seeking an injunction against Anthropic to prevent it from using unauthorized copies of song lyrics to train future AI models. A ruling on that matter could arrive sometime in the next few months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-agrees-to-work-with-music-publishers-to-prevent-copyright-infringement-154742806.html?src=rss

LG has announced two new projectors for CES 2025, which it calls successors to last year's CineBeam Q. The PF600U may look like a stand fan, but it's actually a projector that's also a Bluetooth speaker and a LED mood lamp. Its lighting has nine colors and five brightness levels, so you can customize it to create the ambiance you want. Tilt its head, and you've got yourself a projector that can produce images up to 120 inches in size with an FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and 300 ANSI lumens of brightness. It can stream movies, shows and other content from streaming platforms via LG's webOS.The company's other projector is CineBeam Q's direct successor. CineBeam S is now LG's smallest 4K Ultra Short Throw projector and weighs in at only 5.5 pounds. It's capable of delivering images as big as 100 inches - with a 4K UHD resolution and with 500 ANSI lumens of brightness - while only needing "a few inches of wall clearance." It has Dolby Atmos capability, and like the PF600U, it's powered by LG's webOS. The device has a metallic finish and was designed to be portable, so you can easily set it up anywhere you want. Since it was made to be moved around, LG gave it intuitive features that can automatically align its screen, adjust its colors based on the wall, as well as resize its picture to fit the room's dimensions.LG has yet to reveal the projectors' prices and availability, but it willy likely announce more details at CES 2025. To note, the CineBeam Q became available for preorder in March 2024 and sold for $1,299.LGThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/lgs-new-projector-looks-like-a-stand-fan-140048366.html?src=rss

The festive lights, time off and cute scarfs can only conceal the truth for so long: Winter can be pretty bleak. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's cold all of the time, dark most of the time and this lasts far beyond the most wonderful time of the year. Here at Engadget, we've tried so many tools and products to make winter more bearable from therapy lamps to heaters. We've invested in tea sets, wrapped ourselves in heated blankets and learned to grow herbs indoors - really, anything that will make these three-plus months more bearable, we've tried.

We're ringing in 2025 with everything we're expecting to see at CES! That includes new video cards from AMD and NVIDIA, a holographic windshield from Hyundai and potentially more satellite enabled phones. AI will still be a major topic - like the next generation of AI PCs - but it also seems like we'll be hearing a lot more about classic CES stories. In addition, we explore why Meta wants to start adding AI users to Facebook and Instagram.Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!Subscribe!

The Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the FCC does not have the "statutory authority" to implement net neutrality rules.Since the rules were established in 2015, the FCC argued that classifying ISPs as "telecommunication services" gives it broad authority to regulate them. The decision to redefine ISPs as "information services" during the first Trump Administration led to the repeal of net neutrality in 2017.The current FCC voted to restore net neutrality on April 25 last year. The difference between 2015 and now is the Supreme Court's recent, radical reinterpretation of an important legal doctrine. The Chevron doctrine said that if Congress doesn't weigh in on an issue, courts are supposed to defer to the interpretation of government agencies. Now, interpretation falls to the individual judge, and the Sixth Court doesn't agree with the FCC.This is the end of the road for the FCC's attempts to wrench a little bit of the power from internet providers and carriers and level speeds and access regardless of service. Net neutrality rules will remain in California and other states, but anything at the federal level will require either an act of Congress or, for this case, be appealed to (and succeed in front of) the Supreme Court.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

Apple is kicking off 2025 with a new wave of updates to Apple Fitness+. This time, the company is not only adding new content to the service's yoga, strength training, and meditation programs, but also offering a new integration with another popular fitness app: Strava.If there's any problem with Fitness+'s offerings up until this point, it's that they primarily cater to beginners. Yoga Peak Poses could be one way that changes. Apple is adding yoga retreat-inspired workshops focused on specific, challenging yoga poses like Dancer or Crow. For each pose, there's a 10-minute prep flow to warm users up," Apple says, followed by a corresponding 10-minute practice session." You can use the workshop to build on your skills and hopefully end up pulling off a tricky pose in the process.If strength training is more your speed, Fitness+ is also getting a new three week-long progressive strength training program Apple has dubbed Three Perfect Weeks of Strength." The program is spread across a dozen 30-minute workouts, with the first week focused on "Progressive Overload," the second on "Time Under Tension," and the third on "Dynamic Power." Apple says its designed the program to be repeatable so you can run through it again with different weights as you grow stronger. Don't expect it to be as in-depth as Peloton's new strength training app, but it's nice to have more options.AppleOne of the more interesting new additions in this update is how Fitness+ will integrate with Strava. When you share a Fitness+ workout to Strava, the app will now display things like the Fitness+ workout you performed or trainer who led it, on top of your normal health metrics. Apple is offering Strava subscribers up to three months of Fitness+ at no additional costs in a savvy bit of cross-promotion, too.Alongside these new additions is a grab bag of other new features, like an Intro to Breath Meditation class, a selection of workouts designed around training for pickleball, a new slate of Apple's celebrity-led Time to Walk audio stories, and workout playlists focused on Janet Jackson (on January 13), Coldplay (on January 20), Bruno Mars (on January 27) and Kendrick Lamar (on February 3).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-fitness-gets-strava-integration-and-new-workouts-120013064.html?src=rss

When Samsung unveiled the world's first 27-inch 4K gaming OLED monitor on Thursday, Engadget's Igor Bonifacic predicted that other vendors would soon follow suit. (After all, Samsung is also the biggest supplier of OLED gaming monitor panels.) Sure enough, MSI followed suit the same day at CES 2025 with two monitors with familiar specs: a 27-inch 4K QD-OLED display and a 27-inch QD-OLED one with a crazy-smooth 500Hz refresh rate.First up: the 27-inch 4K QD-OLED one, marketed to perfection as the... MPG 272URX QD-OLED. (Sure, why not!) MSI is differentiating its monitor as the first one to combine that panel with DisplayPort 2.1a, which can provide a better combination of resolution and frame rates. Like Samsung's equivalent (the G81SF), it has a 240Hz refresh rate and should look nice and crisp at 166 PPI.MSI says this panel significantly reduces color fringing," which should help with the poor text clarity too often customary of QD-OLED screens. As my colleague Igor points out, this could be an ideal do-it-all monitor for gaming, work or anything else you can throw at it.It supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC tech, so smooth gameplay won't likely be a concern. The MPG 272URX QD-OLED even took home a CES 2025 Innovation Award.The 27-inch QHD QD-OLED model also has a catchy and memorable name: the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50. (Yes!) MSI is marketing this monitor to all the mainstream gamers out there," likely due to its lower (2,560 x 1,440) resolution. It also uses DisplayPort 2.1a and (like Samsung's) can have a 0.03ms gray-to-gray pixel response time. It received VESA ClearMR 21000 certification, so motion blur shouldn't be an issue when enjoying its blistering 500Hz refresh rate.MSI hasn't yet shared pricing or release date info for either model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/msi-also-has-a-27-inch-4k-qd-oled-gaming-monitor-at-ces-2025-221902190.html?src=rss

Net neutrality may have hit its final roadblock. In a new decision filed today, the Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals has ruled that the FCC does not have the "statutory authority" to implement net neutrality rules. The court first blocked the rules in August 2024 when the lawsuit at the center of today's ruling was filed.Net neutrality broadly seeks to prevent internet service provides (ISPs) from giving preferential treatment to specific users or content. That prevents things like a service provider charging a streaming service for faster speeds, or the throttling of a specific website. Every app, website, and user is supposed to be treated equally under net neutrality, making the rules integral to a free, fair and open internet.Since net neutrality rules were first put in place in 2015, the FCC's argument has been that its classification of ISPs as "telecommunication services" under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 gives it broad authority to regulate them. The decision to redefine ISPs as "information services" during the first Trump Administration led to the repeal of net neutrality in 2017.The current FCC voted to restore net neutrality on April 25 last year, but the difference between 2015 and now is the Supreme Court's recent, radical reinterpretation of an important legal doctrine. In June 2024, the Supreme Court filed two rulings that overturned the Chevron doctrine, a framework that basically said that if Congress doesn't weigh in on an issue, courts are supposed to defer to the interpretation of government agencies. Now, interpretation falls to the individual judge, and the Sixth Court doesn't agree with the FCC's argument.Net neutrality rules will remain in California and other states, but anything at the federal level will require either an act of Congress or for this case be appealed to (and succeed in front of) the Supreme Court. Engadget has reached out to the FCC to see if it plans on appealing and will update this article if we hear back."Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement following the ruling. "With this decision it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/us-court-of-appeals-rules-against-effort-to-restore-net-neutrality-205617210.html?src=rss

Nick Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister turned Meta executive, is leaving after a seven-year stint with the social media company. Clegg announced his departure in posts on X and Threads, saying that this is the right time for me to move on from my role as President, Global Affairs at Meta."Clegg will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a longtime policy executive and former White House aide to George W. Bush known for his deep ties to Republican circles in Washington. As Chief Global Affairs Officer, Kaplan - as Semafor notes -will be well-positioned to run interference for Meta as Donald Trump takes control of the White House.Clegg joined Meta in 2018, a year after the British public deemed the former leader of the Liberal Democrats unelectable. The company then known as Facebook was looking to improve its political relationships after Cambridge Analytica and other scandals. In 2022, he was promoted to President of Global Affairs, a position that reported directly to Mark Zuckerberg (his previous role was overseen by Meta's then-COO Sheryl Sandberg).The former politician played a key role in some of Meta's most significant and controversial decisions. He publicly defended the company's decision not to apply its fact checking policies to politicians and authored its public statements about the suspension and reinstatement of Donald Trump's Facebook account. More recently, Clegg has criticized the European Union's handling of tech regulation, arguing that the bloc is hampering advancements in AI.My time at the company coincided with a significant resetting of the relationship between big tech' and the societal pressures manifested in new laws, institutions and norms affecting the sector," Clegg wrote in a post on Threads. I hope I have played some role in seeking to bridge the very different worlds of tech and politics - worlds that will continue to interact in unpredictable ways across the globe."Clegg said in a Facebook post that he will spend the next few months" working with Kaplan and representing the company at a number of international gatherings in Q1 of this year" before he formally steps away from the company. He didn't indicate what he may do next.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/nick-clegg-is-leaving-meta-after-7-years-overseeing-its-policy-decisions-204207077.html?src=rss

The best thing about the start of a new year isn't the goal-setting or the aspirational self-improvement - it's watching Awesome Games Done Quick. AGDQ is one of the premiere events for speedrunning, with an entire week of high-skill gameplay and loads of heart as gamers raise money for charity. The organization's winter beneficiary is the Prevent Cancer Foundation, which runs programs intended to stop cancer before it starts, emphasizing early detection and prevention.The fun begins on January 5 and there is a lot to see. GDQ events highlight a great mix of modern and retro games across just about every genre. Expect plenty of platformers like Astro Bot, one of our favorite new game releases of 2024, which will be run on January 5 at 6:30 PM ET.Games Done Quick / Richard NgoWednesday is packed with good stuff, such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii with the unusual category of "Any% While Playing Piano," which you can catch at 4:43 PM ET. The beloved and hilarious awful block is also on January 8, kicking off with the truly terrible game Superman 64 at 11:24 PM ET. And the entire finale day is looking excellent, with another intriguing musical category of "Saxophone-Controlled Boss Showcase" happening for Elden Ring. Groovy!Be sure to keep an eye on the schedule during the week. It displays your local time zone and will be updated with any shifts that happen from delays or extra zippy world records. All the action happens on the Games Done Quick Twitch channel, which is also embedded below. The pre-show begins on January 5 at 11:30 AM ET and the stream will be live 24/7 until the final run calls time.Update, January 2, 2025, 3:09PM ET: Corrected misstated start date of the event.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-awesome-games-done-quick-2025-191752532.html?src=rss

Samsung just announced pending US availability for a new smartphone and fitness tracker. The Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy Fit3 are both modest devices that are just about perfect for the budget-conscious. These gadgets will be available for purchase in the US on January 9, after becoming available in other parts of the world a couple of months back. The Galaxy A16 5G is a step up from its predecessor in nearly every way. This is a very good thing, as the Galaxy A15 5G easily found a spot in our list of the best budget Android phones. The A16 features a thinner design and slimmer bezels, all while including a slightly larger screen. This 6.7" FHD Super AMOLED display boasts 800 nits of peak brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate. It comes equipped with an Exynos 1330 processor, a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast-charging and up to 8GB of RAM. Customers can also choose up to 256GB of internal storage, though it supports microSD cards. As with many modern smartphones, the cameras are the real stars of the show here. There's a 50MP rear camera, a 5MP ultra-wide, a 2MP macro lens and a 13MP front camera. That's a pretty good setup for the price, which starts at just $200. The A16 5G will be available in black and light gray. Samsung The Galaxy Fit3 is a fairly bare-bones health tracker that's described as the perfect entryway for anyone seeking to begin their health journey." It offers some decent capabilities, like fall detection and sleep tracking. It even monitors blood oxygen levels, which is something not many trackers do at this price point. The battery life is great, at 13 days, and the IP68 rating means that it should be able to handle being submerged in water, so long as it's not taken too deep. The tracker pairs with the Samsung Health app, which allows access to 100 different workout types. The Fit3 costs $60 and comes in a few colors, including gray, silver and gold. These colors apply to both the band and the tracker itself. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-galaxy-a16-5g-phone-and-fit3-tracker-are-coming-the-us-193710051.html?src=rss

You can now play Jeopardy! on your Fire TV Stick. Volley, the developer of the Alexa version of the game show, launched a new edition for Amazon's streaming device on Thursday. Unlike the voice assistant edition, this one lets you see the clues onscreen, which I have to imagine makes it much more enjoyable. Of course, you also get a familiar view of the 60-year-old show's iconic game board. The game is only available through the developer's new Volley Games app for Fire OS, which requires a $13 monthly subscription. Jeopardy! is exclusively voice-powered, apart from holding the voice button on the Alexa Voice Remote when you want to answer (in the form of a question, of course). Volley Although the photo above hints that the game might support local multiplayer, the developer says the feature won't be available at launch but will be coming soon." (However, it's hard to imagine how that will work without buying extra remotes so everyone can buzz in.) For now, the only way to play with friends is to work as a team or take turns with the remote. Jeopardy! only works on the Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max. So, you're out of luck if you have a Fire TV Cube or television with Fire TV baked in. However, Volley says it has plans to expand compatibility. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-is-jeopardy-on-your-fire-tv-stick-170008005.html?src=rss