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Having fewer ports makes laptops and tablets lighter and more affordable - but that also cuts down on your connectivity options. If you've got a MacBook Air, a slim Chromebook or a tablet you'd like to get more utility out of, a USB-C hub can help. Using just a single port on your device, these multiport adapters will let you hook up screens, tap into Ethernet cables, connect mice and keyboards, and transfer data to drives and memory cards. Most also give you a way to power your device through the hub to maximize port availability. We tested over a dozen models to come up with picks for every budget. Here are the best USB-C hubs, according to our tests. Table of contents

Several of Meta's VR studios have been affected by the company's metaverse-focused layoffs. The company has shuttered three of its VR studios, including Armature, Sanzaru and Twisted Pixel. VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content.Employees at Twisted Pixel, which released Marvel's Deadpool VR in November, and Sanzaru, known for Asgard's Wrath, posted on social media about the closures. Bloomberg reported that Armature, which brought Resident Evil 4 to Quest back in 2021 has also closed and that the popular VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer get updates.Due to recent organizational changes to our Studio, Supernatural will no longer receive new content or feature updates starting today," the company wrote in an update on Facebook. The app will remain active" for existing users.A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the closures. "We said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward Wearables," the spokesperson said in a statement to Engadget. "This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year."The cuts raise questions about Meta's commitment to supporting a VR ecosystem it has invested heavily in. The company hasn't announced any new VR headsets since the Quest 3S in 2024, and last month it "paused" planned Horizon OS headsets from Asus and Lenovo. Now, it's also pulling back on in-house game development too.Meta is claiming, internally at least, that it remains committed to supporting the industry. These changes do not mean we are moving away from video games," Oculus Studios director Tamara Sciamanna wrote in a memo reported by Bloomberg. "With this change we are shifting our investment to focus on our third-party developers and partners to ensure long-term sustainability."Have a tip for Karissa? You can reach her by email, on X, Bluesky, Threads, or send a message to @karissabe.51 to chat confidentially on Signal.Update, January 13, 2026, 2:13PM PT: This post was updated to additional information about Supernatural.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-has-closed-three-vr-studios-as-part-of-its-metaverse-cuts-202720670.html?src=rss

Last month, Instagram began rolling out a new set of controls that allowed users to personalize the topics recommended to them by the Reels algorithm. Now, Meta is making that feature available to all English users of the app globally, along with the ability to highlight their top topics for the coming year.The feature begins with a selection of topics Meta's AI thinks you're interested in based on your recent activity, and has controls to remove them or add new categories. There's also a separate field for identifying what you want to see less of, and a new "build your 2026 algorithm" that allows you to highlight three topics in particular.Meta's algorithm tagged a skiing clip as "snowboarding."Screenshot via InstagramI don't yet have the 2026-specific control yet, but I was able to tweak some of my preferred topics and was surprised at how quickly the algorithm seemed to adjust. I added "snowboarding" as a topic and then later, when I clicked over to Reels, the first clip I saw was tagged "snowboarding." Unfortunately, the video wasn't actually about snowboarding - it featured a clip of a freestyle skiing event - so Meta's systems might still need a little work at classifying the actual content. But given how sensitive the Reels algorithm can be, it's nice to have a way of opting out of interests even if you briefly went down a rabbit hole.The feature won't, however, let you ask to see fewer ads. I tried to add "ads" to my "what you want to see less of" list and received an error. "No results found. Try another topic or interest." I was able to successfully add "sponsored content" and "AI" to my "see less" list, though I'm pretty sure the latter will affect videos about AI rather than those made with the help of it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-wants-you-to-personalize-your-reels-algorithm-for-2026-215252736.html?src=rss

The Senate has passed the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE ) Act with unanimous consent, according to the bill's co-sponsor Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). The bill lets the subjects of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes take civil action against the people who create and host them.Deepfakes are a known issue online, but without the proper protections, easy access to AI-powered image and video generation tools has made it possible for anyone to create compromising content using another person's likeness. This has become a particular problem on X, where the integration of Grok, the AI assistant created by X's parent company xAI, makes it possible for anyone to turn the content of another person's post into an image-generating prompt. Over the last month, that's allowed users to create sexually explicit images of children, just by replying to a post with @grok and a request.In response, Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, has already opened an investigation into X for potentially violating the Online Safety Act. The chatbot has also been outright blocked in Malaysia and Indonesia. The DEFIANCE Act won't prevent Grok or other AI tools from generating nonconsensual deepfakes, but it would make creating or hosting that content potentially very expensive for anyone on the receiving end of a lawsuit.The Senate passed an earlier version of the DEFIANCE Act in 2024, but it stalled in the House. Given the urgency of Grok's deepfake problem, the hope is this new version of the bill won't see the same resistance. Congress passed an earlier piece of deepfake regulation last year, the Take It Down Act, with bipartisan support. That bill was focused on the companies who host nonconsensual, sexually explicit content, rather than the people exploited by it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/senate-passes-defiance-act-for-a-second-time-to-address-grok-deepfakes-212151712.html?src=rss

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, tested its autonomous vehicles in New York City in 2025, and as part of proposed legislation from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the company could soon offer its services across the state, Wired reports.Governor Hochul's proposed legislation was formally announced during a State of the State address covering policy proposals for the upcoming year. The new law, if passed, would loosen the state's restrictions on self-driving car companies by forming a pilot program that would allow for "the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City." Applicants to the pilot program would need to demonstrate that they have "local support for [autonomous vehicle] deployment" and prove their "adherence to the highest possible safety standards" to be considered.As a company with presumably good odds of being approved, Waymo supports the legislation. "Governor Hochul's proposal to legalize fully autonomous vehicles is a transformative moment for New York's transportation system," Waymo's Head of Global Public Policy Justin Kintz said in a statement. "With the Governor's leadership, New York has the opportunity to pair its investments in slower speeds, better traffic enforcement, and first-in-the-nation congestion management strategies with Waymo's demonstrably safe technology, creating a future where living in New York is safer, easier, and more accessible."Waymo already has commercial robotaxi services in select cities in California, Texas and Georgia, offered on its own or in partnership with Uber. The company announced plans to expand in Texas and Florida late last year, and is already committed to offering service in Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit in 2026. Wired reports Waymo spent over $370,000 lobbying regulators in New York about telecommunications and transportation issues in 2025, and based on today's announcement, it appears those efforts are paying off.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/proposed-legislation-opens-the-door-to-robotaxi-services-in-new-york-193804671.html?src=rss

Taiwanese officials have issued an arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO Pete Lau on allegations of illegally employing workers in Taiwan. Two Taiwanese citizens who worked for Lau have also been indicted. The China-based smartphone company has been accused of illegally recruiting more than 70 engineers from Taiwan.Members of the Shilin District Prosecutors Office claim that OnePlus reportedly set up a shell company in Hong Kong with a distinct name, then launched a branch in Taiwan in 2015 without government approval. The branch reportedly worked on research and development for OnePlus mobile phones. Taiwanese officials claim these actions by OnePlus violated the Cross-Strait Act, which is designed as a guide for relations between Taiwan and mainland China. One of the act's provisions requires Chinese companies to obtain permission from the Taiwanese government to hire workers from Taiwan.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/taiwan-issues-arrest-warrant-for-pete-lau-ceo-of-oneplus-185400997.html?src=rss

As we expected, Meta has begun laying off more than 1,000 employees from its Reality Labs division, which focused on virtual reality and metaverse products, Bloomberg reports. The company will refocus on developing wearables, like its recent batch of AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, according to a memo from CTO Andrew Bosworth.The news isn't too surprising. Reality Labs has lost more than $70 billion since the beginning of 2021, and while Meta has done a solid job of delivering desirable consumer VR headsets and smart glasses, that business hasn't been nearly profitable enough to justify the cost. And of course, Mark Zuckerberg's huge gamble on the metaverse, which involved renaming the company from Facebook to Meta in 2021, has gone nowhere.According to Bloomberg, Meta's metaverse plans will now focus on mobile devices, which could mean a combination of its future wearables as well as existing mobile apps. With the larger potential user base and the fastest growth rate today, we are shifting teams and resources almost exclusively to mobile to continue to accelerate adoption there," Bosworth wrote in a memo to staff this morning.Meta isn't dumping its VR headset plans entirely, but according to Bosworth the VR divion will operate as a leaner, flatter organization with a more focused road map to maximize long-term sustainability." Basically, don't expect a Quest 3 follow-up anytime soon.

Apple has been putting more onus on its services for the past several years - the company makes tens of billions of dollars in revenue from that side of the business, which it claimed had a record year in 2025. Apple is nudging a little more in that direction with a new subscription bundle called Apple Creator Studio.This allows creators to pay a single fee ($13 per month or $129 per year) to use Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage. Subscribers will get access to premium content" in Pages, Keynote and Numbers (as well as in Freeform later this year). Of course, there are AI features too. Apple Creator Studio will be available starting on January 28 and you can try it out at no cost through a one-month free trial.College students and educators can subscribe to Apple Creator Studio for $3 per month or $30 per year. Up to six people can access all of the plan's features if one person in a Family Sharing group subscribes.Apple noted that Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor and MainStage will still be available as one-time purchases for Mac through the Mac App Store. Given that those can be pretty pricy (going up to $300 for Final Cut Pro), the subscription could be enticing to many burgeoning creators.This seems like Apple's attempt to muscle in on Adobe's territory, especially now that it's bringing AI features to many of these apps. Adding new features to productivity apps like Numbers and Keynote means Apple's taking a shot at the likes of Microsoft 365 Copilot (yeeeeah, that's what Office is called now) and Google Workspace as well.On Mac and iPad, Final Cut Pro has a new feature called Beat Detection. Apple suggests this makes editing video to the rhythm of music fast and fun." It uses an AI model from Logic Pro to analyze music tracks and display a Beat Grid. The idea here is to visualize song parts, beats and bars to help editors align their cuts with the music.The Montage Maker tool in Final Cut Pro on an iPad.AppleAn AI-powered Montage Maker tool can stitch together a dynamic video based on the best visual moments within the footage." You'll be able to tweak these montages and use an Auto Crop tool to reframe the clip into a vertical format to make it a better fit for social media. Final Cut Pro has transcript and visual search functions too.Logic Pro, MainStage, Pixelmator Pro (which is coming to iPad with Apple Pencil support) and Motion will all have AI-powered features as well. As you might expect, you'll need an Apple Intelligence-capable device to use some of these.Apple is also introducing something called the Content Hub. This media library includes curated, high-quality photos, graphics and illustrations."As for Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, you'll be able to access premium templates and themes in those otherwise-free apps with a Apple Creator Studio plan. Subscribers will be able to try beta versions of new features, such as a way to generate a draft of a Keynote presentation text based on an outline, and a Magic Fill tool to generate formulas and fill in tables in Numbers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-bundles-creative-apps-such-as-final-cut-pro-and-logic-pro-into-a-single-subscription-145210038.html?src=rss

Anker is going up against Tesla in the home battery backup segment with Solix E10 that promises "whole-home backup" at an affordable price. The system delivers enough power to handle heavy-duty air conditioners and other high-power appliances in the event of a blackout. It also claims that the E10 supports DIY-friendly installation thanks to the stackable, plug-and-play design. Each Anker Solix E10 unit can deliver up to 37.2kW of surge power and stacking two boosts that to 66kW. It also comes with a "turbo output" mode that can output 10kW per unit for 90 minutes maximum. That level of power, along with the minimal 20ms auto-switch time (from grid to battery), means you may not even notice if the power grid goes down. Anker For large installations, you can stack up to three E10 units to boost power to 90kWh, enough to provide whole home backup for up to 15 days (average US consumption is 30kWh per day so that might be stretching it). If that's not enough, you can add Anker's tri-fuel Solix Smart Generator 5500 that runs on gasoline, propane or natural gas and charges the E10 batteries via DC for maximum efficiency. The E10 can also handle up to 9kW of input from solar panels, or 27kW with three units. Anker's Solix E10 can be purchased with several optional components. The Power Dock allows auto switching from grid power in the even of an outage in 20 milliseconds, while the Smart Inlet Box provides a manual switchover option. The latter lets you charge the E10 batteries from the grid with existing solar systems to save money. In the event of a wild storm, units are weatherproof thanks to the all-metal enclosures and can be operated in temperatures ranging from -4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. As for pricing, the Solix E10 costs $4,299 by itself, $4,599 with the Smart Inlet Box, $5,799 with the Solix Power Dock and $7,399 with the Solix Power Dock and Smart Generator. Adding an extra E10 unit would boost the latter price to around $10,000. However, Anker claims lower installation costs for the Solix E10 than Tesla and other manufacturers due to its modular nature and says it's so intuitive that some buyers could do a DIY installation. The Solix E10 is now available for pre-order. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ankers-solix-e10-battery-backup-can-power-your-entire-house-in-a-blackout-143040115.html?src=rss

Tesla's 2026 Model Y is now available on the company's site and it comes with a new (and old) option: a seven-seat version via a third row. The extra seating costs $2,500 and is only available if you order the Premium All-Wheel-Drive Long Range model. Tesla first teased the option last year via an email to prospective buyers with the promise of "seating for up to seven and enough room for everyone's gear," Electrek reported at the time.The new seats appear to be designed mainly for children as they don't offer much legroom, according to images on Tesla's configurator. Tesla notes that the seven-seat interior "features fold-flat second-row and third-row seats," though it's not clear if those seats fold down electrically like the second row.TeslaTesla is facing increased competition, especially in the crossover/SUV category, and saw another sales decline last quarter. The company previously sold a seven-seat version of the Model Y in the US for a short time before it was refreshed early last year. Since then, though, it has only been available with five seats. Tesla launched a six-seat "Model YL" version in China in August 2025 with a six-inch wheelbase extension that the US model lacks. Elon Musk said that model would come to the US market in late 2026 or maybe "never."Otherwise, changes to the Model Y lineup are minor and confined to the Premium version. Those include a 20-inch dark-grey "Helix" "wheel option, a new black headliner, a bigger, higher-resolution 16-inch display and darker rear badging.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-launches-a-seven-seat-version-of-the-2026-model-y-130039385.html?src=rss

We aren't even two weeks into the new year and Ubisoft is already looking to carry out its second round of layoffs in 2026. The company has informed workers at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm of a "proposed organizational restructure" that could affect around 55 roles across its two Swedish studios. Workers at Massive (the developer of The Division series, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) were offered voluntary buyouts late last year as part of Ubisoft's ongoing cost-cutting efforts."This restructure follows the completion of the Voluntary Leave Program launched during the fall of 2025, a finalized long-term roadmap and a completed staffing and appointment process, which together have provided clearer visibility into the structure and capacity required to support the two studios' work and sustainably over time," Ubisoft told IGN in a statement. "These proposed changes are forward-looking and structural, they are not related to individual performance, recent deliveries or the quality of the work produced by the teams."Ubisoft claims that the "long-term direction for the studios remains unchanged." Massive will continue working on projects that include The Division 3. Ubisoft Stockholm, meanwhile, is beavering away on a new franchise that's still under wraps for now. That project is harnessing the studio's Ubisoft Scalar cloud computing tech, according to Game Developer.Earlier in January, the company said it was shutting down Ubisoft Halifax, resulting in the loss of 71 jobs. Workers at that studio unionized just 16 days earlier. Ubisoft said its decision was part of "company-wide actions to streamline operations."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/star-wars-outlaws-developer-massive-entertainment-and-ubisoft-stockholm-face-layoffs-134234968.html?src=rss

Resident Evil Requiem, the first new mainline entry in the series since 2021's Resident Evil Village, is just over a month away and Capcom is ready to share more details. The publisher will air a Resident Evil Showcase on January 15 at 5PM ET. You'll be able to watch it on Twitch and YouTube (in English and Japanese).The stream will run for around 12 minutes. It will feature all the latest info on Resident Evil Requiem," which will almost certainly include some gameplay ahead of it hitting PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam on February 27. Capcom might have more in store, though. An announcement for the showcase on the Resident Evil website states that, Some of the games included in the show aren't suitable for children."That suggests the company will share details about other RE titles. It may just be a case of Capcom offering a reminder that it's also bringing ports of Resident Evil 7 and Village to Switch 2 on February 27. Still, there's a chance we'll hear news of more ports. There's also the possibility that we get a glimpse of the next Resident Evil movie, a reboot of the series from Barbarian and Weapons filmmaker Zack Cregger that's set to hit theaters in September.

Insta360, a company most known for its action cameras, has released two new AI-powered 4K webcams, the Link 2 Pro and Link 2C Pro, aimed at creators, educators and remote professionals. The company's goal with these models is "a webcam experience that looks and sounds remarkably close to a professional camera and microphone setup."Both models use a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor with dual native ISO for improved low-light performance over the previous generation, and both support HDR. Insta360 says the audio on both models leverages beamforming technology as well as AI noise canceling to help voices sound clearer in noisy environments. Users can choose from four pickup modes designed for different sound sources like "Focus" that isolates a single voice or "Wide" if there are multiple speakers.Video resolution on both models tops out 4K at 30 fps, and Insta360 says its updated True Focus system uses phase-detection autofocus to lock onto subjects, keeping them in focus while they move. There's also a "Natural Bokeh" mode meant to mimic the shallow depth-of-field look of a traditional DSLR camera, for users who enjoy that look.As for what sets them apart, the Link 2 Pro sports a 2-axis gimbal for AI-assisted tracking, which offers single or group-mode framing, while the Link 2C Pro is static and designed for fixed-position setups. Both models offer gesture control features, allowing users to control certain functions hands-free. These include starting or stopping tracking and zooming in or out. Both models also include a magnetic mount for easy placement on metal surfaces.Several different modes are offered that aid in teaching and presenting. Among them are Smart Whiteboard mode, which will automatically detect a user's whiteboard and keep it clearly in frame, and DeskView mode, which captures an overhead view of a user's desk. There's also a green screen mode, a portrait mode and support for virtual backgrounds.The new webcams also support Insta360 InSight, the company's subscription AI-powered meeting assistant. InSight can record meetings, generate transcripts, create summaries and more.The Link 2 Pro will retail for $250 while the Link 2C Pro will go for $200. Both models are available for purchase now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360-releases-ai-powered-follow-up-to-its-link-webcams-130003572.html?src=rss

Apple and Google have confirmed that Gemini's models power the new version of Siri and other generative AI features. CNBC broke the news, but Apple and Google soon followed up with a lengthy joint statement. Here's part of it: Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models... Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards."In June, it was reported that Apple was considering partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic for Siri (the voice assistant can currently tap ChatGPT for certain queries as part of Apple Intelligence). Two months later, Google emerged as a contender. Another report suggested Apple might build the new Siri using a custom version of Gemini - and that it would pay Google around $1 billion a year for the privilege. However, no official deal numbers were shared.It's also notable that current iPhones have direct access to OpenAI's ChatGPT. But how long for?- Mat SmithThe other big stories this morning

Proton's latest update for Lumo, its privacy-focused chatbot, introduces a feature called Projects. It's a dedicated and encrypted space for tasks that you know you'll access again and again over an extended period of time, such as papers you'll have to work on the whole semester or plans for a big trip you're taking later this year.Lumo will remember and keep all the information and all the files you upload for every project you create. Any document you upload or resources you add to the chat will sync across devices, so you don't have to repeat yourself every time you access a task. Projects are also integrated with Proton Drive, allowing you to easily link documents and other files in your chats.Proton says you can use the feature for just about any topic you want and give the chatbot tailored instructions for every project you create. It also said that each project is its own encrypted environment and that it will not use your chat histories to train AI models. To be clear, Lumo uses open source AI models, including Nemo, OpenHands 32B, OLMO 2 32B and Mistral Small 3.The latest version of Lumo is now available to all users, but you're only limited to one project if you're on a free account. To be able to created an unlimited number of projects, you'll have to subscribe to Lumo Plus, which costs $10 a month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/protons-lumo-ai-chatbot-now-has-an-encrypted-space-for-your-projects-110000298.html?src=rss

With the dominance of smart TVs, streaming sticks and boxes may seem redundant - but if your smart set is slow or has a frustrating user interface, a streaming device will let you bypass your TV's built-in OS and use Google TV, Fire TV, Apple TV or something else instead. There are a lot of streaming gadgets out there, all with different operating systems, memory capacities, video resolutions and bonus features, such as headphone connections and ambient modes that fill your screen with stills when you're not watching. We tested options from the major brands and broke down exactly what each device gives you so you can pick the best streaming device for your TV. Table of contents

Computer brand Framework has hiked the prices on RAM for its Desktop systems and Mainframes in response to rising costs with its suppliers. Compared with when the Desktops were announced, the 32GB and 64GB options each cost $40 more, but its 128GB variation now costs an extra $460. The current pricing for machines is $1,139 for 32GB, $1,639 for 64GB or $2,459 for 128GB.Since the company began altering its pricing structure last month, it committed to remaining transparent with customers about the changes happening to RAM prices. Framework also said it would reduce prices again once the market calms down. The original prices will be honored for any existing pre-orders.One of the big takeaways from CES 2026 was that RAM is going to be an expensive commodity this year. The rising costs are largely in response to artificial intelligence projects, such as the rush to build data centers. As a result, buyers who take the modular approach may want to upgrade less costly components for better specs without making the increasingly hefty investment in memory.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/framework-increases-desktop-prices-by-up-to-460-due-to-ram-crisis-234827145.html?src=rss

We learned last March that Lego and Pokemon would be joining forces and the first results of their partnership are here. Pre-orders for all three kits are open now, with an expected ship date of February 27. As one might have guessed from the lightning bolts on the previous promotional image, one of the debut pocket monsters getting the brick treatment is Pikachu, complete with a Poke Ball. The 2,050-piece kit can be built to show Pikachu either leaping out of the open Poke Ball into battle or at rest staring up at the builder, closed Poke Ball between his paws. The Pikachu kit costs $200. There's also a 587-piece model of Eevee, which goes for $60. On the bigger side is a set featuring a trio of Pokemon: Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise. This kit has 6,838 pieces and can show the group together in battle formation or separately in their own mini environments. It retails for $650. Lego Before you leap to pre-order pages, however, here's a word of caution. In Lego form, our little friends look...kinda strange? I'm not the biggest Lego builder, but I am a rather accomplished architect in Minecraft, so I am well aware of the innate challenge in constructing a rounded shape from square blocks. Take Pikachu, for instance. Part of his appeal is his chubby little cheeks. There are bricks with more rounded sides in this collection that hint at his usual rotundness, but the proportions of his face just feel a little off to me. I had the same reaction to the other figures as well, although Eevee seems to have fared a little better than the others. They're all sort of cute, but not nearly so cute as they are in other formats. But like I said, Lego is not my personal block of choice, so perhaps I'm in the minority here! If you love these bricky pocket monsters, then roll on over to Lego's website and snap up these kits faster than a Mewtwo. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/legos-first-pokemon-sets-are-now-available-for-pre-order-205527102.html?src=rss

Last year, Dell killed off all of its PC brands, including the iconic XPS lineup, and replaced them with a simplified naming scheme. It was a move meant to make it easier for people to discern between the company's many brands, but in reality, it just just made the company's lineup even more confusing. We called it an unforced error at the time, but after seeing how much Dell's PC market share fell over 2025, it's fair to say that rebranding was an absolute marketing disaster.So, with its tail between its legs, Dell has returned to CES some welcome news for its fans: XPS lives! And the company plans to double-down on the brand in ways it never did before. Today, Dell revealed the new XPS 14 and 16 notebooks, which feature a more practical design than the previous models. There's a new function row with traditional keys, instead of the odd capacitive buttons that disappeared in sunlight. And while the company is sticking with its "invisible" trackpad, which sits flush alongside the wrist rest, there's now a light border around the edges that lets you feel exactly where the trackpad begins and ends.So, in short, Dell seems to have solved most of our recent complaints about the XPS lineup. To signify its commitment to the brand, it's also emblazoning the XPS logo on all of these new machines, replacing the previous Dell name. That's something I could never imagine a less humbled Dell doing.The redesign also gave Dell room to shave off some weight and thickness from both machines. The XPS 14 weighs around three pounds now, a half-pound lighter than the previous generation, while the XPS 16 weighs 3.6 pounds, a whole pound lighter than before. The new cases make both machines look a lot more like Microsoft's extra-subtle Surface Laptop, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Both systems are powered by Intel's new Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 chips, and they also offer tandem OLED display options.Dell also briefly teased the return of a new XPS 13 later this year, which is set to be the company's thinnest and lightest notebook ever. Dell says it'll be cheaper than the XPS has been in the past.The new XPS 14 and 16 will be available on January 6, starting at $2,050 and $2,200, respectively. A Dell representative tells us these aren't entry-level configurations, instead we can expect to see cheaper prices with lower specs in February.Update 1/6/26, 12:30p: Pricing updated to reflecrt new numbers from Dell. Originally, we were told they would start at $1,650 and $1,850.Update 1/12, 3:00p: Added a mention of lower entry-level configurations coming eventually.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-revives-its-xps-laptops-after-a-boneheaded-rebranding-001028029.html?src=rss

Dell's XPS 14 currently costs over $2,000. An AMD executive predicts that PC builders will likely make piecemeal upgrades this year, instead of building entirely new systems. And new AI supercomputers from NVIDIA and AMD are gobbling up the RAM market. At CES 2026, it was hard not to notice the dire year ahead for the computing industry, one that will likely lead to higher prices and more limited availability for consumer goods across the board.Really, though, the show just confirmed what was apparent since RAM prices skyrocketed over the last few months, driven by demand from AI datacenters. As Samsung's marketing leader, Wonjin Lee, told Bloomberg at CES: "There's going to be issues around semiconductor supplies, and it's going to affect everyone. Prices are going up even as we speak."At first, it appeared that Dell's new XPS 14 and XPS 16 were among the earliest systems hit by these demands. Last year's models started at $1,699 and $1,899, respectively, and we were initially told the new models would actually come in cheaper at $1,650 and $1,850. At the moment, the XPS 14 starts at $2,050, while the XPS 16 is $2,200. A Dell representative tells us these aren't entry-level configurations, instead we can expect to see cheaper systems below $2,000 in February. While those prices haven't been finalized, the reps say it should be similar to the earlier figures we were given.It's also worth noting that it didn't take much to configure the earlier models upwards of $2,000. It's just unfortunate that Dell doesn't have cheaper configurations available for the launch if its new systems, especially since they look so compelling. Meanwhile, Apple still hasn't budged its $1,599 MacBook Pro 14-inch pricing. At least Dell still comes in cheaper than the $2,499 MacBook Pro 16-inch.On the desktop front, AMD's David McAfee, Corporate Vice President and GM of Client Channel Business, noted that the longevity of the company's AM4 and AM5 platforms might be a boon for gamers, since they can upgrade their CPUs without buying new RAM kits and motherboards. That allows for a pathway to better performance without paying out the nose for over-priced RAM."I think that will be potentially a trend that we see in 2026 with more component upgrades, as opposed to full system swap outs and, and altogether rebuilds," he said in a group interview with Engadget and other outlets. "Some of the most popular CPUs that are still running in gamers' platforms are parts like the 2600 back to the Pinnacle Ridge days, or 3000 series... Stepping even from there into a little bit more modern 5,000 series processors in an AM4 socket and motherboard, there's a pretty big boost there."McAfee added that around 30 to 40 percent of AMD's business still revolves around the AM4 platform, even without the specter of a wild memory market."There's no product that has memory in it that's immune to some of these forces around DRAM pricing and, and what it's doing to the market," he said, when asked about potential GPU price increases. "I think the, the truth is the volatility that we've seen over the past two months or so has really been unprecedented."Looking ahead, he said he expects prices to settle within the first three to six months of the year, but he didn't discuss his reasoning further. As an aside, he also noted that AMD's X3D chips, which feature 3D V-cache, actually don't see much of a hit from slower RAM. Their high amounts of onboard L2 and L3 cache make up for less ideal memory transfer speeds, McAfee said.That McAfee commented at all about the state of RAM is noteworthy. Every PC maker I've asked, including Dell and Acer, refused to comment on the volatile state of the memory industry ahead of CES. Perhaps they were hoping things would calm down before they had to price their new systems. Ultimately, they're beholden to an increasingly limited supply of RAM.And where is all that memory going? At CES, NVIDIA announced its new Vera Rubin AI supercomputer, which supports up to 54TB of RAM across 36 Vera CPUs and 20.7TB of memory across 72 GPUs. AMD, as well, announced its new Helios AI rack, which supports up to 31TB of memory across 72 AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs. Given the endless appetite for computing to power AI model building and inferencing, there's likely going to be a significant demand for these beastly systems.Put simply: Our global supply of memory is being sacrificed to appease the AI industry. That's good news for the likes of OpenAI, Microsoft and NVIDIA, but bad news for anyone who cares about PCs and the consumer products we use every day. Get ready for a year of price hikes.Update 1/12, 3:00p: Added a mention of lower entry-level configurations coming eventually.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/ces-2026-proved-the-pc-industry-is-hosed-this-year-174500314.html?src=rss

On the heels of Mark Zuckerberg announcing that Meta's former board member, Dina Powell McCormick, would be formally joining the company as president and vice chairman, the CEO has shared new details about her purview at the company. The executive will play a key role overseeing Meta's sprawling infrastructure investments as part of a newly announced initiative called Meta Compute."Meta is planning to build tens of gigawatts this decade, and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time," Zuckerberg said in an update. "How we engineer, invest, and partner to build this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage."Zuckerberg said that Meta's head of global engineering Santosh Janardhan will lead the "top-level initiative" and that recent hire and former Safe Superintelligence CEO Daniel Gross will "lead a new group responsible for long-term capacity strategy, supplier partnerships, industry analysis, planning, and business modeling." McCormick is expected to "work on partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta's infrastructure."Meta has been investing heavily in infrastructure to fuel its AI "superintelligence" ambitions. The company also recently announced three agreements to buy massive amounts of nuclear power to help power its data centers. Zuckerberg has previously said he expects Meta to spend $600 billion on AI infrastructure and jobs by 2028.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/mark-zuckerberg-announces-new-meta-compute-initiative-for-its-data-center-and-ai-projects-192100086.html?src=rss

Paramount Skydance just does not want to take no for an answer. After having multiple bids to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) rejected, including a recent hostile bid that the WBD board recommended that shareholders reject, Paramount is turning to the courts and mounting a proxy fight.In a letter to shareholders on Monday, Paramount CEO David Ellison said the company has filed suit in Delaware Chancery Court seeking more disclosure about WBD's pending Netflix deal and the process that led to its acceptance. Paramount argues WBD hasn't provided basic information" shareholders need to evaluate competing offers, including how WBD valued the planned cable-networks spinout Discovery Global (or Global Networks, depending on the filing). The Netflix acquisition would leave Discovery Global to become its own publicly traded company, while the Paramount offer included these assets.Paramount is also escalating the corporate pressure campaign, with Ellison saying it intends to nominate a slate of directors for election at WBD's 2026 annual meeting. The end goal would be installing a board that would engage" on Paramount's offer under the terms of WBD's merger agreement with Netflix.If WBD were to call a special meeting to approve the Netflix transaction before the annual meeting, Paramount says it will solicit proxy votes against the deal. It also plans to push a bylaw change requiring shareholders to approve any separation of Discovery Global. This change seems like Paramount stoking the flames (whether real or imagined) surrounding shareholders having their WBD shares bought out without the value of Discovery Global built-in under the Netflix merger.Paramount remains convinced that its offer is "superior" to that of Netflix, while WBD maintains Paramount's bid offers "insufficient value" and that Paramount has failed to submit a true best proposal "despite clear direction from WBD on both the deficiencies and potential solutions." The lawsuit now aims to force WBD to spell out exactly how it arrived at recommending the Netflix deal over Paramount's bid.WBD expressed concerns over whether a potential Paramount deal would even reach closing, citing the substantial debt the smaller studio would have to take on to pull off a leveraged buyout.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/paramount-wont-quit-files-suit-against-warner-bros-discovery-over-rejected-bid-175317166.html?src=rss

Apple and Google have confirmed reports that it will use Google Gemini's models to help it power the new version of Siri and other generative AI features. CNBC first reported the news; Apple and Google subsequently released a joint statement which reads:Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards."Apple first demoed a genAI version of Siri back at WWDC 2024. In March 2025, the company said it was delaying a major Siri update until this year, but it appears that Apple is not quite ready to publicly release a more capable version of the voice assistant.In June, it was reported that Apple was considering partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic for Siri (the voice assistant can currently tap ChatGPT for certain queries as part of Apple Intelligence). Two months later, Google emerged as a possible contender. Those rumors intensified in November, when it was reported that Apple might build the new Siri using a custom version of Gemini that runs on its Private Cloud Compute servers - and that it would pay Google around $1 billion a year for the privilege.Update, January 12, 2026, 12:03PM ET: This story has been updated with a full joint statement from Apple and Google.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apples-siri-ai-will-be-powered-by-gemini-153636649.html?src=rss

India is considering new smartphone security rules that would require device makers to allow government access to source code for vulnerability analysis." It would also require companies to notify the government of major software updates and security patches before rollout, according to Reuters.This is the latest in a raft of unprecedented proposals by the Indian government under the guise of security, as it weighs making a package of 83 security standards drafted in 2023 legally binding in the world's second-largest smartphone market with nearly 750 million smartphones.Under the proposals, any source code review would be analyzed and potentially tested at designated labs in India. Major phone manufacturers have reportedly warned the Indian government that such a move risks revealing proprietary information.The source code proposal comes alongside a series of additional recommendations such as restrictions on background permissions for apps and the option to remove all preinstalled apps. Reuters also reports the package would mandate periodic malware scanning and require phones to store system logs for at least 12 months, requirements that industry groups told the publication would drain battery life, run into storage limits and slow the rollout of necessary security updates.The nation's IT ministry told Reuters it "refutes the statement" that it is proposing manufacturers hand over their source code. This was despite a review of internal government and industry documents as part of the reporting. Government officials and industry executives are reportedly due to meet Tuesday for more discussions.Last month, India was set to require a state-owned cybersecurity app be preinstalled on every smartphone in the nation before backpedaling after intense backlash. Just two days later, there was reportedly a proposal to require that smartphones keep location services on at all times with no way to turn them off.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/india-is-proposing-another-far-reaching-security-rule-for-smartphones-155204829.html?src=rss

Meta has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a banking executive and former Republican White House official, as its new president and vice-chairman. The company said McCormick will help guide its overall strategy and execution as a part of the management team.Dina's experience at the highest levels of global finance, combined with her deep relationships around the world, makes her uniquely suited to help Meta manage this next phase of growth as the company's president and vice chairman," said Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.McCormick was a partner at Goldman Sachs and ran its Global Sovereign investment banking business. She was most recently vice chair, president and head of global client services at merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners. McCormick was also deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term and held several roles during the George W. Bush administration, including assistant secretary of state for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She is married to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA).Meta's new president joined the company's board last April, but she resigned in December. Just a few weeks later, McCormick has taken on a higher-profile role at Meta.McCormick is the second former Trump official that Meta has appointed to a prominent role this month. Last week, the company hired Curtis Joseph Mahoney, who was most recently a corporate vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, as its chief legal officer. Mahoney was a deputy US trade representative during the first Trump administration.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-appoints-ex-trump-and-bush-official-as-its-new-president-and-vice-chairman-151048263.html?src=rss

The 2026 Golden Globes took place on Sunday and it was another big night for streamers. Netflix took home seven awards, Apple and HBO Max each won three and Hulu got one.Netflix's hit show Adolescence received four awards alone, including best limited or anthology series. It also won for best actor (Stephen Graham), supporting actor (Owen Cooper) and supporting actress (Erin Doherty) in a miniseries or television film.KPop Demon Hunters - the sensation which became Netflix's most-watched title - won for best animated feature and best original song. "I just want to say this award goes to people who have had doors closed on them, and I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up. It is never too late to shine like you were born to be," singer-songwriter EJAE said in her acceptance speech for the song, Golden.Netflix also won for best performance in stand-up comedy on television for Ricky Gervais: Mortality.Apple TV took home two awards for The Studio: best television series musical or comedy and best performance by a male actor in a television series for Seth Rogen. The streamer also won for best performance by a lead actress in a television series drama thanks to Rhea Seehorn in Pluribus.The Pitt gave HBO Max two of its three awards, with trophies for best television series drama and best performance by a lead actor in a television series drama to Noah Wyle. Jean Smart rounded out the streamer's awards with best performance by a lead actress in a television series musical or comedy for Hacks.Hulu's award came through best performance by a lead actress in a limited or anthology series for Michelle Williams in Dying For Sex.This year also brought a first to the Golden Globes: the best podcast category. Amy Poehler won for Good Hang with Amy Poehler, a podcast that has featured interviews with everyone from Tina Fey to Quinta Brunson since debuting in March last year. Fellow nominees included Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-won-seven-awards-at-the-golden-globes-with-adolescence-and-kpop-demon-hunters-140006510.html?src=rss

To comply with Australia's under-16 social media ban, Meta said on Medium that it has shut down nearly 550,00 accounts. That number includes 330,000 Instagram, 173,000 Facebook and 40,000 Threads accounts deemed to belong to children. "Ongoing compliance with the law will be a multi-layered process that we will continue to refine, though our concerns about determining age online without an industry standard remain," the company wrote.Australia's minimum age social media ban, the first of its kind in the world for a democracy, went into effect on December 10. The ten platforms affected, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit and Twitch, must bar underage users or face a fine of up to $AUD 49.5 million ($33 million). Platforms are using a variety of means to determine age, including age inference based on activity and selfies.Some of those platforms aren't taking the ban lying down. Reddit, which launched a lawsuit against the Australian government, argued that it shouldn't have been included in the ban since it isn't a social media site, while adding that it comes with some "serious privacy and political expression issues" for users.Meta also expressed its opposition to the ban, citing a number of factors. It says taking social media out of the hands of teens can isolate them from getting support from online communities, and that the ban is only driving them to "less regulated parts of the internet." It also sites inconsistent age verification methods and a lack of interest in compliance from teens and parents.However, the fact that Meta has removed almost 550,000 accounts just a month after the ban took affect shows that it is also affecting the company's bottom line. And Meta doesn't have a sterling record when it comes to teen safety, having previously downplayed the frequency of harm to children.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-closes-550000-accounts-to-comply-with-australias-kids-social-media-ban-130041356.html?src=rss

The UK's media regulator has opened a formal investigation into X under the Online Safety Act. "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualized images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM)," Ofcom said.The investigation will focus on whether X has "has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK." That includes whether X is taking appropriate measures to prevent UK users from seeing "priority" illegal content, such as CSAM and non-consensual intimate images; if the platform is removing illegal content quickly after becoming aware of it; and whether X carried out an updated risk assessment before making "any significant changes" to the platform. The probe will also consider whether X assessed the risk that its platform poses to UK children and if it has "highly effective age assurance to protect UK children from seeing pornography."The regulator said it contacted X on January 5 and received a response by its January 9 deadline. Ofcom is conducting an "expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency" and added that it has asked xAI for "urgent clarification" on the steps the company is taking to protect UK users."Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning," an Ofcom spokesperson said. "Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that's illegal in the UK, and we won't hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there's a risk of harm to children. We'll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK's independent online safety enforcement agency, it's important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided."If Ofcom deems that a company has broken the law, it can "require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach." The regulator can additionally impose fines of up to 18 million ($24.3 million) or 10 percent of "qualifying" worldwide revenue, whichever of the two figures is higher. It can also seek a court order to stop payment providers or advertisers from working with a platform, or to require internet service providers to block a site in the UK. The UK government has said it would back any action that Ofcom takes against X.Reports over the weekend suggested that the UK had held discussions with allies over a coordinated response to Grok-generated deepfakes. Regulators elsewhere, including in India and the European Union, are also investigating X.Last week, the Grok account on X started telling users that its image generation and editing tools were being limited to paying subscribers. But as of Monday it was still possible for non-paying users to generate images through the Grok tab on the X website and app.Meanwhile, Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to block Grok, claiming that X's chatbot does not have sufficient safeguards in place to prevent explicit AI-generated deepfakes of women and children from being created and disseminated on X. Indonesia temporarily blocked access to Grok on Saturday, as did Malaysia on Sunday, the Associated Press reports."The government sees non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of citizens in the digital space," Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement. Officials in the country said initial findings showed that Grok lacks effective controls to prevent users from creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes based on photos of Indonesian residents. The country's director general of digital space supervision, Alexander Sabar, said generating deepfakes can violate individuals' image and privacy rights when photos are shared or manipulated without consent, adding that they can lead to reputational, social and psychological harm.The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission cited "repeated misuse" of Grok to generate explicit and non-consensual deepfakes, some of which involved women and children. The regulator said Grok will remain blocked in the country until X Corp and parent xAI establish strong enough safeguards.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uk-regulator-ofcom-opens-a-formal-investigation-into-x-over-csam-scandal-120000312.html?src=rss

Laptop power banks come in handy if you often travel or work away from your desk. These larger batteries have enough capacity to refill your computer to around 75 percent, giving you many more productive hours. Of course, they can also charge smaller devices like your phone, camera or tablet a few times over. Nearly all portable laptop chargers fall below the 100-watt-hour mark so you can bring them in your carry-on when you fly. Additional features, like built-in cables and digital displays make these battery banks easier to use, too. We tested over a dozen options and put our thoughts below, so you can find the best laptop power bank for your next trip away from an outlet. Table of contents

To further push the limits of consumerism, Google has launched a new open standard for agentic commerce that's called Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). In brief, it's a framework that combines the power of AI agents and online shopping platforms to help customers buy more things.Thanks to the introduction of UCP, Google is offering three new online shopping features. To start, Google's AI mode will have a new checkout feature that allows customers to buy eligible products from certain US retailers within Google Search. Currently, this feature works with Google Pay, but it will soon add PayPal compatibility and incorporate more capabilities, like related product discovery and using loyalty points.On the merchant side, Google also established the Business Agent feature, which Google said will be "a virtual sales associate that can answer product questions in a brand's voice." The Business Agent will launch tomorrow with early adopters including Lowe's, Michaels, Poshmark, Reebok and more. Also for retailers, the UCP is responsible for the new Direct Offers feature, which lets companies advertising with Google to "present exclusive offers for shoppers who are ready to buy, directly in AI Mode." The Direct Offers feature will work in tandem with the ads in AI Mode that Google is testing.With UCP, Google Search, retailers and payment processors are joining forces to make online shopping even easier, whether it's figuring out what product to buy, completing the purchase or offering "post-purchase support." According to Google, UCP is compatible with existing industry protocols, like Agent2Agent, Agent Payment Protocols and Model Context Protocol. UCP was even co-developed with industry giants like Shopify, Etsy and Walmart, and was endorsed by even more companies in the commerce ecosystem, including Macy's, Stripe, Visa and more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/googles-new-commerce-framework-cranks-up-the-heat-on-agentic-shopping-212433122.html?src=rss

The loss of the federal EV tax credits may have been a huge blow to prospective buyers, but California wants to fill that gap for its residents. Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed budget for 2026-2027, which was released on Friday, includes a "light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) incentive program" that details a one-time infusion of $200 million.According to the budget summary, this incentive program is "a critical part of the Administration's strategy to keep ZEVs affordable and accessible for all." The proposed budget still has to make it through the state's legislature later this year, but if passed, the new incentive would help continue the momentum of EV adoption across California. In the third quarter of 2025, the state saw almost 30 percent of auto sales being EVs, according to the California Energy Commission.There are no details in the budget summary outlining how exactly the $200 million would break down on a per-vehicle basis, but USA Today reported that the rebate would be an "on the hood" instant discount for EVs. Previously, buyers would get up to $7,500 back in federal tax rebates on new EV purchases and up to $4,000 on used EVs. For California's proposed incentives, the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, Lauren Sanchez, told USA Today that the state is still trying to figure out if it will offer tax credits for those who buy used EVs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/californias-governor-plans-to-set-aside-200-million-for-state-ev-tax-credits-194446449.html?src=rss

If you received a bunch of password reset requests from Instagram recently, you're not alone. Malwarebytes, an antivirus software company, initially reported that there was a data breach revealing the "sensitive information" of 17.5 million Instagram users. Malwarebytes added that the leak included Instagram usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and more. However, Instagram said there was no breach and that user accounts were "secure."

X may soon provide more insight into how its algorithm works. On Saturday, Elon Musk posted on the platform to say that the company "will make the new X algorithm, including all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users, open source in 7 days."X's recommendation algorithm has been the subject of investigations by France and the European Commission, the latter of which recently extended through 2026 a retention order that it sent to the company at the beginning of last year. And scrutiny into the platform, along with demands for accountability, have only increased after its chatbot, Grok, was caught generating CSAM at users' requests and continues to be used to digitally undress women nonconsensually.Elon Musk's X post about open-sourcing the algorithm.Screenshot/XMusk has been making promises of open-sourcing the algorithm since his takeover of Twitter, and in 2023 published the code for the site's "For You" feed on GitHub. But the code wasn't all that revealing, leaving out key details, according to analyses at the time. And it hasn't been kept up to date. Of the making the new algorithm open source, Musk said in his post, "This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-says-xs-new-algorithm-will-be-made-open-source-next-week-225721656.html?src=rss

Your neighborhood GameStop might be on the chopping block, along with more than 400 other retail locations across the US. As first reported by Polygon, the retailer is pursuing a severe cost-saving measure by closing up several hundred physical locations. According to a blog that keeps track of GameStop closures, there are 410 locations that are confirmed to be closing or are already closed, along with another 11 that are reportedly also on their way, as of January 10.As Polygon indicated, these closings aren't much of a surprise considering GameStop's SEC filing for December 2025 indicated that it would "anticipate closing a significant number of additional stores in fiscal 2025," which ends on January 31, 2026. The same filing detailed that the company's board would pay out the GameStop CEO, Ryan Cohen, up to $35 billion in stock options, given that he increases the retailer's market cap to $100 billion.While the blog covers only closures in the US, the SEC filing also noted that GameStop is planning to reduce its presence in several other European countries and Canada. Even though GameStop saw a historic spike in market value in 2021, it has struggled with the brand's direction, as seen with failed attempts at offering a crypto locker and an NFT marketplace.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/gamestop-reportedly-shuts-down-more-than-400-us-stores-210632743.html?src=rss

Nintendo Switch 2 owners can forget about seeing Baldur's Gate 3 in the Nintendo Store, at least as of now. In a Reddit AMA, Larian Studio's CEO, Swen Vicke, said that the team would have loved to bring the title to Switch 2, but "it wasn't our decision to make."As cryptic as that may sound, Vicke's response hints that either Wizards of the Coast, which owns the Dungeons and Dragons IP that Baldur's Gate 3 is set in, or Nintendo is behind the lack of a port. When it comes to Wizards of the Coast, rumors have circulated that the game studio and Wizards of the Coast may have a strained relationship. On the other hand, Larian Studios' technical director, Bert van Semmertier, revealed in a response to another AMA question that the studio just released Divinity: Original Sin 2 on the Switch 2, adding that "we love the platform and we will certainly consider Switch 2 for the next Divinity game."There's still a chance that Wizards of the Coast decides to hire another studio to pursue a port in the future, but there's been no indication yet. As for why Larian Studios won't be behind a potential Switch 2 port, the developer said in a statement last year that it would no longer develop any major content updates or expansions for Baldur's Gate 3, nor work on a sequel.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/dont-count-on-baldurs-gate-3-coming-to-switch-2-as-least-for-now-180538969.html?src=rss

The Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX's request to deploy an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, allowing the company to launch 15,000 in all. It has also allowed SpaceX to upgrade its Gen2 satellites with advanced form factors and cutting-edge technology," to operate across more frequencies and to add more orbital shells to optimize coverage and performance. This approval will give the company's fleet a boost and will allow it to offer internet and mobile services to more parts of the globe. The satellites will also enable SpaceX to offer direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States and supplemental coverage" within the US.In the United States, SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile, which gives its subscribers access to satellite-to-phone services. It enables subscribers to send texts and access compatible apps even in remote locations. The companies are also planning to roll out voice calls over satellite in the future.As Ars Technica notes, the FCC's announcement comes after SpaceX revealed that it was moving 4,400 satellites from an altitude of 341 miles down to 298 miles to reduce the risk of collision. SpaceX originally asked for permission to deploy 29,988 second-generation Starlinks in 2020, but the FCC only granted it permission for 7,500 in 2022. Back then the commission said that it was giving SpaceX a limited approval to help maintain a safe space environment due to concerns about orbital debris.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-can-deploy-7500-more-starlink-gen2-satellites-with-fcc-approval-180000843.html?src=rss

At every CES I've ever been to, there's been one or two gadgets promising to boost your mental health. In recent years, the number of companies making forays into this space has grown, and will likely continue to do so in the future. Could it be, much like the number of people wearing heart-monitoring wearables today, everyone will be strapping an EEG to their skulls a decade or so down the line? It's more likely than you think, so it's worth asking what these devices are good for, what benefit they could bring, and where does the science end and the hype begin.An Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a clinical tool to monitor the electrical activity of our brains. Put very simply, our minds are constantly moving ions around, and when they reach the scalp, it's possible to measure those ions. By placing electrodes on the scalp, you can record the changes in voltages pushed out by our brains more or less in real time. These voltages are commonly grouped into categories, which are often described as brain waves. Each one represents a different state of mind: Gamma (hard thinking), Beta (anxious or active), Alpha (relaxed), Theta (creative, or dreaming) and Delta (asleep).Professor Karl Friston at University College London is one of the world's most influential neuroscientists and an expert in brain imaging. He explained that these technologies can be used to diagnose issues both in the structure and function of the brain. And while there are many technologies which can look at how our brains work, we're a long way away from understanding the brain like we understand the heart." Broadly speaking, EEGs are a fairly simple tool for looking at how our minds work, but they have one benefit over more complex methods such as fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), since they work in real time.Consumer-use EEGs are nothing new - in 2011 I tested the Zeo Mobile, a small device which you stuck to your forehead and wore overnight. It monitored how well you slept and sounded an alarm when you were at the top of a sleep cycle, so you woke up pretty easily. It worked well but with one downside: It's hard to sleep with a hard plastic puck stuck to your forehead.EEGs are more recently used as part of brain computer interfaces, or for neurofeedback tools to help you calibrate the quality of your meditation. InteraXon, for instance, makes the Muse headbands which will monitor your brain waves, telling you when you shift states. Last year, EEG startup Neurable partnered with Master & Dynamic to launch the MW75S Neuro, a pair of high-end headphones designed to track your focus levels. When your attention starts to wane, the system will alert you, advising you to take a rest with the hope of alleviating burnout.NeurableDaniel Cooper for EngadgetAt CES this year, Neurable announced a partnership with HP's gaming arm HyperX to produce EEG headsets with specific benefits for gamers. As gamers are looking for any way to improve their performance, the company has developed algorithms and training programs to help. You might already know that being in a place of high stress isn't great for your concentration and focus. Consequently, Neurable research scientist Dr. Alicia Howell-Munson walked me through a system that encourages you to reach a state of calm focus with demonstrable improvements in reaction time and accuracy. It's a system that was initially designed in partnership with Singapore's Air Force to help ensure pilots remain in a state of calm focus.I sat through this demo myself, initially testing my skills in Aimlabs (a tool people use to test their reflexes) where my accuracy and reaction times were measured. Then, while wearing Neurable's headset, I had to practice focusing my attention on a galaxy of dots, the greater my focus, the slower and closer together the dots got. That wasn't an easy process, and it took me nearly five minutes to reach the point where I could push all of the dots to coalesce into a single point on the screen. But, when I had, I retook the shooting gallery, and saw dramatic spikes in my performance. My accuracy increased from 91.3 to 99.1 percent, while my reaction time fell from 623ms to 532ms.Neurable HyperX headsetDaniel Cooper for EngadgetNeurable believes that its systems, which are designed to integrate with any manufacturer's gear, has the potential to dramatically increase a person's brain health and productivity. For instance, by taking a break when a person's focus started to wane, they were able to bounce back and function for far longer than if they'd simply pushed harder. Similarly, the company can advise on your cognitive speed and brain age and guide you toward making healthy choices. The company says that this isn't just about wellness, either, as being able to identify loss of focus is vital, for instance, to help reduce auto accidents when truck drivers feel fatigued.Co-founder Adam Molnar explained that the benefits of this technology compound over time, so the more practice a user has in finding that mental state of calm focus, the easier it will be to maintain it for longer. CEO Ramses Alcaide added the company's aim is to enable people to visualize the often invisible symptoms of cognitive stress to ensure they're looking after themselves. He added that one thing that separates Neurable from other companies is that it's looking at far finer-grain detail from its EEG data.MyWavesDaniel Cooper for EngadgetThere are plenty of companies at CES that are using EEGs for more specific goals, such as MyWaves. It uses an EEG as part of its broader offering to use sound patterns to make it easier to go to sleep. It sells you a pricey forehead-worn EEG which you wear for a few nights over the course of a year. From there, the system produces a half hour audio file that will mirror the pattern of your delta brainwaves. It claims that, if you listen to the track before you go to bed, the experience of hearing your delta waves will help you fall asleep faster and experience more REM sleep.And there are plenty of companies which are building EEGs for you to wear to keep an eye on your mental health. Brain-Life, for instance, showed off an early prototype of Focus+, a headband EEG with a companion app that can offer feedback on your cognitive load. It can also tell you how long you can sustain your attention and how well your mind relaxes and recovers. The company didn't have details on when the hardware would be available or how much it cost, as it's still early days.BrainEULink.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThere is broad potential to use an EEG as a brain computer interface, such as the one worked on by Braineulink. That company has combined an EEG with an AR headset to enable people to interact with the world just with their brains. For instance, in a demonstration in the show floor at CES, I was able to turn a light on and off by focusing" on it, although it's hard to know how useful that would be in, for instance, creating an assistive device for folks with limited mobility. Like Brain-Life, it's early days, and so there's no product that we can point to, but it's clear we're going to see more startups looking to enter this world.Brain-LifeDaniel Cooper for EngadgetAs EEGs become more commonplace, it's likely they'll be packaged in smaller devices which fit more seamlessly into our lives. One such example is NAOX, a French startup which has built a wearable, clinical-grade EEG into a pair of earbuds for the sort of longitudinal testing required to diagnose conditions like epilepsy. But the company is also planning on incorporating the technology into a pair of true wireless earbuds.These headphones won't be arriving until the end of 2026, but Naox says the tech is small enough that it can be integrated with other companies earbuds. Consequently, it's certainly plausible we could see plenty of earbuds that will keep an eye on our brain health as a side hustle.NaoxDaniel Cooper for EngadgetNAOX was co-founded by Dr. Michel Le Van Quyen who, at a talk in London in December 2025, talked about the rationale for creating an in-ear ECG. Essentially, he was looking to build a brain equivalent to the Apple Watch's continuous heart rate monitoring (and ECG). I was curious about the science behind an ear-mounted EEG given they commonly use the scalp. Professor Friston said that an ear-mounted EEG is potentially more useful as you can get slightly closer to the sources of activity." And that it makes a lot of sense for a consumer-grade EEG to be added to wireless earbuds given their utility in practices like meditation.Naox's prototype TWS earbuds sensors.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetOne downside of the proliferation of wearable EEGs is that it could lead users to jump to the wrong conclusions about their mental health. For instance, if someone is to be diagnosed with a condition such as epilepsy, they need to undergo a 24-hour perambulatory EEG. As Professor Friston explained, the recording of that 24 hour EEG would be carefully scrutinized by experts who are able to run a differential diagnosis ... to specify what further investigations are required." He, like a lot of clinicians, is concerned about ill-informed consumers using these devices to make medical interventions without consulting a professional.Friston added that people shouldn't expect wearable EEGs to be magic bullets for their brain health or cognition. He said the best way for a consumer to approach them is by treating them with the same level of reverence as a household thermometer. Are thermometers useful in managing the wellness of my children?, Yes," he explained, can your thermometer tell you what particular virus you have? Absolutely not." In the context of well-being and to augment or validate practices such as mindfulness and meditation, they can be fun and useful quantitative devices." But, fundamentally, that is all he feels they can be, especially right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-ces-companies-hoping-your-brain-is-the-next-big-thing-in-computing-175048601.html?src=rss

That's a wrap for CES 2026! In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about their favorite aspects of the show, as well as Engadget's best of CES awards lineup. Also, Cherlynn chats with Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky about his Pebble smartwatch revival, as well as an intriguing new AI ring that's built entirely around notetaking.Subscribe!

CES always has its share of attention-grabbing robots. But this year in particular seemed to be a landmark year for robotics. The advancement in AI technology has not only given robots better brains," it's enabled new levels of autonomy and given rise to an ambitious, if sometimes questionable, vision for our robot-filled future.From sassy humanoids to AI-powered pets and chore-handling assistants, we sought out as many cute, strange and capable robots as we could find in Las Vegas. These are the ones that made the biggest impression.Agibot HumanoidsAgibot's X2 humanoid robot.Karissa Bell for EngadgetOf all the humanoids we saw at CES, Agibot's made the biggest impression. The company was showing off two models: the larger A2 and the smaller X2 (pictured above). The latter impressed us with its dance moves - the company told us it can learn surprisingly complex choreography - but the A2 turned out to be surprisingly capable at chatting up CES goers.Later in the show, we came across the A2 at IntBot's booth, where the company had custom versions of both Agibot humanoids "running" their booth. I spent several minutes talking with "Nylo" and was genuinely impressed by its conversational skills, even if its roasts could use a little work. - Karissa Bell, Senior ReporterDreame's robo vac arms and legsDreame was back this year with some wild robot vacuums. The company showed of the Cyber 10 Ultra, a robot vacuum with a multipurpose extendable arm. The arm, which we got a glimpse of at last year's show, can pick up stuff, but it also has its own cleaning attachments, allowing the robot to clean hard-to-reach corners and other spots that wouldn't otherwise be accessible.Dreame also brought its latest wild concept, the Cyber X, which has legs that propel it up and down full-size staircases. The legs are somewhat unsettling - they look alarmingly similar to mini chainsaws - but watching it glide up and down stairs was impressive all the same. - KBOlloBotThe long neck version of OlloBot.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetOlloBot is one of those semi-ridiculous CES robots that's just impossible not to smile at. It has the goofiest face, with top-sitting frog eyes slapped onto a tablet where its mouth is displayed. Then, on top of that, it has a patch of soft fur on its neck and nowhere else on its body, which is penguin shaped and complete with flappy little arms. There are two versions of OlloBot, one that's short with a fixed neck and another where the neck can stretch out to make it much taller. And of course, it can be dressed up in silly outfits.It's a family-focused robot that responds to voice commands and touch, and is meant to capture memories as they happen, snapping pics and videos for its diary of notable moments. It can be used to make calls and control smart home devices. Everything is stored locally in its removable heart module, and there's a companion app for additional interactions. - Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend EditorRovieA robot with a dust pan like appendage dumps toys into a bin.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetSure, we've seen multiple robots (particularly robovacuums) that can pick objects up off the floor and put them away to make homes tidier, but this one is cute and has a little face. Instead of using an arm to grab one thing at a time, Clutterbot's Rovie has a dustpan-style tray with two sweepers that fold out from its front. It drives around and, using computer vision, identifies toys that have been left on the floor and scoops them up. Then, it dumps them in a designated bin where they're consolidated and out of the way.It's still in the R&D phase, a team member said when I visited the booth, but this is one I'm hoping to see become a real, purchasable product soon. For parents of small children who are constantly leaving their toys around, it would be pretty convenient to have a tiny robot picking up after them. Also for me, who doesn't have children but a very sweet and hardworking cat who loves to steal socks and then deliver them as if they're her kills, leaving socks scattered all over the house. Clutterbot team, if you're reading this, please add socks to the list of items Rovie can sweep up. - CMSaros RoverNot to be outdone, Roborock also brought a stairclimbing robot vacuum to CES, Saros Rover. And, unlike Dreame's prototype, the Roborock can also clean the stairs while it climbs. No word on when it will be available or how much it might cost (probably a lot!) but the company says it is "a real product in development."-KBCLOiDCLOiD folded laundry at LG's CES booth.Karissa Bell for EngadgetLG's CLOiD was definitely the most ambitious robot we saw at CES 2026. The company showed its home helper concept (slowly) folding and sorting laundry, fetching drinks from the fridge, putting food in the oven and retrieving a set of lost keys. But while the 15-minute demo gave us a tantalizing look at the appliance maker's vision for a "zero labor home," it's unlikely to be anything more than a slick demo anytime soon. The company has made no commitment to actually make a version of CLOiD people can actually buy. - KBAllexWIRobotics' Allex robot makes a heart sign with its hands.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetWIRobotics brought its new humanoid, Allex, to CES, and the robot was really hamming it up when we stopped by the booth, striking poses and engaging with visitors. It's a waist-up robot with articulated parts, from its arms to its fingers, and is meant to be a general purpose tool that could be used in manufacturing, the service industry or even households. Each hand can hold objects of up to about 6.6 lbs, and the robotic hand has 15 degrees of freedom. The company's website shows the robot's fingers are dexterous enough to do the Gen-Z heart sign, but when it looked at Karissa and me it threw a millennial heart up. Did Allex lowkey call us unc? - CMPoketomoPoketomo in one of the many outfits Sharp brought to CES.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetSharp's Poketomo is an improbably adorable tiny meerkat. Well, technically it's an AI companion shaped like a fuzzy, portable meerkat. It might look like a toy, but the company says it's actually to be a companion for adults.It's small enough you can carry it around with you throughout the day (Sharp even makes a tiny Poketomo-sized clear backpack). Like a lot of AI companion devices we saw at CES, it's equipped with a small camera and microphone that enables it to constantly interact with you. The camera also enables its memory" so the pet can recognize and deliver personalized updates to its person. Poketomo launched recently in Japan, but sadly Sharp says it has no current plans to sell it in other markets. - KBBiboMoony bibo (I-Type).Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetIt seemed like everyone was trying to cash in on Labubu hype at CES 2026. There were Pop Mart-style bag charms all over the place and countless products that looked suspiciously like the now ubiquitous toy monster. We even got one pitch for a "a labubu-like robot that talks to you" that, in fact, did not look like a Labubu in any way, shape or form. But there was one truly Labubu-like tiny robot that managed to stand out from the rest and kind of stole my heart, even though I'm not particularly into Labubus. (Please don't make me say Labubu ever again.)Bibo is a cute-as-hell AI toy that's meant to be a companion you bring with you everywhere. It has a little camera on its head that it uses to see the world around it, and can recognize its owner's face and tone of voice, so it can respond to interactions in an emotionally appropriate way. It'll keep a daily diary of its activities, and while the toy comes in two starting personality "types" - Sunny bibo (E-Type), the bubbly extrovert, and Moony bibo (I-Type), the gentle, sensitive one - they'll develop more unique personalities over time. Their fur is soft and warm, so it feels like you're petting a kitten.Why is it even cuter like this?Cheyenne MacDonaldAt the booth, the team had several of them on display wearing various outfits, in little dioramas showing them in classroom and camping scenes, and even deconstructed with the fur removed, which somehow made it look even cuter. Bibo isn't available to purchase yet, and when it is, it'll launch first in China before potentially expanding depending on its success at home. - CMSharpaSharpa's humanoid robot is seen playing ping-pong.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetSharpa's booth had a lot going on and was definitely one of the bigger crowd-pullers. There was a humanoid robot playing ping-pong, another taking selfies with people and another dealing blackjack, along with a disembodied robotic hand that could mirror visitors' finger movements. The autonomous demos showed off what that highly dexterous hand can do, and it was pretty impressive - especially seeing it draw individual cards from the deck. - CMZerothZeroth's W1 robot.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetChinese robotics startup Zeroth brought two adorable home robots to CES: a pint-sized humanoid companion bot and a rolling robot that looks like Wall-E, with tank-style tracked treads so it can ride around outside. We didn't see these guys doing too much, but they sure were cute. The one that resembles Wall-E, called W1, kind of melted my heart just looking at it. (Don't get attached, you can't afford it.)The tiny humanoid, M1, costs $2,400 while W1 costs $5,000. Both are expected to ship this spring, with a tentative date of April 15. - CMSweekarSweekars in their little outfits.Karissa Bell for EngadgetTakway's Sweekar pocket pet was something I looked at and immediately thought, sigh, I'm going to buy that. It's a Tamagotchi-like virtual pet with AI smarts so it can form a personality based on your interactions with it and the activities you do together. The idea is that it "grows" with you. Like a Tamagotchi, it will require more frequent care in the younger stages of its life cycle. But after it reaches the adult level, it autonomously cares for itself, and it never dies. It can eventually keep itself entertained, and go off on its own virtual adventures and bring you back tales of its travels.Sweekar is super cute as is, and it can be dressed up in little outfits for more personalization. The device comes in light yellow, pink, and blue, and we saw it sporting a snowboarder outfit and a full cowboy getup. - CMRealbotixOne of Realbotix' robots. Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetRealbotix is a company we've seen a lot at CES over the years, and it was at the show again for 2026 with several of its highly customizable, realistic humanoid robots. As always, it was among the most unnerving exhibits we saw. New for this year, Realbotix was demonstrating its Robotic Vision System, which allows its robots to see and react to their surroundings more naturally, tracking faces to look directly at whoever is talking and better reading emotion from facial expressions. Damn, it can sense my fear now... - CMOnero H1Onero H1 had an endearingly blank stare.Karissa Bell for EngadgetSwitchbot surprised us with its own chore-handling robot, Onero H1, which also won Engadget editors' pick for best robot of CES 2026. We were immediately taken by its weirdly long body and endearingly blank stare as it slowly wheeled around picking up laundry and depositing the items in a washing machine.Like a lot of robot demos we saw at CES, we only saw Onero performing a small part of what Switchbot says it's actually capable of. But Onero also seemed much more realistic in terms of the type of robot helpers that people might actually see outside of CES, and the company told us it does plan to sell Onero (albeit in limited quantities) by the end of the year. - KBCocomoLudens AI Cocomo robot.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetAnother robot pet that won us over immediately was Cocomo. Created by Japanese startup Ludens AI, Cocomo is an autonomous robot friend that yes, uses AI to respond to voice and touch and is meant to bond with its owners over time. The egg-shaped creature can scoot around on a wheeled base, or you can carry it around with you.But what we loved about Cocomo is that it's not trying to be yet another AI assistant, give out life advice or perform tasks. Its goal is to provide companionship and well, be your friend. And while it can respond to voice input it doesn't exactly have a voice of its own: it communicates via cute humming sounds, which is a lot less creepy than some of the talking robots we saw. - KBYonboYonbo at CES.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetYonbo is a kids' AI companion robot that totally charmed us. It kind of looks like a dog, and when we visited its booth at Unveiled, there were four of them playfully bopping their heads to a pop song and cycling through different cute facial expressions and emoji eyes (including bowls of ramen). It's designed to be an intelligent playmate that can tag along for activities, talk with a child and read them stories, and even help them work through emotions, like getting frustrated during a game.Yonbo's movement is controlled by a wristband, so it doesn't require a phone to play with. It can also be used as an extra pair of eyes for parents around the house. In Parental Monitor mode, which the team says is the only time its camera will be able to stream and store video, parents are able to see what Yonbo sees. The robot costs $800 and is available now.- CMMOFOMOFO in a glass case at CES.Cheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetIf we're being completely honest, the pitch for will.i.am's MOFO (yes, MOFO, like motherfucker) had us a bit, um, perplexed for a hot second. We read it and all the accompanying materials over and over trying to figure out what, exactly, this thing does. Some of the claims that added to this confusion: "the agent 'octopuses' across your digital ecosystem through its eight USB-C connections"; it "converts moments into objects"; it "turns life notes into a life operating system."We get it now, (we think): It's agentic AI hardware, kind of like a Rabbit R1 or AI Pin but in the form of a teddy bear. Sadly, we didn't get to see MOFO up close or watch it do anything, but we are nonetheless intrigued, if still a bit confused, by this strange teddy bear. - CM and KB

Back in 2024, NASA announced that the Artemis 2 mission was going to be pushed back to April 2026. Now, the agency says it could launch as early as February, with the first flight opportunity being on February 6. NASA is currently making the final preparations for the mission and will soon roll out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft to their launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft system's four-mile journey from the assembly building to Launch Pad 39B will take up to 12 hours. NASA is targeting a date no earlier than January 17, with the exact day depending on the weather and on the possible need for additional time to address technical issues.Artemis 2 is the first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo program's final flight in 1972. The 10-day mission will have four astronauts on board who'll be testing if Orion's critical life support systems can sustain human passengers on future longer duration missions. They will first orbit the Earth twice before making their way 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon. If the SLS and Orion system is rolled out as planned, NASA intends to conduct a wet dress rehearsal at the end of January. The agency will load cryogenic propellants into the rocket and will do a full launch countdown during the rehearsal to prepare for the real event.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-makes-final-preparations-for-its-first-crewed-moon-mission-in-over-50-years-150000825.html?src=rss

Chances are that you're here because you've heard a virtual private network (VPN) can change your virtual location, and want to know what that means. If you know already, head over to my best VPN list to learn which services I recommend for changing your location. But if you're clueless, read on.Whenever any device connects to the internet - whether it's a laptop, a phone or a smart Lego brick - it's assigned a unique IP address that other devices can use to identify it. Think of the name you give the barista at a coffee shop, except instead of a hot beverage, you're being served websites and digital audio and video.That's the upside. The downside is that a device's IP address can be used to find its location in the real world. That means service providers can show you local weather reports - as well as targeted local ads. More ominously, however, it means service providers can restrict what you see online based on where you are physically. That impacts everything from the fun (what Netflix has available to stream) to the serious (what information gets censored on the government's behalf).A VPN gets around that downside by running all your online activity through a middleman server before sending it to its destination. Instead of your real IP address, everyone sees the address of the VPN server, along with its geolocation. That means you can subvert any local restrictions getting in your way: You're actually in Houston, but so far as the website you're viewing is concerned, you seem to be coming from Amsterdam. Here's how to do it.How to change your virtual location with a VPNWith so many excellent commercial VPNs on the market, changing your virtual location is a lot easier than it sounds. You don't need to be a hacker - just find a good VPN app and connect to a server in your desired location. On almost any VPN, this is a simple matter of opening the app or desktop client and choosing the server location from a list.On Proton VPN, for example, you can switch locations by clicking the name of any country in the list on the left.Sam Chapman for EngadgetHowever, as with any technology, there are some potential pitfalls. For reference, I've laid out the steps below for both desktop and mobile devices.How to change location on Windows or MacUse these steps to change the virtual location of any desktop or laptop device running macOS or Windows. There may be slight variations, but in general, this process works for any top VPN.

NASA has decided to bring the Crew-11 astronauts home a month earlier than originally planned due to a medical concern" with one of them. This is the first time in its history that the space agency is cutting a mission short due to a medical issue, but it didn't identify the crew member or divulge the exact situation and its severity. The agency is targeting a return date no earlier than January 14, with the exact schedule depending on the weather. If NASA's original plan pushes through, the crew will splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 AM on January 15.The agency previously postponed an International Space Station (ISS) spacewalk scheduled for January 8, citing a medical concern with a crew member that appeared the day before. NASA's chief health and medical officer, James JD" Polk, said the affected astronaut is absolutely stable" and that this isn't a case of an emergency evacuation. The ISS has a robust suite of medical hardware" onboard, he said, but not enough for a complete workup to determine a diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis, NASA doesn't know if the astronaut's health could be negatively affected by the environment aboard the ISS. That is why the agency is erring on the side of caution.Crew-11 left for the space station on August 1 and was supposed to come back to Earth on or around February 20. After they leave the station, only three people will remain: Two cosmonauts and one astronauts who'll be in charge of all the experiments currently being conducted on the orbiting lab. The team's replacement, Crew-12, was supposed to head to the ISS mid-February, but NASA is considering sending the astronauts to the station earlier than that.Update, January 10, 2025, 5:15AM ET: This story has been updated to include Crew-11's tentative return date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-is-ending-crew-11-astronauts-mission-a-month-early-140000750.html?src=rss

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

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

Amazon is making a return, of sorts, to physical retail via plans to build a big-box retail store in the Chicago suburbs, The Information reports. The 225,000-square foot retail space will open in Orland Park, Illinois, and give the company the opportunity to sell more than just groceries after it closed most of its physical bookstores and gift shops in 2022.The new store will offer in-store shopping, but also act as a fulfillment center for online orders, which could make it similar to competitors like Target and Walmart, and some of Amazon's existing Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh locations. "The proposed development will offer a wide selection of products, including groceries and general merchandise, with accessory services and potentially dining locations for prepared food sold onsite," Amazon wrote in a planning document The Information viewed.While best known as an online marketplace, Amazon has made multiple attempts to have a physical retail presence. Amazon Books sold books based on what was trending on the company's website, Amazon 4-star sold a variety of products that were rated four or more stars in Amazon reviews and the company's Amazon Go stores sold pre-made food and select groceries via its cashier-less "Just Walk Out" technology.Amazon has abandoned basically all those experiments in favor of sticking with the grocery brand it bought in 2017, Whole Foods, and the new one it's formed in the years since, Amazon Fresh. This new store could be an entirely new concept, or an evolution of Amazon Fresh, but whatever it is, it'll have to be approved by the Orland Park Village Board to move forward, according to the Chicago Tribune.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-apparently-planning-a-big-box-store-in-the-chicago-suburbs-213451978.html?src=rss

We're wrapping up coverage of the biggest tech show in the world. CES 2026 is almost over, and while we have more stories and wrap-ups to come, here are the most interesting products we've spotted, written about and critiqued/praised. That includes our picks for the best of CES. We gave out 15 awards as well as our best of show, and you might be surprised by some of our picks - I know I was.Read on for some of the best things to come out of Las Vegas this week, but first up, our Best of the Best winner, which was Lego Smart Play. As Engadget's editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris put it, Lego could almost be seen as the antithesis of the typical CES product."Regardless of trends, Lego has always persisted. And in 2026, it's getting much smarter.LegoThe system consists of a Smart Brick, Tags and Minifigures. They're packed with modern technology, so they can respond to how you play with them or the sets you build. The Smart Brick has a 4.1mm ASIC chip, which Lego says is smaller than a standard Lego stud. It senses things like motion, orientation and magnetic fields, but also has a tiny built-in speaker, which produces audio tied to live play actions," not just canned clips.It's hard to explain it in only a few words (we've got a deep-dive hands-on right here), but what immediately drew me in was the lack of smartphone pairing and screens. The ability of each part to detect and interact with others can lead to some ridiculous setups, whether it's ducks and police officers or a helicopter or an X-Wing.Naturally, it's a little pricier than basic Lego, but not out of the realm of being a special gift or birthday present. One of the first sets, with a smart Darth Vader Minifigure, one Smart Brick and one Smart Tag, is $70.We'll be back to our regularly scheduled newsletter next week. Have a great weekend!- Mat SmithThe other big stories (and deals) this morning

Meta's messaging app WhatsApp could soon be subject to deeper scrutiny (and punishment) under the European Commission's Digital Services Act, Reuters reports. Because the app's broadcasting feature WhatsApp Channels grew to around 51.7 million average monthly active users in the European Union in the first six months of 2025, the feature has crossed the 45-million-person barrier that lets DSA rules apply.A platform is designated as a "very large online platform" or VLOP once it has 45 million monthly users or more, according to the European Commission. Once an app or service passes that amount, it's subject to the DSA and all its rules about how digital platforms should operate, particularly around removing illegal or harmful content. Companies can be fined up to six percent of their global annual revenue for not complying with the DSA.WhatsApp traditionally functions as a private messaging app, but its Channels feature, which lets users make one-sided posts to anyone who follows their channel, does look a lot more like Meta's other social media platforms. "So here we would indeed designate potentially WhatsApp for WhatsApp Channels and I can confirm that the Commission is actively looking into it and I wouldn't exclude a future designation," a Commission spokesperson said in a daily news briefing Reuters viewed.

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