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I have to admit - I used to be very skeptical of LED devices that purport to be good for your skin. When they first started being sold for home use, I felt like they were mostly expensive, ineffective appliances that were obvious cash grabs. Nowadays, though, as is usually the case with any burgeoning category of products, the technology has improved. We're seeing more sophisticated offerings that not only use better components, but are more comfortable to wear. Full face masks from the likes of Therabody, Dr. Dennis Gross and Omnilux have exploded in popularity, taking over social media and constantly selling out. After hearing rave reviews from friends and family, and undergoing more light treatments in salons myself, I have grown more convinced there's room for devices like these.Shark, the maker of vacuum cleaners, air fryers and assorted kitchen gear, has unveiled its take on the LED face mask device here at CES 2025. Launched under its three-year-old Shark Beauty arm, the new "CryoGlow under-eye cooling + LED anti-aging and skin clearing face mask" has quite a long name. I'm just going to refer to it as the CryoGlow mask from here on. At a meeting here in Las Vegas, Shark's senior vice president of global product development Danielle Lessing described a number of ways the CryoGlow is different from what's currently out there.First of all, as its name implies, there is a cooling component to this device. In addition to the 160 "interlocking tri-wick LEDs" on the mask, there are two metallic plates on the cheeks that are shaped like eye masks. This is the conduit for what Shark is calling its "InstaChill" technology and basically are a pair of cold plates that, in my brief time with the CryoGlow, felt satisfyingly soothing. In fact, that might be my favorite part of the device (and frankly its differentiating trait).After putting on the CryoGlow for maybe about a minute, and after I took several hilarious pictures and selfies with it, I really appreciated how cold it felt in my under-eye area. To be clear, the plates felt chilly immediately after I wore the mask, but it was the prolonged coolness that I enjoyed. And after removing the device, I still relished the sensation that remained, even after a few minutes. I don't feel like I had the mask on for long enough to know if it'd start to feel clunky after prolonged wear, but at least during my demo, I didn't feel strained, nor did the wired remote control get in my way.I also want to note that, unlike the Therabody option, Shark's CryoGlow does not vibrate. Lessing said "This is a skincare system and vibrating doesn't affect the skin."Lessing stressed to me the importance of the tri-wick LED bulbs each being able to produce red, blue and deep infrared light, as they differ from some other products on the market that might only use single or dual-wick bulbs instead. In those cases, manufacturers may choose to lay red-only bulbs or blue-only bulbs in alternating layouts or various arrangements that allow them to claim to provide both types of light, while effectively covering less area per bulb.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetIt's this sort of math that Lessing enthusiastically highlighted in our quick meeting, as she told me that the company worked hard to calculate the ideal combination of factors like distance of the bulbs from the wearer's face and apart from each other. To that end, the CryoGlow will sit in a way that the LEDs are about 15mm from your skin - a good balance between effectiveness and coverage. The bulbs themselves are spaced 10mm apart, and the four programs that Shark offers also consider the duration of the lights on your face.Lessing said the company wanted to make something that was more inclusive, not just of different head sizes and types, but also of skin concerns. Most of the products that are currently available tend to target signs of aging on women, she said. Shark wants to buck that trend, and part of that effort involves making a mask that should fit people of all types - from women with smaller faces to men with larger heads.When I first laid eyes on the CryoGlow in person, I couldn't help but smile. Unlike the Theraface or Dr. Dennis Gross masks, which look a little robotic or cyborg-like, the Shark device is, strangely enough, cute? The shape of its mouth cutout is slightly upturned and the whole thing just looks like it's smiling at you. I also instinctively reached out to stroke the textured sides of the mask, which look like lines raked in sand. I could see making this my pet.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe CryoGlow not only looks adorable, but also felt comfortable to wear. It was big enough for my larger-than-average head, but didn't feel too heavy. That might be thanks to the adjustable T-shaped head strap that reminds me of the Apple Vision Pro. Lessing said the team also drew inspiration from ski goggles for the design, especially for the protective guards around the eye cutouts.There's also the fact that the CryoGlow is fairly lightweight, likely due to the fact that it's powered by a battery in the attached remote control. This handheld controller is connected via a cord, which is a slightly less elegant approach than competing products that have on-mask buttons. But I do appreciate that it looks and feels like a Nokia 3310 with a much nicer screen and a dial plus two buttons below it.You can rotate the wheel to scroll through the menu, and I liked the aesthetic Shark used for the interface, too. The system offers four treatment modes: an under-eye "revive" that delivers "cryo-inspired tightening and soothing," a 6-minute "Better aging" option, an 8-minute "Skin Clearing Treatment" that targets acne and a 4-minute "Skin Sustain" maintenance mode that's meant for daily use. There are also three chill levels available, which you can control with this system. Shark says its tests indicated clearer skin can be observed in four weeks of use, while two months of consistent application might result in firmer skin.SharkShark says its programs are all backed by clinical testing, and most intriguingly, it actually put its CryoGlow device to the test against competitors. According to Shark, this image "captures a demonstration conducted featuring light absorbing, photochromic paint to show the even coverage of CryoGlow's iQLED technology vs. a competitor's uneven coverage." I will point out that while it does seem like Shark's device had a more even and generally larger spread, it does leave the two patches below the eye bare.It's unclear what this competing device is or how much it might cost, but considering the CryoGlow is priced at $349 while the Theraface Mask and the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro start at $599 and $455 respectively, I'm already intrigued. This feels like a sophisticated device that's at least within the range I might be able to afford. And I loved my brief experience with it, too. I will likely have to test other competing products before I can definitively evaluate how well the CryoGlow fares against what's out there, but for now, and for the price, I'm very impressed by Shark's LED mask debut.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/shark-joins-the-high-tech-skincare-mask-war-with-an-impressive-ces-2025-opening-shot-214804543.html?src=rss

Annie Altman, the sister of OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman, has sued her brother accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor. In a complaint filed this week with a Missouri federal court, Annie Altman alleges her older brother committed numerous acts of rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, molestation, sodomy, and battery" from 1997 to 2006, with the abuse starting when she was only three years old.In a joint statement he made alongside his mother and two younger brothers, Sam Altman said all of [Annie's] claims are utterly untrue." The Altmans say they've tried to support Annie in many ways" over the years, including by offering direct financial assistance.

CES is filled with wild and wacky curios, to be sure, but there are also plenty of good old-fashioned laptops. Every year the big chipmakers announce new products and the big computer manufacturers unveil new laptops that take advantage of updated CPUs and GPUs. All told, companies announced nearly two dozen upcoming laptops at this year's conference. Some are bulky beasts made for gaming, while others are thin beauties intended for portability. The vast majority of them are filled to the brim with the AI tools that everyone loves so very much. Here are all of the laptops that piqued our interest at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, just in case you need to start saving some money for a purchase later this year. ASUS Zenbook A14 The ASUS Zenbook A14 is the MacBook Air competitor of our dreams. It weighs less than 2.2 pounds, which is actually a half a pound lighter than the Air. When it comes to specs, it actually outclasses Apple in nearly every category. There's a 14-inch OLED screen, up to 32 hours (!) of battery life and up to 32GB of RAM. It's also covered in a nifty ceramic coating that feels great to hold. It comes in two versions. There's one that includes a Snapdragon X Plus CPU and 16GB of RAM, which starts at $900. The higher-end model features a Snapdragon X Elite chip and 32GB of RAM, starting at $1,100. The laptops will be available on January 13. Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen6 Just because laptops have been around for decades doesn't mean that companies can't get a bit weird with them. Case in point? The Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen6. This is a laptop with a rollable screen that expands and contracts with the push of a button. Lenovo first introduced this as a concept device, but now it's a real upcoming product. The 14-inch OLED display instantly transforms to a 16.7-inch panel, which effectively adds an extra 50 percent of screen real estate. The brightness is adequate, at 400 nits, and the performance looks solid. It comes with Intel's Core Ultra 7 CPU, up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. It's also weirdly light, given the tech, at 3.6 pounds. We don't have official pricing or availability yet, but it's expected to cost somewhere around $3,500 and should hit store shelves this spring. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 We called the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 the least ThinkPad ever" for good reason. This new iteration ditched the long-standing carbon fiber frames and Trackpoint nubs found with classic models in favor of a more minimalist approach. It's available in 14-inch and 15-inch versions, and both of these feature OLED displays. These laptops are powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, which means that you can't upgrade the RAM because it's soldered on. However, the SSD and battery are easily replaceable. Both models should be available in February, with a starting price of $1,400 for the 14-inch model and $1,550 for the 15-inch version. MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Engadget The MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition adds some seriously-cool aesthetics to the most powerful laptop the company makes. There are a ton of unique design traits here, including a hand-drawn dragon on the lid that was acid-etched into the aluminum. As for specs, this laptop includes top-of-the-line components including next-gen Intel HX processors, NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs, PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage and Wi-Fi 7. There's a massive 18-inch mini LED display and low-profile Cherry MX switches on the keyboard. MSI has yet to reveal pricing or availability on this one. Razer Blade 16 Razer The Razer Blade 16 laptop is extraordinarily thin, at 0.59 inches. That makes it 32 percent slimmer than the 2024 model. There's a 16-inch QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a response time of 0.2ms. The computer also includes the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 processor and one of the brand-new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs. There isn't a release date yet, other than soon, nor is there a launch price. Last year's model started at $2,700, so we can expect something in the same range. Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro Samsung Samsung unveiled an updated line of Galaxy Book laptops at CES. There's the Galaxy Book5 Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch screen options, along with the Book5 360 with a 15-inch display. All of these computers are equipped with Intel's newest Arrow Lake Core Ultra processors and have been built for AI tasks. To that end, Samsung has touted a long list of on-device AI circles, like its own version of Google's Circle to Search. These laptops also include on-device photo upscaling and more. The Book5 Pro is a standard laptop, while the Book5 360 is a 2-in-one with a 15-6-inch AMOLED touch display. There's no pricing yet on any of these models, but the company has said they'll be available for purchase in February. ASUS Vivobook 14 and 16 ASUS Just like the ultralight Zenbook A14, the refreshed Vivobook 14 and 16 laptops ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip. These are mid-grade computers that offer up 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The company says that the internals have been updated to allow for 44 percent more performance than the last-gen models. The battery also got an upgrade and now will last nearly 20 hours per charge. Both computers make use of the company's not-at-all creepy AI camera" which detects whether you're sitting in front of the screen or not. The ASUS Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 are available to pre-order now for $700 and $750, respectively. Lenovo 10th-gen Legion Pro 7i Lenovo The tenth-generation Legion Pro 7i is a serious upgrade over its predecessors and should be a great option for gaming on-the-go. It supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, with an updated cooling system that enables 250W thermal design power. The laptop also supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. On top of that, you can add up to 64GB of RAM. There's a 16-inch OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. It's a beefy machine, however, coming at six pounds. The Legion Pro 7i will be available sometime in March, with a starting price of $2,400. Alienware Area 51 Sam Rutherford/Engadget It's been years, but Alienware's Area 51 branding is back in a big way. The Alienware Area 51 laptops are the company's latest flagship gaming devices. They are available in two display sizes, 16- and 18-inches, and support up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPUs, 64GB of RAM (at up to 7200 MT/s, the highest of any Alienware laptop), 12 TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage and next-gen NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs. Both models can handle up to 175 watts of total graphics power with an additional 105 watts reserved for the CPU. There's also a glass bottom to help with thermal regulation. They should be available sometime in the next couple of months. However, the laptops are launching in high-end configurations that start at $3,200, with less expensive entry-level" models coming later in the year. ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Engadget The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is a 2-in-1 hybrid that could absolutely shine as a gaming tablet. It supports up to a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU with unified memory. The 70Whr battery should get up to 10 hours on a single charge and the IPS panel boasts an impressive 180Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits of brightness. This machine also integrates with the company's new XG Mobile graphics dock for a nice little upgrade in the visuals. The Flow Z13 is expected to start at around $2,000 for a version with a Ryzen AI Max 390 chip or $2,200 when configured with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU. We don't have a release date yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/all-the-laptops-that-piqued-our-interest-at-ces-2025-194424146.html?src=rss

The "AC" in AC Future stands for Amy and Cindy, founder Arthur Qin's two daughters. That's just one of the bits of info I gained at the company's CES event in which we got a first look at the new AC Future Ai-TH transformable home. This is yet another nattily appointed answer to the housing crisis we've seen on the 2025 show floor. It comes in three models: a deliverable pod (Ai-THu), a pullable trailer (Ai-THt) and a road-ready EV RV (Ai-THd). Press and prospective buyers got to tour the EV prototype this week (but we had to take our shoes off first). Amy Skorheim / Engadget Thanks to pull-out sections at the rear and both sides, the bus-sized RV transforms into a 400-square-foot, one bed, one bath apartment, complete with a living room, kitchen with full-sized fridge, two burner induction range and microwave, along with an uncramped stall shower and washer/dryer in the bathroom. The full HVAC system, paired with high-efficiency insulation keeps the unit temperate. All that amounts to one heck of a power draw, which AC Future answers with a roof covered in solar panels. I was told all three models of the Ai-TH can generate around 25 kWh of energy in a day. For reference, the average American house uses around 30 kWh daily. The home can also be plugged in if sunlight isn't enough, and there was talk of wind-generation options for customers in cloudy climates. All models of the Ai-TH will also come equipped with atmospheric water generation that can suck between 13 and 15 gallons of water per day out of thin air. That's much less than the 200 or so gallons American houses use for non-landscaping needs, so the Ai-TH also recycles gray water and, of course, has a holding tank. In theory, these units can act as fully self-sustaining living pods, gathering what's needed from the world around them. Because this is CES 2025, where the unofficial model is "Stick some AI in it!" there's a whole-home proprietary AI assistant called Futura to turn on your lights, manage your resources and handle other management tasks. There was even a demo set up outside the RV letting people "meet" "her." At last year's CES, AC Future, barely two years old at the time, showed off the idea for the Ai-TH. The fully equipped prototype we saw was built in collaboration with Hydra, an automotive design and prototyping studio out of Southern California. Models that go into production will have components coming from a huge range of suppliers; I was told there are three partners lined up for the EV motors alone. AC Future says this is aimed at addressing the affordable, sustainable and mobile housing crisis worldwide." And any talk of addressing the housing crisis has to include some discussion of price, unless we're counting on some trickle-down economics-style solutions. The static base model will start at $98,000, the trailer model will go for $138,000 and up and the drivable version starts at $298,000. AC Future's COO told me production would begin as soon as they left Vegas (the whole team was at CES) and reservations are open now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/the-ac-future-drivable-self-sustaining-home-transforms-to-be-larger-than-your-first-apartment-193758718.html?src=rss

If there's one thing that sucks the fun out of darts, it's the mandatory math you have to do in order to work out how well you're doing. That's the malady British manufacturer Target Darts, making its first trip to CES, is solving with its Omni automatic scoring system, saving your beer-drenched brain.Omni is a halo that magnetically attaches to a compatible board, equipped with four 1080p cameras and an LED light strip. When you throw your darts, the system uses computer vision to identify where they ended up on the board.From there, the scores will be represented on a nearby computer or tablet, and can even be output to a big TV in the vicinity. Even better, is that you won't just have your score tracked, but you'll hear a pre-recorded voice telling you how many points you need to score on your next throw, just as you see in a professional match.Omni isn't out just yet, but when it launches, players will be able to use it in conjunction with Target Darts' existing Virt camera. That's a pair of webcams - one facing the board, one facing the player - that enables darts fans to play against real people online either with friends, or with similarly-ranked strangers.During the various shelter-in-place orders in force during the COVID pandemic, the UK's professional darts league actually operated like this for several months. Amusingly one star player, Gary Anderson, was unable to take part in a tournament because his home Wi-Fi wasn't fast enough to keep up.Target Darts' Omni scoring system will start shipping on January 31, and in the UK is priced at 449.95 (around $556). If you'd like to pick up a model in the US, you'll have to find a reseller, a list of which is available on the company's website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/target-darts-is-bringing-tech-smarts-to-the-game-183015898.html?src=rss

A Florida man pleaded guilty today," began a Department of Justice press release published on Tuesday. In this case, the ever-infamous Florida Man is none other than Ted Farnsworth, the former CEO of MoviePass' parent company. His plea comes fewer than four months after another MoviePass leader, former CEO Mitch Lowe, entered a guilty plea of his own.Farnsworth pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and another of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He'll face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the former charge and up to five for the latter. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled later.The DOJ charged Farnsworth, 62, with scheming to defraud investors in MoviePass' former parent company, Helios & Matheson Analytics (HMNY). The agency accused him of making false and misleading representations of HMNY's and MoviePass' business to artificially inflate stock and woo investors.If that sounds familiar, it's because former MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe pleaded guilty to the same charges in September. Lowe reportedly agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and regulators as part of his plea, a detail one can imagine tightened the vise on Farnsworth leading up to his plea.MoviePass subscribers paid the company $9.95 monthly for what were supposed to be unlimited movie tickets with no blackout dates. Farnsworth and Lowe told investors the business plan was tested and sustainable and would at least break even - if not turn a profit - from subscription fees alone. On top of that, they used buzzwords like big data" and artificial intelligence" to claim they could alchemize subscriber data, transforming it into profit.But according to the DOJ (and... logic), that was never the case. Instead, it was a marketing gimmick to lure in new subscribers and pump HMNY's stock price.Farnsworth falsely claimed that MoviePass' cost of goods (the number of tickets each subscriber bought with their subscription) naturally declined over time, which was in line with his publicly stated expectations. But the DOJ says that was because the company directed MoviePass employees to throttle subscribers who used the service to buy the most movies, preventing them from getting what was promised from their unlimited" memberships. That aligns with reports from 2019 that employees were ordered to change the passwords of frequent moviegoers.Unsurprisingly, the company lost money from the plan. A downward spiral commenced, MoviePass and its parent company declared bankruptcy in 2020 and the pair of Florida men in charge of the too-good-to-be-true scheme have admitted their guilt in a federal court.The company has since been resurrected with a new business model after co-founder Stacy Spikes bought its scraps in 2021.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/former-moviepass-head-pleads-guilty-to-securities-fraud-180603455.html?src=rss

Broadly speaking, there are two types of e-bikes: Ones with a motor in one of the wheels, and ones with the motor mounted between the pedals. Those in the former group, known as hub motors, are cheap and bountiful, but lack the oomph required to cover rough terrain and high inclines. Those in the latter group, known as mid-drive motors, have all the power, but are heavy on the wallet as well on your arms as you lug them around. Consequently, I'm excited by what Urtopia turned up with to CES 2025: Titanium Zero, a 3D-printed titanium concept e-bike weighing less than 20 pounds packing Quark DM1.2, a custom-designed mid-drive motor that's small enough to fit inside the bottom bracket and weighs just 2.6 pounds on its own. By its own admission, it's not as brawny as chonky mid-drive models from Bafang and Bosch, but it might be a perfect alternative for less extreme trails.Of course, right now it's just a concept device so we should keep the salt of reasonable skepticism in our left palm at all times. Even so, Urtopia's Titanium Zero is plenty light enough in the hand, looking a lot more like a regular steel-framed three-speed bike than an e-bike. Hell, if it didn't have the little controller visible on the crossbar, you could easily mistake this for an old-school racing bike, down to the drop handlebars.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetAnd then there's the aforementioned Quark DM1.2, which adds another layer of theoretical desirability onto the package. Urtopia says the tiny mid-drive motor can produce 65nm of max torque, which isn't going to give any of the bigger names any nightmares; a Bafang M560 can output 130Nm. But it's a rough rule of thumb that a regular rear hub motor can output around 40nm, so there's a significant performance boost. It's the sort of hardware I'm quite eager to test on the comically steep hills near to my home, just to see if the claims match the reality.Sadly, the Titanium Zero and Quark DM1.2 aren't ready for prime time, and so we'll have to wait for now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/i-want-urtopias-titanium-zero-concept-e-bike-174539195.html?src=rss

This isn't just any retro-styled microphone, but an all-in-one tool for music creators looking to record vocals when on the go. It's the creation of Hisong, a startup looking to build a more elegant alternative to toting around a microphone, mixer and headphones wherever you go. The AirStudio One is a wireless condenser microphone with a few secrets buried inside, like a professional audio interface, a wireless USB-C dongle and a pair of true wireless headphones. The idea being you can record a banging vocal when you're on the road without any additional hardware.AirStudio One isn't just a regular microphone, either, since it's been engineered with a multi-core Digital Signal Processor to help get the best sound from its slender body. Open the companion app on your phone, and you'll be able to mix the audio, set the EQ and even apply audio effects in real time. This isn't the first product we've seen this CES that puts more of the meat inside the microphone - Shure's MV7i carries its own two-channel audio interface.You could also use this to record sound for your videos, and if you opt for the analog dongle, can even output your sound to any device with a 3.5mm line-in. It's worth saying the ambient noise at CES made it impossible to test the sound quality of microphone. But this is the sort of gadget that has intriguing prospect" stamped all over it. We'll likely give this a deeper prod when it's available to buy later in the year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/airstudio-one-is-a-portable-microphone-thats-full-of-surprises-173019602.html?src=rss

Robot vacuums are having a very weird year at CES 2025. We've seen robot vacs that can scoot over stairs and pick up socks. Now, another robot vacuum maker is showing off robot vacuums that can zoom around with air purifiers, tablet stands, security cameras, tabletops and other objects on top.The SwitchBot K20+ Pro is a robot vacuum that doubles as a modular platform for other household devices. The company describes it as a multitasking" household assistant that can perform a bunch of tasks while maybe also cleaning your floor.The vacuum itself mostly resembles a typical robot vac, if a bit larger. It also has a connector on top that supports a wide array of attachments or even appliances. The company says it can support up to 8 kg - nearly 18 lbs - and will connect seamlessly to other SwitchBot appliances like an air purifier or home security cam. The SwitchBot vac can then be programmed to follow you around or stay in one spot.Karissa Bell for EngadgetAt SwitchBot's booth, I saw vacuums that had a tablet stand, an air purifier with an attached tabletop and a security cam. But the company's promotional materials also show a vacuum with a fan and a laundry basket on top. It also suggests that the K20+ Pro can deliver drinks and carry small packages around the house.A SwitchBot rep at the booth said the company wants to allow people to 3D print their own custom parts for the K20+ Pro so that anyone can come up with their own use case for a vacuum-enabled small appliance. A video posted to the company's YouTube channel even shows a vacuum with an arm that can pick up trash and deposit it in a wastebasket. (Yes, another robot vacuum with an arm.)If all of this sounds a bit ridiculous, that's because it is. While I can kind of understand the appeal of a robot vacuum that doubles as a phone or tablet stand, I can't imagine many scenarios when I'd want a floor-level fan or air purifier zooming around my house.I didn't get to see any of SwitchBot's vacuums actually moving around at its booth, so I have no idea how well any of this might work. It's also not clear how much the K20+ Pro will cost when it goes on sale later this year, though the company is already selling some of its attachments, like the $270 air purifier/tabletop combo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/one-robot-vacuum-is-trying-way-too-hard-to-outdo-the-competition-at-ces-2025-171554433.html?src=rss

Tonal, the company behind the smart home gym of the same name, is now launching the Tonal 2. This machine is an upgrade over its predecessor, which we tested some years ago. Two years ago, Tonal laid off 35 percent of its workforce, but the company seems to be doing much better now.According to the company, Tonal 2 has improved hardware, including a better camera that uses AI to analyze 500 data points per second" and an upgraded adaptive weight system. The latter can now let users lift up to 250 pounds. Tonal 2 also comes with new Aero HIIT workouts you can follow to combine cardio and strength training, something the first generation trainer doesn't offer. Additionally, Tonal 2 has a sleeker design and new look, thanks to an all-black appearance with chrome accents.Like the original Tonal trainer following a few software updates, Tonal 2 knows when your muscles are fatiguing and will reduce the resistance. This adjustment lets you pump out a few more reps and ensure you reach muscle failure easier, increasing muscle gains as a result.Tonal 2 is now available to purchase in all 50 states for $3,995. This price doesn't include a subscription, which costs $60 a month. The company will install the machine for you in your home when it arrives.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/tonal-2-is-now-available-for-purchase-170040163.html?src=rss

Google's Pixel 4a has long been considered a great smartphone for those on a budget, but it just received a software update that calls that into question. The update lowers the reported battery life. This isn't a side-effect of some new software. This is the actual intent of the refresh.Wait, what? Google says the automatic software update to Android 13 will reduce your battery's runtime and charging performance" but that it's necessary to improve the stability" of each device. That's the only explanation the company offered. We reached out to Google to ask for a specific reason as to why this was necessary.

The CES keynote will never be the same.This is my 12th CES, so there aren't many things that surprise me at this point, at least in terms of press conferences. All of the big companies used to try to one-up each other (celebrity appearances were the main method, although it's not as common now). However, the venue itself has now become the battleground for CES addresses.This week, Delta was the first company to host a CES press conference, or as the emcee called it, "a show," at the Sphere in Las Vegas. You've likely heard about the high-tech venue at this point, which usually hosts immersive concerts rather than trade show events. Debuting in 2023, the "multi-sensory experience" is known for having both the interior and exterior draped in LED displays and offering 4D effects like wind and smells.Three different credentials were required to attend the event in the venue which holds 18,600 people, one of which required a special trip to obtain. Once inside, Delta had various installations to celebrate its 100th anniversary and lines for the company's merchandise were absurdly long. People even skipped the Lenny Kravitz performance at the end to queue up for those goods.You could hear every realistic boom and pop.Billy Steele for EngadgetThere was also food that may have been similar to what the airline serves in-flight, and snacks that you'd expect on a Delta trip, like Biscoff cookies. Of course, the company stacked the audience with employees and guests, plus it trotted out a couple of celebrities - Viola Davis and Tom Brady - which I saw as a throwback to the CES keynote days of old. Then there was the full-blown concert at the end: Lenny Kravitz with a full band. This gave the attendees the experience of coming to a concert at Sphere, where U2, Dead & Company, Phish and more have performed in the past.But, as you might expect, the most interesting aspect of the whole thing is how Delta took advantage of the Sphere's 4D capabilities. Video of each speaker was projected on the interior of the venue set on various backdrops that transformed the hall into spaces ranging from a dome to an observation deck and an airplane cabin. Several times during CEO Ed Bastian's address there were interactions with planes where the seats rumbled and blown air provided a sense of flying, complete with directional, immersive audio. There was also a cameo by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi where an Uber Eats delivery arrived at the stage with a hazelnut-flavored coffee for Bastian and those aromas were wafted into the audience.Perhaps the most dazzling aspect of the whole "show" was the end, where cockpit video of a plane landing was projected on the interior of the Sphere. And when the plane landed, everyone's seats rumbled just liked they do when you hit the tarmac in real life. This was quickly followed by my first indoor fireworks show, designed to cap off Delta's 100th anniversary. I will say the immersive audio of the Sphere really enhanced this, and I doubt I'll experience anything like it again. I feel confident I'll never see indoor fireworks unless I return to this very venue.Seats rumbled just like they would in real life.Billy Steele for EngadgetOf course, there was news. It wouldn't be a CES press event without some. Delta announced its AI Concierge, an assistant inside the Fly Delta app that the company built to relieve travel stress. The airline first announced the concierge concept at CES 2020, but now it's working to make it a real thing that anticipates travel needs. Beginning this year, customers will be able to interact with Delta Concierge via text or voice. Eventually, the platform will be able to do things like hail a Joby VTOL aircraft to drop you off at the airport to avoid traffic.The AI tech can recognize both departure and arrival needs, including arranging a rideshare pickup for transport to a hotel. At the airport, you won't have to go through a TSA checkpoint, you just keep walking to your gate thanks to PreCheck Touchless ID. If you're wearing AR glasses during your trip, wayfinding then becomes a breeze with the travel assistant lighting your path. And once you're on the plane, the Delta Concierge will eventually automatically connect you to Delta Sync Wi-Fi and the seatback entertainment system to display customized info and content recs just for you.Delta's event was easily the most impressive CES presentation I've attended. And I've been to press events where each person had a PC and a VR headset at their seat. I don't know that any other company will invest what the airline did in the hosting and production this week, but it was immediately apparent that the bar had been raised, and that a ballroom at Mandalay Bay or The Venetian will no longer suffice if you're looking to make a lasting impression.Lenny Kravitz closed the show, and he'll close this post. Billy Steele for EngadgetThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/delta-changed-the-game-for-ces-press-conferences-162401293.html?src=rss

I don't want or need 99 percent of the stuff on display at CES - don't get me wrong, most of what we're seeing this week is impressive in one way or another, but nothing had seemed like a necessary addition to my life until I happened upon the Copper Charlie, a battery-equipped induction range that plugs directly into a standard 120V outlet. Yes, among the robots, future cars, bionic exoskeletons and AI everything, the thing that's exited me most is a stove (OK, the fluffball robot is pretty great). Up until a few years ago, I had no idea natural gas cooktops were bad for your health, not to mention the environment. Unfortunately, if your home is set up on gas, it's not easy or cheap to switch up to electric. Nearly all full-sized induction stoves require a dedicated 240V outlet and if you don't have one where the stove goes, a call to a electrician is likely in your future. Charlie is a full-sized oven and range that packs a ceramic glass cooktop, a 4.5 cubic-foot oven and an integrated 5 kWh battery. That battery allows the stove to run off a standard plug by storing up a charge that can bump up the power output when it's time to cook (it can also cook three to five meals during a power outage). Amy Skorheim / Engadget In person, the range looks properly high-end with a large LCD display, wooden dials and handle, stainless steel finish and clean lines. It also has a high-end price tag at $6,000. It should qualify for a 30-percent tax credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, so it could end up costing around $4,200 instead. A rewiring job for a 240V outlet shouldn't run you more than $500 for the average house, though if you're dealing with an older home with tricky wiring, that price could go up. And if you're in an apartment, that may not be an option at all. Still, after rebates and deducting the cost of an outlet conversion, you're still paying around $3,500 for Charlie. That's cheaper than some induction ranges, more expensive than others - but none of those models have a back-up battery that'll let you make mac and cheese when the power goes out. The Charlie from Copper is expected to ship in April of this year and is open for pre-orders. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/someone-please-buy-me-this-battery-powered-plug-in-induction-range-from-ces-160250464.html?src=rss

Meta is expanding Facebook Marketplace to include eBay listings. A test will launch in the US, France and Germany, allowing users to browse eBay offerings on Marketplace. Sellers on eBay can list products as usual and "as long as your account is in good standing, your listings could appear on any of these partners, including Facebook Marketplace, based on user interest, shopping trends, and listing quality," eBay states. The company will continue to handle all product inquiries and transactions.The decision by Meta comes as an attempt to placate the European Union, which fined the tech company 797.12 million ($821 million) last November. The European Commission charged Meta with violating antitrust regulations as "Meta tied its online classified ads service Facebook Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook and imposed unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers," Margrethe Vestager, then European Commission's executive vice-president in charge of competition policy, said at the time. "It did so to benefit its own service Facebook Marketplace, thereby giving it advantages that other online classified ads service providers could not match."Meta's decision to showcase eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace is far from an admission of guilt. "While we disagree with and continue to appeal the European Commission's decision on Facebook Marketplace, we are working quickly and constructively to build a solution which addresses the points raised," Meta stated in its announcement.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-test-will-bring-ebay-listings-to-facebook-marketplace-153958205.html?src=rss

T-Mobile is once again being sued by Washington state over the 2021 data breach which exposed sensitive information for over 79 million people, The Verge reports. The lawsuit filed on Monday alleges that T-Mobile had been aware of various security loopholes in its systems for years but didn't take any action. As a result, a hacker managed to breach T-Mobile in March 2021 and was undetected until August of the same year when an anonymous cybersecurity threat intelligence firm" told T-Mobile what was happening.Beyond alleging that T-Mobile knew about these flaws and took inadequate action to fix them, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson also claims T-Mobile's notifications to customers affected by the breach were inadequate and misleading. The text messages were brief and didn't reveal the full scope of the breach, only telling customers that debit and credit card information wasn't exposed while failing to mention their social security numbers and other personally identifiable information were compromised.The breach's victims included two million Washington residents. Information from T-Mobile's databases was later on the dark web for sale to the highest bidder. T-Mobile even supposedly hired a third party to buy exclusive access to the data.In more than one sense, this isn't T-Mobile's first rodeo. The company was already sued by AG Ferguson over a decade ago over "deceptive" ads. It has also been the target of a breach since 2021 - specifically 2024 Salt Typhoon" attacks on commercial telecommunications companies. T-Mobile claims that its systems and data weren't impacted significantly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/t-mobile-is-under-fire-again-over-its-2021-data-breach-143007400.html?src=rss

NASA will analyze and explore two different landing options for its Mars Sample Return program, though it will take almost two years to do so and is expected to announce its decision in late 2026. The agency had to temporarily hit pause on the program after an independent review found that it could cost between $8 billion and $11 billion, which is way above budget.The first method NASA is evaluating is called the "sky crane," in which a vehicle will head to Mars, get close to the surface with the help of a parachute, pick up the samples the Perseverance rover had collected using cables or other mechanisms and then fly away. NASA previously used this method to place the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the planet.Meanwhile, the second option requires the help of commercial space companies. Last year, the agency asked SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and other companies to submit proposals on how to get the collected Martian samples back to Earth. Whichever option the agency chooses will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle than originally planned. The Mars Ascent Vehicle is a lightweight rocket that will take the samples from the planet's surface into Martian orbit. It will also have to be capable of transporting a container that can fit 30 sample tubes. Once the sample container is in orbit, a European Space Agency orbiter will capture it and bring it back home.Early last year, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory had to lay off 530 employees and cut off 100 contract workers mainly due to budget issues related to this mission. NASA requested $950 million for the program, but only $300 million was allocated for it. The independent review that found that the mission would cost above budget also found that it might not be able to bring the samples back to Earth by 2040. According to a previous report by The Washington Post, the US government found the return date "unacceptable."In a teleconference, NASA administrator Bill Nelson revealed either of the two methods the agency is now considering would cost a lot less than what it would originally spend. The sky crane would reportedly cost NASA between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion, while working with a private space company would cost between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion. Either option would also be able to retrieve the samples and bring them back sometime between 2035 and 2039. Scientists believe the samples Perseverance has been collecting could help us determine whether there was life on Mars and whether its soil contains chemicals and substances that could be harmful to future human spacefarers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-decide-how-to-bring-soil-samples-back-from-mars-in-2026-141519710.html?src=rss

If you want to keep better track of your things in the new year, a Bluetooth tracker can help. Apple's AirTags are currently on sale where you can get a four pack for only $70. That's a record low for the bundle and it brings each individual device down to only $17.50. If you're not so sure you need four of them, a single AirTag will set you back $23 at the moment. AirTags take just seconds to set up using an iPhone. They are integrated into the Find My network, so you don't have to register for another service or download a separate app. AirTags also support the ultra-wideband wireless protocol. When your iPhone gets within roughly 25 feet of a linked AirTag, you'll see directional arrows and an approximate distance meter to help you locate it. On top of that, Apple recently revealed that several major airlines are adding support for AirTag tracking to their systems. The idea is to help you (and your airline) more easily locate any missing bag that has an AirTag inside. Meanwhile, you might be interested in picking up some AirTag accessories to, say, more easily attach them to your keychain. We've got you covered there too, thanks to our round-up of the best AirTag accessories. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-for-only-70-150049782.html?src=rss

As Engadget's chief The Last of Us correspondent, I was pretty pumped to find out during Sony's CES 2025 press conference that season two of the HBO show would come out in April. But Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann also teased an "location-based experience exhibit" that would transport participants into the tunnels of Seattle filled with Infected. That's an area straight out of The Last of Us Part II, and today I got a chance to try the proof-of-concept experience. It was short, minimal, and a little rough, but it was also another good example of how Sony is trying to take its tentpole franchises from PlayStation and put them in entirely different experiences.Unfortunately, Sony had a strict "no cameras or videos" policy for this experience, so you'll have to rely on my words and a little video the company showed about the tech behind it.I entered the experience with three other participants after a quick run-down of the gear we'd use: two of us got shotguns, and two got flashlights (sadly I was stuck with a flashlight). Both have a bunch of small sensors attached to the front so that they could interact with the environment we entered; the flashlight felt like a real flashlight with some sensors on the end, but the guns were crude tubes with a handle and trigger; the trigger felt pretty good from my quick test of it before we got started. There are also sensors on the barrel of the gun that detect a "pump" motion to reload it.Once we were outfitted, an actor playing a member of an unnamed militia briefed us on the mission: some of our fellow mercenaries disappeared in the Seattle subways - perhaps kidnapped by the WLF, perhaps taken down by Infected. Our job was to find him... what could go wrong?Our guide directed me and the other flashlight-holder to start lighting up the subway station -which was created by three giant screens surrounding us. The walls of the room were made of LED panels, and the sensors on the flashlights interacted with them to track my moment. I needed to be pretty close to the screens for it to recognize my flashlight, but it was pretty cool to be lighting up a virtual environment in real time.Nathan Ingraham for EngadgetThen, of course, a clicker scream puts the group on high alert - and given that it came from a specific location we all swing our flashlights in that direction to identify the threat. Just as in the game, though, the disgusting infected creature shambled closer to us, let out another scream and came charging forward, at which point the shotgunners blasted away with abandon. That noise brought more Infected charging into the space; I would light them up with the flashlight and my partner shot them down.Things calmed down, momentarily -then a massive subway car started sliding out of its precarious place, which trigged one of the demo's coolest effects. The floor was rigged for haptic feedback, and while we had felt it rumble at various disturbances, this was by far the biggest impact. The combo of the visuals, audio and haptics all made it feel, well, immersive. I certainly didn't forget I was in a demo, but it was cool nonetheless. Beyond the floor haptics, Sony says that there are even scents pumped into the room to further the atmosphere, but I wasn't able to detect anything myself.Then we got the obligatory cameo from The Last of Us Part II co-protagonist Ellie and her companion Dina, as they scrambled away from Infected who start chasing them down. One knocked Ellie down and started ripping at her throat until Dina caught up and pulled it off her, at which point they sprinted away. Unfortunately, the disturbance brought a massive swarm of monsters coming at us, which brought on the big battle of the experience. I started illuminating the hordes and my companion blasted them down, but then dozens started overwhelming the screens and the screams got more and more intense until everything cut to black as our crew was overrun. That's that!I'm not judging the experience too harshly, because Sony was clear both in its press conference and before we tried it that this is a very early proof of concept. The main thing that pulled me out of it was that the space we were in is static - there's no way to run away or move beyond the boundaries of what we were presented with. And then, as I mentioned, you needed to be relatively close to the "walls" for them to recognize the flashlight or gun, which meant that if you backed up to take in the scope of the space you gear might not work.The other thing is that I think the barrier to it being truly scary or more immersive is that I couldn't ignore the fact that the threat was on a screen rather than in the room with me. There's no doubt that having full control in an environment like this would be a wild way to play a game like this, but it was all just a little too on the rails and removed from the space I was in.I'm trying to track down anyone from Sony who can tell me more about the genesis for this idea as well as where they see it going in the future. But Sony and Naughty Dog have already brought The Last of Us to a variety of other media, and this feels like a more high-tech vision of what Sony did in conjunction with Universal Studios when it brought the franchise to the Halloween Horror Nights that happens at the theme parks. Whether this is a one-off curiosity or something we see down the line in a more complete fashion, though, remains to be seen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-immersive-the-last-of-us-experience-at-ces-2025-dropped-me-into-a-subway-filled-with-zombies-140010550.html?src=rss

Last year, Honda teased its first two homegrown EVs with the Series 0 Saloon and Space-Hub. But now at CES 2025, those vehicles are getting one step closer to production by graduating from concepts to prototypes while getting updated names along the way: the Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV.But while we wait for them to officially hit the road sometime in 2026, I wanted to take a closer look at the evolved styling of Honda's upcoming electric cars. Particularly the 0 SUV, not only because it's gotten a much larger facelift, but lets admit it, it's what we in the crossover-hungry US really want.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetOn the outside, the Honda's 0 SUV looks like a mix between the Polestar 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 9. It's got a really minimalist, almost spaceship-like design that eschews that teardrop shape you see in a lot of other EV SUVs for something slightly boxier. This gives you more headroom for rear seat passengers and tons of extra vertical cargo space in back. The SUV's pixelated headlights help reinforce its digital pedigree while I think Honda did a much better job in back of trying to make a clean and simple rear end without ending up a huge blank slate like on the Ioniq 9.The 0 SUV's overall proportions almost make it look like a tall, lifted wagon, especially when sat next to the 0 saloon. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Inside, Honda continues with the clean lines, though I wouldn't necessarily read much into the general placement and look of its screens and dash. Like a lot of pre-production cars, those details are very much subject to change before its design is properly finalized. Same goes for those side-view cameras, which due to US laws, still don't comply with regulations. However, Honda's streamlined cabin does line up with the company's Thin, Light and Wise" design philosophy, which includes the move to a steer-by-wire driving system instead of relying on more traditional physical linkages.But enough talking, let's check out the cars.The Honda 0 SUV prototypePhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordThe Honda 0 Saloon prototypePhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordPhoto by Sam RutherfordThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/a-closer-look-at-the-slick-honda-0-suv-and-saloon-prototypes-at-ces-2025-134550129.html?src=rss

A spinning VR gaming chair sounds like it would be an at-home vomitron. The virtual reality environment tends to make some people (like me) queasy as it is, so adding synchronized full-body rotation seems like a recipe for disaster. I was kind of prepared for the worst when I decided to try out the $800 Roto VR Explorer at CES 2025, which uses a head-tracker that attaches to the top of Meta Quest devices and other headsets to make a swivel chair turn in whatever direction you're looking. But against all odds, I ended up having a pretty good time. In addition to enhancing the experience of seated VR gaming, the chair is actually supposed to help with issues like motion sickness, because, according to the press materials, the signals from your inner ear will match what your brain is expecting from the visual cues." Still, I was a little nervous, and it didn't help that as we approached the booth, the first thing we saw was an empty chair spinning on its own in the corner like an omen. The Roto VR Explorer is a Made for Meta product, meaning it's optimized for Quest, but it'll work with standalone headsets like those in the HTC Vive family and soon" the Apple Vision Pro. The chair itself weighs 66 pounds, so it felt really sturdy to sit in, and it has a rumble pack under the seat to bring haptic feedback to the rest of your body instead of just in your hands from the controllers. The head tracker, which looks like a flattened Poke Ball, clips onto the top strap of the headset. After the Roto team gave me the rundown and got me set up in the chair with a Quest 3, I selected my VR experience - the 2018 interactive documentary about the universe, Spheres - and got going. It was, without a doubt, a little weird at first when I turned my head to follow the path of rippling auroras and felt my body rotate as if I were a spice jar on a lazy Susan. But for the most part, it didn't have that disorienting feeling of the ground shifting underneath you. (It was definitely lagging a bit on the congested show floor, which did lead to some out-of-sync, jerky movements). It only took a minute or so for me to stop focusing on the fact that I was in motion and just go with it. Jessica Conditt for Engadget For something like Spheres, where you're just sort of moseying through beautiful visuals and curiously interacting with the virtual environment, the Roto VR Explorer is actually really nice. If you're in a faster-paced setting, like a first-person shooter, it's only going to ramp up the tension. I tried turning my head quickly to the side back and forth a few times to see how it would work with that sort of movement, and it really goes when it's running smoothly. The chair moves at max speed of 21 revolutions per minute, but you can reduce this with the controllers if that gets to be too much. I fully expected to be doing a lot of deep breathing to get through the demo, but there actually never was a point that I felt nauseated. And when I got up out of it and reentered real life, I didn't feel any more wobbly-legged and confused than I usually do after spending time behind a headset (though I'm sure using it for a few hours straight would change that). I'm mostly just relieved I didn't throw up in front of a bunch of strangers. There are plenty of situations in which a person might want or need to do their VR gaming sitting down, and the Roto VR Explorer chair offers a pretty fun way to bring the immersion to another level. It's available for purchase now, with upgrade packages - including Pro Flying and Pro Racing - expected to follow in August 2025. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-spinning-vr-chair-at-ces-2025-somehow-didnt-make-me-feel-like-throwing-up-133040191.html?src=rss

Ex-employees of Annapurna Interactive who quit en masse last year have reportedly found their next project. According to Bloomberg, the team is taking over the games and franchises of Private Division, a former Take-Two label that published indie games.A new enterprise that doesn't have a name as yet is said to have been formed and it appears that some of the remaining 20 or so employees of Private Division will be laid off as part of the transition. Take-Two said in November that it had sold Private Division (which published The Outer Worlds and physical copies of Hades) to an unnamed buyer, reportedly a private equity firm called Haveli Investments.Haveli is said to have brought in the former Annapurna employees in recent weeks and handed them the keys to Private Division's portfolio. That includes an upcoming cozy life sim based on The Lord of the Rings called Tales of the Shire, the Kerbal Space Program series and a new project from Game Freak, which is best known for making Pokemon games.The entire Annapurna Interactive staff quit last summer after discussions to spin out the publisher from parent company Annapurna Pictures fell apart. The company then set out to replace the team.Annapurna has a stellar track record in the indie realm, having published a string of highly regarded games such as Stray, Sayonara Wild Hearts, What Remains of Edith Finch, Cocoon and (slightly confusingly) Outer Wilds. So there's reason for optimism that its former staffers can do great things with the Private Division portfolio. Fingers crossed that this also somehow portends a future for OlliOlli and the brilliant Rollerdrome. Both were developed by Roll7, a now-shuttered studio that was under Private Division's umbrella.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/former-annapurna-interactive-staff-are-reportedly-taking-over-publisher-private-divisions-game-portfolio-133033714.html?src=rss

In summer 2023, the Biden administration announced its plan to certify devices with a logo indicating powerful cybersecurity. Now, as Biden navigates his last couple weeks in office, the White House has launched the US Cyber Trust Mark. The green shield logo will adorn any product which passes accreditation tests established by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).The program will open to companies "soon," allowing them to submit products to an accredited lab for compliance testing. "The US Cyber Trust Mark embodies public-private collaboration," the White House stated in a release. "It connects companies, consumers, and the US government by incentivizing companies to build products securely against established security standards and gives consumers an added measure of assurance - through the label - that their smart device is cybersafe." Some companies, like Best Buy and Amazon, plan to showcase labeled products for consumer's easy discovery.Steps to get the program up and running have continued over the last year and a half. In March, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the program in a bipartisan, unanimous vote. Last month, the Commission issued 11 companies with conditional approval to act as Cybersecurity Label Administrators.The White House's original announcement included plans to also create a QR code linking to a database of the products - its unclear if this aspect will move forward. The QR code would allow customers to check if the product was up-to-date with its cybersecurity checks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/devices-with-strong-cybersecurity-can-now-apply-for-a-government-seal-of-approval-131553198.html?src=rss

RollAway combines the luxuries of a high-end hotel with the freedom of camping, all in a drivable, eco-friendly package. RollAway is a camper-van rental service that offers an on-demand concierge who can plan your trip, direct you along the way, provide tips about the best spots to visit, and keep your space equipped with five-star amenities. The van has a seating area that transforms into a queen bed, a kitchen with a sink and dual-burner stovetop, a shower, toilet, lots of storage, and a panoramic roof. When the van's rear rolling door is pulled down, it acts as a screen for the included projector. But that's just all the built-in stuff. RollAway also comes with a lineup of top-tier amenities, including Yeti coolers and cups, Starlink satellite Wi-Fi, locally sourced breakfast packages, Malin+Goetz toiletries, fresh linens, and a tablet loaded with hospitality services. The tablet gives you access to a live virtual concierge and the Hospitality On-Demand app, which houses your itinerary, room service and housekeeping requests. In the future, RollAway will offer a full housekeeping service, but that feature isn't live quite yet. RollAway Best of all, RollAway is a sustainability-focused, zero-emissions endeavor. The vans are fully electric, courtesy of GM's EV subsidiary BrightDrop, and they have a single-charge range of more than 270 miles. They also have a fast charging option. The vans have solar panels, a waterless toilet, and low-waste water systems for serious off-grid trips, or they can be fully hooked up at RV sites. We took a quick tour of a RollAway van at CES 2025 and found it to be as luxurious as advertised. The kitchen table slides into the seating area when it's not in use, creating a fairly open hangout space at the very back of the van. The kitchen felt plenty large for camping purposes, and the most cramped space was the bathroom, which held a toilet and a sliver of a hand-washing sink. All of the finishing touches seemed sturdy and looked sleek. We were deeply tempted to drive right off the show floor in the thing. Engadget RollAway just started booking trips in late 2024, and the service is almost fully reserved throughout 2025. Reservations cost around $400 a night. It's available only in the San Francisco Bay Area for now, but more cities are coming soon. RollAway had a successful funding round on Indiegogo in 2023, raising more than $47,000 of a $20,000 goal. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rollaway-is-a-rentable-ev-camper-van-with-a-concierge-service-and-luxury-amenities-130025021.html?src=rss

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced yesterday that the company is swinging away from its efforts to corral its content. Meta is suspending its fact-checking program to move to an X-style Community Notes model on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. We go into detail on the changes Meta promised, but is the company attempting to court the new Trump presidency?Well, alongside donating to Donald Trump's inauguration fund, replacing policy chief Nick Clegg with a former George W. Bush aide and even adding Trump's buddy (and UFC CEO) Dana White to its board... yeah. Probably.Meta blocked Trump from using his accounts on its platforms for years after he stoked the flames of the attempted coup of January 6, 2021. At the time, Zuckerberg said, His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world."But who cares about that when you could get some sweet favor with the incoming administration? Zuckerberg, who revealed the change on Fox News, said Trump's election win is part of the reasoning behind Meta's policy shift, calling it a cultural tipping point" on free speech. He said the company will work with Trump to push back against other governments, including China.He added, Europe has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalizing censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there." It's not innovative to copy everything rival social networks do, Mark. Also, pay your fines, Mark.Alongside Zuckerberg's video, Meta had a blog post - More Speech and Fewer Mistakes" - detailing incoming changes and policy shifts - or more lies and fewer consequences.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

It's the second day of CES 2025, and I'm sure you've spent the whole day with your eyes pointed to our liveblog containing all the news of the day. But I'm sure there are a few folks who might have sneezed, or blinked, and missed something important. Which is why we've made this lovely list of all the biggest news from this day of the show, just for those folks who sneezed.Lenovo blesses us with its presence at CESThere was plenty more PC-flavored news broadcast to the world, including Lenovo's turn in the spotlight. Most notably, it showed off the ThinkBook Plus, a real version of its flexible OLED laptop from a few years back. At the touch of a button, that 14-inch display will expand to a bit more productivity-friendly 16.7-inches, which might justify the $3,500 starting price.Lenovo also showed off a dummy prototype of its Legion Go 2 gaming handheld, and hints as to what specs it'll be carrying. Alongside that, it announced the Legion Go S, the first third-party SteamOS gaming handheld that'll offer a legitimate alternative to the Steam Deck. If you'd rather play games in a more traditional way, by which I mean with one leg as an ersatz table while you sit awkwardly on a crowded bus, then you can opt for Lenovo's new Legion Pro 7i gaming laptop which can be specced with NVIDIA's RTX 5090 graphics.Of course, Lenovo also released some normal laptops, including the Yoga Slim 9i, the first laptop to launch with an under-display camera. The tweak enables it to boast a 98 percent screen to body ratio, which should get all of your friends and enemies feeling jealous. The ThinkPad X9, meanwhile, will likely break hearts of longstanding ThinkPad fans, since it has no aluminum chassis and no Trackpoint. Yes, we can hardly believe it too.Qualcomm brings new chips, while Maingear, ASUS and Razer bring the PC goodiesQualcomm, with less to prove than Intel right now, has announced its Snapdragon X chips will land in more Windows Copilot + PCs in the near future. A plethora of models are currently in development, with a focus on affordability rather than bells and whistles. Qualcomm and its partners, which include Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo are targeting a base price of $600. Which should be affordable enough for plenty of entry-level buyers to update their ageing hardware to take advantage of whatever we work out what AI is actually good for.ASUS' new ZenBook A14 made its debut in the desert, showing off some pretty lovely industrial design and a spec sheet to match. Engadget's Devindra Hardawar was delighted with the premium materials used in its construction, and the look and feel. The one downside is that it's equipped / blighted (delete as appropriate) with Qualcomm's X or Elite chips, limiting backwards compatibility with older Windows apps.Maingear, meanwhile, went to town on its fancy-looking water-cooled desktops as it attempts to reassert its dominance in the custom PC space. The range comes with heavy-duty plumbing and a whole bunch of fans and radiators to help keep your planet-burning GPUs cool.One permanent fixture of CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada is gaming company Razer showing off its latest lighting-infused hardware. First up, it debuted its new Blade 16 laptop, which it says is its thinnest gaming laptop ever made. It also showed off Project Arielle, an RGB-clad gaming chair that'll glow red as it warms you up and blue as it cools you down. And, to round things out, the company also showed off a fancypants monitor stand that, surprise surprise, was also RGB.Smart Glasses at CES 2025Smart glasses have always been something of a technological cul-de-sac, but the signs are that the technology is quickly maturing. We've seen plenty of specs at this year's CES that aren't just a faddy gimmick with a too-expensive price tag. For instance, RayNeo's new X3 AR Pro frames comes with a built-in camera and the ability to interact with a ChatGPT-powered assistant. Then there's Even Realities, which brought the G1A and G1B to the show, which impressed me no end. They're far lower tech than some of the products on offer, but with a more robust feature set that includes real-time translation, teleprompting and turn-by-turn directions. Xreal, too, was able to show off its latest personal cinema-style AR glasses that didn't make me want to throw up the second I put them on.The CES Auto Show: New Honda EVs and BMW's Panoramic iDrive turn headsHonda rocked up in Nevada to talk up prototype models of the concept vehicles it showed off last year. The 0 Series Saloon sedan, which 100% looks like the car Inspector Gadget would drive, and the 0 Series SUV, which also looks like a car Inspector Gadget would drive. The auto maker said both models will be available to buy at some point next year, harnessing Honda's brand-spanking new EV architecture.And BMW was also here, showing off its new Panoramic iDrive system that'll come to every new BMW. That includes a display running the width of the dashboard with key statistics on your drive, rather than sticking it in an instrument binnacle like a normal person is used to. Of course, the idea here is to give you so many places to stick useful information it's impossible for you to miss what's going on. Unless you spend so much time staring at the raft of digital displays that you forget your eyes should really be pointed toward the road.The rest of the best at CES 2025Day two of CES is where the focus pivots from the biggest names to everyone else, and there was plenty of interesting stuff on show. For instance, InkPoster uses color e-paper displays as a canvas upon which you can hang digital art on your walls. MCON by OhSnap is a neat magnetic game controller for your smartphone with high-class features like Hall Effect Joysticks. Anker built a solar umbrella that lets you re-juice your gadgets while catching some rays. And, not one to be outdone, EcoFlow showed off a solar hat that'll do the same thing, but goofier.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-best-tech-and-gadgets-we-found-on-ces-2025-day-two-110005772.html?src=rss

It turns out that Roborock isn't the only company that brought a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm to CES 2025. Rival company Dreame, which unveiled its stair-climbing robot vacuum earlier in the week, is also working on a robot vacuum with an arm for picking up objects.The device is still a prototype, according to the company, but the as yet unnamed robo vac was on full display at Dreame's CES booth. Considering it's still a prototype, the actual arm looked far more substantial compared to the one on Roborock's Saros Z70. It was much thicker and had a bigger claw" that looked like it might be able to pick up slightly heavier objects. (Roborock says its vac can pick up object that weigh up to 300 grams.)

We may no longer be at the height of the tiny home craze, but the idea of a resource-light, efficiently built home that can be plonked down just about anywhere still appeals. Today at CES, I got to tour the 2025 model of the microhaus Pro from California-based Haus.me. It was shiny, swankily appointed and, honestly, not as expensive as I thought it'd be. The interior of the 120-square foot unit is all wood tones, glass and soft neutrals. It's like you took a shipping container and replaced the hard lines and corrugated steel with rounded corners and floor-to-ceiling windows. The surfaces glint and every part of the space is maximized with an Ikea-like small-space efficiency, like the queen-sized Murphy bed that folds up to reveal a table and two bench seats. The kitchen has a small fridge, microwave and included in the price is a full suite of Villeroy & Boch dishware and there's a full-sized shower in the bathroom. The units truly can go just about anywhere with no site preparation required - if the ground is flat, it'll work. The microhaus Pro is also climate agnostic, with the ability to set up in snowy forests, hot deserts and temperate beaches (though hot and cold climate packages are about $10,00 extra each). It's also seismic California fire code and CAT-5 hurricane compliant. Amy Skorheim / Engadget Installation takes usually under an hour and doesn't require any special hook ups - a garden hose and an extension cord is all it needs. And thanks to its size, it falls below the size threshold that would require a permit. The included 3.6 kWh battery can run everything in the home for four days and there's an optional atmospheric water generation and a battery life of four days. Drinking water is reverse osmosis filtered and the waste disposal system "melts" everything into liquid, which can be run out an extendable pipe you can connect to septic or a holding tank. The Pro model also features high-end perks like voice control via the Apple HomePod mounted to the wall. During my tour, Max Gerbut, Haus.me's CEO asked Siri to lower the shades, and it complied. You also get the full package, dishes, towels et cetera - I even saw a drawer full of M&Ms in the kitchen and was assured you get those too. The Pro model is a more deluxe and robust edition meant for Airbnb and rental use and goes for $89,99. If you don't need the smart home features, the battery backup and the included dishes, you can grab the microhaus Lite for $59,990. There's also a $35,000 shell version that includes just the HVAC system, lights, wiring, bathroom fixtures and plumbing. One thing none of the microhaus models include is solar generation. For that, you'll need to switch up to the 400 and 800 square-foot units. Those have the same put-it-anywhere convenience but are fully autonomous and go for $199,000 and $299,000, respectively. Note that none of the prices include delivery. It's true - none of these prices are small numbers. But I've helped build yurts, tiny homes and sheds. I've lived in more than one hand-built home and have looked into many other modular, pre-fab options. Comparatively, these prices aren't terribly high, especially when you consider there's nearly no site prep, no installation and no contractor required. The microhaus Pro is available to order now from the Haus.me website. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/at-ces-2025-i-toured-the-haus-microhaus-pro-a-self-contained-living-pod-you-can-put-just-about-anywhere-011604860.html?src=rss

Robot vacuums can make cleaning up a lot more convenient but, depending on your home's layout, might not work with every floorplan. Chinese appliance maker Dreame is hoping to address that with its X50 robot vacuum that's able to climb over small stairs without assistance.Though the robot vac has yet to launch in the US, it's already generated some buzz thanks to a teaser posted on YouTube last year (the X50 is already available in China). Now, the $1699 X50 is making its US debut at CES 2025, with Dreame offering an up-close look at its abilities.

The Afeela 1 is getting some quality time for itself today at CES. While it was a highlight of the Sony press conference on Monday night, it had to share the stage there with Sony's other priorities (which, oddly, were more about anime, TV and movies and professional video creation tools more than consumer electronics). Right now, it's got center stage at a dedicated event from Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture between the two Japanese concerns behind the Afeela.What to expect at Afeela's CES 2025 press conferenceWe know a lot more about the Afeela 1 than we did 24 hours ago, thanks to Sony's earlier presser. The Afeela 1 Origin and Afeela 1 Signature are priced at $89,900 and $109,900, respectively. Customers in California are now able to reserve a Signature trim for a refundable fee of $200 and the first deliveries are planned for mid-2026. The Origin variant is set to arrive the following year. Both variants factor in three years of access to services including Level 2+ driver assistance, the Afeela Personal Agent and a range of entertainment options.At the Afeela keynote, we should learn much more about the Afeela 1. Expect a closer look at a near-final version of the EV, which is packed with tech.Watch the Afeela CES 2025 livestreamYou can watch the Afeela CES 2025 press conference live right here. The keynote started Tuesday, January 7 at 7:30PM ET.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sony-honda-mobility-ces-2025-keynote-learn-more-about-the-afeela-1-ev-live-here-212536780.html?src=rss

Pebble unveiled the Pebble Flow all-electric RV trailer at last year's CES. At this year's show, they've finalized both design and price for the Pebble Flow. Pebble announced that the RV trailer will be go into production at the start of 2025, with deliveries of expected to begin in the spring of the year.The final design of the trailer includes some new additions to what Pebble introduced in Las Vegas in 2024. The interior has been revised for improved access to cabinets, additional side and rear windows, a bigger door, and larger storage space. The Pebble Flow has also gotten some tweaks to the exterior and the drivetrain system has been re-engineered.The Pebble Flow is equipped with a 45 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and a 1.1 kW solar array. According to the company, this can support up to seven days on the road from solar recharging and regenerative braking.The base model will cost $109,500. The Magic Pack upgrade option adds a dual-motor drivetrain that enables advanced automation features; this model costs $135,500. The Founders Edition model, with a limited-edition color and the complete set of available upgrades, will cost $175,000.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/pebble-flow-all-electric-rv-trailer-will-begin-deliveries-this-spring-003024921.html?src=rss

Surprising no one, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang isn't too worried about a future filled with robots and superintelligent AI. In fact, he welcomes it. During a CES Q&A session with media and analysts, Huang was asked if he thought intelligent robots would ultimately side with humans, or against them. "With the humans, because we're going to build them that way," he replied confidently."The idea of superintelligence is not unusual," Huang continued. "I have a company with many many people who are superintelligent in their field of work. I'm surrounded by superintelligence. And I prefer to be surrounded by superintelligence than the alternative."Given that the hype around generative AI has been huge for NVIDIA's business - it's currently vying with Apple and Microsoft for the largest valuation in the world - it makes sense that Huang would be all for a future where we're more reliant on smarter AI. He falls short of proclaiming the arrival of god-like artificial general intelligence (AGI) like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tesla's Elon Musk, instead Huang's vision sounds more task-focused."That's the future, you're going to have superintelligent AI that will let you write, analyze problems, deal with supply chain planning, write software, design chips," he said. "The technology, of course, can be used in many ways, but it's humans that are harmful. I think machines are machines."During the morning Q&A session, which came after Huang's lengthy CES keynote to a mostly unenthusiastic crowd, he admitted that he did a poor job of conveying his vision for AI in the real world. Huang thinks the combination of NVIDIA's Omniverse technology for visualizing 3D routines, as well as NVIDIA Cosmos for generating photorealistic environments for AI training, will make it easier to train robots for real-world work. That could end up being one small step towards AI superintelligence - or, at the very least, slightly more capable robots.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-welcomes-the-rise-of-superintelligent-ai-at-ces-2025-002827074.html?src=rss

Longstanding solar generator company Jackery is leveling up the US' roof game with the introduction of XBC curved solar shingles. Debuting at CES 2025, Jackery's curved solar roof tiles come in terracotta or obsidian, designed to match some of the most common house styles in the country. While solar shingles definitely already exist in the US, these are the first with a wavy aesthetic. It sounds like HOA presidents everywhere just lost one more excuse for preventing your rooftop solar installation.JackeryThe new tiles deliver a cell conversion efficiency of more than 25 percent, and they're built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hail, high wind and temperatures between -40 degrees F and 185 degrees F. They're designed in line with traditional roofing installation practices, featuring a modular setup that allows for flexible, piecemeal maintenance. Jackery provides a 30-year warranty on the tiles, too.The Jackery Solar Roof system integrates with the company's existing in-home solar solutions, including the HomePower Inverter, Battery, Hub and Hub Plus, and the Solar Generator 5000 Plus and Smart Transfer Switch Kit.There's no word on specific pricing or availability for the new tiles just yet, even though Jackery was highlighting them in a big way at CES 2025. Jackery, founded in Silicon Valley in 2012, is one of the leading names in portable generators and whole-home solar kits, a market that's becoming more accessible by the year.EngadgetAlso at this year's show, Jackery showed off its first Solar Generator RV Kit, the new 3000v2 backup generator, and its full-coverage HomePower Energy System.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/jackerys-curved-solar-roof-tiles-are-so-normie-even-your-hoa-might-like-them-000009034.html?src=rss

You probably didn't have X CEO Linda Yaccarino praising Meta and Mark Zuckerberg on your CES 2025 bingo card, yet here we are. Speaking during a keynote address in Las Vegas, Yaccarino described Meta's decision to end its longtime fact checking program and implement community notes as exciting" and validating."Yaccarino and and X owner Elon Musk have both championed the crowd-sourced fact-checking feature that Meta now plans to emulate on its own services. I think it's really exciting when you think about community notes being good for the world ... and it couldn't be more validating than to see that Mark and Meta realize that," Yaccarino said. Mark, Meta, welcome to the party."Meta and Zuckerberg may find themselves in dubious company at the party," however. While X often touts the number of users who contribute to Community Notes, some researchers have pointed out flaws in the feature. A report last year from misinformation researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) noted that many misleading posts, including prominent posts from Musk himself, can rack up billions of views without receiving a correction.It's not surprising at all that Yaccarino would praise Zuckerberg's move to cut ties with the media institutions that have been its longtime partners for fact-checking content on Facebook and Instagram. Like her boss Musk, she's made no secret of her disdain for legacy media," and she spent a significant portion of her time onstage railing against legacy news that is designed to make you think a certain way."Zuckerberg's move to loosen its content moderation standards is the latest sign of just how far the Facebook founder is willing to go to realign himself with the political right as Donald Trump prepares to take office. He also added a prominent Trump backer, UFC CEO Dana White, to Meta's board and elevated the company's most prominent Republican executive to run global affairs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/linda-yaccarino-on-meta-ending-fact-checking-welcome-to-the-party-231304753.html?src=rss

According to Wikipedia, the first instance of the phrase post-truth" was written by Steve Teisch in 1992 when referencing political scandals post-Watergate. Clearly, ol' Stevie never visited CES, where the standards for saying things that are provably true are slightly laxer than in the rest of civil discourse. Apropos of nothing, a company called Rictor, which makes and sells one e-bike, the Rictor K1, is advertising the Skyrider X1. A moped-cum-quadcopter that you can use to zoom through the streets one second, and through the skies another. Which, as you all know, is a totally achievable thing for any consumer electronics company to be able to achieve by its promised launch date of 2026.The Skyrider X1, its theoretical makers claim, is an electric moped with an enclosed cabin that, when things get too congested, will transform into a quadcopter. All you'll need to do is pop out the four arms, each with two fanblades, and you'll be able to ascend up to a maximum of 200 meters above the ground. Rictor says safety is its top priority, including plenty of redundant systems and, should all else fail, a built-in parachute. Plus, the Skyrider X1 is capable of automatically taking off and landing, and can plan its optimal route when it's up in the air. And on the company's website, it says the X1 SL, with a 10.5kWh battery will have a flight time of 25 minutes, while the X1 SX, with its 21kWh battery, will stay in the air for 40 minutes.That's pretty exciting, not to mention the company says that it's aiming to sell the Skyrider X1 for $60,000, far below what you might expect to pay for a mop-copter in this class. You could buy one and use it to speed up your DoorDash deliveries and earn some sweet money in tips. Perhaps, when the pre-order page opens, you can lay down that cash before heading over to my new venture, where I'll sell you a bridge. Seriously, one of London's many bridges, that you'll own, all to yourself, but you will need to arrange delivery and pay for shipping with a third party I haven't yet invented.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/rictors-skyrider-x1-is-equal-parts-moped-quadcopter-and-fantasy-220802108.html?src=rss

Stress can really take a toll on your body and mind, often in ways you may not immediately realize. Swiss startup Nutrix AG is hoping a quick, at-home spit test can help by giving users a better idea of how stressed out they really are - and tools to manage it. At CES 2025, Nutrix showed off its cortiSense device that's designed to measure levels of cortisol in saliva and can be used to track changes over time. The startup aims to launch it by the end of this year, and it'll work with the gSense app and digital platform to offer things like personalized wellness coaching from a medical team. It's meant to be an easy and noninvasive way to identify and combat burnout. The part that's a little sus, though? In a press release, Nutrix CEO Maria Hahn said the company is focusing on empowering enterprises," noting that employee burnout can present a significant challenge with a huge human and financial cost." So, get your stress under control to better perform labor, I guess. I wasn't able to pop one in my mouth and try it out (I did ask), but the Nutrix team says a reading should take about 3-5 minutes to complete. The device, which looks like a vape, uses disposable tabs that have a cortisol measuring sensor. You get the quantitative information of the cortisol in saliva," which is then transmitted over to the digital health platform to combine with other data, like activity monitoring, glucose [and] weight," said Nutrix co-founder and CTO Dr. Jemish Parmar at CES's Unveiled event. You're supposed to take four measurements a day. Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget The company didn't share pricing information, but the team says it will be offered as part of a subscription program that would include the cortiSense device, the single-use sensors and the digital health platform. The gSense platform so far offers guidance around weight loss, but it will soon offer mental health services too, according to Dr. Dominika Sulot, the Data and Software Lead. Once you have all the data, you're scheduling an appointment with [the medical team] and then they're providing you the personalized plan," Sulot says. For personal use, this kind of thing could be great if it works as stated, especially if it would connect users with physical and mental health support. But I'm not loving the emphasis on enterprise applications to, per the press release, foster a healthier, more productive workforce." Actually, I might have just vomited in my mouth a little writing that. I wonder what cortiSense would detect in that. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/spit-on-this-stick-to-see-how-burned-out-you-are-024531311.html?src=rss

The Lenovo Legion Go is sort of like the SUV of gaming handhelds. It's big, beefy, comes with a lot of extra equipment like detachable controllers and it supports vertical mouse functionality that lets it adapt to all sorts of situations. All of that versatility is great, but it makes the device kind of bulky. But for CES 2025, Lenovo is announcing a slightly more portable version called the Legion Go S with support for not one but two different OSes: Windows 11 and SteamOS.That said, the specs on both variants are nearly identical. They feature either an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip or the Z1 Extreme APU Lenovo used on the previous model, with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD and a 55.5Wh battery. You also get a microSD card slot for expandable storage, two USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. The main difference is their color (and release date, but more on that later) as the Windows 11 Legion Go S comes in white while the SteamOS model will be available in black.Compared to the original Legion Go, the S features a smaller but still large 8-inch 120 Hz OLED display (down from 8.8 inches) with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and VRR instead of 2,560 x 1,600 144Hz panel like on the original. It also doesn't have detachable controllers or a kickstand. The benefit of this is that the whole system feels much sturdier, which should make you feel better about tossing it in a bag before your next trip. It's also noticeably lighter at 1.6 pounds versus 1.9 for its older sibling.Notably, you still get analog sticks with Hall Effect sensors, which you don't get on rivals like ASUS' pricey ROG Ally X. Lenovo also moved to a new pivot-style D-pad, though I'm not sure that counts as a true upgrade as I tend to prefer the classic cross-style ones. Another nice bonus for tinkerers is that on the inside, the Go S comes with a shorter 2242 SSD module even though it can accommodate desktop-size 2280 sticks.Initially, I got a chance to check out the Windows 11 version, whose performance felt quite snappy thanks to the drop in resolution to 1,920 x 1,200, which feels like a more suitable match for its components. Lenovo has also made some improvements to its Legion Space app, so it functions much better as a general game launch and a place to tweak performance and settings. I also appreciate little touches like how even though it's much smaller, the Legion Go S still has a touchpad in front, which is such a huge help when you need to exit Legion Space and navigate around in Windows. I'd even say that despite its size, the pad on the Go S is more responsive, as it feels more like a trackball than a tiny touchpad. And around back, there's a small toggle for adjusting how far you can pull the shoulder buttons.As for the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS, I found it remarkable how similar it felt to the Steam Deck despite not being made by Valve. The UI is almost identical, the only differences are some subtle tweaks Lenovo added to support things like the handheld's RGB lighting and higher 30-watt TDP. In person, the SteamOS models' casing looks more like a dark purple than pure black, which is a nice subtle touch. However my biggest takeaways is that Valve's OS felt slightly more responsive that it does on the Steam Deck, which I'm attributing to the Legion's newer APU.The small hiccup is that a higher-end version of Legion Go S running Windows 11 is expected to go on sale first sometime later this month starting at $730 with an AMD Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, that means anyone who wants one of the more affordable models with 16GB of RAM or running SteamOS will have to wait a bit longer, as those variants won't be available until May. On the bright side, the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS will have a lower starting price of $499 compared to an equivalent Windows model which will start at $599.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ces-2025-the-lenovo-legion-go-s-is-the-first-third-party-steamos-handheld-160001642.html?src=rss

NVIDIA held its CES 2025 keynote last night with CEO Jensen Huang and it was surprisingly eventful. The company finally unveiled its much awaited GeForce RTX 5000 GPUs that promise a considerable performance uplift, to start with. The company didn't stop there, also announcing Project Digits, a personal AI supercomputer, along with DLSS 4 and more. Here's a wrap-up of what happened - and you can watch the whole event uncut, via the YouTube embed below. (Spoiler alert: It's more than 90 minutes long.)NVIDIA RTX 5000-series GPUsHuang strode out in a new snakeskin-like leather jacket and revealed the much-anticipated RTX 5090 GPU. With 32GB of GDDR7 RAM and an impressive 21,760 CUDA cores, the new flagship can deliver up to twice as much relative performance, particularly for ray-tracing (RT) intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077. In fact that particular title ran at 234 fps with full RT on in a video demo, compared to 109 fps on the RTX 4090. It's not cheap, though, priced at $1,999.The company also revealed the $549 RTX 5070 with a far more modest 6,144 CUDA cores and 12GB of DDR7 RAM, along with the $749 RTX 5070 Ti and $999 RTX 5080.DLSS 4A key part of the RTX 5000-series launch was the introduction of DLSS 4, the latest version of the company's real-time image upscaling technology. It features a new technology called Multi Frame Generation that allows the new GPUs to generate up to three additional frames for every one frame the GPU produces via traditional rendering - helping multiply frame rates by up to eight times. It also represents what NVIDIA calls the "biggest upgrade to its AI models" since DLSS 2, improving things like temporal stability and detail, while reducing artifacts like ghosting.Project DigitsFinally, NVIDIA launched Project Digits, a "personal AI supercomputer" designed for AI researchers, data scientists and students. It uses NVIDIA's new GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip, providing up to a petaflop of performance for testing and running AI models. The company says a single Project Digits unit can run models 200 billion parameters in size, or multiple machines can be linked together to run up to 405 billion parameter models. And for its intended audience, Project Digits is relatively cheap at $3,000.On top of all that, the company introduced NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation models for robot and AV development, the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion AV platform for autonomous vehicles and AI Foundation models for RTX PCs "that supercharge digital humans." It's all explained in the video above and NVIDIA's CES 2025 keynote blog.NVDA stock price seesawCES - and Huang's keynote - are happening against the backdrop of continued volatility in the company's stock price. NVIDIA shares (ticker NVDA) spiked ahead of Huang's address, closing on Monday just shy of Apple's market cap pinnacle. But Tuesday saw a reversal, with the stock down more than 6 percent. Still, some are betting it's a toss up between the two tech giants as to which will hit the $4 trillion market valuation first.Update, January 7 2025, 4:18PM ET: This story has been updated with new details on Nvidia's stock price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-announced-at-its-ces-2025-keynote-174947827.html?src=rss

I'm not a fan of those TVs sold in picture frame surrounds that companies tell you are good for displaying art in your homes. There's something unconvincing about using a powered, backlit screen for things you're meant to stare at for quite a while. Can you really appreciate Turner's Norham Castle Sunrise if you're struggling with eyestrain after five minutes or so? Perhaps the cure for my dourness is to be found in PocketBook's new device, InkPoster. It uses a big, color e-paper display to do the same job, giving your eyes a better chance of seeing the brush strokes up close and personal.InkPoster is a series of color e-paper displays equipped with battery packs that can be hung in your home for up to a year on a single charge. There's no power cable, and it can be mounted in portrait or landscape orientation, depending on your taste. You'll be able to access a library of curated art, put together by a team of professional art consultants" and select what you want to see inside the InkPoster companion app. You'll also be able to use it as a regular old digital photo frame, ideal for when you want to pull a masterpiece from online and display that instead.Photo by Daniel CooperThere are three display sizes based on two different technologies, Spectra 6 and Sharp's IGZO. The former is found in the 13.3-inch model with a 1,200 x 1,600 resolution, which packs a 14,000mAh battery pack. There's a 28.5-inch edition with a 2,160 x 3,060 display which uses a hybrid of both display technologies. Finally, there's a 31.5-inch model with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution that uses Spectra 6 and is designed to be a real focal point in your home. The two larger models both pack a 20,000mAh battery, with the same promise of a year or so of running. But, it's worth saying that runtime is based on you not changing the images too frequently, especially since these prototypes take a few minutes to switch between images.Having now seen these up close, I can say they're more promising in the real world than they are on the internet. The colors pop a lot more than you might expect from an e-paper display, and you're able to see brush strokes in the paintings. At least, you can if you don't stand too close - peer in as you might with a real painting and you'll just see the pixels used to assemble each image. Certainly, it's a neat way to get some high art on your walls without the need to be forever yoked to the same picture. But you might find there are some art styles that work better than others.As these are prototypes, PocketBook isn't yet ready to commit to pricing, but said that it'll initially offer its art app for free, with a subscription potentially in the offing further down the line. Similarly, it isn't going to talk about how much each model will cost until April or May, when they'll be ready to pre-order. But Enrico Mueller, PocketBook's Managing Director, suggested a ballpark for the 13.3-inch model would be around 600 ($620), while the 31.5-inch model will retail for something like 1,700. The 28-inch unit, however, will be more given the extra technology on show, and so will be around 2,500.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/inkposter-uses-an-e-paper-display-to-bring-art-to-your-home-170016899.html?src=rss

Another CES, another opportunity for the technology industry to lob a trebuchet's worth of molten lead at the last vestiges of my dignity. This year, it's EcoFlow that is showing off this delightful solar hat that does more for then planet, and your phone, than it does your personal brand. Admittedly, if you're wearing a suitably outdoorsy fit, it's probably not going to look too out of place, but its aesthetics are second to its function. As the name implies, the EcoFlow Power Hat has small solar panels embedded in the brim that, when you're out and about, will help charge your portable devices. The brim is segmented, and each section has a little set of Monocrystalline Silicon cells with a rated efficiency of 24 percent. Photo by Daniel Cooper On the underside of the brim, there's a little plastic box with an LED light showing you the hat is generating a charge. Pull back the attached rubber tabs and you'll find a USB-A and USB-C port, letting you charge one or two devices at a time. EcoFlow says it'll output a maximum of 5V / 2.4A, so you can expect it to keep your phone or tablet topped up rather than producing anything too life-saving. There's no battery on board, naturally, so you'll need to keep a long wire handy to run from your cap down to whichever pocket you keep your devices near. Photo by Daniel Cooper The company says it's sturdy enough, with each panel on a discrete segment you can fold down to near pocket size. It's IP65-rated for water and dust ingress, but steer clear of immersing it in water or putting it in a washing machine. The EcoFlow Power Hat is presently on sale for $129, plus or minus the cost of your dignity. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ecoflows-solar-hat-is-better-for-the-planet-than-your-style-203358237.html?src=rss

Govee, maker of all manner of smart lights, has a new product it showed off at CES 2025 that creates a quirky new product category. The Gaming Pixel Light displays still or animated pixel art set to 8-bit soundtracks. In addition, it can also display weather updates, sports schedules, Bitcoin prices and so on with its retro display.But it wouldn't be a CES gadget without AI something or other stuffed inside: perhaps unsurprisingly, the Gaming Pixel Light also has a companion app that lets you generate AI pixel art from text prompts. We got to take a look at both the Pixel Light and a Govee x JBL collaboration during Unveiled at CES and can confirm they are adorable and mesmerizing, respectively.As the product name suggests, the Gaming Pixel Light is marketed as a (desktop or wall-mounted) lighting companion for gamers. But it could work for anyone who wants a groovy ambiance or fun conversation piece in their home. The light comes in two sizes, a rectangle and a square and both have over 150 preset scenes, or you can create your own - manually or with the app's AI chatbot. You can also control it with Alexa or Google Assistant.GoveeYou can use it for still or animated pixel art, and it supports image and GIF uploads to give you more options to play with. Its animations run at 30fps, and you can build or edit your own multi-layer ones in the app. Govee claims the app's creation tools are easy to use, but we haven't tried them yet. We did get a chance to see the displays in person and they're pretty handsome, with a retro-tech aesthetic that reminds me of a LiteBrite that's been run through a gaming laptop filter. The display model featured an image created from the prompt, "a cat holding a dog" and the result was a cute tabby holding a much smaller beagle - prompt fulfilled.The display has a built-in speaker that can sync the lights to the rhythm of 8-bit soundtracks. And if you're willing to throw down an extra $240 (yikes) for Govee's HDMI sync box, the company says the Gaming Pixel Light will sync with game visuals in real time.The Gaming Pixel Light will be available in Q2 2025. Although Govee's press materials don't mention pricing, the company's CES 2025 website lists it as coming soon for $100.Photo by Amy Skorheim / EngadgetAlso on display at CES is a crossover collab with JBL: the (deep breath) Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL." This speaker syncs its curved lighting surface to your music, a feature we've seen in many other products. It has 16 music modes, ranging from pumped-up party lighting to calming, soothing effects for relaxing moments." The speaker-light hybrid has 240 independently controlled LED beads and over 100 preset scenes. Like the Pixel Light, it lets you go the DIY route if that's your jam.Even on the crowded CES floor, the sounds from the speaker could still be heard over the din. Of course, there's no way to tell what the sound quality was, but the fact that it's packed with JBL components is a pretty good bet that the audio will be decent. What was easily evident in person was the trippy lighting effects, which washed over the smooth cylinder, pulsating to the music in a way that was properly hypnotic.The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL is expected to launch in late Q2 2025. There's no pricing info yet for this model.Amy Skorheim contributed reporting with on-the-ground impressions from CES.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/govees-new-desktop-display-is-reserved-for-pixel-art-230003228.html?src=rss

Meta's Instagram has been blocking LGBTQ-related hashtags for months, according to reporting by User Mag. This was done under the company's sensitive content" policy as an attempt to restrict sexually suggestive content." The blocked hashtags included stuff like #lesbian, #gay, #bisexualpride, #transwomen and dozens more. Those hashtags don't seem that sexually suggestive to me but, hey, what do I know.The terms were hidden from both search and discovery for any users who had their sensitive content filter turned on. Teenage users have that filter turned on by default. When teens attempted to search these terms, they were directed to a blank page and a prompt from Meta to review the company's sensitive content" restrictions that hide sexually explicit" posts.User Mag's reporting caused Meta to reverse course on these restrictions, after having been in place for months. The company called it a simple mistake and said that it's important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta apps, and we do not consider LGBTQ+ terms to be sensitive under our policies."The restrictions occurred after the company started hiding topics from teens as part of a larger youth and well-being" privacy update. This was advertised as an effort to keep kids away from content that promoted self-harm. It's worth noting that heterosexual content, even stuff that showed couples engaged in romantic activities, weren't restricted in any way, according to User Mag.A responsible and inclusive company would not build an algorithm that classifies some LGBTQ hashtags as sensitive content,' hiding helpful and age-appropriate content from young people by default," a spokesperson for GLAAD said. LGBTQ creators have long suffered under Instagram's content policies, often experiencing shadow bans and having their content labeled as non-recommendable."While Meta says it was all a big misunderstanding, promising to get to the bottom of things, this is only one example of the company throwing marginalized communities under the bus. The company just changed its Hateful Content" policy, adding language that seemingly allows folks to brazenly attack gay and trans people. The company says that it's now fine to post allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality." It's worth noting that the word "transgenderism" has long been used by bad actors to purposely misrepresent trans identities as an ideology.This is part of a larger effort by Meta to become more like the notoriously-thriving social media empire X. Meta just got rid of its fact checkers, in favor of community guidelines, and removed a mention in its Hateful Conduct policy that suggested online rhetoric could promote offline violence."

Sony's CES 2025 press conference was huge on the entertainment front if you're a PlayStation fan. In a series of rapid-fire announcements, the company announced it was making an anime based on Ghost of Tsushima Legends, the cooperative multiplayer mode from the acclaimed game. It then followed that up with news that Columbia Pictures was in the early stages of developing a movie based on the post-apocalyptic PlayStation game Horizon Zero Dawn. Finally, Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog popped out to announce that season two of The Last of Us would hit HBO in April.We already know a fair bit about The Last of Us season two - its based on 2020's The Last of Us Part 2, but it won't take us through all of the events of the second game. It'll take at least two seasons to retell the story of that terrific but complex misery simulator. This season, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Catherine O'Hara and Jeffery Wright join season one veterans Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.The other projects remain a mystery for now. A bit over two years ago, we heard that Horizon Zero Dawn was being adapted as a series for Netflix, but the project eventually fell apart. I'm definitely curious to see how they'll streamline the game's sprawling storyline into a tight narrative for a two-hour movie (or even a three-hour one), but hopefully a strong creative team is behind this one.As for Ghost of Tsushima, it's another of the most well-regarded and popular PlayStation Studios titles, with a sequel on the way, so this is just another example of Sony using some of its best gaming titles to expand into the broader entertainment space - making these stories more accessible to people who are less likely to play a 20-to-40-hour game. After the event, Sony said that the series will premiere exclusively on Crunchyroll in 2027.On a personal note, The Last of Us and Horizon Zero Dawn are two of my favorite games of all time, so this 10-minute blast of good news was most welcome in the middle of a very long day at CES!Update, January 7, 2:40PM ET: This story was updated to add a release window at platform for the Ghost of Tsushima anime.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-2-arrives-in-april-and-a-horizon-zero-dawn-film-is-in-the-works-020950940.html?src=rss

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the remote parking features in some Tesla vehicles. The tools in question are Smart Summon and the unfortunately acronymed Actual Smart Summon, which uses cameras in the car to automatically control the parking process.The agency's Office of Defects Investigation has received 12 complaints of alleged crashes from the Smart Summon feature and one complaint about Actual Smart Summon use allegedly resulting in a crash. It has also reviewed three media reports of seemingly similar collisions involving Actual Smart Summon where the driver did not have the time to react to avoid a crash. The remote parking feature is available in an estimated 2.6 million vehicles, including the 2016-2025 Model S, 2016 Model X, 2018-2025 Model Xs, 2019-2025 Model 3s, and 2019-2025 Model Ys.Tesla reported its first ever drop in deliveries at the start of the month. The company reported about 1.78 million vehicle deliveries over 2024, compared with 1.81 million in 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/nhtsa-opens-investigation-into-tesla-remote-parking-features-194559802.html?src=rss

As it did last year, TCL is showing off a new generation of NXTPAPER tech this week at CES. The new NXTPAPER 11 Plus tablet is built around the also new NXTPAPER 4.0 screen which uses a "nano-matrix lithography" to improve clarity and sharpness. The color accuracy is better as well, with the new output measuring just one on the Delta-E scale (the metric measures how the human eye perceives color differences and any value of one or lower is said to be imperceptible to the human eye). Since its launch in 2021, the goal of NXTPAPER tech has been to create a screen that's easier on the eyes and now, unsurprisingly, AI is here to help with that. The NXTPAPER 11 Plus has an AI-powered Smart Eye Comfort Mode that adjusts output based on different usage scenario and the Personalized Eye Comfort Modes let users adjust eye-comfort settings to their liking. Features like NXTPAPER's paper-like matte finish and blue light purification technologies go further to help make the screen easier to look at for longer periods. The new tablet will support Google's Circle to Search feature and the Smart Voice Memo function will transcribe and summarize recordings. There's a Smart Translator to handle language from voice, text and images and AI Subtitles offers real-time dialog transcription. TCL's NXTPAPER tech is relatively unique in the display industry, providing something that looks almost like E-Ink, but with the speed, resolution and sharpness of a traditional LCD display. Pricing and availability for the NXTPAPER 11 Plus are still forthcoming. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/tcl-announces-the-nxtpaper-11-plus-tablet-at-ces-2025-featuring-a-new-nano-etched-display-190042475.html?src=rss

At a surprisingly star-studded event this morning, BMW showed off the final form of its long-awaited and long-teased Panoramic iDrive system. It's a combination of an oddly angular touchscreen, a windshield-spanning heads-up display, and an LLM-powered AI assistant. The big news? It's coming to every future BMW.Comedians Tim Meadows and Ken Jeong welcomed the assembled crowd into a studio designed to look like an oversized interior of the company's upcoming Neue Klasse. They did their best to goad BMW's Bavarian executives into a series of jokes and bits that mostly fell as flat as the central touchscreen that now dominates the iDrive experience.Thankfully, it's not comedy that brought us to Las Vegas this week, and the good news for BMW is that the interface looks good. The software behind the scenes is called BMW Operating System X, and it powers a new iDrive that combines screens and voice commands to create a familiar but far more comprehensive interface than anything we've seen in a BMW before.It all starts with that central touchscreen, but even that is different. Rather than being square or curved like in other BMWs, the new panel is rhomboid-shaped, a slanted polygon whose leaning posture doesn't seem to really augment the experience but does at least look distinctive.The panel is also tilted slightly towards the driver and is running software that is at least familiar to anyone who's used the current iDrive interface. A static bar along the bottom provides quick access to the most important things, like controls for the heating system. Above that, a stylized, 3D view of the world makes sure you're always situated.Things get more interesting when you move up the dashboard. Running along the base of the windshield is what BMW calls Panoramic Vision. It spans the width of the car, with the left-most portion handling typical gauge cluster duties like displaying current speed, active safety controls, and even warnings.Tim Stevens for EngadgetThe rest of the Panoramic Vision display is customizable, with six widgets that you can drag up from the central touchscreen covering things like outside temperature, navigation ETA, and even another widget showing you turn-by-turn information. It's much that we've seen in demos from BMW before, but now nearly ready for prime-time with the cars shipping at the end of this year.Given the Panoramic Vision's importance in the overall in-car experience, I asked the guy who oversaw the development of all this, BMW's SVP of connected company technical operations Stephan Durach, whether there were any visibility issues in the bright sunlight."This technology is a little bit different than a traditional heads-up display... we're using black print on the bottom. In bright sunlight, it's even performing a little bit better," he said. "You'll not have any issues at all."If that's not enough displays for you, there's another HUD situated on the left, up above the Panoramic Vision, which gives 3D navigation information for the driver. Yes, between the touchscreen, the Panoramic Vision display, and the HUD, you can get three separate feeds of turn-by-turn directions.In other words, if you miss a turn in this thing, you have nobody to blame but yourself.BMWBMW also quickly demonstrated a new in-car LLM that, for now at least, is only for navigation. It was all pre-recorded, so it's anyone's guess how well this will work in reality, but in the demo, at least, it quickly found "the best beach" and navigated there. When our pretend driver left the city, the car even asked whether to automatically engage Sport Mode, which was a nice touch.BMW's Durach confirmed that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will still be supported. He also teased that there are some more fun tricks to come that will get passengers more involved in the experience.BMW ended the presentation by confirming that Panoramic iDrive will not only be coming to the Neue Klasse when it finally hits the market at the end of this year but will be the standard interface for all new BMWs that launch after that. That means the days of the rotary iDrive controller are now officially numbered.I asked Durach if he had any parting words for this once-revolutionary vehicular interface."We take a look at all of our data and usage... you can really see that the usage of our rotary controller is declining dramatically," he said. "People don't even touch it."It's a harsh send-off, but these days you just can't cry over progress.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/ces-2025-bmws-vision-spanning-panoramic-idrive-will-make-sure-you-never-miss-another-navigation-prompt-192022046.html?src=rss

The futuristic looking concept electric vehicles that Honda had introduced at last year's CES are now much closer to becoming models you can actually buy. Honda has unveiled prototype versions of the 0 Series Saloon sedan and the 0 Series SUV at CES 2025. It also revealed that it will launch their production models next year in North America followed by Japan and Europe. The Honda 0 SUV will be introduced in the first half of 2026 and will be the first model in the lineup to enter production. It's a mid-size SUV that was originally presented as the Space-Hub concept and will be based company's newly developed dedicated EV architecture.Meanwhile, the production version of the flagship Honda 0 Saloon EV, characterized by its low height and wedge-shaped design, will be launched late next year. Both models will be capable of Level 3 automated driving, which means they can steer, brake and accelerate by themselves, though the driver will have to be ready to take over anytime needed. They will also be equipped with ASIMO OS, the new operating system Honda developed for its next-gen EVs. It is, of course, named after the Asimo humanoid robot the company introduced at CES over two decades ago and will power both its automated driving and infotainment systems.The Honda 0 Series vehicles will come with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, so they'll be able to access Tesla's charging stations. Honda is working on building a charging network with other automakers, as well, under a joint venture called IONNA. The initiative, which aims to build a nationwide network of over 30,000 charging stations by 2030, was founded by Honda, BMW, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/hondas-saloon-and-space-hub-ev-concepts-are-now-prototypes-190047136.html?src=rss

NVIDIA's Reflex technology just got a massive upgrade, as announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. The company's Reflex 2 kicks things up several notches, thanks to some software wizardry. The end result? A promise to further reduce gaming latency by up to 75 percent. In this case, latency refers to how quickly a game displays the reaction from a player's inputs.Here's how it works, and it's pretty wild. Reflex 2 combines the pre-existing Low Latency mode with something called Frame Warp. This tech tasks the CPU to calculate the position of the next frame as the current frame is being rendered by the GPU. The CPU uses player input, typically via mouse, to calculate the upcoming camera position.The tools then sample the upcoming camera position and graft it onto the current frame, waiting until the very last moment to ensure the latest input is shown on screen." This glimpse into the near future should allow players to improve their aim and tracking of enemies."But how can a pre-rendered image exist on top of the current frame without creating all kinds of visual inaccuracies? NVIDIA developed a latency-optimized predictive rendering algorithm" that uses data from prior frames to fill in any obvious gaps, so players will see a new frame with the updated camera position without any weird holes. It is, quite literally, warping the frame (thus the name.)The company showcased this technology with Embark Studio's The Finals, which will be one of the first games to support the toolset. The proof is in the pudding. With the game running on an RTX 5070 GPU at 4K with max settings, the latency was 56ms. The first iteration of Reflex reduced the latency to 27ms, while Reflex 2 dropped it all the way down to 14ms.In addition to The Finals, NVIDIA says that Valorant will soon support the tech. The company notes that it has used Reflex 2 with Frame Warp to reduce the latency to an average of under 3ms. Reflex 2 will debut as part of the forthcoming GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, with support for other RTX GPUs coming sometime in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-reflex-2-predicts-milliseconds-into-the-future-of-competitive-games-182213650.html?src=rss

As always, one could confuse CES with a full-on auto show. Among the brands showcasing in Las Vegas this year are Volvo, Toyota, BMW, China's Zeekr and, of course, the Afeela (Sony's and Honda's joint venture). Honda, meanwhile, has its own dedicated keynote coming up and you can watch it right here. The automaker is continuing to showcase its 0 Series EVs after debuting two concept models at CES 2024. Next up is a look at two prototypes ahead of Honda starting to ship these vehicles in 2026.What to expect at Honda's CES 2025 press conferenceLast year, we got a look at two Honda 0 Series concept vehicles - a sedan that the company called the Saloon and a minivan-style Space-Hub. Honda's mantra for 0 Series development is "thin, light and wise," and its CES 2025 keynote will focus on the latter.Honda says it will unveil the 0 Series operating system and automated driving tech, while spilling the beans about the SoC that will power the EVs. In addition, it will reveal details about an energy service that it will roll out alongside the 0 Series vehicles.The big draw of the keynote, however, will be the two prototype 0 Series EVs that Honda will show off. The company plans to start shipping those in 2026. A teaser image (above) indicates that it Honda has a sedan and a minivan or SUV ready to discuss.Watch the Honda CES 2025 livestreamYou can watch Honda's CES 2025 press conference live below. The stream will start Tuesday, January 7 at 1:30PM ET.Follow real-time CES updates on our liveblogFor a recap of the Honda event as well as other news coming out of Las Vegas this week, check out our main CES 2025 liveblog.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/honda-ces-2025-keynote-watch-honda-reveal-its-0-series-ev-prototypes-live-here-160037969.html?src=rss

I knew I had found my favorite computer of CES 2025 early last December, long before I had a chance to see what most other PC makers were cooking up. It comes from ASUS and it's the new Zenbook A14, a system that the company had joked about calling the Zenbook Air.To be fair, the name would have been fitting: the notebook weighs less than 2.2 pounds (or 1kg), a half a pound lighter than Apple's most svelte MacBook Air. In almost every respect, the ZenBook A14 outclasses Apple's ultraportable, with specs like a 14-inch OLED screen and up to 32 hours of battery life. The only catch is that it runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and X Elite chips, which limits compatibility with older Windows apps (along with some devices).What's most remarkable about the Zenbook A14, though, is that it simply feels great to hold. The light weight is a big part of that, but its also covered in ASUS's unique Ceraluminum material, which feels markedly different than a typical metal case. ASUS has deployed Ceraluminum across its premium lineup for years, but this is one of the first times we've seen it on practically every surface of a laptop (the top lid, keyboard desk and bottom).The Zenbook A14 also features plenty of thoughtful design elements. It's easy to open up one-handed, thanks to a refined hinge that counter-acts the laptop's tiny frame. It also has a surprising amount of ports, including one USB Type A connection, two USB C ports, HDMI 2.1 and a headphone jack. That's all connectivity we'll never see on a MacBook Air.In my short time with the Zenbook A14, its keyboard and trackpad also felt relatively comfortable. ASUS says the keys offer 1.3mm of travel, and while they could always be deeper, they seemed fine for casual typing. The laptop also sports a 1080p IR camera, speakers with Dolby Atmos support and Wi-Fi 7. Basically, it has everything we'd want in a premium laptop in 2025.The ASUS Zenbook A14 starts at $900 with a Snapdragon X Plus CPU and 16GB of RAM (in a slightly chunkier 2.4 pound case). The lightest 2.18 pound model is available for $1,100 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip and 32GB of RAM.ASUSThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-unveiled-the-zenbook-a14-at-ces-2025-and-its-the-macbook-air-competitor-ive-been-dreaming-of-173026277.html?src=rss

Lenovo came to CES 2025 to prove that there's still room in its ThinkPad family for fresh designs. It may seem sacrilegious to ditch the carbon fiber frames and Trackpoint nubs found in classic ThinkPads, but that's exactly what the new ThinkPad X9 line does.Lenovo may not admit it outright, but the goal with these new models is to entice younger buyers who might not have a ton of nostalgia for the company's 30-year-old laptop line. That said, the X9 line (which will be available in both 14- and 15-inch variants) still delivers the same military-grade durability (MIL-SPEC 810H) you'd expect from a typical ThinkPad while boasting an even sleeker and more minimalist appearance.The lid of the X9 line is made from a smooth sheet of aluminum with the only defining characteristic (aside from the ThinkPad logo) being the long communication bar that houses the laptop's microphones and cameras. On the inside, Lenovo's streamlined aesthetic reveals the complete absence of a Trackpoint nub, a redesigned keyboard with new keycaps and an even larger haptic touchpad than what you'd get from the X9's siblings.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetSo even though I'm an elder millennial who has some fondness for old-school ThinkPads, I must admit that I find Lenovo's break from tradition rather appealing. I never understood the Trackpoint nub, especially on modern notebooks with super responsive touchpads. Getting rid of it not only reduces distractions, but makes the keyboard easier to use. And even with its tweaked keycaps, there's still plenty of travel to deliver a very comfortable typing experience.On its bottom, Lenovo is using what it calls an Engine Hub to deliver great connectivity for its size including a Thunderbolt 4 port on each side, a full HDMI 2.1 jack, 3.5mm audio and USB-A, while still providing plenty of room for thermal management. The X9 line's D-cover (the bottom panel) can also be removed by loosening just four captured screws, which gives you easy access to the laptop's user-replaceable SSD and battery. Unfortunately, because the system is powered by up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, RAM is soldered on so you can't upgrade its memory on your own.Both the 14- and 15-inch versions of the X9 feature bright OLED displays with 2.8K resolutions and 400 nits of brightness (or 500 nits on the X9 15) and all models come with 80Whr batteries, Wi-Fi 7, 8-megapixel high-def webcams and dual noise-canceling microphones. I also appreciate a lot of the smaller design touches like the physical shutter for the webcam and what might be one of the smallest 65-watt power adapters I've seen from any major laptop manufacturer to date.Finally, Lenovo's Aura Edition branding is there to remind you that the X9 line includes a handful of AI-powered tools including Smart Share, dynamic power modes, enhanced security and more. And in case anything ever goes wrong, you'll also have access to 24/7 live support that's meant to deliver more of a white-glove experience compared to less premium machines.The internals of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 can be accessed just by removing four screws. Unfortunately, while the SSD is upgradable, its RAM is soldered on. Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAll told, the new X9 line really does seem like a more modern approach to laptop design. Now, that doesn't mean Lenovo needs to kill the classic ThinkPad (I still love those carbon fiber frames), but especially for younger customers, I feel like there's plenty of room for both of these lines to live together happily.Both models are expected to go on sale in February, with the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition starting at $1,399 or $1,549 for the 15-inch version.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-new-thinkpad-x9-is-the-least-thinkpad-ever-160019926.html?src=rss