The Verge

Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg attend the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Meta is adding three new people to its board of directors, and one of them is UFC president and CEO Dana White, the company announced on Monday. Zuckerberg is a fan of MMA who has medaled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and tore his ACL in a sparring session a little over a year ago.As shown above, the Meta CEO has attended several UFC fights over the last few years and shared a picture with White on Instagram in February, as noted by Bloomberg, and White was mediating the proposed Zuckerberg vs. Musk cage match at one point. White also has a personal relationship with President-elect Donald Trump, who Zuckerberg met with at his Mar-a-Lago resort after Trump threatened if [Zuckerberg] does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison-as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election" in a book released last September.In a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg said of White, I've admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand."White maintained control of that brand after a New Year's Eve incident two years ago where he was captured on camera slapping his wife in a nightclub, as reported by The Athletic. Afterward, White said, There's no defense for this and people should not be defending me over this thing no matter what... I have to walk around for however long I live - 10.4 years or another 25 years - and this is how I'm labeled now."John Elkann, CEO of European investment company Exor (which has stakes in companies like Ferrari and Stellantis), and Charlie Songhurst, a technology investor and former Microsoft executive, will be joining Meta's board as well.Meta now has 13 people on its board. We have massive opportunities ahead in AI, wearables, and the future of social media, and our board will help us achieve our vision," Zuckerberg says.

NBC Between Nosferatu and Wolf Man, it feels like Hollywood has come back around on good, old fashioned monster movies. And it seems like Peacock wants in on the action with a feature-length reboot of the long-dead Grimm series.Variety reports that Peacock is moving forward with a new film based on Grimm, Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf, and David Greenwalt's 2011 series about a Portland cop who discovers that he's one of the chosen few meant to defend humanity from monsters. Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva) is attached to write the movie as well as co-executive produce with Kouf and Greenwalt.In its original run, Grimm ran for six seasons that saw Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) become a formidable Grimm (the show's lingo for monster hunters) alongside his human partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and werewolf ally Munroe (Silas Weir Mitchell). Peacock has yet to announce details about the movie's plot or whether any members of Grimm's original cast members might return. But given that this isn't the first time NBC has flirted with the idea of resurrecting the IP, it feels pretty safe to say this time around, Grimm's definitely coming back to the small screen.

Workers outside the hydrogen production facility at the Constellation Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, New York, on Tuesday, May 9th, 2023. | Photo: Getty Images The Biden administration finalized rules meant to boost domestic production of hydrogen fuel through a new tax credit, a move that might also keep struggling nuclear power plants on line for longer.The highly anticipated guidelines stipulate what kinds of hydrogen projects can qualify for the tax credit. Hydrogen combustion releases water vapor instead of greenhouse gas emissions, which is why the Biden administration sees it as a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. But it takes energy to produce hydrogen, and where that energy ought to come from has been contentious.After a lot of political wrangling, the Biden administration ultimately loosened the rules to include hydrogen made with the help of some existing nuclear power plants. Specifically, nuclear reactors at risk of shuttering because of financial reasons might be able to benefit from the tax credit.Where that energy ought to come from has been contentiousThe final rule is an important step in the right direction," Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of the largest nuclear power plant operator in the US, Constellation, said in a press statement. The final rule allows a significant portion of the existing merchant nuclear fleet to earn credits for hydrogen production."The tax credit, called 45V, was established through the Inflation Reduction Act and is worth up to $3 per kilogram of hydrogen production. To qualify, companies have to meet strict requirements to limit pollution.That's because whether hydrogen can be considered a clean fuel depends on how it's made. Today, 95 percent of hydrogen produced in the US is made using gas in a process called steam-methane reforming. Methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. And steam-methane reforming also produces carbon emissions.The more climate-friendly alternative is to create hydrogen through electrolysis, splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity. The electricity would have to come from carbon pollution-free sources like solar and wind farms - or nuclear reactors, of course.But all the recent hype over hydrogen has sparked concerns that the burgeoning industry might use up too much of America's still-limited carbon-free electricity supply. The worry is that power grids might try to meet rising electricity demand using gas and coal-fired plants, leading to higher greenhouse gas emissions.To ease those concerns, the Biden administration proposed rules for the hydrogen tax credit more than a year ago that require companies to get electricity from new sources of clean energy. The hope was that, by doing so, the hydrogen industry might help add more renewable energy to the power grid rather than siphoning off limited resources.It's a lot harder to build new nuclear power plants than new solar and wind farms, however. The proposal subsequently faced backlash from the nuclear energy companies saying they wouldn't be able to benefit from the hydrogen tax credit as a result.After receiving more than 30,000 comments on the proposal, the Biden administration loosened its guidelines. The Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service released the final rules on Friday. They carve out scenarios in which an existing nuclear power plant at risk of retirement can benefit from the tax credit if it's used to produce hydrogen and meets certain financial tests.Constellation opposed any requirements that hydrogen production use electricity from newly built sources in order to qualify for the tax credit. The company is involved in plans to build a major hub for hydrogen production in Illinois, a project awarded funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.The final rules also ease requirements for renewable energy and make it easier for developers to qualify for the tax credit in states that already have tough clean electricity standards. There are also new carveouts for hydrogen produced with methane that wafts out of landfills, farms, wastewater facilities, or coal mines that might otherwise escape into the atmosphere. In addition, companies can take advantage of the tax credit if hydrogen is made with electricity from a fossil fuel power plant that installs technology to capture its carbon dioxide emissions.The extensive revisions we've made in this final rule provide the certainty that hydrogen producers need to keep their projects moving forward and make the United States a global leader in truly green hydrogen," John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for international climate policy, said in a press release.Most of America's nuclear power plants were built in the 1970s or '80s, and the average age of a nuclear reactor in the US is 42 years old. Construction of the first all-new nuclear reactor in the US in decades finished in 2023 - seven years past its original deadline and $17 billion over budget. Next-generation nuclear reactors are smaller and modular, which is supposed to make them easier and more affordable to build. But those designs aren't expected to become commercially viable until the 2030s.The nuclear energy industry has also seen a boom of interest over the past year from tech companies in need of more carbon-free energy for AI data centers. Microsoft inked a deal with Constellation to help restart a retired reactor at Three Mile Island, while Google and Amazon announced plans to support the development of advanced small modular reactors.

Image: Toyota Toyota's futuristic Woven City, which is being built on the site of a former car factory in Japan, is almost ready for its first residents.At CES this week, the Japanese auto giant updated the public on the progress of the $10 billion project, which is said to be a living laboratory" where people can live while also testing out futuristic projects. Toyota said it completed phase 1" of the construction, with the official launch planned for 2025.Woven City is more than just a place to live, work, and play," Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said during today's press conference at CES. Woven City is a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas. It's a living laboratory where the residents are willing participants, giving inventors the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a secure, real-life setting."Toyota first announced Woven City at CES in 2021. At the time, the company said it would be a prototype city of the future" where it can test autonomous vehicles, innovative street design, smart home technology, robotics, and new mobility products on a population of real people who would live there full time.Now move-in day is quickly approaching. In fall 2025, Toyota said it will welcome the first 100 residents to Woven City, all of whom will be employees of Toyota or its subsidiary, Woven by Toyota. The community will gradually expand to include external inventors and their families" who will be invited to relocate to the new city. In total, the first phase of the city will eventually house 360 residents, Toyota says.Toyota dubs these first residents Weavers," adding that they are people who share a passion for the expansion of mobility' and a commitment to building a more flourishing society. Through their participation in co-creation activities, Weavers will contribute to realizing the full potential of Woven City."That said, the first inventors" confirmed for Woven City are mostly in the food services business, including a vending machine company and a startup that wants to explore the potential value of coffee through futuristic cafe experiences."Toyoda mentioned several other ideas during his press conference, including high-powered motorized wheelchairs for people with disabilities who want to experience the thrill of racing. He also pitched the idea of a personal drone that follows joggers for added security, and pet robots" for elderly people.The Woven City site, which is located at the base of Mount Fuji, includes buildings that are designed by famed Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The goal, through phase 2 and subsequent phases, is to build enough housing and facilities for up to 2,000 people to live year-around, with utilities powered by the company's hydrogen fuel cell technology. The site is private for now, though Toyota says it plans on inviting the general public to see it in 2026.The potential value of coffee through futuristic cafe experiences"The name Woven City" is a reference to weaving together three different types of streets or pathways, each for a specific type of user. One street would be for faster vehicles only. The second would be a mix of lower-speed personal mobility vehicles, like bikes and scooters, as well as pedestrians. And the third would be a park-like promenade for pedestrians only.It's still unclear how Woven City fits into Toyota's plans for the future of mobility. The company, which is one of the largest producers of automobiles in the world, has been a bit of a laggard in the field of electric vehicles. The company has plenty of hybrids but only one fully electric car in the US, the BZ4X - though it did say it has a three-row SUV coming soon.There's nothing new about automakers using big plots of land to build proving grounds with fake city backdrops to test out new vehicles. And company towns have existed for decades; Elon Musk, for example, is building his own town in Texas to house Tesla and SpaceX employees.But what Toyota is proposing is a dramatic escalation of that concept: a real city with real people who would live within the automaker's amped-up vision of the future. And that's where it could run into some problems. Google confronted something similar with its Sidewalk Labs project in Toronto, after objections from residents about surveillance and data collection led to the project's demise.Toyota hopes to avoid these same headaches by touting an enhanced quality of life for Woven City's residents. The project has already earned Japan's first LEED for Communities Platinum certification," the system's highest rank.

Image: Getty The US Department of Defense has added tech giant Tencent and lithium-ion battery maker CATL to its list of Chinese military companies, as reported earlier by Bloomberg. The designation doesn't impose sanctions or a ban, but it could make it more difficult for the companies to do business in the US.Along with owning the popular messaging app WeChat, Tencent is a major name in the gaming industry, as it owns League of Legends developer Riot Games and has invested in many others, including Epic Games, Larian Studios, Ubisoft, and FromSoftware. Meanwhile, CATL is the world's biggest electric vehicle battery maker, with its products appearing across EVs from Tesla, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, and more.The designations originate from President-elect Donald Trump's executive order in 2020, which prevented US companies from investing in entities with ties to the Chinese military. DJI, which was put on the list in 2022, says US Customs is blocking its drone imports and eventually filed a lawsuit claiming the designation has resulted in lost business deals" and a stigma as a national security threat."These companies don't always stay on the Department of Defense's list, as the US removed Chinese phone maker Xiaomi just months after adding it in 2021. Both Tencent and CATL plan to push back on the designations. We are not a military company or supplier," Tencent spokesperson Danny Marti said in a statement to The Verge. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business. We will nonetheless work with the Department of Defense to address any misunderstanding." CATL similarly told Bloomberg that its inclusion was clearly a mistake."The Verge reached out to CATL with a request for comment but didn't immediately hear back.

Is Samsung's round robot finally ready to roll out of CES demos and into actual homes? Ballie, the rolling robot that reemerged at CES last year, will be shipping to consumers as an actual product sometime in 2025. That's what Samsung is saying at the moment, anyway. We were first introduced to Ballie at CES five years ago. Since then, the robot has undergone a more practical redesign, so maybe it's really going to happen - but I'm still more skeptical than not.Am I the only one who thinks those wheels look a bit flimsy? Maybe Samsung is intentionally building in a weak spot and planning ahead for whenever Ballie secretly amasses an army and turns against us.Either way, Ballie is putting in yet another CES appearance here in Las Vegas. During Samsung's First Look event last night, I watched the latest canned demo of the round bot. Its operator asked for information about a nearby attraction, The Sphere, which Ballie first projected onto the ground. But when more details and driving directions were requested, Ballie automatically turned around and beamed its image onto a nearby wall instead so that it would have more room to work with. You can interact with Ballie using your voice and also by stepping on buttons projected onto the floor. Ballie is smart enough to use the wall when you need a larger view. From there, Ballie was asked to show a movie. It brought up Sony's Uncharted, and when commanded to make the picture bigger, Ballie was smart enough to look for a wall that could accommodate the enlarged projection. The image wasn't particularly bright; Ballie does better in that regard when beaming onto the floor immediately in front of itself. Don't expect any ANSI lumen miracles from this rather small gadget. The built-in speakers were plenty loud, at least, and didn't sound tinny. Ballie looks to be an adequate, if average portable projector. But this one's got wheels! In another interaction, the person demoing Ballie held up a pair of wine bottles and asked the robot which would make a better pairing for his dinner, showing that Ballie has some visual AI powers at its disposal. Responses to most queries came within a couple of seconds without any hiccups. But again, I only saw a very controlled demo, and for all I know, it's possible that this Ballie already had these answers programmed in. I trust absolutely nothing at this show. Ballie did not advise its human of the Surgeon General's recent warning about alcohol's link to cancer. Pretty suspicious, if you ask me. You communicate with Ballie through voice, and at times, the robot also projects virtual buttons onto the floor that can be stepped on to make a selection. (I'm curious as to what its accessibility features might entail.) Samsung has also given Ballie plenty of power over the smart home; you can tell it to control your lights and various routines. It's not quite Samsung's original vision, but Ballie still has some charm. And yes, it can control your smart home gadgets. Samsung told outlets including CNET and TechCrunch, that Ballie is indeed rolling out this year. TechRadar got an even more specific first half of 2025" timeframe. It's possible Samsung could share more details during its CES keynote later today. As for price, your guess is as good as mine. What's a fair amount to pay for a robot you'll insist on showing everyone you know for a few weeks? That is, until you grow to resent Ballie for paling in comparison to the expectations set by BB-8 and WALL-E. I can't wait to find out how much Ballie will cost. Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

Satechi's Mac Mini M4 hub adds three front-facing USB-A ports. | Image: Satechi First announced in late November, Satechi has confirmed that its Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub will be available in limited quantities starting February 17th, 2025 through its online store for $99.99. A wider release will begin sometime in March, according to an announcement by the company at CES 2025 today.The hub, made from aluminum with a soft-touch silicone coating, is designed to expand the functionality of the Apple Mac Mini M4 with two front-facing USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port, and an SD card reader. Image: Satechi A cut-out on the back corner of the Satechi hub provides easier access to the Mac Mini M4's power button. The hub connects to the Mac Mini M4 using an integrated USB-C cable that can be stored on the underside when not in use. A recessed area on the top of the hub maintains airflow without obstructing the Mac Mini's fan," while a notch in the back corner makes it easier to reach the computer's underside power button. Image: Satechi The hub can expand the Mac Mini M4's storage using an NVMe SSD up to 4TB in size. A removable panel on the bottom of the hub also allows the Mac Mini M4's storage to be expanded by installing an NVMe SSD; the hub supports multiple widths and lengths of SSDs with capacities up to 4TB. For comparison, a 4TB NVMe SSD from Western Digital is $299.99. Upgrading the base version of the Mac Mini M4 from 256GB to 2TB of storage through Apple adds $800 to the price tag, while upgrading the 12-core version of the Mac Mini from 512GB to 4TB of storage is an extra $1,200.

Dreame's newest robot vacuum can climb up a step. It's a start! | Image: Dreame First, they sprouted arms; now, robot vacuums are getting legs. The latest bot from Dreame has two small legs that can push it up and over a step as high as 6cm (about 2.5 inches).The Dreame X50 Ultra robot vacuum uses a system called ProLeap, which the company first demoed at the IFA tech show in Berlin, Germany, last year. Dreame calls the device's appendage a motorized swing arm" that enables step navigation up to 6 cm in height." But they're clearly legs. Image: Dreame Don't try and tell me those aren't legs. While this isn't quite the stair climbing we've all been hoping for, it could be very useful for helping a robot vacuum reach more areas of your home without manual intervention.Several current robot vacuums have a lifting capability that can help them get over high room transitions or bulky rugs; Roborock's Qrevo Curv can handle 3cm, and Shark's latest can go up to 2cm. Six centimeters is a big leap.The Dreame X50 Ultra is the next generation of the company's flagship X40 Ultra (which is our current pick for the best robot vacuum / mop hybrid). A robot vacuum with oscillating mopping pads, the X50 has advanced obstacle recognition and lidar navigation. It comes with a multifunction charging dock that can empty its bin and wash its mops with hot water and heated air. It can also automatically remove and reattach its mops. It will be available for $1,699.99 starting on February 14th. A presale featuring discounts starts on January 7th on Dreame's website.

Image: AMD AMD is previewing its next generation of GPUs at CES today, based on its latest RDNA 4 architecture that includes AI-powered FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) upscaling. The Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 will both be available in Q1 from a variety of video card manufacturers, but AMD isn't detailing specifications, pricing, or exact release dates just yet.The announcement is light on concrete information. AMD says it has built this architecture from the ground up and that the GPUs built on RDNA 4 will include a significant boost in AI." AMD has optimized the compute units in RNDA 4, improved its ray-tracing engine and performance, and upgraded its media encoding quality. Built on a 4nm process, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 cards will include AMD's second-generation AI accelerators, third-generation ray-tracing accelerators, and second-generation radiance display engine. Image: AMD AMD is only providing small details about its RDNA 4 architecture. This RDNA 4 architecture will also enable AMD to launch FSR 4 with these 9000-series GPUs. FSR 4 is a machine learning-powered update to AMD's upscaling and frame-generation technology that's been developed specifically for RDNA 4 and its dedicated AI accelerator hardware. That means you'll only be able to get FSR 4 with a Radeon RX 9070-series graphics card right now, and it will be supported in games with FSR 3.1 already integrated.Matt Booty, president of game content and studios at Microsoft, appeared on stage at AMD's CES keynote earlier today to confirm FSR 4 will be available in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 later this year.AMD hasn't hinted at how FSR 4 will compare to Nvidia's DLSS technology or what type of performance uplift or image quality improvement we should expect to see with this next generation of FSR.It's also not clear exactly what performance the RX 9070 series of GPUs will deliver against the competition, but in a branding slide for RDNA 4, AMD appears to suggest the 9070 series will offer similar performance to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4070 Super. Nvidia is expected to announce its RTX 50-series GPUs later today. Image: AMD FSR 4 will use dedicated AI accelerators on next-gen GPUs to upscale games. AMD is also adding new AI-powered features to its Adrenalin software. These include the ability to generate images with AI models, summarize local documents, and ask an AMD chatbot questions about graphics settings and more.If you're wondering why AMD has jumped from the Radeon 7000 series straight to 9000-series GPUs, the company says it will use the 8000-series branding for RDNA 3.5 mobile GPUs. AMD is only previewing FSR 4 at CES and promises to provide more details on the upscaling technology and its latest RDNA 4 GPUs ahead of the Q1 launch.

Image: AMD AMD is unveiling its latest flagship desktop CPU, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, today at CES. After the 9800X3D wowed us with its gaming performance, we've been waiting to see what AMD's second generation of 3D V-Cache technology could do with more cores and higher boost frequencies. AMD is now claiming the 9950X3D will be the world's best processor for gamers and creators."The 9950X3D includes 16 Zen 5 CPU cores (32 threads), a max boost frequency of 5.7GHz, and 144MB of total cache. It has a higher TDP over the 9800X3D at 170 watts instead of 120 watts, but this extra power appears to translate to big improvements in creator benchmarks and gaming. Image: AMD AMD's benchmarks against Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K. AMD says the 9950X3D should be around 8 percent faster on average than the previous 7950X3D, based on benchmarks run on 40 games at 1080p. The gaming performance should be similar to the 9800X3D, with AMD claiming it's within 1 percent. AMD even claims the 9950X3D is 20 percent faster than Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K in those same games, but Intel is about to deliver a performance update for the 285K that could close that gap.In content creation tasks, the 9950X3D should be around 6 percent faster than the 7950X3D in Premiere Pro tasks and around 13 percent faster in Photoshop. On average, AMD says the 9950X3D will be 13 percent faster for creator tasks than the 7950X3D, based on 20 apps tested. The big claim from AMD is that the 9950X3D will be 10 percent faster than Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K, something that could make the 9950X3D an easy pick for anyone wanting great desktop and gaming performance in a single CPU.AMD is also launching a Ryzen 9 9900X3D processor with 12 cores (24 threads), a 5.5GHz max boost, 140MB of cache, and a 120-watt TDP. Much like the 9800X3D, both of these new X3D chips use the second generation of AMD's 3D V-Cache technology that sees the cache now sit below the processor cores. This change allows the processor cores to have better access to cooling, and the cache is now less sensitive to high temperatures, allowing the CPU to boost to higher frequencies and deliver better performance in both gaming and creator tasks.AMD says both the 9950X3D and 9900X3D will be available at some point in March, but it's not detailing pricing just yet.AMD is also announcing new Fire Range" mobile CPUs today, which are the latest X3D-series laptop parts. You can read more about the flagship 9955HX3D laptop chip and other mobile-focused AMD announcements right here.

The Acer Swift Go 16 AI. | Image: Acer Acer is putting AMD chips in its ultra-thin Swift Go 16 AI and Swift Go 14 AI Copilot Plus laptops, both of which come with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor. Until now, Acer only offered its Swift Go 14 Copilot Plus laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor.The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor has eight cores, 16 threads, and an up to 5.0GHz boost clock. The Swift Go AI laptops feature a neural processing unit (NPU) running AMD's XDNA 2 architecture with up to 50 TOPS, as well as AMD Radeon 800M graphics.Both the 16- and 14-inch Swift Go AI come with the option for either an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate or an IPS touch panel. There's also up to 32GB of low-power DDR5X SDRAM, a 1440p HDR webcam, and up to 24.9 hours of video playback on the Swift Go 14 AI (or up to 18 hours of video playback on the Swift Go 16 AI).The Swift Go 14 AI will launch in May with a starting price of $899.99, while the Swift Go 16 AI will arrive in April starting at $949.99. Over the past few months, Microsoft has been gradually expanding AI features, such as Recall and live translation, to Copilot Plus PCs running AMD and Intel chips, as these features were previously only available on Qualcomm-equipped devices.Along with these laptops, Acer also revealed a pair of non-AI Swift Go laptops powered by Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H processor and Intel Arc graphics, with the 14- and 16-inch options starting at the same prices as their Copilot Plus counterparts. Image: Acer Acer Aspire Vero 16. There's a new Aspire Vero 16 laptop as well, which Acer says has an easy-to-repair" design with a chassis made of more than 70 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and bio-based oyster shell material." The Aspire Vero features up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor and Intel Arc graphics. It will start at $799.99 when it launches in April.

Image: Hisense CES is always a showcase of giant-sized TVs, and true to form, Hisense has brought two enormous new models to Las Vegas this year: the 136-inch MicroLED 136MX, and the 116-inch TriChroma LED TV.It seems like, for five or six years now, we've been hearing how MicroLED will usher in the next era of home theater and leapfrog OLED in terms of picture quality - without any of the potential risks such as burn-in or panel degradation over time. But the technology remains prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of consumers. Hisense probably won't be changing that with the 136MX, which is described as the company's first consumer-ready MicroLED display."Hisense has surged in TV market share by balancing price and performance better than just about any other TV manufacturer besides TCL. Today's press release describes the 136MX as a pivotal milestone in making cutting-edge display technology more accessible to households." But a milestone doesn't mean that this specific - and very large - TV will be anything close to affordable unless you lead a life of luxury. Image: Hisense Behold this home. Only someone who lives here could manage to afford a MicroLED display. It sure does sound nice, though:

Image: Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to some LG TVs later this year," Microsoft and LG announced at CES 2025. When the feature is available, if you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you'll be able to stream games from the Xbox Game Pass library and select titles that you already own from the LG Gaming Portal.LG says you'll be able to use Xbox Cloud Gaming on its latest Smart TVs," but doesn't specify exactly which models. In a footnote, LG says that service and country availability will be announced at a later date." Microsoft promises that it will share more details on the feature in the coming months."Microsoft and LG's promotional art for the news features Microsoft's This is an Xbox" tagline that shows how you can play Xbox games across a lot of different devices. Xbox Cloud Gaming is already available on some Samsung TVs.

Pawport's indoor smart door with a wood finish. | Image: Pawport The Pawport might be the most elaborate way to let your dog enter and exit your home. The smart dog door connects to a Bluetooth tag that straps to your dog's collar. When your dog approaches, its double doors swing open to let your pet in or out of the house. Naturally, there's also a glowing LED strip underneath the doors, for no purpose other than to add some more RGB lighting to your home. You can customize it to whatever color you want.Pawport has been working on its titular smart pet door for a few years now, with the product launching on Kickstarter back in 2021. But the device is back at CES this year, and the company says it's finally going to start shipping. The door will be available starting at $499. The company is also announcing a new weatherproof model that goes outside your house and pairs with the indoor version. That model starts at $399 but must be paired with an indoor unit. Image: Pawport The outdoor version of the Pawport dog door. There are already other smart or automatic dog doors out in the world, so Pawport isn't necessarily breaking new ground on the basics. But its product may be the sharpest, or at least the most high-tech-looking option out there. You can get the indoor Pawport with either plastic or aluminum doors, with the aluminum option being offered in different colors and fake wood finishes, too. The plastic model only comes in white or black, but both have steel frames underneath. It'll be available in three sizes and is designed to slide on top of the frame of an existing pet door.A companion app allows you to set a schedule for when your dog can come and go, and it can automatically make adjustments when the weather is bad. Smartec says the Pawport will begin shipping in early 2025."

The striking Styla works with a standard deadbolt and uses a ball and catch mechanism rather than a handle. | Image: Lockly We're swimming in smart lock options, but we haven't seen anything quite as cool as the $700 Lockly Styla, an all-in-one smart deadblot lock and video doorbell being shown off at CES 2025.It's a tall, cylindrical handle that's visually comparable to something you'd find on the door of a brick-and-mortar business but with enough gadgetry to make Bruce Wayne blush.Coming to the US starting in Q3 2025 in matte black, gray, and gold finishes, the so-called Designer Handlebar" appears stylishly sleek but would certainly stand out from the traditional levers and knobs in your neighborhood. But even under a strict HOA, I might risk it all for a no-compromise front door security suite that integrates a 2K camera with color night vision, an AI-powered motion sensor, and two-way audio, for starters. Image: Lockly It's also rife with unlock options, including a rearward 3D fingerprint sensor, a vertical PIN Genie keypad that randomizes digit placement for discreetly inputting numerical keycodes, an RFID reader with three programmable fobs in the box that you can pass around, and a traditional 12-pin slot for the two physical keys included.You can create dozens of unique keys for each of these methods (including one-time or recurring offline codes), or hundreds in the case of the RFID keys. Lockly includes a new version of its Wi-Fi hub in the box, too, which enables private storage of video recordings and emits an audible chime as an alternative to smartphone alerts.The inside portion doesn't have nearly as many interfaces - just grip the handle to unlock the door. As there's no standard latch handle, it uses a ball catch mechanism to keep the door in place, which should only require a bit of force when pushing or pulling. And because it's battery-powered, you don't need a special door or an electrician's help for installation (it just needs to fall within a specific thickness range). It recharges via USB-C and can last up to 1.5 years in offline mode or 10 months with regular use, Lockly says.As with other Lockly products, the companion app will let you create and share keys, manage the video feed and talk to visitors, remotely control and check on your lock's status, and receive real-time notifications for any activity it detects. You can even copy profiles from other Lockly devices you may already own to make setup easier and control it hands-free using Google Home and Alexa voice commands.When considering all of its separate capabilities, the Lockly Styla doesn't necessarily offer anything unique compared to existing smart locks or video doorbells, except consolidating it all in such a funky form factor. Still, that's enough to pique our interest.

Image: Ecovacs Ecovacs' new robovac has a mop that extends to clean hard-to-reach spots, like corners and the edges of walls. But unlike other robovacs equipped with extendable mops, the Deebot X8 Pro Omni trades circular mop pads for a roller mop that cleans itself while it roves about your house.The robovac, which Ecovacs first revealed at IFA last year, has a mop that applies up to 4,000Pa of pressure and revolves 200 times per minute. At the same time, Ecovacs says the X8 Pro Omni cleans its roller using 16 water nozzles. It whisks dirty water into the robovac's waste water tank, helping to prevent it from dragging stains across the floor and causing streaks.Meanwhile, the X8 Pro Omni's vacuum comes with an impressive 18,000Pa suction power and an anti-tangle brush to keep hairs from getting wrapped around the brush. To navigate your home, the robovac uses the new TrueEdge" 3D sensor that's supposed to help the robovac identify and adapt to different types of edges and baseboards, along with an AI system that recognizes objects like shoes and cables.Like some of Ecovacs' other vacuums, the X8 Pro Omni can be controlled with your voice. However, hackers broke into Ecovacs' systems last year, letting them take over Deebot X2 vacuums to shout slurs and chase pets. Recent reports from ABC Australia also found serious security vulnerabilities with some of Ecovacs' products and said the company collects photos, videos, and voice recordings if users consent to an AI training program.Ecovacs also showed off its Deebot T50 line, with the higher-end T50 Max Pro offering up to 15,000Pa of suction. There's the T50 Pro Omni, too, which comes with Ecovacs' slimmest design so far at just 81mm (around 3.2 inches), allowing it to more easily slip beneath beds and couches.The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is priced at $1,399.99 and will be available in mid-February, while Ecovacs will reveal details on pricing and availability for the Deebot T50 lineup at a later date.

Image: HDMI Forum The HDMI Forum is using CES - the annual showcase of all things home theater - to announce the new HDMI 2.2 specification. In a press release this morning, the trade association confirmed that the new spec will up total bandwidth significantly to a new high of 96Gbps. And yes, that means the introduction of an Ultra96" HDMI cable that enables all the HDMI 2.2 specification features."Higher resolutions and refresh rates will be supported and more high-quality options will be provided," the HDMI Forum said in its release. An example of an HDMI 2.2 cable (below) calls out some of those, including 4K at up to 480Hz, 8K at up to 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz. Current HDMI cables can already pass 4K at 120Hz, so I doubt most people will feel any temptation to upgrade for years to come. And you'll need content for any of these higher resolutions to be worthwhile, and there's still a dearth of native 8K entertainment out there.But with many TVs now offering 4K at up to 144Hz, and as consumers gravitate towards larger screens, the HDMI Forum sees ample reason to keep pushing forward. Image: HDMI Forum HDMI 2.2 cables will be badged as Ultra96." There is at least a more helpful aspect of this spec for everyone: HDMI 2.2 includes a Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for improving audio and video synchronization, especially for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio video receiver or soundbar." In my experience, HDMI 2.1 and eARC have mostly resolved frustrating audio / video sync issues, but they can still pop up as a frustration depending on your setup. Apparently HDMI 2.2 will go further in keeping everything lined up and keeping this headache in the past.Interestingly, the HDMI Forum is already anticipating tariff issues and has implemented an extensive certification program that includes anti-counterfeit labeling on packaging. You certainly can't miss the Ultra96 badging.HDMI 2.2 will be released in the first half of this year and be widely available to all HDMI 2.x adopters." Your TV and external devices will need to support the specification in order to unlock that new level of bandwidth, so we're just starting down what's inevitably going to be a long road.

Image: Qualcomm Qualcomm is introducing another Arm laptop chip to its Snapdragon X series today, lowering the cost of Copilot Plus PCs to around $600. The new Snapdragon X joins the existing Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite and will be available in a variety of devices from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo in the coming months.The Snapdragon X is designed for mainstream and budget laptops, so it won't offer as good of performance as the X Plus or X Elite variants. Qualcomm is still promising better performance per watt compared to Intel's Core 5 120U processor and better battery life across a variety of tests.Much like the rest of the Snapdragon X series, the base Snapdragon X chip will include a 45 TOPS NPU that supports Microsoft's Copilot Plus features. The Qualcomm Oryon CPU has eight cores that boost at up to 3GHz and is built on the same 4nm process node as the rest of the Snapdragon X series. Image: Qualcomm The Snapdragon X platform. It looks like the Snapdragon X will also lay the groundwork for some of the first Qualcomm-powered mini desktop PCs. Qualcomm is promising the world's first mini desktop PC powered by Snapdragon X series" tomorrow, so it certainly sounds like more Copilot Plus mini PCs are on the way.The Snapdragon X will really have an impact on the $600 laptop market. It's poised to put even more pressure on Intel's efforts here, and Qualcomm says more than 60 laptop designs from OEMs are currently in production or development based on the Snapdragon X series of chips. More than 100 are on the way by 2026. Windows on Arm momentum isn't slowing down.

Hulu and sports-forward streamer Fubo are settling aside some legal differences and teaming up in order to launch yet another new platform for you to subscribe to.Last year, Fubo filed a lawsuit against Disney (which co-owns Hulu), Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery last year on grounds that the studios' plan for Venu Sports, a new sports streaming service, was anticompetitive. But today, Fubo announced that it has reached an agreement with Disney to merge Hulu + Live TV and the entire Fubo platform to create a new multichannel video programming distributor. Going forward, Disney will own about 70 percent of the new venture, which will be headed up by Fubo's co-founder and CEO David Gandler. Hulu's core video subscription service will also continue to operate independently.In a statement about the partnership, Gandler insisted that the deal will enable Fubo to deliver on our promise to provide consumers with greater choice and flexibility."Additionally, this agreement allows us to scale effectively, strengthens Fubo's balance sheet, and positions us for positive cash flow. It's a win for consumers, our shareholders, and the entire streaming industry," Gandler said.Though a hearing for Fubo's previously-filed lawsuit against Disney, Fox, and WBD was scheduled for today, the case has now been dropped because of the new deal. Additionally, Fubo will receive a $220 million payout from Disney, Fox, and WBD. Fubo also noted that Disney plans to provide it with a $145 million this year, and should the entire deal fall apart, Fubo will be due a $130 termination fee.It wasn't clear how Disney planned to proceed last summer after a federal judge sided with Fubo and blocked Venu Sports from its planned fall 2024 launch. But now it's looking like the way forward is going to be a collaborative one.

A motor bounces baby according to your settings, but you have to convert it into a bassinet using your own motor skills. | Image: Elvie The Elvie Rise is an app-controlled baby bouncer that can be converted into a bassinet without moving the baby. Unfortunately, it costs $799 and isn't suitable for tots over six months of age.Of course, much less expensive bouncers without motors and apps also go flat for nap time, which is why Elvie's pitch leans heavily into baby's safety. As we've learned, baby tech is often peddled to anxious parents based on fear, not practicality.According to Elvie's own study, at least 67 percent of babies aged 0-3 months routinely sleep in a product that is not deemed safe for sleep during the day and the night." Rise follows the AAP's sleep safe guidelines, which require a firm, flat mattress, breathable fabrics, and retractable straps.Elvie's SootheLoop" tech records whatever bounce intensity and duration you desire, which can then be automatically repeated. In manual mode, bouncing can also be controlled by baby-power alone. It's up to the caregiver to lift the bouncer into bassinet mode and hoist the blinders when baby grows tired.Bouncer mode is suitable from newborn to six months of age, according to the company, or until your sub-20lb spawn starts to sit upright on their own. The bassinet is only suitable until junior hits five months, or starts to push up on hands and knees.Decent portable bassinets that follow AAP guidelines start around $140, while highly regarded bouncers can cost $200. $799 could be justified if that 2-in-1 convenience and motorized bouncing really speaks to you - just don't lose the charger. Too bad the company doesn't make a dumb version without motor or app because it does look nice.On the bright side, the Elvie Rise is way cheaper than a Snoo or that poop-detecting crib, and it doesn't require a monthly subscription.

Birdfy has announced the Birdfy Bath Pro, a camera-equipped smart bird bath that lets you watch your local birds as they plop into the water to wash up. The device features two lenses - a wide-angle one and an auto-tracking one - and an optional AI analysis feature that keeps track of and summarizes the bath's visitors. It's in preorder now.The onboard camera consists of a 2MP wide-angle lens that shoots at 1080p and a 3MP Portrait Lens" with 2K resolution. It carries an IP66 waterproof rating, so it should be able to withstand bird splashes, rain, and a direct blast from a water hose. But if you live somewhere cold, you should know the camera may be slow or not start at all if the outdoor temperature drops below 14 degrees Fahrenheit (or minus 10 degrees Celsius). Image: Birdfy The Bath Pro notifies you when birds arrive. The fountain portion comes with five interchangeable nozzles that Birdfy says make captivating water patterns." The Bath Pro will run you $249.99, or $299.99 with the stand included. For another $50, you can also get a lifetime subscription to its AI analysis service that Birdfy says will recognize birds and offer daily visitor counts and bird picture highlights. It also offers monthly recaps that rank your bath with that of other Birdfy owners.Rounding out its features are an integrated solar panel to keep its 9,000mAh battery topped up, cloud storage for videos and images, and Wi-Fi connectivity so you can watch birds from your phone, catching every flutter and dip in real-time."The Bath Pro feels like a logical next step after the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder got its moment in the sun in 2023. Bird Buddy seemed to agree when it announced its own prototype for one that year, but it hasn't started shipping that yet according to an update on its Kickstarter page. Birdfy has its own bird feeders, including the also newly announced Birdfy Feeder Metal, a metal-housed smart bird feeder with similar features to the Bath Pro.

Image: Aptera Aptera is aiming to get a little more time in the sun.The once-dead and now-resurrected startup unveiled a new production-intent" solar-powered electric vehicle that it made with a little help from legendary Italian automotive designers Pininfarina. And much like the last go-around, the new prototype is an ultra-efficient three-wheeled electric vehicle powered, in part, by embedded solar panels. Aptera insists the partnership with Pininfarina is providing necessary resources, like access the company's wind tunnel located in Turin, Italy, to refine its design to achieve one of the lowest drag coefficients of any production passenger vehicle, setting a new standard for energy efficiency in the automotive industry." But the biggest hurdles will likely finding enough funding to go into production.Aptera didn't include the exact drag coefficient for the new vehicle, but has claimed that past prototypes were able to achieve one of 0.13, as compared to 0.23 for Tesla's Model 3.The vehicle is equipped with 700W of integrated solar cells, allowing most drivers to drive every day without ever needing to plug in to charge. The cells can provide up to 40 miles of solar-powered range each day, and the ability to travel up to 400 miles on a single charge. Aptera's previous attempts to be one of the first companies in the world to mass produce a solar-powered car were derailed when it failed to qualify for the US Department of Energy's advanced technology loan program. The company shut down in 2011, but reopened in 2020 after successfully raising enough money through crowdfunding and other means.It's unclear if the work is enough to get its weird, three-wheeled solar powered vehicle off the ground. Aptera isn't the only company squinting at the sun for inspiration. German startup Sono Motors was working on a solar-powered electric car, but now its betting on solar buses. Mercedes-Benz's Vision EQXX concept includes a solar roof array of 117 cells. And Toyota has promised an optional solar roof for its recently released BZ4X electric SUV.

Image: The Verge Microsoft is pulling yet another trick to get people to use its Bing search engine. If you use Bing right now without signing into a Microsoft account and search for Google, you'll get a page that looks an awful lot like... Google.It's a clear attempt from Microsoft to make Bing look like Google for this specific search query, and other searches just list the usual Bing search results without this special interface. The Google result includes a search bar, an image that looks a lot like a Google Doodle, and even some small text under the search bar just like Google does. Microsoft even automatically scrolls down the page slightly to mask its own Bing search bar that appears at the top of search results. Image: Tom Warren / The Verge The Bing search result for Google right now has a special interface. While Bing still surfaces search results for Google underneath this spoofed Google UI, a lot of people will see this interface when they configure a new PC and search for Google in the address bar of Microsoft Edge. As 9to5Google points out, it's a sneaky move from Microsoft to try and keep people using Bing instead of switching to Google.Microsoft has a habit of this kind of behavior, too. We've been cataloging every trick Microsoft has used to convince people to switch to Bing or Edge instead of Google and Chrome over the past few years. Microsoft has modified Chrome download sites, added pop-up ads into Google Chrome on Windows, injected polls into Chrome download pages, and even used malware-like popups to get people to ditch Google.Google also has its own notifications on its websites to encourage people to download Chrome instead of Microsoft Edge, but they're nowhere near as aggressive as Microsoft's use of operating system-level popups and website modifications.

The Sense Pro is Schlage's first lock to support Matter; it will also work with a new UWB-powered auto-unlocking feature. | Image: Schlage It's a bit of a moment for the humble door lock. Schlage, one of the oldest lock makers in the US, just launched its first-ever smart door lock without a keyway. But that's not the most exciting part: the Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt is the company's first lock to support the new smart home standard Matter and one of the first ever to use ultra wideband technology (UWB) for hands-free unlocking.Along with the Sense Pro, Schlage also announced a new entry-level smart lock. The $199 Schlage Arrive Smart WiFi Deadbolt does have a keyway, along with a push button keypad for the touchscreen-adverse. The new locks join the company's existing Encode smart lock line. Image: Schlage The Schlage Sense Pro is a new design for Schlage locks and comes in two finishes: satin nickel (pictured) and matte black (above). While it's nice to see a more affordable smart lock option from Schlage (its Encode deadbolts start at $274), the Sense Pro is the headliner. A radical redesign for the company, the new touchscreen lock has a completely smooth face and no keyway. While there are plenty of smart locks without keyways, this is a first for the 100-year-old Schlage. There's also no fingerprint reader - a technology Schlage seems to have skipped over entirely.Instead, it appears to be betting on UWB as the best option for seamlessly unlocking your door. Along with a numeric code and NFC-powered tap-to-unlock (similar to Apple's Home Key), the Sense Pro can open automatically as you approach your door. Here's how Schlage says it works:

The camera uses AI to help identify falls even when the subject is partially obscured. | Photo: Kami Vision Home security company Kami Vision is introducing a new camera that's designed especially for seniors living on their own. The Kami Fall Detect Camera monitors for falls and can alert families or caregivers to take action. The company has been offering similar fall detection systems for senior living communities, but this is its first product designed with private homes in mind.The Fall Detect Camera offers an 87-degree view and can rotate 360 degrees. The owner can authorize other users to receive alerts if a fall is detected or access the camera's live view to check on them - there's even two-way audio communication built in. Kami Vision claims the camera detects falls with 99.5 percent accuracy and uses AI to identify a fall even if the person is partially obscured.Kami Vision offers a subscription service at $45 per month that includes professional monitoring to verify falls and automatic calls to emergency services if there's no response to a fall. The camera itself costs $99 and can be used on its own, but the subscription is required to get the fall detection features.Kami isn't the first company to introduce tech to help people age in place. Both the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch include fall detection features that allow the wearer to call for help when a fall is detected. But those devices need to be on your body to work and need to be kept charged, which might not be practical for someone whose age or condition puts them at risk for falls. As baby boomers reach their senior years, something like Kami Vision's approach will probably look awfully appealing to caregivers and those wanting to age in place alike.

The Floodlight Cam Pro is our pick for the best overall outdoor floodlight camera. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Ring is doing something rare for a technology brand: upgrading devices that customers have already purchased. The company is updating its outdoor cameras to boost video resolution, but it's not just new customers who will benefit - existing owners of the floodlight and spotlight cams will get the upgrade, too.Ring's series of outdoor cameras currently support 1080p video. The Floodlight Cam Pro and the Spotlight Cam Pro are getting the boost to 2K video, while the Plus versions of those cameras will remain at 1080p. It's a significant jump in resolution for the Pro models considering that most other Ring cameras top out at 1080p, with the exception of a few doorbells that do 1440p and 1536p.Across Ring's product line, these outdoor cameras are good candidates for a resolution bump. Since they're typically mounted higher and farther away from the subjects they're meant to record, a little extra resolution can make a significant difference in image detail. Digital zoom, which was already pretty good on the Floodlight Cam Pro, should get a little sharper, too.Existing Floodlight and Spotlight Cam Pro owners will be able to upgrade their devices through the Ring app when the update starts rolling out on January 8th.

Kidde's new smart smoke and combination smoke + CO alarms with Ring work in the Ring app and don't require a Ring Alarm system. | Image: Ring Ring has announced a new partnership with fire safety brand Kidde to launch smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that connect to the Ring app via Wi-Fi and send alerts to your phone when the alarms are triggered.The Kidde Smart Smoke Alarm with Ring ($54.97) and the Kidde Smart Smoke and CO Alarm with Ring ($74.97) are hardwired alarms with battery backup. They will launch this April at The Home Depot and come to more retailers later in 2025, according to Kidde. Image: Kidde The Ring-powered Kidde smart smoke alarm works with the Ring app and costs $55. The alarms connect to the Ring app and, as well as sending alerts when triggered, will notify you about a low battery to help avoid those 2AM chirps. But the Ring alarm can't hush an active alarm, you'll have to do that manually. If you have other compatible hardwired Kidde smoke alarms in your house, adding one of these Ring-powered alarms will enable your existing alarms to also connect to the Ring app.Unlike the First Alert Z-Wave smoke and CO alarms that also work with Ring, the Kidde alarms do not need a Ring Alarm hub to connect to the app and don't require a subscription to receive alerts. Ring will offer the option go 24/7 professional monitoring of the smoke alarms for $5 a month; if you already have Ring Professional Monitoring for your Ring Alarm, smoke alarm monitoring is included. (Ring also sells a $35 smoke alarm listener that can alert the Ring app if it hears an alarm in your home, which also requires a Ring Professional Monitoring subscription.)Smart smoke alarms are critical devices, as they can alert you to danger at home when you're not there. There really aren't many choices on the market today. While Amazon, Apple, and others offer services through smart speakers and home security systems that listen for your existing smoke alarms and send alerts to your phone, actual connected alarms are few and far between.Google's Nest Protect is one of the best options, but at $149, it's very expensive. While it has some excellent features, including a motion-activated nightlight, voice alerts, and the option to silence the alarm from the Nest app, the product hasn't been updated in several years. Google also doesn't offer professional monitoring. First Alert's OneLink smart alarm line has been discontinued. Kidde sells a stand-alone line of Wi-Fi-connected smart smoke alarms that work with its app to send alerts and integrate with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. According to Kidde, these new alarms will only work with the Ring app at launch and will not integrate with Amazon Alexa or any other smart home systems.

Illustration: The Verge Buying a smart home product today means checking which ecosystems it works with by looking for the little Works with Apple Home" or Works with Google" badge on the package. Matter was supposed to get rid of those because if a product works with Matter, it should work with all the big smart home platforms. That hasn't happened yet, and now we have one more badge to look for: the Matter badge.Getting all those badges is about to get simpler for manufacturers, though. The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which runs Matter, announced today that Apple, Google, and Samsung will all accept its certification for their Works With" programs:

OWC has released two new super-long active optical USB4 cables, available in lengths of nearly 10 feet (3 meters) and 15 feet (4.5 meters) and offering up to 40Gbps of data throughput. According to OWC's press materials, they'll set you back $98.99 and $129.99, respectively, though its website currently lists them for slightly less. That's a bargain, compared to what Apple is charging.Data throughput aside, OWC says you can also expect the 3m option to provide up to 240W of power, while the 4.5m cable manages 60W. The cables are covered with braided nylon, too, which hopefully means they're nice and flexible. And although they aren't Thunderbolt 4 cables, they'll work the way you'd expect with other Thunderbolt 3- or- 4-capable devices, including docks and hubs. Image: OWC Intel generally guarantees Thunderbolt 4 performance at up to 2 meters over traditional copper cables. Those cables need special tech inside to keep throughput up over longer runs, which is likely part of why Apple's 3-meter 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 cable costs $159.You can find some USB4 cables as long as OWC's for much less than that, but the longer ones don't tend to offer the same high throughput, which OWC credits to the electromagnetic interference immunity of fiber-optics.OWC's cables are a bit of a throwback to Thunderbolt's roots as Light Peak, which was initially codeveloped by Intel and Apple as a fiber optic cable standard that made its way to a Sony laptop just as the companies decided to go with copper, instead. Optical, data-only Thunderbolt lives on at companies like Corning, which has you covered if you need a $480 164-foot (50 meters) 5K optical display cable in your life.Cables aside, OWC also recently announced a $189.99 Thunderbolt 5 hub, which went up for preorder in November and is available now. It's got four Thunderbolt 5 ports and a single USB-A port and supports three simultaneous 8K displays at 60Hz.

With its new lineup of TVs, Samsung is making a decision that I think might prove somewhat divisive. The company is bringing the matte, glare-free display technology that debuted on last year's S95D OLED to several more models - including its flagship Mini LED sets. Here at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Samsung is showcasing all of its latest TVs at its annual First Look event.The new S95F QD-OLED gets blazingly bright, likely using a just-announced Samsung Display panel that's technically capable of reaching 4,000 nits. According to the company, the glare-free coating has been improved to further cut down on reflections from overhead lighting, floor lamps, and sunlight. And similar to LG's top-tier 2025 OLEDs announced earlier today, the S95F is capable of hitting a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz. PC gamers, rejoice. Even Samsung's First Look show floor, with bright lights everywhere, poses no issue for the glare-free screen. It's really quite impressive. And now Samsung is bringing it to more models. But not everyone likes the perceived tradeoffs. If you're wondering what's so controversial about Samsung's glare-free screen, some people insist it results in a worse overall picture than glossy coatings and that the perfect blacks of OLED aren't so inky black in all lighting conditions anymore. This issue has been debated at length on Reddit, in YouTube videos (hey, Caleb), and all over AVS Forum.But clearly Samsung remains undeterred by the haters because now the glare-free display is also coming to the company's Mini LED Neo QLED" TVs for the first time. That includes the flagship 4K QN90F and both of this year's 8K models. (Buying an 8K TV is very silly; I still very much recommend against doing that.) Samsung's other 2025 4K TVs will stick with a glossy treatment, so at least there are options if you refuse to go glare-free.These latest Mini LED TVs are also available in some truly enormous sizes: the QN90F tops out at 115 inches, while the (glossy) QN80F can be had at up to 100 inches. Samsung says the wonderfully named Supersize Picture Enhancer" will help keep 4K content looking crisp even on that giant QN90F. You still won't find Dolby Vision on any of these TVs no matter the size; clearly, that's a philosophical choice at this point. The company's 115-inch 4K Neo QLED TV uses a Supersize Picture Enhancer" to boost clarity at this enormous size. Vision AIFor 2025, Samsung is pulling all of its AI-powered TV features under new branding called Vision AI. These include the usual suspects like AI Upscaling, Auto HDR Remastering, and Adaptive Sound Pro. But there's a new Click to Search feature that can identify actors on-screen, the location of a shot, or what clothes are featured in a scene with just one click of the new AI button on your SolarCell remote." Yes, there's now a dedicated AI remote button.Another new AI trick is Samsung Food, which recognizes the food on your screen and provides recipes for bringing it to life." I'm mildly curious about this and can't wait to see how accurate or off the mark it is. Live Translate is a much more helpful addition: it can instantly translate closed captions on live broadcasts in up to seven languages."The company is also using AI to provide more robust home security features. From tonight's press release:

The company created a sensation by making TVs that look more like art and less like tech. With The Frame Pro, Samsung is trying to deliver the best of both worlds. Samsung's The Frame has been enormously popular ever since its release. There's no shortage of imitators at this point, with other manufacturers trying their hand at creating a TV that seamlessly blends in with home decor and can also convincingly look like wall art when idle. But none have captured lightning in a bottle quite like Samsung.And in 2025, Samsung is looking to fend off copycats by introducing The Frame Pro. With the artwork side of things well handled, now the company is aiming to make The Frame Pro a good TV for everything else. The Frame has nailed the aesthetics and style from the start. People buy it for the vibe more than anything else. But as a TV, it's always just been, well... fine. There wasn't much wow factor in terms of brightness or the overall picture quality that came with the nice design. That might be changing now.There are two main upgrades that put the pro" in The Frame Pro. First, Samsung is moving to Mini LED, which the company says will give The Frame Pro a boost in contrast, brightness, and black levels. The regular Frame, which isn't going anywhere, has never offered any local dimming to speak of.But there's an important caveat: this isn't Mini LED in the regular sense. Normally, Mini LED TVs contain a ton of small dimming zones behind the screen. This lets them be way more precise in lighting up only the sections of the display that need it while preserving black levels and shadow detail elsewhere. The Frame Pro doesn't do that. The Frame Pro uses Mini LEDs, but they're at the bottom of the panel - not behind it. Instead, Samsung is placing Mini LEDs along the bottom of the screen, while claiming that this approach still produces some level of local dimming. To me, it all still very much sounds like an edge-lit TV. But I'll give this Mini LED" tech a fair chance whenever I get one in for review.Samsung is also boosting The Frame Pro's maximum refresh rate from 120Hz to 144Hz, so PC gamers can get even smoother visuals than before. But if you were hoping pro" might finally mean Dolby Vision support, that's still a no.The Frame has always been something of a compromise; maybe you've got a significant other who refuses to allow a dull black rectangle into the living room. So you, being the good and considerate person you are, ultimately agree to settle" on The Frame. After first hearing about The Frame Pro, I was hopeful that it would be much less of a compromise.But this asterisk around Mini LED has me a little less excited. Like recent models, The Frame Pro's display has a matte finish to give your preferred art a more authentic appearance and mask the reality that you're looking at a screen. But matte screens can sometimes lessen a display's punch, so genuine Mini LED backlighting could've helped quite a bit in that regard. There's no more wire running from Samsung's breakout box to the actual TV. You plug your game consoles, streaming boxes, and other devices into the Wireless One Connect Box. The second major improvement is that The Frame Pro no longer has a thin wire running between it and Samsung's breakout box that houses all the HDMI inputs and the TV's other brains: that connection has gone fully wireless. This will result in an even cleaner look with less cable clutter. And the Wireless One Connect Box, which supports up to Wi-Fi 7, eliminates yet another telltale sign that The Frame Pro is a television. Now, all you've got to worry about concealing is the display's power cord. Samsung says the wireless connection between the box and TV works at distances of up to 10 meters, even with obstacles in its path." The Wireless One Connect Box can be placed up to 10 meters away. The Frame Pro is also getting the same litany of AI-powered features as Samsung's other 2025 TVs. AI is such a focus this year that there's a dedicated button on the remote for activating Click to Search, which can show you who the actors are in a given scene, where that scene is taking place, or even the clothing the characters are wearing," according to Samsung's press release.A new Samsung Food feature can recognize dishes onscreen and provide you with the recipes to make them - or something in the same ballpark, at least. Beyond that, the company is dialing up its AI-enhanced picture and sound optimizations, and AI is also reaching into accessibility features like Live Translate, which can instantly translate closed captions on live broadcasts in up to seven languages." That's very neat.The critical question is one I can't answer yet: how much will this thing cost? How much more expensive will The Frame Pro be compared to the regular model? Samsung won't be sharing pricing details until closer to the spring when it ships. If the company gets cocky and goes too high, that could ruin a lot of the appeal here. But if you already know that some version of The Frame is in your future, you're probably very happy that The Frame Pro now exists.Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

The IrriSense smart sprinkler can be installed in 15 minutes with a garden hose and power cable. | Image: Aiper Aiper has announced a new smart watering solution at CES 2025 that could be as easy to set up as a traditional lawn sprinkler. The IrriSense Smart Irrigation Sprinkler doesn't require any pipes to be buried under a yard, and as an all-in-one device, it doesn't need additional hardware to be installed on a faucet. Its targeted approach to watering also limits overspray, reducing water usage.The IrriSense Smart Irrigation Sprinkler will be available starting in May 2025 for $399. It includes a 33-foot-long waterproof power cord that needs access to an outlet, but you'll need to provide a standard garden hose long enough to reach a faucet. Installation and setup takes about 15 minutes, according to Aiper, which involves the IrriSense sprinkler being secured using four ground stakes that can be pulled up when you need to relocate or temporarily remove the sprinkler to cut the grass. Image: Aiper The sprinkler's targeted spray pattern can be defined in a mobile app, while watering schedules take into account recent weather conditions and rainfall. The sprinkler's blast can reach 39 feet and cover an area up to 4,300 square feet as it oscillates back and forth. Through the Aiper mobile app, you can customize the spray pattern by creating a map through a manual process that involves pinpointing locations around your yard. The goal is to not only reduce water consumption but also help keep certain areas dry, such as a public sidewalk on your front lawn.The IrriSense sprinkler's routine can be scheduled through the mobile app, but for additional conservation and to prevent overwatering, it can also take into account the weather. There's a sensor on the sprinkler itself as well as separate soil sensors that can keep track of moisture levels. If the lawn is still properly hydrated from a recent rain, scheduled watering routines will be skipped.Multiple IrriSense sprinklers can be installed and automated to expand the coverage area, and they can be used to dispense liquid fertilizers or pesticides.