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by Tom Warren on (#6TC9G)
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.
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The Verge
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
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| Updated | 2025-04-10 20:46 |
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by Tom Warren on (#6TC9F)
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.
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by Jay Peters on (#6TC9E)
Image: Acer Acer is announcing two new Nitro Blaze gaming handhelds at CES 2025, and one of them, the Nitro Blaze 11, is truly giant with a massive 10.95-inch screen.Seriously, it's huge - just look at this photo of a person holding it! It's absurd! Image: Acer In addition to that enormous screen - which is a 144 Hz WQXGA touch display that can top out at 500 nits of brightness - the Nitro Blaze 11 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 8040HS processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 2TB of storage, according to a press release. The Nitro Blaze 11 also has detachable controllers, a built-in kickstand, Hall Effect joysticks, and two back buttons. (The original Blaze, announced last year with a 7-inch screen, lacked back buttons.)Acer's other new handheld PC, the Nitro Blaze 8, is mercifully smaller, with an 8.8-inch screen. It has many of the same specs as the Nitro Blaze 11, though it lacks the detachable controllers and built-in stand.Both new Blazes will be available in Q2 2025, Acer says. The Nitro Blaze 11 will start at $1,099.99, while the Nitro Blaze 8 will start at $899.99.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TC9D)
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.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TC9C)
Image: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Dell's new monitor can beam audio directly toward your ears. The Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED uses a camera beneath its display for AI-powered head tracking, allowing it to adjust the sound coming out of its five 5W speakers based on your position.As it directs audio toward each of your ears, the monitor also blocks sound at the opposite ear using destructive interference, which occurs when sound waves in different phases interact and cancel each other out. It's the same type of technology used in active noise-canceling headphones.Dell isn't the only company to use head tracking to deliver audio; Razer's Leviathan soundbar has a similar feature, and so does the 3D monitor Acer revealed in 2023. Image: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge The monitor comes with a built-in camera that tracks your head movements. But it seems like Dell's new monitor might be an ideal choice for gaming, as it comes with a 32-inch 4K OLED display, along with up to 120Hz refresh rate, a speedy 0.03ms response time, and support for AMD FreeSync Premium.At $799.99, the Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED is a little cheaper than similar monitors like the $899.99 MSI Mag 321UPX and the $1,399.99 LG Ultragear 32GS95UE (though these two monitors have higher refresh rates). The Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED launches in the US on May 22nd, 2025.
by Wes Davis on (#6TC6E)
Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge The Wireless Power Consortium announced at CES on Monday that more Android devices will use the MagSafe-based Qi2 charging standard in 2025. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll all have magnets, though; the WPC says it now has a Qi2 Ready" certification for phones that need a case to add the magnetic alignment ring but otherwise meet the charging standard's spec.The announcement of Qi2 Ready could explain recent rumors that you'll need a case to add magnetic charging to Galaxy S25 phones from Samsung, which says it's releasing Qi2 Galaxy devices later this year. Meanwhile, Google says it's committed to the Qi2 wireless charging standard" and is contributing its own high-power wireless charging technology to WPC."At the moment, you need a case with an embedded magnet for most Android phones to have MagSafe-style wireless charging. Apart from phones like the HMD Skyline, Apple has been alone in equipping its phones with the magnetic ring that normal Qi2 certification now requires.The WPC also announced that a coming part of the Qi2 standard will be in-car wireless charging with a moving coil that shifts to keep aligned with the coil in your phone, using tech contributed by Panasonic Automotive Systems. Both the moving coil and Qi2 Ready certification are part of the Qi v2.1 update.
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by Chris Welch on (#6TC6F)
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:
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by Emma Roth on (#6TC6G)
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Google TV is getting a Gemini integration that's supposed to make interacting with your TV more intuitive and helpful," the company announced at CES on Monday. With the update, which is set to arrive later this year, you'll be able to search for content and ask questions without starting with Hey Google," as reported by Bloomberg and Android Police.As pointed out by Android Police, the integration will allow you to search for media by saying What are the latest movies from Disney?" You can also ask more general questions such as, What are the best places to visit in Asia in the summer?" and Google TV will show results from YouTube. The integration lets you interact with smart home devices as well, allowing you to view your video doorbell feed and more.Google brought similar Gemini-powered features to the Google TV Streamer it released last year.In addition to bringing Gemini to Google TV, the company is outfitting the TVs using its operating system with far-field microphones, according to Bloomberg and Android Police. This will let you use voice commands with your TV without speaking into your remote. Google TVs will also have proximity sensors that will detect when you're close to the TV and show personalized and informative widgets," Android Police reports.Google isn't alone in bringing AI to TVs. LG and Samsung announced that they're getting in on the AI hype by bringing Microsoft's Copilot assistant to their TVs, too.
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by Jay Peters on (#6TC6H)
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.
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by Sean Hollister on (#6TC6J)
Image: Intel Despite comments made by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, who got ousted from the company last month, Intel will not kill off its discrete graphics business. We are very committed to the discrete graphics market and will continue to make strategic investments in this direction," Intel's new co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus just told an audience in the company's CES 2025 keynote. She says it's a question she gets a lot.Gelsinger was incredibly blunt on a recent earnings call that the company's radically different Lunar Lake laptop processors were something of a failed experiment from a financial perspective, and suggested there'd be less need" for the company's investments in discrete graphics too: How are we handling graphics? That is increasingly becoming large, integrated graphics capabilities, so less need for discrete graphics in the market going forward."But weeks later, Intel finally notched its first win in the discrete GPU space with the Intel Arc B580 graphics card, selling out of the budget gaming card most everywhere.Now, it's possible Holthaus' new statement is code for we're retreating, but slowly and less overtly," as her overall tone in this morning's keynote was exceedingly upbeat despite Intel's recent troubles. She also celebrated the Lunar Lake chip, and called 2024 the year Intel really reasserted ourselves as the leader in this AI PC market" on its performance and battery life strengths, even though the company's just announced Arrow Lake chips, and upcoming Panther Lake chips, are built differently. Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Intel co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus makes a public appearance at CES 2025. (Holthaus reiterated that Panther Lake will launch in the second half of the year, and says samples are already shipping to all its major customers.)Intel's future strategic investments" could also be in the AI space rather than gaming ones, similar to how AMD and Nvidia have refocused their efforts recently on the huge opportunity there.There is at least one more gaming card coming soon, though. Holthaus says Intel will launch its next, already-announced B570 GPU this next week, a card which is even more budget than the B580.
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by Jacob Kastrenakes on (#6TC6N)
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."
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6TC6M)
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.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TC6K)
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.
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by Umar Shakir on (#6TC32)
Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro. | Image: Samsung Samsung has announced new Galaxy Book 5 Pro and 360 laptops featuring the NPU-packing (but not CoPilot Plus-qualifying) Arrow Lake Core Ultra processors Intel announced earlier today as an upgrade to the Lunar Lake-powered devices Samsung launched in September.Samsung says the new Book 5 Pro and 360 convertible laptop / tablet diversifies" the Galaxy Book AI PC lineup and highlights its AI software capabilities, including the Circle-to-Search-like AI Select app and an AI image retouch tool called Photo Remaster. These features launched on the Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 and appeared on last year's Snapdragon X Elite-powered Galaxy Book 4 Edge.The Galaxy Book 5 Pro comes in 14- and 16-inch variants, each with 2880 x 1800 resolution AMOLED screens and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pros also have Vision Booster" tech that uses tone mapping to adjust the contrast and colors" to make things easier to see while working outside.Samsung says the 16-inch model provides up to 25 hours of video playback per charge, while the 14-inch offers up to 21 hours. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book 5 360 has a 1080p 15.6-inch AMOLED screen and lasts up to 31 hours" while playing videos.All three models have Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-A port, HDMI, and microSD card slots. They can be configured with Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 Evo" processors and either 16GB or 32GB of RAM. For storage, your options are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Pricing has not yet been announced, but all will ship to the US, Canada, UK, and other markets starting in February.
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by Chris Welch on (#6TC33)
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.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TC35)
Image: Ecobee Ecobee is launching a new entry-level smart thermostat that costs $129.99. The Smart Thermostat Essential comes with a full-color touchscreen and supports Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Assistant.Just like Ecobee's other smart thermostats, the Essential adjusts the temperature of your home based on the schedule you set, allowing it to conserve energy while you're away. It ensures your house reaches an optimal temperature by the time you return by learning how long it takes to heat or cool your home.The Essential can be paired with the company's SmartSensors to optimize the temperature in specific rooms. The smart thermostat, which can be controlled through the Ecobee app, is compatible with most conventional HVAC and heat pump systems but doesn't support HVAC accessories or multispeed fan systems.The Essential will replace the $150 Ecobee3 Lite when it launches in March 2025. The lower $129.99 price makes it more of a rival to the basic Google Nest Thermostat, which costs the same. However, the Nest works with Matter, whereas Ecobee still hasn't added support for the new smart home standard, despite saying they would.
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by Tom Warren on (#6TC34)
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.
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by Wes Davis on (#6TC36)
Poor little guy. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Meta has stopped selling the Quest Pro, UploadVR spotted. The news comes just over two months since the company discontinued the high-end VR headset. Meta wrote then that it would keep selling the headset until year's end or until it ran out of stock, whichever came first. I guess it didn't sell out.The $999 headset's product page now says the Meta Quest Pro is no longer available" and encourages users to consider the Meta Quest 3 instead, which we liked more than its upscale sibling. UploadVR notes that the company is still selling the Quest Pro's Touch Pro controllers, which work with the Quest 2 and up.VR headsets have struggled to go mainstream, especially at the high end. The $3,500 Vision Pro has improved since we gave it a relatively lackluster review but still hasn't caught on in a big way. Apple reportedly cut back on manufacturing it in October. The Quest Pro started at a cheap-by-comparison $1,499, but it made a far worse impression at launch - packed better internals than the Quest 2 and some fancy new features the older headset lacked, but it was also heavy, expensive, and didn't have much better displays.
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by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6TC37)
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.
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by Thomas Ricker on (#6TC38)
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.
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by Wes Davis on (#6TC39)
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.
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6TC0A)
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.
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6TC0B)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that the company is confident that it knows how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it," referring to the tech industry's long-sought benchmark of artificial general intelligence. And he predicts that AI agents capable of autonomously performing certain tasks may start to materially change the output of companies" this year.Altman made the announcement in a blog post published on Monday, where he discussed the past and future of OpenAI. The company's next goal is superintelligence in the true sense of the word," he says. We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future. Superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own, and in turn massively increase abundance and prosperity."Altman's description of superintelligence, broadly defined as AI agents that surpass human intelligence, sounds much like how OpenAI once described AGI: AI systems that are generally smarter than humans." OpenAI has repeatedly stated that its foundational goal is to develop an artificial general intelligence (AGI) system that benefits all of humanity." But Altman tried to lower expectations for AGI last month, saying it would matter much less" than people thought.Downplaying its previous definition of AGI may work in OpenAI's favor, since the company is tied to Microsoft via exclusivity deals it made in 2023 until OpenAI officially declares that AGI has been achieved. But reports that Microsoft itself classifies AGI as a system capable of generating $100 billion in profits may prove that loophole ineffective. And while The Verge has heard that OpenAI plans to blend its large language models together as an AGI" offering, potentially to hit this goalpost faster, the company isn't turning a profit. Altman also says it's currently losing money on its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscriptions.People use it much more than we expected," Altman wrote across several posts on X. I personally chose the price and thought we would make some money."Altman doesn't directly address OpenAI's tight profit-sharing arrangement with Microsoft in his blog post, but he does lament about the confusing events that led to him being fired as CEO of OpenAI, hired by Microsoft, and subsequently returning to OpenAI in November 2023. Altman has since consolidated power at OpenAI, which aims to transition from a nonprofit organization to a for-profit one this year.The whole event was, in my opinion, a big failure of governance by well-meaning people, myself included. Looking back, I certainly wish I had done things differently, and I'd like to believe I'm a better, more thoughtful leader today than I was a year ago," Altman said. Good governance requires a lot of trust and credibility. I appreciate the way so many people worked together to build a stronger system of governance for OpenAI that enables us to pursue our mission of ensuring that AGI benefits all of humanity."
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by Tom Warren on (#6TC0C)
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.
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6TC0D)
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:
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by Tom Warren on (#6TC0H)
Image: Intel Intel is announcing the rest of the Arrow Lake family of CPUs at CES today, with options for thin-and-light laptops all the way up to gaming notebooks. These mobile processors will appear in many of the computers being announced at CES this week, with the 200HX series being paired with next-gen GPUs we're expecting Nvidia to announce later today and the 200H and 200U series of chips destined for thin-and-light and premium laptops.While Intel will continue to supply Lunar Lake CPUs for its range of Copilot Plus laptops, the Arrow Lake mobile family won't be ditching memory sticks after Intel confirmed in October that the Lunar Lake chips were a one-off experiment. Image: Intel Intel's Core Ultra 200HX series of processors. The new Core Ultra 200HX series will be targeted at gaming laptops and should deliver around 5 percent better single-thread performance and 20 percent multithread performance improvements over previous Raptor Lake-H Refresh processors.Intel says new gaming laptops with the latest discrete GPUs" (read that as Nvidia's RTX 50-series) will be coming in late Q1. The flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficiency cores), can boost up to 5.5GHz, has 4 GPU cores, and a 13 TOPS NPU. That's enough to meet Intel's definition of AI PC" but not enough for Microsoft's Copilot Plus features.Consumer laptops that aren't gaming-focused will come with Intel's 200H or 200U series of processors. The H variants have a base power of 28 watts, apart from the flagship Core Ultra 9 285H that pushes the power requirements up to 45 watts. These H-series CPUs have a new Intel Arc GPU inside that delivers around 15 percent better graphics performance over previous Meteor Lake chips. Image: Intel The Core Ultra 200HX series lineup. CPU performance on these H chips should be around 15 percent better, too, for single-thread tasks. There are five chips available for laptop makers here, including the flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285H with 16 cores (6 performance, 8 efficiency, and 2 low-power efficiency cores), a boost clock of 5.4GHz, and 8 GPU cores.Intel will also release the U series of its Core Ultra 200 processors for laptops that are much more focused on battery life and thin-and-light designs. These chips have a base power of just 15 watts and only turbo up to 57 watts. The top Intel Core Ultra 7 265U processor includes 12 cores (2 performance, 8 efficiency, and 2 low-power efficiency cores) and can boost up to 5.3GHz.While the 200HX series of chips won't appear until late Q1 in gaming laptops, the 200H and 200U chips should start shipping in thin-and-light laptops in the coming weeks.
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by Allison Johnson on (#6TC0G)
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.
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by Allison Johnson on (#6TC0F)
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.
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6TC0E)
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.
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6TBXJ)
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:
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6TBXH)
Image: Intuition Robotics Intuition Robotics introduced the ElliQ Caregiver Solution on Monday, an AI-powered system that includes the ElliQ companion robot and a new Caregiver app to help caregivers monitor the health of homebound seniors.Originally, the bobblehead-esque animatronic was mainly a friendly looking Amazon Alexa-like voice assistant designed to offer companionship to seniors living alone. Unlike Alexa, though, the ElliQ is proactive, prompting seniors to talk to it and have conversations, while also offering entertainment, health and wellness support, and more. The company also offered a Connect app that let caregivers keep in touch via video calls but not much else.But with the debut of the ElliQ Caregiver Solution at CES, the companion robot is now a much more helpful care assistant. For example, if the robot detects an elderly parent hasn't slept well or is feeling sick, ElliQ will send alerts to the caregiver. It can also send updates about any significant behavioral or health changes. This way, caregivers can monitor their loved ones' health and activity in a way that doesn't feel as intrusive as a camera or sensor.Caregivers can set personalized care goals that ElliQ will promote at home and receive other proactive updates powered by AI-driven insights." Basically, it's like having a friend" keeping you up to date about your loved one - without requiring you to physically check in.The ElliQ Caregiver Solution is now available to purchase. Its price is comprised of a one-time enrollment fee of $249.99 and a subscription that costs $59.99 per month. For now, the Caregiver app will be available at no additional cost. Later this year, Intuition Robotics will charge new users an extra $9.99 per month for the Caregiver Solution.
by Emma Roth on (#6TBXG)
Image: TiVo More than a year after launching its smart TV platform in Europe, TiVo is now bringing it to the US. The company's putting its TiVo OS platform inside a new Sharp TV arriving as soon as February, rivaling the likes of Roku, Google TV, and Amazon's Fire TV.TiVo first announced TiVo OS in 2022, but the platform didn't actually launch until last year. The company bills its operating system as a neutral" platform, allowing TV manufacturers to put their own spin on the viewing experience. It says TiVo OS supports a wide range" of streaming services and comes with a recommendation system that serves up personalized suggestions." TiVo OS also offers voice controls for select TVs, but it doesn't say whether this Sharp one is included.The TiVo-equipped Sharp TV seems pretty standard: it comes with a 55-inch 4K QLED panel, along with three HDMI ports and Dolby Atmos. There's still no word on how much it will cost or if TiVo plans on bringing its operating system to other TV brands. Over in Europe, TiVo OS comes packaged in TVs from several different companies, including Sharp, Panasonic, Daewoo, and others.Still, TiVo is up against some tough competition in the smart TV platform business. Roku-powered TVs remain one of the most popular choices in the US, while a wide selection of brands already use Amazon and Google's OS. It will likely have to be priced competitively if it wants to stand out in the sea of smart TVs.
by Tom Warren on (#6TBVX)
The Verge LG and Samsung have both announced their 2025 smart TVs at CES this weekend, and some of them will include access to Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. Both TV manufacturers are chasing the artificial intelligence hype train with dedicated AI sections on their smart TVs that include a shortcut to a Copilot web app.LG is adding an entire AI section to its TVs and rebranding its remote to AI Remote," in an effort to sell consumers on the promise of large language models. While it's not clear exactly how Copilot works on LG's latest TVs, the company describes access to Copilot as a way to allow users to efficiently find and organize complex information using contextual cues."LG hasn't demonstrated its Copilot integration just yet, but it has shown off its own AI Chatbot that's part of its TVs. It appears Copilot will be surfaced when LG TV users want to search for more information on a particular subject. Image: Samsung Samsung is showing off its AI Vision features at CES this week. Samsung also has its own Vision AI brand for its AI-powered TV features this year, which include AI upscaling, Auto HDR Remastering, and Adaptive Sound Pro. There's also a new AI button on the remote to access AI features like recognizing food on a screen or AI home security features that analyze video feeds from smart cameras.Microsoft's Copilot will be part of this Vision AI section. In collaboration with Microsoft, Samsung announced the new Smart TVs and Smart Monitors featuring Microsoft Copilot," says Samsung in a press release. This partnership will enable users to explore a wide range of Copilot services, including personalized content recommendations."I asked Samsung for more information or images of Copilot in action, but the company doesn't have anything more to share right now. I've also asked LG and Microsoft for more information about Copilot on TVs and neither company has responded in time for publication. Without any indication of exactly how Copilot works on these TVs, I'm going to chalk this one up as a gimmicky feature that LG, Samsung, and Microsoft clearly aren't ready to demo yet.
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by Wes Davis on (#6TBTJ)
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.
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by Victoria Song on (#6TBS6)
Here's to figuring out whether using retinol is actually worth it for you. | Image: L'Oreal L'Oreal is hoping its latest beauty gadget can demystify skincare. At CES 2025, the company announced Cell BioPrint, a device that's designed to analyze your skin and give personalized advice on how to slow down signs of aging.The device is the result of a partnership with NanoEntek - a Korean startup that specializes in chips that can read biofluids. A person essentially takes a facial tape strip, sticks it on their cheek, and then puts the strip in a buffer solution. That solution is then inserted into a cartridge for the Cell BioPrint to analyze. Once that sample is processed, the device takes images of your face as you answer a few short questions about skin concerns and aging.From there, L'Oreal says it uses proteomics, or the analysis of protein structure and function from a biological sample. In this case, the Cell BioPrint is designed to determine how well your skin is aging. It'll then give personalized advice on how to improve your skin's appearance, as well as predictions of how responsive your skin may be to certain skincare ingredients.It's an attractive claim, but as with most beauty tech, it's difficult to properly evaluate L'Oreal's methods without peer-reviewed studies or experts weighing in. L'Oreal also claims the device can help predict future cosmetic issues before they manifest. For example, it may be able to determine if your skin is prone to hyperpigmentation or enlarged pores. Image: L'Oreal The Cell BioPrint analyzes your skin's proteins to see how well you're aging. Skincare became massively popular during covid-19 lockdowns, sparking a shift in beauty trends toward self-care and the rise of skinfluencers." On the flip side, that virality has since turned skincare buying into an extreme sport. Hop onto TikTok, and you'll find dozens of skinfluencers egging you into dropping $80 on a vial of vitamin C serum, debating the moisturizing properties of glycerin versus hyaluronic acid, or wagging a finger about this or that retinol cream. (Some, may even convince you to buy a wand that zaps your face to increase the efficacy of said ingredients.) It's confusing, expensive, and maddeningly, what works for one person may not for another. The most the average consumer can do is cross their fingers and hope that the latest potion they bought will actually work.The Cell BioPrint's appeal is it claims to use science to cut through that noise. Maybe every skinfluencer says you need to start using retinol when you turn 30, but this device will purportedly tell you based on your own biology whether retinol will actually work for you. Personalization has always been a major theme with CES beauty tech, but it's particularly compelling with skincare, which is highly dependent on your individual biology. But again, right now there's no way to know how reliable the Cell BioPrint's science and recommendations are.L'Oreal says the Cell BioPrint will be easy to use, with the process taking only five minutes. It also says people will be able to repeat tests, enabling them to monitor changes and progress over time. That said, it might be a while before something like Cell BioPrint is available for consumers. L'Oreal says the device will first be piloted in Asia later this year but otherwise didn't have a concrete launch timeline or price.
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by Chris Welch on (#6TBP3)
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:
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by Chris Welch on (#6TBP2)
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
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by David Pierce on (#6TBMZ)
When this is all you have to type with, you need new keyboard ideas. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Typing on a TV sucks. Those long and / or scrambled on-screen keyboards are both a nuisance to use, and a real problem for anyone wanting to make stuff for your TV.At CES 2025, I was just introduced to a better way. It's made by a company called Direction9, which has been working on the system for about a year, and it starts with a very old way of typing: T9. T9 was created by necessity, back in the days when cellphones' only buttons were the number keys. (Here's a demo for the uninitiated.) TVs are similarly constrained by their directional pad - on most set-top boxes and smart TVs there's no other way to type.The Direction9 system works like this: all the letters are arrayed in a three-by-three number grid, with multiple letters assigned to each number, just like T9. When you open the keyboard, your cursor defaults to the middle, and you click around to the letter you're looking for. Every time you click the middle button to select a letter, the cursor jumps back to the center, which means you're always only a click or two from the letter you're looking for. You can use the keyboard a smart" mode, which tries to predict which word you're looking for - click... Read the full story at The Verge.
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6TBKQ)
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.
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6TBKP)
Image: Current Backyard There's a hot new smart pizza oven in town that'll let you cook a 12-inch pizza in your apartment in two minutes. The $599 Current Backyard Model P electric pizza oven works both indoors and out, can customize cook time based on pizza construction, and has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for remote monitoring.And it really is hot for an electric oven - Current Backyard says the Model P has a maximum temperature of 850 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to cook Neapolitan-style pizzas in two minutes. It comes with a 12-inch cordierite cooking stone and features specific modes for broiling and cooking Neapolitan, New York, thin crust, and frozen pizza. The Wi-Fi connection also enables users to step away for a few minutes while continuing to monitor and control the oven with an app. Image: Current Backyard At least two colors are available: silver (pictured) or a darker gray. Current Backyard says the Model P uses a proprietary algorithm to keep heat uniform within the oven and prevent users from needing to turn pizzas while they cook, something that's generally recommended with pizza ovens from competitors like Ooni. The Model P smart app controls also include a Pizza Build Calculator" that works out the optimal cooking time and temperature based on dough thickness and the quantity of sauce, cheese, and other toppings.The Model P Smart Pizza Oven isn't just about making pizza - it's about eliminating limitations," says Current Backyard CEO Tom Penner. Whether you live in an apartment or have a backyard kitchen, this oven adapts to your lifestyle, offering unparalleled convenience, performance, and flavor."
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6TBKN)
Image: Halliday Halliday Glasses have boarded the smart spectacles hype train, featuring proactive" AI assistance and a near-eye display that shows information directly in the user's field of view. Wearable technology startup Halliday says its flagship eyewear will be available sometime after CES. Shipping is expected to start by the end of Q1 2025," and pricing will be set somewhere between $399 and $499 - pricier than display-free competitors like the $299 Meta Ray-Bans and Solos AirGo Vision.Halliday says the DigiWindow" located in the upper right of the frame is the world's smallest and lightest near-eye display module and can display information to the wearer regardless of whether they have perfect eyesight or require vision correction." The display appears as a 3.5-inch screen in the upper-right corner of the user's view with minimal obstruction, according to Halliday, and remains visible in bright sunlight. Image: Halliday The near-eye display is located in the upper-right frame. Checking messages or notes might look a little odd to other people if you need to keep glancing up. The glasses' built-in display works alongside an AI assistant that can anticipate what users need by analyzing conversations, answering questions, and providing additional insights without requiring a prompt. For instance, during a meeting, it can proactively answer complex questions, summarize key discussion points, and generate summarized meeting notes afterward," Halliday said in its announcement.The AI features require the glasses to be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, according to Halliday, but the company hasn't mentioned what AI model it uses or if there are additional costs involved. Features include real-time AI translation in up to 40 languages, live navigation for directions, voice-to-text notes transcription, and the display of synchronized lyrics when listening to music. Users can also discreetly view and reply to messages, create audio memos, and display notes like a teleprompter.The near-eye display is supported on both prescription lenses and if no lens is used at all. The displayed information isn't visible to other people and can be controlled using either voice commands, frame interface controls, or a ring that features a built-in trackpad. Image: Halliday The Halliday Glasses are available in either black or tortoiseshell. Image: Halliday Information about the trackpad ring is limited, but it seems like a neat way to control the display features without messing with the actual glasses. Halliday says the glasses weigh 35 grams (about 1.2 ounces), provide up to eight hours of battery life, and come in two color options: matte black or tortoiseshell. We've asked Halliday for more information about the trackpad ring, such as how / if it's charged and any potential options for color and sizing.
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6TBKM)
The Nexode Desktop Charger 500W can deliver up to 240W of power through a single USB-C port. | Image: Ugreen Ugreen has announced a new version of its Nexode desktop GaN charger, boosting the total power output from 300W to 500W, with up to 240W from a single USB-C port. It features five USB-C ports and a single USB-A port, so you can charge five laptops at the same time without the need for a power strip overstuffed with chonky adapters.Pricing for the Nexode Desktop Charger 500W won't be finalized until it's available sometime in March 2025. Image: Ugreen All six of the desktop charger's USB ports can be used simultaneously. Although it would definitely help simplify your travel charging kit, the Nexode Desktop Charger 500W is a hefty brick designed to sit on your desk, in your workshop, or on a kitchen counter. It's useful anywhere you have multiple power-hungry devices like laptops or handheld gaming devices, and Ugreen says it can even be used to charge power tools or e-bikes.The charger supports USB-PD 3.1 and Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 fast-charging protocols. The top port can deliver up to 240W of power; the other five ports share 260W regardless of what the top port is doing, and none of them can exceed 100W. You can charge a gaming laptop at 240W, plus two more laptops at 100W and one at 60W, or one laptop at 240W and four laptops at 60W, with another device charging at 20W from the USB-A port.Without a screen, this might be another multi-port charger in need of a cheat sheet to keep track of which port to use.
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by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy on (#6TBKK)
SwitchBot's new multitasking robot combines a robot vacuum with an adaptable platform that can support multiple gadgets. | Image: SwitchBot SwitchBot, the company behind the ingenious robot finger that presses buttons for you, just debuted the closest thing yet to a real Rosie the Robot.The SwitchBot Multitasking Household Robot K20 Plus Pro is a version of SwitchBot's mini robot vacuum that attaches to a new FusionPlatform" - a circular device on wheels that fits over the robot and connects to various SwitchBot devices.Once attached via three mechanical claws, the robot pushes the platform around, enabling it to deliver items around your house, act as a security camera using SwitchBot's pan / tilt cam, purify the air with the SwitchBot Air Purifier, or provide spot cooling with its fan. It can even carry your phone or tablet on a selfie stick, and SwitchBot says the platform will be compatible with third-party devices. The company also plans to add more features, including a mechanical arm. Image: SwitchBot The K20 Plus Pro working as an air purifier and pet monitor. The robot can do all of these tasks autonomously using automations set up in the SwitchBot app - such as purifying the air upon entry into a room," or you can control it using the app or with voice commands through Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri Shortcuts.The robot navigates via a map the lidar-equipped device creates, and SwitchBot claims it has centimeter-level accuracy in avoiding obstacles and navigating tight spaces" and moves steadily and effortlessly over everyday barriers."The SwitchBot K20 Plus Pro will be able to maneuver around your home to deliver items or perform functions - such as the air purifying shown in the video.The platform has various power ports, including USB-C, so, in theory, you can plug anything into it - although it has a weight limit of just under 18 pounds (8kg). SwitchBot says the FusionPlatform can work with custom-made attachments, 3D-printed components, and third-party devices with multiple power ports for speakers, car fridges, or even UV sterilization lamps." Image: SwitchBot A breakdown of the FusionPlatform while attached to the K20 Plus Pro robot vacuum. A teaser image the company released shows a larger robot with the addition of a robotic arm, with an asterisk saying, Mechanical arm is still under development." There's also the option of a combo base station for the K20 Plus Pro, which adds a stick vac, allowing you to summon the robot and do a quick touch-up with the handheld vac. If that mechanical arm ever comes to fruition, maybe the robot can take over this chore for you, too. That would get it a lot closer to its Rosie aspirations. Image: SwitchBot SwitchBot released an image that hinted at its plans for the K20 Plus Pro, which includes a mechanical arm. This modular approach seems smart, and while no pricing has been announced, it should keep costs down. Rather than spending years and lots of money developing a humanoid robot to try and mimic human actions, adding mobility to existing devices feels more achievable.In use, it will involve more human interaction - you'll presumably need to remove the air purifier and replace it with the fan when you want to cool off - but it also feels like something people will use in their homes. Without the ability to climb stairs, it'll be fairly limited in my three-story home, but I'm still looking forward to testing it out. Image: SwitchBot The K20 Plus Pro's modular approach makes it capable of doing several things, including air purifying, cooling, vacuuming and home monitoring - some simultaneously. However, you'll have to manually install each device when needed. Switchbot plans to launch the K20 Plus Pro in May or June 2025 in custom bundled kits for all the various functions - bundling the vacuum with a circulating fan to form the K20 Plus Pro Air Flow Kit, or the K20 Plus Pro Combo with the SwitchBot air purifier to make up the K20 Plus Pro Omni Clean Kit, or combining all of the above for the SwitchBot K20 Plus Pro Omni Ultimate Kit.The S20 mopping robot vacuum gets some upgrades that matter Image: SwitchBot The S20 Pro robot vacuum and mop has two new auto-empty base stations: one that can hook into your plumbing to automatically refill the robot and another that uses a refillable water tank. SwitchBot also announced the SwitchBot S20 Pro this week, which is similarly slated to launch in May or June. The successor to the S10, one of our favorite mopping robot vacuums, the S20 adds an extendable roller mop and side brush to help the robot mop and vacuum in harder-to-reach areas such as corners and along walls. The S20 also has 15,000Pa of suction power, up from 6,500Pa on the S10.The SwitchBot S10 was one of the first robot vacuum mops to feature plumbing hookups, enabling hands-free draining and refilling of its onboard water tanks via a compact battery-powered water station. (It has a separate auto-empty charging dock). While the S20 is compatible with the water station, which doesn't need an outlet so it has more versatile placement options, the robot comes with the choice of two all-in-one auto-empty base stations: one with a regular water tank you manually refill or one that can hook into your plumbing. The S20 also works with SwitchBot's Evaporative Humidifier and can be programmed to automatically refill the humidifier when it's out of water. Image: SwitchBot The S20 Pro features the same self-cleaning roller mop found on the S10, but it can now extend the mop from the robot's body to better clean edges and corners. SwitchBot confirmed that the K20 Plus Pro (vacuum portion) and the S20 will support Matter over Wi-Fi, making them compatible with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and any other platform that supports robot vacuums in Matter.
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by Victoria Song on (#6TBKJ)
Mirror, mirror at CES, what's my resting heart rate trend? | Image: Withings Withings is back at CES with another futuristic health tech concept called Omnia. It's a smart mirror that can measure and display your health metrics, offer feedback from an AI voice assistant, and then potentially set you up for a telehealth consultation with a doctor.In a nutshell, Omnia has a base that can measure weight, heart health, and metabolic health. It can also pull in data collected from other trackers like smartwatches, blood pressure monitors, or even a smart bed. Withings says the built-in AI voice assistant will offer real-time feedback and could potentially give motivational pep talks or guidance. In addition to virtual consultations, the company says the mirror could also send data to doctors for review. Image: Withings The interesting thing about Omnia is it cobbles together a bunch of health tech trends into a single device. The most interesting thing about the Omnia concept is how it rolls up a bunch of existing health tech trends into a single package. Connected smart mirrors capable of displaying information, making video calls, and playing sound are not new - all of those components existed in Lululemon's ill-fated Mirror and other copycats. Likewise, smart scales that can measure heart rate, take EKGs, and discern body composition have been around for ages. Meanwhile, AI chatbots embedded in existing health tech was an emerging trend in 2024 - and something well-known players like Oura, Whoop, and Fitbit are tinkering around with.More cynically, you could see this as an ecosystem play - a proof of concept for what a single person could do if they went all in on Withings' myriad gadgets. After all, Withings makes plenty of smartwatches, smart scales, connected blood pressure cuffs, smart thermometers, and even a noninvasive sleep tracker that you stick under a mattress. It's shown up at CES in the past with an at-home urinalysis gadget that you stick in your toilet and scales that can analyze nerve health from your foot. It's also incorporated elements of telemedicine in past launches. Its original FDA-cleared ScanWatch had cardiologists review EKG results.Omnia isn't an actual product for sale yet. Withings says it's currently in development," with no concrete timeline for when it'll actually be available or for how much. Given the company's track record with bringing CES launches to market, there's a good chance it'll be a lengthy wait before Omnia reaches consumers - if it ever does.Withings will give demos at CES 2025, which may help gauge whether Omnia is the real deal or more CES health tech vaporware. But even if Omnia never amounts to anything beyond a concept, it's an indication of where health tech is marching.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TBKH)
SwitchBot's new video doorbell and monitor. | Image: SwitchBot SwitchBot has taken the wraps off a new video doorbell that comes with a monitor you can put inside your home. The 4.3-inch monitor serves as a gateway" for SwitchBot products, as you can use it to see who's at your door, talk to your visitors, and manage your door lock.You can plug the display directly into a power outlet, allowing you to mount it on a wall or prop it up on a table. It features a 100dB chime and connects to SwitchBot's new video doorbell, which offers 2K resolution and color night vision. The doorbell also features a 165-degree wide-angle view, AI motion detection, and an Amazon Alexa integration. You can either purchase a wired option or a battery-powered model that you can juice up with a USB-C charger or a solar panel. Image: SwitchBot The monitor displays the doorbell's video feed, allowing you to see who's at your door. SwitchBot has also revealed an upgrade to its SwitchBot Lock Pro. Like its predecessor, the SwitchBot Lock Ultra is compatible with the company's Matter hub and can fit over existing locks, including deadbolt, mortise, and jimmy-proof locks.Where the Lock Pro has disposable batteries with the option to purchase a rechargeable one, the Lock Ultra comes with a rechargeable battery right out of the box. The Lock Ultra lasts up to nine months on a single charge (or up to 12 months with the extra large" battery option) and has an emergency battery" in case the main battery stops working due to cold temperatures. Image: SwitchBot The SwitchBot Lock Ultra comes with a rechargeable battery that lasts up to nine months. You can unlock the SwitchBot Lock Ultra using 16 different methods, including with your fingerprint, NFC, voice commands via Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, or through the SwitchBot app. It stores up to 100 fingerprints and can recognize them in as fast as 0.3 seconds, according to SwitchBot. The device also supports auto locking, allowing you to lock your door at a specific time.The SwitchBot Lock Ultra, along with the new video doorbell and monitor, is set to arrive toward the end of the first quarter of 2025. There aren't any details on pricing just yet.
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by Victoria Song on (#6TBKG)
The Circular Ring 2 addresses many of my issues with the previous model. | Image: Circular I was not at all impressed with the Circular Ring Slim. It wasn't accurate, it felt like it was made of 3D-printed plastic, syncing took forever, battery life wasn't great, and honestly, we'd be here all day if I listed everything that went wrong during testing. But for CES 2025, the company behind the ring says it's here to redeem itself with the $380 Circular Ring 2.We had some issues, obviously, with the previous ring," says Amaury Kosman, cofounder and CEO of Circular. Mostly electronic, but more than that, we wanted to rebrand the company around two main points. One being accuracy, and the other being a more luxurious, quality-built product."That's immediately apparent looking at the Circular Ring 2's design and specs. For starters, it's no longer plastic. The Ring 2 is now made from titanium in four finishes: gold, silver, rose gold, and black. It also sports an upgraded EKG sensor that allows for FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation detection - a first for this category. Beyond that, the new ring has additional photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors for more precise readings. Kosman says the upgraded sensor array translates to much more accurate health tracking compared to the Slim. (It's a good thing, too; the Slim was sometimes off by 5,000 steps in my testing.)We also took into consideration everything we've learned from what was told to us [by customers]. The biggest things were connectivity issues, battery life, and at the beginning, the ring wasn't entirely waterproof. The Slim tried to correct some of that, but obviously we weren't doing it perfectly," Kosman says, noting that these issues have also been improved in the new ring.As mentioned, syncing was an absolute chore with the Slim - so much so, I often just gave up on engaging with the device. Now, Kosman says, the Circular Ring 2 should have no problems with background syncing. He also assures me that battery life has doubled. In performance mode (where all the tracking features are turned on), users ought to get around four days. In a battery-saving mode, the ring gets up to eight days. Also, instead of a tiny, easily lost USB charger, Circular has switched to a charging dock.Circular's AI chatbot Kira has also been revamped. Previously, it took 14 days to calibrate, took forever to generate dubious advice, and overall was cumbersome to use. With the Ring 2, Kosman says that it'll only take about four days to calibrate and the overall experience will be smoother. Recommendations should also be more accurate and complex thanks to improvements to the algorithm and sensors.Another neat update is that Circular will add digital sizing. Kosman says the company's website will let customers use their smartphone camera to compare the size of their hand to a card-sized object. From there, Kosman says the company will be able to calculate which size ring a person needs for each finger. Smart ring sizing is a huge pain point for the category, and most companies require customers to order a physical sizing kit before they can actually buy the product. Image: Circular This definitely looks nicer than plastic. On paper, it seems like Circular has taken the laundry list of issues with the Slim and ticked them off one by one. To do that, though, some sacrifices had to be made. One of the Slim's unique features was a built-in haptic motor that worked as a silent alarm. In the future, Circular had promised that the motor could also alert you to notifications. Unfortunately, Kosman says the haptic motor had to go to accommodate better health sensors.That said, Kosman isn't giving up on the idea of haptics in smart rings entirely. The goal is to have two product lines - the Circular Ring 2, a more health-focused ring in line with what's currently available on the market, and an upcoming revamp to the existing haptics-capable Circular Ring Slim.The Circular Ring 2 will be priced at $380 and is expected to launch in February or March of 2025. We'll have to see (and test) for ourselves whether Circular can deliver on all these improvements. It's certainly a tall order considering that there's increasing competition in the smart ring space. But if it can, that'd be one hell of a redemption arc.
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6TBJ6)
Targus-owned Hyper introduced the HyperSpace Trackpad Pro, a premium haptic trackpad for Windows, on Sunday. The company plans to add basic compatibility with macOS via a firmware update later this year.Like the Magic Trackpad does on a Mac and other precision trackpads do on Windows laptops, the wireless HyperSpace Trackpad Pro supports multitouch gestures. However, Hyper's trackpad software grants Windows users an advanced level of customizability, with the ability to set up shortcuts in the trackpad's corners. That includes general functions like copying and pasting but also specific actions within apps like Adobe Suite, Figma, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.For instance, users could customize the trackpad's bottom-right corner so clicking on it will add a new slide in PowerPoint. Users can also create and assign their own gestures instead, assigning - in Hyper's example - a two-finger deep click to enter presentation mode in PowerPoint.Hyper also lets users adjust the haptic feedback and pressure sensitivity, tweak the click force, and create customizable sound modes. After they're done, they can share these custom configurations or discover others via the Hyper Learning Cloud" community.The trackpad has other things going for it beyond customizability. Hyper says it has independent force detection for up to 10 fingers as opposed to Apple's four. It also features a 240Hz report rate, which should allow for high responsiveness and extremely smooth tracking. Finally, the trackpad can support multiple devices and comes with detachable magnetic palm rests.The HyperSpace Trackpad Pro will arrive in the second quarter of 2025 and cost $129.99, the same as Apple's Magic Trackpad.
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by Emma Roth on (#6TBJ5)
Image: Govee Govee is launching a new pixel light grid that can display art, animations, and live data. The Gaming Pixel Light lets you upload your own images and GIFs to display or choose from 150 different data sources, letting it provide live updates on the weather, Bitcoin prices, NBA scores, and more.You can also sync the display to games you're playing by hooking it up to Govee's HDMI sync box or play 8-bit tunes that sync to the pixel grid using the built-in speaker. Naturally, there's an AI component as well - an accompanying app can generate new pixel art for you using Govee's AI Lighting Bot." Image: Govee You can generate pixel art with Govee's AI Lighting Bot." The Gaming Pixel Light is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can wall-mount the screen or place it atop a table or desk, making it seem like a neat little addition to a gaming room or office.Along with this pixel light, Govee is announcing the Table Lamp 2 Pro - an LED-packed tabletop lamp with a 2.5-inch JBL speaker that syncs up lighting with your music. The portable device has 210 independently controlled LED beads and 600 lumens of brightness. When it's not synced with your music, you can customize the lighting yourself or choose from 100 preset scenes. Image: Govee The Table Lamp 2 Pro comes with a 2.5-inch JBL speaker. The lamp works with Matter, Google Assistant, and Alexa and comes with a rechargeable battery. You can also link two lamps together for a full stereo surround experience." Govee says it will release the Gaming Pixel Light and the Table Lamp 2 Pro in the second quarter of 2025, but it didn't provide any pricing information.
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by Wes Davis on (#6TBGJ)
Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago on New Year's Eve. | Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images Amazon Prime Video has licensed a documentary about Melania Trump that will be directed by Rush Hour director Brett Ratner, reports Variety. A Prime Video spokesperson told the outlet that the movie will be an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look" at the first lady.The news comes after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had dinner with Donald Trump, who was heavily critical of the company during his first term. It also follows the decision by Bezos and Amazon to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, just as other tech CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook and OpenAI's Sam Altman have done. Prime Video is also set to livestream Trump's inauguration.The film is the first significant Hollywood project that Ratner has taken on since 2017, when several women accused him of sexual misconduct and another of rape, Variety notes. He denied the allegations but parted ways with Warner Bros.Ratner has some notable ties to the Trumps, including a former partnership with Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin. He also filmed 2011's Tower Heist largely on-location at Trump International Hotel & Tower and has reportedly run in Mar-a-Lago social circles since his departure from Hollywood life.Amazon's Melania Trump documentary has already begun filming and the company plans to give it theatrical and streaming releases starting in the second half of this year, Variety writes.
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by Chris Welch on (#6TBGK)
Image: LG At least when it comes to making TVs, LG can seemingly do no wrong. Year after year, the company's OLED sets are at the top of most reviewers' recommendation lists. They've overcome the Achilles' heel of older models - brightness - thanks to clever innovations like Micro Lens Array, which made the G3 and last year's G4 bright enough to make HDR shine in any viewing environment.So it should come as no surprise that LG's 2025 lineup of OLED TVs raises the bar yet again. At the top of the lineup is the M5, which is the latest series to use the company's Zero Connect Box for a wireless link between the TV screen and your gaming consoles, streaming boxes, and other external devices. The M5 will come in 65-, 77-, 83-, and 97-inch sizes. The Zero Connect Box is an impressive trick that, by all accounts, works quite well. This year the wireless connection is apparently even more reliable. But no one really needs that. So I tend to view the G-series as LG's more practical flagship for consumers.Lucky for us TV nerds, the G5 is (somehow) getting even brighter. LG says its latest Brightness Booster Ultimate technology enhances light control architecture and light-boosting algorithms to achieve brightness three times higher than conventional OLED models." (For context, that comparison is being made with OLEDs that don't include the Micro Lens Array tech found in the M5 and G5.) LG is also pushing the refresh rate on its premium G5 all the way up to 165Hz, which it claims is an industry first, offering a new level of smooth gameplay for the PC crowd. You'll be able to get the G5 in sizes ranging from 55 inches up to 83 inches. There are also 48-inch and 97-inch models, but those won't deliver the same peak brightness. Image: LG The two highest-end models feature LG's latest Alpha 11 Gen 2 processor, which improves image processing and upscaling to make lower-bitrate content look as good as possible on these 4K screens. LG says a lot of those processing tricks are also trickling down to the more mainstream C5. With so many people watching internet TV services and other streaming content these days, that magic sauce can make a noticeable difference. Sony's known for being the best in the game at this, but LG has made big strides in recent years.Goodbye inputs button, hello endless AI featuresThis year's Magic Remote no longer has a dedicated inputs button. In what might prove to be a controversial decision, LG is making the Home Hub button pull double duty: you can press it to reach the Home Hub dashboard of webOS or hold down the button to pull up your list of inputs. That's not the end of the world, but it's still another thing to remember for a fundamental TV interaction.And then comes the avalanche of AI features. The usual AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro optimization modes are present. The C5 series is getting the same virtualized 11.1.2-channel surround sound that debuted in the G4 last year. LG is also expanding on the picture wizard it introduced two years ago, where viewers pick from a series of images to land on their ideal image settings, with a similar process for audio.How much AI is too much for a TV?But this year, the AI focus is much, much bigger than that. LG has new LG AI" branding - that's what the mic button now activates. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I call it the Magic Remote before? The remote has been rebranded as the AI Remote. And there's a whole damn LLM chatbot built into these TVs. Hell, even Microsoft's Copilot is being thrown in.The risk LG faces here is getting in the way and pushing this stuff on customers too aggressively. The company's OLEDs are some of the very best TVs on the market. They offer brilliant visuals with every feature home theater enthusiasts want. In 2025, that includes an enhanced Filmmaker Mode that takes your room's ambient lighting into account and adjusts picture settings accordingly - all the while making sure to maintain the filmmaker's original intent."For its part, LG claims the latest webOS homescreen is faster and easier to use. And the company has vowed to keep software updates coming over the next five years, much like our smartphones gain new features over time.Still, at this stage, I find myself putting up with webOS and spending the bulk of my usage time in a different interface - whether that's Apple TV, Google TV, or something else. I'm hopeful that LG's mega push into AI won't be too heavy-handed, but we'll have to see how it all comes together once the 2025 TV lineup starts shipping this spring. If customers find their usual flows getting interrupted by AI gimmicks, there might be some complaints.We'll have a much better idea of how LG AI fits into these superb TVs - and whether it ultimately detracts from them - when the M5, G5, C5, and B5 OLEDs hit stores in a few months. By then, we'll know how much they'll cost, too.
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