Use this thread for news, announcements and discussions of the event as it unfolds.
More info: https://www.ces.tech/
CES 2026
CES 2026
CES 2026 – the Consumer Electronics Show – takes place in Las Vegas from 6th-9th January 2026, showcasing the latest innovations in consumer tech, AI, robotics, mobility, digital health and more.
Use this thread for news, announcements and discussions of the event as it unfolds.
More info: https://www.ces.tech/
Use this thread for news, announcements and discussions of the event as it unfolds.
More info: https://www.ces.tech/
Re: CES 2026
LG unveils the world's thinnest True Wireless OLED TV at CES 2026
Jan 5, 2026
LG is kicking off CES 2026 with something undeniably impressive, the Wallpaper TV, a paper-thin OLED TV that was first released in 2017, but is now back six years later with the new and improved W6.
LG fired off a press release that explained the company has reengineered the internal architecture of the Wallpaper TV, beginning with the lengthy process of reducing the size of components down to miniature levels. By successfully shrinking internal components, LG was able to reduce the width of the display to just 9mm, making the Wallpaper TV the world's thinnest True Wireless OLED TV.
LG explains the existence of the Wallpaper TV is to prove that thin silhouette design doesn't require a sacrifice in the viewing experience. Paired with its thin design is the integration of Brightness Booster Ultra, which LG writes is capable of achieving luminance levels up to 3.9 times brighter than typical OLED panels. Powering this impressive TV is the new Alpha 11 AI processor Gen 3, which features a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that is 5.6 times more powerful than LG evo TVs released last year.
https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109526/l ... index.html
Credit: LG
Jan 5, 2026
LG is kicking off CES 2026 with something undeniably impressive, the Wallpaper TV, a paper-thin OLED TV that was first released in 2017, but is now back six years later with the new and improved W6.
LG fired off a press release that explained the company has reengineered the internal architecture of the Wallpaper TV, beginning with the lengthy process of reducing the size of components down to miniature levels. By successfully shrinking internal components, LG was able to reduce the width of the display to just 9mm, making the Wallpaper TV the world's thinnest True Wireless OLED TV.
LG explains the existence of the Wallpaper TV is to prove that thin silhouette design doesn't require a sacrifice in the viewing experience. Paired with its thin design is the integration of Brightness Booster Ultra, which LG writes is capable of achieving luminance levels up to 3.9 times brighter than typical OLED panels. Powering this impressive TV is the new Alpha 11 AI processor Gen 3, which features a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that is 5.6 times more powerful than LG evo TVs released last year.
https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109526/l ... index.html
Credit: LG
Re: CES 2026
Love this guerrilla style of video way more than the scripted stuff
And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
Re: CES 2026
This funky thing isn't a robot or a lighting fixture. It's a new design for a vertical axis wind turbine that's ultra-efficient; it can spin in wind speeds as low as 5.5 mph and still generate power. GeoWind, the Korean company that makes it, has been scooping up design and innovation awards for the product. It certainly is clever! The icosahedron frame is designed to be both modular and foldable, so it packs down and works as a portable electricity generator, and it's easy to scale up as your power needs grow. Also, unlike a lot of wind turbines, it's relatively quiet: 45 dB is about as noisy as it gets, making it an attractive clean energy option for city folk
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
Ultrahuman's Blood Panels Are Now Free, Free!
I met Ultrahuman's chief business officer, Bhuvan Srinivasan, this morning and he had a lot of interesting things to say about smart rings and the wellness space in general. But I have been remiss in not testing Ultrahuman's blood panels alongside Whoop's and Oura's. Ultrahuman just announced this week that you can now sign up for free Blood Vision tests, which is what Ultrahuman calls its own blood panels. Blood Vision tests for 34 biomarkers, which is very decent considering that my own blood panels through my doctor only tested for 20.
The biomarkers include fasting insulin. Srinivasan notes that this biomarker can detect diabetes more quickly than fasting glucose, which is what pretty much every other blood panel tests. Of course, you can only do this is you already have an Ultrahuman smart ring, since it's still currently banned from importing rings to the United States because of an Oura patent infringement suit. I'm going to sign up for my free test when I get home. More on this later!
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
Lego's New Digital Brain
Lego today announced a new Smart Play Brick, a standard size Lego brick housing sensors and a custom chip running bespoke firmware. The digital brick connects to new Smart Tags and newly enhanced Smart Minifigs to add sound effects, lighting effects, and other interactive elements to Lego sets.
The new tech is debuting in some Star Wars sets this spring. Here are the details:
Re: CES 2026
Amazon brings its own art gallery-ready TV to CES
Following in the footsteps of Samsung and LG, Amazon is unleashing a new smart TV that can double as a digital frame for works of art.
The so-called “lifestyle” TV is a fast-growing category in the smart TV market, particularly those that can mimic works of art when they’re otherwise not in use. Samsung kicked off the lifestyle TV with The Frame, followed by LG and its new Gallery TV and Wallpaper TV, and now Amazon is entering the fray with its latest Fire TV-enabled set.
Taking the spotlight at CES just as LG’s Gallery TV and Wallpaper TV make their debut in Las Vegas, the Amazon Ember Artline is a 1.5-inch thick 4K QLED TV with such typical bells and whistles as Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, along with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. But like Samsung’s and LG’s fine art-oriented TVs, the Ember Artline is designed to look good even when you’re not actively watching it.
Slated to go on sale this spring starting at $899 in 55- and 65-inch sizes, the Ember Artline comes with a matte screen designed to cut down on glare, ideal for making artwork (a collection or roughly 2,000 works of art will be available for free via Amazon Photos) and digital snapshots displayed on the TV look more lifelike. You’ll also get your pick from one of 10 snap-on magnetic frames, available in colors ranging from walnut and ash to teak and black oak.
Just how lifelike they’ll look is a key question; I haven’t seen either the Ember Artline or LG’s Gallery TV in person yet, but I have seen Samsung’s The Frame models, and they look startlingly real when they’re displaying paintings. During one demo, I had to reach out and touch the screen to be sure.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3022017 ... o-ces.html
Following in the footsteps of Samsung and LG, Amazon is unleashing a new smart TV that can double as a digital frame for works of art.
The so-called “lifestyle” TV is a fast-growing category in the smart TV market, particularly those that can mimic works of art when they’re otherwise not in use. Samsung kicked off the lifestyle TV with The Frame, followed by LG and its new Gallery TV and Wallpaper TV, and now Amazon is entering the fray with its latest Fire TV-enabled set.
Taking the spotlight at CES just as LG’s Gallery TV and Wallpaper TV make their debut in Las Vegas, the Amazon Ember Artline is a 1.5-inch thick 4K QLED TV with such typical bells and whistles as Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, along with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. But like Samsung’s and LG’s fine art-oriented TVs, the Ember Artline is designed to look good even when you’re not actively watching it.
Slated to go on sale this spring starting at $899 in 55- and 65-inch sizes, the Ember Artline comes with a matte screen designed to cut down on glare, ideal for making artwork (a collection or roughly 2,000 works of art will be available for free via Amazon Photos) and digital snapshots displayed on the TV look more lifelike. You’ll also get your pick from one of 10 snap-on magnetic frames, available in colors ranging from walnut and ash to teak and black oak.
Just how lifelike they’ll look is a key question; I haven’t seen either the Ember Artline or LG’s Gallery TV in person yet, but I have seen Samsung’s The Frame models, and they look startlingly real when they’re displaying paintings. During one demo, I had to reach out and touch the screen to be sure.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3022017 ... o-ces.html
Re: CES 2026
Boston Dynamics announces production-ready version of Atlas robot at CES 2026
After years of testing its humanoid robot (and forcing it to dance), Boston Dynamics' Atlas is entering production. The robotics company says the final product version of the robot is being built now, and the first companies that will receive deployments are Hyundai, Boston Dynamics' majority shareholder, and Google DeepMind, the firm's newly minted AI partner.
This final enterprise version of Atlas "can perform a wide array of industrial tasks," according to Boston Dynamics, and is specifically designed with consistency and reliability in mind. Atlas can work autonomously, via a teleoperator or with "a tablet steering interface," and the robot is both strong and durable. Boston Dynamics says Atlas has a reach of up to 7.5 feet, the ability to lift 110 pounds and can operate at temperatures ranging from minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "This is the best robot we have ever built," Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said in the Atlas announcement. "Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children."
Boston Dynamics has been publicly demoing its work on humanoid robots since at least 2011, when it first debuted Atlas as a DARPA project. Since then, the robot has gone through multiple prototypes and revisions, most notably switching from a hydraulic design to an all-electric design in 2024. Later that year, Boston Dynamics demonstrated the robot's ability to manipulate car parts, which appears to be one of the first ways Atlas will be put to work.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/b ... r-AA1TDtQD
After years of testing its humanoid robot (and forcing it to dance), Boston Dynamics' Atlas is entering production. The robotics company says the final product version of the robot is being built now, and the first companies that will receive deployments are Hyundai, Boston Dynamics' majority shareholder, and Google DeepMind, the firm's newly minted AI partner.
This final enterprise version of Atlas "can perform a wide array of industrial tasks," according to Boston Dynamics, and is specifically designed with consistency and reliability in mind. Atlas can work autonomously, via a teleoperator or with "a tablet steering interface," and the robot is both strong and durable. Boston Dynamics says Atlas has a reach of up to 7.5 feet, the ability to lift 110 pounds and can operate at temperatures ranging from minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "This is the best robot we have ever built," Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said in the Atlas announcement. "Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children."
Boston Dynamics has been publicly demoing its work on humanoid robots since at least 2011, when it first debuted Atlas as a DARPA project. Since then, the robot has gone through multiple prototypes and revisions, most notably switching from a hydraulic design to an all-electric design in 2024. Later that year, Boston Dynamics demonstrated the robot's ability to manipulate car parts, which appears to be one of the first ways Atlas will be put to work.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/b ... r-AA1TDtQD
Re: CES 2026
I was lured in by the killer ’80s retro vibes, but found myself ensnared by the sheer variety of buttons to poke and programs to try. You can even make your own wallpaper in a browser by connecting the Cyber Fidget to a computer! It’s satisfyingly chunky, and grown up nerds (like yours truly) can tinker with the code in this puppy too.
The Cyber Fidget website describes it as “A pocket-sized, machined-aluminum gadget you can fidget with and program. Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, OLED display, LEDs, speaker, mic, slider, buttons, and micro‑SD — built on ESP32.” That means it’s “open and hackable.” Woo!
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
The Dephy Sidekick straps onto your legs and claims to provide a boost to your walking efficiency, easing the strain on your overused calves. Dubbed the world’s first ankle wearable, Dephy says the Sidekick “is lightweight, intuitive, and designed to help you move farther, faster, and with less effort.” And it kinda makes you look like Robocop from the knee down!
Fortunately, Lifehacker’s Beth Skwarecki (who writes awesome fitness and health articles) had a pair strapped on when I visited the booth, so you can see how it looks IRL. They’re chonky, but like the Cyber Fidget, in a good way — kinda like gunslinger holsters for your calves.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
The Cyber Fidget website describes it as “A pocket-sized, machined-aluminum gadget you can fidget with and program. Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, OLED display, LEDs, speaker, mic, slider, buttons, and micro‑SD — built on ESP32.” That means it’s “open and hackable.” Woo!
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
The Dephy Sidekick straps onto your legs and claims to provide a boost to your walking efficiency, easing the strain on your overused calves. Dubbed the world’s first ankle wearable, Dephy says the Sidekick “is lightweight, intuitive, and designed to help you move farther, faster, and with less effort.” And it kinda makes you look like Robocop from the knee down!
Fortunately, Lifehacker’s Beth Skwarecki (who writes awesome fitness and health articles) had a pair strapped on when I visited the booth, so you can see how it looks IRL. They’re chonky, but like the Cyber Fidget, in a good way — kinda like gunslinger holsters for your calves.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Re: CES 2026
MSI Pro Max, gaming power for grown-ups
MSI’s new Pro Max series aims to give you options for powerful hardware, without the gamer aesthetics. All-white PC components, pre-built desktops, and monitors have advanced specs with enough power for gaming, but with a look that’s a little more button-down. That 27-inch monitor is a 4K OLED with 120Hz of refresh, and the larger desktop can be configured with an RTX 5070 Ti. — Michael Crider
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Samsung's Galaxy Book 6 has Panther Lake and lasts for DAYS
I’m sorry WHAT?! With a “tuned” version of Intel’s new “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 processors inside, Samsung claims its new Galaxy Book 6 can achieve up to 30 hours of battery life.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
MSI’s new Pro Max series aims to give you options for powerful hardware, without the gamer aesthetics. All-white PC components, pre-built desktops, and monitors have advanced specs with enough power for gaming, but with a look that’s a little more button-down. That 27-inch monitor is a 4K OLED with 120Hz of refresh, and the larger desktop can be configured with an RTX 5070 Ti. — Michael Crider
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Samsung's Galaxy Book 6 has Panther Lake and lasts for DAYS
I’m sorry WHAT?! With a “tuned” version of Intel’s new “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 processors inside, Samsung claims its new Galaxy Book 6 can achieve up to 30 hours of battery life.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Re: CES 2026
Tonight, AMD unveiled the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and new “Strix Halo” AI Max processors for desktops, a new AI max mini PC reference design for developers dubbed Ryzen AI Halo, and new Ryzen AI 400 chips for laptops and desktops alike. Whew!
Not to be outdone, Nvidia swooped in shortly after. No, we didn’t see the launch of RTX 50 series “Super” variants, but don’t be disappointed. Nvidia’s upgraded DLSS 4.5 tech helps midrange GPUs max out high-end 4K monitors with a new “Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation” mode that inserts up to six AI-generated frames between GPU-rendered frames to maximize visual smoothness up to and beyond 240Hz, and image quality enhancements for all RTX cards. And say goodbye to blurry graphics: Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar monitors aim to perfect motion clarity in high-speed 1440p gaming monitors. Yes please! — Brad Chacos
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Not to be outdone, Nvidia swooped in shortly after. No, we didn’t see the launch of RTX 50 series “Super” variants, but don’t be disappointed. Nvidia’s upgraded DLSS 4.5 tech helps midrange GPUs max out high-end 4K monitors with a new “Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation” mode that inserts up to six AI-generated frames between GPU-rendered frames to maximize visual smoothness up to and beyond 240Hz, and image quality enhancements for all RTX cards. And say goodbye to blurry graphics: Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar monitors aim to perfect motion clarity in high-speed 1440p gaming monitors. Yes please! — Brad Chacos
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
Re: CES 2026
Lego doesn’t regularly exhibit at CES, but at this year’s show it announced its new Smart Play platform that’s debuting in three new Star Wars building sets in March. The platform relies on a new 2x4 Lego Smart Brick featuring interactive LED lighting, wireless connectivity, a speaker, microphone, and various sensors that can detect light, movements, tilting, and gestures. The Smart Brick works alongside NFC-equipped smart tags (Lego tile pieces) and minifigures to enable new interactive play opportunities. You can use the Smart Brick to trigger crash sounds when a Lego race car flips over, for example, or start playing The Imperial March when the new Emperor Palpatine figure is placed on his throne.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Amazon is jumping on the art TV bandwagon with its new 4K edge-lit LED Ember Artline TV. Available this spring in 55 to 65-inch sizes starting at $899, the TV has a matte finish to make photos and artwork look less like a screen and more like artwork hanging on your wall. Amazon is giving customers their choice of ten different frame styles to help match their room, while the TV can provide personalized recommendations for artwork that will best match the decor based on photos of the room where it’s installed.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
LG’s CLOiD is a home robot that can potentially do more than just clean your floors. The robot features a pair of articulated arms with seven degrees of motion mounted to a mobile base with a torso that can tilt and bend. LG says CLOiD can perform household tasks like folding and stacking laundry, putting food in the oven, or fetching something from your fridge. Can it do that faster or more reliably than you can? That remains to be seen, but CLOiD could be even more useful as a mobile smart home hub you can converse with as it follows you around the house
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Amazon is jumping on the art TV bandwagon with its new 4K edge-lit LED Ember Artline TV. Available this spring in 55 to 65-inch sizes starting at $899, the TV has a matte finish to make photos and artwork look less like a screen and more like artwork hanging on your wall. Amazon is giving customers their choice of ten different frame styles to help match their room, while the TV can provide personalized recommendations for artwork that will best match the decor based on photos of the room where it’s installed.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
LG’s CLOiD is a home robot that can potentially do more than just clean your floors. The robot features a pair of articulated arms with seven degrees of motion mounted to a mobile base with a torso that can tilt and bend. LG says CLOiD can perform household tasks like folding and stacking laundry, putting food in the oven, or fetching something from your fridge. Can it do that faster or more reliably than you can? That remains to be seen, but CLOiD could be even more useful as a mobile smart home hub you can converse with as it follows you around the house
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Re: CES 2026
Samsung’s Family Hub smart fridges aren’t new, but the company will soon be introducing a new feature for added convenience: voice-activated door opening and closing. When your hands are full of groceries, or are dirty while you’re whipping up a meal, you’ll be able to ask Bixby to “Shut the fridge door,” or “Open the door,” and it will open over 90 degrees giving you full access. If your mouth is full of food and you can’t properly articulate what you want, the door can also be opened or closed using a tap of your palm or the back of your hand.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Acer announced several new laptops at CES 2026 but the standout is its Swift 16 AI featuring what the company claims is the world’s largest haptic trackpad. It will give your fingers a good workout as they slide back and forth across its wide expanse, but the laptop includes a stylus turning the trackpad into a tablet for sketching or annotating documents. The Swift 16 AI will be available with Intel Panther Lake chips (up to the Core Ultra X9 388H), plenty of ports, and an optional OLED display when it launches in Q1 2026.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Acer announced several new laptops at CES 2026 but the standout is its Swift 16 AI featuring what the company claims is the world’s largest haptic trackpad. It will give your fingers a good workout as they slide back and forth across its wide expanse, but the laptop includes a stylus turning the trackpad into a tablet for sketching or annotating documents. The Swift 16 AI will be available with Intel Panther Lake chips (up to the Core Ultra X9 388H), plenty of ports, and an optional OLED display when it launches in Q1 2026.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854159/ce ... smart-home
Re: CES 2026
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo
ASUS brought its dual-screen design into the gaming space at CES 2026 with the ROG Zephyrus Duo, a laptop that pairs two full-size 16-inch displays with high-end gaming hardware. Unlike productivity-focused dual-screen systems, the Zephyrus Duo is positioned as a hybrid machine designed to handle gaming, content creation and multitasking in a single portable setup.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGyfK
MSI Stealth 16 AI+
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGyfK
MSI updated its Stealth lineup at CES 2026 with the Stealth 16 AI+, a gaming laptop designed to balance performance and portability. The system measures just 16.6mm thick, weighs under two kilograms and is equipped with NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics alongside Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors.
Despite its slim profile, the Stealth 16 AI+ includes dual memory slots and dual SSD bays, giving it more upgrade flexibility than many thin gaming laptops. MSI is positioning it as a versatile machine for users who want gaming performance without the bulk typically associated with high-end hardware.
ASUS brought its dual-screen design into the gaming space at CES 2026 with the ROG Zephyrus Duo, a laptop that pairs two full-size 16-inch displays with high-end gaming hardware. Unlike productivity-focused dual-screen systems, the Zephyrus Duo is positioned as a hybrid machine designed to handle gaming, content creation and multitasking in a single portable setup.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGyfK
MSI Stealth 16 AI+
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGyfK
MSI updated its Stealth lineup at CES 2026 with the Stealth 16 AI+, a gaming laptop designed to balance performance and portability. The system measures just 16.6mm thick, weighs under two kilograms and is equipped with NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics alongside Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors.
Despite its slim profile, the Stealth 16 AI+ includes dual memory slots and dual SSD bays, giving it more upgrade flexibility than many thin gaming laptops. MSI is positioning it as a versatile machine for users who want gaming performance without the bulk typically associated with high-end hardware.
Re: CES 2026
Razer just revealed a desktop AI waifu hologram that coaches you while gaming
An AI gaming coach, now with eye contact
Razer has continued its tradition of unveiling weird and (occasionally) wonderful products at CES with an AI waifu gaming-coach hologram. The device is an expansion of its Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot from last year – it can now take the holographic form of a 5.5-inch woman called Kira or a muscular tattooed man called Zane.
We've seen several AI game coaches over the last 12 months. Project Ava was a concept Razer unveiled at CES 2025, when it called the AI an eSports coach. One year later, Ava has a more physical form.
The device is an almost Resident Evil-style glass container. Instead of holding a mosterous virus, it creates a tiny holographic display.
While the avatars will initially be limited to the thigh-high-stockings-wearing Kira and the snake-tattoo covered Zane, Razer said it plans to add more characters later, including eSports star Faker and a glowing orb of light.
Razer says these avatars have natural movements, eye-tracking, facial expressions, and lip syncing.
The device also has a built-in HD camera and a far-field microphone. Meanwhile, the PC Vision Mode allows the avatars to look at you and the screen.
https://www.techspot.com/news/110825-ra ... s-you.html
An AI gaming coach, now with eye contact
Razer has continued its tradition of unveiling weird and (occasionally) wonderful products at CES with an AI waifu gaming-coach hologram. The device is an expansion of its Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot from last year – it can now take the holographic form of a 5.5-inch woman called Kira or a muscular tattooed man called Zane.
We've seen several AI game coaches over the last 12 months. Project Ava was a concept Razer unveiled at CES 2025, when it called the AI an eSports coach. One year later, Ava has a more physical form.
The device is an almost Resident Evil-style glass container. Instead of holding a mosterous virus, it creates a tiny holographic display.
While the avatars will initially be limited to the thigh-high-stockings-wearing Kira and the snake-tattoo covered Zane, Razer said it plans to add more characters later, including eSports star Faker and a glowing orb of light.
Razer says these avatars have natural movements, eye-tracking, facial expressions, and lip syncing.
The device also has a built-in HD camera and a far-field microphone. Meanwhile, the PC Vision Mode allows the avatars to look at you and the screen.
https://www.techspot.com/news/110825-ra ... s-you.html
Re: CES 2026
Lego unveils tech-filled Smart Bricks - to play experts' dismay
1 hour ago
Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks - tech-filled versions of its small building blocks - which it says will bring sets to life with sound, light and reaction to movement.
However, the new product range is causing unease among play experts, who say it risks undermining what makes Lego special for children in an increasingly digital world.
Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, the Danish toymaker's Smart Play system introduces new electronic components to the classic plastic blocks.
Lego says its new tech-enabled products, launching in March with a new Star Wars set, are its "most revolutionary innovation" in nearly 50 years.
But Josh Golin, executive director of children's wellbeing group Fairplay, believes Smart Bricks "undermine what was once great about Legos" - harnessing children's own imagination during play.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmlnmnwzk2o
1 hour ago
Lego has unveiled Smart Bricks - tech-filled versions of its small building blocks - which it says will bring sets to life with sound, light and reaction to movement.
However, the new product range is causing unease among play experts, who say it risks undermining what makes Lego special for children in an increasingly digital world.
Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, the Danish toymaker's Smart Play system introduces new electronic components to the classic plastic blocks.
Lego says its new tech-enabled products, launching in March with a new Star Wars set, are its "most revolutionary innovation" in nearly 50 years.
But Josh Golin, executive director of children's wellbeing group Fairplay, believes Smart Bricks "undermine what was once great about Legos" - harnessing children's own imagination during play.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmlnmnwzk2o
Re: CES 2026
Autonomous driving solutions
Nvidia is racing against Tesla and Waymo to build technology that will allow cars to fully drive themselves without human assistance, and it may now have the edge. Alpamayo, a newly announced portfolio of AI models, simulation blueprints, and datasets, can give vehicles level 4 autonomy — allowing them to fully drive themselves under specific conditions. “Not only does it take sensor input and activates steering wheel, brakes, and acceleration, it also reasons about what action it is about to take,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during the presentation.
The first passenger car that will be available with this tech is the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, with AI-assisted driving features coming to the US this year. Nvidia’s answer to Full Self-Driving is impressive, according to my colleague Andrew J. Hawkins, who took it for a test-drive, and says that Tesla should be concerned.
DLSS 4.5 is here
The next major update to Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) feature is now available for all RTX GPUs, providing improvements to image quality and fewer artifacts compared to DLSS 4. This DLSS 4.5 update includes Nvidia’s second-generation Super Resolution transformer model and is supported across more than 400 games and apps via Nvidia’s app.
This is the technology that allows supported games to be played at higher resolutions without compromising frame rates, a valuable feature for PC gamers with older Nvidia RTX graphics cards in their systems. Those with newer GPUs will see greater benefits from DLSS 4.5, however: it will run faster on RTX 40- and 50-series cards and provides a 6x Multi Frame Generation mode for RTX 50-series GPUs that generates up to five additional frames for every frame rendered.
GeForce Now is coming to Linux and Fire TV
Nvidia is planning to launch native GeForce Now apps for Linux and Amazon’s Fire TV devices in the coming months, giving more people who may not have adequate gaming hardware access to the cloud streaming service. The first beta will be available for the Ubuntu 24.04 Linux distro, before expanding to additional distributions in the coming weeks. A GeForce Now app for Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and 4K Max is expected to launch early this year. Nvidia is also introducing full flight control support for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in GeForce Now, allowing joysticks and yokes from Thrustmaster and Logitech to work on the cloud gaming service.
New G-Sync monitors
A new set of G-Sync Pulsar monitors is launching on January 7th that use a built-in light sensor to automatically adjust brightness and color based on your room lighting. Each model is a 27-inch IPS display running at 1440p and up to 360Hz refresh rate, with prices starting at $599.
“In bright daylight conditions, it increases brightness and shifts to a color that’s cooler in temperature,” says Michael McSorley, product marketing manager at Nvidia, in a briefing with The Verge. “At night, or in darker rooms, it reduces brightness and uses warmer tones to minimize glare and eyestrain.”
https://www.theverge.com/tech/856439/nv ... ts-roundup
Nvidia is racing against Tesla and Waymo to build technology that will allow cars to fully drive themselves without human assistance, and it may now have the edge. Alpamayo, a newly announced portfolio of AI models, simulation blueprints, and datasets, can give vehicles level 4 autonomy — allowing them to fully drive themselves under specific conditions. “Not only does it take sensor input and activates steering wheel, brakes, and acceleration, it also reasons about what action it is about to take,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during the presentation.
The first passenger car that will be available with this tech is the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, with AI-assisted driving features coming to the US this year. Nvidia’s answer to Full Self-Driving is impressive, according to my colleague Andrew J. Hawkins, who took it for a test-drive, and says that Tesla should be concerned.
DLSS 4.5 is here
The next major update to Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) feature is now available for all RTX GPUs, providing improvements to image quality and fewer artifacts compared to DLSS 4. This DLSS 4.5 update includes Nvidia’s second-generation Super Resolution transformer model and is supported across more than 400 games and apps via Nvidia’s app.
This is the technology that allows supported games to be played at higher resolutions without compromising frame rates, a valuable feature for PC gamers with older Nvidia RTX graphics cards in their systems. Those with newer GPUs will see greater benefits from DLSS 4.5, however: it will run faster on RTX 40- and 50-series cards and provides a 6x Multi Frame Generation mode for RTX 50-series GPUs that generates up to five additional frames for every frame rendered.
GeForce Now is coming to Linux and Fire TV
Nvidia is planning to launch native GeForce Now apps for Linux and Amazon’s Fire TV devices in the coming months, giving more people who may not have adequate gaming hardware access to the cloud streaming service. The first beta will be available for the Ubuntu 24.04 Linux distro, before expanding to additional distributions in the coming weeks. A GeForce Now app for Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and 4K Max is expected to launch early this year. Nvidia is also introducing full flight control support for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in GeForce Now, allowing joysticks and yokes from Thrustmaster and Logitech to work on the cloud gaming service.
New G-Sync monitors
A new set of G-Sync Pulsar monitors is launching on January 7th that use a built-in light sensor to automatically adjust brightness and color based on your room lighting. Each model is a 27-inch IPS display running at 1440p and up to 360Hz refresh rate, with prices starting at $599.
“In bright daylight conditions, it increases brightness and shifts to a color that’s cooler in temperature,” says Michael McSorley, product marketing manager at Nvidia, in a briefing with The Verge. “At night, or in darker rooms, it reduces brightness and uses warmer tones to minimize glare and eyestrain.”
https://www.theverge.com/tech/856439/nv ... ts-roundup
Re: CES 2026
Dell unveils a massive 52-inch 6K ultrawide monitor at CES 2026
Dell has unveiled an ultrawide, curved 52-inch 6K monitor at CES 2026. This productivity behemoth is designed for stock traders, engineers and other data professionals. Dell claims the UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is the world's first 52-inch ultrawide curved 6K monitor (but with that many qualifiers almost anything can be a world first).
Given Dell’s experience in the monitor realm, this could be a dream display for professionals who handle vast data sets such as trading platforms, AutoCAD, 3D rendering software, spreadsheets and more. It sports a 120Hz refresh rate on an IPS Black panel and emits up to 60 percent less blue light when compared to competing monitors. It delivers an impressive 129 ppi (for comparison a 4K 32-inch monitor delivers 138 ppi) and an ambient light sensor helps avoid eye strain during long work sessions.
Users can connect up to four PCs to the monitor simultaneously, which can use picture-by-picture to treat each partitioned screen as an individual monitor. It also features built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) features that let users control all connected PCs via a single mouse and keyboard. The monitor can also charge your laptop with up to 140W of power via a Thunderbolt 4 connection.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGfr0
Dell has unveiled an ultrawide, curved 52-inch 6K monitor at CES 2026. This productivity behemoth is designed for stock traders, engineers and other data professionals. Dell claims the UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is the world's first 52-inch ultrawide curved 6K monitor (but with that many qualifiers almost anything can be a world first).
Given Dell’s experience in the monitor realm, this could be a dream display for professionals who handle vast data sets such as trading platforms, AutoCAD, 3D rendering software, spreadsheets and more. It sports a 120Hz refresh rate on an IPS Black panel and emits up to 60 percent less blue light when compared to competing monitors. It delivers an impressive 129 ppi (for comparison a 4K 32-inch monitor delivers 138 ppi) and an ambient light sensor helps avoid eye strain during long work sessions.
Users can connect up to four PCs to the monitor simultaneously, which can use picture-by-picture to treat each partitioned screen as an individual monitor. It also features built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) features that let users control all connected PCs via a single mouse and keyboard. The monitor can also charge your laptop with up to 140W of power via a Thunderbolt 4 connection.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/ha ... r-AA1TGfr0
Re: CES 2026
company, Lenovo never fails to make a splash at CES, regardless of whether the experimental products are actually practical to use.
This year, the company has not one but two laptops with rollable OLED screens, one of which is a gaming laptop that can expand its display horizontally, adding an extra eight inches of screen real estate—all with the press of just a single key.
You never knew you needed a screen that could do that, but it's exactly the kind of oddball tech CES is all about.
The first rollable experiment this year is the most daring, the Legion Pro Rollable Concept. It’s a 16-inch gaming laptop with a screen that can expand horizontally to a 21.5-inch “Tactical” mode, or all the way up to a 24-inch “Arena” mode. Let’s be real: a screen much wider than the laptop housing it looks wacky. And it requires the laptop lid to be comically thick.
https://www.wired.com/story/lenovo-legi ... le-screen/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sjNx2Fll7M
—————-
Lenovo has also announced the ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept, which iterates on its previous rollable design that expands the screen vertically. It still starts with smaller OLED display (this time a 13.3-inch screen) and can be expanded up to 16 inches with one keystroke. This is an even more dramatic transformation than last year's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, which starts at a 14-inch size before growing.
https://www.wired.com/story/lenovo-legi ... le-screen/
This year, the company has not one but two laptops with rollable OLED screens, one of which is a gaming laptop that can expand its display horizontally, adding an extra eight inches of screen real estate—all with the press of just a single key.
You never knew you needed a screen that could do that, but it's exactly the kind of oddball tech CES is all about.
The first rollable experiment this year is the most daring, the Legion Pro Rollable Concept. It’s a 16-inch gaming laptop with a screen that can expand horizontally to a 21.5-inch “Tactical” mode, or all the way up to a 24-inch “Arena” mode. Let’s be real: a screen much wider than the laptop housing it looks wacky. And it requires the laptop lid to be comically thick.
https://www.wired.com/story/lenovo-legi ... le-screen/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sjNx2Fll7M
—————-
Lenovo has also announced the ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept, which iterates on its previous rollable design that expands the screen vertically. It still starts with smaller OLED display (this time a 13.3-inch screen) and can be expanded up to 16 inches with one keystroke. This is an even more dramatic transformation than last year's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, which starts at a 14-inch size before growing.
https://www.wired.com/story/lenovo-legi ... le-screen/
Re: CES 2026
——
These Earbuds Can Dictate Whispers
AI-based noise suppression is already baked into just about every piece of tech you already own, often times in multiple layers, but I've never seen anything this precise.
They're called the Voicebuds, and on their own, they're nothing special, but I was left intrigued by one simple demo. Standing just a couple of feet away in the bustling CES expo room, the representative (one of the founding team members) began talking quietly while wearing the earbuds—at a volume so low, I couldn’t make out the words. He then showed me how his speech had been fully dictated on his phone, the earbuds picking out only his voice in the loud room. One of the other engineers at Subtle Computing, the startup responsible for the Voicebuds, also mentioned that it’s equally impressive in a dead silent room, such as an office, where the earbuds would be able to dictate even a whisper. What makes it possible? They claim to have nailed its machine learning algorithm in a way that companies like Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google haven’t been able to do.
The idea of us all walking around whispering to our computers might sound dystopian, but I do think privacy is one of the main reasons people don’t use voice control more often. Of course, the more practical use case is for those who depend entirely on voice for using their phones or PCs. The Voicebuds plan to launch this month and ship soon after, with pre-orders currently going for $199.
This Flashlight Has a Camera and Can Contact Emergency Services
Most personal safety devices are discreet little devices, usually some kind of wearable jewelry or keychain. Not the Timeli. There's a camera right in the center of the flashlight, so you can point it in the direction of trouble to hopefully ward sketchy people away while also capturing live HD video. When you press the red emergency button, you'll hear a loud alarm until you're connected with a dispatcher from RapidSOS, who will analyze your real-time video footage to assess the threat and whether medical, fire, or police need to be dispatched. They'll also receive your live GPS coordinates. There's two-way communication, so you can provide specifics about the situation.
It's not just for emergencies. Timeli says you can push the red button whenever you feel unsafe and want a companion as you walk to your car in the parking lot. It supports cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and you can use it with the companion app to fine-tune the flashlight's settings, from brightness to the alarm's volume. It can last up to 2 years on battery in standby mode, but it's USB-C rechargeable, and you can use it as a power bank to give it a dual purpose (the Timeli stops charging your phone when the battery is at 50 percent to make sure the flashlight isn't dead when there's a real emergency).
Naturally, it requires a subscription for the cellular and GPS features. You'll pay $300 for the Timeli, but at launch, you'll get a year bundled for free, after which you'll have to pay $10 per month. It ships in early February.
Listen to Enigma and Return to Innocence With Naox's EEG Earbuds
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important tool for treating neurological disorders, as well as mental health and sleep challenges. Unfortunately, they're pretty hard to administer—you have to lie down in a room with a person putting little electrodes over your head and then looking at real-time readouts (I made my aunt do one on me when she worked in a neurologist's office).
This week, Naox Technologies made two announcements. The first is that its wired in-ear EEG earbuds, the Naox Link, just received FDA clearance.
These are not direct-to-consumer buds, but are intended to be used with medical professionals in settings like sleep labs or clinics. Still, this is a huge upgrade to the laborious sticking-sensors-on-your-head thing.
The company also announced the Naox Wave, pictured at the top of the post. These are the consumer buds that are not FDA-cleared and are not intended for medical use, but also track brain activity. They come with a connected app, so whenever you're wearing your earbuds throughout the day, you can check if your meditation or workout session actually calmed you down. And these are actually real wireless earbuds, so you don't have to put them in and listen to nothing. You can actually take your calls and listen to music while monitoring your brain activity.
Hugo Dinh, the CEO and cofounder of Naox, noted that you can actually see noticeable differences in your brain health once you do things like pick up a meditation practice. If my AirPods Pro 3 could pick up anything from my brainwaves right now, the app would be bright red alarms and indicating nothing but PURE PANIC, I'm sure. Maybe I will find a meditation device on the show floor to calm me down.
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
These Earbuds Can Dictate Whispers
AI-based noise suppression is already baked into just about every piece of tech you already own, often times in multiple layers, but I've never seen anything this precise.
They're called the Voicebuds, and on their own, they're nothing special, but I was left intrigued by one simple demo. Standing just a couple of feet away in the bustling CES expo room, the representative (one of the founding team members) began talking quietly while wearing the earbuds—at a volume so low, I couldn’t make out the words. He then showed me how his speech had been fully dictated on his phone, the earbuds picking out only his voice in the loud room. One of the other engineers at Subtle Computing, the startup responsible for the Voicebuds, also mentioned that it’s equally impressive in a dead silent room, such as an office, where the earbuds would be able to dictate even a whisper. What makes it possible? They claim to have nailed its machine learning algorithm in a way that companies like Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google haven’t been able to do.
The idea of us all walking around whispering to our computers might sound dystopian, but I do think privacy is one of the main reasons people don’t use voice control more often. Of course, the more practical use case is for those who depend entirely on voice for using their phones or PCs. The Voicebuds plan to launch this month and ship soon after, with pre-orders currently going for $199.
This Flashlight Has a Camera and Can Contact Emergency Services
Most personal safety devices are discreet little devices, usually some kind of wearable jewelry or keychain. Not the Timeli. There's a camera right in the center of the flashlight, so you can point it in the direction of trouble to hopefully ward sketchy people away while also capturing live HD video. When you press the red emergency button, you'll hear a loud alarm until you're connected with a dispatcher from RapidSOS, who will analyze your real-time video footage to assess the threat and whether medical, fire, or police need to be dispatched. They'll also receive your live GPS coordinates. There's two-way communication, so you can provide specifics about the situation.
It's not just for emergencies. Timeli says you can push the red button whenever you feel unsafe and want a companion as you walk to your car in the parking lot. It supports cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and you can use it with the companion app to fine-tune the flashlight's settings, from brightness to the alarm's volume. It can last up to 2 years on battery in standby mode, but it's USB-C rechargeable, and you can use it as a power bank to give it a dual purpose (the Timeli stops charging your phone when the battery is at 50 percent to make sure the flashlight isn't dead when there's a real emergency).
Naturally, it requires a subscription for the cellular and GPS features. You'll pay $300 for the Timeli, but at launch, you'll get a year bundled for free, after which you'll have to pay $10 per month. It ships in early February.
Listen to Enigma and Return to Innocence With Naox's EEG Earbuds
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important tool for treating neurological disorders, as well as mental health and sleep challenges. Unfortunately, they're pretty hard to administer—you have to lie down in a room with a person putting little electrodes over your head and then looking at real-time readouts (I made my aunt do one on me when she worked in a neurologist's office).
This week, Naox Technologies made two announcements. The first is that its wired in-ear EEG earbuds, the Naox Link, just received FDA clearance.
These are not direct-to-consumer buds, but are intended to be used with medical professionals in settings like sleep labs or clinics. Still, this is a huge upgrade to the laborious sticking-sensors-on-your-head thing.
The company also announced the Naox Wave, pictured at the top of the post. These are the consumer buds that are not FDA-cleared and are not intended for medical use, but also track brain activity. They come with a connected app, so whenever you're wearing your earbuds throughout the day, you can check if your meditation or workout session actually calmed you down. And these are actually real wireless earbuds, so you don't have to put them in and listen to nothing. You can actually take your calls and listen to music while monitoring your brain activity.
Hugo Dinh, the CEO and cofounder of Naox, noted that you can actually see noticeable differences in your brain health once you do things like pick up a meditation practice. If my AirPods Pro 3 could pick up anything from my brainwaves right now, the app would be bright red alarms and indicating nothing but PURE PANIC, I'm sure. Maybe I will find a meditation device on the show floor to calm me down.
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
Re: CES 2026
What's on TV Tonight? A Painting
New televisions from Amazon, Hisense, TCL, and others are designed to display fine art and look like a painting when they're switched off. This category is growing thanks to today's TV buyers living in smaller spaces, plus overall changes in TV tech like matte screens, better dimming, and thinner designs.
A Disappearing Robocar Steering Wheel
A personal car that can do all your driving for you might not exist yet. But the up and coming robocar-maker Tensor and the automotive safety supplier Autoliv are thinking ahead. They’ve debuted a foldable steering wheel that smoothly tucks away once a car transitions from human driver to software one. The manufacturers have thought through how the wheel will work, safety-wise. When humans are in control and using the steering wheel, a crash will trigger the airbag inside the wheel. When the car has transitioned to autonomous mode, another airbag inside the vehicle’s instrument panel deploys instead.
Such unusual designs usually need sign-off from safety regulators. Tensor says it’ll get the right approvals before it starts sending its vehicles to customers, slated in Europe and North America for some point next year. The company, which began as the Chinese tech developer AutoX but divested from its Chinese operations last year, plans to sell cars that can do much of the driving by themselves. In October, Tensor inked a deal with Lyft to deploy robotaxis in Europe and North America starting in 2027.
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
New televisions from Amazon, Hisense, TCL, and others are designed to display fine art and look like a painting when they're switched off. This category is growing thanks to today's TV buyers living in smaller spaces, plus overall changes in TV tech like matte screens, better dimming, and thinner designs.
A Disappearing Robocar Steering Wheel
A personal car that can do all your driving for you might not exist yet. But the up and coming robocar-maker Tensor and the automotive safety supplier Autoliv are thinking ahead. They’ve debuted a foldable steering wheel that smoothly tucks away once a car transitions from human driver to software one. The manufacturers have thought through how the wheel will work, safety-wise. When humans are in control and using the steering wheel, a crash will trigger the airbag inside the wheel. When the car has transitioned to autonomous mode, another airbag inside the vehicle’s instrument panel deploys instead.
Such unusual designs usually need sign-off from safety regulators. Tensor says it’ll get the right approvals before it starts sending its vehicles to customers, slated in Europe and North America for some point next year. The company, which began as the Chinese tech developer AutoX but divested from its Chinese operations last year, plans to sell cars that can do much of the driving by themselves. In October, Tensor inked a deal with Lyft to deploy robotaxis in Europe and North America starting in 2027.
https://www.wired.com/live/ces-2026-live-blog/
Re: CES 2026
This robot came to play
CES 2026’s North Hall is where you’ll find more advanced gear, like smart city solutions, enterprise AI tech, and automation — and that means robots. LOTS of awesome robots.
I’m just a gamer with a fancy blog so I’m not equipped to tell you whether one robotic hand is more advanced than another, or if those shelf-stacking bots are truly autonomous. But I CAN tell you that I watched Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot more than hold its own in a VERY intense match against a human opponent, thanks to its ludicrous 0.02s response time.
It was mesmerizing. Very few balls made its way past the cybernetic defender, and it also managed to keep the ball religiously in play — often sneaking shots past its meat bucket rival. Just look at the pose on it! Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot came ready to win, baby, and the crowd was going wild. — Brad Chacos
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html
CES 2026’s North Hall is where you’ll find more advanced gear, like smart city solutions, enterprise AI tech, and automation — and that means robots. LOTS of awesome robots.
I’m just a gamer with a fancy blog so I’m not equipped to tell you whether one robotic hand is more advanced than another, or if those shelf-stacking bots are truly autonomous. But I CAN tell you that I watched Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot more than hold its own in a VERY intense match against a human opponent, thanks to its ludicrous 0.02s response time.
It was mesmerizing. Very few balls made its way past the cybernetic defender, and it also managed to keep the ball religiously in play — often sneaking shots past its meat bucket rival. Just look at the pose on it! Sharpa’s autonomous ping pong bot came ready to win, baby, and the crowd was going wild. — Brad Chacos
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3009843 ... itors.html