CES isn’t much of a gaming show. Every year, however, a few notable products slip through the news deluge. Created in collaboration with My Arcade, Gamestation Go fits the bill. The handheld sports a 7-inch display and comes preloaded with north of 200 titles from various Atari generations. Of course, simply being portable game emulator […]
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Tesla issued a recall for over 200,000 electric vehicles due to an issue with its latest computer hardware that can short circuit and disable some safety features including the rearview camera.
Tesla submitted the recall on January 6th, which acknowledges faulty computers are in some of the most recent builds of Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles. It includes ones with manufacturing dates ranging as early as January 25th, 2023 for some Model Xs, and as late as December 16th, 2024 for some Model Ys (with other models overlapping in between).
The latest recall is due to non-compliance with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has stringent rules on rearview camera reliability. Tesla issued a separate recall for problematic rearview cameras in January 2024 and one for Cybertrucks with laggy rearview cameras in October. Both were fixed with over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Tesla is again leveraging its OTA abilities to remedy this new recall, which started rolling out on December 18th and was added to newly manufactured vehicles on December 16th, according to the safety recall report.
But as Electrek reports, the update can’t fix the broader computer issue, which has been identified in 887 warranty claims and 68 field reports as of December 30th. The issues are reportedly affecting Tesla’s latest HW4 (also known as AI4) computers, which are supposed to support the company’s transition to full autonomy.
Tesla says it will replace computers in cars that don’t get fixed with the OTA update. But the company will undoubtedly need to replace them soon, especially if CEO Elon Musk wants to build out the robotaxi service he has promised for years.
It was an interesting year for robots at CES 2025. While we had hoped the AI boom would bring a new wave of useful robots to the show, it seems that many robotics companies are still figuring out exactly how to best use AI.
What we found instead was a mix of adorable robot companions, strange concepts and one, slightly terrifying humanoid. We visited a lot of robots at CES and, for better or worse, some really left an impression on us. These are the ones that stood out the most.
Of all the surprisingly adorable robots we saw at CES, TCL’s Ai Me (pronounced “Amy”) was one of the cutest. The concept was on display at TCL’s booth delighting and bewildering everyone who walked by. With a voice and eyes that are meant to sound like an actual human child, TCL seems to be pitching this as an emotional support/companion robot for kids. At the booth, Ai Me wasn’t doing much besides moving around in its wheeled, egg-shaped base, but the company says that the AI-powered robot could be used to control smart home devices or record vlogs, thanks to built-cameras and AI capabilities.
For now, it’s unclear if TCL actually plans to sell this thing, but the company seemed to have put quite a bit of effort into its CES demo. In addition to the one slowly wheeling around a mock-up living room, TCL showed off a lineup of different outfits, including fuzzy bunny suits and a denim vest, for Ai Me. -Karissa Bell
As we walked over to the Ropet booth, a person was waving a plastic hotdog in front of the little robot and small cartoon hotdogs flashed across its eyes in response. I was pretty much sold at that moment, but it turned out to have some other pretty interesting things going on too. Ropet responds to voice, touch and gestures, and has its own cute little emotional reactions. It’s conversational if you want it to be, with ChatGPT integration. Mostly it’s just adorable. -Cheyenne MacDonald
Mirumi is one of those CES oddities that makes you simultaneously go, “What the hell is this?” and, “Omg I love this.” It’s small, fluffy and has no other purpose than to make you smile by looking around and staring at you like an innocent baby. I immediately felt the need to protect it with my life. — CM
Romi is a conversational robot that fits in the palm of your hand and is here for you if you want to chat, vent or just hang out. The newest model of the robot turned up at Unveiled, and we couldn’t help but be charmed by its cute facial expressions. It fits nicely in your hands, so you can carry it around the house with you while you walk around complaining about your workday. -CM
Miroki was at CES last year, but the Enchanted Tools team was back showing off the latest version and some new skills, including LLM integration. If you were able to fight through the crowd surrounding it to get up close, you may have seen it rolling around waving at people, blinking its big cartoon eyes and flicking its ears like a deer. Undecided on whether it’s cute or a little unnerving. -CM
Not sure which had a bigger presence at #CES2025, robots or "APT." pic.twitter.com/NLZWey94dI
— Engadget (@engadget) January 10, 2025
Scorpion is an AI bartender from Richtech Robotics that unfortunately wasn’t slinging drinks when we saw it (or scuttling around, apparently it doesn’t do that), but did perform a synchronized dance to “Apt.” with the company’s Adam bot. Come for the arthropodal robot, stay for the K-pop. -CM
Of all the robots we saw at CES 2025, Unitree’s take the prize for most terrifying. The company was showing off its new quadruped “robot dog” and humanoid G1 robots. The quadruped, which is essentially their take on Boston Dynamic’s Spot robot, showed off to onlookers by running around the booth, climbing stairs and sitting on its “hind legs.”
But it was the G1 that proved to be the robot we needed to worry about. I was taking photos of the roughly 4-foot tall humanoid when it suddenly ran at me full-speed. I was only a foot or so in front of it at the time due to the crowd in the booth, so the roughly 60-pound G1 slammed directly into my body at an all out run. The surrounding crowd met I was essentially pinned in place for a few seconds while the robot continued to attempt to run through me until its operator was able to regain control. Fortunately, this was a case of user error and not the beginning of a robot uprising. The person holding the gamepad-like controller for the robot had mistakenly mashed the joystick, sending it directly into my body. At least I can now say I know what it feels like to ve body slammed by a robot. -KB
One of the more unusual robots we saw at CES, Mi-Mo is a six-legged table with a lamp on top. We didn’t see Mi-Mo do much besides shimmy around the show floor and “wave,” but there are some really interesting ideas behind the AI-powered robot. It runs on multiple large language models and "thinks and acts" based on its environment. Its creators say it could help with childcare and eldercare tasks. Mi-Mo will be available to developers and researchers as a dev kit later this year. -KB
Pollen Robotics was here at CES showing off Reachy 2, it’s latest machine that’ll cost you $75,000 if you have that sort of cash laying around. It’s an adorable open-source machine with a human pilot that, its makers say, is ideal for tele-operation and data acquisition. I just think it’s cute, especially when it waves at you. -Daniel Cooper
Additional reporting by Daniel Cooper.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-robots-we-saw-at-ces-2025-the-good-the-bad-and-the-completely-unhinged-174529774.html?src=rss
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© Karissa Bell for Engadget
It was while walking past the RadioShack booth at CES 2025 that I spied the Kodak stand not far ahead. And it was while musing about the fate of those two storied — okay maybe not storied — names that I spied another Kodak booth two rows over. For a company that’s been dead more than a few times over, it’s certainly enjoying something of a renaissance. Look, it’s not as if there haven’t always been brands that die and get revived in pursuit of a quick buck. Especially if the price is cheap and there’s any residual degree of affection for it, but even so there are a hell of a lot of them now. Do we need four different companies selling Kodak-branded wares?
Perhaps the most egregious example at this year’s show was from Mizari, an LA-based company that sells hardware under a variety of names. This year, it was showing off a lineup of products under the Memorex brand, including e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies. If you’re unfamiliar, Memorex made recordable media in the analog era: computer and cassette tapes, VHS, CDs and eventually DVDs. Its slogan was “Is it live, or is it Memorex?” boasting its superior audio quality. Does that slogan work as well for e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies? That’s less clear.
The company’s representatives said that using the Memorex name was an experiment to see how much affection the public has for the brand. They’re targeting people over the age of 40 who remember what they slammed in their tape decks. At the same time, they’re targeting younger generations who may feel the pull of that retro name, since we’re apparently in an era where anything old is inherently laudable. Mizari also holds the license for Delorean, albeit just to make e-bikes, scooters and go-karts, for the kids, you know?
RadioShack has been passed from owner to owner since it initially filed for Chapter 11 back in 2015. In May 2023, it was bought by Unicomer, a RadioShack franchisee from Central and South America which is now relaunching the parent brand in the US. It will act, like so many of these companies, as a distributor, adding its name to a variety of products made elsewhere. Its lineup is already 400 products strong, from gaming keyboards and mice to portable projectors and speakers. The idea, as you might have guessed, is to cash in on the fact people likely remember the name of this over some generic product they'll find among the dregs on Amazon.
The two Kodaks nearby share the Kodak name, but very little else: One is showing off the Kodak Mini Shot (lead image), made by Prinics Co. Walk 50 yards further down the plush CES carpet and you’ll find another Kodak (pictured above), this one selling digital photo frames and tablets. Staffers at both booths are happy to talk about which part of the sprawling Kodak license they are paying for. Hell, the latter Kodak stand was also advertising those same products under the Thomson name, an old French electronics company that was rebranded as Thales 25 years ago.
A little walk and you’ll soon find a large stand from RCA, which also holds the names Thomson and Blaupunkt. All three are nothing more than names and logos slapped on products that are shipped in from various manufacturers. RCA is famously known for making radio equipment and other electronics before branching into broadcasting, music and movies. So it’s natural, too, that you can pick up an RCA-branded e-bike and scooter, cashing in on all those bikes RCA made when your pop pop was in diapers.
Next to Mizari’s Memorex-branded exhibits was the third Kodak booth I’d stumbled across, this one showing off a wide variety of products. This included smartwatches, cameras, binoculars, mirrors with halo lighting and Bluetooth speakers, all made by various licensees. And, quite literally two booths over, was another Kodak stand, this time from C&A Global, which makes Kodak branded photo printers (and the HP Sprocket) as well as projectors and scanners.
I’m not sure I need to wave my hands around and try to make some sort of grand point about All Of This. One one hand, it doesn’t matter. Lots of low-cost products are sold to folks who aren’t going to interrogate their purchases. Given how common the practice of buying a dead brand and slapping it on whatever you sell, it must be profitable enough to justify doing it. But it just leaves me scratching my head, wondering who’s going to remember the tape company from the ‘90s and want to ride an e-bike with its logo on the side. Or who would think there’s any trust left in the Kodak brand given the near-homeopathic levels of dilution it’s subjected to. Maybe these companies' real lingering value is to serve as a reminder to all the other tech brands that this is the fate that awaits them if they keep messing up.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/a-tale-of-four-kodaks-173040742.html?src=rss
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© Daniel Cooper for Engadget
Meta deleted nonbinary and trans themes for its Messenger app this week, around the same time that the company announced it would change its rules to allow users to declare that LGBTQ+ people are “mentally ill,” 404 Media has learned.
Meta’s Messenger app allows users to change the color scheme and design of their chat windows with different themes. For example, there is currently a “Squid Game” theme, a “Minecraft” theme, a “Basketball” theme, and a “Love” theme, among many others.
These themes regularly change, but for the last few years they have featured a “trans” theme and a “nonbinary” theme, which had color schemes that matched the trans pride flag and the non-binary pride flag. Meta did not respond to a request for comment about why the company removed these themes, but the change comes right as Mark Zuckerberg’s company is publicly and loudly shifting rightward to more closely align itself with the views of the incoming Donald Trump administration. 404 Media reported Thursday that many employees are protesting the anti LGBTQ+ changes and that “it’s total chaos internally at Meta right now” because of the changes.
The trans theme was announced for Pride Month in June 2021, and the nonbinary theme was announced in June 2022 in blog posts that highlighted Meta’s apparent support for trans and nonbinary people. Both of these posts are no longer online. Other blogs about updates to Messenger have been moved over from the old website they were originally published on to new URLs on the Meta newsroom, but these two blog posts have not.
“This June and beyond, we want people to #ConnectWithPride because when we show up as the most authentic version of ourselves, we can truly connect with people,” the post announcing the trans theme originally said. “Starting today, in support of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, Messenger is launching new expression features and celebrating the artists and creators who not only developed them, but inspire us each and every day.”
The blog post announcing the nonbinary theme, meanwhile, read “Messenger is committed to building the safest private messaging experience that gives the growing LBGTQ+ community and its allies a trusted space to open up with confidence. Today, we’re celebrating International Non-Binary People’s Day through the release of new expression tools, including an all-new non-binary chat theme, sticker pack and word effects, in addition to new shortcuts available to easily access these new features.” The blog post featured a discussion between nonbinary members of Meta’s staff and a member of the LGBTQ+ rights organization The Trevor Project.
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine shows these posts were both still live as of September 2024, the last time the announcement posts were archived. The chat themes that they were announcing were deleted this week, according to internal information obtained by 404 Media. We also confirmed that the themes are no longer active on Messenger. A “Pride” rainbow theme is still active.
Two current Meta employees told 404 Media that the nonbinary and trans themes were “retired” this week. A code change notice from this week obtained by 404 Media reads “Retire theme Transgender … this diff will retire the theme Transgender on both Messenger and Instagram.” A separate internal post by an employee reads “Does anyone know what happened to the non-binary themes in Messenger/IG and where out public facing content supporting this feature went? Is this related to the updated guidelines? Have there been any other related gender or LGBTQ design updates?”
One employee said these were deleted “without explanation or justification.”
The deletion of these themes coincides with Meta’s announcement of new content moderation rules that specifically allow for the targeting of LGBTQ+ people and, specifically, trans and nonbinary people. Internal guidelines obtained by both The Intercept and Platformer show that Meta is now telling content moderators that statements like "A trans person isn't a he or she, it's an it," and “Trans people aren't real. They're mentally ill,” and “This whole nonbinary thing is made up. Those people don't exist, they're just in need of some therapy" no longer violate its rules, according to Platformer. It also says, for example, “‘Tranny’ is no longer a designated slur and is now non-violating,” the Intercept reported.
“I’ve never seen morale this low. Most folks expected some change with the incoming administration’s hostility to gay and trans people but this just feels vicious, almost gleeful,” one current Meta employee told 404 Media about all of the changes at the company. “Some folks are cheerleading the change but most of the vocal people are against it. I’ve even heard open talk from coworkers mulling over resignations over this.”
Philippine fintech startup GCash is gearing up for what could become the country’s largest stock offering, with plans to raise up to $1.5 billion through a domestic IPO. The company has enlisted major financial players, including Citi, Jefferies, and UBS, […]
The post Philippine fintech startup GCash eyes $1.5 billion IPO, hires banks first appeared on Tech Startups.
A lawyer for TikTok argued before the Supreme Court on Friday that a ban on the social network would violate TikTok’s and Americans’ First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court this morning heard arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. The bill, officially titled the Protecting […]
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Three Russian citizens were charged with money laundering for their role in operating Blender.io and Sinbad.io crypto mixing services.
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Godox, a company known for its professional photography gear like flashes and reflective umbrellas, has announced a new lighting product for smartphones. Its MA5R is a magnetic power bank with an array of diffused color-changing LEDs on the back that can improve phone photography while keeping battery anxiety in check. It’s priced at $49 and while you can preorder it through online specialty stores, official availability isn’t known.
The MA5R attaches to MagSafe-compatible iPhones, smartphones supporting the Qi2 wireless standard, or mobile devices upgraded with a magnetic ring on the back. It can also be used handheld, but Godox didn’t include a standard tripod mount for attaching it to stands — an odd omission given the company’s lineup of pro gear.
Image: Godox
The accessory can be controlled through the Godox mobile app over Bluetooth, which allows its color temperature to be adjusted across a wide range — from 1800K (warmer) to 10000K (cooler) — so you can match the lighting in almost any environment. You can also opt for a wide range of colors if you’re looking for a more dramatic lighting effect, or choose one of “14 pre-programmed special effects” which could be useful when shooting video.
Image: Godox
On the other side of the MA5R, next to its magnetic mount, is a small display showing battery life and lighting brightness. There’s also a smaller front-facing LED light that can be used to improve selfies by rotating the accessory while it’s attached to a phone. It offers a smaller range of color temperature adjustments between 2800K and 6500K.
The added lights mean the MA5R is 13 millimeters thick so it’s not exactly going to disappear when attached to your phone. And it’s only got a 5,000mAh battery inside. That’s enough to keep its LEDs running for up to three hours and 40 minutes at full brightness, or up to seven hours and 20 minutes at half brightness, but not quite enough to fully recharge many smartphones more than once.
Wireless charging also stops while the LEDs are turned on, so maybe think of the MA5R’s charging capabilities as a bonus feature for what looks like a solid portable lighting solution.
Sure, President-elect Donald Trump is probably going to try to blow up efforts to tackle climate change as soon as he steps into office. There still isn’t enough renewable energy available to reach US climate goals or even meet skyrocketing electricity demand from AI. And time is running out to spend down climate funds from the Inflation Reduction Act before the Trump administration can attempt to claw it back. Despite it all, Joe Biden’s top adviser on climate change, Ali Zaidi, isn’t sweating it.
He’s managed to keep the perhaps cloyingly upbeat optimism that’s become a trademark of the Biden and Harris camp even when that enthusiasm doesn’t necessarily reflect sentiment on the ground. The Verge spoke with White House national climate adviser Zaidi this week about what he sees ahead for clean energy technologies and where there might still be room for progress.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You have a background in law. How did climate change become your thing?
I came to the United States at the age of six, and for me, for my family, the story of America is the story of economic mobility. I really came to Washington wanting to work on putting more...
Joining the massive ongoing $400 price drop on the unlocked Google Pixel 8 Pro at Amazon and the launch deal on Galaxy A16 smartphone and Galaxy Fit3 wearable fitness tracker, today’s deals are headlined by a solid 50% drop on OnePlus noise cancelling Nord Buds 3 Pro at $40. Best Buy has also launched a notable sale promotion on Hisense Google smart TVs, offering up to $300 in gift card bonuses on top of straight up discounts with models starting from $130. From there you’ll find a host of deals on charging gear and accessories as well as ASUS’ Vivobook S 15 OLED Snapdragon X Elite laptop back at its best price to date. Head below for a closer look.
The OnePlus 12 was the surprise package of 2024, putting more pressure on the OnePlus 13 to bring something new to the table. How do these devices stack up?
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A new leak suggests that the Galaxy S25 will once again include an S Pen but will not have Bluetooth compatibility. The decision could be a cost-cutting measure, but it surely won’t be received well by some.
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