The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into what caused the company's Starship rocket to explode mid-flight on January 16. Until the FAA approves SpaceX's investigation reported, the company won't be allowed to proceed with future Starship missions.
SpaceX's launch seemed to be going as planned prior to the explosion. Starship successfully made it off the launch pad and SpaceX was even able to catch the ship's boosters. But then, only eight and a half minutes after taking off, the Starship spacecraft exploded, according to SpaceX's post-launch blog post. In response to the sudden explosion, the FAA activated a "Debris Response Area" and slowed or diverted nearby flights to prevent further accidents, severely delaying flights from multiple airlines, according to CNBC.
The FAA's statement says that no one was injured by the falling debris but that its working "to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos." The mishap investigation SpaceX performs will have to determine not only what caused the explosion, but also what corrective actions the company needs to take to prevent it from happening again. "Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship," SpaceX says.
This isn't the first time Starship has met an explosive end. Multiple Starship launches have ended with either SpaceX's boosters, the Starship spacecraft or both exploding. The company does appear to be getting better at catching and reusing its Super Heavy boosters, however. The successful catch that preceded the January 16 explosion is only the second time SpaceX has pulled it off. Its first successful Super Heavy catch was in October 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-faa-is-grounding-spacexs-starship-after-its-latest-explosion-223535001.html?src=rss
Greta Gerwig's follow-up to Barbie, an adaptation of one of C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books, will be exclusively viewable in theaters for four weeks before it hits Netflix on Christmas, according to a new report from Puck. Netflix is historically anti-theater, but it seems like it can set that aside for the right filmmaker.
Theaters will have a four-week exclusive window on the film globally — longer than the week Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery got — but it will only be available to watch on IMAX screens to start. IMAX is guaranteeing the film will be shown in the format for two weeks, according to Puck, and is willing to add another week if there's demand. After that, the film could come to non-IMAX theaters, too.
Netflix, while owning a few theaters itself, is philosophically-opposed to theatrical exclusivity. It'll put Netflix movies in theaters for the amount of time required to qualify for awards season, but otherwise avoids them like the plague. That might be nice for subscribers who've become accustomed to watching everything at home, but most filmmakers want their films to be seen on the big screen. For example, Netflix reportedly lost the chance to distribute Saltburn director Emerald Fennel's next film, an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, because it refused to give the film time in theaters, according to The New York Times.
Rumors circulated that IMAX, Gerwig, and Netflix were discussing a deal in October 2024, and it seems the director got her way. It's strange to have to fight tooth and nail for what could be a blockbuster movie to be seen by a paying audience. There's plenty of evidence that putting films in theaters makes money, but it's a lesson that even company's like Disney have had to relearn after the streaming boom. Moana 2 started as a Disney+ filler before it was tweaked and turned into a theatrical release that made over $200 million in December 2024.
It's impossible to say if this decision signals a longterm change at Netflix, but future filmmakers working with the company now have interesting precedent to point to for their own theatrical deals.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/greta-gerwigs-narnia-movie-will-get-up-to-four-weeks-in-theaters-203920581.html?src=rss
Greta Gerwig, Jury President of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, poses during a photocall for the 2024 Kering Women In Motion Awards and Cannes Film Festival Presidential Dinner as part of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 19, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official, and while we still don't know when anyone will be able to own the new console, we do know when some lucky people will get to try one for themselves. Nintendo is holding hands-on events starting on April 4 and running through June where you'll be able to try the Switch 2 for yourself in select cities in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.
You can register for a "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience" event starting today, January 17 from 3PM ET / 12PM PT through January 26 at 11:59PM local time for each event location. If you're planning on registering, you'll need to be 18 years or older and have either a free Nintendo Account, or a Nintendo Account Family Group if you're planning on going with a group. There's no need for any kind of paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and you don't have to worry about family members under six having an account as long as they're accompanied by an adult that does.
Nintendo says the hands-on event should last two hours and 20 minutes, but didn't share what ticket holders will actually get to try during the experience. Maybe some Mario Kart?
It's important to also stress, heading to Nintendo's website and registering for tickets doesn't mean you'll actually get to attend. Nintendo refers to the process as a drawing because attendees or groups of attendees will be chosen randomly. Signing up early doesn't guarantee you'll have a better chance of getting in.
Where Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events are being held
Nintendo is hosting its Switch 2 events for around three days in each city, though it's only announced hands-on locations in the first three cities.
In North America, you'll be able to register for a hands-on in:
New York, April 4-6, 2025 at Center415
Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025 at Television City
Dallas, April 25-27, 2025 at Embarcadero Building at Fair Park
Toronto, April 25-27
For the events in Europe, you'll be able to pick from:
Paris, April 4-6, 2025
London, April 11-13, 2025
Milan, April 25-27, 2025
Berlin, April 25-27, 2025
Madrid, May 9-11, 2025
Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025
In Oceania, there's only one event location:
Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025
Finally, in Asia, you'll be able to choose from:
Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025
Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025
Hong Kong, To be announced
Taipei, To be announced
How to sign up for a Nintendo Account
Nintendo
If you want to register to try the Switch 2, you'll need to have an a Nintendo Account, and if you don't already have one, they're pretty easy to set up.
Head to the Nintendo Account website to get started. Then click on "Create a new Nintendo Account." From there, enter in your date of birth and decide if you want to create your account using an existing Google or Apple account, or by entering in your information from scratch.
If you choose the latter, enter in a nickname, an email address, your date of birth, country of residence and timezone. Then agree to Nintendo's User Agreement and Privacy Policy by checking their respective boxes and hit "Submit." You'll receive a verification code via email that you should then enter into the empty verification code field and click "Verify." Once you do, you'll be all set up.
The process is similar if you use an Apple or Google account. Nintendo will ask you to enter a nickname, date of birth, country of residence and timezone. You'll also have to agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, and submit a verification code. The key difference is once you do, you'll be able to use your Apple or Google account to log in instead of an email.
How to add a child to your Nintendo Family Account Group
If you plan on checking out the Switch 2 with younger friends or family who aren't old enough to have a Nintendo Account of their own, you can create one for them under a Nintendo Family Account Group.
To start, you'll need to log in to your own Nintendo Account. Then click on "Family group" and then "Add a member." From there you can select "Create an account for a child." Enter the child's date of birth, and then enter your Nintendo Account password and click on "OK."
You'll then have to enter a nickname, a child account sign-in ID (a username, essentially) and a sign-in password. Agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, then click "Submit, and then "OK" to create the account.
Update, January 17, 2:20PM ET: Added details on the duration of the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-sign-up-for-the-nintendo-switch-2-experience-170052140.html?src=rss
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced today that's it's ordering Block, the creator of Cash App and parent company of Square, to pay up to $120 million in "refunds and other redress to consumers" and a $55 million fine over how the company handled fraud on its payment platform.
Per the CFPB, Cash App's Terms of Service at one point claimed that any bank linked to an account for transferring funds was responsible for addressing disputes around fraudulent charges, something that's not generally true under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Block would use that claim to avoid assuming responsibility, and when it would investigate a complaint, it relied on "intentionally shoddy investigation practices to close reports of unauthorized transactions in the company’s favor," CFPB's statement explains.
Accessing any kind of customer service for Cash App was a challenge, too, according to the CFPB. Block included a customer service number on Cash App cards and in the app's Terms of Service, but calling it would it ultimately lead users to "a pre-recorded message directing consumers to contact customer support through the app." And reaching out to the company through the app or physical mail often led to delayed or confusing responses.
Besides the up to $175 million in fees Block owes, the CFPB is also directing the company to set up a live 24/7 customer support line. Block has agreed to comply with the order. "While we strongly disagree with the CFPB’s mischaracterizations," the company shared on its blog, "we made the decision to settle this matter in the interest of putting it behind us and focusing on what’s best for our customers and our business."
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken an increasingly aggressive approach towards regulating payment apps and digital wallets in the last year of the Biden Administration. The CFPB expanded its purview from just banks to wallets and payments apps in November 2024, and came after the payment app Zelle not even a month later.
These attempts at regulation are facing pushback, too. NetChoice, a trade association for online companies, and TechNet, "a bipartisan network of technology CEOs," are both suing the CFPB over its efforts to clean up digital payments, with familiar claims of government overreach and that the CFPB failed to explain the risks it was addressing when it decided to regulate payment apps in the first place.
Update, January 16, 5:36PM ET: This story was updated after publishing to clarify that the cost of Block's combined CFPB fine is up to $175 million, rather than $175 million.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/cfpb-fines-block-175m-over-cash-apps-lax-fraud-controls-210749768.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
LG Display is introducing its 4th-generation OLED TV displays today, which manage to not only be brighter than what it showed off in 2024, but also more power-efficient and less reflective. The LG OLED evo M5 was one of Engadget's favorite announcements from CES 2025, thanks in part to the LG Display panels it uses.
LG Display's new 4th-generation OLED TV panel can reach a maximum brightness "as high as 4,000 nits," according to the company, which is 33 percent brighter than the previous generation panel. It's worth noting maximum brightness is not the same thing as uniform brightness across the same display panel, but it's still a notable improvement when OLEDs can struggle with brightness. Especially when those gains are paired with better energy efficiency, which LG Display says is "around 20 percent greater" on a 65-inch 4th-generation panel.
LG Display
The changes to the new OLED's efficiency are due to enhancements to the panel's "structure and power supply system" while the brightness improvements have to do with a clever to tweak to how LG is arranging the LEDs in the panel. The 4th-generation OLED uses a "Primary RGB Tandem structure" which stacks independent layers of red and green light elements with two blue layers. Each layer produces more light which helps improve brightness and "color purity."
LG Display is also aiding color reproduction (and presumably purity) with a new film coating that reduces the amount of light reflected from the surface of the panel and light absorbed and reflected inside the panel. The company says all of these developments are in service of making better "AI TVs" but if that doesn't sway you, it sounds like TVs with these new panels should just look better too.
The 4th-generation OLED panel will appear in "top-of-the-line mass-produced" TVs this year, and LG Display says the "Primary RGB Tandem structure" will be gradually introduced into Gaming OLED monitors in the future, as well.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lg-displays-new-oleds-are-even-brighter-and-more-power-efficient-020010221.html?src=rss
Shopping for a new phone? Wait at least one more week before whipping out that credit card. That's because Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year is slated for Wednesday, January 22 — and like past years, you'll be able to watch along from home.
Between credible leaks and historical precedent, we can reasonably assume that the event will include a new lineup of Galaxy S25 phones (including Ultra, Plus and regular models) at the very least. The new phones are more or less guaranteed to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and sport some amount of design tweaks, and new colors. And Samsung's recent blog post effectively confirmed that its new One UI 7 — announced at a Samsung developer event in 2024 — will be part of the Wednesday reveal, so expect more details on how the operating system revamp will actually impact using the company's new devices.
Beyond that, Galaxy AI will be featured prominently, based on Samsung's original announcement of the event, and it seems possible the company could include an update on its wearables and more information about Project Moohan, the headset it's developing for Google's Android XR platform.
The event begins at 1PM ET / 10AM PT in-person in San Jose and online everywhere else. If you plan on watching, you can find a stream on Samsung.com, in Samsung's Newsroom, or watch along right here in the YouTube video below. Engadget will also be liveblogging the event (we'll add the link here once it's live).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-watch-the-samsung-galaxy-s25-unpacked-event-211629281.html?src=rss
Last week, Meta decided it would replace its professional fact-checking program with X-style "Community Notes" and it looks like a version of the feature is already being tested on Threads. Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer who frequently posts leaked details on Meta's apps, shared three screenshots that show an early look of what the Community Notes might look like in Threads.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson described the screenshots as an "internal prototype" and said the feature wasn't being tested outside of the company.
Paluzzi's images show a new "Write Community Note" option in the menu you can access in the corner of a Threads post. If you select it, it looks like you'll be able to anonymously submit your note, and if it's rated as helpful, it will appear under the post. The whole setup is not dissimilar from how X uses Community Notes, which started as a feature called "Birdwatch" on Twitter before Elon Musk acquired and renamed the company.
Alessandro Paluzzi
Community Notes are just one of the ways Threads is changing under Meta's new approach to moderation. The app, which was against the sharing and promoting of "political" content, will now also suggest political posts. Instagram and Threads head Adam Mosseri demonstrated how you can adjust the amount of political content you see in your feed in a short video shared to Threads today. Meta is giving users three options to choose from: "See less," which attempts to weed out political content, "Standard," which suggests some political content and "See more," which treats political content like everything else on the app.
It's not clear that Community Notes or toggles for political content address the actual issues users have with Threads, or if they'll make anyone happier. They do fit with the "free speech warrior" image Meta is trying to project, though.
Update January 14, 2025, 12:26 PM ET: This story has been updated to add more information from a Meta spokesperson.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-starting-to-test-community-notes-232150151.html?src=rss
Alarmo, the most important hardware announcement Nintendo's made in the last year, will soon be available to a lot more people. Nintendo says the motion-tracking alarm clock will be able to be purchased "in stores at participating retailers" in March, without the need for a Nintendo Switch Online subscription or a visit to a physical Nintendo store.
Nintendo's alarm clock originally launched in October 2024. It combines beloved sound effects from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Pikmin 4 with motion sensors that can track your tossing and turning. This gives the Alarmo some rudimentary sleep tracking features, and morning alarms that can get louder the more you flop around, only stopping when you actually sit up.
Nintendo Sound Clock: #Alarmo will be available in stores at participating retailers in March 2025, no Nintendo Switch Online membership required. Available while supplies last. pic.twitter.com/qhVo0NMKjx
As Engadget's review found, Alarmo is pricey at $100, and not particularly great as a sleep tracker. The alarm clock can only track one person at a time, which keeps anyone who shares a bed from accessing its most charming feature. But if you're weak to Nintendo nostalgia or have a child who's already a fan, the clock is a cute way to start your morning routine.
In March, retailers will only have Alarmo "while supplies last," but hopefully by then, die-hard Nintendo fans will already be saving up for their next big purchase.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/nintendos-goofy-alarm-clock-will-be-available-to-everyone-in-march-222912137.html?src=rss
Meta appeared to be blocking links to Pixelfed, a decentralized photo-sharing platform, on Facebook, according to both users on Bluesky and 404 Media. A small group of posts that linked to "pixelfed.social" was deleted, with Facebook's "Community Standards on spam" used as a justification.
When asked to comment, a Meta spokesperson said removing the posts was a mistake and that they'd be reinstated.
Pixelfed runs on the ActivityPub protocol and is part of the wider "fediverse" of decentralized posting platforms. It functions a lot like Instagram in its ability to let you share, like, and comment on images, but because its on ActivityPub, your posts could show up in other apps or be ported to entirely different takes on photo sharing if you want. Meta is slowly adopting parts of ActivityPub into Threads, which makes it possible to post to Threads and Mastodon at the same time, for example.
The timing of these deletions is enough to make anyone suspicious. Meta just announced pretty dramatic changes to how it plans to moderate speech on its platforms. The company decided to end both its third-party fact checking program and change its Hateful Conduct policy last week. The company's loosening standards now allow for speech that would be defined as hateful under any normal circumstance, based on what Wiredwas able to dig up.
It's not unreasonable to imagine users might consider jumping ship to an alternative like Pixelfed in response, and the platform did share on Saturday that it was "seeing unprecedented levels of traffic to pixelfed.social." It's also not unreasonable to imagine the new right-leaning Meta might preemptively block its competitors, just like X did with links to Mastodon and Substack.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-admits-it-deleted-links-to-decentralized-instagram-competitor-pixelfed-194624098.html?src=rss
If you're in the market for a new controller, you're in luck. Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller is on sale for $98 at Amazon and Target, down from $130. That means its about $3 off its lowest price to date — a great opportunity to upgrade to something a little nicer.
We've recommended the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller before, and that's mainly based on its ability to give you the best of the $180 Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for a more approachable price. That includes fits and finishes like a rubberized grip and sturdier, longer-lasting versions of a traditional controller's triggers, joysticks and directional pad (it's circular now). On top of that, it has up to 40 hours of battery life.
The Elite Series 2 Core also lets you adjust the tension of the joysticks and triggers to your liking, and remap the controller's buttons in the Xbox Accessories app. That's helpful if there's specific settings your prefer for Call of Duty: Warzone versus something more relaxing, like Viva Piñata, or if you share your controller with someone else.
The main disadvantage with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller, besides the limited color options you have purchasing it anywhere other than the Xbox Design Lab, are the lack of accessories. Included in the price for a normal Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is a variety of different joysticks, directional pads and back paddles you can attach when you want to experiment with a new setup. Those aren't included at all with the Core controller. In fact, there's awkward divots on the back of the controller where the paddles are supposed to be attached.
It's a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, and one that can be rectified by buying the accessories when you figure out that you actually need them down the road. Even without paddles, the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller should feel noticeably more pleasant to use, and when you're trying to make your way through an extra-long RPG, that's what really matters anyway.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-xbox-elite-series-2-core-controller-is-on-sale-for-98-222712100.html?src=rss
Meta isn't stopping at moderation changes. According to both Axiosand The New York Times, the company is also pulling the plug on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. That includes removing diversity hiring goals, eliminating the chief diversity officer position and no longer prioritizing minority-owned businesses as vendors, per The Times' reporting.
When asked to comment on ending DEI initiatives, Meta confirmed the reporting was accurate.
Internally, the company is apparently pinning the decision on a shifting "legal and policy landscape," according to a memo to employees Axios acquired.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI," Janelle Gale, Meta's VP of Human Resources says in the memo. "The term 'DEI' has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others."
The current Supreme Court is not exactly friendly towards systemic attempts to address issues of race, gender and sexuality, but in the context of Meta's other recent changes, it seems like there's more going on than the company being afraid of a possible lawsuit.
At the same time that Mark Zuckerberg was announcing that Meta was abandoning third-party fact checking and changing what kind of speech it allows on its platform, 404 Media reports that the company removed the Trans and Non-binary themes from Messenger, and posts it made announcing them. The company also added Trump supporter and UFC CEO Dana White to its board this week, a confirmation of Zuckerberg's continuing UFC fandom but also a signal that it's eager to listen to conservative voices. It all seems to add up to less of a reaction to the current climate and more like the way people in charge want to be doing business going forward.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/metas-right-wing-reinvention-also-includes-an-end-to-dei-programs-and-trans-messenger-themes-204031848.html?src=rss
FOTO DE ARCHIVO. Se ven personas detrás de un logo de Meta Platforms, durante una conferencia en Mumbai, India, el 20 de septiembre de 2023 REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
Registration for the closed network test of Elden Ring Nightreign are open, publisher Bandai Namco announced today. The sign-up period for the co-op Elden Ring spinoff officially started on January 10 at 9AM ET and will run until January 20 at 9AM ET. You can add your name to the list now on Bandai Namco's website.
The close network test will be spread across five different sessions on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S, running from February 14 through February 15th. You'll be able to log in on each of those days from 6AM ET to 9AM ET or 10PM ET to 1AM ET the following day to put the game through its paces.
Limveld awaits you, Nightfarers.
Rise together against the tides of darkness from February 14th to February 17th.
Selected players will be able to play "a portion of the game prior to the full game launch," according to Bandai Namco's sign-up page, with the goal of getting a sense of how the company's servers and online systems will handle a mass of fans playing simultaneously. As to what that "portion" will actually contain, Bandai Namco says that players will get "to try the game’s co-op experience," partnering with two other players to tackle a three day cycle filled with "increasingly challenging enemies and bosses."
Nightreign appears to use many of the mechanics, armor, weapons and abilities of Elden Ring, but drops them in a revamped setting, "Limveld," that's design to change every time you play. Per Bandai Namco, you start each cycle of the game in the familiar Roundtable Hold, where you can pick one of eight characters with unique abilities and "Ultimates." The Limveld map you play in will shrink each night, and introduce a new boss that if beaten, lets you progress to the next day. The process continues until the final, third night when you face off against a "Nightlord." And if you fail at any point in the process and have to start a new run (as many will likely do) you'll earn a relic that lets you "customize and upgrade" your character.
Elden Ring Nightreign was an unexpectedly announced at The Game Awards in 2024, and was a pretty big surprise, not only because Shadow of the Erdtree came out that same year, but because the game's structure seems remarkably different than anything developer FromSoftware has made before. Anyone lucky enough to be a part of the network test will now be able to see how different it actually feels.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-now-sign-up-to-test-elden-rings-co-op-spinoff-192012608.html?src=rss
Grok, the AI assistant that's for some reason baked into X, is now available as a standalone app. Like the version that exists as a tab on the social media platform, the Grok app can be used to generate images, summarize text and answer questions, with a conversational tone xAI, the AI assistant's creator, calls "humorous and engaging."
The app was first tested with a limited set of users in December 2024, right around the same time X debuted a free tier of Grok that's available to anyone. Prior to that, you needed to pay at least $8 a month for X Premium to have the privilege of using the AI.
Ian Campbell for Engadget
The limitations of that free access — 10 requests every two hours, three image analysis request per day — may also apply to the Grok app. You can use the app without signing in, or sign-in with an Apple account, X account, Google account, or a plain old email. It's not clear whether an X Premium subscription gets you added benefits in the Grok app in the same way it does X.
Grok has struggled with similar issues around accuracy and bizarre image generation choices as other AI assistants like Gemini and ChatGPT. The chatbot mainly stands out from its competitors because xAI pitched it as being able to answer "spicy questions" other AI assistants avoid, and a version of the Grok AI model is open source. You'll have to see for yourself how "spicy" the Grok app ultimately is, but at least you don't have to go to X to use it now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/xs-grok-ai-assistant-is-now-a-standalone-app-225151579.html?src=rss
Splashy TV and laptop launches are some of the topics that tend to dominate CES, but for CES 2025, many companies tried to make waves in the robot vacuum space as well. These smart home devices have come a long way in the past few years, but it has seemed for a bit that vacuuming, mopping, and self-emptying might be the peak of what they can do. But that’s not the case, as many CES exhibitors showed by debuting home robots with new functionality — and appendages. Here’s the robot vacuums that caught our eye at CES 2025, many of which you could invite to clean your living room later this year.
Roborock Saros Z70
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Roborock's flagship vacuum for 2025 is the Roborock Saros Z70, a circular robot vacuum on the outside, that hides a retractable "OmniGrip" arm that can pick up and move objects on the inside. The arm is capable of five axis movement and is only able to carry around 300 grams, which makes it better at moving clothes and cables than anything truly heavy. Roborock claims the Saros Z70's precision sensors, LEDs, and camera will be able to identify 108 objects that it can move or avoid, with the ability to learn up to 50 custom objects, too.
The only missing pieces are a price and launch date. Roborock plans to start selling the Roborock Saros Z70 later this year, but hasn't shared what the price of the new robot will be. It might turn out that a robot arms don't come cheap.
Dreame X50 Ultra
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Dreame is one of Roborock's rivals, and it had its own new flagship robot vacuum at CES. Rather than an arm, the Dreame X50 Ultra has tiny wheeled legs for climbing (admittedly shallow) stairs. Dreame calls the feature its "ProLeap System" and it currently says that the X50 Ultra can handle stairs that are 6cm (around 2.4 inches) tall. That's a lot shorter than the average household stairs, but it does still mean Dreame's robot vacuum can reach places competitors can't.
The Dreame X50 Ultra is available to be reserved now for $39, which locks you in to a lower $1310 price and secures a longer warranty and free accessories. The robot vacuum will officially go on sale on February 4 for $1700.
Eufy E20
Eufy
Robot vacuums are convenient, but they're not yet great at reaching every corner of your home, which usually means you have to also own some kind of handheld vacuum. The Eufy E20 could eliminate that two-vacuum conundrum. It's a 3-in-1 robot vacuum that you can program to clean your house on its own, or pop out its vacuum component and use as a stick or handheld vacuum for hard to reach spots.
The goal is owning one vacuum that can adapt to all of your needs, while still offering the benefits of a robot vacuum, like a base station for automatically dumping debris. It seems like Eufy might have pulled it off, and at a relatively affordable price, too. The Eufy 3-in-1 E20 Vacuum will be available on February 10 and start at $550, with all of its accessories included.
Switchbot K20+ Pro
Switchbot
Swithcbot is known for smart home accessories like robotic curtain movers and button pushers, but the company has also been offering its own affordable robot vacuum for the last few years. The Switchbot K20+ Pro is its latest model, but also a whole new way to combine the Switchbot products you might already own.
The K20+ Pro looks a bit like normal robot vacuum, just with a rolling platform mounted on top. It can hold up to 18 lbs and you can connect Switchbot's air purifier, security camera or fan to the top and get a vacuum that doubles as a more of a general home robot. Switchbot says it's also designed to be easy to mod if you want to create your own weird attachment to go on top. The K20+ Pro is definitely equal parts goofy and clever, but it still has plenty of unknowns. There's no price or launch date beyond later this year. Switchbot plans to sell the K20+ Pro solo, and in bundles with some of the compatible accessories.
Dreame Retractable Arm Prototype
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Roborock wasn't alone in showing off a robot vacuum with an arm. Dreame's unnamed prototype robot vacuum isn't ready to go on sale, but does includes its own claw-shaped arm for grabbing things, and wheeled "legs" for getting over ledges like the Dreame X50 Ultra.
It's not clear when this prototype will become a real product or how much it'll cost when it does, but it serves as a good example that if Roborock can pull off the Saros Z70, others will certainly follow.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-new-robot-vacuums-that-caught-our-eye-at-ces-2025-210358124.html?src=rss
ASUS is leaning even harder into Copilot+PCs with it's new Vivobook 14 and 16 at CES 2025. And unlike the laptops the company introduced last fall, this time ASUS is going all in on Qualcomm chips.
Just like the new ultralight Zenbook A14, both the Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip, and in the case of both sizes of Vivobook, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. ASUS claims these new internals mean both laptops are 44 percent more performant than last generation Vivobooks and should last longer too, with a battery life of up to 19.8 hours.
Regardless of whether you buy the 14-inch or 16-inch laptop, you'll get a 60Hz, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display. Like past ASUS laptops, both Vivobooks will also use the company's "AI Camera" which can detect when you're not sitting in front of your screen and automatically dim the display to stretch battery life further, or lock your computer for added security. You'll have plenty of options if you need to plug something in, including two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port and an audio jack.
ASUS imagines the draw of all this new hardware will be the AI features they enable, like Generative Fill and Erase for editing photos or Live Captions for automatically adding subtitles to the audio on your computer. A more powerful laptop that lasts longer is more immediately appealing, though.
Alongside the new Vivobooks, ASUS is announcing two new enterprise-focused laptops, the ExpertBook B5 and B3. Both laptops come with up to an Intel Core Ultra Series 2, up to 64GB of RAM and plenty of security features to keep your data safe.
ASUS hasn't shared the availability or price of the new ExpertBooks. The ASUS Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 are available to pre-order now for $700 and $750, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/asus-brings-qualcomms-latest-chip-to-the-vivobook-14-and-16-173007085.html?src=rss
Anker may be known for power banks and charging gear, but its offerings are vast and varied from 3D printers to smart scales. Case in point, the company announced the new Anker Solix Solar Beach Umbrella at CES 2025, a flexible, freestanding shade that keeps you cool while also powering up your phone or Anker’s EverFrost 2 cooler.
As with any regular beach umbrella, the Solix Solar Beach Umbrella is portable, collapsible, and designed to protect you from rain (it’s IP67 rated) and excessive sun. What makes this solar beach umbrella unique from the one you probably have sitting in your garage are the flexible solar panels it has attached on top.
Anker
Anker says it's using perovskite solar cells in its panels, which are supposed to offer "30 percent better performance" than traditional crystalline silicon cells, and translates to a solar rated power of up to 80W. The company has offered few details about how the Solix Solar Beach Umbrella works beyond that, including how much it will actually cost when it launches, but it's not a completely unexpected extension of what Anker was already doing with solar.
The company launched its Solix line of home energy products in 2023, introducing Tesla Powerwall-esque home backup batteries, and retroactively branding portable solar panels and large capacity batteries in the process. The Solix Solar Beach Umbrella is expected to join the Solix lineup in either spring or summer 2025, according to Anker.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/anker-made-a-solar-beach-umbrella-because-of-course-030040245.html?src=rss
UFC CEO Dana White is joining Meta's board, the company announced today. The addition of the mixed-martial arts impresario jives with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's well-documented UFC fandom, but also the larger strategy Meta appears to be using heading into a second Trump term: tacking right.
That's not to say White's seat on the board is typical, however. Most of Meta's current board members work in the tech industry. The two members Meta is adding alongside White, John Elkann and Charlie Songhurst, fit the social media company's usual bill. White might say he's "a huge believer that social media and AI are the future" in Meta's press release, but the company he keeps is likely the more important reason he's joining now.
Dana White and President-elect Donald Trump have been friends for years. White supported Trump's campaign for re-election, and UFC as a whole fits his strong-man tastes. Putting White on the board is as much about burnishing Zuckerberg's self-image as it is having access to the incoming Trump Administration. The President-elect might at one point have thought that Zuckerberg should "spend the rest of his life in prison," but Meta's CEO is doing everything in his power to court him.
Zuckerberg visited Mar-A-Lago in November 2024 to have dinner with Trump, one of several tech CEOs to do so. Meta's also been adjusting its executive ranks to better work with a conservative government. The company's former President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg announced he was stepping down just last week, to be replaced by Meta's most prominent Republican executive, Joel Kaplan. Among Kaplan's credits is an eight-year stint in the Bush Administration. Zuckerberg has been in UFC mode for a while now, and it seems like for at least the next four years, Meta will be too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-adds-ufc-ceo-and-trump-booster-dana-white-to-its-board-230611306.html?src=rss
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Samsung made a bunch of announcements at CES 2025, including a slew of new laptops and TVs, but as to be expected, the company will save some of the biggest news for its own event. Samsung will host its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year on January 22, 2025 at 1 PM ET, where it will likely show off the latest in Galaxy AI and the new Galaxy devices it runs on.
The event will take place in San Jose, and like previous years, you can reserve the company's new gear in advance (and even before it's officially announced) for $50 off and the chance to win a $5,000 Samsung gift card. That's on top of Samsung's typically generous trade-in credit — this year the company says you can get up to an additional $900 credit if you trade-in an old device.
Given the timing of Unpacked, Samsung is likely to announce the Galaxy S25 series, and there's a good chance it'll use the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and sport an updated design, at least on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. What might be more interesting are the non-smartphone devices Samsung could show off. The company is rumored to already have a Galaxy Ring 2 in the works, and there's a good chance Samsung's "Project Moohan" Android XR headset could make an appearance at the event.
Engadget will have all the details of Samsung's announcements right here, but if you want to watch the event yourself, you'll be able to tune in on Samsung.com, Samsung's Newsroom or the company's YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/this-years-first-samsung-unpacked-2025-event-will-be-on-january-22-224535221.html?src=rss
TiVo is back...sort of. Xperi, the owner of the TiVo brand as of 2019, announced at CES 2025 that TiVo OS will be available in the US for the first time on Sharp TVs. The storied TV brand was last seen stateside as the TiVo Stream 4K, a $50 streaming dongle. This new software push makes TiVo the main interface of participating affordable TVs, and puts it in direct competition with Roku's operating system.
"The Sharp Smart TV Powered by TiVo" is a pretty standard TV for 2025, with an "Ultra High Definition and High Dynamic Range 55” QLED screen," according to Xperi, and three HDMI ports for connecting various accessories. It's big differentiator is TiVo OS. The operating system aggregates content from streaming services, linear TV channels, and sports packages, and gives users access to "a vast library of free and paid content," Xperi says. The OS also supports "natural voice navigation" and "advanced search and recommendation capabilities." Nothing too revolutionary when compared to the competition, but TiVo's at least known for making user-friendly ways of navigating TV content.
TiVo OS was originally announced in 2022, but TVs using the operating system didn't start shipping until 2023, and only in Europe. Sharp's TV will be the first new TiVo product in the US since the launch of the TiVo dongle. It doesn't exactly feel like a triumphant return, but to a certain kind of home theater aficionado, the TiVo name still means a lot, and Sharp is poised to take advantage of it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/tivo-os-is-coming-to-the-us-on-sharp-tvs-213938244.html?src=rss
Dell is introducing three new monitors at CES 2025, but the most interesting one includes a feature you might have already experienced with a pair of AirPods: spatial audio. The Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED Monitor is the first monitor with "AI-enhanced 3D Spatial Audio," according to Dell.
The monitor's 5x5W speakers are able to pull off their audio tricks thanks to "AI-driven head-tracking" that follows your head and adjust audio playback so you're always immersed. It's a system that seems similar to Razer's Leviathan V2 Pro PC soundbar from 2023, which also used head-tracking to simulate a spatial audio experience. Dell's just managed to cram the necessary sensors and speakers into a monitor, with likely tinnier sound as a tradeoff.
Dell
If you're more worried about the screen, you're in luck. The Dell 32 Plus 4K has a 31.5-inch QD OLED panel with up to a 120Hz refresh rate and 4K resolution, which sounds great for creative work or games. Bells and whistles like Dolby Vision, HDR TB400, and AMD FreeSync Premium mean you'll get the brightest and tear-free image when you actually sit down in front of the screen, too.
Alongside it's new spatial audio monitor, Dell is updating two sizes in its UltraSharp line, the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor and UltraSharp 30 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor. Dell claims both UltraSharps are the first "enhanced IPS Black monitors" which is supposed to mean they'll offer "three times the contrast of conventional IPS displays and 47% deeper blacks."
The Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED Monitor will be available in China on March 27, before launching worldwide on May 22 for $799.99. Both the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor and UltraSharp 30 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor will be available on February 25 for $699.99 and $949.99, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/dells-new-4k-qd-oled-monitor-comes-with-spatial-audio-194551957.html?src=rss
