Engadget News
Elections 2026Hardware / Engadget
If youve been on the fence about trying the sort of AR glasses that, until recently, were called personal cinemas, then check this out. Xreal has turned up to CES 2026 with an updated version of its entry level Xreal One glasses , first launched at the end of 2024. The new model, dubbed the 1S (yes, with a numeral rather than the word) gets marginally better specs and $50 knocked from the asking price. If youre unfamiliar, One is a wearable spatial display that connects over USB-C to any compati
SOPA Images via Getty Images We're just hours away from the start of CES 2026 , and with that comes Intel's launch event . The chip giant is expected to provide more details on its AI PC initiative and the new processors powering it: The Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs (aka Panther Lake) are made using an 18A process that's 18 angstroms , or just under 2nm and designed for high-end laptops and gaming devices . For Intel, the stakes at CES are higher than ever. In the past 12 months, both NVIDIA and t
Govee, which makes some of the more unique and interesting smart lighting products, has a new batch at CES 2026. That includes two ceiling lights (one of which simulates a skylight) and a floor lamp that supports trillions of colors. Govee describes the new Ceiling Light Ultra as the industry's first ceiling light designed as a true creative canvas. It uses 616 individually controlled LEDs (the highest in its class, according to Govee) to provide that level of detail. Using the Govee app, you ca
We could be witnessing the start of the renaissance for real buttons in cars , courtesy of Volkswagen's ID. Polo . The German automaker unveiled the interior of its upcoming compact EV, which features real buttons, switches and even a knob for audio controls. We have created an interior that feels like a friend from the very first contact, Volkswagen's chief designer, Andreas Mindt, said in a press release. Clear physical buttons provide stability and trust, warm materials make it appealing, and
A look at Hyundai's Holographic Windshield Display. (Hyundai) CES has long felt like a full-on auto show, but the car-centric energy seems somewhat muted at CES 2026 . Sure, the Afeela electric vehicle from the Sony-Honda joint venture is returning to the show floor, but with the Trump administration yanking most EV incentives from the market, the industry isn't offering a full-court press of new vehicles in Las Vegas this year. That said, there's no shortage of in-cabin car tech on display, inc
Californians can now put a stop to their personal data being sold around on an online trading floor, thanks to a new free tool. On January 1, the state launched its Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, shortened to DROP , that allows residents to request to delete all of their personal information online that's been harvested by data brokers. According to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy), which was responsible for DROP's release, it's a first of its kind tool that imposes ne
The new year is upon us, and that means CES 2026 is imminent. The biggest tech trade show of the calendar comes with a bevy of new and notable announcements that set the tone for trends and expectations for the subsequent 12 months. The CES 2026 show floor is officially open from January 6 through 9, but the fun kicks off with events on Sunday January 4, followed by a host of press conferences on Monday. As always, product demos, announcements and networking will be happening at the Las Vegas Co
You might recognize Bosch as a home appliance name (thanks to its partnership with Siemens), but the German multinational brand's core business is really about providing the underlying technology and engineering that powers cars, homes and factories around the world. That focus is reflected at CES 2026 , where much of what Bosch is unveiling is intended to be licensed to other companies rather than sold as Bosch-branded products on store shelves. Case in point is Bosch's automotive plans at CES.
The price for a PS4 copy of the relatively obscure Star Wars racing game, Star Wars Racer Revenge , has dramatically increased in the last few days because of the games use in the latest PlayStation 5 jailbreak, Eurogamer reports . The PS2 game was originally released in 2002, and was ported to PS4 by Limited Run Games in 2019 . Its role as a key ingredient in the jailbreaking process was announced on December 31. Interested jailbreakers need Racer Revenge to jailbreak PS5 12.00 firmware because
Christmas may be over, but some holiday VPN deals are still going strong. The early days of January are a great time to grab a last-minute subscription for yourself or a loved one. With access to a virtual private network (VPN) , you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN , jumping on the first deal that comes along might get you stuck with a substandard app. Beyond that,
NurPhoto via Getty Images Samsung is arguably the 800-pound gorilla of CES, with a full spectrum of products that range from phones and computers to refrigerators, AI assistants and rolling robots. But for CES 2026 , the company is switching things up a bit: Instead of its longtime midday Monday press conference, the Korean giant will take the lead of the show with a Sunday night presentation. Over the past few weeks, Samsung has been dropping hints about what's on the agenda, but what we're rea
With CES 2026 slated to officially start next week , the focus is understandably on all the new products that will be announced at this year's event. But before diving into whats new, we thought it was a good idea to revisit our best of show winners from last year to see where they're at. After all, CES is synonymous with vaporware. The good news is the Engadget team has a keen sense for BS. Of the ones we awarded at CES 2025 thathaventbeen released, most are coming this year. For the remaining
Smart fridges are a dime a dozen at CES, and LG and Samsung have thoroughly explored what's possible when you connect your fridge to the internet or slap a touchscreen on the front. The new GE Profile Smart Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant GE is announcing ahead of CES 2026 doesn't reinvent the wheel in that regard, but it does include a first: a built-in barcode scanner for adding items to your shopping list. GE's Scan-to-List feature uses the barcode scanner to quickly (and precisely) add i
AMD is kicking off CES 2026 on Monday, where it'll cover its latest AI developments and perhaps show off its newest Ryzen chips. The company will outline the full scope of its vision for AI implementations from across the full spectrum of consumer and enterprise applications. The presentation which is the lead keynote for CES 2026 will be led by CEO Dr. Lisa Su. We'll tell you how to tune in to the livestream and what else you can expect to see. How to watch AMD's keynote live Dr. Su will deli
The latest entry-level Kindle ereader is on sale for $90 via Amazon . This is a nice discount of $20. It's not a record-low price, but it's certainly a budget-friendly way to keep that New Year's resolution to read more . This made our list of the best ereaders , and for good reason. It's an iconic device that gets the job done. It doesn't have much by way of modern bells and whistles, but it ships with 16GB of storage and comes in two snazzy colorways. The build is compact and durable. It's als
Clicks is bringing its physical keyboard products to CES yet again, and these are chock full of nostalgia. The company has also unveiled its first smartphone, aimed at communication, not consumption, that it says will function as a second phone used mostly for messaging. The phone is dubbed the Clicks Communicator and features a tactile keyboard, a 4-inch OLED display, a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable microSD storage up to 2TB. The interface is built on Android 16 and supports hardware-leve
It's time for more speedrunning (and other shenanigans) with the Games Done Quick (GDQ) crew. The first event of the year, Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ), kicks off on Sunday, January 4, with Super Mario Sunshine . Donations for this year's shindig will benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation . AGDQ 2026 has a whole week of 24/7 speedruns on tap. You'll see slots for some of 2025's biggest games: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II are part of the festivities. Metal
LG just announced some new Gram AI laptops ahead of CES 2026 . These are incredibly portable laptops that the company says are the lightest in their class. This is largely thanks to a proprietary material that LG has dubbed Aerominum. This material reportedly reduces the laptop's weight while reinforcing structural strength. In other words, these computers are both light and durable. Each model offers improved scratch resistance, while providing a sleek metallic finish. The laptops have also bee
Youve probably heard people say its impossible to go back and correct some error from the past. To those people, you should raise a middle finger in defiance (they are miserable, after all), and then point them to the tale of Pebbles unlikely revival. The smartwatch pioneers return was a surprise of 2025 , and now the company has resurrected one of its last great triumphs. Its announcing the Pebble Round 2, and company founder Eric Migicovsky is looking to put right what once went wrong. The Peb
Were gearing up for CES 2026! Engadget will be on the ground, once again, to dive into the latest TVs, wearables and other wild tech from the worlds biggest consumer electronics show. In this episode, we chat about some new products we expect to see, like Micro RGB LED TVs and AI devices, and peer into whats ahead for the rest of 2026. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien This
Elon Musk's Grok AI has been allowing users to transform photographs of woman and children into sexualized and compromising images, Bloomberg reported. The issue has created an uproar among users on X and prompted an apology from the bot itself. I deeply regret an incident on Dec. 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user's prompt, Grok said in a post. An X representative has yet to comment on the matter. A
Fender Audio, the consumer electronics arm of the instrument maker, will introduce two flagship audio products at this year's CES in Las Vegas. These products were made under a licensing agreement with Singapore-based company RiffSound. First up is a line of Bluetooth speakers dubbed the ELIE (Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive). The lineup includes two models, the E6 and E12. The speakers leverage a combination of DSP and system-on-a-chip processing, which Fender says can deliver more volume
It's been known for months now that technology giant Lenovo is hosting its Tech World event at Sphere in Las Vegas during CES week . Like many other tech conglomerates, the world's largest PC manufacturer by units shipped will put its main focus on AI. Lenovo says it's a Tech World experience unlike anything CES has seen before. We'll tell you where to livestream the event and what to expect so far. How to watch the Lenovo CES 2026 event live Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang will host the event on Tuesd
Instagrams top exec Adam Mosseri expects AI content to overtake non-AI imagery and discussed the implications for the platform and users. Mosseri shared his thoughts on broader trends he expects to shape Instagram in 2026. Everything that made creators matter the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldnt be faked is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools, he wrote. The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything. He added: There is already a growi
The Swiss minimal phone pioneer Punkt is back with another model, the MC03. The new handset continues Punkt's focus on privacy, security and digital minimalism. If you've never seen Punkt's MP01 and MP02, the company's gorgeously minimal dumb phone line , they're something to behold. (The MP01 is quite literally a museum piece, in New Yorks Museum of Modern Art.) Meanwhile, this new MC03 is the company's second stab at a more practical touchscreen smartphone, following 2023s MC02. What you lose
A great rice cooker can change the way you handle weeknight meals. Instead of watching the pot or dealing with uneven results, you get fluffy, consistent rice with almost no effort. Modern rice cookers can do a lot more than white rice, too. Many handle brown rice, oatmeal and grains, and some function like mini multi-cookers for soups or stews. With so many options available, the best rice cooker for you depends on how often you cook, how much counter space you have and which features matter mo
A good laptop for both gaming and schoolwork strikes a balance that goes beyond raw power. It should handle essays and research during the day, then jump into your favorite games when you are ready to take a break. That mix is easier to find now, with more laptops offering capable GPUs, solid battery life and designs that do not look out of place in a classroom. Whether you want a budget gaming laptop for lighter titles or a more powerful system that can run demanding games, there is something t
Starlink will lower the orbits of roughly 4,400 satellites this year as a safety measure, according to engineering VP, Michael Nicolls. In a post on X , Nicolls wrote that the company is beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation, in which all satellites orbiting at around 550 kilometers (342 miles) will be lowered to around 480 km (298 miles). The move is intended to reduce the risk of collisions, putting the satellites in a region that's less cluttered and will allo
Samsung has upgraded its Freestyle portable projector for 2026. The company announced a new model, the Freestyle+, ahead of CES, touting twice the brightness of its predecessor at 430 ISO lumens, and AI-powered screen optimization features. As with Freestyles past, the Freestyle+ offers 180-degree rotation and 360-degree audio. This one also supports Q-Symphony so it'll work with some Samsung soundbars. Samsung hasn't revealed much else in the way of specs or pricing, but it'll be showing off th
A look at Hyundai's Holographic Windshield Display. (Hyundai) While it often feels like a full-on auto show, the car vibes feel somewhat lessened at CES 2026 . Yes, the Afeela electric vehicle from the Sony-Honda joint venture will be back on the floor, but with the Trump administration yanking most EV incentives from the market, the industry isn't offering a full-court press of new vehicles in Las Vegas this year. That said, there's still plenty of in-cabin car tech on display, including Hyunda
Most Apple products are pretty expensive, but some of the most affordable (and useful) ones are AirTags . The Bluetooth trackers are priced pretty reasonably even when not on sale, but they can be a steal if you can get them on a discount like right now. A four pack of AirTags is on sale for $65 at Amazon, which is only a few dollars more than the record-low price we saw during Black Friday a couple of months ago. AirTags can be useful for people who travel frequently, helping you to keep track
One of the many concerns about artificial intelligence these days is how the rush to build data centers is impacting local communities. Data centers can create a drain on resources , and some utility companies have already said customers can expect to see their electricity bills growing as these facilities increase demand. There have been some discussions of what other power sources could support the AI engine, and wind power specialist Airloom is one company that's looking to address the proble
For a tech writer, being very offline is sort of like being a marathon coach who doesnt run. So in 2025, I tried to reverse years of studied avoidance towards the most ubiquitous technological phenomenon on earth I got back on social media. The change was short-lived. My first exodus from the feeds took some work disabling notifications, removing apps from my homescreen and then deleting accounts entirely. This time, the phone put itself down. The whole thing has simply lost its luster. I star
You may know Bosch as a home appliance brand (via its partnership with Siemens), but the German multinational is generally more focused on providing underlying technology and engineering solutions to auto, home and manufacturing partners across the globe. It's fitting, then, that much of what it's showing off at CES 2026 is more intended to be licensed to other companies versus Bosch-branded products you'll be seeing on store shelves. Case in point is Bosch's automotive plans at CES. The company
The start of a new year always feels like a reset button. Everyones talking about moving more, eating better, sleeping longer or finally taming their digital chaos. But resolutions rarely survive on willpower alone. The right tools or piece of tech can make those goals easier to keep by turning motivation into a habit. Whether youre trying to close your rings, track your progress or just build better routines, these smart picks make self-improvement feel a little more achievable, and a lot more
If you are trying to stay on top of your health this year, a smart scale can make the process feel more manageable. These devices log details like body fat, muscle mass and water levels, then sync everything to your phone so you can see patterns instead of guessing. It is an easy way to track changes and stay motivated between workouts or check-ins with your doctor. Some smart scales keep things simple and focus on just your data, while others tie into big fitness platforms or support multiple u
It's no secret that AI-generated content took over our social media feeds in 2025. Now, Instagram's top exec Adam Mosseri has made it clear that he expects AI content to overtake non-AI imagery and the significant implications that shift has for its creators and photographers. Mosseri shared the thoughts in a lengthy post about the broader trends he expects to shape Instagram in 2026. And he offered a notably candid assessment on how AI is upending the platform. Everything that made creators mat
NurPhoto via Getty Images Samsung is arguably the 800-pound gorilla of CES, with a full spectrum of products that range from phones and computers to refrigerators to AI assistants and rolling robots. But for CES 2026 , the company is shaking up the schedule a bit: Instead of its longtime midday Monday press conference position, the Korean giant will front-run the entire show with a Sunday night presentation. Samsung has already given a few hints as to what's on the agenda, but what we're really
Sony's CES 2026 press conference is just days away, but this year has a twist: Instead of an overview of Sony's electronics, video game and Hollywood studio plans for the new year, the presser will apparently have a more narrow focus: electric vehicles. That's because the traditional end-of-press-day slot isn't just Sony, but rather Sony Honda Mobility the joint venture responsible for the Afeela 1 electric car that has been showcased at CES for the better part of a decade. This year, however,
Sony has revealed the first batch of PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for 2026. There are three titles to play this month, all of which drop on January 6. As always, youll retain access to these games as long as your subscription remains active. First up, there's Need For Speed Unbound . This is a racing game that came out at the tail-end of 2022 and was the first entry in the franchise for several years before that. It has a unique visual style, thanks to cel-shaded graphics, with all kinds of ve
LG For years, LG has kicked off CES press day with the first event of the morning and 2026 will be no different. The Korea-based corporation is theming its presentation as Innovation in Tune with You , and if it follows the template of past presentations it will highlight both the consumer electronics and large appliance sides of its mammoth global businesses. Like nearly all tech-centric events these days, expect AI to be the binding theme of the LG presentation at CES 2026 . Just be aware
The new year is upon us, and that means CES 2026 is imminent. The biggest tech trade show of the calendar comes with a bevy of new and notable announcements that set the tone for trends and expectations for the subsequent 12 months. The CES 2026 show floor is officially open from January 6 through 9, but the fun kicks off with events on Sunday January 4, followed by a host of press conferences on Monday. As always, product demos, announcements and networking will be happening at the Las Vegas Co
Chances are that if a VPN is marketed to everyday users, it more or less runs itself. As long as you go with one of the best VPNs instead of setting up your own manual connection, the interface is likely built so you have to engage with it as little as possible. Generally, if you find yourself constantly thinking about your VPN while using it as happened to me with Norton VPN that's a bad thing and you should change providers. That said, it's still useful to get a high-level view of how to use
The festive lights, time off and cute scarfs can only conceal the truth for so long: Winter can be pretty bleak. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's cold all of the time, dark most of the time and this lasts far beyond the most wonderful time of the year. Here at Engadget, we've tried so many tools and products to make winter more bearable from therapy lamps to heaters . We've invested in tea sets, wrapped ourselves in heated blankets and learned to grow herbs indoors really, anything that wi
picture alliance via Getty Images The Lego Group is hosting its first-ever press conference at CES 2026 but what the company is going to announce remains a mystery. While the huge toy brick creators haven't given any hints as to what they'll be showcasing, the possibilities run the gamut from new video games to Formula 1 race cars. Here's how you can watch Lego's presentation at CES, and what we might expect to see. How to watch The Lego Group's CES 2026 press conference The Lego CES press conf
Here are some of this year's biggest, most star-studded TV specials you can watch to help you ring in 2026. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images) CHARLY TRIBALLEAU via Getty Images This year, it seems like there are more ways than ever to celebrate New Year's Eve... from the comfort of your couch, that is. Whether you want to catch the enduring Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve hosted by Ryan Seacrest and filmed live out of Times Square in New York City, or check out of one the many other
Choosing a camera is not just about resolution or price. It is about finding something that matches how you like to shoot. Some photographers want a compact mirrorless camera that travels easily. Others want an action cam that can handle rough hikes, or a full-frame system that delivers the best possible image quality. With so many options today, there is a camera built for almost every creative style. We tested the top models across categories to help you decide which one fits your needs. Wheth

12 C