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Latest story• Jan 7, 2026

These robotic sneakers gave me a surprising boost at CES

Robotics company Dephy has developed the Sidekick, a $4,500 robotic sneaker system with an ankle exoskeleton that provides a "boost" with each step to help people walk longer distances. The battery-powered device uses sensors to detect the wearer's gait and delivers an upward push from under the heel, creating a bouncy sensation. Dephy has partnered with Nike on Project Amplify, with early testers improving their...

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Rokid’s new AI glasses are lighter, cheaper, and ready to challenge Meta’s Ray-Bans

Rokid launched the AI Glasses Style at CES, offering a screenless alternative to Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses at $299—$80 cheaper than Meta's version. The lightweight glasses use voice commands and ChatGPT-5 to handle tasks like...

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ASUS and XREAL teamed up at CES to make gaming smartglasses with two important upgrades

ASUS and XREAL launched the ROG XREAL R1 AR gaming glasses at CES 2025, featuring 240Hz refresh rate and 91-gram weight. The glasses include a control dock for switching between gaming systems.

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Can RGB mini-LED dethrone OLED? Here’s what it needs to do

RGB mini-LED technology is emerging as a potential challenger to OLED's dominance in premium TVs, with major brands like Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL planning 2026 releases starting at 55-inch sizes. While RGB mini-LED excels in...

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Google Classroom’s new tool uses Gemini to transform lessons into podcast episodes

Google Classroom's new Gemini-powered tool converts educational content into customizable podcast-style audio lessons. This targets Gen Z's podcast preferences, potentially increasing student engagement through familiar audio...

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Fujifilm’s new instant camera captures video with vintage effects

Fujifilm's Instax Mini Evo Cinema combines instant photo printing with 15-second video recording, featuring vintage design and decade-themed effects. Users can print video frames with QR codes linking to online clips.

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17 CES gadgets you can buy right now

CES 2026 showcases numerous tech products that consumers can purchase immediately rather than waiting months for availability. Notable gadgets include Anker's $40 smart charging display, Corsair's $350 gaming keyboard with...

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Roblox now requires age verification to use in-game chat

Roblox now requires age verification through selfies or ID checks for chat access, launching January 7. Players are grouped into six age categories with restricted chat, while those under 9 need parental approval.

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IKEA's first CES appearance included a $6 Matter smart bulb

IKEA made its CES debut showcasing 21 new Matter-compatible smart home devices priced as low as $6, including smart bulbs, plugs, and an innovative magnetic remote control called BILREA. The affordable lineup will arrive in IKEA...

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Samsung’s Ballie home robot, once promised for summer 2025, gets grim update

Samsung's Ballie home robot, originally promised for summer 2025 with AI-powered home management features, has been indefinitely shelved according to Bloomberg. Samsung now describes Ballie as an "active innovation platform" for...

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Samsung says RAM costs will likely lead to price hikes soon

AI data centers are consuming massive amounts of memory, creating a global RAM shortage. Samsung warns this will force price increases across all product lines, including automotive applications.

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Spotify lowers monetization threshold for video podcasts

Spotify cut video podcast monetization requirements from 12 to 3 episodes and reduced listener thresholds. The platform added new sponsorship tools and an API to compete with YouTube in video content.

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Spotify now lets you share what you’re streaming in real time with friends

Spotify's new Messages feature shows friends' real-time streaming and enables collaborative listening requests called Jams. This keeps social music sharing in-app to boost user retention and attract more subscribers.

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Commodore 64 floppy drive has the power to be a computer and runs BASIC

The Commodore 1541 floppy disk drive from 1982 contains its own 1 MHz MOS 6502 processor, RAM, ROM, and I/O components powerful enough to function as a standalone computer. A YouTube creator transformed the drive into a basic...

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I saw a two-legged Roborock that is rocking the robot vacuum market at CES 2026

Robot vacuums just learned to walk upstairs. Roborock unveiled its Saros Rover at CES 2025, featuring what the company calls "wheel-leg architecture" that allows the device to extend foldable legs and lift its body nearly a foot...

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iPolish brings color-changing press-on smart nails to CES

iPolish unveiled press-on smart nails at CES 2026 that change colors using electric charges, inspired by a 1990 Total Recall scene. Users charge a phone-connected wand, select colors through an app, and apply brief electrical...

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Why the DJI Mini 3 with 5.5″ Screen-Equipped RC Remote Continues to Win Drone Pilots Over

The DJI Mini 3 at $439 combines exceptional portability with professional features, weighing under 249 grams to avoid registration requirements. Its integrated 5.5-inch screen controller eliminates phone mounting hassles and...

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Lenovo goes sci-fi with its wild XD Rollable Concept at CES 2026

Lenovo unveiled its XD Rollable Concept laptop at CES 2026, featuring a flexible OLED display that expands from 13.3 inches to 16 inches while wrapping around the lid to create a secondary "world-facing" display on the back. This...

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Apple’s next iPhone is about to enter mass production, per leaker

Apple's budget iPhone 17e starts mass production after CES, targeting a late February launch. The affordable model features a 6.1-inch display, A19 chip, and enhanced cameras for entry-level users.

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This robot pool cleaner lifts itself out of the water to charge

Mammotion unveiled the Spino S1 Pro robot pool cleaner at CES 2025, featuring a revolutionary robotic arm docking system that automatically lifts the device out of water for charging. The cleaner uses cameras and sensors to...

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Razer’s AI wearable is a headset with built-in cameras

Razer unveiled Project Motoko at CES, a concept AI wearable that looks like wireless headphones but features dual cameras at eye level to capture surrounding objects and text. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, the device...

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Forget humanoids, the real robot revolution is coming for your lawn

While humanoid robots remain far from reality, robotic lawnmowers have reached maturity at CES 2026, with companies like Worx and Segway unveiling advanced third and fourth-generation models that use LiDAR and AI vision to...

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Dreame's robot vacuum with an arm is back at CES 2026 and it can do more than pick up shoes

Dreame's €1799 Cyber 10 Ultra robot vacuum has a mechanical arm that lifts 500-gram objects and grabs cleaning tools for hard-to-reach areas, launching in August.

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Corsair made a keyboard with a built-in Stream Deck

Corsair unveiled the Galleon 100 SD gaming keyboard at CES 2026, combining a mechanical keyboard with an integrated Stream Deck controller featuring 12 programmable buttons, a 5-inch screen, and rotary encoders. The $350 device...

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