Monthly Archives: January 2024

The best laptops of CES 2024

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CES 2024 in Las Vegas had all kinds of tech, from attention-grabbing AI gadgets to, uh, whatever this is. There were also a whole bunch of laptops. Like, an endless array of laptops. So many laptops, in fact, that we had a real tough time deciding between them to choose our best of CES award winners.

These weren’t just any laptops with minor spec bumps. The theme of the year was, of course, AI, with many computers adopting dedicated AI chips. OLED displays with speedy refresh rates were also all over the show floor and, of course, there were several unique designs that just about defy description. We’ve gone through them all and come up with a list of the best laptops at CES.

ASUS Zenbook Duo

A two-screen laptop on a desk.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The dream of a dual-screen laptop isn’t dead! The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a technical marvel, with a dual-screen display and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard. In other words, you can use it in a traditional clamshell mode, with a keyboard in front of one of the displays, or you can balance the screens on top of one another. This is great for those who want the convenience of a laptop, but with added screen real estate.

The aesthetics are on point and the Duo includes high-end hardware like Intel's Core Ultra chips and gorgeous OLED screens. The price is also fairly reasonable, given the tech, as this laptop starts at $1,500.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16

Back of a laptop.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

ASUS strikes again. The ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 line has gotten a full redesign, with an attractive aluminum chassis and plenty of power underneath the hood. These laptops can run just about any AAA game on the market, thanks to its AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors and the optional NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU at the high end.

We called it a “grown up” and “sophisticated” gaming laptop because, well, that’s what it is. It’s incredibly sleek and would feel at home in an office and in a basement-turned-gaming-paradise. It’s also lighter than previous generations, making it more portable. Each model ships with a simple LED slash across the front that can be programmed to glow in gray or white, instead of the typical Skittles rainbow of colors found with most gaming laptops. There’s no pricing on these yet.

HP Omen Transcend 14

A very light laptop on a desk.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

There’s a new record-breaker in town. The HP Open Transcend 14 is the lightest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world, weighing just 3.5 pounds. Even cooler? HP seems to have hit this milestone without cutting too many corners. Despite being closer in size and weight to an ultraportable than an average gaming laptop, you still get support for the 14th-gen Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 processor, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 2TB of storage and an RTX 4070 GPU. This thing won’t struggle to play modern games.

Despite the teeny-tiny dimensions, you still get two USB-A and two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4) plus a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack on the back. You’ll also have the option to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 card with Bluetooth 5.4. This laptop starts at $1,600 and goes on sale later this year.

Dell’s new XPS line

A trio of laptops.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Dell has upgraded its entire XPS line, with form factors that resemble last year’s XPS 13 Plus. The redesign covers the new XPS 13, 14 and 16, and there’s no longer a Plus line. Each of these laptops boasts a glass wrist wrest that hides an invisible haptic touchpad. There’s also touch-sensitive function buttons above the keyboard and large key caps for comfortable typing.

The XPS line includes Intel’s Core Ultra chips, which feature NPUs for AI tasks. The ports are on point, with the XPS 14 and 16 boasting a headphone jack, three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slots and a microSD card reader. The minimalist design here is gorgeous and these laptops nearly made our best of CES list, but not quite. Once these are out in the wild, however, they could wind up on our list of the best laptops in 2024, just like the XPS 13 Plus.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5

A bizarre detachable laptop thingie.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

We promised unique and funky designs, and here’s one. The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 is a Frankenstein’s monster of sorts, with a design that’s basically two gadgets smashed together. This is anything but your typical 2-in-1 device. At first glance, the ThinkBook Plus looks like an ordinary clamshell, but the display lifts right off and becomes a 14-inch tablet.

Not that big of a deal right? Here’s where things get interesting. Once removed, both components remain fully functional. So you can use the tablet as a standalone Android device, a wireless monitor for the laptop base or a Wacom-like inking display via Lenovo’s Freestyle app. Meanwhile, you can also use the deck as a mini desktop by plugging in an external screen. Now that’s some modular thinking. This thing starts at $2,000, however, which is fairly steep.

Everything else

There were many laptops that just missed this list, but still deserve mention.

  • MSI 18-inch laptops - The company went big this year, introducing a trio laptops with 18-inch displays. Now you won’t have to sacrifice screen real estate for portability.

  • Acer Predator Helios 18 - This is another large laptop with an 18-inch screen. However, the Predator Helios 18 also features a uniquely-designed hinge absolutely stuffed with RGB lights.

  • Acer Swift and Aspire - These are basic refreshes that don’t offer much by way of innovation, but will certainly sell like absolute hotcakes. They are stuffed with AI, however, with Intel's new Core Ultra processors and dedicated keys that can summon Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant.

  • Razer Blade line - Razer offered a refresh of its entire Blade gaming laptop line. The biggest news here? The Razer Blade 16 features a glorious 240Hz OLED display.

  • Alienware m16 R2 - What would CES be without some Alienware goodness? The m16 R2 is a sleek gaming laptop with a large 90 Whr battery, slim bezels and a beefy touchpad – all in a package with a 15 percent smaller footprint than previous iterations.

  • Lenovo Legion updates - Lenovo announced a slew of new Legion gaming laptops at CES, each featuring proprietary cooling technology and performance-enhancing AI chips. These all ship with Windows 11 and come with three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

  • Sightful Spacetop - Well, here’s another funky one. The Spacetop doesn’t have an actual screen. It ships with AR glasses that allow for a 100-inch virtual display. The design is nifty, but the execution is iffy.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-laptops-of-ces-2024-174531438.html?src=rss

The Pebble Flow is an all-electric trailer for the EV age

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With the transition to electric vehicles, the way we travel needs to change too. And at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, the Pebble Flow is providing a glimpse at how an RV designed for the EV age should function.

The 25 feet long Pebble Flow is designed for a family of four. Interior space stands at about 150 square-feet though, unlike some of its competitors, there aren’t any pop-out sections to expand its dimensions. Powering the whole thing is a 45 kWh LFP battery and a 1kW solar panel that provide enough juice to keep the RV running for about a week. And in addition to having support for up to Level 3 DC fast charging (with a 0 to 80 percent charge taking about an hour), the Pebble Flow also offers vehicle-to-load functionality, allowing you to power other devices, recharge an EV, or even keep the lights on in your home during an outage.

What might be even more impressive is that, if you opt for its optional dual motor Magic Pack, the Pebble Flow turns into a self-propelled RV that can self park and even automatically hitch itself, thanks to some help from its NVIDIA Drive Orin SoC. The propulsion part is kind of a big deal because, depending on the load, towing something with an EV has a massive impact on range. You could go from a typical range for an EV of 250 to 300 miles down to just 100 miles or less. But with the Pebble Flow’s dual motor, there’s a much less severe drop that could allow for trips of up to 200 miles or more before needing to recharge.

On the inside, the Pebble Flow offers a comfortable, contemporary almost Scandinavian design. Plus there’s a handful of techy features that I really appreciate. Right inside the door is a detachable tablet that serves as the control center for the entire RV. You can turn lights on or off, lock the doors, adjust temperature or even activate Pebble’s Magic Hitch feature. To ensure more complicated functions don’t get activated by accident, you’ll need to input a password or biometrics first.

From there you move into the Pebble Flow’s dining room which features a wraparound couch and table with more than enough room for four. And at night, the table can be lowered, covered with nearby cushions and converted into a bed. Next there’s the kitchen which is surprisingly large for an RV this size. Instead of a gas range, the Pebble Flow has two induction burners that can even be removed if you feel like cooking outside. Meanwhile, the faucet can spin 180-degree so you can wash up from outside. There’s also a large fridge and a 4-in-1 microwave/oven/toaster/air fryer built into the wall.

But the Pebble Flow’s coolest feature is almost certainly the glass separating its bathroom from the rest of the cabin. Normally, it’s transparent to help preserve a sense of roominess. However, at the touch of a button, the electrochromic glass becomes completely opaque so you can handle your business in private. And smartly, the button to make it go clear or frosted is the only thing in the RV you can’t control from the tablet or the RV’s mobile app. After all, the last thing you want is a toddler touching the wrong thing and putting your whole ass on display for guests.

Finally, in back there’s a queen-size Murphy bed that can transform into a shared working space in just a few seconds. It’s a nice space saving feature which the company says can help the Pebble Flow potentially pull double duty as an office space or ADU (accessory dwelling unit) when it’s parked at home.

There isn’t a single feature or component that’s really revolutionary. Instead, it’s how everything works together, from controlling its lights via its tablet and mobile app, to having a sizable 45 kWh battery for powering the RV, appliances or anything else you might have. And when paired with an electric tow vehicle, the Pebble Flow helps preserve your EV’s range while making it super simple to park and hitch. It’s not an RV reinvented, just one that’s been optimized for the age of EVs.

The Pebble Flow starts at $109,000 or $125,000 when equipped with the company’s dual motor Magic Pack. Pre-orders are already live with Pebble expecting to begin deliveries before the end of the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-pebble-flow-is-an-all-electric-trailer-for-the-ev-age-173009191.html?src=rss

Apple Vision Pro pre-orders require a FaceID scan with an iPhone or iPad

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Apple sent an email to customers today notifying them that when they pre-order the Vision Pro starting on January 19, they will need to scan their face with an iPhone or iPad using Face ID to make sure they get a precise band fit on the headset. Deliveries will begin when it launches on February 2. US shoppers will be able to purchase the headset on apple.com, in the Apple Store app and in retail Apple Stores.

Apple said the latest version of the Apple Store app will be needed for shoppers to conduct a face scan. Additionally, for people that wear glasses, there will be an option to add optical inserts into the headset so that they can be worn without eyewear. To get the inserts for an additional fee, provided by its partner Zeiss, Apple says shoppers will need to share an updated official prescription document when pre-ordering the headset.

For those on the fence about purchasing the Vision Pro, which starts around ​​$3,499, Apple said the headset will be available in store for demos on the launch date. The Vision Pro, which was first announced at Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote, received praise for its crisp 3D visuals during a hands-on preview. The headset will provide more than just a VR screen and speaker system for watching films and playing games — it will eventually act as a tool that will connect friends in Horizon Worlds.

The option to freely roam around a virtual world with an integrated gaming program made by Meta will push the bounds for what constitutes modern social networking and online gaming. Apple’s push for the Vision Pro to be branded and function as a spatial computer will also create endless possibilities for developers to create compelling apps.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-vision-pro-pre-orders-require-a-faceid-scan-with-an-iphone-or-ipad-171544636.html?src=rss

Our favorite accessibility innovations at CES 2024

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So much of what we see at CES tends to be focused on technological innovation for the sake of innovation, or obvious attempts to tap into whatever trend is gripping the internet's attention that year. In the last few shows, though, there has been a heartening increase in attention to assistive products that are designed to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and other different needs. At CES 2024, I was glad to see more development in the accessibility category, with many offerings appearing to be more thoughtfully designed in addition to being clever. It's so easy to get distracted by the shiny, eye-catching, glamorous and weird tech at CES, but I wanted to take the time to give due attention to some of my favorite accessibility products here in Las Vegas.

GyroGlove

Before I even packed my bags, numerous coworkers had sent me the link to GyroGlove's website after it had been recognized as an honoree for several CES Innovation awards. The device is a hand-stabilizing glove that uses gyroscopic force to help those with hand tremors minimize the shakes. Because the demo unit at the show floor was too large for me, and, more importantly, I don't have hand tremors, I couldn't accurately assess the glove's effectiveness. 

But I spoke with a person with Parkinson's Disease at the booth, who had been wearing one for a few days. She said the GyroGlove helped her perform tasks like buttoning up a shirt more easily, and that she intended to buy one for herself. At $5,899, the device is quite expensive, which is the sad state of assistive products these days. But GyroGlove's makers said they're in talks with some insurance providers in the US, which could lead to it being covered for those in America who could benefit from it. That's one of the biggest reasons that led us to name GyroGlove one of our winners for CES 2024. 

A down-up look at the MouthPad inside a person's mouth.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

MouthPad

I did not think I'd be looking deep into a person's mouth and up their nose at CES 2024, but here we are. Sometimes you have to do strange things to check out unconventional gadgets. The MouthPad is as unusual as it gets. It's a tongue-operated controller for phones, tablets and laptops, and basically anything that will accept a Bluetooth mouse input. The components include a touchpad mounted onto the palette of what's essentially a retainer, as well as a battery and Bluetooth radio. 

As odd as the concept sounds, it actually could be a boon for people who aren't able to use their limbs, since your tongue, as a muscle, can offer more precise movement and control than, say, your eyes. If you're feeling apprehensive about sticking a device inside your mouth, it might be helpful to know that the battery is from the same company that's made them for medical-grade implants, while the rest of the dental tray is made from a resin that's commonly used in aligners and bite guards. The product is currently available as an early access package that includes setup and calibration assistance, with a new version (with longer battery life) slated for launch later this year.

OrCam Hear

Assistive tech company OrCam won our Best of CES award for accessibility in 2022, so I was eager to check out what it had in store this year. I wasn't disappointed. The company had a few updated products to show off, but the most intriguing was a new offering for people with hearing loss. The OrCam Hear system is a three-part package consisting of a pair of earbuds, a dongle for your phone and an app. Together, the different parts work to filter out background noise while identifying and isolating specific speakers in a multi-party conversation.

At a demo during a noisy event at CES 2024, I watched and listened as the voices of selected people around me became clear or muffled as company reps dragged their icons in or out of my field of hearing. I was especially impressed when the system was able to identify my editor next to me and let me choose to focus on or filter out his voice. 

Audio Radar

If you're a gamer, you'll know how important audio cues can sometimes be for a successful run. Developers frequently design the sound environment for their games to be not only rich and immersive, but to also contain hints about approaching enemies or danger. Players who are hard of hearing can miss out on this, and it's not fair for them to be disadvantaged due to a disability. 

A product called Audio Radar can help turn sound signals into visual cues, so that gamers with hearing loss can "see the sound," according to the company. The setup is fairly simple. A box plugs into a gaming console to interpret the audio output and convert it into lights. A series of RGB light bars surround the screen, and display different colors depending on the type of sound coming from the respective direction they represent.

CES 2024 saw not just Audio Radar's official launch, but was also where the company introduced its SDK for game developers to create custom visual cues for players who are hard of hearing. The company's founder and CEO Tim Murphy told Engadget that it's partnering with Logitech, with the gaming accessory maker "providing support as we further develop our product and design our go-to-market strategy." 

A person wearing the TranscribeGlass on the right side of a pair of black-framed glasses.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Transcribe Glass

Google Glass was resurrected at CES 2024. Sort of. A new product called Transcribe Glass is a small heads up display you can attach to any frames, and the result looks a lot like the long-dead Google device. It connects to your phone and uses that device's onboard processing to transcribe what it hears, then projects the text onto the tiny transparent display hovering above the eye. You'll be able to resize the font, adjust the scrolling speed and choose your language model of choice, since TranscribeGlass uses third-party APIs for translation. Yes, it converts foreign languages into one you understand, too. 

The company is targeting year's end for launch, and hoping to offer the device at $199 to start. When I tried it on at the show floor, I was surprised by how light and adjustable the hardware was. I had to squint slightly to see the captions, and was encountering some Bluetooth lag, but otherwise the transcriptions took place fairly quickly and appeared to be accurate. The TranscribeGlass should last about eight hours on a charge, which seems reasonable given all that it's doing. 

Samsung's subtitle accessibility features

Though we didn't catch a demo of this in person, Samsung did briefly mention a "sign language feature in Samsung Neo QLED" that "can be easily controlled with gestures for the hearing impaired, and an Audio Subtitle feature [that] turns text subtitles into spoken words in real-time for those with low vision." We weren't able to find this at the show, but the concept is certainly meaningful. Plus, the fact that Samsung TVs have mainstream appeal means these features could be more widely available that most of the niche products we've covered in this roundup.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-accessibility-products-at-ces-2024-170009710.html?src=rss

The Apple Watch Series 9 is back to $329, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

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The big news in tech right now is CES in Las Vegas and our team has been on the ground all week checking out the new products. A surprising amount of what we saw is already available for purchase, but very few of those things are discounted. As for what is on sale, this turned out to be a decent week for deals on current model devices, with some hitting all-time lows. The Google Pixel 8 smartphones are back to Black Friday lows, as is one of our favorite fitness trackers. A set of Tile trackers is cheaper than ever and the Apple Watch Series 9 has returned to $329. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.  

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-series-9-is-back-to-329-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-164857041.html?src=rss

Formula E 2024 preview: Everything you need to know about season 10

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The tenth season of the FIA-sanctioned all-electric Formula E racing series goes green this weekend with the opening round in Mexico City on January 13. This will be the second year of the series using the ultra-efficient Gen3 car, and aside from a number of teams swapping out one or both drivers, there aren't any huge changes from last year. However, Formula E's new TV deal should make races easier, and less frustrating, to watch in the US. 

Formula E, now streaming on Roku and Paramount+

After being broadcast in the US on CBS Sports, Formula E announced a new TV deal last June to expand availability of live events to Roku and Paramount+. 11 races will be streamed live exclusively on The Roku Channel for free. There will also be race previews, replays and Formula E's version of Drive To Survive (Unplugged) available to stream on Roku. All race replays will be available immediately on Roku, except for the Mexico City E-Prix which will be held back so CBS can air it after an NFL playoff game. 

There's a new post-race highlights show too, called Recharge, to catch you up on any of the action you might've missed. All of the Formula E content on The Roku channel will be available for free. The other E-Prix will air on CBS and stream live on Paramount+, including any overnight events that may be shown on a tape delay basis. Additional replays will be shown on CBS Sports Network. 

Even though The Roku Channel is an ad-supported network, Roku Media's head of sports Joe Franzetta said there won't be any ads interrupting the races. Instead, the company is working with Formula E to show those during pre- and post-race programs. Since this is the first season of the partnership, he didn't rule out changes in the future. 

"For our first season with Formula E, we will run the races themselves as an ad-free experience," he explained. "We will continue to explore ad formats, such as picture-in-picture advertising as our partnership progresses."

PORTLAND, OREGON - JUNE 24: In this handout provided by Jaguar Racing, Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6, leads Sam Bird, Jaguar TCS Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6, and Edoardo Mortara, Maserati MSG Racing, Maserati Tipo Folgore during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship - 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix 12 on June 24, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Handout/Jaguar Racing via Getty Images)
Handout via Getty Images

Races shown on CBS and Paramount+ may still cut to commercial during live action, according to Formula E's chief media officer Aarti Dabas. This was a huge headache for viewers in the US last season as major race action took place at multiple E-Prix while the broadcast was away on a commercial. During the Portland race, the network went to ads during the last four laps. In Rome, viewers missed a massive wreck. Dabas says Formula E is aware this can be frustrating and it constantly trying to improve the experience, including expanded use of picture-in-picture or "double box" so that live action is still viewable. 

"We can understand it can frustrating for fans when they miss key action," Dabas said. "We learn with each broadcast and ensure steps are taken to provide a better viewing experience to fans."

Formula E will make archived races available to stream for free seven days after the E-Prix. Those will be available on the series' website via the library of past races it launched last November, in addition to the race replays on Roku. Currently, there are no plans to make that available to stream on other platforms, but doing so on the Formula E website only requires you to sign up for a free account. 

Attack Charge pit stops still aren't ready for races

The Race reported earlier this month that Attack Charge stops aren't expected to be used at the first race in Mexico City. This is yet another delay in bringing pit stops back to the all-electric series. Early on, drivers would have to change cars in order to make it through a race. The technology eventually progressed to the point where the combination of initial charge and re-gen during races gives teams enough power to make it until the end. As it stands, drivers only pit in the event of damage or a problem, which almost certainly dooms them to finishing at the back of the pack. 

Formula E was supposed to trial Attack Charge stops at select races last season, but the infrastructure wasn't ready in time. According to The Race, there are still issues with having enough equipment for every team, a problem that limited use of the setups at preseason testing in Spain last November. The earliest the pitstops could debut is at the E-Prix in Diriyah at the end of the month. There are concerns about how the 30-35-second stops will affect the quality of the racing, since the street circuit nature of Formula E usually means tightly packed cars. Autoweek reports that Attach Charge will be available in April at the Misano double-header (rounds six and seven of the season.

"Right now, we're not fully confident in the whole of the systems, of trying to get everything working seamlessly," reining champion Jake Dennis told the publication. "Each practice session, each run we do from now until Misano, will be practicing that and improving the software for each team."

Update, January 12, 2024, 3:10PM ET: This story has been updated with additional info from Roku and Formula E, including the planned debut for Attack Charge in April. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/formula-e-2024-preview-everything-you-need-to-know-about-season-10-163019008.html?src=rss

How To Use Budgeting Apps for Your Student Loan Repayment

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Budgeting Apps

As student loan payments resumed on October 1, 2023, reassessing your monthly budgets is now more crucial than ever. Like other borrowers, meeting all your expenses is likely on top of your concerns after a temporary freeze on student loan payments and interest rates. Many borrowers are already dealing with financial strain, even without student […]

The post How To Use Budgeting Apps for Your Student Loan Repayment appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

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The FAA says it’s keeping a closer eye on Boeing as it investigates cabin panel blowout

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Following last week's terrifying incident in which a Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a cabin panel mid-flight, the Federal Aviation Administration says it will have more oversight of the company's production and manufacturing. The FAA is also carrying out an investigation into Boeing following the incident, which led to the agency grounding around 171 of the company's 737 Max 9 planes.

The FAA says it will audit the 737 Max 9 production line and its suppliers to make sure Boeing is complying with quality protocols. It notes that the results will determine whether further audits are needed. In addition, the FAA will more carefully monitor in-service events concerning the 737 Max 9. It will also conduct an assessment of safety risks related to delegated authority and quality oversight. In the latter case, the agency will look into whether it makes more sense to have independent third parties oversee Boeing's quality control and inspections.

"It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. "The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk." As for when the 737 Max 9 might return to service, the FAA says that timeline will be determined by "the safety of the flying public, not speed."

There were no major injuries reported as a result of last Friday's incident on an Alaska Airlines plane. Boeing's 737 Max line was previously grounded for nearly two years after two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-faa-says-its-keeping-a-closer-eye-on-boeing-as-it-investigates-cabin-panel-blowout-161810725.html?src=rss

This smart collar from Invoxia can also detect your pet’s abnormal heart rhythms

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Nowadays, there are already plenty of choices when it comes to pet trackers, and some can even monitor heart rate, but apparently none could detect atrial fibrillation (AFib) until now. At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, GPS tracker specialist Invoxia unveiled the Minitailz, the world's first pet tracker that can keep an eye out for early heart disease symptoms on your cats or dogs. Together with other vital stats and activity log, the companion app then uses conversational generative AI to generate easy-to-read reports on your pets.

According to the French company, Minitailz is able to track respiratory and heart vitals with an accuracy of 97 to 99 percent, thanks to its advanced biometric sensors combined with AI. Using deep learning algorithms, the set of data is then used to spot digital biomarkers that indicate stress, aging and pathologies. The device can also differentiate the types of movements, such as walks, runs and zoomies, as well as alerting you when your pets wander beyond your preset geofences.

Invoxia Minitailz
Photo by Richard Lai / Engadget

The Minitailz module houses a built-in SIM card for LTE-M connectivity, which enables real-time tracking in conjunction with GPS. This can be attached to any pet collar, which is an advantage over many competing devices that are stuck inside a physical neckband, according to Invoxia.

The Minitailz is already available for dogs via Invoxia's website for $99, followed by a cat version due in March for the same price. You'll also need to buy a subscription starting from $8.30 per month.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-dog-tracker-from-invoxia-can-also-detect-your-pets-abnormal-heart-rhythms-160021010.html?src=rss