Pick up AirPods Pro 3 while they’re down to $199 right now

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Andre Revilla

AirPods Pro 3 have returned to an all-time-low price. You can pick them up for $199 right now, which is $50 off and the best discount we've seen since the earbuds came out at the end of last year.

We gave these AirPods a score of 90 out of 100 in our review and we consider them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. The third generation model is a substantial update to an already impressive product, bringing new features like live translation to the table.

The AirPods Pro 3 also offer heart-rate tracking, allowing them to stream live data to Apple Fitness and other third-party workout apps. This lets you track your fitness and close activity rings similarly to when using an Apple Watch.

Apple also improved the sound quality of this generation thanks in large part to a redesigned acoustic architecture that improves how air is delivered into the ear canal. Additionally, the company changed the angle of the drivers to help more sound get where it needs to go instead of bouncing off the sides of your ear. We felt the jump in audio quality from the last generation to this one was substantial.

The ANC on the AirPods Pro 3 has also been improved. Apple claims this model filters out twice as much noise as the AirPods Pro 2 and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro. We found the noise cancellation to be top-notch.

Live Translation is as neat as it sounds, leveraging the AirPods' noise cancellation tech, Apple's AI and beam-forming mics to help you understand a speaker in a different language. Right now, this is limited to a handful of languages with more being added over time.

It's not often you see one of Apple's best and most recent products on sale for 20 percent off, so if you're in the market for an upgrade or your first set of AirPods, consider taking advantage of this deal. If you're looking to spend a little less, the AirPods 4 with ANC are on sale right now, too, for $119.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-airpods-pro-3-while-theyre-down-to-199-right-now-140752986.html?src=rss

CES 2026 Day 2: All of the coolest tech we saw on the show floor during the second day

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Georgie Peru

CES 2026’s second day was all about hands on time with new tech. From Lego’s most ambitious play experiment yet to assistive mobility tech, smart home ideas that actually feel affordable and robots that might one day fold your laundry, here’s what stood out most on January 7.

Lego Smart Play

Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke's Red Five X-Wing

LEGO’s new Smart Play system feels far more compelling in person than it did on stage. The Smart Brick, combined with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, responds dynamically to movement, proximity and context, triggering sounds and interactions without screens or apps. Seeing kids physically act out Star Wars battles while the bricks reacted in real time made it clear this is designed first and foremost for active social play, not digital distraction.

WheelMove

A man sits in a manual wheelchair with an add-on attached that gives it a large central front wheel and raises the casters off the ground

WheelMove’s motorized wheelchair attachment is compact, surprisingly quick to install and genuinely empowering in action. The add-on lifts a chair’s front wheels and adds powered assistance, making grass, cobblestones and slopes far easier to navigate. After seeing it demonstrated on uneven surfaces, it’s easy to imagine this opening up spaces that would otherwise be exhausting or inaccessible for manual wheelchair users.

Throne

Throne’s toilet-mounted health tracker is exactly as strange as it sounds, but it’s also thoughtfully designed. Using computer vision to analyze bowel movements and urination, the device aims to establish a personal baseline and flag changes over time, with gut health and GLP-1 users firmly in mind. It’s too early to judge accuracy, but seeing it in person made it feel less gimmicky and more like a niche wellness tool worth testing.

IKEA smart home gear

The popular VARMBLIXT donut lamp is now smart.

IKEA’s first CES appearance leaned heavily into what it does best: simple, affordable design. The new Matter-compatible smart home range includes bulbs, plugs, remotes and sensors priced low enough to make smart homes feel accessible again. Standouts like the magnetically mounted BILREA remote and playful TEKLAN lamps showed that IKEA hasn’t sacrificed charm in its push toward interoperability.

SwitchBot

SwitchBot’s Onero H1 was one of the most intriguing robots on the show floor because it’s meant to ship this year. The wheeled humanoid robot uses articulated arms and onboard AI to perform household chores, like loading a washing machine, albeit at a deliberate pace. Watching it work made the case that speed matters less than reliability when a robot can handle tasks while you’re not home.

Eyebot vision testing

Eyebot’s self-service vision testing kiosk turns a 20-minute optometrist visit into a process that takes just a few minutes. The test is guided by a large touchscreen and reviewed remotely by a licensed eye doctor, striking a balance between automation and oversight. After comparing results with a recent traditional exam, the accuracy felt reassuring, even if it doesn’t replace full eye health screenings.

Dephy Sidekick sneakers

Dephy's Sidekick, which the company describes as "footwear."

Dephy’s Sidekick robotic sneakers deliver a subtle but noticeable boost with each step. The ankle-mounted exoskeleton adapts to your gait, and walking with it feels bouncy rather than overpowering, especially at lower assist levels. It’s not for everyone, but after hours on the CES floor, the idea of powered help for people with limited mobility started to make a lot of sense.

Klipsch headphones

Klipsch’s return to headphones starts strong with the Atlas HP-1. The wireless ANC model looks premium, borrows familiar design cues and delivers the brand’s warm, balanced sound in early demos. Pricing is still unknown, but based on build quality and audio alone, these feel positioned firmly at the high end.

Clear Drop

Clear Drop’s home plastic compactor tackles a real recycling problem most households face. The machine takes bags and wraps them into dense bricks that can be shipped to partner recycling facilities, and watching it swallow soft plastics was oddly satisfying. It’s expensive and not perfect, but it’s one of the more practical attempts at dealing with waste outside municipal systems.

Nosh cooking robot

Nosh is an AI cooking robot designed for low-effort, sauce-heavy meals like soups, curries and pasta. Multiple ingredient trays allow you to prep meals ahead of time, then slide them in when you’re ready to eat. It’s not replacing real cooking anytime soon, but as an alternative to microwaved meals, it’s more appealing than expected.

Day two leaned heavily toward tech you could physically interact with, whether that meant flying Lego ships through the air, watching a robot load laundry or testing a vision exam in a kiosk. With more show-floor time still ahead, we’ll be back with additional hands-ons, impressions and daily recaps as CES 2026 continues.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-2-all-of-the-coolest-tech-we-saw-on-the-show-floor-during-the-second-day-134608348.html?src=rss

The weirdest tech we’ve seen at CES 2026 so far

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Georgie Peru

CES is a launchpad for serious tech, but it’s also where companies proudly unveil devices that make you stop mid-scroll and whisper, “Wait, this is real?” We’ve been keeping a running list of the strangest, funniest and most unexpectedly compelling gadgets we’ve spotted in Las Vegas, from bathroom computers to robots that look like they escaped a Pixar pitch meeting.

Also, be sure to check out our list of the best CES tech we saw this year at the show.

Dreame Cyber X robot vacuum

Robot vacuums can be a little unsettling already, but Dreame’s Cyber X takes it up a level by sprouting chunky treaded “legs” and hauling itself up a full staircase like a tiny cleaning tank. In person, it navigated both up and down with surprising confidence, using its treads horizontally rather than actually stepping. The vacuum itself docks inside the climbing rig, so it’s more about getting your bot to the next floor than scrubbing the stairs, which still feels like a fair trade if you hate hauling appliances around.

OlloBot

CES loves a companion robot, but OlloBot might be the first one we’ve met that’s part cyber pet, part penguin, part ET and somehow comes with a warm, furry, telescoping neck. Its “face” is basically a tablet for expressions, photos and messages, and it’s meant to evolve a personality over time based on how your household interacts with it. Bonus: its memories live in a removable heart-shaped module, so if the body breaks, you can (theoretically) transplant your robot’s soul into a new shell.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo

On top of having two displays, the Zephyrus Duo's screens also feature excellent brightness at up to 1,100 nits.

Dual screens on a laptop aren’t new, but ASUS cramming two 16-inch OLED panels into a gaming notebook is the kind of chaotic CES energy we respect. The Zephyrus Duo uses a detachable keyboard and a built-in kickstand so you can stack screens, spread out, or generally arrange your portable battle station however you like. It’s hefty, it’s ambitious and it almost certainly won’t be cheap — but if you’ve ever wanted your gaming rig to moonlight as a two-screen creator setup, this is the loudest possible way to do it.

Throne toilet computer

Throne is a toilet-mounted computer that uses cameras and microphones to analyze your bowel movements, which is a sentence we did not expect to type this week. Designed to establish a personal “baseline” for your bathroom habits, it aims to flag changes that could indicate digestive or metabolic issues, including for people on GLP-1 drugs. We can’t speak to its effectiveness yet… but if knowledge is power, this thing might know way too much.

Vivoo Hygienic FlowPad smart menstrual pad

Image of Vivoo's FlowPad — Vivoo's FlowPad

Vivoo looked at at-home health tracking and decided the bathroom was still underutilized. Alongside its clip-on smart toilet that analyzes your hydration by literally monitoring your pee, the company also unveiled a menstrual pad infused with microfluidics that can track fertility and hormone markers once you scan it with your phone. It’s a bold reminder that CES 2026 is fully committed to quantifying everything — even the stuff we’d rather not discuss over brunch.

Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable

Lenovo’s Legion Pro Rollable is what happens when a gaming laptop decides it wants to be a widescreen monitor mid-match. Its 16-inch display can physically expand sideways into ultra-wide formats, turning flight sims and racing games into full cockpit experiences at the press of a couple of keys. It’s impractical, faintly ridiculous and absolutely the kind of CES concept we hope survives long enough to escape the demo floor.

Lenovo ThinkBook XD Rollable

With its XD Rollable concept, Lenovo took the Thinkbook Plus Gen 6's basic design and made it even more futuristic by allowing its flexible display to wrap around onto its lid.

If the Legion Pro Rollable is excessive, the ThinkBook XD Rollable is philosophically confusing. Its flexible display doesn’t just grow taller, it wraps over the lid to create a “world-facing” screen for people sitting across from you, which feels either futuristic or deeply unnecessary depending on your mood and situation (maybe this is the perfect device for hotel check-ins and other points of sale?). Still, it’s a gorgeous piece of hardware theater and proof Lenovo is determined to roll screens onto every surface it can reach.

OhDoki Handy 2 Pro

OhDoki’s Handy 2 Pro arrived at CES with one clear message: more power, fewer limits and absolutely no chill. The upgraded sex toy model cranks battery life up to five hours and unlocks a Turbo mode so aggressive it was described as “overclocked,” which is not a term we expected to hear in this category. It can also charge your phone, because apparently even pleasure tech needs to justify itself with productivity.

iPolish

iPolish finally made Total Recall nail tech real, minus the dystopia and Schwarzenegger. These press-on acrylic nails use an electric charge to switch between hundreds of colors in seconds, letting you change your manicure as often as your outfit. It’s delightfully impractical, surprisingly affordable and the most convincing argument yet for treating your nails like a customizable display.

Hisense S6 FollowMe display

Despite the name, Hisense’s FollowMe doesn’t actually follow you at all. It’s a 32-inch 4K smart display on wheels that you manually drag from room to room, delivering strong TV-and-VCR-on-a-cart energy, just with Wi-Fi 6, a built-in camera, far-field mics and a 10-hour battery. It won’t judge you, chase you or demand attention, which might make it one of the least emotionally exhausting smart displays at CES.

GE Profile Smart Fridge

Finally! A reasonably sized fridge screen.

If you’ve ever bought a “just in case” bag of spinach and discovered three more at home, GE’s latest smart fridge wants to be your grocery reality check. A camera in the crisper records what’s inside, while a built-in barcode scanner in the water dispenser can add items to your shopping list with a quick wave, no app fumbling required. The AI bits are mostly there to answer practical questions like “Where’s my water filter?” which is the most convincing argument we’ve heard for putting a voice assistant on a fridge.

L’Oréal LED eye mask

A pair of transparent eye masks with wires and bulbs inside them.

L’Oréal’s beauty tech lineup includes an LED eye mask that looks delightfully ridiculous in the best way: ultra-thin, semi-transparent silicone with visible microcircuitry that makes it feel like sci-fi skincare. The company says it precisely controls red and near-infrared wavelengths in 10-minute sessions, and it’s working on a companion serum so your skin doesn’t feel like it’s been left out to dry.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-weirdest-tech-weve-seen-at-ces-2026-so-far-134056504.html?src=rss

Volvo’s EX60 electric crossover promises 400 miles of EPA range

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Steve Dent

Ahead of a launch later this month, Volvo has teased some impressive details about its upcoming electric crossover. The EX60, which slots between the EX40 and EX90, will offer an EPA range of 400 miles, beating all other Volvos and most EVs in general. It will also be the first Volvo car to use a megacasting process designed to reduce weight and boost manufacturing efficiency.

"With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car," said Volvo CTO Anders Bell. "The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety."

Volvo considered that main worry to be range anxiety, so it focused on maximizing endurance to the largest extent possible. Key to that is Volvo's advanced SPA3 EV architecture, which integrates the battery directly into the structure of the car with cell-to-body technology. Volvo also developed its e-motors in-house to improve efficiency and reduce weight.

The company also made the EX60 fast to charge with an 800-volt electrical system and support for up to 400kW fast charging, letting you add up to 168 miles of range in just 10 minutes. New lighter materials and lower heat generation aid in that, "meaning the EX60 can add over 100 miles or range in just a few minutes," Volvo wrote on its blog.

The megacasting, meanwhile, helped Volvo replace hundreds of smaller parts with a single, high-precision casting to reduce weight. The Volvo EX60 will be revealed on January 21, 2026 at a livestream on Volvo's website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvos-ex60-electric-crossover-promises-400-miles-of-epa-range-130008964.html?src=rss

Gmail is getting a Gemini AI overhaul

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Will Shanklin

In a move that should surprise nobody, Google is stuffing more Gemini AI into Gmail. A host of new features, some of which are already familiar to Workspace users, are rolling out today for Gmail users in the US. Some are free, while others require a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.

The first premium feature is AI Overviews, the same name as a similar feature in Google Search. Gmail’s version lets you ask questions about your messages in the search bar, using natural language. Google uses the example of, "Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?" It’s hard to imagine that saving much time over a basic search for "plumber quote" or “plumbing estimate,” but maybe it could help in some situations.

There's also a free portion of AI Overviews that summarizes mail threads for easy catch-ups. However, the ability to ask your inbox questions requires a subscription.

Meanwhile, Proofread is a subscription-only feature that's essentially Grammarly for Gmail. As you'd guess, it suggests improvements in grammar, word choice, conciseness, voice and sentence structure.

Google marketing image for an AI catch-up feature coming to Gmail. — AI Inbox

Finally, there's the AI Inbox, a feature that "filters out the clutter so you can focus on what's most important." Google says it's like a personal briefing that flags to-dos and catches you up on what it thinks is most important. (It identifies VIPs based on frequent contacts, your contact list, and inferred relationships.) The company claims, without adding further detail, that this all "happens securely with the privacy protections you expect from Google." AI Inbox is another subscription-only feature.

Now onto the free stuff. Help Me Write is a tool for all Gmail users that generates email copy from a prompt. This kind of thing should be well-familiar by now, as Big Tech increasingly encourages users to avoid drafting anything from scratch. And Suggested Replies can draft replies for you that mimic your tone and style. (Google describes it as a next-gen version of Smart Replies.) Help Me Write and Suggested Replies are rolling out to everyone (no subscription required) today.

The new Gemini-powered features begin rolling out to Gmail today. Although they're starting with English speakers in the US, Google says they'll arrive in more languages and regions "in the coming months."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gmail-is-getting-a-gemini-ai-overhaul-130000422.html?src=rss

The gaming monitors that caught our eye at CES 2026

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Ian Carlos Campbell

CES 2026 has been a big event for screens of all sizes: TVs, laptops and everything in between. New PC monitors are among the CES announcements, with several companies are using the trade show as an opportunity to update their gaming monitor lineups. Some companies are showing off expanded OLED panels with improved refresh rates, brightness and color production, while others are showing off weirder ideas like a glasses-free 3D monitor. The collection below are some of our favorite gaming monitors that have already been announced:

LG UltraGear GX7

LG's new UltraGear OLED monitor on a white background. — LG's latest QHD OLED gaming monitor is its brightest to date

The LG UltraGear GX7 is the fastest and brightest gaming monitor LG has offered so far and a gaming-focused showcase for LG Display's 4th-gen RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED technology. The new display tech splits up the yellow layer of the company's 3rd-gen OLED tech into distinct red and green layers that, when stacked with blue layers, create brighter, more energy-efficient screens.

In the case of the UltraGear GX7, the new 27-inch monitor reaches a typical brightness of 335 nits, and is VES DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified, for deeper contrast between the dark and bright parts of the screen. LG touts the display's Dual Mode, which lets discerning gamers switch between two distinct settings: a 540Hz refresh rate mode at QHD resolution, when image quality is what you care about most, or a 720Hz refresh rate mode at HD resolution, when speed is your priority.

Whichever mode you choose, LG promises the monitor will offer a smooth and stutter free experience. It has a 0.02ms response time and supports both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSYNC Premium Pro, so you should be set, regardless of what your computer's specialty is. For $1,000, the LG UltraGear GX7 seems like a high watermark for OLED gaming monitors.

Samsung Odyssey 3D and Odyssey OLED G8

A motorcycle bursting out a of a Samsung Odyssey 3D monitor.

Samsung's new Odyssey 3D monitor is the "world's first 6K display with glasses-free 3D," with a 6,144 x 3,456 resolution, and the ability to take games "beyond 2D" by tracking the position of your eyes, and enhancing terrain, distance and object separation. Even if you're not interested in playing formerly 2D games like Lies of P: Overture with an added sense of depth, a 32-inch LCD screen with a 165Hz refresh rate that's capable of being boosted to 330Hz through Samsung's Dual Mode is nothing to sneeze at, especially with a 1ms response time.

On top of its big 3D monitor, Samsung is also pushing its own updated OLED tech at CES. The company's new 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 uses a 4K QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and a glare-free treatment for added visibility. The monitor has a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, but unlike LG's display, its brightness is capped at 300 nits.

ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM and ROG Strix Pulsar XG27AQNGV

The back and front of ASUS' new ROG Swift monitor with a Tandem OLED panel.

While the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM uses a Tandem OLED panel – a panel with two light-emitting layers, like the Ultra XDR Retina display on Apple's recent iPad Pros – the big change ASUS is focused on at CES 2026 is its new RGB Stripe OLED layout, technology LG helped pioneer. These updated panels use "a full RGB sub-pixel arrangement" to produce sharper text and more accurate color reproduction when compared to the QD-OLED panels the company has used in the past.

The 27-inch ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM can be run at 4K with a 240Hz refresh rate or at FHD with a 480Hz refresh rate. The display also has a 0.03ms minimum response time for smooth and clear action, and 99 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage for more vibrant and accurate color reproduction. The OLED monitor also includes a "Neo PRoximity Sensor" which automatically turns the screen off when you're not looking at it, to prevent burn-in.

NVIDIA's new G-Sync Pulsar tech, which uses variable backlighting to reduce blur, is specifically meant for competitive gamers, and ASUS' new ROG Strix Pulsar XG27AQNGV monitor is one of the first to support the new tech. The monitor features a 27-inch, 1440p panel with a 360Hz refresh rate and "the fastest response time" ASUS has ever achieved in a 1440p LCD display. The monitor also includes DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1 and multiple USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports for whatever devices you want to connect to it.

MSI MPG 314CQR QD-OLED X36

MSI's new curved MPG monitor with a QD-OLED panel.

The star monitor of MSI's new products at CES 2026 is the wordily titled MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, a curved, 34-inch ultrawide monitor, with new OLED panel. Like Asus, MSI is mixing different OLED display technologies for better results. This new monitor uses a 5th-gen Tandem QD-OLED panel with an "RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout" for sharper visuals. MSI also applies what it calls "DarkArmor Film" to "enhance light absorption," eliminate the reddish tint some QD-OLED panels have under ambient light, and boost black levels by "up to 40 percent."

As an ultrawide, the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 has a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, an aspect ratio of 21:9 and a refresh rate of 360Hz. MSI says the monitor can reach a peak brightness of 1,300 nits, and the company provides multiple HDR modes to switch between depending on your needs. Similar to ASUS, the monitor also includes a sensor for detecting whether a human is in front of the screen – MSI calls it an AI Care Sensor – so that the monitor can power-off or enter standby mode when not in active use.

ViewSonic VX2738 2K OLED Gaming Monitor

ViewSonic's new gaming monitors are more approachable and (presumably) more affordable than the options from competitors, but not necessarily less performant. The company top-of-the-line model, the ViewSonic VX2738 2K OLED Gaming Monitor has a 27-inch 2K QHD QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and up to 0.03ms response time.

The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync for smoother gameplay. The VX2738 also has the ability to scale down its image via a 24.5-inch "esports mode" for competitive settings. ViewSonic says the monitor will include HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports and be available for $500.

HP HyperX Omen OLED 34

HP's new curved OLED monitor with a headphone hook.

HP's newest monitor under its unified HyperX Omen gaming brand is the HyperX Omen OLED 34, a curved 34-inch monitor with a QD-OLED panel. HP says the monitor uses V-stripe QD-OLED tech, which like in MSI and ASUS' monitors, means sharper text and better color accuracy. The HyperX Omen OLEd 34 has an aspect ratio of 21:9, a 360Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time.

The monitor has 100W USB-C power delivery for whichever laptop you decide to connect to it, and a built-in KVM switch, HP says. Plus, the company is offering a customizable, 3D-printable headphone hook, if you want to store your accessories nearby.

Acer Predator XB273U F6 Gaming Monitor

An Acer Predator monitor on a white background.

Acer is showing off multiple new monitors at CES 2026, but the Predator XB273U F6 Gaming Monitor stands out for its ridiculously fast refresh rate. Acer says the 27-inch screen has a 500Hz refresh rate by default, that can be boosted to 1000Hz at a 1,280 x 720 resolution if you use the company's Dynamic Frequency and Resolution (DFR) mode.

The Predator XB273U F6 otherwise features a 2,560 x 1,440 IPS panel with a brightness of 350 nits, that's calibrated to cover 95 percent of the DCI-P3 and 99 percent of the sRGB color gamut. The monitor also has 2-watt speakers built-in, and includes HDMI2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 and audio out ports for connecting to the rest of your PC gaming setup. Acer says the Predator XB273U F6 will be available for $800 when it launches in Q2 2026 in North America.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-gaming-monitors-that-caught-our-eye-at-ces-2026-130000433.html?src=rss

Disney+ is launching vertical videos this year

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Mariella Moon

Disney+ will add vertical videos to its service in the US sometime this year, in hopes that they can entice viewers to engage with its app every day. The company has made the announcement at its Tech + Data Showcase event at CES 2026. Disney first dabbled in vertical content with Verts, which launched for the ESPN app in August 2025, giving it the insight it needed on how its users respond to the video format.

Erin Teague, Disney Entertainment’s EVP of Product Management, told Deadline that the company will use the format for all kinds of content. The service isn’t just planning to use it as a vehicle for movie and series teasers, but also for original short-form programming. She didn’t say what kinds of original programming Disney+ will be adding as vertical videos to its app, but vertical micro-dramas have become incredibly popular over the past year.

“We’re obviously thinking about integrating vertical video in ways that are native to core user behaviors,” Teague said. “So, it won’t be a kind of a disjointed, random experience.” The company is targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha users, in particular, since they’re not inclined to sit and watch long-form content on their phones for hours. Disney said in a statement that the experience will “evolve as it expands across news and entertainment” and will be personalized for users, with making the service “a must-visit daily destination” as its goal. After all, if a user is already in the app, they’re more likely to explore and watch the service’s programming.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-is-launching-vertical-videos-this-year-120000776.html?src=rss

You won’t be able to buy Samsung’s household Ballie robot after all

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Kris Holt

For years, we’ve been wondering when Samsung would actually bring Ballie, its cute household companion robot, to market and now we finally have our answer: it won’t. After the planned summer 2025 release window came and went, the company has opted not to release the gizmo as a consumer product, at least not for the foreseeable future.

According to Bloomberg, Samsung has "indefinitely shelved" the robot. A spokesperson told the publication that the company will keep Ballie around as an "active innovation platform" internally. "After multiple years of real-world testing, it continues to inform how Samsung designs spatially aware, context-driven experiences, particularly in areas like smart home intelligence, ambient AI and privacy-by-design," the spokesperson added.

There’s a sliver of a chance that Samsung will eventually bring Ballie to market, but that seems unlikely as things stand. So, six years after we first clapped eyes on the robot at CES 2020, (and two years after a redesigned larger version debuted), it appears to be doomed as a consumer device.

It’s a bit of a shame, as Ballie seemed like a fun gadget. In fairness to Samsung, companies are now likely having to be more judicious about what products — especially more experimental ones — go into full production amid rising costs of things like RAM.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/you-wont-be-able-to-buy-samsungs-household-ballie-robot-after-all-104529942.html?src=rss

CES 2026: The Tone Outdoors T1 solved the biggest problem with leaf blowers

Posted on 07/01/2026 by Billy Steele

Every fall, dozens of maple and oak trees in my neighborhood shed their leaves. Thus begins the constant drone of gas-powered leaf blowers every day through early December. The noise is by far the most annoying thing about these yard tools, but I can appreciate it’s a necessary evil — unless you prefer to pick up a blister-inducing rake.

Whisper Aero argues there’s a better way. The company is using aerospace tech to quiet the noisy devices, introducing the T1 leaf blower at CES 2026 under its sub-brand Tone Outdoors. The company promises the T1 is 80 percent quieter and 60 percent more powerful than “leading” handheld gas leaf blowers. More specifically, the T1 has 880 CFM of air flow, which easily surpasses my battery-powered EGO. And at 52 decibels of average noise at peak volume, his model is drastically quieter than any leaf blower I’ve used. I was able to confirm its lower roar on the CES show floor.

Tone says the T1 also offers extended run time of up to 50 minutes on a charge in Eco mode. That too is greater than what I get on my mid-grade EGO. What’s more, the company plans to sell a battery backpack that will extend any clean-up sessions for several hours. The T1 also has a built-in LED “nightlight” so you can still use it after dark. And since it’s quieter than what you have now, you can do so without annoying your neighbors.

So, how does Whisper Aero achieve this? The company originally set out to devise a quieter solution for electric aerospace motors. Its engineers discovered that they could dramatically reduce noise and increase overall efficiency by redesigning the fan and motor. They're still pursuing that, but the company discovered its technology had other uses too.

The T1 is already available for preorder for $599 and it’s scheduled to ship in September. If you don’t care for the standard green color, you can spend another $100 for limited edition “Silence Is Golden” version. The battery backpack won’t arrive until Q1 2027 though (price TBD). Tone also says it has additional models in the works and it has a partnership with Stanley Black and Decker that will likely produce additional products with this tech on board.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ces-2026-the-tone-outdoors-t1-solved-the-biggest-problem-with-leaf-blowers-234309500.html?src=rss

JPMorgan Chase is taking over the Apple Card

Posted on 07/01/2026 by Anna Washenko

Apple announced today JPMorgan Chase will be the new issuer for the Apple Card. The official news arrived shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported that the two businesses had reached a deal regarding Apple's credit card service. According to the tech company, the transition to the new provider should take about two years to complete, but customers can continue to use their Apple Cards as usual during the interim. Apple has already published an FAQ about the change, but the main takeaway is that the status quo is currently continuing and customers will receive information at a later date if any action is required. Mastercard will remain the Apple Card payment network under the new partnership.

Goldman Sachs was Apple's collaborator when it launched the Apple Card in 2019. We've seen signs for a few years, though, that Goldman Sachs had been looking for a way out of its arrangement. Apple didn't disclose many details around either the current or future deals for its credit card, however the WSJ report claims the negotiations with JPMorgan Chase have been underway for more than a year. Sources told the publication that Goldman Sachs is offloading about $20 billion in outstanding customer balances at a discount of more than $1 billion.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/jpmorgan-chase-is-taking-over-the-apple-card-232711979.html?src=rss