Robot vacuums quietly went from novelty to background appliance, yet many still behave like polite bumper cars. They avoid walls, follow schedules, and send maps, but they do not really understand what they are seeing. A cable, a sock, and a pet toy often get the same treatment, which is why people still hover nearby during automatic cleaning runs, ready to intervene when the robot inevitably gets confused by something obvious.
Narwal Flow 2 is the latest step in the brand’s attempt to build a robot that actually sees and decides. It builds on earlier DirtSense and dual-camera work, but now leans on a NarMind Pro autonomous system and a foundation-model brain to recognize unlimited objects, assign risk levels, and adjust both path and cleaning strategy. This is less about more suction and more about better judgment, the kind that changes behavior based on whether it is looking at a table leg, a pet bowl, or a crawling mat.
Designer: Narwal
The 2026 flagship also adopts a brand-new design outlook, with a rational arc-form dock featuring a frosted glass panel on the front and easy-lift water tanks shaped for straight-up lifting. The integrated status light bar communicates through the frosted glass instead of scattered LEDs, giving the dock a more premium, sleek presence. It is designed to look less like an appliance you hide in a corner and more like a considered object that can live in visible spaces without visual friction.
A Robot That Sees and Decides
The Narwal Flow 2 uses dual RGB cameras and a VLA OmniVision model running on a 10 TOPS AI platform to capture 1.5 million data points per second. It categorizes objects as no-risk, low-risk, mid-risk, or high-risk, then adjusts distance and behavior accordingly. Walls invite close cleaning within 8 mm, pet bowls get 20 mm of space, and high-risk items like pet waste trigger a protective bypass at 70 mm.
Adaptive smart cleaning means Flow 2 uses different strategies for dry debris, wet spills, and heavy messes. Dual-direction mopping keeps the side brush from dragging dirty water into clean zones, with a reverse pass to protect the brush and a forward pass to lift stains. Cloud-based recognition feeds back into the model, so the robot becomes more tuned to a specific home over time, learning which corners collect dust and which zones need extra attention.
Living with Pets, Babies, and Busy Schedules
In Pet Care Mode, Flow 2 automatically identifies pet-active zones and adapts for deeper cleaning there, while treating pet bowls, beds, and toys as objects to avoid bumping or soaking. The same visual system that keeps it away from waste can be used to scan for a missing pet on command, turning the robot into a quiet scout when you are not home and want to make sure your dog is not locked in a bedroom.
Baby Care Mode shifts behavior around cribs and crawling mats. Flow 2 can drop into ultra-quiet mode near a sleeping baby, recognize toys left on the floor and nudge you to pick them up, and avoid rolling over dedicated play areas to keep them as clean as possible. The goal is not to replace parenting, but to make the robot feel like it understands which zones are more sensitive than others, adjusting volume and intensity without manual scheduling.
The updated dock and mapping round out the picture. TrueColor 3D mapping turns the home into a more intuitive map where you can tap rooms or furniture for targeted cleaning, while AI Floor Tag remembers floor types and zones. The all-in-one base station now uses a reusable dust bag and washable debris filter, along with hot-water self-cleaning and hot-air drying, so the system stays hygienic without filling a trash bag with single-use consumables every few weeks or emitting odors between runs.
Mopping That Stays Clean While It Cleans
The FlowWash mopping system treats the mop like a moving track rather than a pair of pads. Sixteen angled nozzles continuously infuse the track with fresh water, while a reverse-rolling mop applies 12 N of downward pressure and 140 °F heat. A tight scraper presses against the fabric to strip away dirt in real time, so the surface touching the floor is constantly refreshed instead of slowly turning into a gray sponge you would not want to touch.
Wastewater extraction and storage, with a built-in stirrer in the dirty tank, prevents residue and odors from settling. That matters in homes where mopping is not just about dust, but about food spills, pet accidents, and whatever kids drag in from outside. The system is designed so that by the time Flow 2 returns to its dock, both the floor and the mop have been treated, not just one at the expense of the other.
On a mixed floor with tile in the kitchen and wood in the living room, Flow 2 can push harder and use hotter water on stubborn kitchen stains, then ease off as it moves into more delicate areas. EdgeReach capabilities let the track mop get within 0.19 in of walls and baseboards, reducing the need for manual follow-up with a traditional mop that you have to wring out by hand.
Beyond the Floor
The Flow 2 is not the only thing Narwal is launching at CES 2026. The V50 Series cordless vacuum brings the same auto-empty, smart dirt detection philosophy to a stick form, with a compact dock that handles a 3.2qt dust bin, active dust scraping, and push-in charging. At 3.1lb with dual detachable batteries and 210 AW of suction, it combines CarpetFocus Mode and full-cycle de-tangling with a dirt-detection headlight and multi-cyclone H13 filtration, turning a handheld into something that feels almost as hands-free as a robot.
The U50 Series mattress vacuum targets a different corner of the home, using 137°F iron-heating, UVC sterilization, 60,000 taps per minute, and 16,000 Pa of suction to pull mites and allergens out of mattresses and upholstery. It weighs just 3.7lb and uses sealed, disposable dust bags with a transparent window, so you can treat beds and sofas without dealing with messy dust cups or touching what comes out. Together, V50 and U50 show Narwal extending its maintenance-free, AI-aware design language into spaces the robot cannot reach, keeping the entire home cleaner without multiplying the number of chores you actually have to do.
Narwal Flow 2: See Further, Think Deeper, Clean Smarter
Flow 2 is a sign that robot vacuums are finally moving from smart enough not to fall down the stairs to smart enough to adapt to how you live. It still has big suction numbers and a long spec sheet, but the interesting part is how it sees pets, babies, and messes differently, and how it keeps its own mop clean while it works. For a category that has been chasing power for years, that kind of judgment feels like the more meaningful upgrade, especially when the alternative is manually zoning a map and hoping the robot does not knock over a water bowl or wake up a napping toddler on its next routine pass.
Personal entertainment has drifted out of fixed rooms and into commutes, bedrooms, trails, and backyards. People bounce between earbuds, smart speakers, and projectors, often juggling separate ecosystems that do not feel designed with each other in mind. The friction is no longer just sound quality, but how easily gear fits into those shifting contexts, from the desk where you need awareness, to the pillow where you need silence, to the field where you want a movie under the stars.
Soundcore’s CES 2026 lineup follows that drift. The AeroFit 2 Pro, Sleep A30 Special, Boom Go 3i, Nebula P1i, and Nebula X1 Pro aim to move with you rather than live in one place. The common thread is collapsing trade‑offs, open‑ear comfort and ANC in one pair of buds, tiny speakers with long battery life, and projectors that pack a theater into a handle‑equipped box, each tuned to a different moment when sound or vision matters.
Designer: Soundcore (Anker)
Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro
AeroFit 2 Pro is built for people whose days swing between needing to hear the world and wanting to block it out. The five‑level ear‑hook can reposition the nozzle so the buds behave as open‑ear hooks during runs or desk work, then slide into a semi‑in‑ear ANC form when focus or isolation is needed, without swapping hardware or carrying two pairs.
The liquid‑silicone hooks and 56 degrees of articulation keep pressure off the canal for all‑day wear in open‑ear mode, while Adaptive ANC 3.0 checks noise up to 380,000 times per second and makes 180 adjustments per minute in ANC mode. The buds include 11.8 mm drivers, spatial audio with head tracking, LDAC support, IP55 rating, and differing battery lives, up to 7 hours and 34 with case in open‑ear, up to 5 hours and 24 with case in ANC.
Soundcore Sleep A30 Special
Sleep A30 Special takes over when the day ends and the noise does not. The triple noise reduction system combines active noise cancellation, passive blocking from the low‑profile fit, and adaptive snore masking that targets disruptive frequencies without making the room feel unnaturally silent. The ultra‑compact shape is tuned for side sleepers who usually cannot tolerate bulky earbuds pressing against a pillow overnight.
The earbuds tie into the Soundcore app to deliver Calm Sleep Stories directly, alongside AI brainwave tracks and white noise. The hardware is only half the story; the curated content and extended battery life let people build a consistent wind‑down routine, from reading in bed with subtle noise reduction to drifting off to a story without worrying about wires, over‑ear pressure, or keeping a phone nearby.
Soundcore Boom Go 3i
Boom Go 3i is the speaker that lives on a backpack strap rather than a shelf. The palm-sized form and 15 W output make a picnic or campsite feel less quiet without needing a huge cylinder. The 4,800 mAh battery offers up to 22 hours in Eco mode, so it can handle a weekend of light use without visiting a wall outlet, and it can lend some of its charge for emergency phone top‑ups.
The IP68 rating means it can handle dust, sand, and submersion, which is useful when it gets dropped in a stream or buried in a beach bag. The dual‑mode strap mounting system lets it hang or cinch tightly to a pack, bike, or tent pole, and the LED grille with diagonal light patterns makes it easy to spot in a dark campsite or stowed in the bottom of a gear pile.
Soundcore Nebula P1i
Nebula P1i is the projector for people who want movie‑night flexibility without a permanent ceiling mount. It offers 1080p resolution and 400 ANSI lumens, enough for dim‑room viewing, with a built‑in 0-12 degree tilt stand to aim at walls or screens without stacks of books. Official Netflix and Google TV support mean it behaves like a familiar streaming box, not a bare projector that needs extra hardware.
The flip‑open side speakers swing out for better stereo separation, turning a compact cube into a mini theater without extra cables. Intelligent Environment Adaptation 3.0 handles autofocus, keystone, and screen fit, so the projector can quickly lock onto whatever surface is available. It is the kind of device that can live in a closet until a rainy afternoon or impromptu game night makes a big picture suddenly appealing.
Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro
Nebula X1 Pro is the extreme end of the same idea, a mobile theater station on wheels. It uses a 3,500 ANSI‑lumen 4K triple‑laser engine with 110% Rec.2020 color, 5,000:1 native contrast, and 56,000:1 dynamic contrast, bright enough to throw a 200‑inch image outdoors at night. The integrated wireless 7.1.4 sound system, certified for Dolby Atmos, means the audio is as much a part of the experience as the picture.
The planned bundle adds a 200‑inch inflatable screen and a wireless pump that inflates in about five minutes and holds air without a constant blower, keeping the system quiet during viewing. Dual wireless microphones and AI spatial adaptation handle setup, tuning sound and image to the space. Together, the projector and screen turn any patch of ground into a temporary cinema without generators, scaffolding, or separate speakers cluttering the site.
Soundcore at CES 2026: Entertainment That Travels With You
These five products sketch a day‑long arc: AeroFit 2 Pro for the commute and office, Sleep A30 Special for the hours when noise is unwelcome, Boom Go 3i for the trails and parks in between, and Nebula P1i and X1 Pro for turning small rooms and big fields into makeshift theaters. The common thread is not just wattage or resolution, but designs that respect where people actually listen and watch now, moving with them rather than asking them to stay put.
LG has unveiled its humanoid robot that can handle household chores. After teasing the CLOiD last week, the company has offered its first look at the AI-powered robot it claims can fold laundry, unload the dishwasher, serve food and help out with other tasks.
The CLOiD has a surprisingly cute "head unit" that's equipped with a display, speakers, cameras and other sensors. "Collectively, these elements allow the robot to communicate with humans through spoken language and 'facial expressions,' learn the living environments and lifestyle patterns of its users and control connected home appliances based on its learnings," LG says in its press release.
The robot also has two robotic arms — complete with shoulder, elbow and wrist joints — and hands with fingers that can move independently. The company didn't share images of the CLOiD's base, but it uses wheels and technology similar to what the appliance maker has used for robot vacuums. The company notes that its arms are able to pick up objects that are "knee level" and higher, so it won't be able to pick up things from the floor.
The CLOiD robot unloading a dishwasher.
LG
LG says it will show off the robot completing common chores in a variety of scenarios, like starting laundry cycles and folding freshly washed clothes. The company also shared images of it taking a croissant out of the oven, unloading plates from a dishwasher and serving a plate of food. Another image shows it standing alongside a woman in the middle of a home workout, though it's not clear how the CLOiD is aiding with that task.
We'll get a closer look at the CLOiD and its laundry-folding abilities once the CES show floor opens later this week, so we should get a better idea of just how capable it is. It sounds like for now LG intends this to be more of a concept rather than a product it plans to actually sell. The company says that it will "continue developing home robots with practical functions and forms for housework" and also bring its robotics technology to more of its home appliances, like refrigerators with doors that can automatically open.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/lg-reveals-its-laundry-folding-robot-at-ces-2026-215121021.html?src=rss
Decomposition needs three things: moisture, airflow, and temperature, and those are hard to balance in an apartment. Most food waste ends up in landfills instead, where it generates methane and long-term damage. The wave of countertop composters mostly grind and dry scraps, reducing volume but not really closing the loop in a biological sense. They turn food waste into inert crumbs, not soil you can actually use in a garden or planter.
Vith is a compact, two-stage electric composter designed specifically for homes. It quietly shreds, dries, and then cures organic waste into usable compost in about two weeks, instead of just turning it into dehydrated flakes. The idea is to bring something closer to real composting into a kitchen-friendly appliance, so circular living does not require a backyard or a dedicated bin on a balcony that annoys the neighbors and attracts flies.
Designer: Chandra Vasudev
The journey starts in the upper processing chamber, the shredding bin, where fresh food waste is reduced to smaller, uniform particles and gently dehydrated. Reducing the size increases surface area for microbes later, and removing excess moisture creates a stable input that will not swamp the system. This preparation step means that what drops into the next stage is already optimized for decomposition instead of being a random mix of peels and leftovers with wildly different water content.
The lower chamber, the curing bin, is where composting actually happens in the mesophilic range. Microbial cultures are introduced along with a fine, controlled spray of water to dial in moisture. Rather than actively heating the system, the chamber holds onto the heat naturally generated by microbial activity, letting the biology do the work with minimal energy input while the appliance simply maintains the right conditions in the background.
Integrated sensors continuously monitor moisture, airflow, and temperature, adjusting as needed so users do not have to babysit the process. Every two or three days, the curing chamber gently churns the material, preventing anaerobic pockets and keeping oxygen distributed. Vith stays powered on, but only draws significant energy during active phases like shredding and periodic mixing, keeping consumption low while still delivering consistent results that smell like earth instead of rotting fruit.
The result is usable compost in roughly two weeks, which is fast compared to passive bins but slow enough to be real biology, not just a high-heat drying cycle. The output can go into houseplants, balcony gardens, or community plots, turning what would have been trash into a resource. For an urban kitchen, that predictability and cleanliness are what make the habit stick instead of becoming another abandoned gadget.
Vith fits into daily routines by sitting quietly in a corner of the kitchen, taking in scraps, and giving back soil. By combining mechanical preparation, mesophilic processing, and intelligent control, it makes composting feel like running a dishwasher rather than managing a science project. It is a small but meaningful way to close the loop on food waste without needing more space than a modern apartment can spare, turning composting from a chore you feel guilty about skipping into something that just happens while you sleep.
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 Appliances 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 Appliances’ "Scan-to-List" feature uses the barcode scanner to quickly (and precisely) add items to a shareable shopping list in the company’s SmartHQ app. You can refer to that list while you're shopping in person, or sync it with Instacart and have it delivered, eliminating the need to go grocery shopping entirely. Inside the fridge, GE Appliances also includes a flush-mount LED bar with a built-in camera that can deliver "real-time, on-demand snapshots of crisper drawers, focusing on the most costly and perishable items." This "FridgeFocus" feature is supposed to prevent you from overbuying perishable produce that you might already have, by letting you see which perishables might go bad first.
GE Appliances' fridge is stainless steel and has a built-in touchscreen display.
GE
On top of those smart features, the GE Profile Smart Refrigerator has a four-door stainless steel design, with door-in-door storage and an adjustable temperature drawer. The fridge also has an 8-inch touchscreen display for viewing recipes or the current weather conditions, and microphones for accepting voice commands. When you're dispensing water, the fridge's water dispenser is supposed to be smart enough to fill a container with the exact right amount of water using built-in sensors, too.
The GE Profile Smart Refrigerator with Kitchen Assistant will be available from GE Appliances and select retailers starting in April 2026 for a suggested MSRP of $4,899.
Update, January 5, 1:09PM ET: Headline and article updated to refer to GE Appliances rather than GE, because they’re separate companies.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/ge-appliances-new-smart-refrigerator-automates-grocery-shopping-with-a-barcode-scanner-and-instacart-194326073.html?src=rss
The first Freestyle tried to make projection feel as casual as dropping a speaker on a table, but still needed some fiddling with focus, keystone, and room darkness. Portable projectors are great in theory, but often fall apart on setup friction, tweaking corners, hunting for the right brightness mode, and dealing with off-color walls. Samsung’s Freestyle+ keeps the same friendly cylinder while letting AI quietly handle the annoying parts, betting that most people would rather point and watch than spend 10 minutes adjusting settings.
The Samsung Freestyle+ is an AI-powered portable projector that builds on the original’s cylindrical, 180-degree tilting design. The headline change is not a wild new form factor; it is a smarter brain. Freestyle+ is pitched as something you can point at a wall, ceiling, or floor, then trust to optimize the picture for whatever surface you happen to be aiming at, turning “point and play” from a slogan into something closer to reality.
AI OptiScreen is the bundle of features that makes that possible. 3D Auto Keystone straightens the image even on angled or uneven surfaces like curtains or room corners. Real-time Focus keeps things sharp as you nudge or rotate the projector. Screen Fit sizes the picture to a compatible screen if you use one. Finally, Wall Calibration analyzes wall color or patterns to keep content legible instead of tinted or washed out.
Freestyle+ pushes out 430 ISO lumens, nearly twice the previous generation, which matters in real living rooms that are not pitch black. The 180-degree rotating stand still lets you throw an image onto a wall, ceiling, or floor without extra mounts. The idea is that you stop worrying about whether a space is right for projection and just drop the cylinder where it makes sense in the moment, whether that is a coffee table, a kitchen counter, or a nightstand.
Freestyle+ behaves like a mini Samsung TV, with Samsung TV Plus, major streaming apps, and Samsung Gaming Hub built in. You can stream shows, watch live channels, or fire up cloud games directly from the projector without plugging in a stick or console. For small apartments or casual setups, that means one object can handle movie night and a bit of gaming without a permanent media cabinet cluttering the wall.
Audio comes from a built-in 360-degree speaker tuned for room-filling sound in a compact body. For people already in the Samsung ecosystem, Q-Symphony support lets Freestyle+ sync with compatible Samsung soundbars, layering its own speaker with the bar instead of muting one or the other. That gives you a more cohesive soundstage when you want to treat the projector like a main screen rather than a sidekick.
Freestyle+ makes the most sense as a roaming screen that follows you from bedroom to living room to kitchen, rather than a projector that lives in a dedicated theater. By combining a familiar, speaker-like form with AI setup, brighter output, built-in streaming, and decent sound, it nudges projection closer to the casual, everyday screen Samsung keeps hinting at, instead of something you only use on special occasions when the room is dark enough and the mood feels right for a movie night.
Technology moves fast, but 2025 feels like a distinct era. This year brought gadgets that challenged convention rather than followed it. From keyboards that fold into phone cases to power banks that communicate through light, these innovations prove that great design starts with questioning what we’ve accepted as normal. The products ahead represent a shift in thinking about portability, interaction, and what our devices should actually do for us.
What makes these ten gadgets stand out isn’t just their novelty. Each one addresses a real frustration with current tech, offering solutions that feel both refreshingly simple and genuinely innovative. Whether you’re tired of touchscreen typing, craving better smartwatch docks, or looking for portable computing power, these designs rethink familiar categories from the ground up. They remind us that the future of technology lies in thoughtful problem-solving, rather than merely adding more features.
1. Plumage: The Keyboard-Case Hybrid That Actually Makes Sense
Typing on touchscreens has never felt right, and bolt-on keyboard solutions create phones that resemble small tablets. The Concept Plumage solves both problems by integrating a physical keyboard directly into a phone case without extending the device’s footprint. Originally designed by Jet Weng in 2013, this concept flips open like peeling a banana to reveal a Blackberry-style layout with a screen on top and tactile keys below. The phone stays compact when closed, transforms for serious typing when open.
What makes this design brilliant is its acknowledgment that screens don’t need to cover every inch of our phones. The half-screen approach feels counterintuitive until you realize most typing happens in apps where the keyboard covers half the display anyway. Flip it open for confident typing during emails or messaging, navigate with the touch-sensitive upper screen, then flip it shut for pocket-friendly portability. This concept deserves resurrection because it prioritizes how people actually use their phones over chasing edge-to-edge displays.
What we like
The keyboard integrates without adding bulk to the phone’s footprint
Physical keys enable fast, accurate typing without sacrificing screen real estate when closed
What we dislike
The half-screen design requires adjusting expectations about display size
The flip mechanism could introduce durability concerns with repeated daily use
2. MSI Gaming PC Watch: When Wearables Go Full Desktop
Smartwatches pretend to be tiny phones strapped to your wrist, but the MSI Gaming PC Watch takes a radically different approach. This concept treats your wrist as a platform for an actual computer, complete with visible fans, graphics components, cooling systems, and motherboard elements right through the watch face. The design features subtle analog watch hand annotations and four side pushers for navigation. The metal alloy case proudly displays the MSI logo at 3 o’clock, where a traditional crown would sit.
This wearable computer represents a philosophical departure from smartphone-on-your-wrist thinking. By embracing computer periphery ideology rather than mimicking phone interfaces, the Gaming PC Watch suggests an alternative path for wearable innovation. The transparent components aren’t just aesthetic flourishes; they telegraph the device’s identity as genuine computing hardware miniaturized for portability. Whether checking system performance, monitoring temperatures, or simply appreciating the engineering, this watch makes technology itself the main attraction rather than hiding it behind glossy screens.
What we like
The transparent design showcases actual computing components with visual appeal
It reimagines the smartwatch’s purpose beyond smartphone replication
What we dislike
The gaming aesthetic may not suit professional or formal settings
Visible internal components could raise questions about durability and water resistance
3. Nothing Power 1: The Battery Bank That Speaks Through Light
Power banks typically hide their technology behind opaque shells, but the Nothing Power 1 concept revives the glyph interface that made the Nothing Phone famous. This 20,000 mAh battery bank features transparent layers with bold light paths that transform illumination into precise information. Every light on the back panel serves a purpose, indicating battery levels, charging status, and even smartphone notifications when connected. The design language echoes the circuit pathways and physical logic of Nothing’s original phone, maintaining the brand’s commitment to meaningful transparency.
Fast charging at 65W means reaching 50% capacity in under 20 minutes, while the substantial battery capacity delivers at least three phone charges before needing a refill. The glyph interface goes beyond simple battery indication by connecting with your smartphone to display alerts and charging progress through purposeful light patterns. This approach makes waiting for your phone to charge more informative and visually engaging. The design proves that power banks don’t need to be boring rectangular slabs; they can communicate status elegantly while celebrating the technology inside.
What we like
The glyph interface turns light into precise, purposeful information
The 20,000 mAh capacity with 65W fast charging delivers both power and speed
What we dislike
The transparent design may show dirt and fingerprints more readily
The unique aesthetic might not appeal to users who prefer minimal, discreet accessories
4. Oakley Aether: The AR Glasses Google Should Have Built
Google once led the smart headset space before abandoning it for one-off experiments, but the Oakley Aether concept imagines an alternate timeline where Google remained committed. Modeled after ski goggles, these performance-driven glasses enclose your eyes in a protective bubble with 100% visibility enhanced by Android AR and Gemini AI integration. The design suggests what happens when you combine Oakley’s athletic expertise with Google’s software prowess, creating headsets that reimagine movement, insight, and precision through immersive technology.
The goggle format provides advantages traditional glasses can’t match: full environmental protection, expanded display real estate, and room for cameras, LiDAR, and other sensors essential for convincing AR. Pop them on and view the world through a heads-up display showing contextual information, notifications, and activity recordings for later analysis. Gemini AI integration enables natural conversation with your headset, creating interactions reminiscent of talking to JARVIS in Iron Man. This concept proves that AR glasses don’t need to look like traditional eyewear; embracing the goggle format opens new possibilities for capability and comfort.
What we like
The goggle format allows superior sensor integration and displays real estate
Gemini AI enables natural voice interaction for hands-free control
What we dislike
The ski goggle aesthetic may feel too sporty for everyday urban use
The enclosed design could cause comfort issues during extended wear
5. TWS ChatGPT Earbuds: AI That Sees What You See
Most wireless earbuds focus exclusively on audio, but this concept adds cameras to each stem, positioned near your natural sight line. Paired with ChatGPT, those lenses become a constant visual feed for an AI assistant living in your ears. The system can read menus, interpret signs, describe scenes, and guide you through unfamiliar cities without requiring you to hold up your phone. The form factor stays familiar while the capabilities feel genuinely new, making AI feel less like a demo and more like a daily habit.
The industrial design resembles a sci-fi inhaler in the best possible way. Each lens sits at the stem’s end like a tiny action camera, surrounded by a ring that doubles as a visual accent. The colored shells and translucent tips keep the aesthetic playful enough to read as audio gear first, camera second. This positioning matters because cameras in your ears feel less invasive than cameras on your face. You maintain eye contact during conversations, avoid the social stigma of face-mounted recording devices, and gain AI vision capabilities that activate only when needed.
What we like
The ear-mounted cameras feel less socially awkward than face-mounted alternatives
ChatGPT integration provides practical AI assistance for navigation and information
What we dislike
Privacy concerns may arise from cameras pointed at people during conversations
Battery life could suffer from powering both audio and visual processing
6. Gboard Dial: When Keyboard Design Gets Delightfully Absurd
Google Japan’s annual keyboard concepts embrace playful absurdity, and the Gboard Dial Version spins this tradition in a new direction. Released on October 1st to honor the classic 101-key layout, this 14th entry features a wonderfully over-engineered dial mechanism where users insert fingers into positioned keyholes and rotate to select characters. The three-layer dial structure supposedly delivers three times faster input with parallel operation capability. The nostalgic grinding sound becomes a feature rather than a bug, promoting what the team calls a calmer thinking and input experience.
This satirical concept follows memorable predecessors like the Gboard Teacup, Stick, Hat, and Double-Sided keyboards. While obviously impractical for actual productivity, the Dial Version raises interesting questions about input methods and the assumptions we make about efficiency. The deliberate slowness forces more thoughtful composition, and the physical interaction provides tactile satisfaction missing from touchscreens and flat keyboards. Sometimes the best tech concepts aren’t meant for production; they’re meant to make us reconsider what we’ve accepted as optimal.
What we like
The playful design challenges assumptions about keyboard efficiency and input methods
The tactile interaction provides satisfying physical feedback
What we dislike
The intentionally slow input method makes it impractical for actual work
The three-layer dial mechanism would likely be fragile with regular use
7. NightWatch: The Apple Watch Dock That Does Everything Right
Charging docks for smartwatches typically amount to simple stands with integrated power, but the NightWatch transforms your Apple Watch into a proper bedside alarm clock through clever design. This solid lucite orb magnifies your watch screen, making the time clearly legible from several feet away. Strategic channels under the speaker units amplify sound naturally, similar to cupping your hands around your mouth, ensuring your alarm actually wakes you. The entire transparent sphere is touch-sensitive, allowing a simple tap to wake the watch display.
The brilliance lies in its simplicity. There are no hidden components, no electronic trickery, just thoughtful application of physics and material properties. The lucite magnification works optically, the sound amplification happens through shaped channels, and the touch sensitivity uses the material’s properties. Your Apple Watch docks inside, charges overnight, and becomes infinitely more useful as a bedside timepiece. The transparent design lets you appreciate the watch itself, while the orb form creates an appealing sculptural presence on your nightstand.
What we like
The optical magnification makes the time readable from across the room
Natural sound amplification ensures alarms are actually audible
What we dislike
The large orb form takes up significant nightstand space
The design works exclusively with the Apple Watch, limiting its audience
8. Pironman 5-MAX: Turning Raspberry Pi Into a Desktop Powerhouse
The naked Raspberry Pi 5 board looks humble, but the Pironman 5-MAX case transforms it into a legitimate desktop computer packed with serious capabilities. This miniature rig features dual NVMe SSD slots for lightning-fast storage, support for AI accelerators like the Hailo-8L for machine learning workloads, and clever design features that maximize the Pi’s potential. The compact desktop form factor punches well above its weight, proving that mini machines can handle tasks once reserved for full-sized computers.
What makes this case special is how it treats the Raspberry Pi with the seriousness of proper desktop hardware. The dual NVMe support brings storage speeds and capacity that enable media servers, project development, and even AI experimentation within this tiny chassis. Adding AI acceleration capabilities means your Pi 5 can tackle machine learning tasks, opening possibilities that seemed absurd for single-board computers just years ago. This case doesn’t just protect your Pi; it unlocks its full potential as a capable, expandable desktop machine.
What we like
Dual NVMe SSD slots deliver professional-grade storage speed and capacity
Support for AI accelerators enables machine learning on a compact platform
What we dislike
The added hardware increases the overall cost beyond the base Pi 5 investment
The compact form factor may limit cooling efficiency under sustained heavy loads
The Vetra Orbit One concept smartwatch steps away from attention-grabbing screens toward satisfying physical interaction blended with forward-thinking features. Imagine a rotating bezel providing nuanced control, textured surfaces offering rich sensory feedback, and design elements evoking classic timepiece pleasure. This approach integrates the satisfying feel of traditional watchmaking into modern smart technology without simply replicating the past. The minimalist aesthetics reject overwhelming visual noise in favor of clean lines, subtle details, and essential information presentation.
This philosophy prioritizes clarity and elegance, ensuring the watch functions as a sophisticated accessory rather than a distracting wrist billboard. The tactile nostalgia isn’t about rejecting progress; it’s about preserving what made traditional watches satisfying to wear and use. The concept combines physical interaction satisfaction with smart capabilities, creating a device that feels good to touch and operate. When every smartwatch chases more screen space and brighter displays, the Orbit One suggests that sometimes less really is more.
What we like
The tactile interface provides satisfying physical interaction, missing from touchscreen-only devices
Minimalist aesthetics create an elegant, unobtrusive accessory
What we dislike
Limited screen space may restrict app functionality compared to larger smartwatches
The focus on physical controls could slow certain interactions requiring screen input
10. OrigamiSwift: The Folding Mouse That Fits Anywhere
Most portable mice compromise on either size or comfort, but OrigamiSwift solves this dilemma through an origami-inspired folding design. This Bluetooth mouse delivers full-sized comfort and precision when deployed, then folds completely flat to slip into any bag or pocket. The transformation happens in under 0.5 seconds with a simple flip, instantly activating the device for use. At just 40 grams with an ultra-thin profile, it’s barely noticeable until you need it, making it ideal for digital nomads, frequent travelers, and anyone who works from multiple locations.
The triangular origami structure provides surprising durability despite its folding nature, maintaining shape through repeated daily use. Soft-click buttons and smooth gliding work across various surfaces for responsive, discreet operation. The USB-C rechargeable battery lasts up to three months per charge, eliminating disposable battery waste. Designed by Horace Lam, OrigamiSwift reflects the harmony between artistry and practicality, where intricate folds echo timeless elegance while sleek lines embody modern minimalism. This mouse becomes more than a tool; it’s a statement about refined portable tech.
The folding design offers full-sized comfort that collapses to pocket-portable dimensions
Three-month battery life provides long-term reliability between charges
What we dislike
The folding mechanism introduces potential durability concerns with intensive daily use
The origami-inspired form may not suit users who prefer traditional mouse shapes
The Future Feels Different This Year
These ten innovations share a common thread beyond their 2025 release timing. Each one questions assumptions we’ve made about how technology should look, feel, and function. They prove that innovation doesn’t always mean adding more features or making screens larger. Sometimes the most exciting advances come from designers willing to completely rethink categories we thought were settled.
What excites me most about these gadgets is their willingness to be different. They embrace tactile feedback when everyone else chases touchscreens, add cameras to earbuds while others focus solely on audio, and turn power banks into communication devices through light. These products suggest that the next decade of technology will be defined less by raw specifications and more by thoughtful design that genuinely improves daily experience. That’s a future worth getting excited about.
LEGO and 3D printing occupy similar creative territory, both letting you turn ideas into physical objects through systematic processes. Yet despite this natural kinship, there’s never been an official LEGO model of the specific machine that’s currently democratizing small-scale manufacturing. This fan submission fixes that gap with a recognizably Ender-inspired design that captures both the utilitarian aesthetic and basic kinematic structure of Creality’s popular printer lineup.
The build doesn’t actually function like some ambitious LEGO projects (there’s a working LEGO Turing machine out there made from 2,900 bricks), but that’s not really the point. Someone unfamiliar with 3D printing could assemble this and understand how Cartesian motion systems work, how the hotend assembly relates to the build plate, and why those vertical lead screws matter for Z-axis stability. For people who already own an Ender or similar machine, it’s more about the novelty and nostalgia of seeing familiar hardware translated into a tabletop collectible to admire and cherish.
Designer: Guris14
Paying homage to the Ender 3 is fitting, since it was literally the first 3D printer for so many people, quite like an entire generation having a Nokia first phone. Creality sold hundreds of thousands of these things, maybe millions at this point, and the design became the default mental image of what a 3D printer looks like for an entire generation of makers. That boxy aluminum frame, the single Z-axis lead screw on earlier models (this LEGO version appears to reference the dual-screw V2), the bowden extruder setup with that blue PTFE tube snaking from the frame-mounted motor to the hotend. That characteristic black and silver color scheme with blue accent components has become as visually shorthand for “budget 3D printer” as the beige tower was for 90s PCs. Designer Guris14 scaled the model down from the Ender 3 V2’s actual 220x220x250mm build volume to something desk-friendly, but kept the proportions honest enough that you immediately recognize what you’re looking at.
What’s impressive is how the mechanical systems translate into LEGO’s vocabulary without completely abandoning accuracy. The Z-axis uses what appears to be LEGO’s ribbed hose pieces to represent lead screws, with the gantry able to move up and down the vertical supports. The X-axis gantry rides on a black beam that mimics the 2040 aluminum extrusion found on real Enders, while the hotend assembly hangs from a carriage with that signature blue bowden tube curling back toward the extruder. The build plate sits on a Y-axis assembly with its own lead screw mechanism, and there’s even a LEGO logo on the build-plate, like perfectly placed branding!
Flip the model and you’ll find representations of the motherboard and power supply tucked beneath the build plate, exactly where Creality positions them on the actual hardware. There’s that angled LCD screen mount on the front right corner, positioned just like the stock Ender setup. Even the spool holder perched on the top frame gets included, which is the kind of completeness that separates a thoughtful recreation from a surface-level approximation. You could hand this to someone who’s never seen a 3D printer and they’d walk away with a surprisingly accurate mental model of how these machines are structured.
The project currently sits on the LEGO Ideas website, where fans share their own creations and vote for their favorites. Lucky builds that hit the 10,000 vote mark move to the review stage where LEGO actually considers it for production. That’s always been the tricky part with Ideas submissions. You need a concept that’s simultaneously niche enough to excite enthusiasts but broad enough that LEGO thinks they can sell tens of thousands of units through their retail channels. A 3D printer model lives in an interesting space there. The maker community overlap is real and passionate, but you’re also asking LEGO to produce a set celebrating a technology that competes with their own manufacturing process in certain contexts.
Still, LEGO has greenlit plenty of sets that celebrate tools and technology. The Typewriter, the Polaroid camera, the various Technic construction vehicles, all of these acknowledge that people enjoy building detailed models of machines they find interesting or useful. A 3D printer fits that pattern perfectly, especially as these devices become more common in homes and schools. The educational angle writes itself: here’s a hands-on way to understand additive manufacturing without dealing with bed leveling or filament moisture. Whether that’s enough to get LEGO’s product team on board is another question entirely, but stranger things have made it through the Ideas gauntlet. The NASA Apollo Saturn V started as a fan submission. So did the ship in a bottle.
Coffee at work usually means a compromise, a paper cup grabbed between meetings or a lukewarm pot abandoned in the break room. The Flarix Pro steps into that gap as a compact electric moka pot that lives wherever you do your best thinking, quietly promising a richer, more focused cup without sending you on a pilgrimage to the office kitchen. It is a simple proposition, but one that required a complete rethink of a century-old brewing method, trading the romance of the flame for the quiet reliability of a dedicated electric base. The goal is to make good coffee a feature of your workspace, not a distraction from it.
Instead of treating great coffee as a weekend luxury, this little brewer integrates it into your everyday life. Plug it in beside your laptop, fill it with water and fresh grounds, and a few minutes later you have a dense, aromatic moka style coffee that feels closer to a ritual than a chore. This is also in part thanks to its avant-garde Alessi-esque Italian-design form factor. On the hardware front, you’ve got basic electronics wrapped in some clever design details, which essentially rewrites when and where good coffee is allowed to happen. This is not about replacing the café; it is about reclaiming the ten minutes at your desk with something that feels personal and well-crafted. The entire package is an argument for better coffee, right here and right now, without asking you to change your workflow. Think Moka pot reinvented for the modern age, because everything’s about convenience – and nobody likes the idea of leaving their desk to make (or worse, buy) coffee elsewhere.
What makes this possible is the deliberate decoupling of the moka pot from the kitchen. By integrating a 365-watt heating element into a self-contained base, the designers have created a brewer that asks for nothing more than a standard wall socket. This modest power draw is key; it is low enough to play nice with office power strips and portable battery stations, making the “brew anywhere” claim feel credible. The unit weighs in at just 978 grams, light enough to be genuinely portable between home and the office. It is a clever piece of engineering that transforms the moka pot from a fixed kitchen appliance into a personal, relocatable coffee station that can follow you through your day.
Of course, putting a pressurized heating vessel on a desk crowded with electronics and paperwork demands a serious approach to safety. The Flarix Pro packs an Italian Albertinari safety valve – a world-class component known for its precise and reliable pressure release, and a critical feature in a device that literally operates on steam pressure. This is paired with a British Strix thermostat, the same kind of controller found in high-end electric kettles, which provides accurate temperature control and boil-dry protection. The system automatically shuts off when the brew is complete, a simple feature that provides enormous peace of mind when your attention is split between your coffee and your deadlines. Al; this is packed in a design that feels playful, unique, and pretty much deviates from the octagonal Moka pot design which feels almost like a template instead of an icon today. This product is fundamentally different, therefore it must look different, is the justification.
The Flarix Pro packs a patented spring-loaded funnel, which is a genuinely interesting departure from the standard passive funnel found in every other moka pot. This design appears to provide a gentle, consistent compression of the coffee grounds as you assemble the brewer. In theory, this could help create a more uniform coffee bed, reducing the risk of water finding a path of least resistance, a phenomenon known as channeling that leads to a thin, under-extracted brew. It is a small, mechanical detail that could have a significant impact on the final taste and consistency of the coffee, shot after shot.
The body is made from food-grade 304 stainless steel, which is durable, easy to clean, and does not impart any metallic taste to the coffee, a common complaint with older aluminum pots. The interior of the water chamber has been sandblasted, creating a matte texture that resists scale buildup and makes cleaning simpler. Even the spout has been carefully considered; its anti-drip design ensures a clean pour, an essential detail when you are serving coffee directly next to important documents or a keyboard. These are the kinds of thoughtful touches that separate a well-designed product from a mere novelty.
Flexibility is also built into the core design. The Flarix Pro comes with a dual-size filter basket, allowing you to easily switch between brewing two or four shots of moka coffee. This is a practical feature that acknowledges that coffee is not always a solo activity. The water chamber has clear internal markings for both volumes, removing any guesswork from the process. This adaptability makes the brewer suitable for a quick personal coffee break or for preparing a round for a small team meeting. The components are all fully detachable, which simplifies the cleaning process and prevents the buildup of old coffee residues that can ruin the taste of a fresh brew.
The result is an aesthetic and characteristic revival of the Moka Pot, which has been pretty much banished to the kitchen all its life. The Flarix Pro allows it to step out of its shell, and into any room you’d want to drink coffee in, whether it’s your home office, your workspace (accompanied by a few stares from coworkers, perhaps), your RV, or even your campsite. Although the classic brushed steel finish has my heart, CDKM offers a sky blue and a dark blue variant of the Flarix Pro, with a $109 price tag and global shipping starting February. Upgrade to the $199 perk, however, and you get the entire bundle, which also features milk steaming pitcher, a handheld electric milk frother, a coffee grinder, and an espresso cup + saucer.
Modularity. The word appears constantly in appliance marketing, usually meaning nothing more than optional accessories. Hisense’s CES 2026 lineup treats it as structural philosophy.
The home appliance category has long resisted meaningful design evolution. Refrigerators grow larger. Washers add cycles. Connectivity features accumulate. None of this fundamentally changes how these objects occupy space or interact with human behavior.
Designer: Hisense
Hisense’s collection spans kitchen, laundry, and climate control. What unifies the products is methodology: each addresses a specific behavioral friction point rather than adding features to existing forms. A dehumidifier repositions its tank to eliminate bending. A laundry system provides parallel processing for incompatible fabric types. A refrigeration line achieves visual coherence across separately purchased units.
Miguel Becerra, Hisense’s Director of Smart Home, framed the approach explicitly. These are reconceptions, not refinements. Machine intelligence operates autonomously rather than demanding constant user input. Ergonomic reconsideration shapes maintenance rituals. Adaptable configurations replace fixed proportions.
Connect Life: Distributed Intelligence Across Domestic Systems
Five AI agents. Air. Cooking. Laundry. Energy. Support. Each monitors a domain and acts without waiting for commands. The system design reflects a philosophical shift: reactive control gives way to anticipatory automation.
The air agent illustrates the approach. Paired with third-party motion and air quality sensors, it adjusts climate based on occupancy and particulate levels rather than thermostat schedules. Empty room detected: cooling reduces. Elevated particles registered: ventilation increases. No user input required. The system anticipates discomfort before it registers.
Cooking and laundry agents follow similar logic. The cooking agent coordinates oven and cooktop timing, ensuring stovetop preparation and oven completion align appropriately. The laundry agent accepts phone-scanned fabric and stain images, selects cycles autonomously, and provides completion estimates. Meal recommendations integrate with appliance coordination.
Matter compatibility prevents ecosystem lock-in. Thousands of certified devices integrate. Users maintaining existing relationships with Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa retain those interfaces while Connect Life adds capability layers. No ecosystem abandonment required. The support agent monitors device health proactively, flagging failures before they disrupt operation.
This is automation that reduces cognitive load rather than relocating it from physical buttons to digital interfaces. The distinction matters: complexity handled invisibly differs fundamentally from complexity shifted to a new control surface.
Kitchen Suite: Screens as Interface, Coordination as Function
Screens everywhere. The Connect Life Cap refrigerators carry two: a 21-inch primary display and a 3.5-inch secondary dedicated to temperature controls.
The bifurcation acknowledges interaction hierarchy. Not every interaction requires the full interface. Temperature adjustment happens quickly on the smaller screen. Recipe browsing, wine pairing suggestions, and smart home management occupy the larger surface.
Configuration options span counter-depth, French door, and cross-door layouts. Counter-depth models integrate flush with cabinetry. French door provides traditional accessibility. Cross-door offers alternative organization. Display consistency across configurations means interface logic transfers regardless of which form factor fits a particular kitchen.
The smart induction range adds a seven-inch cooktop display with bridge functionality that combines heating zones for oversized cookware. Rapid preheat technology reduces the waiting period between intention and cooking. The AI cooking agent coordinates timing across appliances, ensuring stovetop preparation and oven completion align appropriately.
Most distinctive: the S7 Smart Dishwasher’s cooking pattern detection. Connected to compatible ovens, it recognizes what was prepared and queues appropriate cycles before loading occurs. Greasy steak dinner triggers heavy-duty settings automatically.
This appliance-to-appliance communication eliminates the guesswork that typically accompanies cycle selection. The dishwasher transforms from passive receptacle into active kitchen workflow participant.
PureFit Refrigeration: Modularity as Aesthetic Principle
The new wine cabinet shares exact dimensional precision with existing PureFit refrigerator and freezer columns. Minimal side gaps. Coordinated panel finishes. The slim profile accommodates kitchens where standard depths would protrude awkwardly from cabinet lines. Multiple units read as built-in cabinetry rather than assembled appliance collection.
The significance is relational, not individual. Units matter less than the system they form, and this modularity serves both functional and aesthetic purposes. Households configure refrigerator-to-freezer ratios according to actual usage patterns rather than accepting manufacturer-determined proportions. Wine collectors gain dedicated storage without sacrificing visual coherence. Growing families expand freezer capacity later. A developing wine interest introduces the cabinet. The architecture accommodates temporal change without wholesale replacement.
Temperature zones maintain appropriate environments for different varietals. The AI cooking agent provides pairing recommendations, integrating storage and meal planning into a continuous experience.
The cabinet represents applied modularity: identical design language, precise dimensional matching, and functional independence within a coordinated system. Each column operates independently while contributing to a unified visual and functional whole.
Top Lift Dehumidifier: Ergonomic Innovation in Overlooked Categories
Climate control appliances occupy a peculiar position in domestic design: essential for habitability yet engineered as if human bodies never interact with them. The dehumidifier category exemplifies this neglect. Manufacturers have refined compressor efficiency and moisture extraction rates for decades. What they never examined: the maintenance gesture. Crouching. Extracting a heavy tank from the unit’s base. Navigating stairs while managing slosh. The physical transaction that defines ownership remained unaddressed.
Hisense inverts the gravitational logic. The Top Lift positions its collection cartridge at the top rather than at the base where extraction demands bending and lifting against body mechanics. The gesture becomes a vertical lift from standing height. An enclosed design eliminates spillage during transport.
This represents ergonomic intervention at the interaction layer rather than the specification layer. Capacity increases 38% over traditional models. The user-centered logic: fewer emptying events mean fewer opportunities for physical strain. Acoustic engineering permits placement in finished living spaces rather than mechanical exile. Connectivity spans major ecosystems without demanding platform commitment.
Incremental specification improvement this is not. The intervention reflects a methodological shift toward designing around maintenance behavior rather than around extraction performance alone.
Fabric Care: Three Approaches to Laundry Space
Three laundry products address three different spatial logics. The U7 Smart Washer and Dryer targets American capacity expectations directly. Previous Hisense models were too small for U.S. household loads. The U7 corrects drum sizing, adds Connect Life integration, steam sanitization, and a Hi-Bubble detergent system that reduces waste.
The Stylish takes the opposite approach. Italian design influence. Matte finishes that read as furniture. Critical specification: 21 inches deep versus the typical 30-plus. Bedrooms and visible living areas become viable installation locations. The all-in-one drum handles washing, drying, sanitization, and odor removal.
Excel Master represents the most significant departure, a modular system allowing infinite scalability. A main unit functions as conventional full-size washer and dryer using heat pump technology. Mini modules attach to expand capacity. Each mini module contains two separate wash and dry drums.
The insight: fabric care is a sorting problem, not a capacity problem. Households generate textile streams differing in soil type, fiber sensitivity, thermal tolerance. Traditional machines force temporal sequencing or compromised mixing. Excel Master provides parallel channels. Delicate synthetics, heavy cotton, specialized items run simultaneously in dedicated drums.
Mini modules employ ambient air condensation rather than heat. Room-temperature air removes moisture gradually, preserving fiber integrity at the cost of cycle duration. The trade-off suits the module’s purpose: items routed there prioritize care quality over speed.
Acoustics: below 46 decibels with multiple drums running. Quieter than conversation. Additional modules integrate as needs evolve. The system adapts rather than requiring replacement.
Implications: Design as Behavioral Response
The products share an underlying methodology: observe how people actually interact with domestic equipment, identify the friction points and compromises those interactions require, redesign fundamental configurations to eliminate rather than accommodate those problems.
The Top Lift Dehumidifier does not add features to compensate for awkward maintenance. It repositions the tank to make maintenance physically reasonable. Excel Master does not suggest workarounds for mixed laundry loads. It provides the infrastructure to handle them properly.
Modularity here means spatial flexibility and temporal adaptability. Households configure according to current needs, reconfigure as those needs change. Ergonomic reconsideration treats maintenance behavior as a design variable rather than a fixed constraint. Distributed intelligence reduces the cognitive burden of appliance management by handling routine decisions autonomously.
CES booth: Central Hall, January 6 through 9, 2026. Pricing and specific U.S. availability remain undetermined. Hisense conducts retailer and distributor meetings after CES, with decisions filtering through during Q1. A New Product Introduction event later in the quarter should provide concrete details.
Execution and pricing will determine market success. The conceptual framework, though, represents genuine departure: systematic reconsideration of domestic equipment design rather than incremental improvement to existing forms.
