Vision tests are an important part of life, but they aren’t always the most convenient things to work into your schedule. It’s an issue Eyebot thinks it has solved with its kiosk, which shrinks the time taken from 20 minutes to closer to three minutes. Plus, you don’t need to book an appointment where an optician will lean too close in to your face while trial and error-ing corrective lenses. As mundane as a subject as a visit to the eye doctor is, this device could have some fairly massive ramifications. And, having tested it, I can certainly see the benefits.
Eyebot CEO Matthias Hofmann said that, despite the popularity of online glasses retailers like Warby Parker, 85 percent of Americans prefer to buy glasses in person. But accessibility is a big issue, especially in areas where there aren’t enough eye doctors to efficiently process tests. Hofmann added that this issue is far worse in rural areas, where people may need to drive for an hour or more to see an eye doctor, and then wait two weeks for their prescription to be filed. It’s these two maladies that Eyebot’s kiosk is meant to address, allowing people to walk up and complete their vision test whenever they want.
The test itself is very simple, you just walk up to the kiosk and let the big touchscreen walk you through the steps. You’ll answer some basic screening questions — this test is suitable for those aged 18 to 64 — and then complete a fairly perfunctory letter test. Once that’s done, you’ll be asked to stare at a picture of a hot air balloon (but not the picture you’re thinking of). Once that’s done, you just need to share your email address and then wait for your prescription to be filed.
But you don’t need to worry that your eye health is being left to some algorithm making its best guess. Eyebot explained that each of its prescriptions are sent to an eye doctor working remotely who can look at the data the kiosk has generated, signing off on the prescription. Thankfully, I was able to compare this prescription with my last eye test (conducted by a professional) from the previous year, and found that Eyebot’s results matched it perfectly. It is worth noting, however, that Eyebot can’t run any medical tests; like the little puff of air blown onto your eyes to measure the pressure your eyes can withstand, which shows your risk of glaucoma. Consequently, while you can get your prescription with this process, you’ll still be advised to take regular visits to see a clinician.
Eyebot is presently operating in limited numbers in some Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Pennsylvania, with plans to roll this out across the US in the near future. For the former, you’ll need to pay, while the latter comes as a benefit of your membership. Hofmann said that he envisages a future where there are Eyebot kiosks in shopping malls or at brick and mortar stores for online glasses retailers to grease the wheels of getting that fancy new pair of specs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/eyebot-promises-an-accurate-vision-test-in-a-couple-of-minutes-160000184.html?src=rss
CES 2026 isn't the first year we've seen a wave of interesting robots or even useful robots crop up in Las Vegas. But it's the first year I can remember when there have been so many humanoid and humanoid-like robots performing actually useful tasks. Of those, Switchbot's Onero H1 has been one of the most intriguing robot helpers I've seen on the show floor, especially because the company says that it will actually go on sale later this year (though it won't come cheap).
Up to now, Chinese company Switchbot has been known for its robot vacuums and smart home devices. Much of that expertise is evident in Onero. The unexpectedly cute robot has a wheeled base that looks similar to the company's robot vacuums, but is also equipped with a set of articulated arms that can help it perform common household tasks.
I was able to see some of its abilities at Switchbot's CES booth, where Onero dutifully picked up individual articles of clothing from a couch, rolled over to a washing machine, opened the door, placed the items inside and closed the door. The robot moved a bit slowly; it took nearly two minutes for it to grab one piece of clothing and deposit it inside the appliance which was only a few feet away.
I'm not sure if its slowness was a quirk of the poor CES Wi-Fi, a demo designed to maximize conference-goers attention or a genuine limitation of the robot. But I'm not sure it matters all that much. The whole appeal of a chore robot is that it can take care of things when you're not around; if you come home to a load of laundry that's done, it's not that concerning if the robot took longer to complete the task than you would have. The laundry is done and you don't have to do it. That's the dream.
Under the hood, Onero is powered by RealSense cameras and other sensors that help it learn its surroundings, as well as on-device AI models.
The demo of course only offered a very limited glimpse of Onero's potential capabilities. In a promotional video shared by Switchbot, the company suggests the robot can so much, much more: serve food and drinks, put dishes away, wash windows, fold clothes and complete a bunch of other — frankly, impressive — tasks. The Onero in the video also has an articulated hand with five fingers that gives it more dexterity than the claw-hand one I saw at CES. A Switchbot rep told me, though, that it plans to offer both versions when it does go on sale.
Which brings me to the most exciting part about watching Onero: the company is actually planning on selling it this year. A Switchbot rep confirmed to me it will be available to buy sometime in 2026, though it will likely be closer to the end of the year. The company hasn't settled on a final price, but I was told it will be "less than $10,000."
While we don't know how much less, it's safe to say Onero won't come cheap. It also seems fair to say that this will be a very niche device compared to many of Switchbot's other products. But, if it can competently handle everything the company claims it can, then there's probably a lot of people and businesses that would be willing to pay.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/switchbot-came-to-ces-with-a-laundry-robot-you-might-actually-be-able-to-buy-153000025.html?src=rss
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra marks a significant evolution in the premium smartphone market. By introducing practical innovations while maintaining the same price as its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung has demonstrated a commitment to balancing innovative technology with consumer value. This strategy reflects the company’s focus on addressing user needs without inflating costs, […]
Throne has rocked up to CES 2026 to show off its forthcoming toilet computer which uses computer vision to study your poop. It hangs from the side of the bowl and has a camera and microphone to track bowel motions and urination and offer feedback. It was co-founded by (activity tracker) Whoop co-founder John Capodilupo, who explained the hardware is designed to understand what your base state is to be able to identify when you fall out of that pattern.
Capodilupo explained the hardware will look at how often you go, the texture and size of your motions, as well as the volume. The eventual aim is to be able to analyze your gut health, adding that as a GLP-1 user, that sort of data is vital to manage the symptoms of those drugs. The battery lasts for a month on a single charge but you won’t be forced to drag it out of the bathroom to re-juice it. The device ships with a 13 foot long USB-C power cable which should stretch long enough from your nearest outlet to the toilet.
At this point, we can’t talk to its efficacy but will certainly be looking to test this thing when it arrives at some point in February. Pre-orders are open, and it can currently be picked up for $340, plus a $6 per month membership.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/throne-from-the-co-founder-of-whoop-uses-computer-vision-to-study-your-poop-150000606.html?src=rss
CES 2026’s first official show day kept the pace up with a mix of near-term gaming upgrades, ambitious new form factors and a few reminders that not every gadget needs to do everything. NVIDIA announced important gaming news, we caught up with Samsung’s tri-fold phone and Lenovo marched out an army of impressive looking gaming laptops and concept tech. Here are the biggest stories from January 6.
NVIDIA
NVIDIA's G-Sync Pulsar is the next evolution of its VRR technology.
NVIDIA
NVIDIA’s gaming updates focused on making motion look cleaner and boosting performance without forcing developers to rebuild everything from scratch.
The company introduced G-Sync Pulsar, a new display tech designed to reduce monitor-based motion blur by pulsing a screen’s backlight in sections rather than leaving it on continuously. NVIDIA says the approach gives pixels time to stabilize before they’re illuminated, which should make fast movement easier to track, particularly in esports.
The first Pulsar monitors are expected to come out starting January 7 from Acer, AOC, ASUS and MSI, all which are 27-inch 1440p IPS panels with a 360Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits peak HDR brightness. Pulsar models also support Ambient Adaptive Technology for automatic color temperature and brightness adjustment based on room lighting.
On the software side, NVIDIA announced DLSS 4.5, which adds a second-generation Transformer-based Super Resolution model the company says improves temporal stability, reduces ghosting and improves anti-aliasing. DLSS 4.5 also introduces Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, intended to push performance toward your display’s refresh rate, with NVIDIA positioning it around high-end targets like 4K 240Hz path tracing. The 2nd Gen Super Resolution Transformer model is available now for RTX GPUs, while Dynamic 6x Frame Generation is expected in spring 2026 for RTX 50-series cards, with support rolling out across hundreds of games via the NVIDIA app.
Samsung
The Galaxy Z TriFold is the latest evolution in Samsung's growing lineup of fancy foldable phones.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold was unveiled in Asia before the show, but this was our first opportunity to see the superphone in person. It looked, at first glance, like the kind of idea that comes with obvious compromises: more weight, more thickness and a bigger price tag. In person, the pitch becomes easier to understand.
The main draw is the 10-inch AMOLED display, which is a meaningful leap from the 8-inch inner screen on Samsung’s current book-style foldables. That extra real estate makes multitasking feel less cramped, and when paired with DeX, it starts to resemble a travel-friendly laptop alternative if you’re comfortable carrying a small keyboard and mouse. The TriFold’s 4:3 aspect ratio also helps for video and general productivity, with fewer awkward tradeoffs than the squarer inner screens Samsung has leaned on in recent generations.
Samsung appears to have put real effort into the mechanics, too. The device uses two hinges and a magnet system designed to make opening and closing feel intuitive, with built-in warnings if you try to unfold it the wrong way. The obvious downsides are still there, including the bulk and cost, and it’s not clear how much thinner future versions can get when the USB-C port is effectively the limiting factor. For now, the TriFold is on sale in South Korea, with US and broader North American availability and pricing still pending.
Lenovo
While it normally has a 16-inch display, the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable concept's screen can expand up to 23.8 inches across.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Lenovo arrived with a stack of concepts and a few more concrete products, making it clear that the company is still treating CES as its main playground for experimental form factors.
The most striking concept was the Legion Pro Rollable, a gaming laptop built around a flexible OLED panel that expands sideways from a standard 16-inch footprint to 21.5 inches or 23.8 inches, shifting aspect ratios from 16:10 to 21:9 or even 24:9. It’s the kind of idea that makes immediate sense for flight sims, racing games and open-world titles that benefit from ultrawide views, even if the mechanics felt a bit prototype-like up close.
Lenovo also showed the XD Rollable concept, which takes a more familiar rollable approach, expanding a 13.3-inch OLED screen to 16 inches at the push of a button. The twist is that the “extra” display wraps around the back of the lid to create a world-facing surface for mirrored content or a secondary view. It’s a clever way to avoid hiding unused panel real estate, even if the practical use cases still feel limited (maybe point-of-sale terminals?).
On the handheld front, Lenovo confirmed the Legion Go 2, which will be powered by SteamOS and will arrive in June starting at $1,199. It keeps the same core hardware, including an 8.8-inch OLED 144Hz VRR display, detachable controllers, a kickstand and two configuration tiers based on Ryzen Z2 chips. The big change is swapping SteamOS in place of Windows, which should appeal to anyone who wants a more console-like experience, even if it remains a large device at 2.2 pounds.
For laptops headed to market, Lenovo introduced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist, a notebook with a motorized display that can follow you during calls and presentations using a 10MP webcam and onboard AI. It also supports Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, up to 32GB RAM and 2TB storage, plus a strong port selection, and Lenovo says it starts at $1,649 with availability planned for June.
Finally, Lenovo teased an AI smart glasses concept that looks more like normal eyewear than most show-floor prototypes. Lenovo says the glasses are designed for live translation, image recognition and notification summaries, with an eight-hour battery claim. As with many Lenovo concepts, there’s no firm timeline for a retail release.
Pebble
The Pebble Round 2 reboots a smartwatch classic.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
Pebble’s presence at CES this year felt like a counterpoint to the “more features, more sensors, more subscriptions” direction of other wearables.
The Pebble Round 2 aims to revive the brand’s original appeal: a lightweight watch that supplements your phone rather than trying to replace it. The new model uses a 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen that runs to the edge of the case, with Pebble claiming two weeks of battery life in the 8.1mm-thick watch. It also makes deliberate tradeoffs, skipping GPS, a speaker and an optical heart rate sensor to keep the device thin and focused.
Then there’s the Pebble Index 01, a simple AI ring built around a physical button you press to activate voice commands that you can use to ask questions, set reminders and the like. The pitch is reducing friction: no wake words, no gestures you have to get right every time. Pebble says the ring is water resistant and not rechargeable, instead using a sealed battery designed to last years depending on usage, with replacement handled when the battery is nearing the end of its life. It’s available for pre-order at an early bird price of $75, with shipping planned for May.
Segway
Segway expanded its presence well beyond scooters with two very different pitches: smarter yard care and more tech-forward e-bikes.
Under its Navimow brand, Segway introduced a new lineup of robotic lawn mowers spanning multiple tiers, including the X4 Series for large yards up to 1.5 acres with AWD and dual cutting motors, plus the more mainstream i2 Series with AWD and LiDAR options. Segway says pre-orders for the i2 AWD and X4 models begin January 16, with pricing ranging from around $1,000 to $3,000 depending on configuration.
On the mobility side, Segway announced two new e-bikes, the Myon and Muxi, along with an electric dirt bike called the Xaber 300. The headline is the company’s focus on sensor-driven ride smoothing, smart features like Find My integration and app-based controls, and tech meant to make starts, hills and traction feel more predictable. The Myon is available now for $2,000, while the Muxi is expected in March for $1,700.
Meta
Meta's neural band in Garmin's Unified Cabin at CES 2026.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
Meta’s EMG wristband (that’s short for “electromyography,” the ability to recognize and translate small finger and wrist gestures) is starting to look like more than a companion accessory for smart glasses. Meta showed how its wrist-based neural controller could be used beyond its own eyewear, including an early demo with Garmin inside a concept car cockpit. The interaction was still basic — swipe and pinch gestures to navigate apps on an infotainment screen — but the larger idea is hands-free control of vehicle functions over time.
Meta also highlighted research work exploring how EMG control could help people with conditions that limit hand mobility interact with smart home devices like speakers, blinds and thermostats. If day one of the show had a theme beyond AI, it was that companies are still willing to gamble on new shapes and inputs, and they can work as long as they feel practical and immediately useful.
Razer
Razer's concept immersive gaming chair with light strips along the head cushions is pictured in front of a desk in a rocky outdoor environment between large puddles
Razer
Razer’s day-one news was split between a full-blown immersion concept and a more grounded chair refresh.
The company’s Project Madison concept is a gaming chair designed as a multisensory rig, combining reactive lighting, spatial audio and multi-zone haptics to match on-screen action. It’s not a product you can buy, but it’s a clear statement about where Razer thinks the “setup” category could go.
Razer also showed Project Motoko, a concept headset meant to blur the line between gaming gear and an AI wearable. It includes cameras for real-time object and text recognition and is designed to work with multiple AI assistants, with Razer positioning it as a platform that could eventually ship first as a developer kit and later as a retail product.
Birdbuddy
Two new Birdbuddy smart bird feeders displayed at CES.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Birdbuddy added a feature that makes its smart feeders feel closer to a true nature companion: birdsong identification. The Birdbuddy 2 and Birdbuddy 2 Mini both add microphones that help the system identify species by sound, alongside the usual camera-based detection. Birdbuddy also says the new models improve camera wake-up speed, use a more modular design for easier cleaning and protect the lens with Gorilla Glass since birds have a habit of pecking at it.
The Birdbuddy 2 is priced at $199 and is expected to ship pre-orders in February, with wider availability mid-2026, while the Birdbuddy 2 Mini costs $129 with pre-orders planned for summer.
Agibot
Humanoid robots are having another moment at CES this year, and Agibot’s demos leaned into movement, personality and practical service roles.
The company brought two robots, the larger A2 and smaller X2, both capable of walking around the floor, waving to attendees and dancing with surprising confidence. Agibot described the A2 as a potential hospitality helper for places like museums or conferences, while the X2 is framed more as an educational platform with slightly more human-like movement. Agibot also says its robots can learn actions from video, including training dance routines from TikTok clips, and the company plans to make its robots available in the US this year, though pricing and broader availability details weren’t shared.
Day one is in the books, but CES 2026 is far from over. With the show floor now fully open, expect more hands-ons, deeper dives and plenty of unexpected demos as the week continues, especially across laptops, wearables, mobility and smart home tech. We’ll be updating our CES coverage daily, with liveblogs, reviews and show-floor impressions throughout the week. You can follow along on Engadget for the latest news as it happens.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-1-the-biggest-tech-news-and-gadgets-you-missed-from-the-first-official-day-of-the-show-144040174.html?src=rss
French startup WheelMove demonstrated a compact motorized wheelchair add-on at CES 2026 that not only acts as a power-assist device, but can also lift up a chair's small front wheels so it can ride over rough terrain. The accessory upgrades a manual wheelchair with a 10-inch extra wheel and a 250W motor that can drive at up to six miles per hour (10 kilometers per hour) and handle slopes up to 10 percent, with a range of 15.5 miles (25km). The battery is swappable, too, so a person could pack an extra for a longer outing to avoid having to stop and recharge.
As the WheelMove team showed at its booth, the accessory can be attached to a wheelchair in a matter of seconds while seated, and its control panel can be strapped onto an armrest or even a bodypart. There are five speed options, which also work to keep the speed consistent when a person is traveling on a downslope. With the WheelMove attached, its creators say a manual wheelchair user can traverse rough and uneven surfaces — like cobblestones, grass and dirt paths — as well as ramps with far less effort than would normally be required. In some cases, it could open up travel in places that would otherwise be completely inaccessible.
The startup says it's worked with wheelchair users who have field tested the device for months ahead of its launch. It weighs less than eight kilograms (17.6 lbs) and packs up in a backpack. Pre-orders for the WheelMove have opened for buyers in France, where it's expected to ship later this year before expanding internationally. It costs roughly $6,000.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/wheelmove-gives-manual-wheelchairs-the-power-and-height-to-handle-rough-terrain-143000560.html?src=rss
What if your next gaming laptop could completely redefine how you play, work, and create? Jarrod’s Tech explains how the latest innovations unveiled at CES 2026 are pushing the boundaries of portable gaming, showcasing devices that combine raw power, stunning visuals, and new designs. From laptops with rollable OLED screens to dual-display setups that feel […]
In a unanimous written determination, the Warner Bros. Discovery's board is advising shareholders to once again reject Paramount Skydance's "inadequate" hostile takeover bid. The letter to shareholders cites a number of concerns with the offer and reiterates its position that Netflix's offer remains superior. Netflix and WBD have entered into a merger agreement in early December after the WBD board selected its offer over other bidders.
There are two key differences between the two options: Netflix is willing to pay $82 billion, but only for the Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max divisions; Paramount Skydance's latest offer came in at $108 billion and is for all of WBD's assets, including CNN, HGTV, Food Network and many more. The Netflix deal leaves those assets in the hands of WBD shareholders, to be spun off as Discovery Global.
Paramount Skydance made three separate attempts to scoop up WBD before the company even opened the process up to other bidders. The third of those early offers was reportedly in the neighborhood of $24 per share, while this most recent hostile takeover stands at $30 per share.
But the WBD board has concerns. Among them, the extraordinary amount of debt required for Paramount, a studio with a market capitalization of just $14 billion, to take on an acquisition of this size. (Netflix's market cap is over $400 billion.) This comes despite Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, stepping in to guarantee $40 billion worth of the needed financing. The board also points out that Netflix's offer is partially paid in the streaming giant's shares, which it says have the potential to provide further value in the future.
At this stage in negotiations, the board also claims opting to go with Paramount Skydance's offer would also result in WBD paying over $4 billion in termination fees.
"Your Board negotiated a merger with Netflix that maximizes value while mitigating downside risks, and we unanimously believe the Netflix merger is in your best interest," the letter states. The merger with Netflix will still have to go before regulatory bodies in the United States and Europe.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/warners-bros-discovery-board-urges-shareholders-to-reject-amended-paramount-bid-141513357.html?src=rss
Your iPhone is more than just a communication device—it’s a versatile tool capable of transforming the way you manage your daily life. With the right apps, you can enhance its functionality, solve common challenges, and unlock features that make your device even more powerful. Below is a carefully curated selection of apps designed from iReviews […]
Even if you bring home as few bags as possible — using reusable bags, carrying purchases home with your own two hands — soft plastics sill accumulate. I certainly have a collection with one flimsy plastic sack filled with dozens or hundreds of others. I plan to do something with it… eventually.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of options for what to do with those soft plastics, as most recycling facilities can’t accept them. But no one likes seeing them end up in oceans and rivers and stuck up in trees. So I was excited to see the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (CPC) at CES. It’s a pre-recycler for your home that turns hundreds of bags into a solid brick that’s easier to transport. Certain facilities can accept the bricks for recycling.
Clear Drop works with 95 percent of soft plastics, sucking up bags, bubble wrap, ziplocks, package wrap and cling film into its maw. It then compresses and heats the plastic to form a compact eight by twelve by four inch brick. I asked Matt Daly, Clear Drop’s head of product, what the compactor can’t take and I was told you can’t add ping pong balls, IV bags and camera film. Easy enough.
A compacted brick the Clear Drop CPC produced.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
It was satisfying to see the little slot on the top gobble up the plastic bags Daly fed it. The Clear Drop wasn’t set to smash and heat at the show, but I was assured by another Clear Drop rep that any plastic smell produced during operation was minimal and the company performed safety tests to ensure the machine didn’t create any harmful emissions.
Daly said it would take about a month for most households to create a brick, which translates to around a 30 gallon trash bag full of other bags. Once that brick is created, it can be shipped to one of Clear Drop’s partner facilities and pre-paid USPS shipping envelops are included. They work with multiple US-based recycling facilities and do audits to ensure the bricks are actually being recycled.
Of course, I was a little disappointed the bricks couldn’t be tossed in my blue curbside bin, but Daly said they’re working to bring more recycling partners on board and the ultimate goal is to create an infrastructure that would eventually include municipal recycling. Shipping the bricks somewhere feels a little counterproductive, eco-wise. And the machine itself is not cheap. The price is split up over the course of two years, but it adds up to $1,400.
I’m happy to see someone somewhere is doing something to address a pretty clear problem. While it’s not perfect, this is probably the best household-level solution I’ve seen to that can ensure your bags don’t go down some sea turtle’s throat.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/clear-drop-is-trying-to-do-something-about-all-those-plastic-bags-under-your-sink-140000254.html?src=rss
