Category: Technology

At CES 2026, HP is showing off its latest flagship consumer laptop: The Omnibook Ultra 14. It features an all-new super thin design that’s much tougher than it looks. 

According to HP, the Omnibook Ultra 14 is the “world’s most durably slim 14-inch consumer notebook,” which is a somewhat convoluted way of saying the system remains quite portable — just 0.42 inches thick — while still passing 20 different military standard tests (MIL-STD-810) for things like shock resistance, drops and extreme temperatures. The whole system is crafted from aluminum, though instead of taking a unibody approach like you see on Apple’s MacBooks, HP opted for forge stamped manufacturing which is said to give the laptop added strength and bend resistance. The result is a notebook that’s both 52 percent lighter than the previous model at 2.8 pounds and five percent thinner than a 2025 M4 MacBook Air 13. And after seeing it in person, I have to say it looks pretty slick, too. 

As you’d expect from a premium ultraportable, the Omnibook comes with a vivid 3K OLED display, up to 64GB of memory, 2TB of storage and your choice of either an Intel Core Ultra 3 CPU or a Snapdragon Elite X2 chip. That said, thanks to an exclusive partnership with Qualcomm, anyone planning on running a lot of AI-based apps on the Ultra 14 may want to go with the Snapdragon variant as it’ll come with a slightly more powerful NPU that maxes out at 85 TOPS (that’s trillions of operations per second) rather than the 80 TOPS you’d get from other OEMs. Furthermore, to help support strong sustained performance, the Ultra 14 is also the first Omnibook to feature a built-in vapor chamber. 

Granted, as a pretty straightforward ultraportable, this thing doesn’t have a ton of special features. But even so, I appreciate that HP didn’t cut corners regarding its keyboard, which has a nice feel that’s not too stiff or bouncy and sits above a rather large touchpad. The company even found room for quad speakers and three USB-C ports that offer Thunderbolt 4, power delivery (USB PD 3.1) and DisplayPort 2.1.

My one small nitpick is that I would have liked to see an SD or microSD card reader as well, but considering HP’s emphasis on portability and toughness, I’m not surprised that it didn’t make it. The other thing I’m not so sure about is the Omnibook name in general. It’s been a little while since HP axed the Spectre branding for its top tier consumer laptops and I kind of wish HP would bring it back as it sounds better and feels more befitting of a flagship system like this. 

Regardless, if you’re in the market for a premium 14-inch Windows laptop, the Omnibook Ultra 14 looks like it will be a very strong contender when it goes on sale later this month starting at $1,550.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-hp-omnibook-ultra-14-at-ces-2026-super-sleek-and-surprisingly-durable-170000330.html?src=rss 

CES tends to bring a wave of news from chipmakers, and Qualcomm has used this year’s event to announce the Snapdragon X2 Plus laptop processor. This is a more modest version of the flagship Snapdragon X2 Elite chip that Qualcomm unveiled in September. 

The Snapdragon X2 Elite will be available in the coming generation of Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs and its integrated Hexagon NPU can deliver the 80 TOPS performance benchmark for powering artificial intelligence tasks. The chip is also equipped with a third-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU with either six cores or ten cores. For comparison, the Snapdragon X2 Elite gives options of either 12 or 18 cores. 

According to the company, this iteration of the CPU boasts up to 35 percent faster single-core performance compared with the previous generation. It also says the six-core model has up to 10 percent faster multi-core performance over the prior model, while the ten-core option has up to 17 percent better multi-core performance. Both versions of the Snapdragon X2 Plus come with an Adreno GPU that has improved performance up to 29 percent over the past iteration.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/qualcomm-unveils-snapdragon-x2-plus-chip-at-ces-170000392.html?src=rss 

Brisk It has shown off AI-enabled smart grills at CES before now, but for 2026, the company is taking its cooking tech indoors. With the Neoma multi-function countertop oven, the company offers AI features that can serve as both sous chef and nutritionist, helping you create dishes that fit your budget, diet and other lifestyle needs. The Brisk It Agentic AI can also help with meal planning and grocery orders on top of automatic cooking cycles for recipes it selects.

The Neoma has a temperature range from 90 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and cooking times of one minute up to twelve hours. This means you can do everything from baking to roasting, air frying and more. In fact, it comes with an air fry basket, baking pan, oven rack, and crumb tray. The robust steel construction, glass door and interior space should make the Neoma well-suited for most kitchens.

Brisk It isn’t leaving the grill game though. The company also announced the AI Hybrid Gas Grill at CES. The hybrid bit describes the dual gas and wood pellet combustion, giving users the ability to infuse wood smoke in their high-heat grilling sessions. Of course, Brisk It’s AI goes to work here too, with adaptive cooking and personalized meal plans.

The AI Hybrid Gas Grill will be available at retailers later this year. The Neoma AI Countertop Oven will hit Kickstarter in February before a wider retail launch. Brisk it didn’t mention pricing for either model in its press materials.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/brisk-it-brings-its-ai-cooking-tech-to-an-indoor-oven-at-ces-2026-170000705.html?src=rss 

One trend emerging from CES 2026 is wearable microphones you can use to dictate your thoughts. Vocci is one such gadget, a titanium ring with a single button capable of recording audio for up to eight hours on a charge. Unlike some of its competitors, Vocci isn’t just for catching your own thoughts as they spring forth from your scalp. Instead, you’ll be able to record whole conversations and meetings from the comfort of your proximal phalanx. 

Users can start and end recordings by double clicking the ring’s single button, while single clicks are used to mark important moments within the recording. Tagged moments will instruct the AI app to add more context, highlights or reminders, where appropriate. Once the file has been processed, you’ll receive a transcript, complete with a summary and commentary.

I’m told the ring has a range of five meters, but I was unable to hear an example recording or see a working demo of the technology. I did ask why a ring would be more effective at capturing a room’s worth of chat over, say, using a recording app on one’s phone laid on a table. But the response was to point out a user may forget to start the recording, and you can’t disagree with that.

Vocci will ship with a charging case, and will be able to recharge to full in half an hour, but it’s not clear yet how much (if at all) power will be stored in the case’s batteries. We also don’t know how much the ring will cost, but it’s likely to be available for pre-order at some point in February. As for the ring’s pedigree, it comes from Gyges Labs, the company which leant its name, manufacturing and engineering expertise to last year’s Halliday Smart Glasses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/voccis-ai-note-taking-ring-aims-to-do-much-more-170536442.html?src=rss 

Tamagotchi ripoffs are alive and well at CES 2026, and SoildTech’s spin on the idea is to stick a virtual pet in the dirt to help you stop killing your plants. Senso combines a plant health sensor and a Tamagotchi-like device, offering insights into the conditions of a houseplant’s environment and a gamified way of keeping up with them. 

If a plant is in need of watering or could use some lighting adjustments, little characters will offer you quests to complete those tasks. And by taking care of your plant properly, you’ll also be helping those characters’ virtual home planet thrive. (A world that, I must point out, looks a whole lot like one I’ve seen before as a Tamagotchi Paradise owner). The virtual pet component magnetically attaches to a two-pronged probe that’s inserted into the pot, so it can be swapped between the sensors in different plants if you have more than one. 

The companion app for the Senso device showing plant data and care tips

In the AI-powered app, where you can add and manage multiple plants, you’ll get the full breakdown of each one’s data and needs. Soildtech says the app can also identify plants and the diseases they may be afflicted with from a photograph. Senso supports voice interactions so you can turn directly to the device for caretaking advice too. 

It’s designed with beginner plant enthusiasts in mind and is, admittedly, super cute, though I can’t speak to how well it can actually assess the health of a plant from our brief look at it. Senso comes in multiple colors and will launch on Kickstarter “soon.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/this-tamagotchi-clone-is-designed-to-help-you-keep-your-plants-alive-172000982.html?src=rss 

It seems like only a few years ago that Anker made nothing more than batteries and chargers. But 15 years into its history, the company’s CES portfolio continues to illustrate how much it’s expanded. Among other announcements, the company has a new robot vacuum, video doorbell, outdoor light and smart lock. They’re all rolling out under Anker’s Eufy smart home brand.

The company hopes its Eufy Clean Robot Vacuum Omni S2 will be your next robovac. The $1,600 device vacuums with 100 AW suction, and it mops, too. Anker claims the vac works on shag carpets up to about 2 inches (5 cm) in pile height. It has an 11.4-inch rolling mop that applies up to 15 N of downward pressure.

As is increasingly common in robovacs, Omni S2 uses AI to identify floor types and adjust several factors on the fly. These include cleaning mode, suction, scrubbing force and wheel height. The machine can also generate lightly oxidizing disinfectants (a hypochlorous acid and ozone water solution) inside its tank.

Presales for the Eufy Clean Robot Vacuum Omni S2 begin on January 6. Shipping and in-store availability for the $1,600 robovac kicks off on January 20.

Eufy Video Doorbell S4

Anker also has a new doorbell, the Eufy Video Doorbell S4. It includes an AI-powered people detection feature with auto-framing. The doorbell has 3,024 x 3,024 resolution at 24 FPS and offers a panoramic (180 x 180-degree) view.

You can use the doorbell in either wired or wireless mode, and it supports solar charging. The Video Doorbell S4 is scheduled to launch “later in Q1” for $280.

Eufy Solar Wall Light Cam S4

Along similar lines, there’s the Solar Wall Light Cam S4. The outdoor light has a built-in 4K camera with an f/1.6 aperture. The light has a color temperature ranging from warm white (2700K) to cool white (6500K).

As its name suggests, it supports solar charging. It’s bundled with a detachable 2W solar panel. It also has a 10,000mAh battery that’s rated for up to two months. Anker says the Solar Wall Light Cam S4 will arrive in Q1 for $200.

Eufy Smart Lock E40

Finally, Anker has a new lock / camera combo: the Eufy Smart Lock E40. It has “advanced 3D face recognition” that can identify you and your family from up to 10 feet away, unlocking accordingly. Its camera has 2K resolution and a 135-degree field of view, which should capture visitors from head to toe. The lock has a removable 15,000mAh battery (rated for six months) and a smaller 800mAh backup battery to keep things running while the main one is charging.

The Smart Lock E40 supports Matter, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. It’s expected to launch in Q1 at Home Depot (online and in stores) for $300.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ankers-ces-smart-home-lineup-includes-a-1600-eufy-robovac-160000133.html?src=rss 

8BitDo just revealed a new gamepad at CES and it’s a doozy. The Ultimate 3E Controller for XBox is a modular marvel that should suit just about any configuration preference. That’s because many elements are swappable.

There are two different button modules, each with a different feel when pressing down. There are several joystick options, including standard, tall and thick-neck designs. The controller even ships with a pair of D-pad options. One is intended for precision and the other for “smooth, directional rolls.”

There are other bells and whistles here. The Ultimate 3E offers a 1000Hz max polling rate, hall-effect impulse triggers, remappable bumpers that have been designed for speed and customizable 6-axis motion control. It also ships with a wireless charging case. This thing is a beast.

Despite being officially licensed by Xbox, the controller works with other platforms. It looks like a great option for PC, Android and Apple devices.

Now for the bad news. These pro-level features come with a pro-level price tag. The Ultimate 3E costs $150. The company says preorders will open up in the near future and that it should ship later in the year. In the meantime, you’ll have to make due with this nifty arcade-style controller by 8BitDo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/8bitdos-ultimate-3e-gamepad-for-xbox-offers-swappable-button-modules-and-joysticks-160011248.html?src=rss 

If you had your eye on Nebula P1 projector but $799 is too rich for your blood, Soundcore has a new option at CES 2026. The Anker affiliate just unveiled the 1080p Nebula P1i portable projector that’s less than half the price and even more portable, albeit with less brightness. 

Instead of detachable speakers like the Nebula P1, the P1i’s speakers are embedded in the projector and can be flipped open and tilted through 180 degrees. It also lacks the P1’s tilting projector body and instead offers a stand that can incline the projector from zero to 12 degrees. 

Though it offers the same 1080p maximum resolution as the Nebula P1, it’s a bit less bright at 400 instead of 650 ANSI Lumens. Like the more expensive model, though, it supports autofocus, auto keystone correction and screen fit, which will make setup easy for spontaneous outdoor use. And like other projectors in the Nebula lineup, it supports Google TV so you can stream Netflix, Prime Video, Disney and other apps. Best of all, the Nebula P1i is priced at a very reasonable $369 and is set to arrive in “early 2026,” according to Soundcore. 

Soundcore also revealed availability for its Nebula X1 Pro party projector that marries its impressive Nebula X1 projector with a 160W sound system, all in one assembly. As a reminder, the projector delivers 3,500 ANSI lumens and an impressive 110 percent coverage of the Rec.2020 HDR color space. The sound system, meanwhile, features a floating subwoofer, 80W soundbar speakers and two wireless satellite speakers for 7.1.4 surround sound. It even supports Dolby Atmos, which the projector on its own doesn’t do, while offering IP43 protection from light rain and dust if you want to use it outdoors.

The Nebula X1 Pro is tentatively set to launch on January 20, 2026 for $4,999, though you currently preorder one on Soundcore.com for $4,499. If you need a screen, the company is offering a 200-inch inflatable model for $2,000. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/soundcores-nebula-p1i-portable-projector-launches-in-early-2026-for-369-160020321.html?src=rss