Category: Technology

At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, which kicks off this week, Roborock, a Chinese manufacturer of robot vacuums and other household cleaning appliances, has unveiled a new robotic vacuum model with a foldable robotic arm. It had already piqued my curiosity, but now I really want one. 

The OmniGrip arm has five-axis movement and can lift objects under 300 grams, like socks and dog toys. It marks objects it can lift while cleaning the floor and then circles back to pick them up when it’s done. It even cleans the areas under the objects on its second pass — that’s attention to detail! The Saros 270 will go on sale later this year, but the price is TBA.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest CES stories you missed

CES 2025: Spit on this stick to see how burned out you are

CES 2025: Watch the Samsung press conference here today at 5PM ET

CES 2025: Belkin’s new Creator Bundle is a DIY kit for fledgling TikTokers

We’re live from CES 2025!

TVs, cars, headphones, weirdness.

The previews are done and CES 2025 is full steam ahead. The Engadget team is in Las Vegas, reporting on all the biggest tech launches. And all the ridiculousness. We’re running a dedicated live blog with all the news from Vegas — follow along here.

CES 2025: All the keynotes of note

And what we already know is coming.

In addition to the usual tradeshow floor chaos, there will be keynotes by NVIDIA’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and more. We’ve also seen Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X (Twitter), will be interviewed by journalist Catherine Herridge at a keynote on January 7. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel will speak about the “future goals of the platform” on January 8. Those last two might be the most interesting.

Continue reading.

Meta sends its creepy AI-generated profiles to hell

Where they belong.

Meta has killed most of its AI-generated profiles from Facebook and Instagram, the company confirmed, after the AI characters prompted widespread outrage and ridicule from users on social media. AI managed by Meta launched in September 2023, rolling out alongside the company’s celebrity-branded AI chatbots (also discontinued). Meta has updated none of these profiles for several months, and the pages seem to have been largely unnoticed until this week. On Instagram, their profiles also featured AI-generated posts that, as 404 Media noted, looked a lot like the AI slop that’s filling the corners of the internet.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122437246.html?src=rss 

The Espresso 17 Pro is our favorite portable monitor. It delivers great image quality, has a rugged build, boasts built-in speakers and includes a touchscreen function. The only real trouble is that, with a 17-inch screen, it’s perhaps not as truly portable as it could be.

Enter the Espresso 15 Pro.

As you might have guessed, the latest model has a 15-inch display. This is the second Pro-level portable monitor from Espresso Displays. The company already has a 15-inch non-touch version, but as the name implies, this one’s geared toward professionals and business travelers who could do with more on-the-go screen real estate. 

The Espresso 15 Pro, which was unveiled at CES 2025, has a resolution of 4K and 1,500:1 contrast. It’s said to display 1.07 billion colors with full coverage of the AdobeRGB color spectrum. The LCD panel is actually brighter than the 17-inch model at 550 nits versus the larger monitor’s 450 nits of peak brightness. It also has two USB-C inputs. On the downside, the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz.

Along with MacOS and Windows devices, the Espresso 15 Pro works with iPhones, iPads and DeX-enabled Samsung Galaxy devices. It’s possible to use the Espresso Pen for notetaking on the touchscreen as well.

Elsewhere, the Espresso 15 Pro will come with the brand’s new Stand+. The monitor magnetically attaches to the Stand+, which supports landscape and portrait orientations.

Pricing and availability for the Espresso 15 Pro has yet to be revealed, though it’s slated to arrive in the coming months. Logic dictates that the price will fall somewhere in between the $299 Display 15 and $799 Espresso 17 Pro.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-espresso-15-pro-is-a-compact-version-of-our-favorite-portable-monitor-105237176.html?src=rss 

Elvie, the company known for its popular wearable breast pump, is showing off a new piece of baby gear at CES. Called Rise, it’s an app-controlled baby bouncer that can transform into a bassinet with a baby inside.

The $799 device is made for infants in the first few months of their lives. Elvie says the bouncer works for babies up to 20 lbs or 6 months old, while the bassinet is meant for babies up to 5 months or 22 lbs.

While in “bouncer mode,” parents can customize the specific bounce pattern from the accompanying Elvie Rise Sleep & Soothe app. The company says its “SootheLoop” technology is meant to be a gentle motion that’s more like the movement of a caregiver rather than a repetitive robotic movement. There’s also a manual mode for babies to bounce themselves as they grow a bit bigger and stronger.

In its press release, Elvie says its own study found that two-thirds of babies between 0 and 3 months often sleep in “non-safe” products like bouncers or swings. The Rise is meant to address this as parents can switch from bouncer mode to bassinet mode without — hopefully — waking their child.

The Rise is equipped with a “transition handle” that allows parents to transition the device between modes. While in bouncer mode, this involves pushing on the bottom end, near the feet, and squeezing the handle to pull up the sides to form the walls of the bassinet. The straps from bouncer mode automatically retract to make it a surface suitable for sleeping. 

The company says its bassinet complies with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)’s sleep safe guidelines, though babies should not be left in the bouncer unattended. The device is also meant to be more portable than the typical bassinet. It collapses for easier transport and has a magnetic charger so it can be used even when it’s not plugged in.

The Elvie Rise is available now for pre-order. The company expects to begin shipping orders March 14, 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/elvies-newest-product-is-a-smart-baby-bouncer-that-transforms-into-a-bassinet-111550670.html?src=rss 

Stress can really take a toll on a person, often in ways we don’t immediately recognize. Swiss startup Nutrix AG is hoping a quick, at-home spit test can help, by giving people a better idea of how stressed out they really are and the tools to manage it. At CES 2025, Nutrix showed off its cortiSense device, which measures levels of cortisol in saliva and can be used to track how this changes over time. The startup is planning to launch it by the end of the year, and it’ll work with the gSense app and digital platform to offer things like personalized wellness coaching from a medical team.

It’s meant to be an easy and noninvasive way to identify and combat burnout. The part that’s a little sus, though? In a press release, Nutrix CEO Maria Hahn said the company is focusing on “empowering enterprises,” noting that employee burnout can present “a significant challenge with a huge human and financial cost.” So, get your stress under control to better perform labor, I guess.

I wasn’t able to pop one in my mouth and try it out (I did ask), but the Nutrix team says a reading should take about 3-5 minutes to complete. The device, which looks like a vape, uses disposable tabs that have a cortisol measuring sensor. “You get the quantitative information of the cortisol in saliva,” which is then “transmitted over to the digital health platform to combine with other data, like activity monitoring, glucose [and] weight,” said Nutrix co-founder and CTO Dr. Jemish Parmar at CES’s Unveiled event. You’re supposed to take four measurements a day.

The company didn’t share pricing information, but the team says it will be offered as part of a subscription program that would include the cortiSense device, the single-use sensors and the digital health platform. The gSense platform so far offers guidance around weight loss, but it will soon offer mental health services too, according to Dr. Dominika Sulot, the Data and Software Lead. “Once you have all the data, you’re scheduling an appointment with [the medical team] and then they’re providing you the personalized plan,” Sulot says.

For personal use, this kind of thing could be great if it works as stated, especially if it would connect users with physical and mental health support. But I’m not loving the emphasis on enterprise applications to, per the press release, “foster a healthier, more productive workforce.” Actually, I might have just vomited in my mouth a little writing that. I wonder what cortiSense would detect in that. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/spit-on-this-stick-to-see-how-burned-out-you-are-024531311.html?src=rss 

At CES 2025, Bosch is showing off an AI-enabled bassinet with sensors that can detect just about anything an anxious parent could ever hope to monitor about their baby. It’s not clear when the device, called Revol, may actually be available, but it’s able to track an impressive amount of data.

At first glance, the Revol looks somewhat similar to other smart bassinets like the ever-popular Snoo. It has mesh walls and can soothe a sleeping baby with automated movements. But unlike the Snoo, which rocks in a horizontal motion, the Revol moves vertically with the mattress slowly raising and lowering like a tiny elevator.

But most of the power of the crib lies in the built-in baby monitor that provides a live video feed to caregivers. Inside the arm that extends over the crib is an array of sensors that can track both the environment around the bassinet and what’s going on inside.

It uses a millimeter wave radar sensor that Bosch says can accurately measure the heart rate and respiration of the baby. That data is then sent to an app on the caregiver’s phone, where they can view real-time stats and health reports. There are also sensors for monitoring the environment of the baby’s surroundings, including temperature and humidity sensors, as well a particle meter to measure air quality.

Finally — because it’s 2025 and every product needs to have an AI component — the Revol also has AI-enabled features. It uses computer vision to detect if an object, like a blanket or stuffed animal, is near the baby’s face and can alert parents to the danger (the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against keeping any soft objects in babies’ sleep area).

All that sounds like a pretty impressive list of features for a bassinet, but expecting parents shouldn’t hold their breath for the Revol to become available. A Bosch rep told me that the company plans to bring the bassinet to the Chinese market first and that it’s targeting sometime in 2026 for a launch in the US, citing the need to comply with US laws and regulations.

There’s also no price yet on the device, though Bosch told me they are hoping to price it at around $1200. That may seem steep, but the company plans to offer additional add-ons that can convert the crib into a changing table and desk, so parents and kids can get more use out of it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/boschs-ai-enabled-bassinet-tracks-everything-youd-ever-want-to-know-about-your-babys-sleep-025258549.html?src=rss 

Samsung has new soundbars and updates to an existing model to show off at CES 2025. First, the HW-QS700F is an all-new speaker that’s designed to sit on a shelf or TV stand, but it can also be mounted at 90 degrees flat on a wall under a TV. The QS700F can optimize the sound based on how you’ve situated it for the best performance. It will come with a wireless subwoofer, but it’s unclear if rear satellite speakers are part of the package. 

The company’s flagship soundbar returns for 2025 with a significant tweak. The HW-Q990F will remain an all-in-one package with wireless subwoofer and rear satellite speakers included and retains the same angular look. But, the company says it reduced the size of the sub to less than half of the previous version. What’s more, Samsung explains that it did so while providing even more powerful audio performance from the unit. As someone who reviewed both the Q990D and Q990C, I can tell you the previous subwoofer was enormous, so this is a great update. 

The Q990F remains an 11.1.4-channel speaker with “clearer, richer and more effortless sound” and Dolby Atmos support. The included rear surround speakers also pack in up-firing drivers, which enhances the overall effect of the immersive audio. And as I’ve noted before, having everything in one package is convenient and saves you from having to make extra purchases on top of a pricey soundbar. 

Samsung Q990F

Samsung will use AI to boost sound quality on its soundbars in 2025. Two features, Active Voice Amplifier Pro and Q-Symphony Pro, use artificial intelligence to enhance dialog over background noise and analyze sound with a Samsung TV’s processor respectively. The company says Q-Symphony Pro will also be available on two new B-series soundbars, the HW-B750F and HW-B650F, which will arrive in 2025. 

Another item Samsung is keen to discuss at CES is its Eclipsa Audio platform it’s developing in collaboration with Google. Details are scarce on the new 3D audio standard for now, but Samsung has already said its 2025 TVs and soundbars will support it. According to the press release, Eclipsa Audio enables content creators to adjust sound data and location for spatial audio. It sounds like Samsung and Google are developing their own take on Dolby Atmos. What’s more, Samsung says creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio to YouTube later this year, but there’s no word on support for other platforms yet. 

Samsung first announced plans to develop 3D spatial audio in 2023 when it collaborated with Google on Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). IAMF was adopted by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), which lists Amazon, Apple and Netflix among its members. This also isn’t the first time Samsung has shunned Dolby as it has opted for HDR10+ over Dolby Vision for its TVs. 

There’s no word on pricing and availability on any of the new soundbar models just yet. That info is likely to arrive closer to launch. For reference, the Q990D is $2,000, but once again, it includes a subwoofer and rear speakers. Sony’s Bar 9 is $1,400 just for the soundbar itself.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/samsung-debuts-the-qs700f-soundbar-and-updates-the-q990-at-ces-2025-030042257.html?src=rss