Gadgets
fromWIRED
7 hours ago2025's Best Phones Were Also Its Wackiest
Smartphone design revived notable creativity this year, with playful, distinctive models and affordable modular options countering bland, efficiency-driven devices.
Panos Panay, Amazon's head of devices and services, believes the reign of the smartphone screen may be nearing a tipping point. Speaking at Fortune Brainstorm AI in San Francisco, he suggested that a growing fatigue with social media "doom scrolling" is paving the way for a new era of "ambient intelligence"-one driven by a generation that interacts with technology in fundamentally different ways,.
The global market for humanoid robots could be worth as much as $9 trillion by 2050, with China expected to dominate demand and basic household models potentially entering homes within the next five years, according to new research. A report by Royal Bank of Canada estimates that humanoid robots could become a core part of everyday life over the coming decades, transforming labour markets and household routines.
Upgrading to the Switch 2 is a big step forward, thanks to the larger screen, new features and improved performance. But shifting to a new console naturally raises the question of what happens to all your games and save data on the one you already have. Thankfully, Nintendo has built a clear System Transfer process that lets you move your account, digital purchases, save files and other key data from your original Switch to the Switch 2.
When I first unboxed Turbro's Suburbs TS25 Smart Electric Fireplace, I was annoyed that it did not come with the recommended 6-inch Phillips-head screwdriver needed to attach the fireplace's freestanding legs. I dug through my toolbox and found a shorter screwdriver, which made screwing in the 16 screws a whole affair. Yet I persevered and placed the white polished-enamel fireplace in my living room.
Enter Lunora, a sleep aid device designed by Prithvi Manoj Bhaskaran that's honestly unlike anything you've seen on your bedside table. At first glance, it looks like a little sculptural figure taking a much-needed rest, complete with a glowing orb balanced on its back. That gentle lean, those smooth curves, it all feels intentional in the best way. This isn't another gadget screaming for your attention. It's the opposite.
Next month OnePlus is unveiling a new series in China called Turbo, which will debut with two devices. One of these was spotted in the Geekbench database yesterday rocking the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC. According to a new rumor, this device will get an international launch as well, including in India. It comes with a 9,000 mAh battery which supports 80W wired charging, as well as an OLED display with "1.5K" resolution and 165Hz refresh rate.
Say the words Ai Pin to any tech geek within earshot, and they'll most likely regale you with tales of AI gadget infamy. The Humane wearable was (past tense) nothing short of a disaster. Not only was the pin an eye-watering $700 when it was released, but it also required a $24 monthly subscription for LTE. To top it all off, it, uh barely did anything that its founders promised.
The thin bezels make the screen appear larger than it is, and in full-screen mode, it's satisfying for entertainment and media playback, with support for Dolby Vision. The 11.45-inch screen size is, to me, the sweet spot: it's small enough to be portable but also large enough to be seen across the room, for example, when watching something in the kitchen while cooking.
Steam is experiencing an outage that's impacting users ability to access the game store and play games online. Valve hasn't acknowledged the outage publicly, but SteamDB's unofficial Steam Status page reports that the Steam Store, Steam Community, and Steam Web APIs are all offline. DownDetector received over 6,000 outage reports around 1:15PM ET, and Steam is also inaccessible from Valve's mobile apps. The outage appears to be affecting APIs for Valve's online games, like Team Fortress 2, Dota 2 and Counterstrike 2, as well.
Microsoft is testing a "more sources" section within the Bing Search results. This seems to load a different user interface, with long card-shaped search results that you can slide through as a carousel. This was spotted by Sachin Patel who posted a number of videos of this in action on X - here is a static screenshot from one of those videos: Here is a partial GIF: Here is the original post with the videos:
It has a responsive touchscreen allows for seamless navigation through mobile apps and web pages and it performs well enough to allow you to complete your daily activities such as work, school and streaming without experiencing slow-downs. Of course, that's dependent on your connection, but your computer won't be the one slowing you down. You've got plenty of screen real estate, so that means ample space to view documents, stream movies and open multiple windows and tabs wat the same itme.
First, I did not bother with the Dreo space heater's smart aspect. The reason is that we've decommissioned our Alexa devices in favor of Google Home speakers. We recently switched network providers, and I couldn't get Alexa to connect to the new network, no matter how much I tried. I'd always found Alexa devices to be problematic when it comes to connectivity, and the Google Home speakers were absolutely painless to deploy.
From upgraded compression packing cubes that instantly streamline chaotic suitcases to universal travel adapters that solve mid-trip charging scrambles, and even sleek containers for must-bring toiletries, travelers today are packing smarter than ever. I've curated a list of 15 standout itemsone of everything you need to stay organized, maximize comfort, and arrive feeling refreshed at your next destination. On the plane, we have equipment that is commonly referred to as no-go items
Recently, NORAD's Santa Tracker teamed up with OpenAI to introduce new AI-powered features. These include an image generator that transforms your selfie into an animated elf character, a tool for generating toy ideas and converting them into printable coloring book pages, and a fill-in-the-blank storytelling tool that allows families to add names, places, and other details to create a fun holiday story to read aloud.
If you're looking to upgrade from a basic 1080p monitor you've been using for a decade, I recommend buying the Dell 27 Plus 4K. It's sharp, has good colors, and is shockingly affordable. I knew right when I tested it that it would be unbeatable at its price, and I promise: I won't be offended if you skip all my words and buy that immediately. But if you're shopping around, I have advice ranging from panel types to refresh rate. Let's dive in.
Hisense calls it a "lifestyle projector" that beams at long-throw distances, meaning it's ideal when set further away from a wall or projector screen. The projection size ranges from 65 inches to 300 inches, offering a good amount of flexibility for various rooms and environments. However, the standout feature of the XR10 is its 6,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, which is the highest rating I've seen on any projector in recent times.
I know you. Yes, you. You were looking at the $630 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft or reMarkable Paper Pro with hungry eyes, but the price of both tablets was upsetting your stomach. So you've started looking elsewhere for a color e-reader/e-notetaker. In your blind search, you've come upon the Boox Note Air 5C, and you're still left grimacing at the $530 asking price.
The GPU is packaged separately from the rest of the system, which may sound odd, but I've found that's one of the most common pain points when shipping a new gaming PC. I've seen system builders use expanding foam, special brackets, and folded cardboard supports, among other solutions, but packing the graphics cards in its original box is far simpler and safer, and the other ways of shipping a PC with an installed graphics card still require opening the system up anyway.
Galaxy Buds 3 FE are currently going for just $110 at Amazon, after the retailer took a massive 27% off their usual $150 price. The offer applies to both the classic black and the stunning gray color options, but there's a catch. The discount is only around for today. It ends at midnight, which means you don't have a lot of time left to save. Additionally, you're also getting a two-month free trial to Audible with your purchase,