UK Urged To Unplug From US Tech Giants as Digital Sovereignty Fears Grow

An anonymous reader shares a report: The Open Rights Group is warning politicians that the UK is leaning far too heavily on US tech companies to run critical systems, and wants the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill to force a rethink.

The digital rights outfit says the bill, which is due to receive its second reading in the House of Commons today, represents a rare opportunity to force the government to confront what it sees as a strategic blind spot: the UK’s reliance on companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and data analytics biz Palantir for everything from cloud hosting to sensitive public sector systems.

“Just as relying on one country for the UK’s energy needs would be risky and irresponsible, so is overreliance on US companies to supply the bulk of our digital infrastructure,” said James Baker, platform power programme manager at Open Rights Group. He argued that digital infrastructure has become an extension of geopolitical power, and the UK is increasingly vulnerable to decisions taken far beyond Westminster’s control.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

[$] Questions for the Technical Advisory Board

The nature and role of the Linux Foundation’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) is
not well-understood, though
a recent LWN article shed some light on its
role and
history. At the 2025

Linux Plumbers Conference
(LPC), the TAB held a question and
answer session to address whatever it was the community wanted to know
(video).
Those questions ended up covering the role of large language models in kernel
development, what it is like to be on the TAB, how the TAB can help grease the
wheels of corporate bureaucracy, and more.

[$] The difficulty of safe path traversal

Aleksa Sarai, as the maintainer of the
runc container runtime, faces a
constant battle against security problems. Recently, runc has seen

another
instance
of a security vulnerability that can be traced back to the difficulty
of handling file paths on Linux. Sarai spoke at the 2025
Linux Plumbers Conference
(slides;
video)
about
some of the problems runc has had with path-traversal vulnerabilities, and to
ask people to please use

libpathrs
, the library that he has been developing for
safe path traversal.

Pebble’s founder might be just the right person to make an AI ring

Eric Migicovsky has been thinking a lot about friction. Specifically, he’s been thinking about how too much friction in the way of using a device can put people off wearing it altogether. The founder of Pebble is here at CES 2026 with a few new devices from the company he recently started to bring back the beloved smartwatch brand, including the Pebble Round 2 and the Index 01. That second one is a simple ring with a button on it that you push down to talk to Pebble’s AI whenever you want it to help you remember something.

In the sea of AI gadgets that clutter the showfloors of CES (and the current tech industry in general), the Index 01 is refreshingly simple. The prototypes I saw here in Las Vegas weren’t connected to phones, so they weren’t actually working. They also seemed a little unfinished, like there was still some polishing to do. But I was able to put a few on and push their buttons. I also checked out the one Migicovsky wears — more on that in a bit.

I have to caveat that the rings that Migicovsky and his team had for us to try on were way too large for me. I did manage to get sized and found out I was a Pebble size 7, while my colleague Dan Cooper was determined to be a size 11. These demo rings sat loosely on my finger — and Migicovsky was particular that I wear it on my index finger and not my thumb or middle finger.

I suspect that has to do with how you reach for and press the button. It’s much easier to push the key if it’s closer to your thumb. Since the idea of the Index 01 began as an app on the Pebble watch, Migicovsky has been working hard to figure out how best to make it easy to access. Back when it was an app, “friction points were having to use your other hand” to press the screen, he said. “We also experimented with gestures and voice activation, wake words,” he added. But as many of us are painfully familiar with, those triggers don’t always work well.

“The whole thing that drives this ring is it being something that you can rely on. It being something that you can incorporate into your… habits,” Migicovsky said. So putting a button right by your thumb not only makes sense, but might even be, in my opinion, a bit more accessible for people with, say, speech impediments or only one hand.

I have to admit I initially found the Index 01’s design to be a bit bulky-looking, and the rubbery button protrudes a lot more than I expected from looking at it in its glamor shots. It’s like in place of a diamond or a gemstone on the ring, there’s a weird little nipple that you twiddle around until you want to push it.

I did find the button easy to press, if that allays any of your concerns at all. But, really, the Index’s powers aren’t visible. It’s what happens after you push the button that matters.

Using the Pebble Index 01 ring

The actual demo was brief. Migicovsky prefaced things by telling me what he was about to ask, held up his hand to his mouth, pushed the button and asked me “What’s your favorite book these days?” I explained I had recently been reading Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi and then Migicovsky let go of the button.

After a few starts and stops due to internet woes, the companion app on his phone responded, showing a transcription of what we said, followed by an answer “That sounds like a fun read! I can create a note about the book you are reading if you’d like.”

I didn’t get to ask many more questions, and I think I’d need to live with an actual unit in my life to start to rely on it more. But I love the idea of a second brain or an AI assistant that’s always ready for my random thoughts at the push of a button. Migicovsky said the Index 01 is water resistant, so you never have to take it off, even in the shower. So for those times when you’re sudsing up and have a random stroke of inspiration about soap art, you can still tell the Index 01 to remember your Eureka moment.

Depending on how you use it, Migicovsky said the Index 01 can last for years — up to three if you’re not too heavy of a user. Since he doesn’t want for you to have to place the ring on a charger and forget to put it back on again, the device is not rechargeable. When you’re about a month away from running out of juice, the app will send you a warning and ask if you want to order a replacement. You’ll also be offered the option of sending it in for recycling.

That still feels a bit wasteful and potentially expensive, but Migicovsky’s thinking is that if you still are using the ring enough after two years to be thinking about extending its battery life, the price might be justifiable to you.

Why a Pebble AI ring instead of others?

It’s things like this that make me think Migicovsky (and the Pebble team) have the right approach to making an AI ring. Though the hardware is not the most advanced and there is a quaint simplicity to the software, there is a level of thought and care that feels important to any product’s success.

Migicovsky is quick to acknowledge that Pebble watches won’t be for everyone. That if you want a health-tracking device or something with a bright, colorful screen, you should consider something else. He’s even considering placing ads for other smartwatches on the website listing the new Pebble devices.

“Look — I’m the first person to call myself out when I fail,” Migicovsky wrote in a blog he posted last November. And when he spoke with Engadget, he also recognized that Pebble at one point might have tried to do too much. These days, there are other companies making smart rings that are all about tracking your sleep and fitness, and the Index 01 is not that. “And Pebble is absolutely 100 percent not that company.” Maybe with a renewed focus on a sustainable business model, Pebble actually has a chance to survive and continue making its AI ring and other devices.

Nowadays, Migicovsky just wants to make gadgets that will make you smile. And when I look at a cute little nyan cat wiggling about in its lo-fi, lo-res and low-frame-rate glory on the new Pebble smartwatches, I just feel warm inside.

The Index 01 is available for pre-order now at an early bird price of $75 and will cost $100 after it starts shipping in May.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebbles-founder-might-be-just-the-right-person-to-make-an-ai-ring-170104222.html?src=rss

This Personalized Running Spreadsheet Is My Tech Upgrade of the Week

There’s something deeply satisfying about tracking your running progress in a spreadsheet you built yourself. No algorithm showing off other people’s workouts, no concerns about what happens to your data if the company pivots or shuts down. Just you, your numbers, and a system designed exactly the way you want it. And when I wrote about this earlier this year, I received some truly heartwarming messages from runners who’d been thinking the same thing. So many of us runners are tired of relying on apps, and we’re instead drawn to a simple, customizable spreadsheet.

Why build your own spreadsheet?

Sure, there’s no shortage of fitness tracking apps out there. Strava, Garmin Connect, Nike Run Club—they all have their strengths. But owning your own spreadsheet offers something different: complete control. You can design your system to match your specific training needs. I also appreciate the intentionality that gets introduced when you have to design your own tracking system.

There’s also the simple economics. Spreadsheets are free. They don’t have premium tiers, they don’t expire when you stop paying, and they don’t suddenly lock features you’ve been using for months. Plus, creating custom charts and graphs to visualize your progress becomes a matter of a few clicks rather than hoping the app updates to include the exact view you’re looking for.

This is not the first spreadsheet I’ve shared with my Lifehacker community, but this might be my magnum opus: a running tracker that logs every workout, calculates weekly mileage automatically, visualizes training load over time, and helps me plan toward specific race goals. It’s evolved over months of use, shaped by what actually matters when I lace up my shoes each morning.

Here she is. If the idea of a spreadsheet appeals to you, but you hate my spreadsheet, that’s fine! I’m not even crying about it! Let’s take a look at how you can perfect your own DIY running tracker.

What to track (and what to skip)

The key to a sustainable running spreadsheet is tracking what actually helps you without drowning in data entry. Here’s what I’ve found worth logging:

  • The essentials: Date, distance, time, and pace. These four fields form the backbone of any useful running log. They let you calculate weekly mileage, monitor whether you’re getting faster, and spot trends over time.

  • The context: Route or location, weather conditions, and how you felt during the run. These qualitative details help you understand the story behind the numbers. That slower pace might make sense when you remember it was 95 degrees, or you were running hills, or you resolved to run slower now in order to run faster later.

  • The training details: Type of run (easy, tempo, intervals, long run), elevation gain if relevant to your training, and any specific workout structure. This helps you ensure you’re balancing different types of training rather than just logging junk miles.

What I don’t track: Every single calorie burned (those estimates are notoriously unreliable anyway).

Setting up your system

Start simple. Create columns for your essential data and add a few basic formulas: total weekly mileage, average pace for the week, maybe a running total for the month. Google Sheets and Excel both make this straightforward, and you can always add complexity later.

Consider organizing with separate tabs for different purposes. I keep one tab as my main running log where each row represents a workout, another tab for monthly summaries that automatically calculate totals and averages, and a third for goal tracking where I can see my progress toward specific races or mileage targets.

The beauty of building your own system is that you can iterate. After a month of tracking, you’ll notice what information you actually reference and what just clutters the spreadsheet. Maybe you thought you’d care about cadence but never look at that column, or perhaps you wish you’d been tracking which shoes you wore to monitor when they need replacing. Adjust accordingly.

Making it visual

Numbers in rows tell one story, but charts and graphs reveal patterns you might otherwise miss. Create a simple line graph showing your weekly mileage over time and you’ll instantly see when you’re ramping up training, when you backed off for recovery, and whether your current volume is sustainable.

I like having a few standard visualizations: a line chart of weekly mileage, a bar graph comparing monthly totals across the year, and a scatter plot showing the relationship between distance and pace to spot my comfortable running ranges. None of this requires advanced spreadsheet skills—most programs will generate decent charts automatically once you select your data.

The bottom line

The point here isn’t to use my exact system, but to recognize that you can build something better suited to your needs than any one-size-fits-all app. Your training is unique to you—your goals, your schedule, your body, your definition of progress. Why not track it in a way that reflects that? Keep what works, discard what doesn’t, and enjoy this life upgrade.

InkPoster launches a premium, 41-inch e-paper display for your home

Last year, PocketBook rocked up at CES with a series of large e-paper displays to display art on the walls of your home. This year, the company has turned up with a far larger, A1-sized model called the Duna, which it says mimics the “texture, depth and tonal richness of printed paper.” It’s intended to act as an upmarket alternative to those big screen TVs which display art when they’re not being used for their intended purpose. 

Unsurprisingly, such a fancy product also needs some fancy accessories, so it’s recruited Italian design house Pininfarina to help. It claims the credit for the Duna’s “precision-engineered aluminum frame” and its “elegantly stitched Alcantara.” To celebrate the pairing, the InkPoster App will enable you to view original design sketches from the Pininfarina archives on your screens. 

At last year’s CES, I saw the three smaller models in person and found them to be very promising. The colors are vibrant in a way you don’t expect from an e-paper display, and at a distance you could easily mistake these for a real canvas. Just don’t get too close to the screen itself, since you’ll still be able to see the pixels rather than brush strokes. I’m no expert, but I suspect the technology suits bold, blocky art styles — think modern artists like Modigliani — better than delicate, more antiquated forms.

As before, each InkPoster can be hung for up to a year on a single charge, refreshing from its library of licensed artwork according to your whims. Plus, you can use it as a digital photo frame, if you want to display your selfies at art gallery or movie poster sizes.

If you’re interested in buying one of the new models, you’ll have to wait until April, after the frames are exhibited at Milan Design Week in April. While we don’t have full pricing details right now, you can expect to pay something in the region of $6,000 for one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/inkposter-launches-a-premium-41-inch-e-paper-display-for-your-home-170000292.html?src=rss

Lovense launches an AI ‘companion doll’ at CES

The following article discusses themes of an adult nature.

Lovense has turned up to CES with a “companion doll,” a life-size sex doll that’s designed to be more than just a life size sex doll. The company has equipped it with its proprietary AI engine and promises “human-like cognition, emotional awareness and expressive behavior.” The doll, which in the marketing video is called Emily, is Lovense’s answer to the global loneliness crisis. It says, over time, a user’s relationship with the system will grow deeper as it learns to adapt to their needs. And that the doll is the natural evolution of the virtual companions that have, until now, “existed only on phones and screens.”

From a hardware standpoint, the doll uses a standard user posable skeleton for everywhere but inside the skull. Up top, there are various servos and mechanisms to give the doll the ability to slightly move their mouth while speaking, as well as some basic facial expressions. (You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Emily attempt a smize or a wink in a matter few would describe as flirtatious.) The company hasn’t spoken about the less delicate parts of her anatomy, but did say her built in Bluetooth can “integrate effortlessly with the full Lovense ecosystem” and can run for eight hours on a single charge.

The major focus, however, is on the AI part of the equation, explaining it will remember details of previous conversations to enable users to build a deeper bond with its user. In addition, you can even engage with the AI when you’re out and about, messaging it via the Lovense app. Oh, and you can even get “AI-generated selfies that mirror her real-world appearance” should you want. The company, in its materials, say that the doll will hopefully lead people out of their comfort zone and better equip them to engage with real people. 

Of course, it’s worth noting that Lovense’s track record with people’s most intimate data isn’t the best. In 2017, a Reddit user discovered the Lovense app was recording a private moment between them and their partner. In July 2025, another security flaw enabled hackers to hijack accounts without a password. The company addressed both issues at the time, but it’s one to consider if you’re thinking about forming a long-term relationship with one of its bots.

There’s no word on pricing or availability just yet —the company will be launching a pre-sale in the near future — but you can probably expect it to be fairly expensive.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lovense-launches-an-ai-companion-doll-at-ces-170000490.html?src=rss

Pebble seeks to remedy the wearable industry’s original sin

As soon as I held the Pebble Round 2 in my hand, I suddenly realized what I’d been missing for the better part of a decade. I’ve always felt smartwatches should supplement, rather than supplant, your phone, but that’s an attitude that feels almost quaint these days. After all, Apple and Samsung believe everyone wants a watch that can do almost everything your phone can do. But that wasn’t the prevailing opinion at the dawn of the smartwatch era, either philosophically or from limitations in the technology. Back then, companies like Pebble, Vector, Basis and others all built devices that added a second screen to the device in your pocket, and were all the better for it. Thankfully, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky agrees, and if his project to revive the company is successful, perhaps we’ll once again see these alternative approaches flourish. The first step on this very long road is the Pebble Round 2, which aims to be the standard bearer for a new generation of comparatively less smart, but fundamentally more useful, smartwatches.

Round 2 was announced on January 2, and is the second product in Core Devices’ (Migicovsky’s new company) lineup of revived Pebbles. The first was the revamped Time 2, aping the form of its more successful predecessor, while the Round 2 is an attempt to correct the mistakes of 2015’s Pebble Time Round. That watch, when it debuted, was met with disappointment from critics who loved its aesthetics but little else. Back then, building a Pebble with a round face required plenty of compromise, including a higher price, shorter battery life, fewer features and a massive bezel. A decade on, and the technology has come along sufficiently to render such compromises moot, making for a much better device overall. 

The new watch has a 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen which stretches to the end of the case. Its display has been bonded to the glass crystal, dramatically improving the viewing angles and reducing glare. You should expect to get two weeks of life on a single charge, but it remains just 8.1mm thick, and you can really feel that lack of heft when it’s in your hand. In fact, compared to so many of its smartwatch peers, you could almost unironically describe it as dainty, making its case size feel almost comically large. On the materials side, the case feels strong enough that I think it would withstand the rigors of daily life, and I’m quite smitten with both the polished rose gold and brushed silver finishes.

On one hand, it’s hardly the major reason to buy a watch, but I’m deeply smitten by how much text the Round 2’s display can render. Even the fanciest of smartwatches aren’t that willing to display big reams of text for your ease of reading. I was tickled to read a lengthy Slack message which reminded me, again, of what I’ve been missing for all of these years. Perhaps that’s a sign of the broader benefits a device like this offers, which is the ability to tweak its UI to what you need, rather than being tied by the UI designers in Cupertino and Mountain View.

There are plenty of omissions in the spec list, including no optical heart rate sensor, no GPS and no speaker. I’m not weeping over any of them: I’ve not used my smartwatch’s GPS in years and yes, and Pebble is swerving away from the health and fitness market. I don’t want to take calls from my wrist, either, and while the omitted heart rate sensor is harder to take given their ubiquity, it’s been done to ensure the watch is thinner than many of its competitors.

Migicovsky is candid about Pebble’s failure, saying the company spent too much to become a global hardware brand. He invested heavily in inventory in anticipation of blockbuster sales that never came, similar to Peloton’s post-COVID slump. This time around, the focus is on ensuring the company remains sustainable over the long term and, hopefully, building a succession of products. Rather than big investments, he’ll make small batches of devices to cater to pre-orders and won’t water down his philosophy in the hope of attracting a broad user base. He even said the Pebble website may include recommendations for alternative smartwatches from other companies to ensure he’s only catering to the faithful. 

Three Pebble Indexes side by side on a table.
Three Pebble Indexes side by side on a table.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget

It’s his hope that this approach will give him the time and space to make more products, such as the already-announced Pebble Index 01. It’s a $75 ring equipped with a microphone, Bluetooth and a single push button, where users can record brief reminders to themselves. Rather than add weight and complexity with a rechargeable battery, each Index has a sealed-in cell that the company promises will last for up to two years. A month before the battery is due to expire, you’ll be asked if you want to buy a replacement, sending in the original for recycling. It’s an unusual arrangement but one that Migicovsky believes is more compelling than some others. After all, users aren’t saddled with any monthly subscription fees, and they only need to buy a new one if they’ve actually gotten the benefit out of their existing model. As with the revived Pebbles, the prevailing attitude is that nobody’s twisting your arm here.

Image of the rear sides of the Pebble Round 2
Image of the rear sides of the Pebble Round 2
Daniel Cooper for Engadget

More broadly, Migicovsky has the time and money now to explore these product ideas free from the usual pressures. He has no investors or backers demanding instant returns and fast growth, giving him license to pursue his ideas as far as he wants to take them. And he is determined to return a small degree of whimsy to consumer electronics, building gadgets that are in some way fun. Let’s hope he succeeds, because the industry can’t survive another decade of homogeneity. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebble-seeks-to-remedy-the-wearable-industrys-original-sin-170000834.html?src=rss

Satechi is embracing Thunderbolt 5 at CES with a new dock and cable

Multiple of Satechi’s Thunderbolt 4 docks are on Engadget’s list of the best docking stations, so when the company announces a new accessory, it’s usually worth a look. At CES 2026, Satechi is finally making the jump to Thunderbolt 5 with a new docking station and cable. The Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable leverage the faster speeds of Intel’s cable tech, and in the case of the dock, also include extra benefits like space for SSD storage.

The CubeDock is made from a block of solid aluminum and is clearly supposed to evoke Apple’s desktop Macs, like the new Mac mini. Satechi already made a Mac mini hub that can do some of the same things as CubeDock, but that accessory was focused on Thunderbolt 4. With the Thunderbolt 5 on the CubeDock, the new docking station can offer support for multiple 8K monitors, 180W smart power delivery and up to 120 Gb/s transfer speeds.

The back of a Satechi CubeDock displaying multiple types of ports.
The back of a Satechi CubeDock displaying multiple types of ports.
Satechi

The dock also features a microSD card slot, SD card slots and headphone jack on the front, with multiple other input options on the back, including Thunderbolt 5 ports and an ethernet port. If you’re interested in extra storage, you can also pop off the bottom of the CubeDock and add up to 8TB of SSD storage.

To pair with the CubeDock, Satechi is also releasing its own Thunderbolt 5 cable. The Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable supports up to 120 Gb/s uni-directional or 80 Gb/s bi-directional data transfers, 240W power delivery and either dual 8K/60Hz displays or a trio of 4K/144Hz displays.

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable coiled on a white background.
The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable coiled on a white background.
Satechi

Satechi says you can pre-order the Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure on the company’s website for $399.99, and it will ship in Q1 2026. The Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable is available to order now for $39.99 from Satechi, Amazon and other retailers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/satechi-is-embracing-thunderbolt-5-at-ces-with-a-new-dock-and-cable-170000137.html?src=rss

CES 2026: Rescue Retriever Wants to Help Firefighters Find Your Pets in a Fire

No pet owner wants to think about what might happen in the event of a fire. As a dog owner, I know I don’t. But fires do happen, and pets can’t follow a fire plan. Rescue Retriever wants to change that: I spoke with the company during CES’ Pepcom event, and learned how they’re working to make it easier for firefighters to find your pets in the event of a fire.

Rescue Retriever first launched back in March of 2024, started by two brothers—one of whom is a former firefighter. The company told me that during a fire, pets tend to run to where they feel safe—maybe that’s under the bed, or somewhere tucked away in a room. That makes it difficult for firefighters to locate pets during an emergency: They don’t have the ability to search every corner of a burning home, and, unfortunately, pets sometimes don’t make it out.

Rescue Retriever’s smoke detector

Rescue Retriever’s smoke detector aims to solve that problem. This detector isn’t supposed to be placed where your current smoke detector is; rather, the idea is to place it where your pet is most likely to go when they are scared. If you know they like to hide under your bed, for example, you can place the detector there. Once the device detects smoke during a fire, a bright light begins to strobe inside, spread out by a mix of holes places throughout the device. (Even in the bright lights of Pepcom, the strobe looked intense to me.) That way, firefighters can look out for the strobing lights when trying to locate pets in your home. There’s even an accompanying sticker you can place on your home’s window, so firefighters know you have a pet to look out for.

The device is silent as well, as to not scare your pets away from their hiding space. It wouldn’t do any good to have a beacon for firefighters to locate your pet, only to have them scurry off because of an alarm.

Rescue Retriever Fire Tag

fire tag

Credit: Lifehacker

But Rescue Retriever wasn’t at Pepcom just to show off a device they launched two years ago. New to this year is the Fire Tag, which brings the strobe light from the main unit to a small tag you can place on your dog’s collar. The tag syncs up to the main unit using RFID: When the main unit detect smoke and starts strobing, the Fire Tag will pick up the signal, and will follow suit.

It’s great that the main unit doesn’t make a noise to scare your dog, but maybe they run off anyway. Maybe the house smoke alarm scares them again, or they don’t follow their usual pattern and hide somewhere away from where you placed the main unit. Having a Fire Tag on their collar would give firefighters a better shot at locating the dog, wherever they may be in the home.

Rescue Retriever also tells me these tags have a range of up to a quarter mile. If your dog goes running off away from your house, their collars might still light up. To that point, the Fire Tag opens up, allowing you to place a tracker like an AirTag inside. Even if your dog runs out of that quarter mile range, you could still track them if they come within Bluetooth range of a device within the Find My network.

Rescue Retriever says the Fire Tag is ready for production, and, when available, can be purchased either individually ($29.99), or as part of a larger bundle with the main Rescue Retriever unit ($89.99). The main unit can be purchased now for $39.99, but also comes with its own bundles and accessories for varying prices.

HP Pushes PC-in-a-Keyboard for Businesses With Hot Desks

HP this week announced the EliteBoard G1a at CES 2026, a Windows computer built into a full-size 93-key desktop keyboard that the company is marketing to businesses where employees use hot desks and need a portable computing environment they can carry between workstations.

The device connects to a USB-C monitor for both video output and power delivery over a single cable, and HP includes a USB-to-HDMI adapter for displays that lack USB-C input. Inside runs an AMD Ryzen AI 5 or 7 processor paired with AMD Radeon 800 integrated graphics and an NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, qualifying it as a Copilot+ PC by Microsoft’s standards.

The device can be configured with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. The keyboard weighs between 1.49 and 1.69 pounds depending on configuration and measures 14.1 by 4.7 by 0.7 inches, lighter than most laptops but longer and thicker than some. An optional 32Wh battery offers up to 3.5 hours of unplugged use. The EliteBoard G1a ships in March.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Phison’s New E37T Brings Gen5 SSD Speeds To Thin Laptops And Gaming Handhelds

Phison’s New E37T Brings Gen5 SSD Speeds To Thin Laptops And Gaming Handhelds
There’s a whole lot of uncertainty in the consumer DRAM and storage space with AI pushing demand for NAND flash memory chips to unprecedented levels, but one thing is for certain—the accompanying parts are in place for whenever the market settles down. Driving that point home is Phison’s new PS5037-E37T controller designed to give mainstream

Corsair made a keyboard with a built-in Stream Deck

Corsair just revealed a gaming keyboard with a built-in Stream Deck controller at CES 2026. The Galleon 100 SD is a mechanical keyboard with a 5-inch screen, two rotary encoders and a full complement of Stream Deck buttons.

For the uninitiated, the Stream Deck is basically a collection of hot keys that execute various commands. It’s been incredibly popular for streamers and the like, but it’s also become a boon for PC gamers.

Corsair is advertising the Galleon 100 SD directly to gamers, so it boasts of hot keys being used to “access abilities, call in airstrikes and manage inventory without diving through menus.” The Elgato Marketplace offers profiles for specific games, eliminating the need to manually program the buttons. The included screen can display relevant stats while playing.

However, this is a real Stream Deck. It has 12 big buttons, which can be programmed to do all kinds of things beyond gaming. People use it to stream, yes, but also to control smart home devices, assist with creative tasks and a lot more.

A keyboard thing.
Corsair

It’s also a true mechanical gaming keyboard with hyper-polling rates up to 8,000Hz, which the company says “transmits your keystrokes up to eight times faster” than standard releases. It features MLX Pulse keyswitches that have been “tuned for fast actuation and smooth yet tactile feedback.”

Everything is housed in a durable aluminum frame with gasket housing and six layers of sound dampening. There’s a cushioned palm rest and configurable RGB lighting.

The Galleon 100 SD is available right now, but there’s a catch. It costs $350, which is a lot of dough for a gaming keyboard. For that amount of money you could buy an actual Stream Deck XL and a decent keyboard and still have plenty to spare.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/corsair-made-a-keyboard-with-a-built-in-stream-deck-163158296.html?src=rss

CES 2026: Amazon Just Launched Its Version of the Samsung ‘Frame’ TV

Not to be outdone by the likes of Samsung and TLC, Amazon is joining the picture frame TV space. At CES 2026, the company announced a new line of unobtrusive smart TVs, complete with a new brand name and a redesigned FireTV OS, which will also show up on other FireTV devices.

Meet the Ember Artline TV series

Amazon Alexa+ on Ember TV

Credit: Amazon

Amazon is calling its new line of art TVs “Ember Artline.” They will ship in two sizes, 55 inches and 65 inches, with pricing starting at $899 for the base model—some $200 cheaper than the list price of Samsung’s Frame TVs (though those models are regularly discounted on Amazon).

The panels will offer 4K QLED screens with 450 nits of brightness. Because it’s an art TV, there is a matte screen coating to reduce glare and make it look less like a standard TV. They also feature Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Wi-Fi 6. Design-wise, they’re incredibly thin, around 1.5 inches thick.

Amazon’s big selling point here is the Ember Artline offers 10 different frame options, all of which snap on the TV with magnets. You can choose between textures and colors like Walnut, Ash, Teak, Black Oak, Matte White, Midnight Blue, Fig, Pale Gold, Graphite, and Silver. In its art mode, the sets will cycle between 2,000 images of artworks, or your personal selection of photos. “Omnisense technology” will allow the display to turn on when anyone walks in the room, and turns off when they walk out, saving energy.

And of course, this wouldn’t be a CES 2026 product announcement without a bit of AI. Amazon is integrating Alexa+ into the FireTV OS on these sets, including an AI feature that will show art pieces on TV that match the decor and room that you’re in (after you upload four photos taken from different angles). With an Amazon Photos connection, you can also ask Alexa+ to create slideshows from specific vacations, days, or events.

The Ember Artline lineup will start shipping sometime in spring, starting in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the U.K.

There’s also a redesigned FireTV interface

New FireTV interface.

Credit: Amazon

Along with the new art TVs, Amazon also showed off a redesigned FireTV interface—and it looks quite a bit like Google TV. That’s not a bad thing from my point-of-view; one of my biggest issues with the FireTV OS is its slow and inconsistent home page. A refresh with better organization will certainly help, and visually, it looks a lot cleaner, with rounded corners, consistent typography, and much better spacing between elements.

The home screen now has tabs above to quickly switch to movies, TV show, live games, and more. You can also press and hold the Home button to open a Control Center like menu, again similar to Google TV. You will also be able to pin more apps to the home screen. Previously you were limited to six large apps. The refreshed interface has space for up to 20 apps of your choosing.

The refresh will begin rolling out next month in the U.S. to the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Gen, and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, and will be followed by more countries down the line. It will be available on the Ember TV series at launch.

Samsung Zero-Crease OLED Display At CES Is Likely Headed To The iPhone Fold

Samsung Zero-Crease OLED Display At CES Is Likely Headed To The iPhone Fold
As tech enthusiasts gather at CES 2026, a groundbreaking but brief (more on that in a quick second) showcase from Samsung Display has likely revealed the future of Apple’s most anticipated hardware: the iPhone Fold.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Display at CES�

pic.twitter.com/rSzfoQSkdt
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) January 6, 2026 Early eyes-on

ElevationLabs’ TimeCapsule extended battery case for AirTags is 30 percent off.

ElevationLab makes a battery case for your AirTag that can power it for 10 years and the accessory is on sale now for 30 percent off. Normally retailing for $23, you can pick one up for $16.

The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032 battery that powers an AirTag. The company based those estimates on Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, so your mileage may vary. Once an AirTag is seated inside the case, which is a compact 4.45 x 1.57 inches, it is sealed shut with four screws at the corners. The case is fiber-reinforced, according to Elevation Lab, and rated IP69 waterproof.

The company says it’s intended for use cases where you might place an AirTag for long periods of time, like in a vehicle, a piece of luggage or a work bag. We’ve already got a couple of Elevation Lab products on our list for best AirTag accessories, so while we haven’t reviewed the battery case, we tend to like this company’s products.

If you’re in the market for more AirTags or considering picking some up for the first time, you can still get a pack of 4 for just $65, which is only a few dollars off the lowest price we’ve seen.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/elevationlabs-timecapsule-extended-battery-case-for-airtags-is-30-percent-off-162308689.html?src=rss

Iconic titanium bike brand sold off as Accell Group faces financial pressure

Velo-ce has bought the iconic titanium bicycle manufacturer Van Nicholas from Accell Group, which faces its own financial pressures.

Italian company Velo-ce is a bicycle manufacturer based near Milan, where it has a “state of the art” production facility and has produced its Veloe family ebikes since 2020. 

Velo-ce will now take full responsibility for the production and distribution of Van Nicholas bicycles.

“This move marks a significant milestone in Velo-ce’s strategic expansion into the premium adventure and travel bicycle segment,” the company says in a press release published today.

Velo-ce factory.
Velo-ce’s “state of the art” factory. Velo-ce

Accell Group is the largest producer of electric bikes in Europe, and its brands include Lapierre, Raleigh and Haibike. But the company has faced financial pressure in recent years, and reported a 22 per cent decline in its annual revenue for 2024. 

Last week, the credit rating provider Fitch Ratings reaffirmed Accell Group’s long-term credit rating at ‘CCC’, which indicates a “real possibility of default” and a substantial credit risk due to ongoing operational challenges, according to Bike Europe. 

The sale confirms expected asset sales and rumoured changes at Van Nicholas, after the brand’s general manager Ralph Moorman announced he was leaving Accell Group Europe. 

The divestment from Van Nicholas enables Accell Group to “further sharpen its strategic focus” as part of its ongoing transformation plans, which have seen it close production facilities and cut jobs.

“Van Nicholas is a niche brand with a strong reputation for handcrafted titanium bicycles. With limited potential to scale, the added value of the brand within Accell’s broader portfolio strategy was limited, and Accell is pleased to have found a good new owner of the business,” Accell Group says in a statement. 

Van Nicholas started producing titanium frames in 1999 before Jan-Willem Sintnicolaas officially founded the brand and company in 2006. Accell Group bought the Dutch company five years later.  

“We are proud to carry forward Van Nicholas’s legacy. Cyclists will experience the best of both worlds, titanium resilience and Italian manufacturing,” says Stefan Moruzzi, Velo-ce’s CEO. 

Anton Nijhuis, business developer at Velo-ce, says: “Bringing Van Nicholas into the Velo-ce family reflects shared values: building premium bicycles in a low-emission, cost-efficient European facility.

“For sales, product, order status or custom configurations, we are ready to support dealers and consumers around the globe. Velo-ce has vast experience in made to order and customized bicycle configurations.”

Current Van Nicholas stock is being transferred to Italy and preparations have been made to produce its range of titanium road bikes, touring and adventure bikes at Velo-ce’s facilities.