The article discusses the experience of Kacey Smith, a supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, as she navigated TikTok in the lead-up to the US presidential election. Initially optimistic about Harris' chances against Donald Trump, Smith began to notice troubling messages in her TikTok feed that seemed to oversimplify complex issues, such as framing women's rights as opposed to economic concerns.
TikTok still seems headed for a ban after its Supreme Court arguments
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
After the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over a law that could ban TikTok, it looks like one of its last possible lifelines is unlikely to save it from the impending ouster.
TikTok will be banned from the US unless either the Supreme Court blocks the law from taking effect before the January 19th deadline or its China-based parent company, ByteDance, finally agrees to sell it. A sale — and return — of TikTok could happen after the deadline, and President-elect Donald Trump may get creative in trying not to enforce the law once he’s sworn in the next day. But the longer it takes, the shakier things look for TikTok.
Bloomberg Intelligence senior litigation analyst Matthew Schettenhelm gave TikTok a 30 percent chance of winning at the Supreme Court before oral arguments, but he lowered that prediction to just 20 percent after hearing the justices’ questioning. TikTok made a last-ditch plea for the court to issue an administrative stay without signaling a ruling on the law’s merits, something Trump has suggested so he can attempt to broker a TikTok sale. Schettenhelm says that’s unlikely — the court does not tend to issue that kind of pause just because of a change in…
The article discusses the Supreme Court’s recent oral arguments regarding a law that could potentially lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States. The article suggests that TikTok’s future looks uncertain, as its parent company, ByteDance, may need to sell the platform to avoid the ban. The article also mentions that President-elect Donald Trump might explore alternative options to prevent the ban once he takes office. Bloomberg Intelligence’s analyst predicts a low chance of TikTok winning at the Supreme Court based on the justices’ questioning. Overall, the article indicates that TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, with potential outcomes depending on various factors.
This AI Paper from Walmart Showcases the Power of Multimodal Learning for Enhanced Product Recommendations
In the rapid advancement of personalized recommendation systems, leveraging diverse data modalities has become essential for providing accurate and relevant user recommendations. Traditional recommendation models often depend on singular data sources, which restrict their ability to fully understand the complex and multifaceted nature of user behaviors and item features. This limitation hinders their effectiveness in […]
The article discusses the importance of multimodal learning in enhancing product recommendations, as demonstrated in an AI paper from Walmart. Traditional recommendation systems often rely on single data sources, limiting their ability to fully understand user behaviors and item features. Multimodal learning, which leverages diverse data sources, can provide more accurate and relevant recommendations.
This basketball robot uses AI to rebound the ball after you shoot
Like anything in life, the secret to becoming Steph Curry or Sabrina Ionescu is practice, practice, and more practice. You practice when it’s too hot, too cold, you’re tired, or you’re sick. Finding a willing one-on-one partner through all of that is, however, another question entirely. The good news is that later this year, you […]
The article discusses a basketball robot that uses artificial intelligence to rebound the ball after a player shoots it. It highlights the importance of practice in basketball and how this robot can help players improve their skills without needing a human partner. The technology is set to be available later in the year.
This AI Paper Introduces Semantic Backpropagation and Gradient Descent: Advanced Methods for Optimizing Language-Based Agentic Systems
Language-based agentic systems represent a breakthrough in artificial intelligence, allowing for the automation of tasks such as question-answering, programming, and advanced problem-solving. These systems, heavily reliant on Large Language Models (LLMs), communicate using natural language. This innovative design reduces the engineering complexity of individual components and enables seamless interaction between them, paving the way for […]
The article discusses the introduction of Semantic Backpropagation and Gradient Descent as advanced methods for optimizing language-based agentic systems in artificial intelligence. These systems automate tasks like question-answering and programming, relying heavily on Large Language Models (LLMs) to communicate in natural language. The innovative design reduces engineering complexity and facilitates seamless interaction between components, enhancing the capabilities of these systems.
Day two of the biggest tech event of the year is well underway and CES 2025 continues to deliver a long list of new gadgets, tech, concepts, and AI-powered devices tempting you to upgrade.
It’s a lot to keep up with, so we’ll help you catch up. Below are some of the standout gadgets of the show so far. Of course, there’s still a lot more out there and a lot more to go. You can catch up on all of The Verge’s coverage of the show here.
Powered by Nvidia’s new GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip paired with 128GB of memory and up to 4TB of storage, Project Digits looks as small as desktop computers like Apple’s Mac Mini. But it has enough processing power to run complex AI models with up to 200 billion parameters and perform 1 quadrillion AI calculations per second while drawing all the power it needs from a standard household outlet. It’s expected to start at $3,000 when it launches in May 2025.
The sequel to LG’s original StanbyME portable TV that was deigned to be easily moved around a home is no longer permanently attached to a rolling stand. LG hasn’t announced when the LG StanbyME 2 will be available or how much it will cost, but in addition to a better 27-inch 1440p touchscreen and an improved four hour battery, it’s now compatible with a shoulder strap that can be used to hang it from a wall hook, and a folio cover that doubles as a tabletop stand.
There are two features that make Audio-Technica’s new ATH-CKS50TW2 wireless earbuds stand out. When paired with their charging case, the company says the earbuds can delivery up to 65 hours of playback. That’s over two-and-a-half days between charges. Battery life drops to about 40 hours with ANC enabled, which is still impressive and a welcome feature for travelers unsure of when they’ll next find a power outlet. The earbuds also magnetically attach to each other, reducing the risk of one of them going missing if slipped into a pocket, and automatically power off when joined.
The Afeela wasn’t the only EV Honda debuted at CES 2025. The automaker also showed off two new battery-electric prototypes. The Honda 0 SUV is based on the Space-Hub concept it revealed last year, while the Honda 0 Saloon is based on its sedan concept. Honda says both EVs will go into production sometime in 2026, with the SUV being built at its factory in Ohio. Both vehicles will feature Honda’s in-house-developed Asimo operating system — named after the humanoid robot it retired in 2018 — and will include features like Level 3 automated driving.
CES is often the most entertaining when it’s being weird. There were lots of questionable devices announced this year (do you really need a tiny drink-cooling robot?) but LG’s AeroCatTower could appeal to cat parents. It’s first and foremost an air purifier that will automatically reduce its airflow to not disturb a cat is sitting on it, and then increase it when the cat departs to clear the air. It also doubles as a scale, weighing and tracking your cat through the LG ThinQ mobile app so you can keep tabs on its health.
Instead of turning the living room TV into a digital art frame when not in use, PocketBook’s InkPoster is a separate display — dedicated to art and photography — that uses a more advanced version of E Ink’s color e-paper technology than what’s found in devices like the Kindle Colorsoft. Instead of a limited palette of 4,096 colors, the InkPoster’s Spectra 6 E Ink panel can display around 60,000 shades, and even with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, its rechargeable battery only needs a top off about once a year.
Important details like pricing, availability, and even its refresh rate are still elusive, but LG’s new UltraFine display will be the first 6K monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. Featuring a slim stand with a small footprint, the UltraFine 6K Monitor will support transfer speeds up to 80Gbps (and potentially even faster) and uses a “Nano IPS Black” panel covering 99.5 percent of the Adobe RGB and 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamuts.
Assuming the built-in charging cables don’t break after a week’s use, Baseus’ new PrimeTrip VR2 Max car charger could be the ideal accessory for a future road trip. It plugs into a vehicle’s auxiliary power outlet and delivers up to 240W of total power to a pair of retractable 31-inch long USB-C cables, plus an additional USB-C and USB-A port. Its maximum power output through a single USB port is also 105W, so you can even keep a power-hungry laptop charged while you’re on the road.
Launching sometime in Q1 2025 and starting at a steep $3,499, Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is one of the most unique laptops at CES 2025 thanks to a screen that grows. It starts out as an unassuming notebook with a 14-inch OLED screen at a resolution of 2000 x 1600, but pressing a button or raising your hand brings a motor to life that vertically expands the display to 16.7 inches with an extended resolution of 2000 x 2350. That’s enough extra screen real estate for two stacked 16 x 9 windows — perfect for watching two movies simultaneously.
Nvidia finally announced its RTX 50-series GPUs at CES 2025. The new $999 RTX 5080 and $1,999 RTX 5090 will be available starting on January 30th, while the $549 RTX 5070 and $749 RTX 5070 Ti will arrive sometime in February. Nvidia says the GPUs will be two times faster than the RTX 4090, taking advantage of DLSS 4 and the Blackwell architecture, and all four models are PCIe Gen 5 and feature DisplayPort 2.1b connectors supporting 8K displays with up to 165Hz refresh rates. They’ll also be more power-hungry. The RTX 5090 has a power draw of 575 watts — 125 more watts than the RTX 4090 — with Nvidia recommending a 1,000W PSU.
Even the most capable and expensive robovacs are still only able to clean your easily accessible floors. They can’t handle furniture and are only just starting to master stairs. What sets the $549.99 Eufy 3-in-1 E20 apart from other robovacs is that it’s not just a robovac. Once it’s done cleaning your floors and emptying itself through its included dock, the E20 transforms into a stick or handheld vacuum by removing a unit containing its battery, motor, and dust bin and attaching other accessories. It’s a single device that can tackle dust and dirt all over your home.
The Swippitt might look like a toaster with a slot too small for bread, but it’s actually a novel charging solution for smartphones. Insert your phone and the machine will automatically swap out a dead external battery integrated into a custom case with a fresh one. Each swappable battery has a 3,500mAh capacity that provides an extra 50 to 90 percent charge depending on the size of the smartphone. It could mean you never have to plug your phone in again, but you’ll be paying a premium for the convenience — $450 for the hub with five extra batteries and $120 for the phone case with a battery included.
Solar panels are an effective way to charge your tech while away from an outlet, but portable solutions are sometimes awkward to transport and set up. Anker’s solution was to redesign the beach umbrella and fit it with more efficient perovskite solar cells that outperform the silicon-based cells more commonly used today. The seven-foot-tall Solix Solar Beach Umbrella can generate up to 100W of power output that can be used to charge phones, tablets, or even electric coolers through USB-C and XT-60 connections. It will be available later this year, but pricing hasn’t been announced.
A beefy wall charger that can power up to four devices simultaneously is useless if it doesn’t stay plugged in. Anker’s latest attempt at defying gravity is a new 140W wall charger that positions three USB-C ports and a single USB-A port on the underside, improving its center gravity and the chance of it staying connected to an outlet with four cables plugged in. The redesign also made room for Anker to add a small display to show how much power each port is drawing and the remaining power available.
The ability of most robovacs to thoroughly clean a floor can be stymied by random objects left lying on the ground. Roborock’s new Saros Z70’s solution to that problem is an articulated five-axis robot arm called the OmniGrip that can pick up after its owners and move obstacles out of its way. It’s limited to smaller items like socks, tissues, or anything weighing less than 300 grams, but the company plans to eventually expand what it can grasp. Pricing isn’t known, but Roborock says the Saros Z70 will be available by June 2025.
Samsung’s The Frame TV appealed to many consumers with an aesthetically pleasing design and the ability to camouflage itself as a piece of art in a home’s decor. The Frame Pro further expands the TV’s appeal to more discerning TV viewers with a variation on Mini LED display technology, the matte finish introduced in 2022, and a wireless connection to its breakout box so all you need to hide is a power cord.
With the success of the Meta Ray-Bans, it’s no surprise that several companies are debuting smart glasses at CES 2025. Halliday’s new enhanced specs, which are expected to ship “by the end of Q1 2025” and cost between $399 and $499, are differentiated with the addition of a small screen on the frame. The “DigiWindow” appears as a 3.5-inch private display in the upper-right corner of your vision and is controlled using voice commands, an interface on the frame, or a smart ring with an integrated trackpad.
Dell’s new 32-inch 4K OLED display uses an infrared sensor and five speakers located below the screen to track your head and beam sound directly to your ears. The feature eliminates the need to keep your head positioned in a sweet spot for optimal sound, and it could be ideal for gamers who are constantly moving around in the heat of battle. The monitor also features a 120Hz refresh rate, a 0.03ms response time, and will launch in the US on May 22nd, 2025, for $799.99.
Bird Buddy is moving on to smaller flying creatures of the outdoors. The company behind the stylish smart bird feeders is introducing a playfully designed camera for tracking your plants and the insect visitors that stop by them. You’ll be able to view a livestream from your phone, while an optional solar panel can keep the 4K camera running. It’s supposed to launch on Kickstarter this spring.
Mirumi is a robot that you might actually want to own. It’s a furry, bashful companion bot that clings to a bag and looks adorable. It doesn’t have AI tricks and doesn’t even make noise. Like my colleague Owen Grove said in a video: “It’s just a cute fuzzy thing. What more do you want?” It will be available through a crowdfunding campaign that’s set to launch in mid-2025.
How big is too big for a handheld gaming machine? The answer might be Acer’s new Nitro Blaze 11 featuring a beefy 10.95-inch 144 Hz WQXGA touch display that makes it look like you’re holding a small monitor instead of a portable console. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen 8040HS processor, 16GB of RAM, and has detachable controllers with Hall effect joysticks. It’s also got a built-in kickstand so you don’t have to strain your arms by always playing it handheld. It will be available starting in Q2 2025 and start at $1,099.99.
Your smartphone may take great pictures, but it lacks the refined ergonomics of a traditional camera. Belkin’s new Stage PowerGrip addresses that issue and battery anxiety. It’s a MagSafe power bank with a 10,000mAh battery, a retractable USB-C cable, and a design that adds a camera-like grip to the iPhone. It’s even got a physical shutter button that works with the iOS camera app over Bluetooth and a small LCD screen on the front showing the battery’s remaining charge. Pricing and availability haven’t been announced, but the PowerGrip will come in several color options.
Update, January 8th: Added new announcements from the show.
Update, January 7th: Added new announcements from the show.
Summary
The article highlights various innovative gadgets showcased at CES 2025. Some of the standout products include Nvidia’s Project Digits personal AI supercomputer, LG StanbyME 2 portable TV, Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 wireless earbuds, Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon EVs, LG AeroCatTower air purifier, PocketBook InkPoster electronic paper display, LG UltraFine 6K Monitor, Baseus PrimeTrip VR2 Max car charger, Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 rollable laptop, Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs, Eufy 3-in-1 E20 robot vacuum, Swippitt phone toaster, Anker Solix Solar
Keychron is putting Hall effect switches into more keyboards
The Keychron Q6 HE (pictured) now supports Hall effect switches. | Image: Keychron
Mechanical keyboard specialist Keychron is adding fancy analog Hall effect switches to more of its lineup. Two of the models announced at CES today are launching immediately: the $169 Lemokey P1 HE QMK, and the $229 Keychron Q6 HE QMK, with three additional keyboards set to be released later this year.
Hall effect switches are notable for providing more customization features and a faster press than traditional mechanical switches, making them a popular choice for gamers. They use magnetic induction sensing on the PCB that detects how far down a key has been pushed — allowing you to decide the exact actuation point or even set different functions that activate depending on how hard you press.
The Lemokey P1 HE QMK is a 75 percent layout keyboard with 2.4GHz Bluetooth and a 1,000Hz polling rate. It can be used wired or wirelessly and is compatible exclusively with Gateron Double-Rail magnetic switches. The Keychron Q6 HE also launching today is a full-sized mechanical keyboard with similar features and switch restrictions. Both models are available in either black or white and feature PBT double-shot keycaps.
Image: KeychronHere’s a look at the updated Lemokey P1 HE QMK.
Keychron released its first Hall effect keyboard last year, and rival keyboard makers like Corsair and SteelSeries have also adopted the feature after Wooting popularized the use of Hall effect switches. Meanwhile, other brands like Epomaker and Ducky are trending toward induction-based switches that provide similar analog features and use less power. Other Keychron models like the K4, K8, and Lomokey L5 will also be available with Hall effect switches sometime in Q1 2025.
Summary
Keychron is incorporating Hall effect switches into more of its keyboards, offering enhanced customization and faster key presses compared to traditional mechanical switches. The company has introduced two new models, the Lemokey P1 HE QMK and Keychron Q6 HE QMK, with additional keyboards planned for release later this year. These keyboards feature magnetic induction sensing on the PCB to detect keypress depth, allowing for precise actuation points and customizable functions based on key pressure. The keyboards can be used wired or wirelessly, with compatibility with Gateron Double-Rail magnetic switches. Keychron joins other keyboard makers like Corsair and SteelSeries in adopting Hall effect switches, following the trend popularized by Wooting. Other brands like Epomaker and Ducky are
NVIDIA AI Introduces Cosmos World Foundation Model (WFM) Platform to Advance Physical AI Development
The development of Physical AI—AI systems designed to simulate, predict, and optimize real-world physics—has long been constrained by significant challenges. Building accurate models often demands extensive computational resources and time, with simulations sometimes requiring days or weeks to produce actionable results. Additionally, the complexity of scaling these systems for practical use across industries such as […]
NVIDIA has introduced the Cosmos World Foundation Model (WFM) platform to advance the development of Physical AI, focusing on simulating, predicting, and optimizing real-world physics. This platform aims to address challenges such as the need for extensive computational resources and time in building accurate models. By scaling these systems for practical use across industries, the platform aims to enhance physical AI development.
UK confirms plans to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit deepfake content
The U.K. is forging ahead with plans to make the act of creating sexually explicit “deepfake” images a specific criminal offence. A deepfake refers to manipulated media, often video or audio, created using AI to make someone appear to say or do something they didn’t. The U.K. had already made sharing — and the threat […]
The UK is moving forward with legislation to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit deepfake content, which involves using artificial intelligence to manipulate media, like videos or audio, to make someone appear to say or do things they didn’t. The article discusses the intention to make this specific act a criminal offense in the UK.
HDMI 2.2 cranks the bandwidth to 96Gbps and aims to eliminate audio sync issues forever
Image: HDMI Forum
The HDMI Forum is using CES — the annual showcase of all things home theater — to announce the new HDMI 2.2 specification. In a press release this morning, the trade association confirmed that the new spec will up total bandwidth significantly to a new high of 96Gbps. And yes, that means the introduction of an “Ultra96” HDMI cable that “enables all the HDMI 2.2 specification features.”
“Higher resolutions and refresh rates will be supported and more high-quality options will be provided,” the HDMI Forum said in its release. An example of an HDMI 2.2 cable (below) calls out some of those, including 4K at up to 480Hz, 8K at up to 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz. Current HDMI cables can already pass 4K at 120Hz, so I doubt most people will feel any temptation to upgrade for years to come. And you’ll need content for any of these higher resolutions to be worthwhile, and there’s still a dearth of native 8K entertainment out there.
But with many TVs now offering 4K at up to 144Hz, and as consumers gravitate towards larger screens, the HDMI Forum sees ample reason to keep pushing forward.
Image: HDMI ForumHDMI 2.2 cables will be badged as “Ultra96.”
There is at least a more helpful aspect of this spec for everyone: HDMI 2.2 includes a “Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for improving audio and video synchronization, especially for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio video receiver or soundbar.” In my experience, HDMI 2.1 and eARC have mostly resolved frustrating audio / video sync issues, but they can still pop up as a frustration depending on your setup. Apparently HDMI 2.2 will go further in keeping everything lined up and keeping this headache in the past.
Interestingly, the HDMI Forum is already anticipating tariff issues and has implemented an extensive certification program that includes anti-counterfeit labeling on packaging. You certainly can’t miss the Ultra96 badging.
HDMI 2.2 will be released in the first half of this year and be widely available “to all HDMI 2.x adopters.” Your TV and external devices will need to support the specification in order to unlock that new level of bandwidth, so we’re just starting down what’s inevitably going to be a long road.
Summary
The article discusses the announcement of the new HDMI 2.2 specification by the HDMI Forum, which increases total bandwidth to 96Gbps. The new spec will support higher resolutions and refresh rates, such as 4K at up to 480Hz, 8K at up to 240Hz, and 10K at 120Hz. The HDMI Forum aims to address audio and video synchronization issues with the inclusion of a Latency Indication Protocol in HDMI 2.2. The specification will be released in the first half of the year and will require compatible devices to take full advantage of the increased bandwidth.
In the rapid advancement of personalized recommendation systems, leveraging diverse data modalities has become essential for providing accurate and relevant user recommendations. Traditional recommendation models often depend on singular data sources, which restrict their ability to fully understand the complex and multifaceted nature of user behaviors and item features. This limitation hinders their effectiveness in […]
Language-based agentic systems represent a breakthrough in artificial intelligence, allowing for the automation of tasks such as question-answering, programming, and advanced problem-solving. These systems, heavily reliant on Large Language Models (LLMs), communicate using natural language. This innovative design reduces the engineering complexity of individual components and enables seamless interaction between them, paving the way for […]
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The development of Physical AI—AI systems designed to simulate, predict, and optimize real-world physics—has long been constrained by significant challenges. Building accurate models often demands extensive computational resources and time, with simulations sometimes requiring days or weeks to produce actionable results. Additionally, the complexity of scaling these systems for practical use across industries such as […]
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