At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Small thumb drive form factor Both Type-C and Type-A connectors Very good 10Gbps performance with normal amounts of data Cons End caps aren’t captive Writes slow to 120MBps after 200GB Very pricey at the time of this writing Our Verdict The Kingston Portable Dual is one of the faster dual Type-C/A flash/thumb drives I’ve tested — holding its own against the top-rated Teamgroup X2 Max in some synthetic benchmarks. But peculiarly, it’s being priced way above the competition at launch. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Kingston Dual Portable flash drive Retailer Price $130.82 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Life is better if your portable flash drive can connect to both Type-A and Type-C ports without having to drag around an adapter. The Kingston Dual Portable packs both types of USB connectors into its minuscule form factor, and turned in a very good, if not chart-topping performance. The downside? It’s currently priced nearly twice the faster competition. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison. What are the Kingston Dual Portable’s features? Much like the Teamgroup X2 Max, Kingston’s Dual Portable is a small, thin 10Gbps USB (3.2 Gen 2) flash drive with a Type-C connector on one end and a Type-A connector on the other — both covered with caps. It’s fast with the average data load and hecka convenient when you don’t know what type of device you’ll need to connect to. The aforementioned minuscule form factor is around 2.75-inches long, 0.75-inches wide, and a mere 0.3-inches thick. The Dual Portable barely tipped the scales at a mere 0.4 ounces, so you might even forget it’s in your pocket. The Dual Portable with both end caps removed. The Dual Portable’s controller is a Silicon Motion SM2322 and the NAND is 3D TLC. Likely NAND of a slightly older generation given the low sustained native write rate observed during our 450GB write test. The drive carries a five-year warranty that’s only limited by, say, smashing the drive with a hammer or writing its full capacity every two hours. In other words, you’ll be fine. How much is the Kingston Dual Portable? You may have noticed, SSD prices, after a long inexorable drop, are on the rise again. That might explain why the Dual Portable is $134 in the 512GB capacity, $157 in the 1TB, and a whopping $330 for 2TB. Or it might not. The 2TB version of the mighty Teamgroup X2 Max was only $150 on Amazon at the time of this writing — less than the 1TB Dual Portable! Average price for a 1TB was around $110. Kingston’s pricing on this product is puzzling to say the least. But hey, it’s red! How fast is the Kingston Dual Portable? The Dual Portable’s performance is more than adequate for the average user, though it was 8th out of 10 flash/thumb drives I’ve tested. In other words, it’s no Teamgroup X2 Max, but neither is any other small form-factor flash drive I’ve tested. However, the Dual Portable easily bested the 10th place SanDisk Extreme Pro Dual. Though it’s 8th out of 10 flash drives, the Dual Portable’s performance is only marginally weaker than the pack’s in CrystalDiskMark 8. Longer bars are better. Thought it’s 8th out of 10 flash drives, the Dual Portable’s performance is only marginally weaker than the pack’s in CrystalDiskMark 8. While not top dog, the Dual Portable’s CrystalDiskMark 8 4K numbers were more than passable. Longer bars are better. The pattern was clear by the time we got to the 48GB transfer tests. The Dual Portable can hang with the X2 Max in some tests, but not overall. The Dual Portable can hang with the X2 Max in some tests, but not overall. Shorter bars are better. The Kingston Dual Portable was way off on the 450GB write, but like the Samsung Extreme Pro Dual, it was a 1TB drive. The Teamgroup X2 Max was 2TB in capacity, however, it still sustained around 700MBps writing even when we fed it a whopping 1.4TB. The Kingston Dual Portable was way off on the 450GB write, but like the Samsung Extreme Pro Dual, it was a 1TB drive. Shorter bars are better. Below you can see the reason for the lengthy 450GB write time. The Dual Portable drops to 120MBps when it runs out of secondary cache. Not ideal, but it didn’t occur until 200GB had already been written, so the average user will likely never see this type of slowdown. While not the slowest native write rate we’ve seen, the Dual Portable is still not the drive to write massive amounts of data to in a single session. All in all, unless you pile a whole lot of data onto it at once, the Kingston Dual Portable will get the job done performance-wise. Should you buy the Kingston Dual Portable? If Kingston comes back to earth with its pricing (our sticker shock cost the product half a star), then the dual connectors, small profile, and good performance with up to medium data sets make it a worthy purchase. That said, I mentioned the X2 Max numerous times for a reason. How we test Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11 24H2, 64-bit running off of a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro in an Asus Z890-Creator WiFi (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard. The CPU is a Core Ultra i5 225 feeding/fed by two Crucial 64GB DDR5 5600MHz modules (128GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 5 are integrated into the motherboard and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. Internal PCIe 5.0 SSDs involved in testing are mounted in an Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 adapter card sitting in a PCIe 5.0 slot. We run the CrystalDiskMark 8.04 (and 9), AS SSD 2, and ATTO 4 synthetic benchmarks (to keep article length down, we report only the first) to find the storage device’s potential performance. Then we run a series of 48GB transfer and 450GB write tests using Windows Explorer drag and drop to show what users will see during routine copy operations, as well as the far faster FastCopy run as administrator to show what’s possible. A 25GBps two-SSD RAID 0 array on the aforementioned Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 is used as the second drive in our transfer tests. Formerly the 48GB tests were done with a RAM disk serving that purpose. Each test is performed on a NTFS-formatted and newly TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This issue has abated somewhat with the current crop of SSDs utilizing more mature controllers and far faster, late-generation NAND. Read...

Wow. After the depressing last couple of months in hardware, CES 2026 was exactly the breath of fresh air and optimism I needed. To be clear, consumer desktop CPU and GPU news was largely a bust—for new architecture announcements, anyway. Intel focused on mobile processors, talking up Panther Lake during its press conference and taking potshots at AMD’s handheld chips. AMD barely mentioned consumer during its two-hour+ keynote presentation, instead leaning hard into enterprise. (At a “consumer” show, yes.) Team Red did announce Ryzen AI 400 processors on stage, as well as show off an ultra-compact Ryzen AI Halo mini-PC, but the reveal of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D trickled out on the side. As for Nvidia, it straight up told everyone that it would not announce new GPUs during its community update stream. Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the surprising topics on our YouTube show or latest news from across the web? You’re in the right place.  Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website! But AMD also hinted that we could potentially drop a mobile Ryzen CPU into a desktop PC sometime in the future. (Wut.) Intel says the integrated graphics in its Panther Lake chips can go toe-to-toe with discrete RTX 4000-series GPUs—and initial benchmarks appear to back up the claim. And Nvidia dropped both upscaling upgrades and new monitor tech that made Brad a believer in DLSS 4.5 and G-Sync Pulsar right away. And outside of that, CES 2026 was still plenty full of the weird, unexpected tech it’s known for. HP’s simple yet captivating EliteBoard PC stuffs a whole system into a keyboard. Cooling company Ventiva demoed a fanless (!) handheld for utterly silent mobile gaming. Dell’s 52-inch ultrawide monitor laughs in the face of desk space limits. Asus took “Por que no los dos” literally and packed its new Zephyrus Duo with two full OLED touchscreens. Not unhinged enough? The show floor was filled with all kind of bonkers gear in the very best way. (I’m pining hard for that Jackery Solar Mars Bot. I don’t even spend much time in sunlight.) The ultimate sleeper PC.Michael Crider / Foundry So sure, Intel, AMD, and Nvidia all signaled that their focus would be on mobile, AI, software, AI…and AI. (By the way, when we took a count at each press conference, AMD dominated with 207 mentions in two hours. Two hundred and seven.) Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang even told our own Adam Patrick Murray during a Q&A session that “The future is neural rendering. That’s the way graphics ought to be.” And the RAM shortages still hang in the background of all the fun news, silent but heavy. Few prices were announced during the show. Analysts confirmed coming price increases of 15 to 20 percent on PCs. Both AMD and Nvidia hinted at the return of older chip technologies. But we as enthusiasts still have plenty of neat things to look forward to. Lots to make our lives simpler, lots that adapt better to the constraints (and pressures) of modern living. Also, a surprising number of $5,000+ robots that I would consider inviting into my home. I did not have that on my 2026 bingo card. In this episode of The Full Nerd  In this episode of The Full Nerd, Brad Chacos, Adam Patrick Murray, Mark Hachman, and Michael Crider recap their CES 2026 experiences—the best, the worst, and the most insane things they saw while traipsing through Las Vegas. (My nomination, sitting at home? Brad’s drink during the show, which was three feet long. I asked him how many ounces it was. He responded in distance. It’s so much liquid that it transcends the typical measuring system.) Willis Lai / Foundry Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time! Don’t miss out on our NEW shows too—you can catch episodes of Dual Boot Diaries and The Full Nerd: Extra Edition now! And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds. This week’s flood of nerd news So in the last newsletter, when I predicted there would be a lot of news for this one, I had ballparked more than usual. Boy, did I end up understating that. Much of the big tech news is packed in the link-filled thoughts above, of course. But there was plenty of smaller, interesting tidbits too—some fun, some sobering. And some downright dangerous, depending on your viewpoint. Arctic holds its own pretty well against Noctua, according to testing done by Tom’s Hardware. Neat.Noctua Cheap, but good: Tom’s Hardware did a bit of hands-on testing to comparing the Noctua’s legendary fans and Arctic’s equally legendary alternative. (I own multiple packs of Arctic’s P-series fans, because, yeah. That value.) Turns out, us frugal types aren’t missing out on too much. I’m glad for this news: Magnetic switches are all the rage, and Cherry is still fighting the good fight for its survival with not one, but two new magnetic TMR keyboards. Happy birthday, Blu-ray: First, I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Blu-ray first appeared. Second, how the heck has it been 20 years? So cute: The deep nerdery of creating art within the intersection of time and space is weirdly profound, with adorable results. (The effort creates images of cats. Meow.) Computer Chronicles rocked: Producer and host Stewart Cheifet passed away at age 87 this past December. In addition to being part of PBS’s stellar educational programming, there’s also a PCWorld connection. Both Gordon and Will were on an episode back in the day! I’m glad I’m not alone: Game publisher Hooded Horse’s head honcho says that any titles it releases can’t have AI assets, because as the CEO says: “I [censored] hate gen AI art.” I feel less on my own in a universe currently full of endless AI slop. Who’s a good pup? I’m more of a cat person, but I still think dogs are great. Even more so after reading this Ars Technica article. And some of the hilarious comments from Ars readers—particularly this one about a dog who knows the names of about 100 toys: “Okay, there’s being a good boy, a very good boy, and then just being a show off.” ??????InWin InWin showed off yet another bonkers case? I’m in: The Aeon looks like an egg, sports a ton of glass, and requires an RFID card to open? Already a fan. Thank you, Mr. Rosen: I was always more of a Nintendo kid, but Sega was a big part of my childhood still. Here we go again! Pebble lives once more, and now it’s revived its round smartwatch. I own an original Round, and boy, this Round 2 is tempting…even though it lacks some important features I’ve come to expect from my smartwatches. (Really, no heart rate monitoring?!) Man, I’m so on the fence. Some welcome news: Color me surprised, especially after so many vendors basically kill aging hardware by refusing to support it. Good on Bose for allowing people to take further updates into their own hands. Weird, but cool: Keychron is well-known for its mechanical keyboards, but this CES 2026, they decided to bring something a little different with them to the show… (Yes, I’ve notified Adam of this.) Y’all, I’m in trouble: Brad wore a cool circuit-patterned shirt during CES. I asked him where he got it. He gave me the link. The site could be ThinkGeek reborn. I’ve already immediately fallen in love with the most fantastic and absolutely ugliest Excel cardigan. (Help.) Gosh, what a banger of a start to the new year. I thought I’d spend most of this week sneaking in complaints about crowded gyms. Yes, it’s absolutely other people’s fault I ate too much and drank a ton of Will’s excellent eggnog. (Thanks again for sharing that with us!) Catch you all next week! Alaina This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld. Read...

The Z-Wave Alliance—an organization that promotes the development and use of the open-source Z-Wave standard in smart homes and smart buildings—is celebrating the growth of the standard’s latest iteration: Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR). Earlier this week, the consortium announced the milestone of 125 Z-Wave Long Range certified devices being available on the market. While Z-Wave is not part of the Matter smart home standard, the technology offers an impressive set of features and benefits, starting with its ability to communicate directly with a Z-Wave Long Range hub over distances up to 1.5 miles (line of sight, that is). The 2GIG GCTouch touchscreen control panel supports Z-Wave Long Range.Xthings Z-Wave Long Range devices can operate on a star network, where each device communicates directly with the hub, reducing latency and simplifying network behavior. A single Z-Wave Long Range hub can support up to 4,000 network nodes on a star network, enabling much larger networks than were possible with the previous-generation technology, which is limited to 232 nodes. This factor alone renders ZWLR attractive for commercial deployments as well as in very large smart homes. And since ZWLR devices dynamically adjust their transmit power based on their distance from the hub, they exhibit much more conservative energy consumption; that’s great for battery-powered devices such as sensors and smart locks. The Alliance says sensor-type devices can operate on coin-cell batteries for as long as 10 years. Z-Wave Long Range is backward compatible ZWLR devices are also backward compatible with the earlier generation of Z-Wave products, and the two device classes can coexist and interoperate on either a star or a mesh network. This means you can mix and match old and new Z-Wave devices on the same network, whether that network’s hub is based on ZWLR or previous-generation Z-Wave technology. The Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 bring ZWLR connectivity to smart homes operating in the DIY-oriented Home Assistant ecosystem.Xthings There are a few caveats: First, the Z-Wave hub must have a ZWLR chip to deliver all the benefits of Z-Wave Long Range. Second, regardless of which type of chip is inside the hub, ZWLR devices won’t route traffic for classic Z-Wave mesh-network devices, and classic Z-Wave devices likewise don’t participate in ZWLR star network communications. So, a classic Z-Wave device can operate on a Z-Wave star network–and a ZWLR device can operate on a Z-Wave mesh network–but non-ZWLR devices won’t deliver the same extended range that ZWLR devices can. And when you add ZWLR devices to a Z-Wave mesh network, you remain limited to the older technology’s 232-node limit (versus the 4,000-node limit on a ZWLR star network). For the typical smart home, however, 232 nodes should be more than adequate. Developer decisions While Ring has rolled out an entire new generation of smart home sensors and other devices engineered to use Amazon’s Sidewalk network, where its earlier sensors relied on  Z-Wave technology, the company isn’t rendering those older devices obsolete; they’ll continue to operate as legacy devices in home security systems based on its Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro smart home hubs. The Ultraloq Bolt Z-Wave provides long-range wireless coverage (up to 1,300 feet with a ZWLR hub), one-year battery life, and support for up to 250 user codes.Xthings Other companies, including ADT, are standing by Z-Wave. The new ADT Smart Home Security System I reviewed in October 2025, for example, is engineered with Z-Wave and ZWLR, and ADT supports many third-party Z-Wave devices, including the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch with Z-Wave 800 smart lock that I discussed in that review. Meanwhile, Silicon Labs, the fabless semiconductor manufacturer that owned the Z-Wave specification and source code (via its acquisition of Zensys, the company that invented Z-Wave), and then open-sourced it in 2019, is at CES demonstrating how developers can design for both ZWLR and Amazon Sidewalk ecosystems with a single solution; namely, the company’s ZG28 system-on-a-chip (SoC) platform. A sampling of new and recently launched ZWLR devices You can upload custom alarm sounds to the plug-in Zooz ZWLR Siren & Chime.Zooz Here are a few of the new products that support Z-Wave Long Range (you can see photos of some of these above): 2GIG GC Touch Security Panel: A ZWLR-powered smart home hub with a 7-inch touchscreen aimed at custom installers. Aeotec SmokeShield: A smoke detector for the European market that boasts wireless range of up to 1 kilometer (3,281 feet). It works with Home Assistant, LG Homey, and Samsung SmartThings smart home hubs (note that is not compatible with the SmartThings Station, which doesn’t have a Z-Wave radio). Alfred DB1 Pro Smart Door Lock: Like the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch mentioned above, Alfred’s smart locks—including the DIY-oriented DB2S model—are equipped with sockets that can accommodate various types of radio modules, including Wi-Fi and ZWLR. Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2: A ZWLR adapter with a 12-inch antenna for adding Z-Wave devices to Home Assistant-based smart homes. Jasco Slim Door and Window Sensor: A thin contact sensor for home security that senses whether a door or window is open or closed that can withstand being installed outdoors, and the Jasco Z-Wave Long Range (800LR) In-Wall Smart Dimmer for smart lighting control. Ultraloq Bolt Z-Wave: One of the most discrete smart locks we’ve encountered, the Ultraloq Bolt Z-Wave boasts wireless range of up to 1,300 feet when paired with a ZWLR smart home hub (it’s also backward compatible with earlier Z-Wave hubs). Zooz ZWLR Siren & Chime: Users can upload custom sounds to this smart home gadget and use sensors and other triggers play them on its 90dB onboard speaker. Read...

Lenovo is the world’s largest PC maker with roughly 25 percent of the market, having stolen the title from HP near the end of the last decade. Often, companies that take the top spot mellow out and focus on tried-andtrue products, but not so with Lenovo. As it finds more success, Lenovo seems to lean more and more into the experimental—a trend I’m excited about and fully on board with. At CES 2026, Lenovo brought a number of laptops (and a desktop) with unusual features. The company added new spins on its rollable OLED laptop (still the only such laptop to hit store shelves), introduced a laptop that opens with a knock, and debuted an all-in-one desktop with a display that’s nearly square, among other things. Here are the weirdest designs I saw from Lenovo at this year’s CES and why they have me looking eagerly ahead to the future. Lenovo’s rollable OLED rolls on The Lenovo ThinkBook Rollable was the big surprise at last year’s CES, not just because it has a rollable OLED display that expands at the touch of a button, but also because it quickly became a real product you could buy (though in limited quantities, as it quickly sold out). At CES 2026, Lenovo doubled down on that laptop with not one but two new rollable OLED concepts. Lenovo ThinkPad Rollable XD at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry The ThinkPad Rollable XD is basically Lenovo’s next-gen ThinkBook Rollable, and it has a rad new spin on the concept. The original ThinkBook Rollable tucked the OLED panel into and out of a compartment in the keyboard. But the ThinkPad Rollable XD spins that 180 degrees so the OLED rolls around the top of the display and across the top of the display lid. When retracted, this portion of OLED panel becomes a “world facing display” that can show calendar appointments and notifications—among other things—similar to how external displays work on many folding smartphones. Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry The other rollable Lenovo brought to CES 2026 is a gaming laptop: the Legion Pro Rollable. Here, the display rolls out horizontally in each direction. The display is a 16-inch widescreen when retracted, but can transform into a 24-inch ultrawide display when fully unfurled. A laptop must normally have a chassis at least as large as its display, but the Legion Pro Rollable defies that rule. While the two laptops have very different intents, they both show how Lenovo is experimenting with rollable designs. The ThinkPad Rollable XD concept is made possible by a new rolling mechanism stored in the display lid, not the keyboard. (It’s also visible thanks to a transparent window in the lid, which is clever.) The Legion Pro Rollable, meanwhile, expands in two directions instead of one, effectively doubling the mechanisms needed to handle the rolling action. Both also change how the OLED panel folds. Before, it made a roughly 90-degree turn as it slid beneath the keyboard. Now, the OLED panel folds 180 degrees around the top or sides of the laptop. The ThinkPad Rollable XD even uses this edge as a control surface for extending or retracting the display. While the ThinkPad Rollable XD could be considered a second-gen version of the ThinkBook Rollable, I actually think it’s the stranger of the pair. The “world facing display” and transparent mechanism are both attention grabbing but arguably impractical. (Lenovo has tried putting a display on top of the display lid before, but it never really caught on.) Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist Lenovo’s rollables are unique and weird, but the basic idea isn’t hard to understand. Big screen good. Have more screen. Happy user. But the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist? This one’s harder to explain. The Auto Twist has a hinge designed to support both tilt and rotation. That’s nothing new, as Lenovo has already sold a variety of Twist laptops, and companies like HP and Fujitsu had such designs nearly two decades ago. But the Auto Twist adds spice with a motor that can tilt and rotate the display for you. Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry Lenovo showed off a couple examples. Knock on the lid of the laptop when it’s closed and it will automatically open. Once it’s opened, the lid can automatically follow you while you move around the room. That might be useful if you’re trying to watch a video while doing chores, for example, or it could be used to keep you in frame while you’re recording video with the laptop’s webcam. Lenovo also showed an AI assistant mode complete with cutesy animated eyes that follow you around the room. Unfortunately, the demonstration was glitchy when I tried it, as the AI assistant often failed to respond to commands and mysteriously swapped languages mid-demo. However, this isn’t merely a concept. The Auto Twist is set to release in June 2026 at $1,649. Hopefully, that will give Lenovo enough time to sand down the laptop’s rough edges. Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition The Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition is the answer to a question I’m sure has kept you up at night: “When is someone going to turn the LG DualUp into an all-in-one PC?” No? Just me? Okay. Seriously, though: I adore the LG DualUp display, so an all-in-one with the same type of display sounds great. Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry If you’re unfamiliar, the LG DualUp 28MQ780-B (which was first shown at CES 2022 and released later that year) has an unusual 16:18 aspect ratio, which means it’s taller than it is wide. The Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO takes that display and pairs it with Intel Core Series 3 processors to create the most unique AIO of 2026. The Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO also has a built-in quad-speaker setup and quad-microphone array, plus a detachable 4K webcam with physical privacy shutter, which should make the AIO great for video calls and conferences. The webcam can be used with Lenovo DeskView software to digitize documents placed in front of the PC, too. Obviously, this isn’t going to be a high-volume seller, but that’s why I like it. The ThinkCentre X AIO targets a very specific niche of home and corporate office users who need lots of vertical display space and solid built-in video conferencing. It provides something that’s one of a kind. Lenovo’s Space Frame is great, but also a missed opportunity Lenovo’s newest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition as well as the X1 2-in-1 came to CES 2026 touting a new Space Frame chassis design. Contrary to how it may sound, it’s not meant to handle a zero-G environment (and, actually, ThinkPads have seen use on the International Space Station for years). Rather, the Space Frame creates more space for internal parts by placing them on both sides of the mainboard and also makes it easier to repair and replace components. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Edition at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry I was excited when Lenovo made the announcement. Most ThinkPad models are already relatively easy to repair, but a more specific focus on a repairable, modular design would be outstanding. The USB ports, speakers, fans, keyboard, and other components can be swapped with relative ease. I imagined the Space Frame could be Lenovo’s answer to Framework’s highly modular, user-serviceable laptops. My enthusiasm was dampened, however, when I spoke with Lenovo reps about the design. It turns out the focus is not on user repairs but rather on field service by qualified technicians. Yes, the USB ports can be swapped out and the keyboard can be replaced, but Lenovo isn’t making those parts (or most others) available for owners to purchase for at-home replacement. The battery is the only piece meant to be user-serviceable. Replacing any other component will void the warranty. That’s a shame. And given the recent wave of interest in user-serviceable and repairable consumer electronics, it’s a missed opportunity. ThinkPad has a loyal community of tinkerers and enthusiasts who I’m sure would love to see more ways to repair and upgrade their machines. So, Lenovo, I challenge you. Sell us replacement USB ports! Lenovo’s Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition has the Force(pad) Last, but not least, is the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition with a Forcepad that’s compatible with a Lenovo stylus that includes Wacom technology. It’s basically a drawing tablet and a touchpad in one. The Yoga Pro 9i isn’t the only laptop at CES 2026 that provides a touchpad with a drawing surface. Acer’s Swift 16 AI also has this feature. However, Acer’s version doesn’t claim Wacom technology and, in my brief time trying both laptops, I felt the Yoga Pro 9i’s touchpad was far more responsive to touch input. The Swift 16 AI has a haptic touchpad with support for stylus input, but it seemed a tad floaty and disconnected compared to the Forcepad. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition at CES 2026Matt Smith / Foundry I doubt the Forcepad will replace a Wacom tablet for professional artists, but it seems like a great option for people who want a digital drawing surface that’s easy to take on the go, or want to get familiar with the basics before splurging on a “real” drawing tablet.Importantly, adding this unusual feature doesn’t seem to have compromised the touchpad. The Forcepad is large, responsive, and worthy of a high-end Windows laptop like the Yoga Pro 9i. Users who don’t need the optional stylus input aren’t giving anything up. Lenovo’s dual-screen Yoga was absent While Lenovo came to CES 2026 with a number of weirdly excellent PCs, one model was notably absent: the dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. The Yoga Book 9i is a dual-screen laptop. Both the top and bottom halves of the clamshell have a display. A detachable keyboard can be placed on the lower half, which converts the device into a laptop. Or the keyboard can be used on a desktop while the displays are supported by a kickstand, effectively turning the device into a small all-in-one. Asus has its own version of this idea—the Zenbook Duo—and it came to CES 2026 with a new design that has several big upgrades: a larger battery, a small gap between the two displays, and a new exterior design with the company’s unique ceraluminum material. Lenovo, however, had nothing new to say about the Yoga Book 9i, which is a shame. The first-generation Yoga Book 9i felt competitive with the Asus Zenbook Duo, but Asus’ newer iterations have swayed me towards recommending it over the Yoga Book 9i now. I’m eager to see how Lenovo plans to improve on the idea. An exciting CES for Lenovo this year I think it’s fair to say that CES 2026 might’ve been Lenovo’s biggest show yet. This wasn’t just because it brought weird laptops to the show flow. It also had a massive event at the Las Vegas Sphere that ended in a Gwen Stefani concert. No, seriously! So, it’s nice to see that even while Lenovo entrenches its lead in the PC market, it’s still willing to experiment. In fact, the company’s success seems to have emboldened its efforts, which become stranger and more aggressive with each year. And I’m okay with that. Further reading: The best of CES 2026 that blew us away Read...

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is always a big deal for consumer and gaming monitors, and 2026 was no exception. The highlights this year included a new type of Samsung QD-OLED panel with improved text clarity, which has found its way into several new monitors. That same panel technology will also bring a wave of new 34-inch ultrawide OLED monitors with a 360Hz refresh rate. That’s not all from Samsung. The company also introduced the world’s first 1,000Hz monitor (actually up to 1,040Hz). Though it’s regrettably not an OLED display, and can only achieve that at 720p resolution, it’s a sign of where monitors are going. Refresh rates are up across the board, and 120Hz is starting to look like the new 60Hz. LG also went hard, though it put an emphasis on resolution with several new 5K2K ultrawide monitors. Dell also had several huge displays, including a gigantic 52-inch Ultrasharp display with support for Thunderbolt and Ethernet. I got to see it all on the show floor and there were some clear winners among them. Here are the best monitors at CES 2026. Acer ProDesigner PE320QX: 6K resolution at a reasonable price Matt Smith / Foundry Acer came to CES 2026 with the ProDesigner PE320QX, a 31.5-inch 6K display for creative professionals and prosumers who want superb pixel density. It packs an IPS-LCD panel with 6016×3384 resolution. That works out to almost 220 pixels per inch, which is a massive upgrade over the roughly 140ppi of a 32-inch 4K display. The monitor also has excellent connectivity thanks to a USB4 port with 100 watts of power delivery. That connects to downstream USB4 with 15 watts of power delivery. Other features include dual 5-watt speakers and a proximity sensor that can dim or turn off the monitor when you step away. It’s also VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified. Acer says the monitor will retail for $1,499.99 when it arrives in North America, though it won’t hit stores until Q2 2026. Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM: Tandem OLED at 4K and 240Hz Matt Smith / Foundry The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM is the company’s new flagship tandem OLED gaming monitor. It has a 26.5-inch tandem OLED panel with 3840×2160 resolution. It’s also a dual-mode display with support for a refresh rate up to 240Hz at 4K, or up to 480Hz at 1080p. If you’re thinking “Wait, didn’t Asus just release a tandem OLED monitor?”, you’d be right. PCWorld’s review of the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W went up right before CES 2026. That monitor sticks to 1440p resolution, however, and offers a higher refresh rate up to 540Hz at 1440p, or 720Hz at 720p. The new PG27UCWM targets lower refresh rates but offers the crystal clarity of 4K. The new PG27UCWM also offers a USB-C port with up to 90 watts of power delivery, a feature that wasn’t often found on Asus’ ROG monitors in 2025. Other features include a Neo Proximity Sensor (which can dim or turn off the display when you’re away to prevent OLED burn-in) and DisplayPort 2.1a video input. While most of the monitors on this list are wider or larger, the humble 27-inch monitor is the practical choice for many gamers. And if that’s the size of monitor you want, the PG27UCWM will be hard to beat. Pricing and availability remains to be announced. Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN: A new ultrawide with all the tricks Matt Smith / Foundry If you want a wider monitor than 27 inches, Asus has you covered with the new ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN. It has a 34-inch ultrawide OLED panel with 3440×1440 resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 360Hz. That’s a nice bump from prior generation OLED ultrawides, which often topped out around 240Hz. That’s not all. The PG34WCDN has Samsung’s new 5th-gen QD-OLED panel with RGB Stripe. This changes the QD-OLED subpixel arrangement from its prior triangular shape to a more traditional striped arrangement (with the red, green, and blue subpixels in a row) to improve clarity of some objects and fine text—a struggle for past QD-OLED monitors. I saw the monitor first-hand and, to my eyes, it was a noticeable improvement. I didn’t see obvious color fringing around text, and while small text still wasn’t crystal-clear, that appeared to be due to the limits of 1440p resolution rather than any issue inherent to the QD-OLED panel. Like its 27-inch cousin, the PG34WCDN will have a USB-C port with 90 watts of power delivery, DisplayPort 2.1, and a Neo Proximity Sensor. This monitor’s pricing and availability remains to be announced. Dell Ultrasharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U5226KW): The ultimate command center Michael Crider / Foundry Dell’s Ultrasharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is a command center for multitaskers who have nearly as many devices on their desk as tabs open in their web browser. My colleague Michael Crider even thinks it might replace his triple-monitor setup altogether. To that end, it includes an impressive Thunderbolt 4 hub. Connectivity spans a Thunderbolt 4 port with 140 watts of power delivery, as well as two more USB-C ports with 27 watts each. The hub also includes USB-A ports, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and a KVM switch for up to four PCs. The monitor also has an IPS Black panel with 6K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Other features include an ambient light sensor. Interestingly, the monitor lists support for not only Windows and macOS but also Linux Ubuntu and ThinOS. Dell’s Ultrasharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor will be available on January 6th, 2026 and will retail for $2,899.99 with an adjustable VESA stand, or $2,799.99 without the stand. Dell Ultrasharp 32 4K QD-OLED (U3226Q): An OLED for creative professionals Matt Smith / Foundry The majority of QD-OLED monitors target gamers, but an increasing number now also target professionals and prosumers. The Dell Ultrasharp 32 4K QD-OLED (U3226Q) joins these ranks. It has a 31.5-inch 16:9 QD-OLED panel with 4K resolution and a refresh rate up to 120Hz. Because it’s meant for professional creative work, the monitor includes an integrated colorimeter, customizable “direct keys,” and Dell’s color management software, among other features. It’s also a Thunderbolt 4 hub. It has a single Thunderbolt 4 port with 140 watts of power delivery, as well as a 27-watt USB-C port and 10-watt USB-A port. 2.5Gbps Ethernet is available, too. The monitor is compatible with Windows and macOS. It’ll launch globally on February 24th, 2026 for $2,599.99. LG UltraGear EVO 52G930B: It’s even bigger than you think Matt Smith / Foundry Did you ever look at a 49-inch super-ultrawide gaming monitor and think “Hmm, that’s too small”? The LG UltraGear EVO 52G930B is for you. This is a 52-inch monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio—a stark contrast to the 32:9 aspect ratio used by typical 49-inch super-ultrawides like the Philips Envia 8000. Three extra inches might sound trivial but, due to the difference in aspect ratio, it’s actually a huge deal. The UltraGear EVO 52G930B offers a roughly 56 percent gain in display area. Most of that is vertical display space, as the 52G930B is about 7 inches taller than a 49-inch super-ultrawide. That’s good news if you want a big, immersive display for simulation and first-person games. Size aside, the EVO 52G930B uses a vertical alignment (VA) LCD panel with a maximum resolution of 5120×2160 (which works out to about 106 pixels per inch) and a refresh rate up to 240Hz. It’s definitely not as attractive as an OLED monitor, but it provides decent color performance and better contrast than most IPS-LCD monitors. LG has yet to announce price or availability. LG UltraGear EVO AI 39GX950B: A 5K2K ultrawide for gaming Matt Smith / Foundry The UltraGear EVO AI 39GX950B is LG’s new flagship gaming monitor and, if you ask me, the best gaming monitor at CES 2026. It has a 39-inch curved ultrawide tandem OLED panel. The monitor can reach a pixel-packed 5120×2160 resolution at a refresh rate up to 165Hz, or a more modest 2560×1080 resolution at up to 330Hz. The 5K resolution mode crams about 142 pixels into every inch, a huge upgrade over the roughly 110ppi of a typical 34-inch 1440p ultrawide. LG has thrown a few AI features into the mix. The monitor can upscale lower-resolution content to 5K for improved sharpness, and LG claims the process doesn’t introduce additional latency. The monitor also has built-in speakers with an AI sound enhancement for enhanced clarity. Really, though, this monitor is all about the pixel-dense ultrawide OLED panel. You’ll need a beefy GPU to handle 5K2K resolution, but if you’ve got it, I think you’re in for a treat. Pricing and availability not yet announced. MSI MPG 341CQR X36 QD-OLED: MSI’s new ultrawide flagship Matt Smith / Foundry The MSI MPG 341CQR X36 has a 34-inch ultrawide panel with 3440×1440 resolution and a refresh rate of up to 360Hz. Like the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN, the MSI MPG 341CQR X36 has Samsung’s new 5th-generation OLED with V-Stripe, which improves text clarity. It also has a new type of glossy finish (called DarkArmor) that reduces glare and should make the display surface more scratch-resistant. MSI emphasized HDR performance. The MPG 341CQR X36 quotes up to 1,300 nits of HDR brightness, and MSI also provides extensive HDR control features which can be used to adjust the HDR curve to a customized setting (or to one of several preset HDR modes). I suspect this could prove rather useful because HDR content on the PC is often far less optimized than HDR content on an HDTV. The monitor also has a USB-C port with up to 98 watts of power delivery and an AI Care Sensor that can automatically dim, adjust, or darken the display when you turn away or walk away to prevent OLED burn-in. MSI says the MPG 341CQR X36 will be available for $1,099. MSI MAG 272QRF X36: Bringing Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar to the masses Matt Smith / Foundry The MSI MAG 272QRF X36 is a 27-inch widescreen gaming monitor with 2560×1440 resolution and a 360Hz refresh rate. Its real claim to fame, though, is support for Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar. Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar is a backlight strobing technology. Backlight strobing is a popular technique used to improve motion clarity, but it’s not usually compatible with variable frame rates. Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar solves this, allowing use of backlight strobing (which MSI calls MPRT) with G-Sync engaged. MSI claims a 4x improvement in motion clarity. MSI’s MAG 272QRF X36 wasn’t the only G-Sync Pulsar display at the show, but earned its place on this list with a second feature: an ambient light sensor. MSI says the sensor can be used to automatically adjust screen brightness and color temperature in both SDR and HDR—a rather handy feature on any display, but often absent on gaming monitors. The MAG 272QRF X36 will hit stores at $649. Samsung Odyssey G6 (G60H): Gaming at 1,040Hz Samsung If you told me 5 years ago that we’d have a legit 1,000Hz monitor in 2026, I wouldn’t have believed you. But Samsung’s latest Odyssey G6 (G60H) is one of several new monitors that make it a reality. There’s a catch, though. The Odyssey G6 is a dual-mode display and it can only achieve 1,040Hz at 720p resolution. That’s definitely going to limit its appeal, but the monitor can still hit up to 600Hz at 2560×1440 resolution, which is nothing to laugh at. Refresh rate aside, the monitor’s specifications are typical for a mid-range gaming monitor. It has a 27-inch IPS-LCD panel and offers support for both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync. The monitor also supports HDR, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 2.1. The price was not announced but, given the monitor’s cutting-edge refresh rate, I don’t think it will be cheap. Read...

Audio tech startup Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter (TDM) has unveiled an unusual product at CES 2026. It’s a headphone called the Neo Hybrid, which can twist into a portable Bluetooth speaker. At first glance the Neo Hybrid looks like a conventional pair of headphones. But the flexible headband can be rolled around the earcups to transform the device into a compact speaker. There’s no software to navigate or parts to snap on; you just give the device a literal twist and it turns into a palm-sized speaker for your whole room. Headphones that transform into speakers aren’t entirely new, but TDM has taken a unique approach to the Neo Hybrid’s design. Each earcup houses two 40mm drivers — one inward facing and a second facing outward. When the headphones become rolled up or switched via a button, the internal drivers shut off, and the outward drivers kick in, allowing audio to be heard without the need for the sound to come out of the earcups. TDM TDM says this setup provides a crisp, detailed sound profile as headphones and surprisingly decent volume when used as a speaker. Users can also, if they wish, customize what happens when the headphones are twisted, with the choice of automatically switching modes, pausing playback, powering down, or acting as just a physical toggle. The headphones have a built-in microphone for calls. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 6, with multipoint pairing and Auracast support. There’s also a 3.5mm wired option. The device uses two replaceable 1,500mAh batteries and the battery life is very decent. TDM claims up to 200 hours playback in headphone mode with that dropping to 10 hours in speaker mode. The device also features USB-C fast charging that TDM says can deliver eight hours of battery life in headphone mode from just five minutes charge. There’s no active noise cancellation to speak of with the headphones relying on passive noise isolation instead. The Neo Hybrid will be available in black and white color options and be priced at $249. It’ll launch on Kickstarter later this month. Read...

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Aiper marked a new chapter in its smart yard ecosystem by officially announcing its brand positioning as the World’s No. 1 Smart Robotic Pool Cleaner, which was credited by Euromonitor* for its innovative products that are smart, reliable and carefree. The company showcased a fourth-generation lineup designed to deliver smarter performance, reliable real-world operation, and the carefree ownership experience modern homeowners increasingly expect. HGTV star and outdoor living expert Chip Wade appeared at the Aiper booth at CES and headlined the brand’s new product launch event. Introduced by Chip Wade, the new portfolio includes three breakthrough innovations: the Scuba V3 series, the world’s first cognitive AI powered robotic pool cleaner series; the IrriSense 2, the world’s first 4-in-1 multi-zone smart irrigation system, and EcoSurfer Senti, the world’s first AI powered skimmer with water quality management. Learn more about Aiper`s full CES 2026 lineup Cognitive AI: A smarter, more autonomous cleaning engine At the heart of Aiper’s next-generation systems is Cognitive AI, a new intelligent engine that constantly loops through four functions—see, interpret, decide, and adapt. Unlike earlier AI-vision systems that simply recognized pool debris, Cognitive AI continuously learns from real-world conditions. It interprets pool size, daily and seasonal weather patterns, and historical cleaning data to optimize routes, frequency, and intensity. This self-improving intelligence allows Aiper devices to deliver a fully automated, carefree cleaning experience all week long without requiring user intervention. Scuba V3 Series: World’s first Cognitive AI powered robotic pool cleaner series Leading the lineup is the Scuba V3 Series, Aiper’s most advanced robotic pool cleaners yet and the world’s first to fully leverage Cognitive AI, including the Scuba V3, Scuba V3 Pro and Scuba V3 Ultra. Aiper The 2026 CES Innovation awards winner Scuba V3 Ultra, the world’s 1st cognitive AI powered 6-in-1 robotic pool cleaner, is introducing 6-in-1 full-coverage cleaning, 20cm shallow-area operation, and the industry’s first dual-camera AI Patrol Cleaning system. Its Cognitive AI Navium™ mode delivers hands-off, week-long automation by analyzing environmental conditions and cleaning history to intelligently schedule and adapt each cleaning cycle. The Ultra also features JellyFloat™ Energy-Smart Lift Engine—an anti-stuck hovering and energy-efficient lift system that helps the robot glide smoothly across varying surfaces. Vertical jet propulsion and active buoyancy let the robot rise, pivot, and reroute freely, escaping obstacles and moving smoothly between deep and shallow zones. The sleek Scuba V3 brings the same core innovations—AI Patrol Cleaning, Cognitive AI Navium™ mode, and feather-light design—along with TÜV-Certified Data Privacy Protection, ensuring the onboard camera collects only cleaning-related data and stores nothing externally. Aiper Together, the Scuba V3 Series offer practical, meaningful benefits for everyday pool owners: Carefree Pool Cleaning: Autonomous scheduling and adaptive cleaning keep pools pristine all week long without monitoring. More Precise Cleaning: AI detection of over 20 debris or object types delivers up to 10× faster cleaning efficiency. Smart Scheduling: Automatic adjustments based on weather, pool size, and historical patterns ensure consistent performance with zero manual planning. EcoSurfer Senti: World’s first AI powered skimmer with water quality management Aiper Aiper also expanded its reach above the pool cleaner with 2026 CES Innovation Award honoree EcoSurfer Senti, the first solar-powered surface skimmer to pair AI vision with water-quality management. Its AI Surface Patrol system uses a high-precision camera with a 2-meter detection range to identify over 20 floating debris/object types. A DebrisGuard™ anti-leakage design and 150µm fine filtration basket maximize debris capture while keeping the system clean and efficient. What truly sets EcoSurfer Senti apart is its built-in water quality testing suite, measuring pH, free chlorine, ORP, and temperature with high accuracy. Combined with an automated management system and real-time safety dashboard, EcoSurfer Senti helps maintain balanced water around the clock. Its solar-powered architecture and anti-stranding engineering enable 24/7 uninterrupted, energy-free cleaning—providing continuous surface cleaning and safer, clearer water with no effort required from the owner. IrriSense 2: World’s first 4-in-1 multi-zone smart irrigation system Aiper Rounding out the lineup, IrriSense 2 extends Aiper’s mission beyond the pool to the entire Smart yard ecosystem. This pioneering irrigation solution combines four traditionally separate components—an irrigation controller, rotor sprinkler, electrical valve, and nutrient feeder—into one single device capable of managing multiple customized zones with intuitive point-line-area mapping. Designed for water-smart outdoor care, IrriSense 2 delivers: Up to 40% water savings through perfect precision with customizable watering zones and automatic weather-responsive system. It maintains consistent pressure for even, efficient watering across all zones, backed by TÜV certification for reliable water pressure stability, plus safety and performance; Nurture the soil and plants: EvenRain™ technology, which simulates natural rain for even watering across up to 4,800 sq. ft, with adaptive Re-Spray to eliminate blind spots and protect soil and seedlings. SoilPulse™ Microbial Organic Soil Amendment enhances soil fertility and moisture retention while breaking down residues, and promoting stronger roots and healthier plants; Easy to use: 15-minute DIY installation and robust app control with smart scheduling and remote Wi-Fi connectivity. It supports up to ten irrigation maps with independent schedules and watering depths, delivering precise care tailored to lawns, flowerbeds, shrubs, and trees.d robust app control with smart scheduling and remote Wi-Fi connectivity. A smarter, more carefree and reliable Smart Yard future With Cognitive AI at the center of its 2026 portfolio, Aiper is transforming the smart yard ecosystem into a seamlessly automated experience—from crystal-clear pools to healthier gardens. The innovative new lineup reinforces Aiper’s leadership as the world’s No. 1 smart robotic pool cleaner while expanding its vision for smarter, more reliable, and truly carefree smart yard experience. To learn more about Aiper at CES and its 4th generation product line, visit aiper.com. World`s Number 1 Smart Robotic Pool Cleaner Learn more about Aiper`s full CES 2026 lineup *Aiper is the No.1 brand of smart robotic pool cleaner in the world in terms of sales volume. Source: Euromonitor International Co., Ltd., in terms of 2025 manufacturer sales volume (units) in the world. Smart robotic pool cleaner is defined as: intelligent service robots integrating mechanical, electronic, software algorithm and sensor technologies. They autonomously or with minimal human intervention perform pool cleaning and maintenance tasks, typically featuring smart navigation, path planning, and multiple cleaning modes. Research completed in 2025/12. Read...

Though CES 2026 is coming to a close, there’s still more to learn. We just heard from Nvidia about DLSS 4.5 and how it’s going to offer all kinds of features and performance boosts to modest graphics cards. Before that, there was big talk (and big disappointment) around AMD’s FSR Redstone tech that was meant to supercharge Radeon RX 9000 cards. At CES 2026, PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray was able to chat with Andrej Zdravkovic, AMD’s Senior Vice President of Software Development, about the future of its Adrenalin software in regards to FSR Redstone, Linux support, and an upcoming (optional) AI bundle. It’s just one of the many AMD stories floating around this week—far from the most interesting, though. You have the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor, hints of possibly being able to drop mobile Ryzen chips into desktop PCs, bringing back older chips to fight shortages, and a bona fide clapback to shade thrown by Intel. Learn more about AMD’s plans in this Q&A discussion. For more on the latest in CPUs and GPUs, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd. Read...

As the FCC looks to accelerate ATSC 3.0 adoption for over-the-air TV, broadcasters are eager to show off options that don’t involve replacing your TV or giving up DVR. Ahead of this week’s CES trade show, the broadcaster consortium Pearl TV announced a certification program for no-frills converter boxes that will plug into the HDMI port on any TV. Anne Schelle, Pearl TV’s managing director, said in an interview that the goal is to have converter boxes available this fall that will be priced at less than $60. Also at CES this week, broadcasters are touting advancements in ATSC 3.0 “gateway” boxes that offer live TV and DVR on multiple TVs throughout the home. Both Zapperbox and ADTH are developing whole-home DVR solutions that work with encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels, clearing some longstanding hurdles with digital rights management. All of this suggests a new level of urgency as broadcasters push to wind down the current ATSC 1.0 standard. If they want the FCC’s approval for a full transition to ATSC 3.0, they’ll need to show that they’re not leaving people behind. Sub-$60 converter boxes (maybe) ATSC 3.0 allows for new features, such as 4K HDR video, dialog enhancement, interactive programming, and potentially better reception, but the standard is not compatible with the ATSC 1.0 tuners built into most televisions. Viewers who want to access these features must either buy a TV with an ATSC 3.0 tuner or connect an external tuner box. Today, the least-expensive tuner box from ADTH costs $90, and Zinwell’s NextGen TV box is even pricier at $129. Pearl TV aims to bring prices down with a new class of converter boxes that shave away features such as DVR and possibly some interactive features. It also plans to negotiate IP (intellectual property) and component costs on behalf of certified device makers while also helping to secure retail distribution. The idea is that Pearl TV will have more bargaining power than any individual device maker. “What we’re asking for, for this box, is to act as if the market’s there already, and [suppliers should] give us what that discount would have been at millions, instead of tens of thousands [of units],” Schelle said. Just don’t expect the government to help pay for the hardware. Unlike with the analog-to-digital transition, Pearl TV is operating under the assumption that congressionally mandated federal dollars won’t be available to subsidize ATSC 3.0 converter box purchases. Pearl isn’t guaranteeing the $60 price point, either. With uncertainty over tariffs and and DRAM shortages inflating the price of all sorts of consumer electronics, these converter boxes could end up being pricier, Schelle said. DVR progress Jared Newman / Foundry Meanwhile, broadcasters want to show that tech enthusiasts can still have full-featured DVRs in the ATSC 3.0 era, even as broadcasters encrypt their-over-the-air channels. A3SA, the broadcast group that serves as the security authority for ATSC 3.0, this week pointed to a couple of whole-home DVR gateway solutions, from ZapperBox and ADTH respectively. While both companies actually revealed their plans late last year, A3SA is using CES to draw new attention to them. ZapperBox, which offers an array of ATSC 3.0 tuner boxes with DVR support, now sells a tuner-free ZapperBox Mini that extends the DVR to additional televisions, with full support for encrypted channels and recordings. Apps for streaming devices are coming later this year. allowing access a single DVR across multiple televisions without extra hardware. ADTH is also working on a whole-home DVR for its $90 tuner. A forthcoming firmware update will let users access live and recorded TV via ADTH’s Fire TV and Android TV apps, although the company hasn’t set a release date. And while SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun networked tuner remains unable to access encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels, there are signs of progress on that front, too. SiliconDust announced in November 2025 that it had become an ATSC 3.0 Certificate Authority for NextGen TV, and the company had a demo stall at the modest ATSC booth at CES for the first time. Pearl TV has previously said that HDHomeRun was ineligible for DRM certification because it uses a chip from a subsidiary of Huawei, which the FCC has deemed a security threat. In an interview at CES, SiliconDust CTO and founder Nick Kelsey said the chip isn’t relevant to handling encrypted channels, and that HDHomeRun doesn’t even do the decryption itself. (Instead, it passes the video along to streaming devices, such as a Fire TV or Android TV, to handle the decryption.) Kelsey said the allegations were “weird,” as the company had a great working relationship with Pearl previously, but added that those relations have since gone back to normal. He’s now hoping that HDHomeRun devices will support encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels this year without any additional hardware. “It’s not something that’s going to drag on further, and that’s not just us. Everyone in the industry is of a similar opinion,” he said. These developments won’t allay every concern about ATSC 3.0. Gateway devices still require an internet connection for DRM, and out-of-home viewing won’t be possible. It also remains unclear if tuners will be able to work with third-party DVR software, such as Plex and Channels. For those reasons, ATSC 3.0 might remain toxic among tech enthusiasts even as the DVR options improve. The FCC is watching The impetus for all this activity is, of course, the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking on accelerating ATSC 3.0 adoption. It calls for an end to the requirement that broadcasters simulcast their ATSC 3.0 channels in ATSC 1.0, but it also asks some pointed questions about DRM and the lack of affordable ways to keep accessing free over-the-air TV. The FCC still needs to vote on its proposals, which could happen in the fall, Schelle said. So far, however, the FCC’s proposed rules don’t include a cutoff date for ATSC 1.0, nor does it mandate ATSC 3.0 tuners in televisions. The National Association of Broadcasters is hoping to be rid of ATSC 1.0 by 2028 in the 55 largest U.S. markets, and everywhere by 2030. Now the broadcast industry is trying to show that it will actually be ready for that. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming and over-the-air TV advice. Read...

Here’s something I’d like to see more of: a tech manufacturer choosing not to brick one of its older cloud-connected products.  In this case, we’re talking Bose, which just months ago was poised to yank cloud functionality from its more-than-decade-old line of SoundTouch Wi-Fi speakers and soundbars, a move that would essentially rob them of their smarts.  Now, Bose is changing course, and while direct access to music-streaming services is still on the chopping block, local networking features will remain. More importantly, Bose is opening up its SoundTouch tech to outside developers.  According to the original plan, SoundTouch owners would see their apps go dark by February 18, meaning they would no longer be able to stream tunes from Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn, or the like from the SoundTouch app. Instead, they’d have to pipe audio to the speakers via HDMI, Toslink, AUX jacks, or Bluetooth. In other words, their smart SountTouch speakers—which cost anywhere between $400 to $1,500—were about to turn dumb.  Naturally, livid SoundTouch users gave Bose a piece of their collective mind, and it appears Bose actually listened. As ArsTechnica reports, the popular home audio brand relented, to an extent: while it’s still cutting cloud service for SoundTouch speakers (it’s extended the deadline to May 6), it will keep Spotify Connect and AirPlay functionality, the latter of which will allow multiple SoundTouch speakers to play the same tunes simultaneously.  And while the SoundTouch app will lose access to cloud features, it will still let you control local functionality for your SoundTouch speakers, including Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Spotify Connect streaming, remote playback, pause, and volume, speaker grouping, and setup and configuration.  Even better, Bose will allow developers to poke around SoundTouch API, meaning they could build their own apps to control the speakers.  It’s not unusual for owners of soon-to-be-bricked tech to call on the manufacturer to open-source their products before they turn into paperweights. It happened when Google chose to yank support for its first- and second-generation Nest thermostats, and while Google has thus far remained unmoved, hackers have taken matters into their own hands.  So it’s a nice change of pace to see a major brand like Bose lay bare the SoundTouch API, essentially giving their nearly defunct products a new lease on life.  This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. Read...