Samsung has dabbled in the smart speaker space before, but the company’s all-new Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 Wi-Fi speakers pose serious competition for the likes of Amazon, Apple, Bose, and Sonos—at least at the higher-end of the market. Unveiled this week at CES and planned for a March release, both models present a distinctively modern, “dot-faced” industrial design by noted French artist Erwan Bouroullec, along with some equally interesting features destined to set them apart from the pack. (Don’t get too excited about all the colors shown in the photo above, however; they’re just trial balloons. Initial shipments will be in black or white only.) Alexa, are you in there? While it probably won’t be there at launch—and voice assistants in general warrant  just a single mention in Samsung’s press release—I’ve been told the Music Studio 5 (model LS50H) and Music Studio 7 (model LS70H) will support Alexa+, the generative-AI-powered digital assistant that Amazon promises is more capable and more conversational than the original Alexa. Alexa Plus also provides advanced smart home control options and new capabilities, such as automatically ordering food it knows you’ll like from Uber Eats, or standing in a virtual line for concert tickets from TicketMaster while you do something less tedious.   Not an Alexa fan? The new speakers will also answer to voice commands spoken to Google Assistant, as well as Samsung’s own Bixby, which is optimized for interaction with other Samsung products. Spotify Tap and Spotify Connect The Music Studio series also works with Spotify Tap, which leverages Spotify Connect over Wi-Fi, so you can jump-start a favorite playlist with just a touch on the speaker cabinet—no need to pull out your phone. The spiffier Music Studio 7 is adept at delivering the new, lossless rendering of Spotify Premium music content, streaming FLAC files at up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz resolution, as well as other content at resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz. A CES booth tender also told me that Music Studio buyers who adopt Alexa as their voice assistant will get Amazon Music as their default music-streaming service, while those who choose Google Assistant will get YouTube Music as their default. As for other services—Tidal, Qobuz, and what have you—I’m told they’ll be able to use those services’ respective apps, Apple’s AirPlay, or—ugh—a Bluetooth connection.   For those who don’t mind wires, the Music Studio 5 is equipped with a Toslink digital audio input, while the beefier Music Studio 7 boasts an HDMI port as well. I presume that will be HDMI ARC, but no one at the booth could answer my question for sure. I know for certain that up to five Music Studio speakers can be synchronized with recent Samsung TVs via Bluetooth, thanks to the company’s Q Symphony surround-sound processing. This will mix those speakers’ output with the TV’s built-in speakers. Q Symphony will also let you mix and match some Music Studio speakers with a Samsung soundbar and/or wall-hanging Music Frame speakers. Q Symphony smarts will tonally balance the bunch. Multi-room audio options Another option, for whole-home audio devotees, will be to stream music—the same or different tracks—to as many as 10 Music Studio speakers at once, including grouped speakers. Samsung’s SmartThings app will manage that trick. Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to configure two speakers as a stereo pair, as both the Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 output two channels on their own. With its sculpted dome and sloped back, the smaller Studio 5 ($249) offers a more distinctive look than its core competition: the $219 Sonos One, Gen 2 and the $199 Bose Home Speaker 300. The Studio 5 packs two high-performance left/right front tweeters beneath a 4.2- inch woofer (Samsung’s people insisted on calling it a “subwoofer”). An integrated wave guide and dynamic bass control contributed to the bigger and better-than-expected performance I heard in the challenging environment of Samsung’s CES exhibit space, but I’ll reserve final judgement for a full listening session in private. The Music Studio 7 ($499) is an all-in-one,  3.1.1-channel, spatial-audio speaker featuring Samsung’s own signal-steering methodology (not Dolby Atmos). Its tweeters fire separate channel information from the front, left, and right sides, as well as the top the boxy, perforated metal wrapped enclosure, while a 5-inch front-firing, rear-ported) “sub” delivers all the non-directional low-frequency information. Samsung enhances the four-direction throw and clarity of the channels with what it calls Pattern Control Technology and AI Dynamic Bass Control. Samsung is clearly appealing to the same “I only have room for one box” music/smart home buffs who are also considering the rest of the spatial audio-adept, smart-speaker competition: the $479 Sonos Era 300, the $299 Apple HomePod, and the $220 Amazon Echo Studio. I can’t wait to hear what these puppies can do in the real world. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. 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...

This shouldn’t come as a surprise–AI is omnipresent these days–but Gmail is getting a big old AI upgrade, and this time Google’s taking a hammer to its paywall. During a press briefing led by Ross Reichardi from Gmail PR and Blake Barnes, head of Gmail product, Google announced a wide rollout of AI-powered Gmail features to all U.S. users for free. That includes tools like Help Me Write, AI-generated summaries in email threads, and more advanced Smart Replies, which were previously limited to paying customers. There’s a brand-new Proofread feature that helps you spiffy up your email drafts in real time. It helps with things like fixing incorrect word usage and grammatical errors, and breaking up sentences that go on and on into infinity. You don’t have to use these suggestions if you don’t want to–they’re one-click optional. There’s also an undo button if you’re not feeling it. Google Paying subscribers get some exclusive perks, though. Google One Pro and Ultra users now see AI overviews in Gmail’s search bar. This lets you ask questions like, “How much was my last electric bill?” and get summarized answers based on your email history. You don’t have to endlessly scroll to find whatever it is you’re looking for. Google They also introduced a new feature called AI Inbox, which transforms your inbox into a kind of personal assistant. It uses Google’s Gemini to read entire threads and pull out emails that require immediate attention. Don’t worry, the traditional inbox you know and love is still there, and now you can toggle between the views. AI Inbox is rolling out to testers starting today, January 8.  Privacy was a big talking point throughout the briefing (as it should be!). Google stressed that personal Gmail content used for these AI features is processed in a private, isolated environment and is not used to train Gemini models. You can also turn these features off entirely. So, what did I take away from this meeting? I see it as a clear push to make Gmail feel less overwhelming and more approachable. I’m not entirely closed off to it, as my own inbox contains years of email exchanges. That said, I’m still leery of the idea of AI further worming its way into my personal digital space.  The rollout is live today for consumer accounts and Pro/Ultra subscribers, though the AI Inbox is limited to a select group of testers, with wider availability coming later. Read...

Household robot manufacturer iGarden unveiled its new M1 series of robotic pool cleaners at CES today, complementing its existing K series line of underwater scrubbers. And much like the K series, these four new models are distinguished almost exclusively by their battery size and resulting operating time. The M1 series showcases a revamped design that features four wheels instead of treads, with a bulbous section in the center of the robot that makes it look like the cockpit of a race car. The bright red color treatment only furthers that connotation, much as it did with the K Pro 150 we reviewed in October, 2025.) The very front of the robot, however, is where you’ll find its secret sauce, including twin cameras designed to help it scan the pool in 3D. iGarden says the cameras improve debris detection, floor coverage, and obstacle avoidance. As is becoming increasingly common with household robots, AI-powered algorithms analyze the video feed and are key part of the behind-the-scenes intelligence. iGarden also launched its new L- and L AWD-series robot lawn mowers at CES.iGarden Additional features across the M1 line include a new two-tier filter designed to improve tiny particle capture while reducing clogging, and a dual water pump design that adapts suction power to the environment, based on an analysis of how much and what type of debris the robot is capturing. A welcome one-touch return system instructs the robot to climb the nearest wall to reach the waterline for easy, pole-free retrieval, although it isn’t entirely clear how this system works at the moment. (Based on photography we’ve seen, it’s likely through a remote-control wand with flashing lights on one end.) At launch, the four models in the new series are the M1-50, with a 7500mAh battery and about 5 hours of running time; the M1-80, with a 10,400mAh battery and about 8 hours of running time; the M1-100, also with a 10,400mAh battery but a promised 10 hours of running time; and the M1 Pro-125, with a 14,500mAh battery and about 12.5 hours of running time. The units also differ based on pump rate, with the M1-50 offering a lower flow of 3,170 to 5,019 gallons per hour, the middle two robots featuring 4,227 to 6,076 gallons per hour, and the M1 Pro-125 hitting 5,283 to 7,133 gallons per hour. Many of the other features of the K Series, including running time options, periodic scheduling, various cleaning modes, and iGarden’s speed-boosting “Turbo Mode,” remain ported over to the new M1 models. Pricing and availability for each of the new robot models had not been published at press time. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. Read...

It’s easy to feel a little scared about how AI is developing. Even if you don’t believe in the end-of-the-world dystopias, there are many scary questions: What happens to jobs when AI takes over? How will energy-hungry data servers affect the environment? Can democracy survive the flood of disinformation? This is not really something we, as individuals, can influence, but there are things you and I can do to reduce the risks of AI. Here are my top tips: 1. Choose the right service Not all AI services handle your data the same exact way. Some are based in regions with strong privacy regulations, and others may use your information to improve their systems. Understanding who owns the service and where it’s based can help you make informed choices. If privacy is important to you, look for platforms that prioritize data protection. 2. Check the source Checking the source is always important on the internet, and it’s vital when it comes to AI services. When you ask a question, AI uses many different web pages to formulate its answer and while it often gets it right, there are no guarantees. Fortunately, all AI services are now quite good at providing the source of their claims. If in doubt, always click on the original source to assess its credibility! If there is no source citation, you can ask the follow-up question “What are your sources?” to display it. 3. Take responsibility When you write and speak in public, you are responsible for the accuracy of the information you share. Mistakes happen, sure, but it’s up to you to verify the facts. For example, Kd leader Ebba Busch referred to AI when she cited an incorrect quote in her Almedals speech. So, what’s the lesson here? Relying on AI is never an excuse. Always double-check your sources. 4. Search privately By default, your searches and conversations are saved and may be used to train the AI services. If you don’t want that, ChatGPT offers a feature called Temporary Chat. It works like a browser’s incognito mode and lets you search and interact without saving your history. 5. Clearing the history The more you use an AI service, the more it learns about you. If you feel uncomfortable, you can go to the settings menu and look for the delete history feature. In ChatGPT, this found under Data Controls. 6. Protecting private information No matter how you use AI, it’s important to remember that what you write and upload is shared with someone else. That’s why you need to be careful with sensitive information like passwords and bank details. Assume that everything can be read by someone else no matter what the services say. 7. Talk to your boss Are you using AI at work or in an organization? Check with your manager or chairperson on what the rules are. There are often guidelines on how to use AI, and many companies and organizations pay for professional versions with greater security. Read...

Brendon McCullum’s hopes of remaining England head coach rest on whether he is willing to accept an ultimatum of making major changes to the team’s environment and culture. Read...

One of the most exciting PC trends overall this decade is the rise of gorgeous OLED monitors. They’ve steadily improved year after year, delivering ever-more-luscious visuals at ever-increasing speeds, and during CES 2026, LG revealed a slew of new OLED panels designed to drive gaming fidelity even further. Note that I said panels, not monitors; as a panel supplier, these LG displays will wind up in monitors from other vendors as well as LG’s own goodies. And as a panel supplier, LG is doubling down on OLED. OLED has been under attack from the rise of RGB mini-LED panels that build upon existing LCD technology, for better or worse. LCD and OLED behave in very different ways, and LG’s new Tandem WOLED and Tandem OLED technologies (its first new OLED brands in 13 years!) push the advantage even further. Tandem WOLED will appear in larger displays, like TVs and PC monitors, while Tandem OLED targets smaller devices like laptops, tablets, and automotive displays. I’m a thirsty, disgusting gamer so for this article, let’s focus on Tandem WOLED. Officially called “Primary RGB Tandem 2.0,” Tandem WOLED can hit up to a whopping 4,500 nits in peak form, or 1,500 nits in PC monitors. A nit is equivalent to the brightness of a single candle, and we prefer that laptops hit 250 to 300 nits (or more) for optimal viewing, so that 1,500 nits is a big number — and one you can instantly feel and appreciate witnessing the technology in action. New “Perfect Black Anti-Reflection” tech “offers the world’s lowest reflectance of 0.3%,” ensuring a crisp picture even in bright conditions. Even better, Tandem WOLED supports 99.5% DCI-P3 coverage, an industry term that means its color accuracy is indeed insanely color accurate. The ”WOLED” comes from an additional white light source, joining the usual RGB trio. “By precisely stacking RGB light sources in tandem, it creates pure white light and picture quality that nears perfection — blacks deepen, colors stay naturally true in any environment,” LG says. After seeing it in action, I have to say I agree! OLED vs. Mini LED LG drove home the point in several discrete demos comparing an “affordable” OLED TV against a rival mini LED television. Mini LED uses standard LCD technology, with roughly 1,500 “block-dimming” chunks spread across the screen; OLED can turn each of the 33 million+ pixels in a 4K display on and off independently. It makes a huge difference. The mini LED still looked a lot better than most people’s TVs, but it suffered from color inaccuracy and other issues next to LG’s Tandem WOLED. Since mini LED (and all LCD panels) only dim colors in blocks, images can be affected by surrounding colors; you can witness “bloom” lightening effects around fireworks, and nearby colors affecting the look of people’s skin or supposedly white areas. None of those appeared in LG’s Tandem WOLED panels. To be fair, these were mostly canned test demos to show extremes, but those extremes do happen, and the results largely aligned with my prior experiences with mini LED and LCD displays. Sadly, I wasn’t able to capture convincing pictures of the comparison, since the visual nitpicks on the display can’t be captured by my camera. But trust me: You have to see it to believe it. LG’s boundary-pushing OLED panels At CES 2026, LG announced three boundary-pushing new Tandem WOLED panels to push the advantage. First, there’s a 27-inch gaming OLED capable of hitting a blistering 720HZ at 1080p resolution, or 540HZ at 1440p resolution — ludicrous speeds. This isn’t actually “new” though — the panel already debuted in Asus’ ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W (pictured above) late last year, which knocked our socks off in our review. It earned 4.5 (out of 5) stars and an Editors’ Choice award. “The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W pulls out all the stops to deliver best-in-class motion performance and a long list of bonus features,” our synopsis says. Enough said! Well, not really — read our full review for a deeper look at the underlying tech, and how it handles in the ROG Swift. World’s first OLED with a 240Hz RGB stripe pixel structure LG also showed off an OLED panel with the world’s first 240Hz RGB stripe pixel structure. “RGB stripe structure arranges the three primary color subpixels in a straight line, significantly reducing the visual distortions that can happen at close viewing distances,” LG’s press deck states. It “enables highly detailed and crisp graphic reproduction at 160 pixels per inch.” That’s a lot of geek talk. Let me break it down for you. OLED panels have a flaw that’s not always talked about. Yes, the deep blacks and vivid colors look amazing while gaming or watching videos — but the technology often reproduces on-screen text less precisely. Called “fringing,” text on OLED monitors can sometimes appear somewhat blurry and distorted depending on the implementation. I covered this in-depth in my review of the Corsair Xeneon Flex (which used an LG OLED panel) in 2023, and you can see an example of text fringing from that very monitor below. All those nerd words LG used to describe what “240Hz RGB stripe pixel structure” does basically say that text looks way less sucky. LG says this panel is “Optimized for operating systems such as Windows as well as font-rendering engines, ensuring excellent text readability and high color accuracy.” LG showed off the monitor using a world-building game with lots of text, complete with a magnifier hooked up to the display to show how the RGB subpixel display looks IRL. Fortunately, I was able to get a glimpse of a real world monitor with this panel over at Asus’ booth. Considering that Asus also helped debut those 720Hz/540Hz OLED monitors late last year, I guess Asus and LG are BFFs! Here’s a picture of the just-announced Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCWM, using LG’s new panel. The system was fairly locked down but I was able to summon the right-click context menu to get a peek at the text fringing advancements, and welp, it looked significantly better than most rival OLEDs. The panel uses LG’s Dynamic Frequency and Resolution (DFR) tech to run at 240Hz at 4K or 480Hz at 1080p. Look for monitors with this new panel to arrive sometime in Q2. LG’s 39-inch ‘5K2K’ gaming OLED 4K? Ha! That’s so yesterday. Acer and LG are making 5K gaming monitors the hot new flex at CES 2026. For LG, that means the introduction of the world’s first 39-inch 5K gaming OLED, with a standard 21:9 aspect ratio and 1500R curvature. There’s not really much more to say beyond that, but hot damn did it look luscious in real life — huge, wide, and utterly packed with high-quality OLED pixels galore. Once these monitors launch in Q2, you’ll want to head down to a Best Buy or Microcenter to check them out with your own eyes — they’re that damned gorgeous. I’m willing to review one of these, just sayin’ LG. Stay tuned to PCWorld (and our live blog) for all the hottest CES 2026 news all week long! Read...

TL;DR: Learn to code with Microsoft Visual Studio Professional plus beginner-friendly programming courses for $39.97 (MSRP $1,999). One of the biggest hurdles for new developers isn’t learning syntax—it’s figuring out which tools to use and how to use them properly. This coding bundle removes that friction by combining Visual Studio Professional, Microsoft’s full-featured IDE, with structured courses that teach real-world programming skills step by step. Visual Studio Professional is a full-featured development environment used by professionals around the world. As Microsoft’s first 64-bit IDE, it can handle complex projects with improved performance and memory management. It supports multiple programming languages and platforms, offers real-time collaboration with Live Share, and includes tools like IntelliCode and CodeLens to help you write better code, faster. The included coding e-courses cover essential programming languages and tools, including Python, JavaScript, C++, Java, and SQL. You’ll also get training on frameworks like Flask and Vuex, automation with Google Assistant, mobile development with Flutter and Dart, and AI tools like ChatGPT and OpenCV. These training courses are designed to help you build practical, real-world skills, whether you’re working toward a new career or just expanding your technical abilities. If you want to start your tech training, don’t wait. This learn-to-code bundle is on sale for $39.97 for a limited time (MSRP $1,999). No coupon is needed. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification BundleSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Ecovacs has introduced a new robot mower at CES as the company pushes further into lawn care. The Goat LiDAR Pro brings smarter navigation and more complete edge trimming, aiming to reduce the cleanup typically left behind by earlier-generation robot mowers. Equipped with Ecovacs’s HoloScope 360 suite, the Goat LiDAR Pro uses a combination of LiDAR and vision sensors to map the mowing area in three dimensions, enabling more precise path planning and obstacle avoidance. The array of sensors allows the mower to adapt in real time to changes in the environment, a critical feature for homeowners with pets, kids, or complex landscaping. Ecovas Also notable is the addition of a built-in TruEdge Trimmer, designed to solve a common shortcoming of robot mowers: their inability to mow flush against fences, garden edges, and hardscaping. Traditional robotic mowers tend to leave a narrow strip of uncut grass along boundaries due to their inward blade placement and safety margins. The TruEdge system addresses this by using advanced positioning and edge-detection algorithms to guide the mower closer to lawn perimeters, trimming grass that would otherwise require manual cleanup. According to Ecovacs, this combination of smarter mapping and closer cutting brings the Goat LiDAR Pro closer to delivering a fully autonomous lawn care experience, an appealing promise for homeowners looking to eliminate the small chores that earlier robot mowers couldn’t quite handle. Ecovacs hasn’t yet released pricing or availability details for the Goat LiDAR Pro. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot lawn mowers. Read...

Mammotion is expanding its robotic lawn mower lineup for 2026, introducing three new models at CES that aim to simplify autonomous yard care for a broader range of homeowners. The company unveiled a new flagship model, the Luba 3 AWD, alongside smaller offerings in the Luba Mini 2 AWD and the Yuka Mini 2 series. Mammotion Luba 3 AWD The standout among them is the Luba 3 AWD, a high-end mower designed for large and complex lawns. It debuts a next-generation version of Mammotion’s Tri-Fusion Navigation System that combines LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for 3D mapping, RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) satellite correction for centimeter-level positioning, and AI-powered vision for real-time object recognition and obstacle avoidance. Unlike many older robotic mowers that rely on perimeter wires or basic camera systems, the Luba 3 AWD operates without any external equipment. The result is a mower designed to navigate open terrain, tree-lined lawns, and sloped landscapes with minimal setup. According to Mammotion, the Luba 3 AWD scans its environment in 360 degrees using horizontal and vertical LiDAR, identifies obstacles using dual 1080p cameras, and uses satellite correction data via NetRTK to stay precisely on course, even in challenging GPS environments. The Luba 3 AWD is designed to navigate open terrain, tree-lined lawns, and sloped landscapes. Mammotion The Luba 3 AWD is available in four configurations, covering properties from 0.37 to 2.5 acres. The top model can handle slopes up to 80 percent (38.6-degree inclines), navigate up to100 zones, and mow up to 7,000 square feet per hour. It also features all-wheel drive, dual cutting discs, a 15.8-inch cutting width, and an adaptive suspension system that can climb over 3-inch curbs. Pricing starts at $2,299, with availability beginning January 5 in the U.S., E.U., and U.K. Mammotion Luba Mini 2 AWD For homeowners with smaller yards–or tighter budgets–Mammotion is introducing the Luba Mini 2 AWD, which borrows several features from the flagship, including all-wheel drive, slope handling, and obstacle detection. It uses a tri-camera AI system and NetRTK, skipping LiDAR in favor of a simpler, compact design. This model covers up to 10,760 square feet (about 0.25 acres), supports multi-zone mapping, and includes a new side-mounted edge-cutting disc to trim closer to walls and fences, trimming within one inch of edges. The Luba Mini 2 AWD can trim within one inch of lawn edges. Mammotion Mammotion Yuka Mini 2 Also announced is the Yuka Mini 2 series, a more affordable robot mower with variants tailored to different yard conditions. Some Yuka models include full 360-degree LiDAR and vision navigation, while others stick with tri-camera vision alone. Most models include the same AI chip used across the lineup, offering object detection for pets, toys, and lawn furniture; plus, automated mapping through a smartphone app. Pricing for the Luba Mini 2 starts at 1,499 Euros, with U.S. and U.K. pricing to be announced later. Select models will be available immediately in the U.K. and the E.U., with others opening for preorder in North America from January 5. The Yuka Mini 2 series features variants tailored to different yard conditions. Mammotion Mammotion’s announcement comes as robotic mowers continue to evolve beyond their early limitations, with manufacturers adopting technologies once reserved for self-driving cars and high-end robot vacuums. While camera-based navigation has been standard in earlier models, new systems incorporating LiDAR and RTK offer higher precision, especially in environments with trees, fences, or subject to inconsistent GPS satellite signals. If you’re attending CES in person, Mammotion is exhibiting its wares at Venetian Expo booth #51632. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot lawn mowers. Read...