LG is carrying over much of its 2024 soundbar lineup to 2025, but the company has one all-new model that it plans to debut this year. At CES, I got a preview of the compact speaker, the S20A, that will provide a boost to your TV audio without taking up too much space. The 2.0-channel unit offers 50 watts of power and works best with LG's TVs.
When paired with one of the company's televisions, you can expect its Wow Interface that allows you to make sound adjustments through the TV UI. There's also AI Sound Pro tech that calibrates the audio based on each scene. LG will offer a three-band EQ on the S20A, so you can tweak treble, mids and bass to fit your preferences.
Billy Steele for Engadget
During a quick demo of the S20A, I was impressed with the punchy highs and clarity from the smaller unit. LG says it won't come with a subwoofer as the company uses the soundbar's drivers for that low-end tone. Of course, this setup doesn't provide the booming bass that a standalone wireless sub would, but the company doesn't see that as an issue here. We'll look forward to testing that theory later in the year when the S20A is available for review.
There's no word on pricing or availability just yet as LG is only teasing this new soundbar here at CES. That info, as well as more detailed specs, should arrive closer to launch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/lg-previews-the-compact-s20a-soundbar-at-ces-2025-191337487.html?src=rss
If youve been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your Kindle Scribe, now wouldnt be a bad time Amazon is running its first sale on the new model, which has only been out for a month. Normally $450, the 2024 Kindle Scribe is 19 percent off, bringing the 64GB model down to $365. With the latest generation, Amazon tweaked the appearance of the tablet and added some AI features, along with some new note-taking options.
The second-gen Kindle Scribe has white bezels around the screen and either a green (Metallic Jade) or gray (Tungsten) border, in contrast to the previous models thick black border. The discount applies to both colors and, for the gray version, all storage options (16GB, 32GB and 64GB). When we tried out the new Kindle Scribe, we liked the new design and found the reading and writing experiences to be smooth.
The new Kindle Scribe uses AI to help you clean up and summarize your notes, with the Summarize and Refine tools and you can apply these to individual pages or the entire Notebook. These features worked out pretty well for us. In her review, Engadgets Deputy Editor of Reviews Cherlynn Low found the Scribe was able to make sense of a disorganized plan shed written out by properly putting list items in sequential order, and she saw largely accurate results when it summarized her notes. Any mistake the system made felt reasonable, since I have horrible handwriting, she wrote.
Theres also now a better way to write directly on ebooks. With the 2024 Kindle Scribe, Amazon introduced Active Canvas a little box that will pop up when you put your pen to whatever youre reading. The box can be resized and wont disappear when you leave the page. Youll also soon be able to write in collapsible margins, a feature expected to arrive early this year. One of our biggest gripes about the new Kindle Scribe was the relatively high cost, so if it appeals to you, dont miss your chance to get it at a discount.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-second-gen-kindle-scribe-is-on-sale-for-the-first-time-184403045.html?src=rss
Belkin has a new phone accessory at CES 2025 that somehow brings something fresh to the crowded field of magnetic charging accessories (in other words, MagSafe and non-Apple-certified alternatives). The companys Stage PowerGrip is a wireless power bank, camera-like grip and stand rolled into one. It even has a little screen and comes in several fun colors.
Belkin pitches the PowerGrip as an accessory for creators and travelers. While modern smartphones are all most people need for photography, holding a candy-bar-shaped handset in landscape mode for long periods doesnt feel as comfortable or natural as the heartier grip of a dedicated camera. This accessory remedies that with a thick bulge similar to what youd find on a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Belkin
Inside that lump is its 10,000mAh battery, which offers 7.5W magnetic wireless charging. An LED on its backside gives you a quick way to check its battery level. And a retractable USB-C cable is tucked inside the accessory, so you dont need to remember to throw a separate one in your bag.
Belkin says the PowerGrip will be available in powder blue, sandbox, fresh yellow, pepper and lavender (the companys press images show a sixth black option, too). Its scheduled to ship this May. Unfortunately, Belkin hasnt yet announced pricing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/belkins-new-accessory-is-a-magnetic-power-bank-and-camera-grip-rolled-into-one-170057685.html?src=rss
Robot vacuums can remove the dust and dirt on your floor, but you still have to pick up stray socks and and any item strewn about your home. Now Roborock, a Chinese company that manufactures robot vacuums and other household cleaning appliances, has unveiled a new model that can pick up small objects so you don't have to. The Roborock Saros Z70 has a foldable robotic arms that the company calls the "OmniGrip." It has five axis and can lift objects under 300 grams like socks, light sandals and small dog toys to put them away.
Apparently, the AI-powered vacuum marks objects it can lift while going about cleaning the floor and then circles back to pick them up when it's done. It then cleans the areas underneath the objects during its second pass. The OmniGrip uses its equipped precision sensors, camera and LED light to determine its position and whether an item is too heavy to pick up. Before you can use it, you will have to activate the arm through the Roborock app, where you can also set what kind of objects it can interact with and where they should be placed. While not quite Rosey the Robot, Saros Z70 has the potential to make tidying up a lot easier. And it's not just a prototype Roborock is planning to make it available for purchase this year.
In addition to Saros 270, Roborock has also launched two more robot vacuums, a lineup of handheld wetdry vacuum cleaners, as well as three all-in-one washer-dryers. It will be showcasing its home cleaning products at CES this year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/roborocks-new-flagship-robot-vacuum-has-an-arm-that-can-grab-small-objects-170020390.html?src=rss
Belkin just unveiled a unique bundle at CES 2025 thats being described as a comprehensive toolset designed to meet the needs of budding creators. The appropriately-named Creator Bundle comes with a bunch of useful accessories and offers everything needed for hands-free recording.
So what comes in the bundle? It ships with a pair of tiny wireless clip-on microphones with a 100m transmission range. These mics are battery-powered and last up to 5.5 hours per charge. They operate via a handy push-button design, making it easy for folks to mute, record or make adjustments to the sound.
The kit ships with a sturdy tripod and a magnetic mount for a smartphone. The tripod reaches 1.7m in height and the mount can be adjusted to suit different shooting angles. The Belkin Creator Bundle also comes with a USB-C cable for charging up those mics.
The combo of a tripod, a mount and wireless microphones will indeed allow for hands-free recording. However, the camera wont track people as they move around the room, so creators will have to stay in the center of the frame. The company does note that the bundle has been designed to integrate with its Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, which does track movement, but that costs an extra $180.
Speaking of pricing, Belkin hasnt announced how much this bundle will cost. Thatll likely come closer to the launch date, which is in May.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/belkins-new-creator-bundle-makes-hands-free-recording-easy-170006787.html?src=rss
United Airlines has announced plans to start testing Starlink on flights in February, and eventually add SpaceX's satellite internet service to its entire fleet. The company first announced a partnership with SpaceX to "set a new standard of inflight connectivity" in September 2024.
After testing, United expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to be on a United Embraer E-175 in the spring. The rest of the the airline's "two-cabin regional fleet" will have Starlink installed throughout 2025, and United says it will have the "first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in the air" before the end of year.
Starlink will available for free to all members of United's MileagePlus program. Besides improving the quality of inflight Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to "unlock new partnership" for its members. Do not be surprised if United cooks up new deals with streaming services to offer more free content during flights.
United is joining both Delta and Hawaiian Airlines in partnering with Starlink for inflight Wi-Fi. SpaceX originally announced its intentions to offer 350 Mbps internet speeds to planes in 2022, and both Delta and Haiwaiian Airlines have either tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.
Starlink has expanded in some serious ways in the last year. SpaceX got to test Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite service with T-Mobile during Hurricane Milton's landfall in the US, made plans for a larger beta test of the service for February and launched a nationwide satellite texting service in New Zealand.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/united-will-start-testing-starlink-on-flights-in-february-130047392.html?src=rss
Samsung's CES 2025 theme is "AI for all."Samsung
Samsung is the 800-pound gorilla of CES, a global electronics giant that produces mobile devices, TVs and home theater products and kitchen appliances just to name a few. It's traditionally used CES to remind the world that it's a major competitor in all those arenas, while offering a peek behind the curtain of some more cutting-edge tech, too.
In 2024, for instance, Samsung's CES press conference covered all the usual iterative updates new TVs, new projectors, new soundbars but also offered up some genuinely futuristic product first looks as well. And while we won't see the transparent MicroLED screens at the local Best Buy anytime soon, you can already buy the Music Frame speaker that was first shown off at CES 2024. But it's the Ballie robot, a two-time CES veteran, that we're most hoping will make a return appearance ideally with a real-world release date this time.
What to expect at the Samsung CES 2025 press conference
Or perhaps Ballie will be more autonomous this time around. That would better fit the "AI for All: Everyday, Everywhere" theme that the company has announced for its presentation in Las Vegas. The Korea-based giant has already posted several weeks worth of early CES announcements in its online newsroom, touting AI-enhanced refrigerators and appliances with built-in screens. But there's non-AI stuff, too: Samsung has preannounced a 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor, and the company is teaming up with Google (!) to deliver Eclipsa, a new 3D audio technology that is apparently aiming to be an alternative to Dolby Atmos and DTS.
One thing you shouldn't expect to see in Vegas: The presumed Galaxy S25 smartphone line. If it follows its recent scheduling, Samsung will likely slate that unveiling for the second half of January, when it will have the tech news spotlight to itself. (Last year it was a January 17 event, which was announced on January 11.)
Samsung's CES 2025 livestream
You can watch the Samsung CES press conference as it happens here. The feed will start Monday, January 6 at 5:00PM ET. (We'll add the embed once it becomes available.) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/samsung-ces-2025-press-conference-watch-it-here-monday-at-5pm-et-005529946.html?src=rss
These are the new releases that caught our attention this week: a (surprisingly refreshing) post-apocalyptic tale, and an exorcism thriller.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-the-friends-you-make-in-the-apocalypse-150002035.html?src=rss
Microsoft has published a lengthy piece talking about its vision for artificial intelligence development over the next four years, under the incoming Trump administration. In the piece, the company has revealed that it's spending a total of $80 billion on AI-enabled data centers in 2025. Microsoft said it's building out the data centers to be able to train and deploy AI models, as well as to power its cloud-based applications. While that's the entirety of its budget for projects around the world, more than half of it will go towards building data centers in the United States.
The company explained that none of the progress on AI the industry has achieved thus far would be possible "without new partnerships founded on large-scale infrastructure investments." It's now calling for the incoming Trump administration to expand the government's support for the advancement of AI within the US, such as providing the National Science Foundation and US universities more funding for research.
Microsoft admitted in the piece that it knows AI will "disrupt the economy and displace some jobs," but it also said its "confidence has grown that AI will create new opportunities that will outweigh many of the challenges ahead." The key, Microsoft explained, is to train Americans so that they'd be able to use AI as a tool for their jobs, similar to how they're currently using smartphones and laptops. Finally, it said that the third critical priority for 2025 is the promotion of American AI exports. There will be a race between the United States and China to spread their technologies to other countries, so the US needs a smart strategy because the race "will be won by the fastest first mover."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-is-spending-80-billion-on-data-centers-this-year-130016150.html?src=rss
Streams on TikTok Live were used to exploit children, according to a newly unredacted lawsuit filed by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. The lawsuit says that TikTok was not only aware that TikTok Lives were exposing minors to concerning messages from adults, but the company also directly profited off of some of the exchanges through TikTok Live's virtual gifting system.
Following an investigation by Forbes into TikTok Live, TikTok conducted its own review called "Project Meramec," according to the suit. The company found that "hundreds of thousands of children" were getting around TikTok's age restrictions, hosting livestreams and interacting with adults.
Because TikTok pockets a portion of the sale of digital gifts in livestreams, the company was technically making money on "transactional gifting" over "nudity and sexual activity" that happened during streams. And since TikTok's algorithm favors livestreams where virtual gifts are being exchanged, the lawsuit says, some of these sexually exploitative streams were also distributed more widely than they would have been otherwise.
The lawsuit details another TikTok investigation, "Project Jupiter," that looked in to whether TikTok Live's gifting feature was being used to launder money. As it turns out, it was. According to the lawsuit, the company found that "criminals were selling drugs and running fraud operations" during livestreams.
When reached for a comment on the lawsuit, TikTok shared the following statement:
This lawsuit ignores the number of proactive measures that TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support community safety and well-being. Instead, the complaint cherry-picks misleading quotes and outdated documents and presents them out of context, which distorts our commitment to the safety of our community.We stand by our efforts, which include: robust safety protections and screen time limits for teen accounts enabled by default, Family Pairing tools for parents to supervise their teens, strict livestreaming requirements, and aggressive enforcement of our Community Guidelines on an ongoing basis.
Utah's AG filed the redacted version of this lawsuit in June 2024, following a different suit from 2023 concerning the addictive design of the TikTok app. The Utah lawsuit isn't the first time the company has come under scrutiny for its handling of child safety. The FTC has investigated TikTok's handling of child privacy, and the ban of the app now headed to the Supreme Court on appeal was partially pushed over concerns with how social video app could be used to influence children. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/utah-lawsuit-alleges-tiktok-knew-minors-were-being-exploited-on-livestreams-220851340.html?src=rss
