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Broadly speaking, there are two types of e-bikes: Ones with a motor in one of the wheels, and ones with the motor mounted between the pedals. Those in the former group, known as hub motors, are cheap and bountiful, but lack the oomph required to cover rough terrain and high inclines. Those in the latter group, known as mid-drive motors, have all the power, but are heavy on the wallet as well on your arms as you lug them around. Consequently, Im excited by what Urtopia turned up with to CES 2025: Titanium Zero, a 3D-printed titanium concept e-bike weighing less than 20 pounds packing Quark DM1.2, a custom-designed mid-drive motor thats small enough to fit inside the bottom bracket and weighs just 2.6 pounds on its own. By its own admission, its not as brawny as chonky mid-drive models from Bafang and Bosch, but it might be a perfect alternative for less extreme trails. Of course, right now its just a concept device so we should keep the salt of reasonable skepticism in our left palm at all times. Even so, Urtopias Titanium Zero is plenty light enough in the hand, looking a lot more like a regular steel-framed three-speed bike than an e-bike. Hell, if it didnt have the little controller visible on the crossbar, you could easily mistake this for an old-school racing bike, down to the drop handlebars. Daniel Cooper for Engadget And then theres the aforementioned Quark DM1.2, which adds another layer of theoretical desirability onto the package. Urtopia says the tiny mid-drive motor can produce 65nm of max torque, which isnt going to give any of the bigger names any nightmares; a Bafang M560 can output 130Nm. But its a rough rule of thumb that a regular rear hub motor can output around 40nm, so theres a significant performance boost. Its the sort of hardware Im quite eager to test on the comically steep hills near to my home, just to see if the claims match the reality. Sadly, the Titanium Zero and Quark DM1.2 arent ready for prime time, and so well have to wait for now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/i-want-urtopias-titanium-zero-concept-e-bike-174539195.html?src=rss
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This isnt just any retro-styled microphone, but an all-in-one tool for music creators looking to record vocals when on the go. Its the creation of Hisong, a startup looking to build a more elegant alternative to toting around a microphone, mixer and headphones wherever you go. The AirStudio One is a wireless condenser microphone with a few secrets buried inside, like a professional audio interface, a wireless USB-C dongle and a pair of true wireless headphones. The idea being you can record a banging vocal when youre on the road without any additional hardware. AirStudio One isnt just a regular microphone, either, since its been engineered with a multi-core Digital Signal Processor to help get the best sound from its slender body. Open the companion app on your phone, and youll be able to mix the audio, set the EQ and even apply audio effects in real time. This isn't the first product we've seen this CES that puts more of the meat inside the microphone Shure's MV7i carries its own two-channel audio interface. You could also use this to record sound for your videos, and if you opt for the analog dongle, can even output your sound to any device with a 3.5mm line-in. Its worth saying the ambient noise at CES made it impossible to test the sound quality of microphone. But this is the sort of gadget that has intriguing prospect stamped all over it. Well likely give this a deeper prod when its available to buy later in the year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/airstudio-one-is-a-portable-microphone-thats-full-of-surprises-173019602.html?src=rss
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Robot vacuums are having a very weird year at CES 2025. Weve seen robot vacs that can scoot over stairs and pick up socks. Now, another robot vacuum maker is showing off robot vacuums that can zoom around with air purifiers, tablet stands, security cameras, tabletops and other objects on top. The SwitchBot K20+ Pro is a robot vacuum that doubles as a modular platform for other household devices. The company describes it as a multitasking household assistant that can perform a bunch of tasks while maybe also cleaning your floor. The vacuum itself mostly resembles a typical robot vac, if a bit larger. It also has a connector on top that supports a wide array of attachments or even appliances. The company says it can support up to 8 kg nearly 18 lbs and will connect seamlessly to other SwitchBot appliances like an air purifier or home security cam. The SwitchBot vac can then be programmed to follow you around or stay in one spot. Karissa Bell for Engadget At SwitchBots booth, I saw vacuums that had a tablet stand, an air purifier with an attached tabletop and a security cam. But the companys promotional materials also show a vacuum with a fan and a laundry basket on top. It also suggests that the K20+ Pro can deliver drinks and carry small packages around the house. A SwitchBot rep at the booth said the company wants to allow people to 3D print their own custom parts for the K20+ Pro so that anyone can come up with their own use case for a vacuum-enabled small appliance. A video posted to the companys YouTube channel even shows a vacuum with an arm that can pick up trash and deposit it in a wastebasket. (Yes, another robot vacuum with an arm.) If all of this sounds a bit ridiculous, thats because it is. While I can kind of understand the appeal of a robot vacuum that doubles as a phone or tablet stand, I cant imagine many scenarios when Id want a floor-level fan or air purifier zooming around my house. I didnt get to see any of SwitchBots vacuums actually moving around at its booth, so I have no idea how well any of this might work. Its also not clear how much the K20+ Pro will cost when it goes on sale later this year, though the company is already selling some of its attachments, like the $270 air purifier/tabletop combo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/one-robot-vacuum-is-trying-way-too-hard-to-outdo-the-competition-at-ces-2025-171554433.html?src=rss
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