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Amazon shared the latest list of video game titles that Prime members can snag for free this month. Members can pick up a code for BioShock 2 Remastered right now, and if you're patient, you can also grab a free copy of Deus Ex GOTY Edition or Super Meat Boy Forever later in January. The cloud-based Amazon Luna gaming service has also shared its current lineup of titles that Prime members can play. Airhead, Guacamelee! 2 Complete, The Magical Mixture Mill, Metro Exodus and Super Meat Boy are in the rotation for that service this month alongside Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition, Fortnight, LEGO Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, Fortnite Battle Royale, Rocket Racing and Trackmania. Some of Prime Gaming's freebies last for longer than 30 days, so you've also got some time left to pick up a copy of some of the December titles if you haven't already loaded up on those deals. But if you're looking ahead, here's the full lineup of upcoming free Prime Gaming titles this month and when they'll be available. Now BioShock 2 Remastered (GOG) The Bridge (Epic Games Store) Eastern Exorcist (Epic Games Store) SkyDrift Infinity (Epic Games Store) Spirit Mancer (Amazon Games App) January 16 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (Epic Games Store) GRIP (GOG) SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech (GOG) January 23 Deus Ex GOTY Edition (GOG) Spitlings (Amazon Games App) Star Stuff (Epic Games Store) To the Rescue! (Epic Games Store) Zombie Army 4: Dead War (Epic Games Store) January 30 Blood West (GOG) ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights (Epic Games Store) Super Meat Boy Forever (Epic Games Store) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/pick-up-bioshock-2-remastered-and-deus-ex-in-prime-gamings-january-freebies-215515330.html?src=rss
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I wouldnt go as far as to say its been dethroned, but Mirumi the clingy fluffball with a staring problem now has some serious competition for the title of cutest robot at CES 2025. I just met Ropet, a wide-eyed companion robot with warm, soft fur, little flapping arms and big feelings. And damn is that thing adorable. Ropets sole mission is to love and be loved. Think of it like a living plushie; it has a personality, will listen to your deepest darkest secrets without judgement, and will reach out to hug you when youre sad. Its appearance is customizable and it has optional ChatGPT integration, so its there if you want it for advanced conversations with the robot but youre not forced into it. Its little button nose is a camera that it uses for face and object recognition; Ropet can identify and bond more closely with its owner, but it will remember other people too. All of this data is stored and processed locally, meaning it never leaves the device itself. If you dont trust that (fair), you can keep Ropet entirely disconnected from the internet, and itll still be capable of performing all of its functions minus ChatGPT. That includes reacting to audio, touch and gesture inputs. If you pet or cuddle it, its expression will change to visible happiness. Or, it might look grumpy if you shake it around. (What are you, evil? Dont do that). Show it one of the few dozen objects it knows, like a hot dog or a banana, and youll see an emoji of that pop up in its eyes. You can give it the shush sign to quiet it down, and itll dance along if youre listening to music. Karissa Bell for Engadget Were at the point of CES week where were all running on fumes, and Ropet brought unexpected childlike glee to this burnt-out gremlin for a few minutes. Emotional companion robots are a ubiquitous presence at CES, but the ones that actually have some degree of smarts are not usually so snuggleable. And the ones that are snuggleable usually arent very smart, tending to come across more like animatronics. Ropet looks kind of like a fluffy baby seal but not realistic enough to dip into uncanny valley territory and its body gives off heat to simulate the feeling of holding a living creature. Its hard not to draw comparisons to Furby, which is probably the best-known example of a robotic creature pet that responds to voice and touch commands. But Ropet takes the whole idea to another level. You can change the color of its eyes in the app, and buy different face plates and furs if you want to mix things up or just cant decide on how you want its appearance. There are also little outfits you can purchase. A Kickstarter campaign for Ropet managed to pull in $228,091, wildly surpassing its $1,285 goal, so Im definitely not the only one who thinks this little guy seems pretty promising. There are two purchase options for anyone who is interested: Ropet Basic ($299), which comes with a case and a USB-C charging cord, and Ropet Pro ($329), which comes with those things plus a charging base that has light effects and lets Ropet rotate a little. The Kickstarter doesnt end until January 21, so if you catch it before then you can get it for significantly cheaper. Early bird orders are expected to begin shipping in March, and the rest will be unleashed upon the world later this year. Now, we sit back and see whether Ropet will follow in the footsteps of Furby to develop its own mildly sinister lore that endures for decades to come. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ropet-is-the-cute-as-hell-emotional-robot-at-ces-2025-that-the-modern-furby-wishes-it-could-be-214046211.html?src=rss
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CES 2025 is coming to a close, and team Engadget is ready to leave Las Vegas. Our reporters and editors have scoured endless carpeted convention halls, braved lines of chain smokers and fielded thousands of emails a day to find the best and most credible products at the show. As expected, the vast majority of things we saw this CES had an AI component, with a noticeable uptick in AR glasses, hearing aid earbuds, solar-powered tech, emotional support robots and robot vacuums. Apparently people really like robovacs that can pick up socks. Our team was encouraged to see more growth in tech built to improve the lives of those with disabilities and mobility issues, too. Our list of CES 2025 winners covers a variety of categories, ranging from typical areas like home entertainment, transportation and smart home to theme-based topics like sustainability and accessibility. After our team shortlisted nominees and voted on the best for various categories, we then conducted another round of voting to decide on the best product of the show. That said, heres the full list of our picks for the Best of CES 2025. ASUS Zenbook A14 ASUS The ASUS Zenbook A14 feels impossibly light, weighing between 2.2 and 2.4 pounds, and it has a gorgeous 14-inch OLED screen and a decent array of ports (USB-C, USB-A and HDMI)! What else ccould you want in a MacBook Air competitor? After years of basically copying Apples MacBooks, ASUS proves it can out-innovate Apple without resorting to gimmicks like dual screens or flashy lights. The Zenbook A14 is simply a tiny laptop that feels great in your hands, thanks in large part to ASUSs unique Ceraluminum case material. ASUS claims it can last up to 32 hours while playing video, well above the 18 hours Apple estimates for the MacBook Air. It may seem odd that the least flashy laptop of CES 2025 is one of our favorites, but sometimes pure practicality is undeniable. Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter, reviews BioLite Backup Biolite Were always looking for brand new, never-seen-before stuff at CES, but sometimes its the clever reinterpretation of existing tech that catches our attention. Thats the case with Backup by Biolite. Its essentially a cross between a universal power supply (UPS) and a whole-home backup battery, but improves on both. The thin, 40-pound 1.5 kWh battery lives between a wall outlet and your fridge (or any other plug-in device) and keeps those things running in the event of a power outage. It doesnt require professional installation, just a user-installed wall mount, and its thin enough to hide behind your fridge or tuck under a counter. Though if it were on display, the matte-silver finish wouldnt spoil any aesthetic. The Backup Complete includes two units that supply up to 3 kWh, which is enough to power a fridge, microwave, lights, as well as refill phones and a laptop. The 3 kWh capacity and the fact that its an installed battery currently qualifies it for a 30 percent federal tax credit, which would bring the cost down to $2,100 for the Complete. The single-unit Backup Core packs 1.5 kWh and goes for $2,000. Both are available for pre-order now and should ship this summer. Amy Skorheim, Reporter, buying advice Jackery Solar Roof Jackery Jackery is already an established name in domestic solar generator systems, and its latest product fills a wavy gap in its product lineup. Jackerys XBC curved solar roof shingles mimic some of the most common house styles in the country, and they come in terracotta or obsidian colorways for optimum HOA appeasement. These are the first curved solar tiles to hit the United States market and they deliver a cell conversion efficiency of more than 25 percent. They can withstand extreme weather conditions, including temperatures between -40 degrees F and 185 degrees F, and theyre designed in line with traditional roofing installation practices, featuring a modular setup that allows for flexible maintenance. Jackerys new wavy solar tiles connect with the companys existing solar generation and storage products, making them an accessible and attractive option for whole-home sustainability. Jessica Conditt, Senior reporter Lenovo Legion Go S Lenovo The plight of the modern handheld-PC gamer is trying to decide which OS to use. There are a ton of Windows 11-based devices that offer unparalleled compatibility and strong graphics support. But all that comes on a platform that isnt optimized for smaller gadgets with attached controllers. Alternatively, SteamOS offers a much more coheive experience with a better UI and less performance overhead. The problem is that Valves operating system was basically only available on a single device the Steam Deck. That changes now with the Lenovo Legion Go S, which will be available in two flavors: a Windows version and for the first time on any handheld not made by Valve, a model powered by SteamOS. Aside from the choice of platforms and different colored shells, we appreciate that the two variants feature almost identical specs including an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and a decently large 55.5Whr battery. Its 8-inch touchscreen looks great too, as it offers a 120Hz refresh rate with support for VRR, 500 nits of brightness and a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. And with prices starting at $600 (or $500 for the SteamOS model), its rather affordable too. Perhaps the biggest downside is that while the Windows model will be out later this month, were going to have to wait until May for the one powered by SteamOS. But with the latter sort of finally making good on the nearly decade-old promise of Valves Steam Machines, holding out for a few extra months doesnt seem so long. Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter, reviews LG OLED evo M5 LG LGs Best of CES crown is safe for another year. The company is consistently at the top of the best TVs we see each year in Las Vegas, and it frequently comes out the winner. For this years OLED evo M5, the company managed to further improve its most premium displays, adding the latest (Alpha) 11 AI processor Gen2 to improve the look of lower-resolution content and power advanced features. For gamers, theres a 165Hz refresh rate, alongside both NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium certifications. This should smooth things out and keep lag to a minimum. The companys new Brightness Booster Ultimate can achieve levels that are three times brighter than conventional OLED models, according to the company. Plus, the feature contributes to a UL Solutions' "Perfect Black" and "Perfect Color" verification on the M5. Its truly stunning picture quality. Lastly, LGs Zero Connect Box thats been available on the M-series for a while now is finally available on screens below 77 inches. This device allows you to connect all of your consoles and streaming gear without running multiple HDMI cables to the TV. LG now says it doesnt need line-of-sight clearance either, and that it can be hidden in a wooden cabinet near the M5. Billy Steele, Senior reporter, reviews Moonbird Moonbuddy Moonbird Gadgets made for relaxation shouldnt be complicated. Moonbuddy has one purpose to make guided breathwork accessible and appealing to children and it nails the execution with no unnecessary frills. The company behind it first made a similar stress relief device for adults, and Moonbuddy simplifies that experience and puts it into a cuter package. Moonbuddy is an egg-shaped device with a soft area that expands and contracts in set rhythms, so kids can follow along and sync up their own breathing. It fits into an animal themed sleeve, so it looks like a toy. There are four different breathing modes, each lasting a few minutes and designed to promote a state of calmness. The whole thing is tactile and screen-free, which is especially good considering many parents may want to incorporate it into the nighttime routine. And as much as I love the little animal outfits as a person who gravitates toward cute things, I also like that if your kid gets to that stage where they reject everything babyish, they can take the sleeve off and keep using it in its more nondescript form. Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor OhSnap MCON OhSnap The MCON by OhSnap basically transforms any smartphone into a modern Xperia Play, complete with modern conveniences like Hall effect analog sticks, silent buttons, flip-out grips, and a full bumper and trigger layout. Its a mobile gamepad that can slide into your pocket without the sticks or handles getting caught on anything, and it works with pretty much every smartphone on the market today. The MCON uses MagSafe to snap onto the back of any recent iPhone and it comes with an adapter for Android devices to join in on the fun. It even works with the Galaxy Z Fold, and its creator, Josh King, is working on a solution for the Z Flip, too. The mockup that King brought to CES 2025 felt lightweight yet solid and comfortable to hold, and the phone-snapping action was supremely satisfying. After gaining a bit of viral fame with his idea, King partnered with established MagSafe accessory manufacturer OhSnap to push the MCON into full production, and its due to hit the market in August for $150. Jessica Conditt, Senior reporter Roborock Saros Z70 Roborock Robot vacuums got a bunch of new and sometimes strange powers at CES 2025. But none made a bigger impression than Roborocks Saros Z70, which comes with a mechanical arm that can pick up socks, lift cords and grab other objects. The OmniGrip arm can pick up objects up to 300 grams (a little more than half a pound) in order to clean under them or deposit them in the location of your choice. Functionality of the arm is controlled via Roborocks app and is extremely customizable so you can program it to pick up loose trash and cat toys, but lift up cords to clean underneath. Whe we saw it in action at CES, it deftly picked up socks and placed them in a basket. But Roborock promises it can do much more. The vacuum will automatically recognize 108 different objects yes, like seemingly every other gadget we saw at CES, it uses AI but you can also teach it to detect up to 50 additional items so it will know how to handle obstacles its most likely to encounter in your home. Surprisingly, the Saros Z70 wasnt the only robot vacuum with an arm we saw at CES, but it will be the first that you can actually buy. Karissa Bell, Senior reporter Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds Technics Technics new Magnetic Fluid drivers have garnered a lot of headlines this week, but all you really need to know about the EAH-AZ100 earbuds is that the sound quality is massively improved. Powered by those new components, theres more clarity, detail and bass, all of which are upgrades from the already impressive AZ80. Technics revised its earbud shape for the AZ100 in the name of comfort and fit, while also making the buds smaller and lighter. Features like touch controls, multipoint connectivity for three devices, spatial Dolby Atmos audio and LDAC support are here as well. And unlike most of what we see at CES, these new earbuds are already available to purchase. Billy Steele, Senior reporter, reviews Urtopia Titanium Zero Urtopia Since the pandemic, e-bikes, not electric cars, have been at the forefront of the EV revolution, and its easy to see why: Electric bikes are a lot more affordable than their four-wheeled counterparts. Plus, here at Engadget, were all for devices that promote healthier living, and for many, getting an e-bike can be transformational. So when Urtopia showed up at CES 2025 with a concept e-bike that features a novel motor design, I was excited. As my colleague Daniel Cooper notes in his writeup, e-bike motors have traditionally come in two form factors, each with their own set of considerations. The custom-designed Quark DMI.2 mid-drive motor Urtopia showed off alongside its Titanium Zero e-bike offers a third path. Its not as powerful as traditional mid-drive motors, but it still features more power output than even the best hub motors. Best of all, the motor is small enough to fit inside a bottom bracket and weighs just 2.6 pounds. Urtopia hasnt said when it will start manufacturing the Titanium Zero, but its easy to see a scenario where the design of the Quark DMI.2 inspires other bike makers and pushes the industry forward. Igor Bonifacic, Senior reporter WeWalk Smart Cane 2 WeWalk Of all the products at CES 2025 that had AI stuffed into them, WeWalks Smart Cane 2 stood out. The smart cane for people with visual impairments got an update this year that not only adds AI, but also addresses the originals shortcomings. It brings more advanced sensors, and best of all, still works as a conventional folding cane when these technological features arent engaged. The Smart Cane 2 can detect obstacles and offer turn-by-turn navigation, and it has a ChatGPT-powered assistant that can provide answers to questions while someone is walking, without the need to reach for a smartphone. WeWalk also refined the actual cane by making its handle slimmer, replacing the originals touchpad with tactile buttons and shaving a bit of weight off. Sure, you might not be able to trust ChatGPT to give you correct answers to every question imaginable yet, but at least in this implementation, the product isnt likely to harm users even if the AI fails. Plus, it has useful hardware, including time-of-flight and motion sensors to improve navigation, speakers to provide answers and feedback, as well as a flashlight to make the visually impaired more noticeable at night. And again, if the battery dies, you can still use this as a traditional, albeit pricier, cane. Cherlynn Low, Deputy editor, reviews Yukai Engineering Mirumi Yukai Engineering One of the most memorable robots at CES this year was the one that arguably does the least. We found ourselves powerless against the heart-melting charm of Mirumi, a tiny, fluffy robot made by Yukai Engineering that literally just stares at people and looks around like a baby discovering the outside world. Its small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but even better than that, it has long posable arms that allow it to hang onto objects. So if you put it on your bag strap, it will stare down everyone you encounter, and maybe become a little shy when they return the attention. Mirumi has no purpose other than to spread joy, and I love it for that. Yukai previously brought us the weird Qoobo pillow (the one with the tail) and the cat that nibbles your finger, and this is another case in which it did not miss with one of its odd creations. Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor Best in show: WeWalk Smart Cane 2 WeWalk At CES this year, AI was unsurprisingly everywhere, often in places it didnt really seem like it needed to be. But the WeWalk Smart Cane 2, a high-tech version of the mobility cane for people who are blind, struck me as an application where it could actually be really helpful. With a new voice assistant thats powered by GPT, users can speak directly to the cane to get detailed navigation guidance and on-demand information, like public transportation options and menu items. The smart cane is also packed with sensors that allow it to alert the users of upcoming obstacles. It does this with haptic feedback in the handle and by calling out a verbal warning. WeWalk co-founder Kursat Ceylan, who is blind, gave a demonstration of the cane in the chaotic environment of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and it was impressive. The voice assistant responded quickly and accurately to his prompts, and the obstacle detection alert was loud enough to be heard over the buzz of the CES crowd. It can also pair with headphones or earbuds via Bluetooth. Since the cane can handle things like turn-by-turn navigation, users dont have to worry about also holding a smartphone while theyre trying to get around. The smart cane takes an existing tool that people are already familiar with and enhances it. Importantly, it also seems like the company heard the feedback of users who had the first version of the cane and improved the design to better meet their needs. It has a slimmer handle than the first model and tactile buttons, and weighs about the same as a traditional white cane. Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editorThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-of-ces-2025-211535752.html?src=rss
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