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CES 2026 kicked off with a big press conference from one of the biggest companies at the show: Samsung. The tech giant held its "first look" presentation to show off new home products and make a plethora of AI-infused announcements. New TVs, speakers, projectors and more were among the headliners, along with updated gaming monitors and soundbars. Many of the products announced on stage were not actually new, but instead had been dripped out by Samsung recently. Like its minimalist Music Studio speakers or new Micro RGB TVs. We did get a closer look a previously undisclosed set, a flagship 130-inch Micro RGB TV framed by a giant metal easel with embedded speakers. It's one of the most striking sets we've ever seen, but it's much more in the realm of concept than reality. (That's not to say they won't sell it, just that we've heard no plans and if they do it will be hideously expensive.) Samsung's flagship Micro RGB TV.Devindra Hardawar for Engadget As for the rest of Samsung's Micro RGB TV line, that may actually be slightly more affordable. The company released its first set last year for an eye-watering $30,000, but that was a 115-inch proof of concept. This year it'll be offering TVs in more reasonable sizes, including the ever-popular 55-, 65- and 75-inch sets. We don't know pricing on those but those smaller models will definitely be cheaper than $30,000. For those that want something bigger, there'll also be 85-, 100- and 115-inch models. As before, the Micro RGB range will offer a purported 100% coverage of the Rec.2020 color space, which is something that even the highest-end OLEDs can't match. While they may have been announced prior to CES, we did get a few minutes in person with Samsung's Music Studio speakers in the demo area after the big show. The Music Studio 5 and 7 are wireles speakers supporting both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Studio 5 has a four-inch woofer and dual tweeters, while the Studio 7 has a 3.1.1 setup with top-, front-, left- and right-firing speakers to give an "immersive 3D audio experience." For all of that, it's clear the main draw of these new speakers is the design, which is definitely striking. Another thing from those heady pre-CES days was the Freestyle+, the latest attempt at a micro projector from Samsung. Like previous Freestyle models, it's small and unobtrusive, but this one is a little brighter and has "smarter AI capabilities." The Freestyle+ reflects Samsungs vision to create displays that adapt naturally to how people live and move between spaces, said Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. By combining true portability with intelligent AI that optimizes both the viewing environment and the content itself, The Freestyle+ makes it easier to enjoy a consistent, high-quality experience wherever you are. Samsung's Music Studio 5 speakers at CES 2026.Billy Steele for Engadget There were even products that Samsung didn't mention on stage that we then found in the demo area. Like the Samsung HW-QS90H soundbar, a new skew on its popular HW-QS90 line that targets those of us that would rather not have a subwoofer sitting in our living rooms. It's an all-in-one 7.1.2 soundbar with 13 drivers, including four (we're assuming) woofers for its "Quad Bass Woofer system." Or the And that was really that for the big announcements. The rest of the stage show was focused on how Samsung thinks (or really, at this point, insists) AI is going to make all of its products more useful. Demos included using AI noise cancelling to turn off the commentators in a soccer match, using AI to watch recipes on your fridge door, using AI to wash your clothes better (?) and... to cut a long story short, Samsung would very much appreciate it if you could please use AI. We're expecting to see and hear more from Samsung during CES, but for now you can find all of our news stories and more detailed hands-on impressions below, or if you want to relieve the event in extruciating detail there's the livestream replay too. (Don't worry, though the video is three hours long the event itself was a tight hour.) Samsung hands-on impressions at CES 2026: Samsung brought an absolute beast of a 130-inch Micro RGB TV to CES 2026 Samsung Music Studio 5 and 7 hands-on: Unique speaker designs debut at CES 2026 Samsung HW-QS90H soundbar hands-on: Impressive bass performance without a subwoofer Samsungs Freestyle+ projector hands-on: Much brighter and impressively adaptable Samsung's biggest announcements at CES 2026 so far: Samsung will show off its expanded Micro RGB TV series at CES Samsung's latest Odyssey gaming monitor has a 32-inch 6K screen with glasses-free 3D Samsng's two new speakers will deliver crisp audio while blending into your decor Samsung's latest Freestyle portable projector is brighter and smarter This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/samsung-unveiled-ai-powered-products-at-ces-2026-everything-announced-from-the-years-first-press-conference-230059247.html?src=rss
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You no longer need an Amazon device to summon Alexa since the AI assistant will be available on the Alexa.com website. Amazon will roll out the web client to its Alexa+ Early Access customers first, still featuring the company's new and improved AI assistant that was announced in February. The web model won't be much different from the existing Alexa+ that's already available on Echo devices, Fire TV and Fire tablets. However, instead of buying into the Amazon ecosystem, Early Access customers can use any web browser to get Alexa+'s help with everything from basic questions to complex tasks, like controlling your smart home devices, customizing a recipe to account for dietary restrictions or making restaurant reservations if you don't feel like cooking. The Alexa+ web version will also feature a navigation sidebar that will be home to your most-used Alexa features. Amazon recently revamped its Alexa mobile app, while also integrating Alexa+ with Ring doorbells and BMW cars. However, introducing its AI assistant to web browsers could indicate that Amazon wants to encroach on a competitive market, which is currently dominated by OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Gemini. To see how Amazon's Alexa+ on web compares to the rest, you need to set up the Alexa+ Early Access first. After that, you can log into your Amazon account on Alexa.com to get started.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-is-rolling-out-alexa-for-the-web-so-you-can-use-its-assistant-without-a-dedicated-device-150053826.html?src=rss
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Bee, the company behind an always-listening AI wearable that Amazon acquired last year, has announced new features in a status update. The device is designed to run in the background of daily life and captures conversations or thoughts spoken aloud. Recording can be started or stopped with the push of a button. Co-founder of Bee, Maria de Lourdes Zollo, says the company has shipped four major updates that will run on the existing Bee Pioneer hardware. The first is Actions, which connects Bee to a user's email and calendar and works to turn spoken commitments into actions. The company says that when you say you need to send an e-mail, for instance, Bee can draft one for you. Daily Insights is designed to identify patterns and trends based on information collected over weeks or months. The company says the goal of this feature is to notice things before a user might, including "shifts in your relationships" and recommend personalized goals related to these, like a life coach of sorts. Voice Notes lets a user press the record button on Bee and log a fleeting thought, a task for a to-do list or anything else that a user wants to recall later. Finally, "Templates" is designed to organize and summarize large amounts of information into a more digestible format. It can also create a study plan from a lecture or recap a sales meeting with a client. Most of these features would presumably be more useful if a user sets their Bee to record constantly, which raises questions around legality and privacy. Zollo says that Bee processes audio in real time so no audio is ever stored, adding that neither Bee nor Amazon ever have access to transcripts. Still, the wearable could come up against recording consent laws which vary by jurisdiction.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/bee-has-been-busy-since-its-acquisition-by-amazon-last-year-150025311.html?src=rss
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