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French startup WheelMove demonstrated a compact motorized wheelchair add-on at CES 2026 that not only acts as a power-assist device, but can also lift up a chair's small front wheels so it can ride over rough terrain. The accessory upgrades a manual wheelchair with a 10-inch extra wheel and a 250W motor that can drive at up to six miles per hour (10 kilometers per hour) and handle slopes up to 10 percent, with a range of 15.5 miles (25km). The battery is swappable, too, so a person could pack an extra for a longer outing to avoid having to stop and recharge. As the WheelMove team showed at its booth, the accessory can be attached to a wheelchair in a matter of seconds while seated, and its control panel can be strapped onto an armrest or even a bodypart. There are five speed options, which also work to keep the speed consistent when a person is traveling on a downslope. With the WheelMove attached, its creators say a manual wheelchair user can traverse rough and uneven surfaces like cobblestones, grass and dirt paths as well as ramps with far less effort than would normally be required. In some cases, it could open up travel in places that would otherwise be completely inaccessible. The startup says it's worked with wheelchair users who have field tested the device for months ahead of its launch. It weighs less than eight kilograms (17.6 lbs) and packs up in a backpack. Pre-orders for the WheelMove have opened for buyers in France, where it's expected to ship later this year before expanding internationally. It costs roughly $6,000. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/wheelmove-gives-manual-wheelchairs-the-power-and-height-to-handle-rough-terrain-143000560.html?src=rss
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In a unanimous written determination, the Warner Bros. Discovery's board is advising shareholders to once again reject Paramount Skydance's "inadequate" hostile takeover bid. The letter to shareholders cites a number of concerns with the offer and reiterates its position that Netflix's offer remains superior. Netflix and WBD have entered into a merger agreement in early December after the WBD board selected its offer over other bidders. There are two key differences between the two options: Netflix is willing to pay $82 billion, but only for the Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max divisions; Paramount Skydance's latest offer came in at $108 billion and is for all of WBD's assets, including CNN, HGTV, Food Network and many more. The Netflix deal leaves those assets in the hands of WBD shareholders, to be spun off as Discovery Global. Paramount Skydance made three separate attempts to scoop up WBD before the company even opened the process up to other bidders. The third of those early offers was reportedly in the neighborhood of $24 per share, while this most recent hostile takeover stands at $30 per share. But the WBD board has concerns. Among them, the extraordinary amount of debt required for Paramount, a studio with a market capitalization of just $14 billion, to take on an acquisition of this size. (Netflix's market cap is over $400 billion.) This comes despite Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, stepping in to guarantee $40 billion worth of the needed financing. The board also points out that Netflix's offer is partially paid in the streaming giant's shares, which it says have the potential to provide further value in the future. At this stage in negotiations, the board also claims opting to go with Paramount Skydance's offer would also result in WBD paying over $4 billion in termination fees. "Your Board negotiated a merger with Netflix that maximizes value while mitigating downside risks, and we unanimously believe the Netflix merger is in your best interest," the letter states. The merger with Netflix will still have to go before regulatory bodies in the United States and Europe.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/warners-bros-discovery-board-urges-shareholders-to-reject-amended-paramount-bid-141513357.html?src=rss
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Even if you bring home as few bags as possible using reusable bags, carrying purchases home with your own two hands soft plastics sill accumulate. I certainly have a collection with one flimsy plastic sack filled with dozens or hundreds of others. I plan to do something with it eventually. Unfortunately, there arent a ton of options for what to do with those soft plastics, as most recycling facilities cant accept them. But no one likes seeing them end up in oceans and rivers and stuck up in trees. So I was excited to see the Clear Drop Soft Plastic Compactor (CPC) at CES. Its a pre-recycler for your home that turns hundreds of bags into a solid brick thats easier to transport. Certain facilities can accept the bricks for recycling. Clear Drop works with 95 percent of soft plastics, sucking up bags, bubble wrap, ziplocks, package wrap and cling film into its maw. It then compresses and heats the plastic to form a compact eight by twelve by four inch brick. I asked Matt Daly, Clear Drops head of product, what the compactor cant take and I was told you cant add ping pong balls, IV bags and camera film. Easy enough. A compacted brick the Clear Drop CPC produced. Amy Skorheim for Engadget It was satisfying to see the little slot on the top gobble up the plastic bags Daly fed it. The Clear Drop wasnt set to smash and heat at the show, but I was assured by another Clear Drop rep that any plastic smell produced during operation was minimal and the company performed safety tests to ensure the machine didnt create any harmful emissions. Daly said it would take about a month for most households to create a brick, which translates to around a 30 gallon trash bag full of other bags. Once that brick is created, it can be shipped to one of Clear Drops partner facilities and pre-paid USPS shipping envelops are included. They work with multiple US-based recycling facilities and do audits to ensure the bricks are actually being recycled. Of course, I was a little disappointed the bricks couldnt be tossed in my blue curbside bin, but Daly said theyre working to bring more recycling partners on board and the ultimate goal is to create an infrastructure that would eventually include municipal recycling. Shipping the bricks somewhere feels a little counterproductive, eco-wise. And the machine itself is not cheap. The price is split up over the course of two years, but it adds up to $1,400. Im happy to see someone somewhere is doing something to address a pretty clear problem. While its not perfect, this is probably the best household-level solution Ive seen to that can ensure your bags dont go down some sea turtles throat. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/clear-drop-is-trying-to-do-something-about-all-those-plastic-bags-under-your-sink-140000254.html?src=rss
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