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Tech

AI Summary

  • Almost 80 European deep tech and life sciences spinouts have achieved valuations of $1 billion or more, highlighting the growth in innovation and investment within these sectors.
  • Investors are optimistic about the future of climate technology, emphasizing an increased demand for energy solutions driven by data centers and sustainable practices.
  • Venture capitalists project enterprises will deepen their investment in AI tools in 2026, as they focus on selecting a few standout vendors to enhance operational efficiency.
  • Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus for over $2 billion aims to incorporate advanced AI task automation into their platforms, signifying a trend of tech consolidation around AI capabilities.
  • The upcoming CES 2026 tech conference is set to showcase major advancements in AI technologies along with new consumer electronics, with companies like Samsung and LG introducing innovative products and services to enhance user experiences.

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Engadget

  • The OneXSugar Wallet is an upcoming retro handheld with a 4:3 foldable screen 3 hours ago by Will Shanklin
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin

    OneXPlayer is quickly establishing itself as a company that isn't afraid to get weird as hell. (Take, for example, its transforming dual-screen gaming portable.) Its latest venture is another retro gaming handheld that, at first glance, looks like a standard dual-screen model. But the Android-powered OneXSugar Wallet uses a single foldable screen instead. The device was teased via a 54-second video on the Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili. Retro Handhelds reports that the Wallet uses an 8.01-inch OLED with a 2,480 x 1,860 resolution. (That's a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded.) The video also shows an asymmetrical analog stick layout with a

  • IDC warns of major PC market downturn due to memory crunch 3 hours ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    The demand building out AI infrastructure has placed on PC component makers has already led to the death of one consumer-facing RAM brand, but a new report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) suggests it could have an even worse impact on the PC industry at large. In its worst-case-scenario model, the IDC predicts PC shipments could shrink by up to 8.9 percent in 2026 because of the high cost of memory. "Instead of expanding conventional DRAM and NAND used in smartphones, PCs and other consumer electronics, major memory makers have shifted production toward memory used in AI data centers, such

  • How to watch the Hisense CES 2026 presentation live 6 hours ago by Katie Teague
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Katie Teague

    Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images Hisense is perhaps best known for its budget-friendly electronics and appliances, like TVs and refrigerators. But at CES 2025, the China-based company showed its high-end chops with a massive 136-inch micro LED TV, which recently became available for a whopping $100,000. So what's on deck for this year's show? New leadership, for starters. The company has two new hires, including Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Larsen and Chief Commercial Officer James Fishler. In a press release, Hisense said Fishler's experience in home entertainment, appliances and HVAC is important as the company "builds toward a milestone 2026 and

  • Samsung unveils its new $200 Galaxy A17 5G smartphone, arriving in January 6 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Samsung will have two new inexpensive mobile devices arriving on the US market next month. The Galaxy A17 5G starts at $199 and will be available on January 7. Arriving on January 8, the Galaxy Tab A11+ will retail for $250.  The Galaxy A17 5G has a 6.7” FHD+ Super AMOLED display and is powered by the same Exynos 1330 chip found in the Galaxy A16 5G. The photography setup is also unchanged from last year's model, with a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro and 13MP selfie lenses. The base model has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage,

  • Netflix has released a trailer for the Stranger Things finale 7 hours ago by Andre Revilla
    Media, Arts & Entertainment, Television, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla

    Tomorrow's the big day, and I don't just mean New Year's Eve. The series finale of Stranger Things airs tomorrow, and Netflix has released a trailer for the last episode. We're given only flashes of the final episode, along with a voiceover of an emotional Jim Hopper telling Eleven he needs her to fight one last time. It's just over 1 minute and 30 seconds long, with what appears to be only about 30 seconds of new footage. There isn't much to go on here, as most of the footage features emotional moments from seasons past. Netflix no doubt is hoping


The Verge

  • Two cybersecurity employees plead guilty to carrying out ransomware attacks 6 hours ago by Emma Roth
    News, Security, Tech

    Two former employees at cybersecurity firms - one of whom was a ransomware negotiator - have pleaded guilty to carrying out a series of ransomware attacks in 2023. The Department of Justice announced the guilty pleas on Tuesday, saying 40-year-old Ryan Goldberg and 36-year-old Kevin Martin extorted $1.2 million in Bitcoin from a medical device company and targeted several others. Goldberg, Martin, and an unnamed co-conspirator were indicted for the attacks in October, which involved using ALPHV / BlackCat ransomware to encrypt and steal data from their victims. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Martin and the third conspirator worked as

  • The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen 7 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    Gadgets, Gaming, News

    Folding OLED displays are still most commonly found on premium smartphones and laptops, but One-Netbook is bringing the tech to a new gaming device. Its new OneXSugar Wallet is reminiscent of the company's folding OneXSugar Sugar 1 handheld that launched earlier this year. But instead of two screens, the Wallet handheld unfolds to reveal just one big 8.01-inch OLED screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, as spotted by Retro Handhelds. The OneXSugar Wallet was announced on China's Weibo yesterday, but with few details about its features and capabilities. That folding OLED screen has a resolution of 2480 x 1860 pixels, and

  • GameSir put a tiny force feedback steering wheel on its new Swift Drive controller 9 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    CES, Gadgets, Gaming, News, Tech

    GameSir is no stranger to experimenting with unique controller features - its Tarantula Pro can automatically swap its face button labels to accommodate alternate layouts, and its Pocket 1 clamps Game Boy controls onto your phone. What sets its new Swift Drive controller apart is a small steering wheel located smack-dab in the middle of the gamepad that's connected to what GameSir calls the "world's smallest direct drive motor" providing force feedback effects for racing games. Pricing and availability hasn't been announced yet, but GameSir has revealed plenty of details about the Swift Drive's features and functionality. The steering wheel … Read

  • Anker’s portable backup battery is an even better investment now that it’s nearly half off 9 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Deals, Gadgets, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Anker’s 521 PowerHouse can power up to six devices. Winter storms across the country are bringing heavy snow, rain, and — in some cases, as this Californian who briefly lost power a few days ago can attest — outages. If you want to prepare, Anker’s 521 PowerHouse can help keep your essential devices running and it’s on sale for $129.99 ($120 off) at Amazon. That is about $2 shy of its all-time low price and the best price we’ve seen since Black Friday. ANKER 521 POWERHOUSE WHERE TO BUY: * $249.99 $129.99 at Amazon What’s impressive about the 256Wh power station is the range

  • The FCC has probably killed a plan to improve smart home security 9 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    News, Policy, Smart Home, Tech

    The US Cyber Trust Mark Program, an Energy Star-style certification for smart home security, could be winding down less than a year after it launched. Safety testing company UL Solutions has announced that it is stepping down as the program's lead administrator, just a few months after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating it over ties to China. The Cyber Trust Mark Program hasn't been officially shut down yet, but the loss of its lead administrator leaves it in limbo. It wouldn't be the first security program the FCC axed this year. In November, the FCC rolled back cybersecurity regulations


Wired

  • Commodore 64 Ultimate Review: An Astonishing Remake 12 hours ago by Matt Kamen
    Gear, Gear / Reviews, Gear / Products / Gaming, Product, Review

    The reborn Commodore 64 is an astonishing remake—but daunting if you weren’t there the first time around.

  • What Is a Preamp, and Do I Really Need One? 13 hours ago by Simon Lucas
    Gear, Gear / How To and Advice, Gear / Products, Gear / Products / Audio, Sound, Advice

    If you’ve wondered what a preamplifier is, what it exactly does, and whether your audio setup is missing one, we’ve got the answers—as well as some of our top recommendations.

  • 7 Best Digital Notebooks (2026): reMarkable, Kobo, Kindle 13 hours ago by Nena Farrell
    Gear, Gear / Buying Guides, Gear / Products / Accessories, Buying, Guide

    These nifty tools combine the ease of jotting notes by hand with the power of saving them digitally.

  • Tips for Keeping a Digital Diary and Why You Should 14 hours ago by Jill Duffy
    Gear, Gear / How To and Advice, Write, Right

    After 10 years of journaling, my only regret is not starting sooner.

  • The Great Big Power Play 14 hours ago by Molly Taft
    Science, Science / Environment, EXPIRED/TIRED/WIRED

    US support for nuclear energy is soaring. Meanwhile, coal plants are on their way out and electricity-sucking data centers are meeting huge pushback. Welcome to the next front in the energy battle.


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