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AI Summary

  • Meta is shifting its focus by planning to build significant AI infrastructure and has appointed a former Trump advisor as its president, showing a commitment to expand its technological capabilities amidst ongoing layoffs in its metaverse division.
  • OpenAI has made a strategic acquisition of the health records startup Torch for $100M to enhance its ChatGPT Health product, reflecting ongoing investment in AI solutions within the healthcare sector.
  • A surge in technology fundraising has led to over 100 new unicorns emerging in 2025, illustrating a vibrant startup ecosystem that continues to attract substantial venture capital.
  • Apple has partnered with Google to utilize its Gemini AI models, which will power new generative features for Siri and other services, marking a significant collaboration in the competitive landscape of consumer AI.
  • The CES 2026 event has revealed numerous advancements in AI and robotics, highlighting a growing trend in consumer products powered by artificial intelligence, but also raising concerns regarding sustainability efforts in the tech industry.

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Engadget

  • Framework increases Desktop prices by up to $460 due to RAM crisis 10 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Computer brand Framework has hiked the prices on RAM for its Desktop systems and Mainframes in response to rising costs with its suppliers. Compared with when the Desktops were announced, the 32GB and 64GB options each cost $40 more, but its 128GB variation now costs an extra $460. The current pricing for machines is $1,139 for 32GB, $1,639 for 64GB or $2,459 for 128GB.  Since the company began altering its pricing structure last month, it committed to remaining transparent with customers about the changes happening to RAM prices. Framework also said it would reduce prices again once the market calms down.

  • Our favorite UGreen 3-in-1 wireless charger is 32 percent off right now 12 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Now that the winter holidays are well and truly past, now's the perfect time to take stock of your tech setup. If you were gifted (or gifted yourself) some new gear in December, make sure that you've got the proper accessories to keep that gear performing at its best. If a new way to power all those batteries would be a benefit, Amazon's currently running a discount on an excellent wireless charging pad. The UGREEN MagFlow Qi2 3-in-1 Charger Station 25W is on sale for $95. That's only a little bit above the lowest price we've ever seen for the

  • Lego's first Pokémon sets are now available for pre-order 13 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    We learned last March that Lego and Pokémon would be joining forces and the first results of their partnership are here. Pre-orders for all three kits are open now, with an expected ship date of February 27. As one might have guessed from the lightning bolts on the previous promotional image, one of the debut pocket monsters getting the brick treatment is Pikachu, complete with a Poké Ball. The 2,050-piece kit can be built to show Pikachu either leaping out of the open Poké Ball into battle or at rest staring up at the builder, closed Poké Ball between his

  • Dell revives its XPS laptops after a boneheaded rebranding 14 hours ago by Devindra Hardawar
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar

    Last year, Dell killed off all of its PC brands, including the iconic XPS lineup, and replaced them with a simplified naming scheme. It was a move meant to make it easier for people to discern between the company's many brands, but in reality, it just just made the company's lineup even more confusing. We called it an unforced error at the time, but after seeing how much Dell's PC market share fell over 2025, it's fair to say that rebranding was an absolute marketing disaster. So, with its tail between its legs, Dell has returned to CES some welcome news

  • CES 2026 proved the PC industry is hosed this year 14 hours ago by Devindra Hardawar
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar

    Dell's XPS 14 currently costs over $2,000. An AMD executive predicts that PC builders will likely make piecemeal upgrades this year, instead of building entirely new systems. And new AI supercomputers from NVIDIA and AMD are gobbling up the RAM market. At CES 2026, it was hard not to notice the dire year ahead for the computing industry, one that will likely lead to higher prices and more limited availability for consumer goods across the board. Really, though, the show just confirmed what was apparent since RAM prices skyrocketed over the last few months, driven by demand from AI datacenters. As


The Verge

  • The best robot vacuums we’ve tested for 2026 10 hours ago by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Buying Guides, Gadgets, Reviews, Smart Home, Smart Home Reviews, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Robot vacuums are impressive devices that will clean your floors well and — thanks to bigger batteries and better robot brains — rarely get tired of doing their job. Over the last few years, these floor-sweeping bots have gone from utilitarian devices to full-fledged home robots that vacuum and mop your home, clean themselves, and trundle off to prepare themselves for the next run. I’ve been testing robot vacuums for over 7 years and have run more than 80 of them throughout my house. This guide features my top picks if you’re looking for the best: a robot vacuum that can

  • Fired Rockstar employees’ plea for interim pay denied 12 hours ago by Jay Peters
    Entertainment, Gaming, News

    A UK employment tribunal rejected a request from fired Rockstar Games employees to receive interim pay while waiting for a full hearing about their dismissal, according to Bloomberg and IGN. After Rockstar fired 34 employees last year - 31 from the UK and three from Canada - the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accused the company of "union busting." Rockstar claims that the fired employees were leaking company information in a Discord channel. The hearing took place over two days last week. "Despite being refused interim relief today, we've come out of last week's hearing more confident than ever

  • Framework hikes desktop PC prices as RAM shortage drags on 12 hours ago by Emma Roth
    News, Tech

    Just weeks after raising the price of its RAM modules, Framework has announced that it's also increasing the price of its desktop PC in response to the global memory shortage. The Framework Desktop with 32GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 chip now starts at $1,139, instead of $1,099. "We held off on it for as long as we could, but we had to update our Framework Desktop pricing today to account for the massive increase in LPDDR5x pricing from our suppliers," Framework says in a post on X. "As before, we're only adjusting prices enough to cover

  • Meta plans to lay off hundreds of metaverse employees this week 12 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    Meta, News, Tech, Virtual Reality

    Meta's Reality Labs team is expected to lose around 10 percent of its staff, with layoffs concentrated on the division's metaverse employees, as reported by The New York Times. The layoffs are apparently a side effect of Meta's AI ambitions, which are pulling focus away from its virtual reality division. According to the Times, Meta's chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, called a meeting for Wednesday that he "urged staff to attend in person," saying it will be the "most important" meeting of the year. Bosworth oversees the Reality Labs division, which employs about 15,000 people. Unfortunately, layoffs to Meta's VR team

  • Baseus’ retractable travel adapter is on sale for more than 50 percent off today 14 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Deals, Gadgets, Tech, Verge Shopping

    If you’re planning on traveling at all this year, the Baseus EnerCore CG11 Universal Travel Adapter is worth a look. The adapter can power up to six devices at once, and now through the end of today, January 12th, it’s on sale for just $34.19 (about $36 off) at Amazon, matching the all-time low price we last saw at the end of November. BASEUS ENERCORE CG11 UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER WHERE TO BUY: * $69.99 $34.19 at Amazon * $69.99 $39.99 at Baseus Baseus’ handy wall adapter supports four different plug types so you can use it in more than 200 countries, including the


Wired


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