• In 2026, AI will move from hype to pragmatism

    January 2, 2026

    If 2025 was the year AI got a vibe check, 2026 will be the year the tech gets practical. The focus is already shifting away from building ever-larger language models and toward the harder work of making AI usable. In practice, that involves deploying smaller models where they fit, embedding intelligence into physical devices, and designing systems that integrate cleanly into human workflows.  The experts TechCrunch spoke to see 2026 as a year of transition, one that evolves from brute-force scaling to researching new architectures, from flashy demos to targeted deployments, and from agents that promise autonomy to ones that…

  • Where are Engadget’s CES 2025 winners now?

    January 2, 2026

    With CES 2026 slated to officially start next week, the focus is understandably on all the new products that will be announced at this year’s event. But before diving into what’s new, we thought it was a good idea to revisit our best of show winners from last year to see where they’re at. After all, CES is synonymous with vaporware. The good news is the Engadget team has a keen sense for BS. Of the ones we awarded at CES 2025 that haven’t been released, most are coming this year. For the remaining few, we’ll be hunting them down this CES.…

  • The 16 top logistics, manufacturing, materials startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield 

    January 2, 2026

    Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. Here is the full list of the logistics, manufacturing, and materials Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.  Logistics GigU  What it…

  • The cars Australians should buy in 2026

    January 2, 2026

    Perhaps your New Year’s resolution was to finally get a new car. Well, allow us to steer you in the right direction. As more and more auto brands flood the Australian market, some cars are increasingly finding themselves trying to keep above water. Not every car can sell as well as a Toyota Prado or HiLux, but some of these vehicles are selling well below what we’d expect. That means you can buy something you won’t see on every street corner, and potentially score a good deal in the process. For this exercise, we looked at models that had market…

  • Up to 88 percent off ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more

    January 2, 2026

    Christmas may be over, but some holiday VPN deals are still going strong. The early days of January are a great time to grab a last-minute subscription for yourself or a loved one. With access to a virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart online trackers. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, jumping on the first deal that comes along might get you stuck with a substandard app. Beyond that, even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised…

  • Nvidia’s AI empire: A look at its top startup investments

    January 2, 2026

    No company has capitalized on the AI revolution more dramatically than Nvidia. Its revenue, profitability, and cash reserves have skyrocketed since the introduction of ChatGPT over three years ago — and the many competitive generative AI services that have launched since. Its stock price has soared, making it a $4.6 trillion market cap company.  The world’s leading high-performance GPU maker has used its ballooning fortunes to significantly increase investments in startups, particularly in AI.  Nvidia has participated in nearly 67 venture capital deals in 2025, surpassing the 54 deals the company completed in all of 2024, according to PitchBook data. Note…

  • How to watch Samsung’s “First Look” CES 2026 presentation on Sunday

    January 2, 2026

    Samsung is arguably the 800-pound gorilla of CES, with a full spectrum of products that range from phones and computers to refrigerators, AI assistants and rolling robots. But for CES 2026, the company is switching things up a bit: Instead of its longtime midday Monday press conference, the Korean giant will take the lead of the show with a Sunday night presentation. Over the past few weeks, Samsung has been dropping hints about what’s on the agenda, but what we’re really hoping to see is an update on the Ballie robot — a star of previous CES presentations that ostensibly…

  • India orders Musk’s X to fix Grok over ‘obscene’ AI content

    January 2, 2026

    India has ordered Elon Musk’s X to make immediate technical and procedural changes to its AI chatbot Grok after users and lawmakers flagged the generation of “obscene” content, including AI-altered images of women created using the tool. On Friday, India’s IT ministry issued the order directing Musk’s X to take corrective action on Grok, including restricting the generation of content involving “nudity, sexualization, sexually explicit, or otherwise unlawful” material. The ministry also gave the social media platform 72 hours to submit an action-taken report detailing the steps it has taken to prevent the hosting or dissemination of content deemed “obscene,…

  • Amazon’s base Kindle is $20 off right now

    January 2, 2026

    The latest entry-level Kindle ereader is on sale . This is a nice discount of $20. It’s not a record-low price, but it’s certainly a budget-friendly way to keep that . This made our list of the , and for good reason. It’s an iconic device that gets the job done. It doesn’t have much by way of modern bells and whistles, but it ships with 16GB of storage and comes in two snazzy colorways. Amazon The build is compact and durable. It’s also light, which makes it easy to pack and easy to hold up with one hand. It…

  • 10 useful gadgets for your first apartment

    January 2, 2026

    Moving into your first studio apartment can be exciting, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. You quickly realize how much your old roommates helped out with stuff you took for granted, like light bulbs, smoke detectors, and even a vacuum.  To make your new place feel more like home, here are some must-have gadgets that can really help you out. SimpliSafe Home Security System – $282.94 Image Credits:SimpliSafe A home security system is a worthwhile investment to ensure your peace of mind in a new apartment. SimpliSafe offers an easy-to-install setup that’s perfect for renters. It’s tool-free to set…