• 2026 Jaecoo J8: Family SUV to gain seven seats, PHEV powertrain

    January 9, 2026

    Chinese brand Omoda Jaecoo will branch out into the seven-seat SUV market this year by introducing a three-row, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the recently launched Jaecoo J8. Up until now, Omoda Jaecoo has only sold SUVs with two rows of seating – the Jaecoo J7 and J8 and Omoda 9 – but that will change later this year when the Chery-owned brand introduces its rival to popular family haulers including the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Mazda CX-80. “Yes, there are plans,” said Chery Australia chief commercial officer Roy Muñoz. “We are evaluating the J8 Super Hybrid 7-seat…

  • Lumus brought a massively wider FOV to smartglasses at CES 2026

    January 9, 2026

    Lumus got a major boost in brand recognition when one of its waveguides was selected for use in the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. But that already feels like old tech now because at CES 2026, the company brought some of its latest components to the show and based on what I saw, they seem poised to seriously elevate the optical quality of the next wave of high-end smartglasses. When the Meta Ray-Ban Displays glasses came out, they wowed users as they were (and still are) one of a handful of smartglassess to feature a full-color in-lens display with at least…

  • Data security startup Cyera hits $9B valuation six months after being valued at $6B

    January 9, 2026

    Data security startup Cyera continues on a growth tear. On Thursday, it announced a $400 million Series F funding round at a $9 billion valuation. The New York-based outfit has now raised over $1.7 billion. This funding comes just six months after the previous $540 million round at a $6 billion valuation. The new round was led by funds managed by Blackstone with participation from existing investors including Accel, Coatue, Lightspeed, Redpoint, Sapphire, Sequoia, and others. Cyera offers what it calls data security posture management, a service that helps companies map out where all their sensitive data lives across cloud…

  • Volkswagen Touareg recalled for fire risk

    January 8, 2026

    The Volkswagen Touareg R plug-in hybrid (PHEV) performance SUV is being recalled as a battery defect poses the risk of a fire. “Due to a manufacturing issue, the cell modules installed in the high voltage battery may be defective and overheat during charging. If this occurs, it could lead to a vehicle fire,” the company says in its recall notice. “Until the software is installed, we ask that you request can consumers refrain from charging the high-voltage battery using an external charging source and refrain from driving in electric-only mode. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click…

  • IXI’s autofocusing lenses are almost ready to replace multifocal glasses

    January 8, 2026

    While wave upon wave of smartglasses and face-based wearables crash on the shores of CES, traditional glasses really haven’t changed much over the hundreds of years we’ve been using them. The last innovation, arguably, was progressive multifocals that blended near and farsighted lenses — and that was back in the 1950s. It makes sense that autofocusing glasses maker IXI thinks it’s time to modernize glasses. After recently announcing a 22-gram (0.7-ounce) prototype frame, the startup is here in Las Vegas to show off working prototypes of its lenses, a key component of its autofocus glasses, which could be a game-changer.…

  • Governments grapple with the flood of non-consensual nudity on X

    January 8, 2026

    For the past two weeks, X has been flooded with AI-manipulated nude images, created by the Grok AI chatbot. An alarming range of women have been affected by the non-consensual nudes, including prominent models and actresses, as well as news figures, crime victims, and even world leaders.  A December 31 research paper from Copyleaks estimated roughly one image was being posted each minute, but later tests found far more. A sample gathered from January 5-6 found 6,700 per hour over the 24-hour period.  But while public figures from around the world have decried the choice to release the model without…

  • Australia’s best-selling hybrids in 2025 revealed

    January 8, 2026

    Hybrid vehicle sales in Australia increased by 15.3 per cent year-on-year in 2025, with a total of 199,133 reaching customers. That was slightly higher growth than posted by electric vehicles (up 13.1 per cent to 103,269 units) but not as steep as the growth of plug-in hybrid sales (up 130.9 per cent to 53,484 units). Chery and KGM launched their first hybrids in 2025, and brands like Hyundai and MG expanded their hybrid lineups. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. This influx of new product helped drive an increase in…

  • Handwriting is my new favorite way to text with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses

    January 8, 2026

    When Meta first announced its display-enabled smart glasses last year, it teased a handwriting feature that allows users to send messages by tracing letters with their hands. Now, the company is starting to roll it out, with people enrolled in its early access program getting it first, I got a chance to try the feature at CES and it made me want to start wearing my Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses more often. When I reviewed the glasses last year, I wrote about how one of  my favorite tings about the neural band is that it reduced my reliance on voice…

  • EverNitro is simplifying the process of crafting silky nitro coffee at CES 2026

    January 8, 2026

    ​XBrew Lab debuted its countertop nitro beverage machine, EverNitro, at CES this week, offering nitro coffee enthusiasts a more accessible way to enjoy the drink — without the waste and expense of traditional cartridge-based machines. If you’re unfamiliar with nitro coffee, it’s cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas. This process creates tiny bubbles, resulting in a silky-smooth, naturally sweeter taste — similar to drinking a Guinness. Many people also note that nitro coffee is less bitter. EverNitro is positioning itself against competitors such as NitroBrew as a long-term more affordable all-in-one solution. “We offer the quality of a commercial…

  • Razer put a waifu in a bottle at CES 2026

    January 8, 2026

    Last year Razer showed off Project Ava as a digital assistant that lived inside your computer to help adjust settings or provide gaming tips. But now at CES 2026, the company’s AI companion platform has gotten a major glow-up while moving into some new digs. Now, in lieu of being constrained entirely to your PC’s screen, Razer has given Project Ava a real home in the form of a small tube that can display a 5.5-inch animated hologram of the AI’s avatar. You’ll still need to connect it to your computer via USB-C to provide Ava with the power and…