• Ring founder details the camera company’s ‘intelligent assistant’ era

    January 14, 2026

    What does it take to bring a burned-out founder back to the company he sold to Amazon? For Jamie Siminoff of the video doorbell maker Ring, it was the potential of AI — and the Palisades fires that destroyed his garage, the birthplace of Ring itself. Siminoff’s vision: turn Ring from a video doorbell company into an AI-powered “intelligent assistant” for the entire home and beyond. A handful of new features that advance that goal shipped just ahead of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, including fire alerts, alerts about “unusual events,” conversational AI, facial recognition features,…

  • First BMW M EV to feature fake gear shifts, engine noise

    January 14, 2026

    BMW M will follow Hyundai’s lead by incorporating fake gear shifts and engine noise into its first electric performance model. Due in 2027 – one year earlier than previously thought – the as-yet unnamed EV will be a performance sedan in the mould of the iconic M3, sitting alongside its internal combustion engine-powered ‘brother’ in the BMW lineup. BMW has remained relatively tight-lipped throughout the development of the M3 EV, but project boss Philipp Brunn finally opened up during the international launch of the iX3 SUV, revealing key details including aspects of the drivetrain and driving experience. “Unique features like…

  • 2026 Kia K4 Sportswagon revealed, Australian future unclear

    January 14, 2026

    The Kia K4 Sportswagon has been revealed for Europe and the UK, adding a third body style option for the Korean brand’s new global small car. Measuring 4695mm in length, the K4 Sportswagon is a smidgen shorter than 4710mm-long K4 Sedan on sale in Australia, but 255mm longer than the K4 Hatch that just launched Down Under. It rides on the same 2720mm wheelbase as its siblings, while boasting a healthy 604 litres of cargo capacity in European specification – nearly 170L more than the hatch, and just under 100L more than the sedan – and is exclusively available with…

  • Roblox’s age verification system is reportedly a trainwreck

    January 14, 2026

    Roblox’s age-verification system was designed as a response to allegations it has a child predator problem. Less than a week in, how’s it going? Well, Wired reported on Tuesday that, in some cases, it’s classifying children as adults and adults as children. So, not so great! Last week, Roblox made age verification mandatory for anyone using the platform’s chat feature. That process involves either submitting a facial age estimate via selfie or (optionally for anyone 13 or older) uploading a government ID check. After verifying, you can only chat with groups of players around your age. The move came after…

  • Ammobia says it has reinvented a century-old technology

    January 13, 2026

    Ammonia might be the world’s most underappreciated chemical. Without it, crops would go unfertilized and billions of people would starve. Humans started making ammonia in large amounts just over a century ago, and since then the process used to make it, known as Haber-Bosch, hasn’t changed much. A new startup, Ammobia, says that it has tweaked the Haber-Bosch process to lower the cost by up to 40%. To prove the technology works on a larger scale, Ammobia has raised a $7.5 million seed round, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Investors include Air Liquide’s venture arm ALIAD, Chevron Technology Ventures, Chiyoda…

  • Meta has closed three VR studios as part of its metaverse cuts

    January 13, 2026

    Several of Meta’s VR studios have been affected by the company’s metaverse-focused layoffs. The company has shuttered three of its VR studios, including Armature, Sanzaru and Twisted Pixel. VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content. Employees at Twisted Pixel, which released Marvel’s Deadpool VR in November, and Sanzaru, known for Asgard’s Wrath, posted on social media about the closures. Bloomberg reported that Armature, which brought Resident Evil 4 to Quest back in 2021 has also closed and that the popular VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content. “Due to recent…

  • New York governor clears path for robotaxis everywhere, with one notable exception

    January 13, 2026

    New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotaxis in the state — except for its most populous metropolis: New York City.  Hochul, who made the comments Tuesday during her State of the State address, said the legislation would advance the next phase of the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program.  Details on the proposed legislation and when it might be released are thin. However, there are some hints contained within a document that outlines an array of proposals and promises Hochul made in her State of the State address.  Among them is language to expand…

  • Ford opens the door to V8 hybrid power for future Raptor models

    January 13, 2026

    Ford’s revitalised hybrid strategy could soon include a V8 engine as the hero for its next-generation Raptor models. Ford CEO Jim Farley has opened the door to a V8-powered Raptor that would leverage the US automaker’s tilt at the 2026 Dakar Rally with its purpose-built Raptor T1+ racers which employ a version of the Blue Oval brand’s iconic 5.0-litre Coyote V8 from the Mustang muscle car. Speaking in the Saudi Arabian desert at the Dakar Rally bivouac – essentially a mobile pit lane that follows the epic 14-day adventure – Ford’s outspoken and ever-enthusiastic chief gave the strongest hints yet…

  • Senate passes Defiance Act for a second time to address Grok deepfakes

    January 13, 2026

    The Senate has passed the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE ) Act with unanimous consent, according to the bill’s co-sponsor Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). The bill lets the subjects of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes take civil action against the people who create and host them. Deepfakes are a known issue online, but without the proper protections, easy access to AI-powered image and video generation tools has made it possible for anyone to create compromising content using another person’s likeness. This has become a particular problem on X, where the integration of Grok, the AI assistant created by…

  • Microsoft announces glut of new data centers but says it won’t let your electricity bill go up

    January 13, 2026

    Although public backlash against data centers has been intense over the past 12 months, all of the tech industry’s biggest companies have promised additional buildouts of AI infrastructure in the coming year. That includes OpenAI partner Microsoft, which, on Tuesday, announced what it calls a “community-first” approach to AI Infrastructure. Microsoft’s announcement, which comes only a day after Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta would launch its own AI infrastructure program, isn’t unexpected. Last year, the company announced that it planned to spend billions to expand its AI capacity. What is a little unusual are the promises the company has now…