Illustration: The Verge Grok‚ the AI bot built into the platform formerly known as Twitter‚ wasn’t supposed to be like other chatbots. Grok was pitched as fun. It was pitched as funny. And it had all of Twitter — errr‚ X — to tap into for relevant answers. So it was supposed to be useful and responsive‚ too. But after trying Grok out‚ I’m left with one basic question: why does it exist? Technically‚ of course‚ Grok exists because Elon Musk wanted an answer to ChatGPT. The service is a paid add-on to X; it rolled out in beta last month to Premium Plus subscribers‚ who spend $16 a month for it and other perks. For X‚ it’s supposed to ease a transition away from advertising. For users‚ it’s supposed to offer the kind of up-to-the-minute information with which... Continue reading…

The Evie Ring’s charging case comes with 10 full charges. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge There’s always a certain degree of vaporware at CES. It comes with the territory — especially when we’re talking about ambitious health tech that requires regulatory clearance. So it was really neat that after two years‚ I got to actually hold Movano’s Evie smart ring in my hands ahead of the first wave of units shipping out to customers later this month. The Evie Ring’s approach to health tracking has a twist. With wearables‚ women often feel like an afterthought in design. Just look at smartwatches. Usually‚ companies prioritize bigger sizes to extend battery life at the expense of those with smaller wrists. The Evie Ring‚ however‚ is one of the few woman-first wearables‚ and that clearly shows up in the design. Holding the ring in... Continue reading…

You can use the NFC chip on your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock the DL130. | Image: TP-Link TP-Link announced a new video door lock‚ the Tapo DL130‚ at CES today. The DL130 is HomeKit-compatible‚ supports seven unlocking methods‚ and can be controlled through Google Assistant‚ Alexa‚ and Siri. TP-Link hasn’t announced pricing or a specific release date yet but says more info is coming soon. The seven unlock methods include a fingerprint scanner‚ a built-in keypad‚ and Apple Home Key on the iPhone or Apple Watch. TP-Link says the fingerprint scanner can unlock the device in less than a second and that it also includes a built-in door sensor so you can check if it’s open or not. The Tapo DL130’s camera films at 2K resolution with a 180-degree field of view. It has a built-in spotlight for color night vision and a speaker that... Continue reading…

Photo illustration: The Verge | Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Adobe’s top lawyer discusses the future of copyright‚ why the Figma acquisition fell through‚ and why he’s optimistic AI won’t put creatives out of work. Continue reading…

Nanoleaf’s new Smart Multicolor Permanent Outdoor Lights will be available in the spring. | Image: Nanoleaf Nanoleaf introduced its first dedicated outdoor lights during CES 2024 in a move that should help the company catch up with rivals like Hue‚ Govee‚ and Twinkly. The Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights and Smart Multicolor Permanent Outdoor Lights are the latest additions to the company’s Matter Essentials line and will be available this spring. The new color-changing‚ addressable outdoor lights make Nanoleaf a more competitive player in the smart lighting world. Last year‚ Nanoleaf’s Essentials Matter Smart Holiday String Lights made it to our list of the best holiday smart string lights‚ but the Philips Hue Festavia string lights were ultimately our top choice. That’s in part because of how limited Nanoleaf’s ecosystem was when it... Continue reading…

Image: Microsoft Microsoft is holding a second Xbox Developer_Direct event on January 18th. Much like last year’s initial event‚ Microsoft will detail some of its plans for Xbox this year and provide updates on games that are planned for release. The developers of the Indiana Jones game‚ MachinesGames‚ are going to reveal how the title is progressing with “more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights.” Indiana Jones will be exclusive to Xbox and PC‚ according to testimony during the FTC v. Microsoft case last year. The game was originally announced in 2021‚ just months before Microsoft finalized its $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media‚ the parent company of Doom and Fallout studio Bethesda Softworks. The Indiana Jones game is being... Continue reading…

I've been dreaming for years about a laptop/tablet convertible that can run different operating systems depending on the mode it's used in. In laptop mode‚ you'd get a full desktop operating system‚ powerful specs‚ and the multitasking you need for work. Snap the screen out‚ and you get a tablet that runs a lighter mobile OS ready for entertainment and light work. As a Mac and iPhone user‚ I hoped Apple would eventually deliver a MacBook/iPad contraption that worked like that. Of course‚ I know full well that Apple will never merge these products. Fast-forward to CES 2024‚ and Lenovo's new 2-in-1 has me crazy jealous. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is the computer I described. It's a laptop/tablet hybrid that runs two operating systems. You get Windows 11 when the touchscreen is docked in its keyboard. Otherwise‚ the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is an Android tablet. I'd love nothing more than to be able to get that experience on my MacBook Pro. Continue reading... The post I’m a Mac user‚ but Lenovo’s amazing Android-Windows laptop makes me so jealous appeared first on BGR. Trending Right Now: Must-have iPhone 15 accessories‚ from cases to USB-C chargers LG announces the ‘world’s first Dual-Hz gaming monitor’ that can reach 480Hz Why you should try Apple’s Journal app‚ even if you hate to journal

Another hint Apple tested a black Apple Watch Ultra before scrapping the plans and focusing only on the Natural Titanium color has surfaced on the web. After an FCC image with a black Apple Watch Ultra was discovered last year‚ an X user posted images of an Alpine Loop prototype designed for this non-existent model. This blue Alpine Loop prototype (via MacRumors) featured an anodized black titanium hook and lugs‚ which is the part that needs to match the Apple Watch color. For example‚ the orange Alpine Loop available at the Apple Store matches the current Apple Watch Ultra chassis color. The last time we discovered so many pieces of evidence of a new color for an unreleased device was with a gold version of the iPhone X six years ago. In that case‚ Apple later released this color with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Image source: ParrotSWD on X/FCC That said‚ I believe this means Apple is actually trying to release a black Apple Watch Ultra in the future. Although we don't know why the company scrapped the plans‚ it's possible that this device could scratch easily and lose its color‚ which is something that happens with colored titanium iPhone 15 Pro models. With that‚ the company decided to wait longer to introduce a color variation for its most rugged Watch. Thankfully‚ with so many rumors that Apple was planning to introduce a black Apple Watch Ultra in late 2023‚ we can only dream that it will eventually come true. That said‚ I really hope Apple releases a darker Apple Watch Ultra in a future iteration of this product. At this moment‚ the next major upgrade for the Apple Watch Ultra is expected for 2025 or 2026‚ once the display gets bigger and brighter with a microLED technology. For this year's Apple Watch‚ attention is turned to the Apple Watch Series 10/Apple Watch X. Don't Miss: Apple Watch Series 10: Release date‚ price‚ and everything we know The post Apple worked on a black Apple Watch Ultra‚ and this leaked band proves it appeared first on BGR. Trending Right Now: Must-have iPhone 15 accessories‚ from cases to USB-C chargers LG announces the ‘world’s first Dual-Hz gaming monitor’ that can reach 480Hz Why you should try Apple’s Journal app‚ even if you hate to journal

Cuba will hike the retail price of its 94 octane gasoline from 30 to 156 pesos per liter beginning Feb. 1‚ a five-fold jump the communist-run government says is necessary to assure fuel supplies‚ the minister of finances and prices said Monday.

Former President Donald Trump is carrying a 65-point lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in February's Nevada caucuses‚ according to a new Emerson College poll.