At CES 2017, Faraday Future introduced its futuristic luxury EV, the FF 91. Seven years later, following repeated delays, bankruptcy, lawsuits and other controversies, the company has sold 15 or 16 FF 91s. Now the company is detailing its latest strategy shift, with a plan to sell cheap EVs under its new low-cost FX brand. FX CEO Max Ma came to CES, along with two prototype vehicles, to pitch the plan that he described as a fresh start for the embattled company.As you might expect with Faraday, the exact details are somewhat hazy, but it involves sourcing parts from Chinese car-makers and bringing them to the US to produce mass volume mainstream vehicles with some of the premium touches Faraday is known for. We want to take that $300,000-car expertise from a technology and features and performance [standpoint] into a $30,000, $40,000 car to try to upgrade the overall user experience, Ma said during a briefing with Engadget. The first FX vehicle, the flagship product of the brands lineup, will be a minivan (or, as Ma referred to it, an AI MPV") called the "Super One."Faraday showed off two prototype minivans to demonstrate the concept. We were not permitted to take photos but the vehicles in the photo at the top of this post are the ones I saw.One was meant to show the kind of premium in-cabin experience Faraday is envisioning for the low-cost car. It had two rows of white leather captain seats. The second-row seats had reclining footrests, heated seats and built-in massagers. There was also a small fridge underneath the center console for keeping drinks cold. The vehicle was missing its door handles and several other pieces. Obviously, well have door handles, a Faraday rep assured us.The second minivan was even less finished. The entire interior, including the dashboard and instrument cluster, was covered in black fabric held together with binder clips. But a Faraday rep took me and other reporters for a ride in it, driving in small, slow circles around a Las Vegas parking lot. Later, Faraday offered to let me take the minivan for a spin and I apparently the first lady to pilot the vehicle also drove it in slow circles around the parking lot. Im not sure what I was supposed to get out of it, though, it felt like driving a minivan.There are two other vehicles planned for the initial FX lineup, the FX 5 and FX 6, which were previously announced by the company. Faraday is aiming for a $20,000 - $30,000 price for the FX 5 and $30,000 - $50,000 for the FX 6. There aren't many other details yet about either, though Faraday shared a teaser image of an FX 6 prototype, which it described as an "extra-large luxury AIEV."Faraday FutureFaraday claims it will start producing one of its planned vehicles later this year, with the first "pre-production" model rolling off the production line by the end of 2025, according to a timeline shared by Ma. Thats a lofty promise considering the companys past history of mismanagement and delays. Faraday Future CEO Matthias Aydt also acknowledged that the company has yet to finalize its partnerships with the companies that will supply its parts. He also didnt address how tariffs may affect those plans.Ma said he understood the skepticism. Basically, this is a kind of fresh start. We really want to demonstrate that through our dedication of hard work, we can achieve what we promised.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/faraday-future-pitches-a-fresh-start-with-a-minivan-prototype-at-ces-2025-010050459.html?src=rss

Companies have been smashing together multiple gadgets into one product for a long time, and there are plenty of examples at CES 2025. However, LG's latest projector, the PF600U, which is a mash up of a projector, a lamp and a Bluetooth speaker may be one of the few compelling examples of the genre. If nothing else, the device could allow you to hide your A/V gear in plain sight within a floor lamp when you're not using it. LG intends for it to be tucked away in a living space, at the end of couch or behind an end table for example.The PF600U isn't a great name, so I hope LG comes up with something better before this thing goes on sale. As a projector, the PF600U offers an LED FHD (1,920 x 1,080) image and 300 ANSI lumens of brightness. It doesn't produce the crispest views, but you can beam a picture up to 120 inches with it. I thought the results in LG's booth were perfectly useable for casual TV and movie watching, especially in a small apartment where space is at a premium.I didn't get a chance to hear the PF600U's sound quality, but LG says the device has passive radiator speakers embedded inside. Like the picture quality, it's probably enough for low-key TV and music audio, but purists will certainly want something more robust. Again, it seems like the idea is saving space over producing pristine sound quality, so this was never for them anyway.When it comes to the lamp features, there are nine dimmable color LEDs to set the mood. The top, where all of the tech resides, tilts so the ring or lights on the bottom can be projected on a wall or other surface. And as you might expect, the whole thing is controlled by webOS. Plus, there are buttons for positioning, changing modes, power and more on the top panel, encircled by the speaker's grille.LG hasn't announced pricing or availability for the PF600U yet. Those details will likely come closer to launch day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/ces-2025-lgs-swiss-army-knife-projector-hides-in-plain-sight-225224199.html?src=rss

I have to admit I used to be very skeptical of LED devices that purport to be good for your skin. When they first started being sold for home use, I felt like they were mostly expensive, ineffective appliances that were obvious cash grabs. Nowadays, though, as is usually the case with any burgeoning category of products, the technology has improved. We're seeing more sophisticated offerings that not only use better components, but are more comfortable to wear. Full face masks from the likes of Therabody, Dr. Dennis Gross and Omnilux have exploded in popularity, taking over social media and constantly selling out. After hearing rave reviews from friends and family, and undergoing more light treatments in salons myself, I have grown more convinced there's room for devices like these.Shark, the maker of vacuum cleaners, air fryers and assorted kitchen gear, has unveiled its take on the LED face mask device here at CES 2025. Launched under its three-year-old Shark Beauty arm, the new "CryoGlow under-eye cooling + LED anti-aging and skin clearing face mask" has quite a long name. I'm just going to refer to it as the CryoGlow mask from here on. At a meeting here in Las Vegas, Shark's senior vice president of global product development Danielle Lessing described a number of ways the CryoGlow is different from what's currently out there.First of all, as its name implies, there is a cooling component to this device. In addition to the 160 "interlocking tri-wick LEDs" on the mask, there are two metallic plates on the cheeks that are shaped like eye masks. This is the conduit for what Shark is calling its "InstaChill" technology and basically are a pair of cold plates that, in my brief time with the CryoGlow, felt satisfyingly soothing. In fact, that might be my favorite part of the device (and frankly its differentiating trait).After putting on the CryoGlow for maybe about a minute, and after I took several hilarious pictures and selfies with it, I really appreciated how cold it felt in my under-eye area. To be clear, the plates felt chilly immediately after I wore the mask, but it was the prolonged coolness that I enjoyed. And after removing the device, I still relished the sensation that remained, even after a few minutes. I don't feel like I had the mask on for long enough to know if it'd start to feel clunky after prolonged wear, but at least during my demo, I didn't feel strained, nor did the wired remote control get in my way.I also want to note that, unlike the Therabody option, Shark's CryoGlow does not vibrate. Lessing said "This is a skincare system and vibrating doesn't affect the skin."Lessing stressed to me the importance of the tri-wick LED bulbs each being able to produce red, blue and deep infrared light, as they differ from some other products on the market that might only use single or dual-wick bulbs instead. In those cases, manufacturers may choose to lay red-only bulbs or blue-only bulbs in alternating layouts or various arrangements that allow them to claim to provide both types of light, while effectively covering less area per bulb.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetIt's this sort of math that Lessing enthusiastically highlighted in our quick meeting, as she told me that the company worked hard to calculate the ideal combination of factors like distance of the bulbs from the wearer's face and apart from each other. To that end, the CryoGlow will sit in a way that the LEDs are about 15mm from your skin a good balance between effectiveness and coverage. The bulbs themselves are spaced 10mm apart, and the four programs that Shark offers also consider the duration of the lights on your face.Lessing said the company wanted to make something that was more inclusive, not just of different head sizes and types, but also of skin concerns. Most of the products that are currently available tend to target signs of aging on women, she said. Shark wants to buck that trend, and part of that effort involves making a mask that should fit people of all types from women with smaller faces to men with larger heads.When I first laid eyes on the CryoGlow in person, I couldn't help but smile. Unlike the Theraface or Dr. Dennis Gross masks, which look a little robotic or cyborg-like, the Shark device is, strangely enough, cute? The shape of its mouth cutout is slightly upturned and the whole thing just looks like it's smiling at you. I also instinctively reached out to stroke the textured sides of the mask, which look like lines raked in sand. I could see making this my pet.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe CryoGlow not only looks adorable, but also felt comfortable to wear. It was big enough for my larger-than-average head, but didn't feel too heavy. That might be thanks to the adjustable T-shaped head strap that reminds me of the Apple Vision Pro. Lessing said the team also drew inspiration from ski goggles for the design, especially for the protective guards around the eye cutouts.There's also the fact that the CryoGlow is fairly lightweight, likely due to the fact that it's powered by a battery in the attached remote control. This handheld controller is connected via a cord, which is a slightly less elegant approach than competing products that have on-mask buttons. But I do appreciate that it looks and feels like a Nokia 3310 with a much nicer screen and a dial plus two buttons below it.You can rotate the wheel to scroll through the menu, and I liked the aesthetic Shark used for the interface, too. The system offers four treatment modes: an under-eye "revive" that delivers "cryo-inspired tightening and soothing," a 6-minute "Better aging" option, an 8-minute "Skin Clearing Treatment" that targets acne and a 4-minute "Skin Sustain" maintenance mode that's meant for daily use. There are also three chill levels available, which you can control with this system. Shark says its tests indicated clearer skin can be observed in four weeks of use, while two months of consistent application might result in firmer skin.SharkShark says its programs are all backed by clinical testing, and most intriguingly, it actually put its CryoGlow device to the test against competitors. According to Shark, this image "captures a demonstration conducted featuring light absorbing, photochromic paint to show the even coverage of CryoGlows iQLED technology vs. a competitors uneven coverage." I will point out that while it does seem like Shark's device had a more even and generally larger spread, it does leave the two patches below the eye bare.It's unclear what this competing device is or how much it might cost, but considering the CryoGlow is priced at $349 while the Theraface Mask and the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro start at $599 and $455 respectively, I'm already intrigued. This feels like a sophisticated device that's at least within the range I might be able to afford. And I loved my brief experience with it, too. I will likely have to test other competing products before I can definitively evaluate how well the CryoGlow fares against what's out there, but for now, and for the price, I'm very impressed by Shark's LED mask debut.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/shark-joins-the-high-tech-skincare-mask-war-with-an-impressive-ces-2025-opening-shot-214804543.html?src=rss

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Theres good news for those who drink their coffee in the morning hours and ditch it before noon. Morning coffee-drinkers may have a lower risk of death than both those who drink coffee throughout the day, and those who dont drink it at all.In a new study, published Tuesday in the European Heart Journal, drinking coffee in the morning showed huge benefits when it came to lowering rates of mortality. This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes, said lead author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at Tulane Universitys Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, in a news release. We dont typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.The 10-year study examined health data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1999 to 2018 for 40,725 adults, as well as data from a subgroup of 1,463 adults from both the womens and mens versions of the Lifestyle Validation Study. In the data, two patterns emerged when it came to routine coffee consumption: 36% of participants were morning coffee-drinkers and 14% drank it throughout the day. The study also recorded death rates in a follow up, where 4295 all-cause deaths, 1268 deaths from cardiovascular disease, as well as 934 deaths from cancer were reported.Stunningly, the report showed big links between how coffee habits may contribute to a lower risk of premature death (it didnt matter if the coffee was regular or decaffeinated). By far, it was the morning coffee-drinkersnot the non-coffee drinkerswho fared the best on mortality. Having coffee only in the morning was associated with a 16% lower risk of premature death for any reason. For cardiovascular health, the gains were even bigger for the morning coffee-drinkers, who had a 31% lower risk from cardiovascular disease. The reduction in mortality was not demonstrated for the all-day coffee drinkers.The research is not the first on coffees perceived benefits. Past studies have demonstrated that moderate coffee consumption may be good for cardiovascular health. However, the new study is the first to examine what role the timing of drinking coffee plays. The report speculated that there may be several reasons why timing matters, and specifically, why the morning coffee-drinkers may have thrived, the first being that consuming coffee later in the day may disrupt circadian rhythms, increasing stress, cardiovascular risk, and other factors relating to poor sleep. Secondly, it noted that some pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers in the blood also have internal circadian patterns, where they are typically highest in the morning and then gradually decline until reaching their lowest level around 5 p.m. Essentially, coffees anti-inflammatory effects could be most valuable in the morning hours, it explained.Still, researchers noted that a morning coffee habit could be one marker of a healthy lifestyle among many. For example, morning-type coffee drinkers may be more willing to exercise and eat non-ultra-processed foods, the team noted. The report also explained that the study was performed within the U.S., therefore its not clear if its findings pertain to other parts of the world with different cultures related to coffee drinking.More research may be needed to explain the why?, but either way, the results are so positive for the morning coffee-drinkers, theyre likely to put some extra pep in the groups stepstraight through their coffee-free afternoons.

Okay its happening are we switching to Lemon8 or whats the plan? posted one TikTok user back in December. With a potential U.S. ban just days away, content creators scrambling for an alternative are turning their attention to the platforms sister app, Lemon8. @lillydowns lemon8 just seems so lame ugh but Instagram is even worse imo sooo we are doomed #tiktokban #lemon8 Messy Lola Young Like TikTok, Lemon8 is owned by China-based ByteDance, the tech giant behind popular apps such as the video editing tool CapCut and the creative editing app Hypic. Launched in the U.S. in 2023, the app combines TikToks scrollable For You page and short-form video with the curated aesthetic of Instagram and Pinterest. Though it sparked some media and user interest in its early days, the app hasnt taken off as much as TikTok, which has more than 170 million U.S. users, with just over one million daily active users in the U.S., according to data from the research firm SimilarWeb.However, over the past month it has climbed Apples free app charts. Sensor Tower data shows global downloads jumped by 150% in December 2024, with the U.S. accounting for 70% of those downloads. The largest spike occurred on December 19, coinciding with the Supreme Courts announcement that it would hear oral arguments over the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok.Sponsored posts have since emerged on TikTok, with creators describing Lemon8 as a backup app for TikTok users. A viral video by @strawberriredd, with nearly three million views, encouraged viewers to download Lemon8 in case of a ban. (Though labeled as sponsored, the video doesnt disclose who funded it.) Another TikTok creator, @giannamjoyce, posted a video last month urging her followers to make Lemon8 accounts, informing users that ByteDances integration of the two platforms allows TikTok users to transfer their followers to Lemon8 simply by using the same login. @giannamjoyce Lmk what you guys think about all this and if you will try it out! #trend #app #tiktokban #grwm #makeuproutine #fyp original sound gianna The bridge between the two apps has left some users scratching their heads. Can someone please tell me what Lemon8 is and why people are following me on it when I dont even have it? one confused user posted on TikTok in December. ByteDance began integrating the platforms backends last year, linking profiles and enabling data sharing by defaultthough users could opt out. While ByteDance claims the timing of Lemon8s promotional surge is unrelated to TikToks regulatory challenges, the wave of sponsored posts suggests otherwise. Lemon8 must be replacing TikTok the way they shoving it down our throats, one user posted on X.Lemon8 must be replacing TikTok the way they shoving it down our throats de$ii (@user13715171891) December 18, 2024 But theres a catch. The law, which would wipe out TikToks U.S. operation if its not sold to an approved buyer, states the divest-or-ban requirement applies generally to platforms owned or operated by ByteDance, TikTok, or their subsidiaries. While Lemon8 isnt explicitly mentioned in the legislation, its safe to say its future in the U.S. is on shaky ground. Plan C, anyone?

Five years ago,police officers stopped Jose Armando Escobar-Lopez while he was driving to his home in Daly City near San Francisco with his partner and her brother. Without giving a reason for the stop, the officers questioned him about his immigration status and facilitated his transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.The ICE transfer, which happened during Trumps first term, was a violation of Californias recently enacted sanctuary law, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. Immigration advocates rallied around Escobar-Lopez, who sued the city and won a settlement. He still lives in California today. But his brush with ICE illustrates the obstacles the second Trump administration may face in pursuing mass deportations of immigrants. Such violations of Californias sanctuary laws are now less frequent, said Angela Chan, a former senior staff attorney with the Asian Law Caucus who worked on his case and coauthored areporttracking sanctuary law violations. Weve shifted the practice statewide where the default is to not turn someone over to ICE, she said.Trump has vowed to carry out mass deportations on his first day back in office. However, that agenda will likely face significant obstacles in jurisdictions like California, where sanctuary laws limit cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. During his first term, immigrant advocates secured the passage of a sanctuary law known as Senate Bill 54, or the California Values Act. Today,11 states, including Oregon, Colorado, and New York, have sanctuary laws that prevent information sharing with ICE, to varying degrees. Immigrant advocates are hopeful that these laws will thwart Trumps agenda.But the incoming administration is already devising ways to get around these laws, including increasing the presence of ICE agents in sanctuary jurisdictions. Trumps second term is likely to spark a cat-and-mouse game between the administration and sanctuary states, with federal officials ramping up immigration enforcement and threatening to withhold funding from states, while states prepare legal defenses and bolster policies to shield undocumented residents.Still, the lack of cooperation from sanctuary cities is significant. Local and state law enforcement officers act as a force multiplier for ICE agents. More than 70% of ICE arrests made inside the U.S. are the result of handoffs from other law enforcement agencies, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, a national nonprofit that advocates for immigrant rights. Sanctuary laws prevent these handoffs by blocking local and state agencies from sharing information or cooperating with ICE.Chan believes sanctuary laws will continue to throw a wrench in Trumps plans. Under Trumps first term, he was not able to deport as many people as he wanted, and he actually deported less people than under the Obama administration, because of local and state sanctuary laws like Californias that prevented him from being able to do that, Chan said.How the Trump administration could attempt mass deportationsEven before Trump takes office, his administration is clashing with sanctuary jurisdictions.In November, Trumps appointee for border czar, Tom Homan, lashed out at Los Angeles city officials for adopting a sanctuary policy. If you dont wanna help, get the hell outta the way, he said on Newsmax. If I gotta send twice as many officers to L.A. because were not getting any assistance, then thats what were going to do.Homan also threatened to slash federal funding to sanctuary states that oppose deportationssomething Trump tried in 2020. California won its lawsuit blocking the Trump administration from placing immigration enforcement conditions on federal law enforcement grants. The state is preparing for a repeat; during a special session in early December, lawmakers introduced a bill to set aside $25 million for legal fees to respond to the administrations attacks on state policies, including immigration.Still, there are actions Trump can take on day one to roll back protections for immigrantseven for people in sanctuary states.One of his earliest moves could be canceling Biden administration orders. He could reverse anorderthat prioritized deporting undocumented immigrants who committed serious crimes, or had recently arrived, while deprioritizing those deemed non-threatening, according to Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. That will happen reasonably close to day one, Chishti said.Trump could also cancel a Biden-era order directing ICE to avoid arrests at sensitive locations like courts, schools, hospitals and places of worship, warned Jehan Laner, senior staff attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.The Trump administration could end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children to stay and work, but in aninterview with NBCin early December, Trump said he was open to working with Democrats to pass legislation to allow them to stay in the country. Trump has also repeatedlythreatenedto scale back Temporary Protected Status, which provides temporary residency to people from countries experiencing conflict or natural disasters.Trump is likely to prioritize deporting people who have final removal orders, as they have exhausted most of their legal options. Where is the lowest-hanging fruit of low resistance? That will be people with final orders of removal, Chishti said.These actions will shrink protections for certain groups, but the Trump administration will still confront significant impediments in its efforts to arrest, detain and deport people, Chishti said. Those who are likely to be targeted are spread out across the country, and workplace raids and home arrests require a warrant or consent to enter. Also, immigrants are entitled to due process.Another major challenge is a lack of detention capacity. Building detention facilities requires funds appropriated by Congress and time to construct the necessary facilities. The American Immigration Councilestimatesthe cost of building detention centersand alternative detention programs such as ankle monitors with GPS trackingat more than $700 billion. That makes a mass deportation, from a logistical point of view, not an easy sell, Chishti said. He added that deportations require the cooperation of countries that may refuse to accept deportees.Trumps deportation agenda will be easiest to carry out in Republican states that are eager to offer their resources, including deploying their National Guards. Texas, for instance, is already using the National Guard for border enforcement. The administration can also send the military to provide logistical support, such as transportation and maintaining infrastructure, Chishti said. But blue states are vowing legal challenges if the administration attempts to federalize the National Guard or send troops across state lines.Trump said in theNBC interviewthat his deportations would begin by targeting undocumented immigrants who have committed a crime, and then branch out to include people without criminal backgrounds. Coordinating with jail and prison systems is one way to identify undocumented immigrants with criminal records, Laner said. Many sanctuary states, including California, still allow prisons and jails to facilitate transfer of prisoners to ICE.How Sanctuary Jurisdictions Can Limit Trumps PlansOne way sanctuary states can get ahead of the administration is to pass new laws to close loopholes that allow prisons and jails to cooperate with ICE. These stronger laws already exist in Oregon and Illinois, Chan said. California State Attorney General Rob BontatoldThe Guardianin November that officials should explore options to reinforce and strengthen the states sanctuary law.Although were very proud of the California Values Act and the impact its made in protecting Californians, at this point, its not the strongest policy in the country, Chan said.She suggested that Gov. Gavin Newsom use his pardon power to prevent deportations. In 2021, Newsom pardoned two formerly incarcerated firefighters who were at risk of deportation to Laos. They were released from ICE detention and returned to their homes in California.Although sanctuary laws prevent local and state officers from cooperating with ICE, Chan said immigrant advocates still must play a watchdog role to ensure agencies comply with the law. In California, Chan and other advocates filed records requests and sued noncompliant police agencies until the sanctuary law SB 54 became the status quo.What I learned from SB 54 is that laws dont implement themselves, Chan said. We breathed life into that law by being so organized in how we implemented it. . . . Were going to need to do the same under Trump 2.0.If that all goes well, I think we will have a pretty strong defense against the Trump administrations attacks on our communities, she added.But Trumps threats are already creating a chill. What he will definitely accomplish is instilling a real sense of fear in immigrant communities, Chishti said.People who fear that they or their family members are at risk will not report crimes or assert their rights. They will live in the shadows. Thats a dark outcome, without even lifting a finger, he said.Hilary Beaumont, Capital & MainThis piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues.