Theres a reason leftover risotto is not really a thingit gets gluey and broken if you try reheating it. Its considered normal practice to make risotto fresh, stirring constantly and ladling small installments of liquid into the pot for 30 minutes until its perfect. I wouldnt blame you if thats exactly why you never make risotto at home; what a chore. But theres actually a less annoying way to make this creamy rice dish. Its overnight risotto, and its my favorite way to prepare it.Perfectly cooked risotto is a thing of beautytender individual grains of rice loosely bound by a creamy, savory gravy of its own making. Theres a short window before this velvety dish becomes thick and claggy, and a limit for reheating it with more liquid. Overdoing it, whether on the stove with too much broth, or microwaving leftovers, overwhelms the starch capsules in the rice and causes them to burst. Youll see this as gritty, broken rice grains (good risotto has visibly whole grains) and spoonfuls of risotto that look closer to stiff mashed potatoes than rice in a flowing sauce.This isnt surprising; many starchy ingredients will act the same way. Mashed potatoes can get sticky if blended with a blade; oats can be overcooked; and mac and cheese will get too soft and break apart if you overcook the pasta. But there is a surprisingly effective trick that I remembered from Ina Gartens cookbook Go-To Dinners, which I reviewed a few months ago to make her Overnight Mac and Cheese. She only partially cooks the pasta so its still hard in the middle. She lets it sit in liquid overnight in the fridge. The next day, simply top it with more cheese and bread crumbs, and bake it off in the oven. The pasta gently absorbs some liquid when its in the fridge; it finishes cooking through in the oven, and the loose starches work together with the shredded cheese and cream to make a decadent sauce without the need for a roux. It's a truly stellar mac and cheese designed to be an easier work load.Overnight risotto uses the same idea: only par-cook the rice, so the starches dont reach capacity, and finish it in a pan in about three minutes the next day. Its absolutely perfect, and so much faster than the traditional way. You might be making risotto a lot more starting today. Heres how to do it.Overnight Risotto RecipeIngredients:1 shallot, minced1 tablespoon olive oilPinch salt cup dry arborio rice cup dry white wine2 to 2 cups broth (divided) cup shredded parmesan cheese cup frozen peas1 tablespoon butter1. In a large frying pan, add the olive oil, minced shallot, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the shallot is translucent.2. Add the rice and stir for about a minute. Pour in the wine, and stir until its absorbed, about 30 seconds. Add one and a half cups of broth to the pan and let the rice absorb this completely, you can stir once or twice. Once its absorbed, taste a grain. It should have a soft ring on the outside and a stiff-chalky interior. Take the rice off the heat. This process should only take 10 minutes. You can see the outside ring of the par-cooked rice is more translucent than the center. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 3. Pour the rice mixture immediately out onto a plate or wide bowl and spread it out to cool for 10 minutes or so. Pour the rice into a storage container and pour a half-cup of the remaining broth over it. (Pouring the liquid in at this step is optional. You can, instead, just add the liquid when youre ready to cook it tomorrow, but it might then take an extra couple minutes.) Cover it with a lid and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, add any green veggies as you finish off the risotto. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 4. When youre ready to have your risotto, pour the cold, par-cooked rice and liquid into a large frying pan. A little broth will have been absorbed but not all of it. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently. Once it begins bubbling vigorously, add the cheese, peas (or other delicate veggies), and butter. (Theres a half-cup extra broth built into the ingredient list in case you like a looser sauce.) Stir until the liquid is absorbed but the sauce still pools a bit. This takes about three minutes. Serve immediately.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Unexpectedly, one-time critical punching bag Pamela Anderson is garnering rave reviews for her performance in Gia Coppola's The Last Showgirl (opening in theaters this weekend). She plays a veteran Las Vegas entertainer who suddenly finds herself out of a job, as her once-popular revue became tired and outdated without her even noticing. She's forced to look ahead to an uncertain future in a city unlike any other.Visions Las Vegas vary wildly: It's a place for adventure in the sun, where anything goes; a city of infinite possibilities. It's also home to sleazy degeneracy; a city that never escaped its origins as a side-hustle for east coast mobsters. It's simultaneously Disneyland for adults and a desert metropolis where sin goes unchallenged, if not necessarily unpunished. The real Las Vegas (which happens to be my hometown) is another thing entirely, but strict adherence to dull reality isn't the business of the movies. Frank Sinatra made his film debut in 1941's Las Vegas Nights, celebrating the city even as it was only just rising up out of the desert. Here are 15 movies that have helped shape our collective vision of the city of sin.Ocean's 11 (1960) Essentially an excuse for the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) to hang out and make a movie together, the film finds Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster (Sinatra and Lawford) plotting to recruit some of their old comrades-in-arms to rob, simultaneously, five different Las Vegas casinos. As a heist drama it's just OK, but as a record of a long-gone era, you can't do much better. Not only are we talking peak Pack, but the movie (filmed on location, largely after the actors were done with their club gigs) also records a lost Vegas: Of the five major casinos that the group rob, only two survive undemolished. You can rent Oceans's 11 from Prime Video. Ocean's 11 at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Over the Top (1987) Menahem Golan, the man behind some of the finest cinematic cheese of the 1980s (The Apple, Masters of the Universe, Superman IV, Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo) produced and directed this sports drama that takes itself very seriously, while also being about arm wrestling. Sylvester Stallone plays Lincoln Hawk, a long-haul trucker looking to win back the affections of his estranged son while training for the World Armwrestling Championship (a real thing, I'm told) in Las Vegas. Not much of the movie was actually filmed there, but we come to a Menahem Golan movie not for verisimilitude, but for the goofy good time that results when you apply all the beloved '80s action/sports film tropes to a movie about armwrestling. You can stream Over the Top on Tubi and Pluto TV or buy it from Prime Video. Over the Top (1987) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Showgirls (1995) One of the best, most misunderstood "bad" movies ever. Las Vegas is a city of dreams and nightmares in Paul Verhoeven's wild erotic satire (at least: I think it's satire) in this Vegas-set spin on All About Eve. Elizabeth Berkley stars as Nomi Malone, a small-town gal who dreams of becoming a Las Vegas showgirl, hitchhiking to sin city only to find herself pole-dancing in less reputable establishments than she's imagined. As she works her way toward her goals, the drama escalates to uncomfortable, but also fully camp, proportions. You can stream Showgirls on Tubi and Pluto TV. Showgirls (1995) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Viva Las Vegas (1964) One of cinema's great meet-cutes occurs when swimming instructor Rusty Martin (Ann-Margaret) throws Lucky Jackson (Elvis Presley) into a pool while he's in the middle of trying to raise money to buy a new engine for his car. His dream, you see, is to compete in Las Vegas' inaugural Grand Prix race. I'm not the world's biggest Elvis fan, but the chemistry between the two leads is electricPresley never had a better love interest/foil. A classic scene involves the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Hotel, the longest-running show in the city's history (it lasted until 2009), and the climax takes place at the Little Church of the West, the city's famous wedding chapel that also happens to be the oldest surviving building on the Strip. You can stream Viva Las Vegas on Hoopla or rent it from Prime Video. Viva Las Vegas (1964) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Indecent Proposal (1993) With the Demi Moore renaissance fully upon us (see The Substance, unless you're squeamish), it's high time to revisit the triumphs of her classic era. Though this is definitely not one of those. It is, however, a charmingly goofy erotic thriller from the master of the form, director Adrian Lyne, and one that feels like it couldn't have been set anywhere other than the sleaziest corners of Vegas. It stars Moore and Woody Harrelson as a down-on-their luck couple who are handed the titular proposal: A slick businessman (Robert Redford) offers them $1 million to buy a night of passion with Demi, an idea that was extremely scandalous back in 1993 (I'd call it a no-brainer, but maybe that's just me). It's all fairly sexist, and none of it makes a whole lot of sense, but it was one of the highest-grossing movies of its year, and had everybody talking. You can stream Indecent Proposal on Paramount+, or rent it from Prime Video. Indecent Proposal (1993) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Given Bond's penchant for gambling, it's almost surprising it took him so long to make it to Las Vegasperhaps the neon and kitsch don't fit with Bond's whole aesthetic as well as the comparatively cool casinos of, say, Monte Carlo. This one saw Sean Connery return to the role for the almost-last time (depending on whether you count the semi-unofficial installment Never Say Never Again) in order to take revenge on arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the murder of his wife in the last one (in which both hero and villain were played by different actors). Bond impersonates a diamond smuggler as part of a scheme that lands him in several different casinos, including the Las Vegas Hilton, doubling for a fictional gambling den called the Whyte House. You can rent Diamonds Are Forever from Prime Video. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) While Bond (James Bond) feels like an awkward fit in sunny, kitschy Vegas, Austin Powers (Mike Meyers) slots right in. Much of the movie's Sin City sequences were filmed at the now-demolished Riviera. You can rent Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery from Prime Video. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Hangover (2009) A triumph of the weekend-gone-bad genre, The Hangover stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis as three friends who take their soon-to-be-married pal Doug (Justin Bartha) on a trip to Vegas with the goal of finding some hijinks at Caesars Palace, starting with a few shots on the roof. The next morning, they all awaken with no memory of what happened the night before. The clues aren't subtle: a missing tooth, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and a mattress impaled outside. Heather Graham joins the trio as Jade, the escort who helps them reconstruct their lost night. You can stream The Hangover on Max or rent it from Prime Video. The Hangover (2009) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Army of the Dead (2021) My favorite Zach Snyder movie (which, OK, isn't saying a ton) is set in a near-future in which Las Vegas has been overrun by zombies and sealed off from the rest of the world. The government is planning a nuclear strike, intending to blow the city off the map and be done with it, but a former casino owner has a plan in the meantime: he's hired a bunch of mercenaries led by Dave Bautista to sneak into the abandoned (except by zombies) city and come out with $200 million left behind in a vault. A zombie heist action movie is pretty unbeatable as a premise, and the resulting movie is a lot of fun. You can stream Army of the Dead on Netflix. Army of the Dead (2021) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Ocean's Eleven (2001) Though it's hard to compete with the original for its breezy Rat Pack swagger, the Steven Soderbergh-directed spin on this concept is the extremely rare remake that outdoes the original in almost every other regard. Where the 1960 version was mostly an excuse for Sinatra and company to make a few extra bucks while already working in Vegas, here we have a superior heist film with an A-list ensemble (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garca, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner). Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan (Clooney and Pitt) assemble a team to rob three casinos simultaneously: the Bellagio, the Mirage (closed in 2024), and the MGM Grand. It's as fun as it is smart, and endlessly rewatchable. You can rent Ocean's Eleven from Prime Video. Ocean's Eleven (2001) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Bugsy (1991) Las Vegas has never been particularly enamored of its own history, as made clear by the excitement that typically attends the implosions of outmoded casinos and hotels, no matter how venerable. But here we have a movie that tells the (heavily embroidered) story of the birth of Sin City through the lens of the life of gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty), who moved west with other mobsters in the 1930s looking for new opportunities and less interference from law enforcement. Abandoning Hollywood for an obscure patch of desert, Siegel became key in the development of the Flamingo, his prescient dream of a Vegas yet to come becoming so passionate that it ultimately gets him killed. Beatty's real-life future wife Annette Bening plays his mistress and confidante Virginia Hill. You can stream Bugsy on MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video. Bugsy (1991) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Casino (1995) Marin Scorsese takes on a bit of real-life Las Vegas history here as well, moving the timeline forward to the 1970s. Names have been changed, but the film chronicles the dying days of the city's mob-run heydey, beginning with the arrival of low-level gangster Ace Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro, and based on the real Lefty Rosenthal) and his takeover of operations at the Tangiers casino (which you may know better as the Stardust). Sam's job becomes increasingly precarious over his tenure, in no small part thanks to his temperamental enforcer (Joe Pesci) and his hustler ex (Sharon Stone). Before it's all over, we'll witness the beginnings of the slightly more respectable corporate-run Vegas of today. You can stream Casino on Starz or rent it from Prime Video. Casino (1995) at Prime Video Get Deal Get Deal at Prime Video Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Based on Hunter S. Thompson's stream-of-consciousness gonzo-journalism narrative, Fear And Loathing sends Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp, honing the whacked-out cinematic persona that would become his signature) and Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) to the titular city to cover first the Mint 400 desert motorcycle race, and then a district attorney convention. Both the real and a hallucinated Vegas provide a backdrop to all their drug-fueled shenanigans. Your enjoyment of the film will vary depending on your tolerance for psychedelic weirdness in place of a plot, but director Terry Gilliam certainly sells the visualsand it's not like nobody's ever experienced Vegas while as high as Duke and Gonzo. You can rent Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from Prime Video. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Leaving Las Vegas (1995) No movie captures the grim side of the vision of Las Vegas quite like Mike Figgis' acclaimed but notoriously downbeat drama. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is a slogan used to imply uninhibited fun, but it also suggests something darker: a liminal space where nothing (and no one) matters. Nicholas Cage gives a phenomenal performance as Ben, an alcoholic screenwriter with nothing left to lose, whose only remaining life goal is to drink himself to death in Sin City. On that journey he connects with Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a sex worker whose prospects aren't much better. Though not a feel-good movie by any means, the essential decentness of these two characters, whatever their circumstances, makes it hard to look away. You can stream Leaving Las Vegas on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Go (1999) By far the best of the post-Pulp Fiction Tarantino imitators of the late 90s, Go features an impressive cast (Taye Diggs, Sarah Polley, Jane Krakowski, Timothy Olyphant, etc.) and a clever, tricky script, telling the overlapping stories of a holiday drug deal gone wrong. Only one of the narratives really centers around the city in question, but it's a doozy: Simon (Desmond Askew) crashes a wedding, sleeps with two of the bridesmaids, sets a hotel room on fire, and shoots a strip club bouncer. Ya know: a typical night in Vegas. You can rent Go from Prime Video. Go (1999) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video

CES is filled with wild and wacky curios, to be sure, but there are also plenty of good old-fashioned laptops. Every year the big chipmakers announce new products and the big computer manufacturers unveil new laptops that take advantage of updated CPUs and GPUs. All told, companies announced nearly two dozen upcoming laptops at this year's conference. Some are bulky beasts made for gaming, while others are thin beauties intended for portability. The vast majority of them are filled to the brim with the AI tools that everyone loves so very much. Here are all of the laptops that piqued our interest at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, just in case you need to start saving some money for a purchase later this year. ASUS Zenbook A14 The ASUS Zenbook A14 is the MacBook Air competitor of our dreams. It weighs less than 2.2 pounds, which is actually a half a pound lighter than the Air. When it comes to specs, it actually outclasses Apple in nearly every category. Theres a 14-inch OLED screen, up to 32 hours (!) of battery life and up to 32GB of RAM. Its also covered in a nifty ceramic coating that feels great to hold. It comes in two versions. Theres one that includes a Snapdragon X Plus CPU and 16GB of RAM, which starts at $900. The higher-end model features a Snapdragon X Elite chip and 32GB of RAM, starting at $1,100. The laptops will be available on January 13. Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen6 Just because laptops have been around for decades doesnt mean that companies cant get a bit weird with them. Case in point? The Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen6. This is a laptop with a rollable screen that expands and contracts with the push of a button. Lenovo first introduced this as a concept device, but now its a real upcoming product. The 14-inch OLED display instantly transforms to a 16.7-inch panel, which effectively adds an extra 50 percent of screen real estate. The brightness is adequate, at 400 nits, and the performance looks solid. It comes with Intels Core Ultra 7 CPU, up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. Its also weirdly light, given the tech, at 3.6 pounds. We dont have official pricing or availability yet, but its expected to cost somewhere around $3,500 and should hit store shelves this spring. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 We called the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 the least ThinkPad ever for good reason. This new iteration ditched the long-standing carbon fiber frames and Trackpoint nubs found with classic models in favor of a more minimalist approach. Its available in 14-inch and 15-inch versions, and both of these feature OLED displays. These laptops are powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, which means that you cant upgrade the RAM because its soldered on. However, the SSD and battery are easily replaceable. Both models should be available in February, with a starting price of $1,400 for the 14-inch model and $1,550 for the 15-inch version. MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Engadget The MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition adds some seriously-cool aesthetics to the most powerful laptop the company makes. There are a ton of unique design traits here, including a hand-drawn dragon on the lid that was acid-etched into the aluminum. As for specs, this laptop includes top-of-the-line components including next-gen Intel HX processors, NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs, PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage and Wi-Fi 7. Theres a massive 18-inch mini LED display and low-profile Cherry MX switches on the keyboard. MSI has yet to reveal pricing or availability on this one. Razer Blade 16 Razer The Razer Blade 16 laptop is extraordinarily thin, at 0.59 inches. That makes it 32 percent slimmer than the 2024 model. Theres a 16-inch QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a response time of 0.2ms. The computer also includes the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 processor and one of the brand-new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs. There isnt a release date yet, other than soon, nor is there a launch price. Last years model started at $2,700, so we can expect something in the same range. Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro Samsung Samsung unveiled an updated line of Galaxy Book laptops at CES. Theres the Galaxy Book5 Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch screen options, along with the Book5 360 with a 15-inch display. All of these computers are equipped with Intels newest Arrow Lake Core Ultra processors and have been built for AI tasks. To that end, Samsung has touted a long list of on-device AI circles, like its own version of Googles Circle to Search. These laptops also include on-device photo upscaling and more. The Book5 Pro is a standard laptop, while the Book5 360 is a 2-in-one with a 15-6-inch AMOLED touch display. Theres no pricing yet on any of these models, but the company has said theyll be available for purchase in February. ASUS Vivobook 14 and 16 ASUS Just like the ultralight Zenbook A14, the refreshed Vivobook 14 and 16 laptops ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip. These are mid-grade computers that offer up 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The company says that the internals have been updated to allow for 44 percent more performance than the last-gen models. The battery also got an upgrade and now will last nearly 20 hours per charge. Both computers make use of the companys not-at-all creepy AI camera which detects whether youre sitting in front of the screen or not. The ASUS Vivobook 14 and Vivobook 16 are available to pre-order now for $700 and $750, respectively. Lenovo 10th-gen Legion Pro 7i Lenovo The tenth-generation Legion Pro 7i is a serious upgrade over its predecessors and should be a great option for gaming on-the-go. It supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, with an updated cooling system that enables 250W thermal design power. The laptop also supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. On top of that, you can add up to 64GB of RAM. Theres a 16-inch OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. Its a beefy machine, however, coming at six pounds. The Legion Pro 7i will be available sometime in March, with a starting price of $2,400. Alienware Area 51 Sam Rutherford/Engadget Its been years, but Alienwares Area 51 branding is back in a big way. The Alienware Area 51 laptops are the companys latest flagship gaming devices. They are available in two display sizes, 16- and 18-inches, and support up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPUs, 64GB of RAM (at up to 7200 MT/s, the highest of any Alienware laptop), 12 TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage and next-gen NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs. Both models can handle up to 175 watts of total graphics power with an additional 105 watts reserved for the CPU. There's also a glass bottom to help with thermal regulation. They should be available sometime in the next couple of months. However, the laptops are launching in high-end configurations that start at $3,200, with less expensive entry-level models coming later in the year. ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Engadget The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is a 2-in-1 hybrid that could absolutely shine as a gaming tablet. It supports up to a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU with unified memory. The 70Whr battery should get up to 10 hours on a single charge and the IPS panel boasts an impressive 180Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits of brightness. This machine also integrates with the companys new XG Mobile graphics dock for a nice little upgrade in the visuals. The Flow Z13 is expected to start at around $2,000 for a version with a Ryzen AI Max 390 chip or $2,200 when configured with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU. We dont have a release date yet. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/all-the-laptops-that-piqued-our-interest-at-ces-2025-194424146.html?src=rss

The "AC" in AC Future stands for Amy and Cindy, founder Arthur Qin's two daughters. That's just one of the bits of info I gained at the company's CES event in which we got a first look at the new AC Future Ai-TH transformable home. This is yet another nattily appointed answer to the housing crisis we've seen on the 2025 show floor. It comes in three models: a deliverable pod (Ai-THu), a pullable trailer (Ai-THt) and a road-ready EV RV (Ai-THd). Press and prospective buyers got to tour the EV prototype this week (but we had to take our shoes off first). Amy Skorheim / Engadget Thanks to pull-out sections at the rear and both sides, the bus-sized RV transforms into a 400-square-foot, one bed, one bath apartment, complete with a living room, kitchen with full-sized fridge, two burner induction range and microwave, along with an uncramped stall shower and washer/dryer in the bathroom. The full HVAC system, paired with high-efficiency insulation keeps the unit temperate. All that amounts to one heck of a power draw, which AC Future answers with a roof covered in solar panels. I was told all three models of the Ai-TH can generate around 25 kWh of energy in a day. For reference, the average American house uses around 30 kWh daily. The home can also be plugged in if sunlight isn't enough, and there was talk of wind-generation options for customers in cloudy climates. All models of the Ai-TH will also come equipped with atmospheric water generation that can suck between 13 and 15 gallons of water per day out of thin air. That's much less than the 200 or so gallons American houses use for non-landscaping needs, so the Ai-TH also recycles gray water and, of course, has a holding tank. In theory, these units can act as fully self-sustaining living pods, gathering what's needed from the world around them. Because this is CES 2025, where the unofficial model is "Stick some AI in it!" there's a whole-home proprietary AI assistant called Futura to turn on your lights, manage your resources and handle other management tasks. There was even a demo set up outside the RV letting people "meet" "her." At last years CES, AC Future, barely two years old at the time, showed off the idea for the Ai-TH. The fully equipped prototype we saw was built in collaboration with Hydra, an automotive design and prototyping studio out of Southern California. Models that go into production will have components coming from a huge range of suppliers; I was told there are three partners lined up for the EV motors alone. AC Future says this is aimed at addressing the affordable, sustainable and mobile housing crisis worldwide. And any talk of addressing the housing crisis has to include some discussion of price, unless we're counting on some trickle-down economics-style solutions. The static base model will start at $98,000, the trailer model will go for $138,000 and up and the drivable version starts at $298,000. AC Future's COO told me production would begin as soon as they left Vegas (the whole team was at CES) and reservations are open now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/the-ac-future-drivable-self-sustaining-home-transforms-to-be-larger-than-your-first-apartment-193758718.html?src=rss

While there's plenty of automotive news to go around at CES 2025, far and away, the talk of the show is the Afeela 1. Again. For five years now, Sony has been showing off some variation on this same theme, first as the Vision-S in 2020, then the Vision-S 02, before adopting the unfortunate rebranding to Afeela in 2023, and this year finally to Afeela 1.Along the way, the car lost what little interesting styling it had while sticking true to some specifications that sounded good five years ago. Everything just feels a bit off, not the least of which is its starting price: $89,900.I got a chance to get up close and inside the car, a demo that began with another explanation of what Afeela means. It's a sort of overwrought portmanteau for the words autonomy, augmentation, and affinity.This year's Afeela 1 is little changed from last year's numberless show car. The only significant visual update is found in the sensor pod protruding from the leading edge of the roof. A LiDAR module now stands proud, along with a couple of cameras on either end, staring in opposite directions, chameleon-style.While the bug-eyed look is not particularly charming, it is the only bit of visual character in an otherwise bland design. The lone other external talking point is the display embedded in the leading edge of the hood. This "media bar" is another thing that seemed novel and fun a few years ago on a concept car.There's a noticeable seam where two displays meet on the grille-mounted displays.Tim Stevens for EngadgetIt's supposed to welcome you to the car or provide messages to those around you. But it's hard to read from afar, and up close you can see the unfortunate seam down the middle where two panels were somewhat crudely joined together to form the thing.To open the driver's door, you either tap a button in the app or press a small button embedded in the pillar. There are no door handles to pull, not even a token fin like on the Ford Mustang Mach-E. I couldn't help asking what do you do if you park in an ice storm and the door is frozen shut. I wasn't given much of an answer.Those doors open to a space that's every bit as understated as the exterior except for one thing: the dashboard-spanning display. It's vibrant and clear and about the only thing in here that reminded me that this is a Sony product. Well, that and the DualSense controller that you can pair to the car and then fire up PS Remote Play while you charge.And you'll need something to do because the maximum charge rate of the Afeela 1 is 150 kW for its 91 kWh battery, which provides an estimated 300 miles of range. Compare that to a cheaper Lucid Air, which can charge twice as quickly and cover over 400 miles on a charge, and you begin to see the real problem with this thing.That display plus the ambient lighting within the car are all comprehensively customizable, with the same sorts of themes available on the PS5. I sampled the Ghost of Tsushima and Fortnite themes, each of which splayed the interior in the proper series of colors, adding a splash of personality to the otherwise vanilla surfaces.Tim Stevens for EngadgetThat big display is the major talking point, but look a little lower and you'll spot the world's largest volume knob situated between the seats. It's bigger than the iDrive knob on most modern BMWs, yet only controls the output of the 28-speaker, Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system.The software interface, meanwhile, looked largely unfinished, little more than a two-row grid of oversized boxes representing apps, settings and car controls. Given the width of the display, vital controls can easily stretch beyond the driver's reach, leaving you to drag the whole array back to the left to get what you need.After so many years of seeing what Sony's first car would really look like, I couldn't help feeling disappointed when I climbed out. But not nearly as disappointed as I was when looking down the spec sheet again.There are two trims of Afeela 1, the $89,900 Afeela 1 Origin and $102,900 Signature. The latter has larger wheels (21-inch vs. 19), a rear-seat entertainment system (displays embedded in the headrests plus an HDMI input) and additional cameras. The Origin, meanwhile, is only available in black.Seriously.Tim Stevens for EngadgetWhy Sony would even think about launching a $90,000 car that is only available in black is beyond me. Spend the $13,000 more for the Signature model, and you still only get three forgettable shades: white, gray and black again.In the Origin we have a car that costs $20,000 more than a Lucid Air Pure but has considerably less range and slower charging speed. Go for the $102,900 Afeela 1 Signature trim, and you're now spending more than a Porsche Taycan, which admittedly has less range but looks far better and will almost assuredly be the more engaging drive.Five years ago, Sony's vehicular aspirations made for an odd but intriguing project. Now, it all just seems misguided. How will it feel in another 12 months when the first cars start rolling off from Honda's Ohio factory? That's anyone's guess, but I can't imagine tomorrow's market will look any more kindly upon this vehicular curiosity.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/sonys-afeela-1-feels-like-a-playstation-4-in-the-ps5-era-184620132.html?src=rss

The company paid to have the data deleted.

The airline met the moment at the Sphere

Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable can extend its display upwards.

Hearing a lot about Lemon8 lately? Youre not the only one.Amid alooming U.S. banon TikTok, content creators have been pushing theplatforms sister app. Lemon8 resembles an amalgamation of thetypes of short-form videosfound on TikTok and the picture-perfect aesthetic of Instagram and Pinterest.Like its popular relation, Lemon8 is owned byChina-based ByteDance, whose collection of internationally available apps also includes the video editing app CapCut and the photo and art editing app Hypic. In addition, the company operates Douyin, the Chinese sibling of TikTok that follows Beijings strict censorship rules.Lemon8 launched in the U.S. in 2023, a few years after it first popped up in Asian markets. Though it garnered some media and user interest in its early days, the app hasnt taken offas much as TikTok, which has more than 170 million U.S. users.But more people have downloaded the app in the past month, making it one of the top-ranking free apps on Apples app store. Lemon8s popularity could potentially soar further depending on the outcome of aU.S. Supreme Court hearingFriday over a law requiring TikTok to break ties with ByteDance or face a U.S. ban.TikTok says it plans to shut down the platform in the U.S.by Jan. 19if the government prevails, as it didin a lower court.What are creators saying about Lemon8?Influencers previously partnered with Lemon8 to promote the lesser-known app on TikTok. In recent weeks, many of them have hailed Lemon8 as the place to go if TikTok is banned under federal law. Some have also been recommending it through paid sponsored posts tagged #lemon8partner, showing a recent corporate push to generate more users.But theres a hitch. 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 apps that are owned or operated by ByteDance, TikTok or any of their subsidiaries. That means even though Lemon8 and CapCut are not explicitly named in the statute, their futures in the U.S. also are in jeopardy.Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer, noted that the creators recommending Lemon8 may not be aware of the possible implications for the other ByteDance apps because the law does not identify them.The recent Lemon8 ads on TikTok also may be a sign that ByteDance is hoping or betting Lemon8 slips through the cracks as lawmakers and regulators focus their attention on TikTok, Enberg said. Representatives for the companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Lemon8 downloadsTo boost Lemon8s user base, TikTok announced in November that creators would be able to access a Lemon8 account with the same account they use on TikTok, a feature the company says will enhance their ability to cross-post content. TikTok said the integration was designed to expand creators reach and engagement potential.Like TikTok, Lemon8s main feed features both a following section that lets users look at content from the creators they follow and a For You section that recommends other posts. The newer platform also sorts posts into different categories, like relationships, wellness and skincare.ByteDance has not disclosed the number of global or U.S. users on Lemon8, which is believed to be miniscule compared to its trend-setting sister app. Data from the research firm SimilarWeb indicates Lemon8 has a little over 1 million daily active users in the U.S. According to the market intelligence company Sensor Tower, the app had 12.5 million global monthly active users as of Dec. 24.Sensor Tower estimates the app saw a significant jump in global downloads in December a 150% increase compared to an average 2% month-over-month decline last year. The U.S. accounted for 70% of the months downloads.The largest number of U.S. downloads were performed on Dec. 19, according to Sensor Tower. That was the day afterthe Supreme Court saidit would hear this weeks oral arguments over the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok.The lawpassed with bipartisan supportlast year after lawmakers and Biden administration officials expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand overU.S. user dataor sway public opinion towards Beijings interests by manipulating the algorithm that populates users feeds.President-elect Donald Trumpasked the Supreme Court on Dec. 27 to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until he is inaugurated and his administration can pursue a political resolution to the issue.Haleluya Hadero, AP business writer

Taxpayers who have been the victims of identity theft have experienced significant delays when requesting refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to a Wednesday report to Congress from the National Taxpayer Advocate on the most serious problems that taxpayers faced last year. These delays hurt low-income taxpayers the most.The report, published annually, highlights significant delays in processing Employee Retention Credit claims and resolving identity theft cases. The IRS took an average time of 22 monthsalmost two yearsto issue refunds to taxpayers affected by identity theft.Tax-related identity theft is a crime where a fraudster will steal a taxpayers identifying information, such as a social security number, and use it to file fraudulent tax returns to enrich themselves with fraudulent refunds. It could happen to anyone.Unconscionable delaysHundreds of thousands of taxpayers are victims of tax-related identity theft each year, often through no fault of their own, Erin Collins, the national taxpayer advocate, wrote.These victims are still experiencing unconscionable delays waiting for the IRS to process their returns and pay their refunds with no immediate resolution in sight, Collins wrote.Often, taxpayers are not even aware that they are a victim of identity theft until they attempt to file their tax returns. The IRS system rejects their filing because their social security number has already been used.Frustration and financial burdenLow-income taxpayers made up two-thirds of all identity theft victims last year. Of those, 62% reported experiencing financial burden as a result of the crime. Refund delays can exacerbate existing hardships or cause new ones; many low-income taxpayers rely on these refunds to afford basic living expenses. They are at the mercy of the time it takes for the IRS to solve the issue, Collins wrote.Recent trends in identity theft show that the most vulnerable populations to identity theft are the elderly, disabled people, and students.Collins published 69 legislative recommendations to improve the taxpayer experience, mainly centered around fixing these impactful delays. She asks that Congress requires the IRS to process refund claims within a year and impose consequences if the IRS fails to do so. She also recommends expanding the U.S. Tax Courts jurisdiction to hear refund cases in order to decrease the time it takes taxpayers to get their money back.