This week, multi-hyphenate billionaire Elon Musk blamedthe disastrous Los Angeles wildfires on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.The SpaceX CEO even went as far as to agree with a disgusting comment by far-right pundit Matt Walsh, who argued that Los Angeles was struggling with the ongoing fires because it "set out to exclude white men from becoming firefighters."The billionaire's belief that racially diverse hiring practices are somehow to blame is a preposterous and unabashedly racist argument that flies in the face of reason and conveniently glosses over the things that actually played a big role: severe budget cuts causing a shortage of firefighters,not to mention the looming global disaster of climate change.Yet his ex-girlfriend the musician Claire "Grimes" Boucher with whom he was recently embroiled in a nasty custody battle over their several kids hurried to his defense.In a Thursday post on her ex's social media platform X, Boucher revealed that she "just had to evacuate" LA and ended up "aimlessly driving out of the city."When another user accused her of having been "married to one of the most evil climate deniers of all time," Boucher defended Musk, arguing that he was "pretty vocal about climate change and is primarily known for, in part, revolutionizing electric vehicles" a rote and woefully out-of-date characterization.Musk himself repeatedly downplayed the role of climate change in the ongoing LA fires, flying in the face of decades of scientific evidence."I think there's plenty to be angry about but when you stray from fact and reason, your critique loses power," she added. "The biggest challenge right now is not falling into creating and consuming dopamine rage bait on social media and focussing on thoughtful, rational, truth-based discourse so that we can properly diagnose and solve our problems."Even more gallingly,it's Musk who's currently one of the biggest sources of "dopamine rage bait on social media" as the disaster unfolds, who's ultra-publicly doing his very best to bury "rational, truth-based discourse."As if falling in line to support one of the biggest and vilest sources of disinformation online wasn't enough, the tweet highlights her and Musk's highly unusual relationship. For quite some time now, things have been pretty rocky between the two, to say the least. An ugly custody battle over their three children that almost drove her to bankruptcy has put a strain on their years-long relationship.Meanwhile, Boucher took to X to follow Musk's lead and spread unsubstantiated claims."Seen a few videos of ppl setting fires," she wrote in a tweet. "I think there was at least some crime involved in this, def some smart villain planning if so."As always, it's hard to get an accurate read on how Boucher feels about Musk and his sociopathic beliefs. Is this really the time to come to his defense as thousands of homes burn in LA?Is there really any nuance left in their relationship, or has Boucher finally given up to drink the Kool-Aid? Sources told People magazine in November that she was planning on moving into a mansion set aside by Musk as part of a strange compound for his many kids and their mothers.It's unclear how Boucher feels about DEI hiring practices specifically but perhaps at this point, it's best not to even ask.Share This Article

We're not kidding: users can now declare themselves "proud racists" on Facebook. Big DialYou know the iconic Dril tweet about turning a bit dial labeled "racism," while looking back at the audience for approval?Well, it's top of mind amid Meta's content moderation overhaul, in which it secretly provided employees with examples of horrific hate speech that is now admissible on the platform.AsThe Intercept reports, leaked training documents show just how far the Mark Zuckerberg-owned megalith will allow hateful users to go on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads now that the company's CEO is trying desperately to cozy up to president-elect Donald Trump (who, in surely-unrelated news, recently threatened to throw Zuckerberg in prison.)The document explains to employees that epithets like "gays are freaks" and "immigrants are grubby, filthy pieces of shit" are now allowed under the new policy. People can also now declare themselves "proud racists," and can say things like "Black people are more violent than whites."Zucked UpWhile certain types of vitriol like what the company terms "nausea-based hate" and insults about intellectual ability are still verboten, many of those prohibitions seem to now have loopholes. For example, it's still against Meta's rules to say that one group is smarter than another unless you add that you have seen academic evidence supporting your claim."I just read a statistical study about Jewish people being smarter than Christians," one of the examples of accepted speech shows. "From what I can tell, its true!"It's unclear,The Intercept notes, whether or one would be required to actually link to said "study," or if they just have to mention that they've seen one.Along with the intense racial and religious bigotry people are now allowed to spew on Facebook and Instagram, the document also explicitly states that the slur "tr*nny" is now fair game on Meta platforms.In the initial document thatThe Intercept obtained, commenting "look at that tr*nny" on a photo of a 17-year-old girl was listed as acceptable we swear, this is 100 percent real but following publication, a Meta spokesperson reached out to the outlet to say that that example was a mistake. According to that spokesperson, the 17-year-old girl post was supposed to illustrate content that was not acceptable. Oops!When announcing the new content rules, Zuckerberg championed the changes that will help Meta "get back to our roots around free expression." As the examples from this leaked document show, that "freedom" clearly includes disgusting and harmful speech a policy that has driven people away from X-formerly-Twitter in droves and which will almost certainly make the steady exodus from Facebook accelerate all the more.Share This Article

Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterJanuary 10, 20258 Min Readdesigner491 via Alamy StockSometimes, it may seem that customers are never satisfied. They abuse call center staff, rage online or worse, abandon the brand. Functional gaps within organizations, siloed technology, a lack of accountability, and erroneous assumptions are the main reasons companies don't understand how customers really feel.Not looking at customer journeys holistically means broken journeys. Theres a lot of focus on initial interactions such as initial calls into the contact center, but many times theres a lack of focus on the fulfilling of customers intent, says Jay Patel, SVP and GM, Webex Customer Experience Solutions atCisco. Additionally, a lack of data-driven insights leads to many businesses failing to tailor their services to meet individual customer needs. Disconnected communication channels often lead to inconsistent experiences, as customers may receive varying levels of service depending on the platform they use.Many companies rely on legacy systems that are unable to support the dynamic needs of modern consumers. Additionally, the lack of a unified data strategy hampers a companys ability to gain a holistic view of the customer journey, resulting in fragmented interactions. Similarly, siloed organizations have led to disparate and separate decision making, processes, technology, and more across IT and lines of business. And because call centers are swamped, improving customer experience starts with improving employee experience, Patel says.Related:To deliver exceptional customer experiences, organizations must recognize the direct connection between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. A positive employee experience translates into better customer interactions, says Patel. Striking the right balance between automation and human touch is also critical. While virtual agents can handle routine tasks, customers should always have access to human support when needed. Leveraging data analytics to understand customer preferences and behaviors enables more personalized and effective service. This data can also be used to map customer journeys end-to-end to ensure seamless and consistent experiences across all channels where they are engaged.Additionally, implementing AI should be approached with intention, focusing on enhancing customer service without compromising the personalized, human-centric elements that drive loyalty and trust.Jay Patel, CiscoIts important to have a strategy and roadmap for transforming CX. Over time, itll be important to innovate and adapt -- making this not a one-time activity, says Patel. Continuous measurement and reviews are needed to ensure the organization continues to innovate and improve experiences.Related:Customer Satisfaction Less Important Than Cost?Melissa Copeland, founder and principal at customer experience consultancy Blue Orbit Consulting, says customer experience design should include three different perspectives: the customer, the company, and the employee.From a customer perspective, its helpful to understand what they expect, why they call, and the outcome they anticipate. From a company perspective, consider how to deliver a consistent brand image, drive loyalty and maintain or grow revenue in a manner that improves share of wallet. Then, from an employee perspective, understand how they receive the customer, what they are incented to do and how much support they have.The magic is when all three [perspectives] are knit together in an ecosystem supported by processes and technology that make all these things happen quickly and synchronized, says Copeland. Savvy organizations start with an understanding of the customer and sample personas or profiles. From there, an organization can create desired customer experience and build the systems and processes to deliver that experience. The best experiences are often driven by looking at things from a customer perspective.Related:Customer experience is a choice companies make. For example, have they gone overboard with automation or do they want to make it easy for the customer to reach a human? Is cost more important than customer satisfaction?When a company creates [an experience] based on what is cost effective or easy for the company rather than the customer, we get into a mismatch [of] expectations, language and often outcomes, says Copeland. The other common challenge is [technology implementation]. Often self-service or chatbots [are built], without spending the time and resources to be sure they line up with that desired customer experience.John Rossman, founder and managing partner at strategy and management advisory firm Rossman Partners, says a lack of clear metrics, an absence of accountability, and short-term optimization over long-term loyalty are issues.The Right Things Arent Being MeasuredMany organizations fail to establish insightful, actionable metrics that truly reflect the customer experience. Without clarity on what defines excellence, its nearly impossible to achieve it. Metrics must measure what matters most to customers, not just whats easy to track, says Rossman. Turning these metrics into service level agreements (SLAs) that hold teams accountable for delivering an exceptional customer experience is another gap. SLAs are a commitment to excellence -- a pledge that customers can count on and that serve as a forcing function for accountability and improvement.The real reason, however, lies in prioritizing short-term financial results at the expense of long-term customer loyalty. Organizations often sacrifice sustainable growth, which is built on trust and exceptional experiences, for immediate financial returns.Transforming customer experiences isnt just about reacting to complaints or tweaking processes. Its about creating clarity, aligning teams on a bold vision of customer delight and maintaining velocity in execution, says Rossman. Organizations that prioritize customer loyalty, deeply understand customer pain points and apply resources to fix the root causes are the ones that thrive. This is Amazon's approach.Customer Data Is a MessBrands have a hard time meeting this expectation mostly because they lack a full, detailed understanding of their customers. With data siloed across channels and processes, one functional team might know what the customer is doing on one channel, but not another. The customer might receive what the brand considers an exceptional CX on that one channel, but from the customers perspective it is an uneven experience because it does not consider or reflect the entirety of the customers journey with the brand.[W]hile breaking down siloes is a great starting point, many brands fail to prioritize data quality. To truly understand a customer, all incoming data must be cleansed, normalized, enriched, and precisely matched so that brands can accurately distinguish one customer from another, and even understand a customer in the dynamics of various relationships, such as in the context of a household or business, says John Nash, chief marketing and strategy officer at strategy and management advisory firm Redpoint Global. It is impossible to deliver a real-time, personalized experience when the company is still trying to figure out which customer is visiting the website, dialing the call center, engaging with a chatbot, etc.John Nash, Redpoint GlobalOrganizations should have unified customer profiles and make those profiles available and accessible across the enterprise. A unified profile should ingest customer data from all possible sources, continuously perform data quality processes as data is ingested, and apply advanced identity resolution functionality to accurately distinguish one customer from another.Watch Out for Confirmation BiasDennis Lenard, CEO at Creative Navy UX Agency, says hes observed that confirmation bias can undermine the creation of truly exceptional customer experiences. Many subpar experiences persist not because teams lack skills or resources but because theyre unknowingly trapped in patterns of organizational blindness. This happens when the very structures creating the problems prevent teams from identifying and addressing those issues objectively. Cognitive dissonance often compounds the issue, as individuals struggle to reconcile conflicting information that challenges their existing beliefs or assumptions.One of the biggest challenges Ive observed is how flawed thinking can skew the problem-solving process. For instance, teams often claim they are validating solutions internally. However, this approach is inherently flawed, says Lenard. Based on how learning processes and logical reasoning work, we can only invalidate assumptions through testing and experimentation. Confirmation bias makes it tempting to interpret any evidence as supporting a hypothesis, even when it doesnt.Joe Crawford, global head of technology at AI-fueled customer intelligence solutions provider Glassbox, agrees.Too often, companies assume they know what customers want and then pour their resources into those ideas. [W]hen you consider all the sources that suggest customers think CX has gotten worse in recent years, it highlights an obvious misunderstanding between what customers want versus what organizations think customers want.Customer Experience Is Everyones JobToya Del Valle, chief customer officer at workforce agility platform Cornerstone OnDemand, says poor customer experiences are caused misalignment across business functions and customer expectations.When customer perspectives are not incorporated into all business processes, it heightens the risk of a substandard experience substantially. To ensure customer satisfaction, customer success goals must be reflected across the entire company, not just those directly engaging with customers, says Del Valle.For example, if chief customer officers partner with HR, they can introduce shared metrics that tie employee engagement to customer satisfaction and find a rhythm to engage employees with training, support and metric tracking against this shared goal. That said, all business leaders must drive experience within their organizations.Ultimately, delivering exceptional customer experiences should be a company-wide priority driven by executive leadership. However, if a unified company-wide focus is not yet achievable, it is crucial to ensure strong collaboration between marketing, IT, and customer success teams, says Glassboxs Crawford. [M]arketing and customer success teams are on the ground thinking of new ways to reach current and prospective customers daily [but], IT has the clearest view into online behavior, [such as] what areas of a website customers are interacting with, points of customer friction, and the data behind the behavior.Bottom LineCustomer experiences continue to suffer because organizations arent prioritizing, measuring, or doing the right things. With all the internal and technological disconnects, coupled with the need to deliver omnichannel experiences the way customers want them, its a difficult problem to solve.The worst part about it is that companies dont understand their customers well enough to design the right kind of experiences in the first place. Moreover, delivering a great customer experience is a moving target and therefore a journey, not an event. Its also everyones responsibility. And ultimately, companies need to run their operations with a customer-first mentality.About the AuthorLisa MorganFreelance WriterLisa Morgan is a freelance writer who covers business and IT strategy and emergingtechnology for InformationWeek. She has contributed articles, reports, and other types of content to many technology, business, and mainstream publications and sites including tech pubs, The Washington Post and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Frequent areas of coverage include AI, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, software development, and emerging cultural issues affecting the C-suite.See more from Lisa MorganNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Timothee Chalamet will ride a wave of positive reviews for the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown onto the stage of Saturday Night Live. In a rarity, the actor will serve as both host and musical guest on the Jan. 25 episode.Chart-topping musicians typically hold both roles, including Paul Simon, Elton John, Ray Charles and Taylor Swift. Only four dual performers have been non-professional singers or musicians, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with the most recent dating back to Deion Sanders turn in February 1995.Chalamet played and sang all the Dylan songs in director James Mangold's film, after working for years with dialect and harmonica coaches in preparation for the role. He'd presumably return to that material for Saturday Night Live, and Deadline initially reported that he would, but that has not yet been confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter describes Chalamet as a huge fan of rap music.READ MORE: Jimmy Fallons Best Classic Rock ImpressionsA Complete Unknown was shut out at the recently held Golden Globes, but Chalamet might still be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor category. If the 29-year-old were to win at the Academy Awards, he'd break the record for youngest-ever currently held by Adrien Brody by a few days. (Brody claimed the same honor over Chalamet at the Golden Globes.)Chalamet previously hosted Saturday Night Live in December 2020 and November 2023, with a cameo appearance in April 2021. Oscar nominations are set to be announced on Jan. 19, with voting into February.Saturday Night Live's season will also feature some special anniversary programming. A four-part docuseries called SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night debuts Jan. 16 on the Peacock streaming service. Ladies & Gentleman 50 years of SNL Music follows on Jan. 27. The live primetime special SNL50: The Anniversary Special is set to air on Feb. 16.Rock's 60 Biggest 'Saturday Night Live' PerformancesGallery Credit: Corey IrwinHow an Unlikely Collaboration With Bob Dylan Changed Michael BoltonGet our free mobile app80s Movies That Could Never Be Made Today

The new year means attempting, for the most part, to at least try to eat healthier. How long it lasts is up to you so maybe this will help.There's a reason we love fast food. It tastes delicious and is so easy to rationalize grabbing it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Maybe we're running late, or it's a Friday, or we had a long day and deserve it.Then there's the quick convenience at the top of the list, too, on why fast food restaurants thrive in the United States, especially if they have a drive-thru window.That all said, we know making those cheeseburgers, chicken deluxe meals, and French fries a habit is super unhealthy. But hey, at least we can rationalize that some fast foodchains are unhealthier than others.READ ON: 28 Items Found in McDonalds Secret Corporate ArchiveClearly, healthy eating comes down to our own discipline. While some people swearoff fast foodcompletely, most of us will partake.According to the Plush Care website,they analyzed thenutritional value offour classic fast-food itemsat the 24 most popular chains, comparing calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium.Unhealthiest CheeseburgersFive Guys topped the list, followed by Whataburger, Smashburger, Carl's, Jr, and Sonic.Unhealthiest Chicken SandwichesPopeyes is number one, followed by Fatburger, Zaxby's, Smashburger, and BojanglesUnhealthiest Chicken NuggetsPopeyes continues to top the chicken list. Arby's is next then Shake Shack, Burger King, and Jack in the Box.Unhealthiest French FriesFive Guys return at another number 1 spot, followed by Steak 'N Shake, Bojangles, Smashburger, and KFC.Click here if you want to see where all 24 chains rank.Meanwhile, the top five unhealthiest chains overall, according to the Cozy Meal website, are Burger King, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, and Jack in the Box.Get our free mobile appThe Craziest Fast Food Menu Items EverFiled Under: Burger King, Fast Food, Taco BellCategories: Longform

Time zones: EST (UTC -5), MST (UTC -7), ART (UTC -3), UTC -4, UTC -4:30, UTC -3, UTC -2Company Overview:We are a forward-thinking staffing agency partnering with innovative companies that prioritize exceptional customer care and operational excellence. Our clients include organizations dedicated to providing meaningful, personalized services to their customers during lifes most important moments.Role Overview:Sales Team Lead to oversee, coach, and inspire a team of 6-8 inbound sales representatives. This role blends team leadership, operational oversight, and hands-on coaching to ensure exceptional service delivery, drive team performance, and solve operational challenges. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic environment, excels in fostering team growth, and has a proven track record in managing inbound sales teams.Key Responsibilities:Team Leadership and DevelopmentConduct regular 1:1s to provide feedback, address challenges, and support team growth.Review calls, texts, and email follow-ups to provide actionable insights for improvement.Assist in hiring, onboarding, and training new team members effectively.Foster a team culture of accountability, first-class hospitality, and continuous improvement.Operational ExcellenceOversee day-to-day operations, ensuring smooth workflows and no missed opportunities.Track and analyze performance metrics to maintain a high win rate and low error rates.Identify and address operational challenges promptly, working cross-functionally to implement solutions.Sales Performance ImprovementCoach team members to close deals effectively, driving higher win rates month over month.Train the team on sales frameworks, techniques, and best practices.Conduct regular call reviews to celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement.Data-Driven Decision-MakingGenerate and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports.Use key metrics and trends to guide decisions and align strategies with business goals.Qualifications:Proven experience leading and developing sales teams in inbound, call-based, B2C sales environments. (Required)At least 5 years of experience in sales with 2+ years in a team management role. (Required)Based in LATAM (Required)Demonstrated ability to drive team engagement, improve performance, and achieve sales targets.Exceptional organizational and operational management skills.Strong analytical skills with experience using data to inform decision-making.A customer-first mindset with a commitment to delivering exceptional service.Why Join Us?This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a growing team. You'll have the chance to shape the future of the sales operation while supporting a team dedicated to delivering exceptional results. If you are driven by leadership, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to excellence, wed love to hear from you!

I've been to more tech events and launches than I can count in my decade-plus as a tech journalist, but Delta's CES 2025 keynote is the only one that has blown me away, both literally and figuratively. That's because the airline combined tech and storytelling to spark an emotional response that felt surprisingly personal and deeply affecting and in doing so, made a canny link to one of the biggest possibilities in the coming year. Delta harnessed the tech at the world's largest spherical venue, the Las Vegas Sphere, which is a giant orb covered inside out in screens, for its centenary event. In honor of 100 years of history, the airline also pulled Viola Davis, Tom Brady and Lenny Kravitz out on stage to turn it into a proper party. But what was especially impressive was how Delta used every bit of immersive power the Sphere possessed to bring the wow factor to a CES that has sorely lacked standout moments to inspire some real excitement about how tech might transform our lives. Viola Davis helped Delta tell its story to the audience. Katie Collins/CNETIn fact, by making full use of the power of the Sphere's tech, it felt like Delta was showing the world how serious it is about technology in a way that many companies, established tech brands included, could learn from. The Sphere's wraparound LED screen served as a canvas for epic storytelling about the airline's past, present and future. So often we're promised by tech companies that their innovations are going to make us feel more connected and bring us more meaningful experiences. Rarely are they ever able to deliver on these promises in a way that feels satisfying to us, the people who end up using that technology. From social media, to VR, to conversational AI, there's a gap between what we're told we'll feel and what we do feel about it. Watch this: Las Vegas Sphere: Everything You Need to Know 06:21 The Sphere, on the other hand, is full of tech that delivers on its promise. It creates a sense of shared wonder that in this case helped me feel emotionally invested in the brand. Even as someone who has never flown Delta before (it's not such a major airline where I live in the UK), I came away with a thorough understanding of the airline's priorities, its people and its announcements, which incorporated an AI concierge and partnerships with Uber and YouTube. Before Delta CEO Ed Bastian even took the stage, the audience was treated to a slow sunrise that stretched across the Sphere's truly enormous 160,000-square-foot screen before a massive Delta plane drove straight towards us. My seat rumbled and I was blasted with a gust of wind that made me feel like I was genuinely being blown off an airport runway. A mesmerizing fireworks display closed the show. Katie Collins/CNETIt was one of several moments during the keynote that Delta used the haptic technology built into every one of the Sphere's 10,000 seats, combined with the visual and audio capabilities of the venue, to create a full-body multisensory experience. At one point, as the screen turned into a giant cockpit and we appeared to careen away from the ground, I felt my eyes cross and my stomach lurch a feeling akin to the kind of travel sickness I've felt before in VR and on rollercoasters. The 3D effect of a spinning globe gave the impression of it filling up the Sphere, while a closing firework display filled the sky with whizzes, pops and bangs that reverberated up through the seats. More intimate moments saw cameras zoom in on long-time Delta employees scattered through the audience, as Bastian paid tribute to their contributions over many years of flying. Lenny Kravitz's set also took advantage of the Sphere's big screens. Katie Collins/CNETEven before the keynote, which took Delta almost a full year to design and prepare for, this event was the hot ticket of CES and as it turned out, rightly so. Perhaps regular Delta flyers might prefer it if the airline had invested that money in expanding legroom, but this often cynical journalist was impressed by the spectacle, which left me feeling more hopeful about technology than I otherwise have at this fairly lacklustre tech show. There was a stark contrast between the stuffy, iterative announcements and the heartfelt presentations by actual Delta flight attendants, which paired with the multisensory nature of the event left me feeling enveloped in the world of a bold, iconic brand that isn't afraid to steal the show. CES 2025: Amazing Futuristic Tech Concepts to Look Forward To See all photos

Solar shingles or solar roofs are an attractive option for many homeowners because they allow you to get solar power without the bulky and unsightly solar panels. Other models on the market include the Tesla Solar Roof, which CNET has reviewed, Luma, Timberline and others.The latest addition to the market comes from Jackery. Unveiled at CES 2025, its new solar roof stands out (or rather, it doesn't) because it's almost indistinguishable from a regular roof. With curved roof tile panels that come with a dark obsidian and terra-cotta options (more to follow), the Jackery Solar Roof can be added on top of your existing roof tiles, blending into the rest of your architecture. Each roof tile weighs about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). CES 2025: The 32 Gadgets and Ideas We Can't Stop Thinking About See all photos Jackery says its solar roof has a 25% cell conversion efficiency, putting it on the high end of solar panel efficiency. Lab testing on the Maxeon 7, the best currently on the market, shows 24.9% cell conversion efficiency and real-world efficiency at 24.1%. If the Jackery solar roof can actually hit 25% in real-world usage, that's an impressive feat, and it would make it one of the most efficient solar cells on the market. Can solar panels save you money? Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and well instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings. In terms of other specs, the rooftop system can generate 170 watts per square meter, with each tile 38W. The tiles come with a 30-year warranty and they're designed to handle extreme weather conditions, including hail and high winds, along with temperatures ranging from -40 degrees to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. The Solar Roof is expected to cost$7,000 to $20,000 on average, with installation costs estimated at $5,000 to $7,000 in the US. Jackery hasn't revealed when exactly the solar roof will be ready for sale yet, but expect it to be released sometime in 2025. The second generation Jackery 3000 is a solar generator with an instantaneous UPS switchover. JackeryJackery says the solar roof is compatible with smart energy management systems, Jackery's own solar generatorsand battery systems like the Jackery 5000 Plus and the HomePower EnergySystem the company is launching later this year. The HomePower is particularly interesting because it's a modular energy system that can be scaled up with stacks ranging from 7.7 kilowatt-hours to 15.4kWh. You can get a total system capacity of 123.2kWh per inverter. The setup consists of battery units, a hybrid inverter that can operate on or off-grid and a hub to manage loads. The Solar Generator 5000 Plus can be paired with the Smart Transfer Switch. JackeryAlso revealed at CES, Jackery has the new Solar Generator 5000 Plus kit and Solar Generator 3000v2. The 5000 Plus is a larger LFP system that can deliver up to 14,400W of power with two units paired with the Jackery Smart Transfer Switch. With all the modular extensions, the full ecosystem can reach 60kWh.Jackery says the 3000v2 is the smallest and lightest solar generator and power station, with a 3600W output and 0 millisecond UPS switchover functionality. It hooks up to solar panels to keep devices and appliances running during a blackout and it's resistant to bumpy roads, dust and temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be available later this year. It's expected to cost $2,499. Considering Solar Panels? Our email course will walk you through how to go solar The DC-DC car charge is five times faster than a regular 12V outlet. JackeryLast but not least, there's a new DC-DC car charger. Once installed, it provides 600W rapid charging, five times faster than the standard 12V car outlet charger. It can work with solar panels on your vehicle or RV and pairs with the Solar Generator 1000 Plus, which is designed for campers.

There weren't a lot of duplicate products at CES 2025, but some trends sure felt repetitive, from AI everywhere to robots -- the good, the bad and the just plain creepy. But, we also saw smart-time and labor-saving devices for your home and lots of eye-popping concepts. Here's what CES 2025 says about the tech we'll be seeing later this year and beyond. If you're impatient, though, there are someCES products you can buy now (or soon).We winnowed down the plethora of products at the show to come up with the official winners for Best of CES 2025.Robots keep getting better, smarter, cuter, smaller and creepierMost of the non-novelty robots shown at CES bear a functional resemblance to the robots used commercially -- by that I mean you can tell they're the product of the same research in movement and AI as they pick things up, fold, clean and so on. Expensive models like Mi-Mo, Beatbot, R2D3 and more. Samsung's yellow Ballie home robot is going to ship this year. James Martin/CNETMore consumer-friendly models were less functional, like thetiny, fuzzy bots that you hang on your handbag as a fashion statementor the adorable model with huge anime eyes that follows you around on wheels but seems like a surveillance nightmare (the TCL AI Me). There were also the concepts of yesteryear that finally edged toward saleability, such asSamsung's Ballie -- a spherical bot with a projector in its belly, like a baby Teletubbie. Watch this: Sorry, There Are No 'Best Robots' at CES This Year 03:22 Of course, on the "whut?" front perches atiny robot whose function is simply to blow on hot beverages.But the models that resonated the most with us were home helpers that don't cost tens of thousands of dollars, likeRoborock's Saros Z70robot vacuum cleaner -- it sports an arm that can pick up your socks -- or Eureka's J15 Max Ultra, which detects spills and untangles its own brushes. And one of the most innovative was the Lymow One, a robot mower that cuts the grass and feeds mulched matter back to your lawn. There's always a ton of laundry robots -- unsurprising given how much everyone hates laundry -- like Tenet's AI Laundry Robot, which washes and folds.And we can't forget the token "most human-looking" robot, Realbotix's $175K Aria robot, which is designed for "companionship and intimacy" -- and looks it, given she's built along the lines of an old-school Barbie. CES 2025: Robots and AI Want to Be Everywhere You Are See all photos Ultimately, we chose not to pick a best robot because of how removed they were from interaction. In fact, many of the expensive models were in more of a zoo environment: Look at the magical creature in its habitat, repeatedly picking things up and moving them elsewhere. That's the kind of thing we've been seeing for years. James Martin/CNETNvidia doesn't make robots, but it's been working on its robot LLMs and operating systems for years. And every time Nvidia trots out this visual at its events, I can't help but think that Nvidia is building a robot army. Well, that and Metropolis.AI inside, again, but more powerfulThere seemed to be less hype about AI in devices (though it's possible I have successfully learned to tune it out), but about the same in mobile apps like Delta's AI concierge. However, it was everywhere in laptops thanks to the annual chip updates from Intel and AMD-- which of course brought the usual faster, better and improved battery life -- plus bundles of "try it!" software for your out-of-the-box AI experience. Watch this: Everything Announced at Nvidia's CES Event in 12 Minutes 11:47 But in this respect, Nvidia stole the show for its Cosmos AI model(Nvidia has been working on and licensing its various models for autonomous cars, robots and more for years, but this seemed to be its biggest "moment"), as well as its unveiling of the newest generation of consumer graphics.Read more:Nvidia Hands-Down Won AI at CES 2025, and Also the Show Itself. Here's Why That MattersThe GeForce RTX 50 seriesnot only promises the typical performance bump PC gamers expect, but thanks to the new Blackwell generation of GPUs, it brings more powerful and better generative AI capabilities down to your local system. That means cheaper entry for developers, the ability for end users to run bigger models, as well speed improvements (via Nvidia's DLSS 4) and more sophisticated capabilities for games. Watch this: These New Smart Glasses Want to Be Your Next AI Companion 02:31 There weren't a lot of new smart glasses, but Halliday's stood out for the way they present information: Rather than on the screen, they have a tiny monochrome display that shows text.Read more:Commentary: The Smart Glasses Moment Is Here. But They're Still Missing Something BigThe big AI news for cars at CES wasn't, for once, autonomininity: It was Volkswagen bringing ChatGPT to its voice assistant for more complex, natural-language help.Read more:Nvidia's CEO Explains How Its New AI Models Could Work on Future Smart GlassesCouch potato 'tainmentOne of CES' core pillars is entertainment (it used to be baked right into the name), which generally means TVs and audio. There weren't any new screen technologies, but there were improvements and innovations with existing ones. The suction cups on the back of the Displace TV James Martin/CNETTweaks to OLED came to TVs, with LG's G5 OLED's quality bump impressing us the most for its better brightness and contrast, along with HiSense's 116-inch MicroLED model. But the TV that seemed to make the biggest impact on us were Displace's hang-anywhere-thanks-to-huge-suction-cups TVs, shipping versions of prototypes we've seen in past years. Watch this: Displace TV's 55-Inch Television Hangs From a Wall Using Suction Cups 03:15 I think its impact was partly due to the enormous opportunity for "suck" puns.There was the usual complement of gaming desktops, laptops and monitors, the latter offering the typical year upgrade to higher refresh rates (500Hz and 600Hz). Watch this: Lenovo's New Legion Go S Gaming Handheld Is Lighter and Smaller but Packs a Big Surprise 03:30 But the biggest hit was Lenovo's new handheld console. The company is the first to offer (or at least announce) a SteamOS-based model, one of the new Legion G S models. Acer's Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handheld, however, earned some mockery, because you can't really respect a "handheld" if it's bigger than your head.Read more:Commentary: The Time for an Xbox Handheld Is NowBut it was also kind of hard to sustain excitement about gaming hardware at CES this year, because of a shiny new thing possibly on the horizon. Rumors say the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming soon.Health and beauty, the staples of CESSometimes I think CES specializes in sleep, skin and smart rings, plus technology designed to make you feel like a loser -- so manysmart mirrors, though none yet use generative AI to simulate your mother's critical voice or to show you what you could look like if you just tried harder. But maybe that's just me.There may not have been as many this year, but there were some standouts. Withing's Omnia smart mirror combines a scale and a mirror to not only tell you if you're overweight and in bad health, but to show you as well. There's always a device for analyzing your skin to tell you what to buy to fix it, such as L'Oreal's BioPrint. (To be fair, I don't know what it's suggestions are.) Watch this: I Said Yes to Trying a Smart Ring You Can Propose With 01:45 And, oh, the rings. One way to attract attention among the plethora of rings designed to monitor your health is to make it gold and platinum, like the UltraHuman Rare ring: Nothing's more romantic than a ring that says, "Marry me" and "Please don't die," simultaneously. Or alternatively, "Show me off on Instagram."Don't forget the annual dose of flatware that makes you healthier. This year's entrant is Kirin Electric Salt Spoon, intended to give you that salty taste without any of the nasty sodium -- by zapping your tongue with a bit of electricity. On the other hand, if they could do that for chocolate, I'd be first in line. Lisa Eadicicco/CNETAnd while the Nike x Hyperice's "boatlike booties are basically recovery high-tops festooned with buttons and designed to help your weary tootsies recover from soreness and strain," they sound pretty awesome.But there were some truly practical and innovative new products, like the Ozlo Sleepbuds, which stay in, are flush with your ears for side sleepers and have sensors and other tech to help improve the quality of your sleep. Our team also called out the YoctoMat, a smart yoga mat that provides feedback on your poses. And while I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as health or beauty, in the interest of hydration, the Roam SodaTop is a bottle cap with a CO2 cartridge so you can carbonate your water on the go.Home is where the heat isHome tech tends to cover a lot of bases, many of them robotic. No one really likes to vacuum, do laundry or mow the lawn like the AI-driven robot vacuums and lawnmower I mentioned above.Read more:Commentary I Really Don't Want an AI Pot to Turn My Plant Into a Tamagotchi From HellVideo smart locks seemed to be the focus of home security upgrades this year -- we call out Lockly's Vision Prestige and TCLs Smart Lock D1 Ultra-- providing more information than existing models. Notable, also, because someone breaking in doesn't use the video doorbell. 23 Fascinating Home Tech Gadgets We Saw at CES 2025, the Biggest Tech Show on Earth See all photos Cooling and heating were hot as well, especially Samsung's DHS Mono R32 HT heat pump, which heats outside air, condenses it to water and feeds it to your water tank. As an apartment dweller, I'm partial to the Gradient All-Weather 120V Window Heat Pump, which supplies heat when the weather gets frosty. Cooling and heating go hand-in-hand with utility bills and power backup -- I was really intrigued by the BioLite, which provides battery backup for a couple of key appliances, like the refrigerator. And Savant's Smart Budget is designed to save you money by routing power automatically (and manually) to balance output, thereby potentially saving you the expense of rewiring your home to support new, power-sucking devices. Plus, Aqara introduced the Touchscreen Dial V1, a clever and useful dial that can control all your smart devicesAnd lest we forget the bread-and-butter of small appliances. There are always plenty, though really it's the oddballs and gimmicks that catch more attention than the mundane. This year, we saw the phone-controlled Panasonic HomeChef 4-in-1 Multi-Oven, the Apecoo tortilla and roti maker (food samples reallyseemed to attract us), LG's "Perfect Fancy Microwave for Social Media" with a 27-inch display and much, much more.The future and the future's futureThe big deals for cars (and other things that tote people) tend to be new technologies and other future-flung concepts. BMW gave us panoramic IDrive with operating system X, a three-tier, ultra wide holographic 3D windshield display that's actually not too far out from your next BMW, and Hyundai Mobis holographic windshield display one-ups it by constraining the angle of view to the driver. Watch this: Aptera Solar EV Gets All the Energy It Needs From the Sun 04:45 We see flying cars at the show every year, but sadly we're no closer to me getting one. This year's concept-du-jour was the Xpeng AeroHT, a massive six-wheeler with an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle in its trunk. Aptera's solar EV isn't a flying car, but it really looks like it should have wings.The Pebble Flow Electric RV concept -- solar chargeable -- came back for a visit, as did Sony's Afeela, and the latter is ready for your money, if not delivery. Honda trotted out prototypes of its 0 series EVs (one step closer to reality than the concept we saw last year), a sports sedan and a van. See the new photos.But a new motor concept claims to vastly increase the range of EVs -- arguably more important than all the shiny paint and glowy dashboards. Geoffrey Morrison/CNETAnother concept that appealed to me personally was Nanosys' next-genMicroLED, dubbedUV LED, which uses ultraviolet light to energize RGB quantum dots to precise frequencies: Different lIght frequencies are how we perceive color. MicroLED may potentially supplant OLED in big screens and small. It somewhat upstaged Samsung's MicroLED watch concept with an uber-bright screen. Samsung also brought us a somewhat disturbing-lookingstretchable screenfor a 3D-ish view and a transparent MicroLED screen. Lenovo's concept ThinkBook with a rollable screen looks and gesture controls appear sleek.In a class by itself, the Flint Paper Batteryclaims to be a new, sustainable power source that may eventually replace lithium ion with cellulose. Watch this: I Made Things Weird Trying TSA's New Shoe Scanner Machine 03:53 Finally, I will never forget Bridget Carey smuggling Gummy Worms in her shoe to test TSA's new scanner -- after complaining about the ick factor of shuffling our socks or bare soles across a floor that's had thousands of other shoes scrape across it. Gummy Worms in your shoe has a pretty high ick factor, too.

January 10, 20253 min readU.S. TikTok Ban Looms as Supreme Court Hears ArgumentsTikTok is on the clock: ByteDance, the apps China-based owner, must sell it by January 19 or face a banBy Ben Guarino edited by Dean VisserParticipants hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building on March 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAbout 170 million people use TikTok in the U.S., but that number could abruptly plummet toward zero if a law signed by President Joe Biden goes into effect on January 19. The law forces a choice for ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok: it must either sell the app to a non-Chinese company or face a ban. ByteDance has repeatedly said the app is not for sale.Instead the company sued to keep the TikTok app available in the U.S.and that case has now made its way before the Supreme Court. In oral arguments on Friday, Noel Francisco, attorney for ByteDances U.S. subsidiary TikTok, Inc., argued that the new law violates the First Amendment rights of that subsidiary, likening TikToks curation algorithm to editorial discretion. U.S. solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar, arguing on behalf of the nations government, countered that China does not have a First Amendment right to manipulate content in the U.S. And she claimed that the Chinese government could weaponize TikTok at any time to harm the United States.The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision within the next nine days.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Why is the clock ticking for TikTok?Congress, which passed the TikTok law with bipartisan support, says Chinas influence over the platform poses a national security threat. The Department of Justice has raised concerns as well, including the potential collection of personal data from the apps millions of American users and the potential covert manipulation of its content. (Although there is evidence that ByteDance shared non-U.S. user data with China, the U.S. government has not provided direct proof that the company or its subsidiary have meddled with American users.)What might happen?If TikTok loses its case, as I understand it, we go dark, Francisco told the Supreme Court on Friday. Americans would no longer be able to download or update TikTok from Googles or Apples app stores. Internet service providers, too, would face severe penalties if they permitted TikTok access to U.S. users.Americans may react in similar ways as former TikTok users elsewhere. After India banned the app in 2020, users flocked to other forms of short-form video, such as Instagram reels and YouTube Shorts. It is also possible to access blocked content via virtual private networks, or VPNs, which could disguise traffic to make it appear to originate from a country where TikTok wasnt banned.President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, has asked the Supreme Court to delay interpreting the law until he takes office. An amicus brief filed on his behalf claims his consummate dealmaking expertise could save the platform while addressing the national security concerns. Last September Trump promised to save the app, posting on his social media network Truth Social, FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP! Legal scholars have criticized Trumps request for a delay.Is the possible TikTok ban legal? Is it security theater?Civil liberties and free speech organizations oppose the ban, contending that it violates Americans rights under the First Amendment. Restricting citizens access to foreign media is a practice that has long been associated with the worlds most repressive regimes, and it would be deeply unfortunate if the Supreme Court let this practice take root here, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, in a news release issued by the institute on Thursday.Some free speech experts have argued that such a TikTok ban is more about political posturing than protecting users. Such a move does little to stop data brokers from selling U.S. users information, whether to overseas tech companies or intermediaries who, in turn, can sell it to foreign governments. Banning access to one application does not create safety or security for Americans data from China or from any other country, said Kate Ruane, an attorney at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a nonprofit civil rights organization, in an interview with Scientific American last year.