"They let us get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now."Under-ReactingAs his national funeral unfolds, you've probably heard tales of the good deeds of former president Jimmy Carter.One story that's gotten surprisingly little attention, though: nearly three-quarters of a century ago, a youthful Carter was brought in during the world's first nuclear reactor meltdown to lead a toxic cleanup crew,where he led the charge into the hazardous scene.AsFox 5 Atlanta recounts, the Georgia-born late president who died on December 29 at the ripe old age of 100 was just 28 years old when he was brought in to help clean up nuclear waste at an NRX research reactor in Chalk River, Canada.During a cold December day in 1952, the reactor located just a few hours away from the Canadian capital of Ottawa suffered a partial meltdown when some of its fuel rods burst, Fox 5 notes. As a result, more than a million gallons of radioactive water flooded to the facility's basement and somebody with expertise was needed to clean it up.As it turned out, Carter was the man for the job.Bottom of EverythingAfter working as a Naval submarine officer, the young military man had just begun his tenure at the US Atomic Energy Commission when the meltdown occurred. As he toldCNN back in 2011, Carter was at the time "one of the few people in the world who had clearance to go into a nuclear power plant."Carter and a team of 22 men were sent in to do the cleanup, and the officer who'd grown up on a peanut farm outside of Atlanta was himself lowered into the depths of the Canadian reactor.Despite the danger, the late president told CNN's Arthur Milnes that the incident was "a very exciting time for me."Still, exposure to the waste had lasting effects on Carter."We were fairly well instructed then on what nuclear power was, but for about six months after that I had radioactivity in my urine," he told CNN. "They let us get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now. It was in the early stages, and they didn't know."The cleanup was a success, and the Chalk River reactor was reopened two years later. Carter's career in the military, however, ended less than a year after the incident in 1953, when he was honorably discharged from the Navy and began running his family's peanut farm.More on disasters: NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab Evacuated as Los Angeles BurnsShare This Article

Talk about advanced squeezing technique. Party On, ChickenChick-fil-A has built an armada of robots to squeeze citrus for its delectable lemonade, turning the God-fearing fast food chain's lemonade plant into a veritable lemon party.AsBloomberg reports, the chicken chain's Santa Clarita, California plant is home to driverless forklifts, gigantic mechanic lemon-grabbing arms, automated rollers, and even robotic reamers that deliver, drop, clean, and squeeze the fruits.Using the bots, Chick-fil-A not only creates the lemonade that's become its staple beverage, but also extracts oils to sell to cosmetics and fragrance companies hungry for that coveted lemony scent. Whereas human squeezers were only able to use about 40 percent of the fruit, this army of robotic juicers apparently manages to use nearly the whole thing.Per figures that Chick-fil-A shared with the business publication, this automation saves up to 10,000 hours of work per day. According to one human worker who oversaw that hand job, the labor-intensive nature of that dirty work will not be missed."Squeezing lemons was not a fun job," Kurt Cahill, a senior leader at the company who helped develop the lemonade plant, told Bloomberg. "Nobody liked doing it."Life Gives You LemonsWhereas workers used to have to load small amounts of lemons into in-store juicers, the Santa Clarita plant's only human intervention comes on the conveyor belts that require people to pick out the bad apples er, lemons.After the driverless forklifts bring the fruits into the facility, they're sent through automated rollers that look like ginormous versions of the hot dog rollers seen inside convenience stores except these ones have tiny teeth on them that extract the oils that now provide Chick-fil-A with a revenue stream that it didn't have before.Human workers on the conveyor line then collect fruit that exploded from their intensive massages before they're loaded into one of nine huge extractors, which slice and ream the lemons before they're squeezed to completion by rapidly-spinning automated mixers. The pure juice that results is mixed after the fact with pulp before being shipped off in Franzia-style bags to stores, where employees add water and sugar or Splenda to finish the job.Amid anxiety about artificial intelligence and robots replacing human workers, the removal of this tedious task doesn't seem all that bad and the videos Bloomberg published of these fruits dancing at their lemon party are delightful, anyway.More on automation: Amazon Robots Struggling to Keep Up With Human WorkersShare This Article

Are baby elephants, which weigh hundreds of pounds at birth, tiny enough to fit squarely within the bounds of a human palm? Common sense would say no but Google's AI Overview, or the AI-generated summary of web content that now often pops up at the top of Google results pages, seems to think the answer is yes.A Google search for "baby elephant" returns an incongruous AI summary that, despite accurately noting that newborn elephant calves "weigh between 200 and 364" pounds and "stand about 3 [feet] tall," inexplicably includes an obviously fake image of a teacup-sized elephant nestled into the palm of a human hand. It's smaller than Demi Moore's dog and yes, it's clearly AI-generated.Things only get worse from there. A simple click on the image reveals that it was created by an Etsy user named DazzlingVisions, who's selling the synthetic photo along with many other similar images depicting a variety of tiny versions of definitely-much-larger animals as a "digital print" for a dirt-cheap $1.69. The critter is described in an associated caption as an "adorable/impossible baby elephant."The Overview slip-up is a fascinating instance of Google's AI search feature blending sound information with glaring fabulism, resulting in a confusing information stew and again calling the discernment of the search giant's AI Overview how it sources text and imagery, and what it considers reliable into question.The Etsy seller themself, after all, noted that the elephant was "impossible." How did it make its way into Google's AI summary?The bizarre inclusion is the latest hiccup for Google's AI search function, which has drawn widespread ridicule and numerous controversies since its release in 2023. Growing public controversy around the feature's oft-questionable results reached a fever pitch in 2024, when the tool was found telling people they should eat rocks for their health, or consider mixing Elmer's glue into pizza sauce to ensure optimal cheese stickiness.Meanwhile, among plenty of other gaffes, users also found that the tool falsely referred to Barack Obama as the "first Muslim president" a troubling harkening back to the debunked Birther conspiracy. Our reporting has found the AI Overview offering terrible, deeply mangled geography information, as well as some very gross not to mention ill-advised! guidance for parents hoping to bathroom-train their kids.In each of these varied instances, the issue seemed to come down to one very important quality: nuance.Take the example of the AI suggesting that users might consider chowing down on rocks. Its source for this very bad piece of advice wasThe Onion the satirical website that publishes news-likecomedy articles, which the AI seemingly took at face value. As for the the glue-on-pizza advice? That brain blast came from a decade-old Reddit comment posted by a user who went by the moniker "Fucksmith." Not exactly a reliable source.And now, of course, we have AI Overview's embrace of "adorable/impossible baby elephant," which speaks once again to the AI's apparent lack of media literacy and, by the same token, renews concerns around the search tool's usefulness. Over a year in, is Google's AI Overview making searchers' lives easier? Or is it muddying information waters, and causing more problems than it's worth?More on Google's Search AI: Google Is Stuffing Annoying Ads Into Its Terrible AI Search FeatureShare This Article

MediaBuyer.com is seeking a Head of Operations & Client Success who has a strong background in operations management, client success, or marketing-related roles.If you have excellent operational and problem-solving skills or have worked with any type of paid advertising, this would be a great long-term fit for you with very high growth potential.At MediaBuyer.com, we exclusively work with large VIP clients and renowned brands spending hundreds of thousands/millions per month in paid ads, such as Google and YouTube ads, Meta and IG, TikTok, etc. Our approach centers around personalized, 1-to-1 client attention.As Head of Operations at MediaBuyer.com, you'll own critical business operations while ensuring exceptional customer experiences and building the operational backbone to scale to hundreds of active clients. You will become a very high value connector in the paid ads industry collaborating with some of the best ad talent in the world to help brands maximize their reach and impact.If youre interested, please send your resume along with a short video highlighting your favorite superhero or movie character and explaining the main reason behind your choice.RequirementsYOU MUST have these skills:Experience building and optimizing operational systems and processesAbility to prioritize and organize multiple projectsExperience with paid advertising (Google/YouTube, Meta, TikTok, etc)Past experience managing multiple high-end clients, preferably for online businessesPerfect written and verbal communication skillsExtreme attention to detailPreferable:Past experience running ads or hiring/managing media buyersFamiliar with standard recruiting practicesResponsibilities:Operations:Build and optimize the operational backbone needed to scale to 100+ active clients and deliver the highest level of experience to customersHandle core business operations, including team coordination, process optimization, vendor and client relationships, and billing.Collaborate with leadership team to define and execute strategic initiatives for scaling operations and enhancing customer satisfaction.Create documentation, SOPs and playbooks for ongoing improved efficiency and scaling operationsTrack and improve key customer success metricsIdentify and implement efficiency improvements across the customer successClient Success:Own the end-to-end client experience from onboarding to ongoing Rolls-Royce level concierge supportManage daily communication with clients and team, primarily written communication via Slack (minimal meetings)Lead client calls with leadership team, including kick-off calls, and monthly performance reviewsInterface with our community and Media Buyer talent to support them when neededWe are very close to scale mode at our company, so there is very high potential for growth and impact here. We bring on brands that you have probably heard of already. We serve well-known brands, including large celebrity influencers, major commerce brands, and people you see on TV or advertising on TV.If youre looking to work with exciting and impactful online businesses that contribute useful products & services to humanity, we got them. As we scale, you'll have the opportunity to build teams and shape our companys operations while growing alongside industry leaders.BenefitsAt MediaBuyer.com, we hire people to work with us for 5-10 years plus. Our main focus is fostering long-term relationships, coaching our team members and helping them grow in the company to become more valuable long-term assets.We are not looking for short-term mercenary types.We are 100% remote.You will be looked after and part of our online tight-knit family. There is also significant potential for career growth, and we offer profit-sharing with core team members. Our team leaders started in support roles, and we prioritize promoting and hiring from within! We hire based on culture first, ability to learn a fast second, and skills last.VisionWe are building the most transparent and merit-based media buyer marketplace on the web. Though our ultimate mission is to transform advertising into a force for good by uniting purpose-driven brands with proven media buyers who can help them grow.We want to be a 1-click catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to instantly and ethically promote morally good products that contribute to humanity. Ultimately, we aspire to make advertising more truthful, informative, and entertaining.This role begins part-time with clear transition to full-time.

Smart locks have been going contactless all year, frompalm reading technology to increased compatibility with Apple Home Keys. But here at CESthis week, Schlage is one of the very few brands to go a different direction with something called ultra-wideband, or UWB, a frequency that specializes in tracking the exact location of a target.Other hands-free unlocking via Bluetooth, for example, can unlock your door early when you start getting near your home or apartment. That can make people nervous or lead to worries that the door was never locked to start with. To make the process smoother, Schlage's particularly smooth-looking Sense Pro increases accuracy with UWB. As a result, Schlage's smart deadbolt can rapidly connect to an authorized phone and calculate its speed, trajectory and motion. In theory, that allows the lock to open only as the wielder reaches the door, not before nor with annoying delays. Whether you're ambling with a tired toddler or rushing to get groceries indoors in the rain, the lock is made to respond at just the right time. Schlage is planning a new app for 2025, too. SchlageThe Sense Pro also works with Matter, supports NFC locking/unlocking and includes a keypad for people who want to switch to more limited access options. And Schlage plans an update of its app in early 2025 too, focused on making it more streamlined and informative at a glance. If UWB target prediction doesn't razzle your dazzle, Schlage is releasing an additional lock, the Arrive deadbolt. While the Schlage Arrive doesn't have location tricks, it is does come with built-in Wi-Fi support so you don't need an additional hub to connect it and manage access codes from anywhere. CES 2025: See the 35 Coolest Tech Products We Can't Shake See all photos If you're intrigued by Schlage's location-sensing technology, you'll have to wait until later in 2025 for more details. Schlage has announced neither a firm release window nor a price yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated when we learn more.See the official Best of CES winners here, and find out what innovations have impressed us the most this year.

Nest Bedding Cooling Topper Best cooling mattress topper $269 at Nest Bedding Layla Memory Foam Topper Best mattress topper for side sleepers $349 at Layla Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper Best firm mattress topper $399 at Birch Living Linenspa Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper Best budget mattress topper $60 at Amazon ViscoSoft Serene Hybrid Best pillow top mattress topper $170 at Amazon Buying a mattress is a significant investment, often costing anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on its quality and features. When you're spending this much, it's only natural to expect it to last. However, that pillow top can wear out, older foams can start breaking down, and sometimes you just need your current mattress to last another six months before you move out of state and buy a new bed.Mattress toppers go beyond the plush feel of a good mattress pad and give us inches of memory foam, latex, or fiber padding to boost the comfort of your mattress at the very least or make your bed feel brand new at best. I've tested dozens of mattress toppers over the years and rounded up the best mattress toppers for this list. As someone who tests sleep products for a living, I've seen it all, which is why I'm confident about my picks for this list. I've broken down the best mattress toppers below according to type, and the sleep issues I think they'll help most with.Prices shown are for the queen size mattress topper. We update this list periodically. You're going to need deeper pockets: Best Bed Sheets for 2025Best mattress toppers for 2025 Nest Bedding Hot sleepers (like me) who seek temperature relief during the night, but don't have the money to buy a new, breathable mattress might enjoy the cooling topper from Nest Bedding.This cooling topper is two inches thick and made with its special Energex foam, which feels airy and responsive. I think it's similar to neutral foam, as opposed to memory foam, which can be dense and slow to respond. You can see little air bubbles in the foam, allowing more airflow to move through the bed. Wrapping the slab of foam is a textured gray cover with straps on all four corners to secure the topper to the mattress, which effectively keeps it from sliding around on the bed.The cover is made with the same cooling material found in the Nest Alexander mattresses. It's not ice-cold, but it's not soft or heat-retaining like other toppers might be. When you run your hand across the cover, the fibers feel more smooth than fluffy and help contribute to a more temperature-neutral sleep.Pros:Good for any sleeping positionStraps secure this topper to your bedCons:Only one thickness optionNot actively coolingAdditional details:Price: $$Thickness: 2 inchesFirmness: MediumWarranty: 2-year warrantyTrial: 30 nights $269 at Nest Bedding Slumber Yard If you're a side sleeper looking to soften up your bed, or you just want to add another layer of plushness to your already cozy mattress, I'd consider the Layla memory foam topper. It's not a dense memory foam feel, but a light and airy one, similar to the feel of the Layla mattress.This memory foam mattress topper is infused with copper gel beads, and on its website, Layla describes the feel as "cooler than cool." I don't want you to get your hopes up that this is a cooling topper that will provide an ultimate cooling sensation, but you should be relieved to know it doesn't sleep hot. I didn't feel overly warm while on this topper, and I'm a particularly hot sleeper. So, unless you live in a hot region or you refuse to run a fan on a hot summer night, I think it's going to be pretty comfortable for you.The Layla topper will add two inches to the height of your existing bed. It's definitely on the soft side of the spectrum, so I repeat: Side sleepers, this memory foam mattress topper is definitely for you! It'll make your firm mattress feel soft and your soft mattress feels even softer.I also really love how it comes with a cover, and appreciate the detail in the hexagonal, honeycomb-like pattern. A twin-size Layla topper retails for $280 and goes up to $449 for a California king, though you can save 20% at the ongoing summer sale.Read more: Layla Mattress Review 2024 Pros:Neutral foam feelInfused with cooper gel beadsGreat for side sleepers who need pressure reliefCons:Might be too soft for stomach or back sleepersAdditional details:Price: $$Thickness: 2 inchesFirmness: Medium-softWarranty: 5-year warrantyTrial: 30 nights $349 at Layla Birch There are plenty of benefits to a firm topper like the one from Birch, including the fact that it's made with nontoxic, sustainably sourced materials. The Birch Plush Organic cotton and latex topper is also hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so mold, bacteria, mildew and other household allergens can't collect on the inside. Additionally, this latex mattress topper can be considered a cooling topper because it allows for more airflow than your typical memory foam or poly foam topper, thanks to the perforations down the foam.The Birch topper is made with a slab of certified organic latex, soft organic wool and an organic cotton cover. It feels super-bouncy, supportive and supple. The Birch topper immediately bounces back when you take away the pressure, and you sit more on top of the layer rather than deep inside. I'd rate the Birch topper around a medium-firm to firm on the scale, or around a seven to eight: It's definitely firm and probably best for people who want to make their bed feel more solid. I'd even call it the best firm mattress topper on the market.Natural latex and organic products aren't necessarily cheap, but keep in mind the extra care it took to reach the final product and you can see the value.Pros:GOTS and GREENGUARD Gold certifiedFree of harsh chemicals like VOCs and flame retardantsCons:On the expensive sideAdditional details:Price: $$$Thickness: 2 inchesFirmness: Medium firm to firmWarranty: 10-year warrantyTrial: 100 nights $399 at Birch Living Linenspa If you want a mattress topper with Prime shipping, check out the two- or three-inch-thick Linenspa topper. Both toppers (which are identical except for the thickness) have over 50,000 reviews on Amazon and boast a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. For the price, I'd have to agree with the majority of sleepers.The three-inch option is soft and will feel more plush, whereas the two-inch model feels a slight bit firmer. When you press your whole hand into the gel memory foam, it takes a few seconds for it to spring back into its original form. It ultimately will come down to the money you want to spend, and how soft a mattress profile you want.The Linenspa mattress topper is covered in tiny blue beads that promote heat distribution across the topper, instead of allowing your body heat to collect around your midsection and warm you up while you sleep. It doesn't sleep cool, but it is better than a traditional memory foam topper.Now, let's get to one of the best parts about the Linenspa topper. For a two-inch, prices start at $40 for a twin model and go up to $80 for a California king size.Pros:Infused with cooling gel2 thickness optionsConforming memory foam feelCertiPUR-US certifiedCons:Not for people who want to make their mattress firmerNo straps to keep it in placeNo trial periodAdditional details:Price: $Thickness: 2 or 3 inchesFirmness: MediumWarranty: 3-year limited warrantyTrial: NA $60 at Amazon ViscoSoft If you're into the clean, white, luxe-looking style, then you might appreciate the ViscoSoft Serene Hybrid topper. It's called a hybrid because there are two different parts to it; the slab of memory foam, and the down-alternative pillow top. You get the best of both worlds: a supportive base and a plush, fluffy top layer. You can choose between a four-inch or three-inch profile.I really like this topper because I don't love the feel of memory foam, and the fluffy down-alternative layer neutralizes the feel so it's not as slow responding or nestling as the traditional stuff. Plus, the pillow-top cover is made from satin and has a 300-thread count, so it feels super-smooth and soft to the touch.The cover completely wraps the memory foam slab and goes all the way down to the bottom of the mattress, where you tuck it on the bottom like you would with a fitted sheet. That way, it stays put on your mattress and won't slide around if you tend to toss and turn in bed.Another plus about the cover besides its coziness is that it's machine washable. Remove the straps, take the memory foam layer out from inside, and throw it in the washing machine. Just make sure you wash with cold water and tumble dry.Pros:Machine washable cover2 thickness optionsMultiple layers of foamCons:Too soft for stomach sleepersNo cooling technologyAdditional details:Price: $$Thickness: 4 or 3 inchesFirmness: Medium firm Warranty: 5-year warrantyTrial: 60 nights $170 at Amazon $200 at Walmart How we tested the best mattress toppersOur team of experts has years of experience testing beds and sleeping accessories. Over that time, we've developed various methods of assessing each product. Our extensive catalog of testing products allowed us to compare each mattress topper to each other.Firmness and feelMattress toppers are an excellent option if you want to change the feel or firmness of your mattress without buying a new one. They're more affordable and can make a big difference in your sleep.You can think of firmness as how hard or soft the mattress topper is. We rate each topper on a scale of 1 to 10, corresponding to industry terms like medium or medium firm. Feel is how we best describe how the mattress topper responds to pressure. Does it have a slow, sinking memory foam feel? Or does it snap back from pressure like latex foam?ConstructionWhen assessing each mattress topper, we note its thickness and what it's made of. Many are slabs of foam, though some offer a combination of materials that make it better for some sleepers. We also note any additional features a topper may have, like cooling technology or straps that fasten it to the bed.Warranty and trial informationWarranties and trials are standard in the mattress industry; just about every bed will have one. While this mostly applies to mattress toppers, some will not offer a trial period or warranty. All of this information can be found in each review.What to consider when shopping for the best mattress topperThere are a ton of mattress toppers out there, all of which will vary in price, quality and durability. To ensure you're getting the best bang for your buck, you should consider these key factors while shopping:Material: What the topper is made from will determine how it feels on your mattress. If you're not a fan of a memory foam feel, then you should consider a mixed foam or pillow top topper instead.Thickness and firmness: Mattress toppers make your mattress more comfortable by changing how it feels or the firmness. Determining what outcome you want from the topper will help you narrow down the thickness and firmness you should select.Additional features: Some toppers will have other features like cooling technology that some folks want. While not all cooling mattress toppers will actively cool you, many will keep heat from being trapped on your body while you sleep.What are the different types of mattress toppers?Memory foamIf you want to add pressure relief to your bed that cradles your curves, youll probably want a memory foam mattress topper. There are several types of memory foam options, from slow-moving vicious toppers to gel-infused cooling toppers that can help you stay cool at night. This type of topper generally has great motion isolation and pressure relief, though they can be harder to move around on.LatexLatex foam toppers are more responsive than memory foam toppers, meaning they will spring back quicker, making changing positions easier. They are great for people who want pressure relief but dont love the feel of memory foam. They also have perforations that increase airflow.Natural latex foam is antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. Natural latex foam mattress toppers tend to be heavier than other types and more expensive.FeatherFeather mattress toppers resemble more of a fluffy comforter than a slab topper. They are a luxurious option if you like the sensation of feathers, although they require regular fluffing to maintain comfort as the feathers tend to compress over time. Sometimes, the shafts of the feathers can poke through the cover.Polyester fiber filledFor those looking for a budget option, polyester fiber-filled mattress toppers are the answer. Fiber-filled toppers are an excellent option for someone who lives with allergies but likes the sensation of feelings of feathers.Fiber-filled mattress toppers squish down quickly, so they might not last as long as a different type. They are not a good solution for softening the firmness of your bed.Other mattress toppers we've testedThere are other mattress toppers that we've tested that didn't make the list. Many of which are still worth considering.Tempur Adapt Topper: If you're a hot sleeper looking for relief, the Tempur Adapt cooling mattress topper may work for you. It's cool to the touch and has a medium-firm profile that most people will like. It also has a removable cover.Saatva Cooling Graphite Mattress Topper: Best mattress topper FAQs Do mattress toppers make a big difference? Yes, a mattress topper can help solve a lot of issues you may be having with your current mattress. It can help make it firmer, soften it up, add a few layers of thickness for more support, and it can change up the feel of your mattress. For example, if you decide you dislike memory foam after purchasing a memory foam bed, a latex foam topper might be helpful to add more bounce and responsiveness. What is the purpose of a mattress topper? The most common purpose for a mattress topper is to make a mattress feel more comfortable. They're much cheaper than buying a whole new mattress and come in many different materials and firmness levels so you can adjust your mattress to your liking. A plush topper can help a firm mattress feel more pressure-relieving, while a firm topper can help give your bed more support. They can also make your bed thicker, or change the feel of your mattress. What is the best mattress topper? Some of the best mattress toppers include:Allswell 4-inch topper with copper gelLayla mattress topperDreamFoam Gel Swirl mattress topperNest Bedding Cooling mattress topperBirch Plush Organic mattress topperLinenspa gel-infused mattress topperViscoSoft Serene Hybrid topper What's the difference between a mattress topper and mattress pad? Mattress toppers are generally more thick and supportive than a mattress pad, and mattress pads often use cotton or more plush materials to soften up a bed. Toppers add a more noticeable change to your mattress, whether it be the firmness, thickness or feel, while a mattress pad typically makes your bed feel a little more cozy. What is the most comfortable type of mattress topper? The most comfortable mattress topper type will depend on your preferences. Memory foam mattress toppers are the most popular choice, though fiber-filled, latex foam and feather options exist.To determine which one you should select, consider why you are adding a topper to your bed. Do you want an extra layer of cushion? If so, a feather or fiber-filled topper will do the trick. If you want to add the feeling of foam or change the firmness of your bed, youre likely better off with a memory foam option. How many inches of mattress topper is best? In general, you want to choose at least a two-inch thick mattress topper to make a noticeable change to your bed. Two inches can make a difference in the comfort of your bed. The thicker you go, the more you will notice a difference. For example, four-inch mattress toppers will offer the most pressure relief and comfort.

Though it sometimes feels like everyone's following the same trend (AI), the technology we saw atCES 2025was remarkably diverse, from practical devices for your hometo mind-bogglingly powerful laptops to the next revolutions in health tech.Some of the concepts at CESmight come years in the future (or never), while many other products are available for sale right now. Here are the six biggest trends from CES that we think will make the largest impact in 2025.If you're looking for the very top products from the trade show, be sure to check out the official 2025 Best of CES Awards, selected by the CNET Group.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 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.

Marvel Rivals already has a higher Steam concurrent player count than GTA 5That's also more than Apex Legends, Fallout 4, and Helldivers 2.Image credit: NetEase News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 11, 2025 We already knew that Marvel Rivals has proven incredibly popular since its launch last month - 10 million players joined online at launch - but now it's smashed another milestone, topping 600K concurrent players this weekend on Steam.As recorded by SteamDB, the number of players jumping into NetEase's hero shooter has hit 644,269 on Valve's digital platform, making it one of the biggest games not just of the weekend, but also one of the biggest games by concurrent numbers of all-time, too.Season 1: Eternal Night Falls Official Trailer | Marvel Rivals.Watch on YouTubeWith just Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Dota 2 sporting more concurrent players in the last 24 hours, Marvels Rivals' 644,269 concurrent players cements it in the annals of Steam history as the 14th biggest game by simultaneous player-count alone.That's bigger than Apex Legends' all-time Steam concurrent peak (578,569), Fallout 4 (472,962), Helldivers 2 (458,709), and Grand Theft Auto 5 (364,548)."NetEase's spin on the hero battler is complex and moreish, but rarely much actual fun," our Chris wrote in Eurogamer's Marvel Rivals review. "Its biggest impact is a renewed appreciation for the rivals that do it better." He awarded it two out of five stars.Yesterday's Marvel Rivals update has seemingly wiped the ability to use mods on PC.Marvel Rivals has been in Season 0 since its release last month, and yesterday the online hero shooter's first season launched, bringing significant balance changes and the heroic Fantastic Four team: Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing.Since the update rolled out, however, players are reporting that asset hash checking has stripped the ability to use mods, such as custom skins or FPS boost mods.

Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games publicly shuns "DEI", says it won't "embed social or political agendas""Our games are developed to maximise player enjoyment and commercial success."Image credit: Hexworks News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 11, 2025 Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games confirmed it would not "embed social or political agendas" in its games due to the "high risk it can present".According to Strefa Inwestorw (thanks, PC Gamer), global marketing director Ryan Hill told investors the studio would focus on "excellent user experience with compelling thematics and characters created specifically for core and adjacent audiences" following perceptions "a number of high profile releases underperform[ed] commercially during the last year" due to what he believed to be "social or political agendas.""We remain committed to producing player-first video games that prioritise an excellent user experience with compelling themes and characters created specifically for core and adjacent audiences," Hill said when asked for the studio's position on "DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion - more commonly known as EDI in the UK] in gaming"."While some video games have recently taken the opportunity to embed social or political agendas within their experiences, it is clear that many players do not appreciate this, and as a result, we have seen a number of high profile releases underperforming commercially during the last year alone."Our games will always be developed to maximise player enjoyment and commercial success, and as such, we will not be integrating any social or political agencies into these experiences going forward having observed the high risk this can present."Hill did not expand on his definition of "social or political agencies", nor defined what "high risk" meant to him and studio leadership. He also didn't exemplify what games he considered had "underperformed commercially" or, indeed, clarify what commercial success looked like to him.CI Games declined to comment further on Hill's statement to investors.The action-RPG is currently sitting on a "mixed" Steam user score, and received just two stars in Eurogamer's Lords of the Fallen review. A sequel is currently in development.

By Thomas Maxwell Published January 10, 2025 | Comments (16) | A new startup is using computer-use agents to bring automated marketing spam to Reddit. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images The internet is becoming flooded with AI-generated content, and one of the few places where humans can still go to talk with other humans has been Reddit. Unfortunately, a new marketing automation startup called Astral wants to change that and bring LinkedIn-tier marketing slop to the discussion board site. The startups founder Savannah Feder published a video on X Thursday demonstrating how using AI agents in a browser window, her tool can navigate through Reddit and automatically write comments promoting whatever it is a marketer might be trying to sell.Like other computer-use agents recently demoed by the likes of Anthropic and Google, Astral can take over a local browser and complete tasks by first capturing screenshots of a page and analyzing them using AI to figure out what to do next based on a prompt, ultimately sending commands back to the mouse. Look how Astral finds the right places to click, Feder says as the bot starts logging into Reddit. Its honestly really fascinating to see how it navigates the site just like a human would. The video goes on to show how the bot navigates to the subreddit /r/productmanagement, searches for posts about user research, and then writes a reply that promotes the product without sounding too sales-y.The dream for these bots is that they will help grandma navigate her computer by herself, not create marketing automation spambots to flood social media. Certainly, this has to be why so many people show disdain for AI: It is being deployed by the worst people you know. Announcing Astral an AI marketer that works 24/7 to grow your startup. Astral navigates websites, creates content, and runs marketing across socials. Watch Astral automate Reddit in real-time: pic.twitter.com/XbpKt0lZqd Savannah (@SavannahFeder) January 9, 2025 This should be further evidence that AI is about to create a sea of undifferentiated mediocrity, and bland content as far as the eye can see. Anyone who has spent enough time on LinkedIn or X has seen generic, soulless posts that are obviously written with AI, and now someone has excitedly built a tool to bring this to Reddit. Imagine being proud of this, like being proud of peeing in someones pool.What is perhaps most disheartening is that the people creating tools like Astral genuinely seem to believe AI and humans are interchangeable, and that machine will be far better than human can ever be.Incredibly, after someone asked Feder why Astral uses an AI agent running in a local browser rather than a Reddit API, she explains that is because Reddit and other social media sites restrict using their APIs for automated tasks. There is a reason for that: Because it is spammy and annoying. She even excitedly explains to another person that the bot can successfully bypass CAPTCHAs. Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit, replied to the post with a GIF of Patrick from SpongeBob starting to cry.It will be interesting to see how platforms like Reddit implement anti-bot measures to combat the slop.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Isaac Schultz Published January 10, 2025 By Todd Feathers Published January 10, 2025 By Matt Novak Published January 9, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published January 6, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published January 3, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published January 3, 2025