Robot delivery firm Ottonomy has unveiled a new Ottobot model called the Yeti with a new automated package delivery mechanism. That could allow it to do last mile drop-offs directly to a locker or remove the need for someone to receive a package, TechCrunch has reported.
As shown at the end of Ottonomy's latest video, the Yeti uses a simple tilting mechanism and rollers to dispense the packages. That would allow it to drop packages onto a doorstep or transfer them to a locker, making it fully independent from humans. It may also allow for easy returns, as TechCrunch noted.
The Brooklyn-based firm operates in multiple cities including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Oslo and Madrid, with plans to expand across north America and Asia. It recently unveiled the Ottobot 2.0 with modular delivery bins, a navigation engine that merges data from lidar and cameras, and a new four-wheel drive "crab mode" system for extra maneuverability in tight spaces. The company works in partnership with Verizon in the US.
Amazon is cutting more jobs than it had previously planned, CEO Andy Jassy has admitted in a blog post. Back in November, reports came out that the e-commerce giant was eliminating 10,000 jobs, just as other companies in the tech sector had announced layoffs of their own. Now, the company is expanding its job cuts, and between the employees who'd already lost their jobs and the ones losing theirs in the near future, Amazon will be eliminating over 18,000 roles in the company.
Jassy said majority of the upcoming layoffs would be from its retail and recruiting divisions. As The Wall Street Journal notes, Amazon benefited from the COVID lockdowns over the past few years, since people had to shop online more often than before. The company reportedly added hundreds of thousands of employees to keep up with the surge in demand — and then launched cost-cutting reviews to see which units weren't making profit. It then froze hiring, closed brick-and-mortar stores and shut down business units.
When news broke that Amazon was planning sweeping layoffs, Meta had also just revealed that it was letting more than 11,000 of its employees go. Like Amazon's executives, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg significantly increased Meta's investments following a large revenue growth due to the pandemic. However, people's spending habits eventually went back to pre-pandemic trends, leading to a smaller revenue for the company. More recently, Slack owner Salesforce revealed that it's cutting 10 percent of its workforce and closing down offices. The company also grew rapidly during the pandemic and can't sustain its bloated workforce in the current economy.
Amazon will be cutting more jobs than Meta did by the time it's done. Jassy said the company will reach out to impacted employees starting on January 18th, so the layoffs will likely take place over the coming weeks. He added that Amazon will offer them packages that include a "separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits and external job placement support."
Renesas Introduces New Wi-Fi Development Kit with Matter Protocol Support
Renesas Electronics has announced the release of a development kit that includes support for the Matter protocol, an application layer protocol designed to improve interoperability among smart home devices. The kit will support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread). Renesas has also announced that it will offer Matter support on all future products in these categories, including those from recently acquired Dialog Semiconductor and Celeno Communications.
Sony has focused its CES efforts of late on electric cars, now in partnership with Honda, and this year was more of the same. Sony Honda Mobility unveiled its first prototype called Afeela, replacing the previous Vision-S 02. Its laden with sensors (radar, ultrasonic, cameras and more), uses Qualcomm's new automotive chip and promises "interactive communication between mobility and people" via the so-called Media Bar. Pre-orders will start in mid-2025 with deliveries scheduled for spring of 2026.
Sony also provided a first look at its Neill Blomkamp-directed Gran Turismo movie, revealed that the Gran Turismo 7 game would be getting PlayStation VR 2 support and announced that Beat Saber was also coming to PSVR 2. The PlayStation 5 console has now passed 30 million units sold, and from now on, anyone who wants a PS5 should be able to get one.
Finally, the company revealed Project Leonardo aimed at building controllers that are easier to use for people with limited motor control. Taking a page from Microsoft's gaming accessibility efforts, it uses a set of customizable circular gamepads. There's no release date window or price yet.
The market for percussive massage guns is pretty packed. So is there space for another? Symbodi hopes so. Its Vertigun is a quiet-running massager that locks into a patented suction-cup wall mount. While massage guns might feel great, it’s often hard to get to tricky nooks and tight areas without someone else controlling the device for you. Symbodi even claims that because you’re not reaching or straining to get a massage gun in place (and put pressure on it), your body should be further relaxed when coming into contact with the percussive massage.
The Vertigun certainly runs quieter than the competition. Vertigun says it tops out at 48dB, comparing favorably against rivals like the Theragun (75 dB) and Hypervolt (60 dB). In a demo – Engadget was sent an early model – the hardware seemed a little clunky compared to the competition, but the size of the Vertigun’s battery ensures it can last a while between charges. The company claims it should be able to massage away for up to eight hours. It’s roughly the same weight as similar massage guns, too, but what makes it different is that you can use it without holding it.
Engadget / Mat Smith
That’s accomplished with the help of a solid, substantial airlock mount. With a sizable rubberized cup, you pull a lever to lock the mount to the wall. I assumed I might need a flat, polished surface, like glass or tile, to mount the Vertigun. However, the airlock mount attached to my apartment’s painted doors and walls pretty easily, without scraping or affecting the surface. Symbodi warns that it won’t stick to textured drywall, brick, concrete or wallpapered surfaces. The massage gun itself slides and locks into the mount, and can be removed by pressing the lever inwards. The mount occasionally fell off the wall, so I eventually got into the habit of removing it after use.
The six speeds seem perfectly functional – I’m not sure I need more than three settings – but the inclusion of several different massage attachments is definitely welcome. The Vertigun sample I received ahead of CES included an angled head, which did wonders for the side of my thighs and a pinpoint head for digging into shoulder blades. Three heads will come packaged with the Vertigun.
Engadget / Mat Smith
The challenge could be standing out from all the other percussive massage guns, including the aforementioned Therabody and Hypervolt, not to mention cheaper options. It’s probably why the company is launching at CES 2023. Symbodi has also signed several athlete ambassadors, including former professional US soccer player (and two-time Olympic gold medalist) Carli Anne Hollins, Dallas Cowboys’ Ceedee Lamb and Steelers All Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Vertigun will become available online later this month for $400.
Samsung introduced new QD-OLED TVs and a 57-inch 8K gaming display, the 2023 Freestyle projector and new Bespoke smart appliances at this year's CES. During the company's keynote, it also talked about its products' new features and upgrades in detail, including a new wash cycle for washing machines that can reduce microplastic pollution.
Presenters talked about SmartThings Workspace, which lets you connect to linked devices remotely, and SmartThings Pet Care, as well. Samsung's pet service can send you alerts when your dogs bark and put on a show or video on a connected display to keep them entertained. Plus, it enables the camera on the brand's robot vacuum to recognize dogs and cats.
In addition, Samsung introduced the latest SmartThings hub, which is its smallest yet. The SmartThings Station, as it's called, has a button that you can use to program smart lights, air conditioner or other home devices like smart blinds. It's the first Samsung product to come with built-in Matter support, giving it the capability to connect with Matter-enabled devices from other manufacturers.
Any content played on the latest Samsung smart TVs can now sync with Philips Hue Lights for immersive lighting effects. The company also talked about the Knox Matrix, its security solution that acts as your private blockchain system for its smart home devices. Finally, Samsung presented the in-cabin car technology it developed in partnership with Harmon, as well as a new display technology called Relumino mode that can help people with low vision to see images more clearly.
You can watch a condensed version of the event to get the gist of Samsung's announcements in the video above.
Fellow is well-known among coffee geeks for its well-designed range of brewing accessories. The company makes everything from kettles and mugs to brewers and grinders. And while Fellow's first grinder, the Ode, is mostly designed for pour overs, the company will debut a more versatile model next month. The Opus is a conical burr grinder than can sort everything from fine espresso to coarse cold brew.
Inside, a six-blade 40mm burr set offers consistent grinds across 41 different settings. So whether you're brewing AeroPress or French press, the Opus will cover a lot more styles than the flat burr Ode. Fellow did bring its anti-static tech back for the new model, which the company says will help keep the mess to a minimum. Plus, there's an automatic timed stop, single dose loading, 110-gram capacity hopper and no-tool calibration. The Opus will be available on February 21st for $195, significantly cheaper than the second-gen Ode.
Nothing on the road is more important than the safety of your loved ones but you wouldn't think it from the state of child safety technology these days. "While safety features for adults in vehicles have evolved dramatically over the past 10 years, child passenger safety technology has remained stagnant," notes Babyark founder and CEO Shy Mindel stated in a release Wednesday. Their startup, Babyark, aims to significantly advance the quality of vehicular child protection with the self-referential Babyark car set.
"I was surprised to learn that the most important people in our lives, our children, sit in safety seats primarily made out of plastic and styrofoam,” Mandel noted. "Babyark is approaching safety through the hardware, the actual seat, and the software, including the safety sensors that communicate with the app. The result is a car seat that takes a holistic approach to safety.”
Rather than styrofoam and plastic, the Babyark is constructed of anticrash materials and relies on a novel shock-absorbing SafeCoil that absorbs forward momentum during a crash. Should the worst case occur and the seat is involved in an accident, a set of IoT sensors will record the crash telemetry and relay it to first responders so that they can better and more quickly treat the child.
An associated smartphone app for both Android and iOS will remind forgetful parents that happen to leave their children behind. Additionally, the ark itself will not engage with its base unit (which secures using the standard seat anchor points) if it is improperly seated upon it — a handy LED light ring will switch from red to green once everything is correctly set. The seat is rated to accommodate up infants and toddlers from four to a 65 pounds (front facing) and up to 55 pounds for rear facing. The Babyark is currently available for pre-order at $990 and will increase to $1,190 when it is officially released later this summer.
BMW is once again ready to give the world a glimpse of the futuristic tech it has in the works as p[art of its i Vision concept vehicle program. Following 2017's iVision Dynamics, 2018's iNext SAV, and last year's iVision Circular, the German automaker revealed at CES 2023 on Thursday the i Vision Dee ("Digital Emotional Experience"), a pared-down concept vehicle with a HUD running the full width of the front windshield.
And like the previous iVision iterations, many features from the Dee are expected to make their way into production models — specifically BMW's new NEUE KLASSE EV platform beginning in 2025. Per the company, the Dee will feature BMW's Mixed Reality Slider which leverages the company's "shy tech" sensors to control how much digital content is displayed on the heads-up display. It will slide from fully analog up four additional steps — driving-related information, to infotainment information, to AR — and (eventually) full VR. Fingers crossed that only happens after BMW masters Level 5 driver assist.
ENES KUCEVIC
“With BMW i Vision Dee, we are showing how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusty companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world – with the driver always in control,” Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, said in a press release. “Implemented the right way, technology will create worthwhile experiences, make you a better driver and simply bring humans and machines closer together.”
The vehicle will also greet their drivers as they approach with a "personalised welcome scenario that combines graphical elements, light and sound effects." You'll even be able to communicate directly with the vehicle through verbal commands while it will respond using its headlights and kidney-shaped grille to "form a common phygital (fusion of physical and digital) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different facial expressions," according to Wednesday's release. The Dee will reportedly be capable of conveying joy, astonishment and approval, all visually. There's no word on what happens if you manage to anger it, but it can't be good.
