Kia is returning to CES for the first time in five years and the company is set to take center stage for a spell by hosting a press conference. You'll be able to watch all the Kia CES announcements on January 8 at 6PM ET by visiting its website.

What to expect

The company says it will offer interested parties a closer peek at several of its concept models including the EV3 and EV4, as well as the EV9 and EV6 GT. Kia is also promising a look at its first so-called "platform beyond vehicle" (PBV) that's scheduled for mass production in 2025.

Kia describes PBV as a mobility solution that blends "fit-for-purpose EVs with advanced software solutions that will open the door to new businesses and lifestyles." To that end, the automaker will talk through some PBV tech, "its software-defined vehicle strategy" and partnership plans.

The brand has been teasing out some of its EV ambitions over the last year or so. For instance, we test drove the EV9 concept, which has seven seats and a large cargo space. In October, Kia offered more details on the EV3, EV4 and EV5 before providing a closer look at the first two of those the following month. It seems like it won't be too long before the public can get behind the wheel of at least one of these vehicles.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Automaker Hyundai is one of the many companies that are holding a press conference at CES 2024. You'll be able to find out more about some of the brand's intentions starting at 4PM ET on January 8. You can watch the livestream on Hyundai's YouTube channel.

What to expect

Hyundai has already shed some light on what it will be focusing on at CES 2024. The automaker says it will share a blueprint for its vision of a hydrogen-powered energy ecosystem. Among other things, Hyundai will reveal a modular hydrogen toolbox that it says will help forge a clean hydrogen value chain.

It's also looking beyond mobility to make people's everyday lives more comfortable with the help of "human-centered innovations." The company has pledged to share plans regarding software and artificial intelligence related to its theme of "Ease every way."

In addition, Hyundai Mobis (the parts and service supplier for Hyundai, Genesis and Kia) says it will unveil 20 new pieces of mobility tech that are ready to go into mass production. Those include what it claims are the world's first in-vehicle rollable display and swivel display. In addition, it plans to show off a transparent display for cars that uses "holographic optical elements" tech.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

It's Panasonic's turn to hold a CES 2024 press conference. The Japanese company, which dabbles in a wide range of products, is set to hold its showcase at 1PM ET on January 8. You'll be able to watch all of the Panasonic CES announcements live on the company's website.

What we expect

Sustainable energy will be a main concern of Panasonic's showcase, according to a statement the company put out ahead of the show. The brand also plans to discuss its "circular economy initiatives designed to optimize the use of natural resources." Helping people to live healthier and more comfortable lives is a focus for Panasonic, which pledges to help people "discover a world of holistic wellbeing." In addition, it plans to highlight its Green Impact initiative, which involves reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

There's always a chance that Panasonic may have some consumer-focused wares to reveal as well. We could see some of the company's latest cameras during its press conference, as was the case last year. Panasonic may also divulge more about its efforts to make batteries for electric vehicles, including Tesla models.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

It's almost time for CES, which means that, among many other things, there'll soon be a heap of new monitors vying for your attention. Dell is hoping that its new UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor will stand out from the pack. Announced days before CES 2024 is set to kick off, this model is the "first 40-inch 5K monitor certified for five-star eye comfort," Dell claims.

Five-star eye comfort is a new industry standard stemming from TUV Rheinland. The aim is to highlight displays that help reduce signs of eye fatigue. Dell says it did three things to achieve this certification with the latest UltraSharp monitors. First, it doubled the refresh rate to 120Hz for smoother visuals. It incorporated an ambient light sensor, which allows the monitors to automatically adjust screen brightness and color temperature to match the light conditions. Dell cites studies suggesting this can help reduce the frequency of eye fatigue signs by up to 17 percent.

Dell

Last but not least, Dell says it upgraded its ComfortView Plus tech with the help of an advanced LED backlight to reduce blue light exposure from 50 percent to under 35 percent. This, too, can help reduce signs of eye fatigue.

None of that should diminish the monitor's performance. Dell says the UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub has a 99 percent DCI-P3 / Display P3 color space and 1.07 billion colors. It's VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified and features IPS Black Panel tech and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio.

On the connectivity front, there's Thunderbolt 4 support with up to 140W power delivery. An Ethernet connection allows for speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps, while there are HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports. Dell notes that pop-out front-facing USB-A and USB-C ports should make it easy to connect and charge your devices.

Dell

If the 40-inch model is perhaps too much real estate for your needs, you might want to consider Dell's 34-inch variant. The UltraSharp 34 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor also features TUV Rheinland five-star eye comfort certification, IPS Black technology and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. It's not a 5K monitor, however, as it has a WQHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440.

Both monitors will be available globally starting on February 27. The UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor starts at $2,400 in the US and $3,290 CAD in Canada. The 34-inch model will run you $1,020 in the US and $1,400 CAD north of the border.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Tesla has issued a second recall in the US in as many weeks. This time around, it's recalling 120,423 Model S and X vehicles made between 2021 and 2023 due to an issue that may result in an unlocked door unlatching and opening during a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this increases the risk of injury and means that the EVs fail to comply with a federal safety regulation. The automaker has already issued a free over-the-air (OTA) update to resolve the problem and owner notification letters are expected to go out in February.

Earlier this month, Tesla recalled more than 2 million EVs over Autopilot safety concerns. The company issued a free OTA update with features that aim to make sure drivers are paying attention while using the system.

Motorsport fans who yearn for juicy behind-the-scenes insights might want to circle January 2 on their 2024 calendar. The third season of Formula E's unscripted reality show Unplugged will hit the Roku Channel on that date. It's the first time that the show will be available on Formula E's new streaming home, while fans around the world will be able to check it out on YouTube. 

Unplugged will arrive on Roku just 11 days before the motorsport's tenth season starts with the Mexico E-Prix on January 13. That race will also stream on Roku as the platform ventures into live sports.

The latest season of Unplugged follows the events of the 2022-23 Formula E campaign, including a title race that was only decided on the final weekend. Along with the twists and turns and personal drama, the eight-episode season will also highlight some of the motorsport's tech advancements, such as the new Gen3 racecar that drivers had to get to grips with.

In case you need a refresher of what happened in Formula E's last campaign (or you just want to rewatch all the action), it's worth noting that every race from the motorsport's first nine seasons is available to stream on its website. Every Season 10 race will be available on that platform too, albeit one week after each event. Along with Roku, races will air live on Paramount+ and CBS this season.

We're not quite done with video game showcases for the year 2023. Devolver Digital is squeezing in one more in the form of its annual Public Access Holiday Special. The stream starts at 11AM ET and you can watch it below.

It seems like the publisher's going to stick to form by delivering some offbeat skits (including a musical number and "a surprisingly detailed cooking segment") alongside more details on some of its upcoming games. Expect fresh looks and additional info on Baby Steps (think QWOP but 3D and with a story), Pepper Grinder and the impossibly charming-looking The Plucky Squire at the very least.

We're very much looking forward to Baby Steps, which is slated for a summer 2024 debut, so extra details about that one will be more than welcome. I'm personally hoping for an update on Skate Story after Devolver delayed that one (and several other games) to 2024.

It's hardly a secret that Samsung reveals its latest slate of Galaxy smartphones at the beginning of each year. With only a few weeks to go until the first Unpacked of 2024 is expected to take place, the rumor mill is ramping up and credible leaks are starting to shed some light on what the Korean manufacturer most likely has up its sleeve.

Along with a countdown indicating that the next Unpacked will take place on January 17, leaker Evan Blass shared a spec sheet that purports to break down the components of the Galaxy S24 lineup. There are no prizes for guessing that Samsung likely has three Galaxy devices in store: the regular model, an S24+ and an S24 Ultra. All three are slated to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, at least in the US, Canada and China (folks elsewhere might have to make do with the company's own Exynos 2400, as The Verge notes).

The standard Galaxy S24 is slated to have a 6.2-inch AMOLED 2x FHD display along with a 50MP main camera that can shoot video at up to 8K. The leak suggests Samsung will offer Space Zoom of up to 30x and dual telephoto zoom of up to 3x in the Galaxy S24. The device is likely to have 8GB of RAM and internal storage options of 128GB and 256GB. You may be able to charge the 4,000mAh battery to 50 percent capacity in 30 minutes.

Per this leaked spec sheet, the S24+ is likely to have the same camera system as the base model. The key upgrade will come in the form of the display, which seems to be a 6.7-inch AMOLED 2x QHD+ panel. There will probably be a larger 4,900mAh battery as well, with the spec sheet indicating you'll be able to charge this to 65 percent of its capacity in half an hour. The S24+ will likely have more RAM as well at 12GB, with internal storage options of 256GB and 512GB.

Unlike the other two models, which are slated to have an Armor Aluminum 2.0 casing, the S24 Ultra may have a titanium body. Although it's likely to have the same RAM and storage options as the S24+, the Ultra will probably have a vastly superior camera system. It will have a 200MP main lens, per the spec sheet, with up to 10x quad telephoto and 100x Space Zoom. The AMOLED 2x QHD+ display is likely to measure 6.8 inches, while the battery should be slightly larger than one in the S24+ at 5,000mAh.

The displays on all three models are expected to have up to a whopping 2,600 nits of brightness, so you shouldn't have to struggle to make out what's on your screen while the sun's out. Expect IP68 water resistance on all three models, while the S24 Ultra is likely the only one of the three that will boast a built-in S Pen.

As for the designs, what we can see of them in the spec sheet indicates they'll largely be the same as the S23 lineup. However, previous reports suggested that the S24 Ultra has a fully flat screen.

Based on the leaks so far, the Samsung S24 lineup isn't likely to have any terribly exciting upgrades in terms of the designs and pure specs. However, Samsung is widely expected to integrate its Gauss generative AI system into the S24 lineup. It may be the case that GAI processes will be handled entirely on-device rather than requiring access to the cloud (the new Snapdragon chipset will help on that front).

If you're racking your brain trying to find a last-minute gift or a stocking stuffer for a loved one, bear in mind that you can rarely go wrong with charging accessories. As it happens, many of Anker's products are on sale on Amazon right now, with discounts of up to 50 percent. Some of the discounts are available via a coupon and for others you'll need to be a Prime member. First up, the Anker 735 Charger will run you $30.39, which is 40 percent off the usual price of $56.

This is a 65W charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A slot. When you have multiple devices connected, the charger can direct power to where it's most needed. It'll charge several devices at the same time, such as your laptop, Steam Deck and earphones. While Anker says this model is capable of giving a 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro a 65W charge, other MacBook models have different wattage needs.

That's where Anker's MacBook Pro Charger could come in handy. It's capable of 100W USB-C charging. That'd be overkill for many devices, but not so for a power-hungry MBP. Of course, it's capable of charging other devices via USB-C. It comes with a five-foot cable. The charger is on sale for $24, which is $14 off the usual price of $38.

In some cases, USB chargers might not cut it. Many devices need the full power of an outlet and if you're running out of space, a power strip might be what you need. Not only does Anker's Surge Protector Power Strip have 12 outlets, you can plug in one USB-C and two USB-A cables too. There's surge protection as well. The power strip, which has a five-foot extension cord, is 17 percent off at $30.

If you're an iPhone user who hasn't upgraded to the latest generation yet, there's no harm in having a spare Lightning cable or two kicking around. As it happens, Anker sells Lightning cables, and one that's six feet long will currently cost you $10, $2 less than usual. The cable is MFi certified, meaning that it meets Apple's standards. It has a nylon exterior, which might make it more durable than Apple's own cables.

Of course, this being Anker, there are power banks on sale too. The Anker Nano Power Bank is 20 percent off the usual price of $30 (i.e. $6 off) when you apply a coupon. This is a small power bank with a built-in USB-C connector, so you can plug it straight into your phone or tablet to charge it up without having to carry a separate cable. There's a separate USB-C port too. Anker notes that the device won't fully charge an iPhone 15, but it will top up the battery by around 80 percent.

Last but not least, the Anker 737 Power Bank is for those who need plenty of extra juice with them when they're on the go. This model has a capacity of 24,000mAh, which Anker says is good for nearly five full charges of an iPhone 13 or 1.3 charges of a 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro. A smart display will show you the remaining battery percentage as well as how much wattage the charger is delivering to the connected devices (it has one USB-A port and dual USB-C ports). The 737 Power Bank, which is capable of delivering a 140W charge, is currently $58 off at $92.

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Researchers have developed an AI-powered robot they claim can beat the physical marble game Labyrinth faster than humans are capable of. Thomas Bi and Raffaello D’Andrea of ETH Zurich created CyberRunner, which combines model-based reinforcement with the dexterity required to beat a game that requires physical skill, coordination and precision.

For the uninitiated, the aim of the game is to guide a marble through a maze without falling into any holes. The player controls the movement of the ball by rotating two dials, which tilt the board.

CyberRunner learns through experience. A camera observes the game and an algorithm learns more about it from each attempt. "Based on its understanding of the game it recognizes which strategies and behaviors are more promising," the researchers say. As such, the robot kept getting better at the game.

The researchers gave CyberRunner and several humans around six hours of practice with the game. While the humans by and large struggled to beat Labyrinth after that time, CyberRunner was able to conquer it in just under 14.5 seconds. The researchers claim that's faster than any previously recorded time.

CyberRunner became so adept at the game that it was able to use some unintended shortcuts. The researchers had to step in and instruct the AI to follow the maze's correct path.

We've seen AI models outperform humans in other games, such as chess, Go and Dota 2. However, we haven't seen too many instances of AI performing better than humans in games that require a physical skill component.

Meanwhile, the researchers are open-sourcing CyberRunner. Maybe I can help train it to be better at Screwball Scramble than I ever was as a kid.