When Tesla started offering a yoke steering wheel in Model X and Model S EVs, CEO Elon Musk rejected the idea of a more conventional option. Now, the company has indeed brought back the round steering wheel as an option in the configurator, Electrek has reported. Selecting it doesn't appear to change the price or delivery time.

If you already bought a Tesla Model S or X with a yoke and don't like it, you have options, too. As pointed out by YouTuber and Tesla owner Marques Brownlee, the company is now offering a $700 option to replace the yoke with a round steering wheel. "This retrofit is only compatible with Model S and Model X vehicles configured with a Yoke Steering Wheel. Purchase price includes installation through Tesla Service," Tesla notes. It adds that the wheel has "no stalks or shifters."

The yoke divided Tesla fans, as many felt it wasn't practical for one-handed use and that it was awkward when driving at slow speeds. It was also deemed potentially unsafe by some owners in case you needed to do quick maneuvers like a skid recovery.

When the yoke came along, Tesla also replaced all the stalks with force touch buttons, another thing some drivers weren't crazy about. As mentioned though, the new wheel option doesn't have any stalks or shifters either, and the design appears to be based on the yoke in terms of spoke positioning, buttons, etc. 

When asked in a tweet in 2021 if Tesla would offer a round steering wheel as an option to the yoke, he replied simply "No." He went on to explain that "yet another round wheel is boring & blocks the screen. FSD in panoramic mode looks way better with a yoke." Apparently, there were enough potential buyers who felt otherwise.

Delta is introducing free WiFi on around 80 percent of its domestic US flights starting on February 1st, 2023, confirming rumors from late last year. The service, available through a T-Mobile sponsorship, will come to 700 planes by the end of the year and on regional and international aircraft by the end of 2024. "It's going to be free. It's going to be fast. And it's going to be available to everyone," said Delta CEO Ed Bastian at CES 2023.

Travelers will need to use their Delta SkyMiles information to log in for access, but getting an account is free. The company announced last year that it would be upgrading more planes using Viasat as a provider. It has been charging a $5 flat fee for WiFi to date. 

Apart from any profit motive, airlines have been slow to introduce free WiFi over concerns that the systems wouldn't be fast enough to accommodate hundreds of people at once. Delta has been working on the system since 2018, with the eventual goal to offer free WiFi. 

"We didn’t just want free Wi-Fi to offer base-level service – we wanted it to be transformative for the entire onboard experience," he said. "It is imperative all customers onboard can enjoy their favorite content just as they would at home, and we’ve put this system through meticulous tests to make that possible."

Jetblue also offers free WiFi via corporate sponsorship, but Southwest, United, American and other airlines charge fees, usually in the $8 to $10 range. American has recently been trialing free WiFi for certain customers. 

Delta also announced that it will unveil new in-flight entertainment systems starting this summer, with user preferences traveling from "flight to flight... even where you left off on a movie," according to the press release. 

Several years ago Amazon unveiled the controversial Sidewalk network, designed to connect outdoor smart home tech beyond your WiFi range using Amazon Ring, Echo and other devices. Now, the company has announced that Sidewalk finally has the needed "coverage and tools" ready to make the service available to third-party developers, and will be showing it offer with a number of products at CES 2023. 

Sidewalk uses not just your own Ring and Echo devices, but those from your neighbors as well. The devices on display are generally of the outdoor variety that can benefit from Sidewalk as they may not have easy WiFi access. For example, a company called New Cosmos USA will show off a natural gas sensor called DeNova Detect designed to protect homes from undetected leaks. It'll use Sidewalk to "expand coverage for their gas alarms and eliminate network connectivity costs," according to Amazon.

Another company called Browan will feature motion detectors, door and windows sensors, a water leak detector and a CO2 detector, all of which can send alerts using Sidewalk. Deviceroy uses Sidewalk to connect solar inverters to the internet, letting customers see how their solar equipment is operating and help them optimize efficiency. And finally, Meshify's leak and freeze detection device can connect to the internet and alert customers of damage using a Sidewalk connection. 

With its new third-party tools, Amazon is promising quick time to market and "live access to data and analytics," to help developers track performance. However, the technology has provoked security and privacy concerns, as it uses not just your own Amazon equipment but others around you. Another issue is the Echo and Ring devices are automatically enrolled in the program, forcing you to opt out using the Amazon Alexa app. 

Apple's latest Fitness+ updates are here, and it looks to be one of the biggest January releases for the service since it launched. A key new addition is kickboxing as a total-body cardio workout type, with sessions of 10, 20 and 30 minutes. It'll be led by two Fitness+ trainers, Jamie-Ray Hartshorne and Muay Thai fighter Nez Dally, the first woman to compete in Thailand wearing a hijab.

Another key addition is the addition of Beyoncé to the Artist Spotlight series, including songs from her latest album, Renaissance. Starting January 9th, seven new workouts with her music will be available across cycling, dance, HIIT, Pilates, treadmill and yoga, Apple said. Fitness+ is also rolling out Artist Spotlight offerings from Foo Fighters (January 16) and Bad Bunny (January 23rd). 

Apple

Also on tap are new episodes of Time To Walk, that helps motivate you on walks with stories from noted individuals like Dolly Parton, Shawn Mendes and others. The latest walk features actor Jamie Lee Curtis, as she "reflects on the importance of embracing life’s most unexpected moments, the transformative power of serving others in need," and more, Apple wrote. Other guests arriving soon are Amber Ruffin, Jason Segel, José Andrés, Nina Hoss, Colman Domingo, Nathan Chen and Sheryl Lee Ralph. 

Fitness+ is also unveiling a new meditation theme, Sleep, joining the existing library that includes Calm, Gratitude, Resilience, and Creativity. Those include a new program called "Introduction to Meditations for Sleep," with four 20-minute meditations that conclude with five minutes of relaxing music. 

And finally, it's adding two new collections for inspiration and goal-setting. Those are "6 Weeks to Restart Your Fitness," featuring a blend of workouts to help users onramp back into fitness after the holidays, available January 9th. The other is "Level Up Your Core Training," with 10- and 20-minute core workouts using dumbbells, coming on January 23.

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.

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. 

Though popular with videographers, Panasonic's mirrorless cameras have always been at a disadvantage to Sony, Canon and other rivals due to the inferior contrast-detect-only autofocus. Now, the company has finally introduced its first cameras with hybrid phase-detect AF (PDAF), the full-frame L-Mount S5II and S5IIx. They're designed to make focus "wobble" and other issues a thing of the past, while also introducing improved video and photography features.

Both cameras have an all-new 24.2-megapixel sensor with 315 contrast and 779 phase-detect AF points. The new chip features Dual Native ISO with a range of ISO100-51200 (50-204800 expanded), and Panasonic has also introduced the new L2 Engine that processes twice as fast as before. That allows for additional performance and less rolling shutter distortion. 

I've yet to test the cameras, but Panasonic seems confident that its new PDAF system can keep up with rivals, speed- and reliability-wise. It said that the AF can now works in conditions that had previously been a challenge, including tracking, multiple people, products, backlit conditions and low light. 

Panasonic

The company also introduced a new in-body stabilization system called Active IS, designed to shoot video while walking. It said the system can compensate for "even significant camera shake, approximately 200 percent more than conventional systems" with select lenses. If the claims are accurate, Active IS could make the new models ideal for vlogging. 

As before, they can record 6K "open gate" 3:2 video (4:2:0 10-bit internally), 4K 30p supersampled video using the full sensor width (4:2:2 10-bit), 4K 60p with an APS-C crop and FHD at up to 120p with a 1.5x crop. 

However, they're significantly improved over the original S5 when it comes to record times. Where the S5 was limited to 30 minutes at 4K 60p or 4K 10-bit 30p due to heating, the new models have no recording time limitations at any resolution. Panasonic achieved this by adding a small cooling fan in the enlarged EVF hump. 

Panasonic didn't improve the S5's 200 Mbps data rates for the internal MOV and LongGOP formats on the S5II and S5IIx. However, the S5IIx does support internal SD card recording up to 600 Mbps in All-Intra (All-I) mode, so it appears to be limiting the capabilities of the S5II.

Panasonic

Both cameras offer Panasonic's V-Log as well as V-Gamut recording options that deliver up to 14+ stops of dynamic range, according to the company. It has a LUT view assist for easier monitoring, as well as the ability to apply your own LUTs in real time — an industry first, Panasonic says. 

Other than the fully blacked-out body, the S5IIx has some interesting features not found on the S5II. You can record to the USB-C port, much as you can on the GH6 via a recent firmware update. Formats supported include All-I, ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes 422, all in 10-bit. That includes 5.8K (17:9) at up to 25p (1.6Gbps) and C4K (4,096 x 2,160) at 60p with an APS-C crop (1.9Gbps). That will require some kind of rig to mount a USB SSD, but those already exist and aren't tremendously expensive.

In addition, the S5IIx will output full-frame 12-bit 5.9K 30p (16:9) ProRes RAW video, along with cropped 12-bit 4K (actually 4,128 x 2,176) and 3.5K (3,536 x 2,656) video at up to 50p externally to an Atomos Ninja V+ HDR monitor-recorder. Both cameras also offer S&Q and HFR recording, letting you capture at high frame rates and either output at the same speed for HFR or get slow-mo in the S&Q modes. 

There are a number of other improvements over the S5. The EVF resolution has been boosted to 3,680K dots compared to 2,360K on the last model, removing one of my biggest complaints. It now offers a full-sized HDMI rather than a fragile microHDMI port plus a USB 3.2 Gen2 (not Gen1) slot, and has two UHS-II SD slots instead of just one. The EVF's eye-detect sensor has been moved up to reduce accidental activations, and the joystick now supports 8- instead of 4-direction operation.

Panasonic

Otherwise, it has much the same layout as the last model (including the fully-articulating display) and is about the same size and weight. It supports 4-channel audio via the same XLR microphone adapter, offers a variety video assist functions (wave form, vector scope, zebra, anti-flicker), Lumix Tether for remote USB shooting and wireless streaming via USB tethering (S5IIx only). 

Finally, photography clearly isn't this camera's raison d'etre, but it does offer 7fps RAW shooting speeds in mechanical mode and 30fps in electronic mode with AFC enabled — up over four times compared to the previous model. And with the phase-detect AF, focus should be more accurate when shooting bursts, meaning fewer blurry photos.

That takes us to the most interesting part of these cameras, the pricing. The Panasonic S5II is going on sale this month $2,000, making it cheaper than rival full-frame models like the Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R6 II — and it's no longer deficient in the autofocus department. While the S5II doesn't come with external RAW video, you'll be able to update to that feature in the future via a $200 firmware update. Panasonic also upped its native lens count to 14 with the launch of the Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro lens arriving in March for $800.

Meanwhile, the S5IIx will arrive in May 2023 for $2,200. It not only has has the RAW video, but also supports USB-C capture and live streaming, features the S5II will never have — for just $200 more. Panasonic says that's because the former is designed for vloggers and the latter for video pros. Frankly though, if I was a vlogger and interested in the S5II, I'd try to find the extra $200. 

Citizen has announced its latest CZ Smart smartwatches that feature a built-in AI "self-care advisor," the company said. The new proprietary YouQ app was built with IBM Watson Studio and uses NASA technology to show the wearer when they're at their most alert or fatigued in order to "maximize [their] daily potential," the company said. 

The intriguing idea is that the CZ Smart's YouQ app uses IBM Watson's neural networks to learn a user's "chronotype" (preferred timing of sleep and wake) over a seven to ten day period, by processing sleep data and "alert scores." The latter are generated from a custom-designed alert monitor test, a consumer version of NASA's PVT+ test created at the Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory. The tests are "brief, gamified, and can be taken daily to measure the wearer’s alertness," according to Citizen. 

Citizen

Using that data, the YouQ app can learn your unique rhythms and habits. From there, it creates a dynamic recognition model to recommend "Power Fixes," or actions and activities to help the wearer reduce the effects of fatigue, improve alertness and promote better habits. Over time, it can increase personalization and presumably the effectiveness of the Power Fixes for each person. 

The new technology is only available on the new second-generation CZ Smart watches (the first generation launched in 2020, and the company also has a CZ Smart Hybrid lineup). Those come in 44mm sport and 41mm casual models, with mesh bracelets, links and silicone straps. Technology-wise, they offer 1.3-inch AMOLED displays, Snapdragon Wear 4100+ processors with 8GB of storage, and feature 24+ hours of battery life with "faster charging." 

Citizen

Sensor-wise, you get a gyroscope, altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, heart rate sensor and SP02 ambient light sensor. It comes pre-loaded with the YouQ wellness app, Strava, Spoitfy, YouTube Music and Amazon Alexa. It presumably has its own OS, and works with iPhone or Android devices. 

The previous model used Wear OS and was built in partnership with Fossil, but Citizen didn't specify the OS for the current model. They'll go on sale in March 2023 in the US, with pricing to arrive at a later date. The current CZ Smart cost $395 at launch. 

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has unveiled Qi2, the wireless charging successor to Qi that borrows some tricks from Apple's MagSafe charging. The idea is to create a unified system that (should) work with both Android and Apple devices, the WPC wrote in a press release

Qi2 will replace the current Qi standard that has been around for over 13 years. It'll be built off of Apple's MagSafe technology that came along with the iPhone 12, using a similar system of magnets and a wireless charging coil. However, it will introduce something called the Magnetic Power Profile that ensures phones and other devices are perfectly aligned to maximum charging speed and efficiency. It also assures compatibility among brands. 

"Qi2’s perfect alignment improves energy efficiency by reducing the energy loss that can happen when the phone or the charger is not aligned," said WPC's executive director Paul Struhsaker in a statement. "Just as important, Qi2 will greatly reduce the landfill waste associated with wired charger replacement due to plugs breaking and the stress placed on cords from daily connecting and disconnecting."

The first Qi2.0 version will launch this year, with support for 15 watt charging, foreign object detection and more. It'll also provide faster charging for some devices, improve safety and prevent device damage or battery life shortening. 

The Magnetic Power Profile standard also makes improvements easier down the road. Future iterations will "significantly" raise charging levels past 15 watts, WPC told The Verge. It could also allow wireless charging for unusually-shaped accessories that aren't compatible with the current crop of flat charging pads.

There are still some question marks, like whether Qi2 will be backwards-compatible with the current Qi standard or Apple's MagSafe. It will reportedly also require authentication, which may allow manufacturers to refuse charging from non-certified devices.  

Hopefully, device and charger manufacturers will strive to main compatibility. The Qi2 spec should be ready by this summer, and products are set to arrive by the holidays in 2023. 

Certain variants of Tesla's Model Y may not qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit based on the IRS's latest guidelines, a situation that Elon Musk has called "messed up." It looks as though the five-seat Long Range version of the hatchback is too expensive as a car and not considered an SUV, so it falls outside the current guidelines. That could change, though, as the rules won't be finalized until March 2023.

The IRS has divided vehicles into two categories: vans, SUVs and pickup trucks under $80,000, and other vehicles under $55,000. For the first category, the vehicle must have 4-wheel drive or be rated at more than 6,000 pounds of gross weight. It also has to meet four of five other characteristics, most notably front and rear axle clearances of 18 centimeters or higher and a running clearance of at least 20 centimeters (no Model Y meets these specs).

Internal Revenue Service

According to the IRS, only the 7-seat variants of the Model Y qualify as SUVs in the category up to $80,000, while the 5-seat vehicles (Long Range, AWD and Performance) are in the $55,000 section. The 7-seaters comfortably fall under the $85,000 limit, but all the 5-seaters exceed the $55,000 price, so they don't qualify. Tesla doesn't have a specific AWD variant of the Model Y in the US (both the Long Range and Performance models are AWD), so it's not clear which model the IRS is referring to. 

Critics are pointing out that far more polluting hybrid vehicles qualify for the tax credits, including two Jeeps, the Audi Q5 e Quattro, BMW X5 xDrive45e and Ford's Escape PHEV. However, if someone buys a Jeep Wrangler with 56 MPGe (23 MPG after the battery is depleted) instead of a Tesla Model Y with 122 MPGe, then the government isn't doing the most it can to reduce carbon emissions. The IRS has invited consumers to comment on the matter, and Musk encouraged people to do so in a tweet.