Robotics

Circular/ZDNETFrench tech brand Circular is stepping up its smart ring game with the unveiling of its Circular Ring 2, the brand announced on Sunday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The annual trade show is where tech brands from across the world unveil the year’s new innovations.Also: CES 2025: What is it, what to expect, and how to tune inThe second-generation smart ring is all in on heart health monitoring and upgrades many of its features to keep up with the industry competition. There’s an FDA-cleared Atrial Fibrillation detection algorithm to monitor arrhythmia included within the ECG capability for “real-time heart health insights,” according to the press release, and improved sensors that reportedly boost the accuracy of data captured. More

Roborock/ZDNETRoborock just dropped the mic in the robot vacuum market at CES 2025 with the Saros Z70 robot vacuum launch, which features a mechanical arm to remove obstacles in its path. The company also launched two new robot vacuums, the Saros 10 and Saros 10R.The Saros Z70 features a foldable mechanical arm with OmniGrip technology that deploys itself to remove obstacles under 300 grams or about 8 oz. The five-axis arm will initially be limited to socks, small towels or cloths, tissue papers or napkins, and sandals. Also: This robot vacuum and mop performs as well as some flagship models – but at half the priceThe Roborock Saros Z70 cleans your floors and identifies objects it can lift in a first pass. Then, the robot returns to pick up the identified items, put them away, and clean the missed areas.  More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETArtificial intelligence (AI)-powered features can be found in most TVs these days, usually in the form of processors that upscale lower-resolution content. Also: Every Samsung TV announced at CES 2025: Best features coming to OLED, QLED, 8K modelsSamsung, though, is rolling out an entire suite of AI features for its upcoming TV lineup that takes things a step further. Collectively called “Vision AI,” Samsung says these features don’t just boost image quality, but offer insight as to what’s on screen and even improve security.  Here’s a look at what Vision AI will bring to 2025 Samsung TVs.1. AI-boosted video and audioLike many TV makers these days, Samsung is taking advantage of AI upscaling to make older content look better. The company says this feature is even better for this year’s TV lineup, along with HDR Remastering, which uses AI to enhance standard dynamic range content to high dynamic range levels. New to 2025 sets is Color Booster Pro, which Samsung says uses AI to offer richer, more vibrant colors.2. Click to SearchWondering where you’ve seen an actor before? This feature will give you more information about people, places, or products on your screen. Click the new AI button on your remote, and you’ll see who the actors are in a given scene, where that scene is taking place, or even the clothing the characters are wearing (which sounds a lot like the Encore AI shopping search). More

By Ken KaplanMany enterprises are well down their path toward implementing artificial intelligence, whereas others are still unsure how they’ll use it to run their business. Either way, CIOs and IT teams have many choices to make as AI continues to evolve at lightning speed. Some feel that the train is leaving the station and they must get on board now, according to Sean Donahue, senior solutions manager at Nutanix.”AI is not an option,” he said. “It’s not a speculative market. Companies know they have to go AI; they just haven’t figured out what use cases they will tackle first.” Donahue said this is likely because many don’t fully grasp how their organizations could benefit from using AI. He likened it to when Thomas Edison introduced the light bulb in 1888.”It was amazing to see at first sight, and the demo struck awe, but people didn’t understand how to use electricity, especially since there was no infrastructure bringing electricity to their home.”Artificial intelligence adoption is a challenge many CIOs grapple with as they look to the future. Before jumping in, their teams must possess practical knowledge, skills, and resources to implement AI effectively.  More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung has revealed its 2025 TV lineup, and while we don’t have exact specs yet, there are some intriguing new additions — including one eye-popping, large new offering.Also: I saw Samsung’s 8K TV at CES 2025 – and these 3 new features stole the showThe showstopping glare-free technology from last year’s S95D is coming to two new sets, the Wireless One Connect box is expanding to more models, and the company’s biggest-ever consumer display makes its debut. It’s CES in Las Vegas, so you can bet it’s massive. Here’s our first look at Samsung’s 2025 TV lineup. 1. Samsung Neo QLED 8K TVs More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETCES 2025 is still in its early days, but home audio giant Samsung has already announced two new soundbars to complement its new line of TVs. The soundbars debut with refreshed designs, the latest home audio technologies, and AI-powered dialogue enhancement features.According to Samsung, the flagship Samsung HW-Q990F soundbar can render an 11.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos listening experience, complete with 11 front-facing speakers, one subwoofer, and four upfiring audio channels.Also: CES 2025: What to expect and how to watchThe HW-Q990F has the same amount of audio channels as its predecessor, but Samsung asserts that the HW-990F’s subwoofer is half the size and produces more powerful audio output. The improved subwoofer should deliver clearer and more immersive sound.Samsung also announced a midrange soundbar, the HW-QS700F. The company touts its ability to be mounted or placed flat, making it more flexible to fit your space. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETWhile this week’s CES marks only my fourth stint at the most coveted consumer electronics trade show, I was fully prepared for Samsung’s new lineup of 8K TVs to wow me for a few minutes and then be left forgotten for the rest of the event.That’s because the company has been pushing the 8K envelope for a few years now, and at this point, the technology has hit a bit of a plateau — peaking in resolution output, remaining unattainable for most people.Also: Every Samsung TV announced at CES 2025: Best features coming to OLED, QLED, 8K modelsThings are mostly the same this year, but what’s changed is the reason why I’m writing this article in the middle of a casino. Of all the new TVs Samsung is announcing — which there are quite a few — the Neo QLED 8K TVs feel more purposeful and refined than ever. And the best part is that it has nothing to do with the actual sharpness and visual fidelity of the sets. Instead, these three new features impressed me in ways I didn’t expect.1. Bye-bye, glare!The first big change with the QN990F and QN900F models is the glare-free technology, carried over from last year’s  Samsung S95D OLED model More

Circular/ZDNETFrench tech brand Circular is stepping up its smart ring game with the unveiling of its Circular Ring 2, the brand announced on Sunday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The annual trade show is where tech brands from across the world unveil the year’s new innovations.Also: CES 2025: What is it, what to expect, and how to tune inThe second-generation smart ring is all in on heart health monitoring and upgrades many of its features to keep up with the industry competition. There’s an FDA-cleared Atrial Fibrillation detection algorithm to monitor arrhythmia included within the ECG capability for “real-time heart health insights,” according to the press release, and improved sensors that reportedly boost the accuracy of data captured.Digital ring sizing via your phoneMost smart ring brands send customers a ring sizing kit to try on the correct ring size before committing to a smart ring. Circular is changing this process with its Digital Ring Sizing, which users can try out on their phones — no physical kit needed. The Digital Ring Sizing uses a smartphone’s camera to determine a user’s ring size. This is the first smart ring brand, to our knowledge, that uses a smartphone camera for ring sizing.Also: The best smart rings you can buy Circular extends the new smart ring’s battery life to eight days, compared to the six-day battery life of its Circular Ring Slim. This battery life extension is on par with other smart rings in the space, like the Oura Ring 4. The app will also get a redesign for a more “intuitive and refined” look and user experience. More