Robotics

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETComputex 2025 just kicked off, and we’re on the ground in Taipei with eyes on all the latest gadgets in the computing world. Unsurprisingly, AI is everywhere, with a general theme of leveling up on the gains made in the last year when it comes to processing power, power efficiency, and next-gen NPUs. Both Nvidia and AMD announced new GPUs, with the GeForce RTX 5060 series and Radeon RX 9060 XT series, respectively, and Intel teased its new “Panther Lake” series of processors, along with some of the first devices to sport the new chips. Also: I went hands-on with every new Acer laptop from its 2025 lineup. Here’s what stood outBut it’s not just laptops and computers in the spotlight. We saw some exciting new gaming handhelds, a split keyboard from Asus, and a competitively priced smart ring from Acer that takes aim at the more expensive models — the first of its kind from the computing giant. 1. Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 5060 GPU More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETAt Computex 2025, computing giant Acer announced its first wearable, the FreeSense Smart Ring, a competitively-priced health tracker with no subscription fee. In a market where other smart rings can run up to $500 More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETOnline shopping has never been perfect. If I’m online scouting for a good deal on a pair of shoes, I have to sort through several options, sizes, colors, and price points to find what I want. That takes time. And if I want to buy the shoes at a discount, I have to wait several weeks or months and come back when the price drops. Also: Everything announced at Google I/O 2025: Gemini, Search, Android XR, and moreAt Google’s annual developer event, Google IO, the tech giant is debuting an AI-powered solution to online shoppers’ problems in the form of AI Mode. AI Mode offers online shoppers several options for finding exactly what they want, virtually trying on the clothing before they buy, and tracking prices to buy when a product is at its lowest. AI Mode will fundamentally shake up how people search for products and shop online. Here’s how. 1. Google’s Shopping Graph gets a major upgradeGemini combines forces with Google’s Shopping Graph, now with more than 50 billion product listings sourced from big-name brands and indie shops to elevate your browsing and shopping experience. Two billion listings are refreshed every hour to keep the results relevant and updated, so shoppers will get current pricing, the most recent discounts, and availability. Also: 8 best AI features and tools revealed at Google I/O 2025When a shopper searches for a product, they type what they’re looking for and the occasion they’ll be using the product for, and Google scouts options that fit those descriptors. In a press release, Google provides the example of a “cute travel bag” for a Portland, Oregon, vacation. AI Mode initiates a “query fan-out” to run several simultaneous searches and investigate a travel bag with pockets that meets the conditions or fits underneath an airplane seat. Additionally, a panel will update with new brands and options as you search. US users can expect AI Mode for shopping to roll out in the coming months. 2. Google will price-track – and purchase – your products for youSet the size, color, and desired price point on a product, and keep an eye on its price with Google’s new price-tracking feature. Once you’ve set up price-tracking on a product, Google will send you price-drop notifications to buy when the product is discounted. Additionally, Google will add the product to your cart and securely check out with Google Pay once the price drops to your desired range. Also: Google’s new AI tool can track products and buy for you when the price dropsLike AI Mode, this feature will also roll out in the coming months. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Garmin eTrex Solar is available now for $222, while the eTrex SE without solar sells for $150. Potential for unlimited battery life, extensive GNSS support, rugged build, and affordable. Small monochrome display, no turn-by-turn directions of TopoActive maps. –> Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I gained a deep affection […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIn recent years, Google Search’s shopping features have evolved to make Search a one-stop shop for consumers searching for specific products, deals, and retailers. Shoppers on a budget can scour Search’s Shopping tab during major sale events to see which retailer offered the best deal and where.Also: Everything Google just announced at I/O 2025: Gemini upgrades, AI Search, Android XR, and moreBut often, consumers miss out on a product’s most productive discount, paying more later because they don’t want to wait again. During this year’s Google I/O developer conference, Google aims to solve this problem with AI. Shopping in AI Mode More

Google began rolling out AI Mode in Search earlier this year, and the feature will now be widely available in the US, with no Labs sign-up required. It’ll come with some new capabilities, too.Deep Search in AI Mode, for example, expands the number of background queries from tens to hundreds to put together a more robust and thought-out search response. The result is a fully cited report that Google says will take just minutes to research and create.Also: Your Google Search experience will never be the same, thanks to 8 new AI featuresFor visual assistance, the Google Search experience is also getting Project Astra’s multimodal capabilities, so users can simply point their camera at an object or setting and ask about it like they would with a Google image search. There’s also a new AI Mode shopping experience that helps you find inspirations, narrow down buying options, and see yourself in an outfit (via image generator) when you upload an image of yourself.Project Mariner’s agentic functions will also transfer to AI Mode, allowing users to prompt Google to find the best event ticket deals or book restaurant appointments. While the AI won’t complete the purchase for you, it will present multiple options, including the one that best fits your inquiry (say you searched for the cheapest option), for you to approve.Finally, Google has expanded AI Overviews to over 200 countries and territories, and more than 40 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Malay, Urdu, and more. More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIf you’re one of the 8% of Americans who say they’re willing to pay for AI, Google has a deal for you — a $250 per month AI subscription. Also: 8 best AI features and tools revealed at Google I/O 2025The company unveiled Google AI Ultra today, a plan with the biggest usage limits for Google’s suite of AI tools and access to the highest versions of those tools.  What is AI Ultra?Google AI Ultra is intended for filmmakers, developers, and creative professionals and gives users access to tools like Veo, Imagen, Whisk, NotebookLM, and a new tool called Flow. Also: Google’s popular AI tool gets its own Android app – how to use NotebookLM on your phoneSubscribers also get a massive expansion in storage across Google platforms, plus YouTube Premium ($13.99 per month on its own).  More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETPutting on Project Moohan, an upcoming XR headset developed by Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm, for the first time felt strangely familiar. From twisting the head-strap knob on the back to slipping the standalone battery pack into my pants pocket, my mind was transported back to February 2024, when I tried on the Apple Vision Pro on launch day. Also: The best smart glasses unveiled at I/O 2025 weren’t made by GoogleOnly this time, the headset was powered by Android XR, Google’s newest operating system built around Gemini, the same AI model that dominated the Google I/O headlines this week. The difference in software was immediately noticeable — from the home grid of Google apps like Photos, Maps, and YouTube (which VisionOS still lacks) to prompting for Gemini instead of Siri with a long press of the headset’s multifunctional key. Apple Vision Pro inspiredWhile my demo with Project Moohan lasted only about 10 minutes, it gave me a clear understanding of how it’s challenging Apple’s Vision Pro and how Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm plan to convince the masses that the future of spatial computing does, in fact, live in a bulkier space-helmet-like device. For starters, there’s no denying that the industrial designers of Project Moohan drew some inspiration from the Apple Vision Pro. I mentioned a few of the hardware similarities already, but the general aesthetic and hand feel of the XR headset would easily pass as one made in Cupertino — only it’s much better than the Vision Pro. More