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After years of testing its humanoid robot (and forcing it to dance), Boston Dynamics' Atlas is entering production. The robotics company says the final product version of the robot is being built now, and the first companies that will receive deployments are Hyundai, Boston Dynamics' majority shareholder, and Google DeepMind, the firm's newly minted AI partner.This final enterprise version of Atlas "can perform a wide array of industrial tasks," according to Boston Dynamics, and is specifically designed with consistency and reliability in mind. Atlas can work autonomously, via a teleoperator or with "a tablet steering interface," and the robot is both strong and durable. Boston Dynamics says Atlas has a reach of up to 7.5 feet, the ability to lift 110 pounds and can operate at temperatures ranging from minus 4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "This is the best robot we have ever built," Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter said in the Atlas announcement. "Atlas is going to revolutionize the way industry works, and it marks the first step toward a long-term goal we have dreamed about since we were children." Boston Dynamics has been publicly demoing its work on humanoid robots since at least 2011, when it first debuted Atlas as a DARPA project. Since then, the robot has gone through multiple prototypes and revisions, most notably switching from a hydraulic design to an all-electric design in 2024. Later that year, Boston Dynamics demonstrated the robot's ability to manipulate car parts, which appears to be one of the first ways Atlas will be put to work.Hyundai plans to use Atlas in its car plants in 2028, focused on tasks like parts sequencing. In 2030, the car maker hopes to have the robot's responsibilities "extend to component assembly, and over time, Atlas will also take on tasks involving repetitive motions, heavy loads, and other complex operations," Hyundai says. Google DeepMind, meanwhile, is receiving Atlas robots so it can work on integrating its Gemini Robotics AI foundation models into Boston Dynamics' system. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/boston-dynamics-announces-production-ready-version-of-atlas-robot-at-ces-2026-234047772.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Last year when Dell decided to kill off the XPS name, it felt like a big mistake. In fact, we said so multiple times. But at CES 2026, Dell is righting wrongs by bringing back its iconic laptop brand and it feels like the right move for both the company and its flagship consumer devices. Even more than the words the letters XPS are meant to represent (Extreme Performance Systems), over the last decade, Dells signature laptop brand stood for excellent design, quality engineering and top notch performance. And it was precisely those laptops that landed the company at the top of nearly every best Windows laptop guide every year for the last decade. So to replace XPS with a generic tag like premium felt like a big step backwards. Now if you were living under a rock (at least when it comes to Windows laptops), you can sort of squint your eyes and see the reasoning behind Dells misguided rebranding. Premium means good, typically something much better than average. By putting that word in front of its top-tier systems, theres no way anyone could be confused about what kind of device they were buying, right? Take for example the Dell Premium 14, which was the new moniker for what was previously called the XPS 14. A laptop like that has to be decent. I mean, its right there in the product name. The issue is that XPS already meant good. Actually, way better than that, if we were just going by the sheer number of accolades previous-gen models got, like Dells 2020-era machines which we called practically perfect (which it was). Going away from that wasnt just reductive, it was throwing the best part of Dells consumer business in the trash for no real reason. The first two new XPS machines will be the XPS 14 and XPS 16. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetAdditionally, Dells new naming strategy was intended to simplify its product portfolio, and it failed to deliver on that original goal. COO Jeff Clarke was refreshingly honest about this when announcing the return of XPS at a CES media preview in early December. Not only did Dell lose its signature XPS brand last year, it actually made things more confusing for consumers when it simultaneously created a full range of Dell Pro and Pro Max systems. Unlike Apples MacBook Pros and iPhone Pro Maxes, those devices were actually meant for enterprise customers instead of regular Joes. Another photo of the new XPS 14 and 16, which have a bunch of welcome changes and then some. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetAmidst its rebrand, the company also eliminated a lot of its budget and entry-level models. That left a lot of people turning to more expensive mid-range Plus systems or waiting for a proper redesign of its top tier Premium laptops, which werent expected to arrive until 2026 anyway. So where is Dell going from here? Well as Clarke put it quite succinctly, Were getting back to our roots. Starting in 2026, the company is planning to create its broadest PC portfolio ever including, a full line of XPS laptops. This includes an all-new version of the XPS 13, which is going to be the thinnest and lightest model to date, along with complete overhauls for the XPS 14 and XPS 16. But Dell isnt stopping there because on a slide it showed at its press event, there were two additional placeholders for future XPS systems coming at some later date. Dell wouldn't let me take photos of the XPS 13 prototype model, but here's a teaser it provided for CES. DellEven when it comes to specific features and components on individual models, Dell is finally acknowledging some of the criticism it has received over the past few years by returning to segmented touchpads instead of seamless all-glass slates and ditching capacitive function keys for good ol buttons. Dell isnt just bringing the XPS line back, its kind of on a revenge tour (even if the original wound was self-inflicted). On top of that, the consumer device team will be reporting directly to Clarke while the company retools itself internally. Dell is also updating its naming scheme to finally deliver on the promise of making things clear and simple. XPS will once again be the companys flagship consumer brand with the XPS logo (not Dells) front and center on the lid of every laptop, while everything else will fall under the general Dell umbrella. Alienware will continue to do its own thing for gaming and the Dell Pro family will remain aimed strictly at enterprise businesses, professional services (like first responders) and education. No more confusion. And underlying all of that is a very straightforward motto from Clarke that great products win. After ditching the XPS brand, Dell is now bring it back for 2026 in its rightful spot at the top of the company's consumer portfolio. DellIn the end, even thoughDells big plan from last year ended up being a mess, I appreciate when a company is self aware enough to know it messed up and has come up with a plan to fix things. Regardless of whether it's a corporation or a single person, admitting mistakes is always hard. Oftentimes, what you learn in the process is the real prize and from what Ive seen Dell and its iconic XPS line is poised for a major comeback. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/it-took-guts-for-dell-to-admit-its-mistake-heres-how-xps-will-make-its-big-comeback-233248173.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Waymo is getting a good look at the competition as Uber revealed the design of its robotaxi that's due to launch in San Francisco later this year. The upcoming robotaxi is a result of a partnership announced in July between Uber, Lucid and Nuro. The plan is still to deploy at least 20,000 Lucid EVs that will use the Nuro Driver autonomous driving tech and be available through the Uber platform. It's important to note that the robotaxi reveal will be a "production intent design," so there may be some modifications to the version that will eventually hit the streets. However, the partnership started on-road testing last month in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Nuro using more than 100 robotaxi prototypes supervised by autonomous vehicle operators. The robotaxi, which is a modified Lucid Gravity, will feature a multi-pronged sensor system, including high-res cameras, lidar sensors, and radar. The design also incorporates a halo mounted onto the EV's roof, which will increase sensor visibility and double as a display that uses LEDs to display helpful info to passengers. As for the interior, Uber designed the "in-vehicle rider experience," which can accommodate six passengers and luggage space. Inside, the robotaxi will have a display that lets you activate heated seats, adjust climate controls and throw on music, while also offering options for emergencies, like contacting support or requesting the robotaxi to pull over. Even though the passenger isn't behind the wheel, the robotaxi's interactive screen will show its planned path in real-time and all the decisions it makes while driving, like interacting with pedestrians, traffic lights or lane changes. The partnership said the design is still awaiting final validation, but that the robotaxi production is slated to start at Lucid's factory in Arizona later this year. Before its official launch in late 2026, Uber's robotaxi will be on display at CES 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-reveals-the-design-of-its-robotaxi-at-ces-2026-230056302.html?src=rss
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