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CES 2026s second day was all about hands on time with new tech. From Legos most ambitious play experiment yet to assistive mobility tech, smart home ideas that actually feel affordable and robots that might one day fold your laundry, heres what stood out most on January 7.Lego Smart PlayLego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke's Red Five X-WingNathan Ingraham for EngadgetLEGOs new Smart Play system feels far more compelling in person than it did on stage. The Smart Brick, combined with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, responds dynamically to movement, proximity and context, triggering sounds and interactions without screens or apps. Seeing kids physically act out Star Wars battles while the bricks reacted in real time made it clear this is designed first and foremost for active social play, not digital distraction.WheelMoveA man sits in a manual wheelchair with an add-on attached that gives it a large central front wheel and raises the casters off the groundCheyenne MacDonald for EngadgetWheelMoves motorized wheelchair attachment is compact, surprisingly quick to install and genuinely empowering in action. The add-on lifts a chairs front wheels and adds powered assistance, making grass, cobblestones and slopes far easier to navigate. After seeing it demonstrated on uneven surfaces, its easy to imagine this opening up spaces that would otherwise be exhausting or inaccessible for manual wheelchair users.ThroneImage of the Throne Toilet Computer perched on the side of a toilet.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThrones toilet-mounted health tracker is exactly as strange as it sounds, but its also thoughtfully designed. Using computer vision to analyze bowel movements and urination, the device aims to establish a personal baseline and flag changes over time, with gut health and GLP-1 users firmly in mind. Its too early to judge accuracy, but seeing it in person made it feel less gimmicky and more like a niche wellness tool worth testing.IKEA smart home gearThe popular VARMBLIXT donut lamp is now smart. Amy Skorheim for EngadgetIKEAs first CES appearance leaned heavily into what it does best: simple, affordable design. The new Matter-compatible smart home range includes bulbs, plugs, remotes and sensors priced low enough to make smart homes feel accessible again. Standouts like the magnetically mounted BILREA remote and playful TEKLAN lamps showed that IKEA hasnt sacrificed charm in its push toward interoperability.SwitchBotSwitchbot's Onero H1.Karissa Bell for EngadgetSwitchBots Onero H1 was one of the most intriguing robots on the show floor because its meant to ship this year. The wheeled humanoid robot uses articulated arms and onboard AI to perform household chores, like loading a washing machine, albeit at a deliberate pace. Watching it work made the case that speed matters less than reliability when a robot can handle tasks while youre not home.Eyebot vision testingImage of the Eyebot KioskDaniel Cooper for EngadgetEyebots self-service vision testing kiosk turns a 20-minute optometrist visit into a process that takes just a few minutes. The test is guided by a large touchscreen and reviewed remotely by a licensed eye doctor, striking a balance between automation and oversight. After comparing results with a recent traditional exam, the accuracy felt reassuring, even if it doesnt replace full eye health screenings.Dephy Sidekick sneakersDephy's Sidekick, which the company describes as "footwear."Karissa Bell for EngadgetDephys Sidekick robotic sneakers deliver a subtle but noticeable boost with each step. The ankle-mounted exoskeleton adapts to your gait, and walking with it feels bouncy rather than overpowering, especially at lower assist levels. Its not for everyone, but after hours on the CES floor, the idea of powered help for people with limited mobility started to make a lot of sense.Klipsch headphonesKlipsch Atlas HP-1Billy Steele for EngadgetKlipschs return to headphones starts strong with the Atlas HP-1. The wireless ANC model looks premium, borrows familiar design cues and delivers the brands warm, balanced sound in early demos. Pricing is still unknown, but based on build quality and audio alone, these feel positioned firmly at the high end.Clear DropThe Clear Drop soft plastics compactor next to a pile of the bricks it produces.Amy Skorheim for EngadgetClear Drops home plastic compactor tackles a real recycling problem most households face. The machine takes bags and wraps them into dense bricks that can be shipped to partner recycling facilities, and watching it swallow soft plastics was oddly satisfying. Its expensive and not perfect, but its one of the more practical attempts at dealing with waste outside municipal systems.Nosh cooking robotNoshDaniel Cooper for EngadgetNosh is an AI cooking robot designed for low-effort, sauce-heavy meals like soups, curries and pasta. Multiple ingredient trays allow you to prep meals ahead of time, then slide them in when youre ready to eat. Its not replacing real cooking anytime soon, but as an alternative to microwaved meals, its more appealing than expected.Day two leaned heavily toward tech you could physically interact with, whether that meant flying Lego ships through the air, watching a robot load laundry or testing a vision exam in a kiosk. With more show-floor time still ahead, well be back with additional hands-ons, impressions and daily recaps as CES 2026 continues.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-2-all-of-the-coolest-tech-we-saw-on-the-show-floor-during-the-second-day-134608348.html?src=rss
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CES is famous for ushering in big TVs, faster chips and serious upgrades to the tech we already use every day. Its also where companies feel emboldened to ask some very strange questions, like whether your toilet should analyze your poop or your nails should change color on command. From experimental laptops to health tech that probably didnt need a camera, these are the weirdest gadgets we spotted at CES 2026.Throne toilet computerThe Throne device perched on the side of a toilet.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThrone is a toilet-mounted computer that uses cameras and microphones to analyze your bowel movements, which is a sentence we did not expect to type this week. Designed to establish a personal baseline for your bathroom habits, it aims to flag changes that could indicate digestive or metabolic issues, including for people on GLP-1 drugs. We cant speak to its effectiveness yet but if knowledge is power, this thing might know way too much.Vivoo Hygienic FlowPad smart menstrual padVivoo's FlowPadVivooVivoo looked at at-home health tracking and decided the bathroom was still underutilized. Alongside its clip-on smart toilet that analyzes your hydration by literally monitoring your pee, the company also unveiled a menstrual pad infused with microfluidics that can track fertility and hormone markers once you scan it with your phone. Its a bold reminder that CES 2026 is fully committed to quantifying everything even the stuff wed rather not discuss over brunch.Lenovo Legion Pro RollableWhile it normally has a 16-inch display, the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable concept's screen can expand up to 23.8 inches across.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetLenovos Legion Pro Rollable is what happens when a gaming laptop decides it wants to be a widescreen monitor mid-match. Its 16-inch display can physically expand sideways into ultra-wide formats, turning flight sims and racing games into full cockpit experiences at the press of a couple of keys. Its impractical, faintly ridiculous and absolutely the kind of CES concept we hope survives long enough to escape the demo floor.Lenovo ThinkBook XD RollableWith its XD Rollable concept, Lenovo took the Thinkbook Plus Gen 6's basic design and made it even more futuristic by allowing its flexible display to wrap around onto its lid.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetIf the Legion Pro Rollable is excessive, the ThinkBook XD Rollable is philosophically confusing. Its flexible display doesnt just grow taller, it wraps over the lid to create a world-facing screen for people sitting across from you, which feels either futuristic or deeply unnecessary depending on your mood and situation (maybe this is the perfect device for hotel check-ins and other points of sale?). Still, its a gorgeous piece of hardware theater and proof Lenovo is determined to roll screens onto every surface it can reach.OhDoki Handy 2 ProImage of The Handy 2 and Handy 2 ProDaniel Cooper for EngadgetOhDokis Handy 2 Pro arrived at CES with one clear message: more power, fewer limits and absolutely no chill. The upgraded sex toy model cranks battery life up to five hours and unlocks a Turbo mode so aggressive it was described as overclocked, which is not a term we expected to hear in this category. It can also charge your phone, because apparently even pleasure tech needs to justify itself with productivity.iPolishiPolishDaniel Cooper for EngadgetiPolish finally made Total Recall nail tech real, minus the dystopia and Schwarzenegger. These press-on acrylic nails use an electric charge to switch between hundreds of colors in seconds, letting you change your manicure as often as your outfit. Its delightfully impractical, surprisingly affordable and the most convincing argument yet for treating your nails like a customizable display.Hisense S6 FollowMe displayHisense S6 FollowMe displayHisenseHisenses FollowMe display is a screen that physically follows you around the room which no one really asked for, but CES happily delivered anyway. Designed to reposition itself automatically so content stays in view, it feels like the logical endpoint of smart TVs becoming increasingly clingy. We havent seen it in action yet, but the idea of a display that refuses to be ignored is deeply on brand for 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-weirdest-tech-weve-seen-at-ces-2026-so-far-134056504.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Ahead of a launch later this month, Volvo has teased some impressive details about its upcoming electric crossover. The EX60, which slots between the EX40 and EX90, will offer an EPA range of 400 miles, beating all other Volvos and most EVs in general. It will also be the first Volvo car to use a megacasting process designed to reduce weight and boost manufacturing efficiency. "With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car," said Volvo CTO Anders Bell. "The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety." Volvo Volvo considered that main worry to be range anxiety, so it focused on maximizing endurance to the largest extent possible. Key to that is Volvo's advanced SPA3 EV architecture, which integrates the battery directly into the structure of the car with cell-to-body technology. Volvo also developed its e-motors in-house to improve efficiency and reduce weight. The company also made the EX60 fast to charge with an 800-volt electrical system and support for up to 400kW fast charging, letting you add up to 168 miles of range in just 10 minutes. New lighter materials and lower heat generation aid in that, "meaning the EX60 can add over 100 miles or range in just a few minutes," Volvo wrote on its blog. Volvo The megacasting, meanwhile, helped Volvo replace hundreds of smaller parts with a single, high-precision casting to reduce weight. The Volvo EX60 will be revealed on January 21, 2026 at a livestream on Volvo's website. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvos-ex60-electric-crossover-promises-400-miles-of-epa-range-130008964.html?src=rss
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