Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

Gaps between perception and reality might be putting the brakes on electric vehicle sales in rural areas

A University of Michigan survey of 1,000 rural Michigan residents reveals a striking gap between perception and reality when it comes to electric vehicles.

Consumer & Gadgets

Could ChatGPT convince you to buy something? Threat of manipulation looms as AI companies gear up to sell ads

Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI's development hadn't consolidated under a small number of big tech firms. Nor had it capitalized ...

Internet

WhatsApp data reveal people often deceive themselves

How quickly we reply, how active we really are in chats—many people misjudge their own behavior. Researchers at Bielefeld University have, for the first time, used anonymized WhatsApp metadata to make such misperceptions ...

Consumer & Gadgets

10-inch folding phones are coming: Is their market ready to expand?

What if you could put a 10-inch tablet in your pocket as easily as your smartphone?

Consumer & Gadgets

Apple chooses Google's Gemini AI to power Siri

Apple will rely on Google to help finish its efforts to smarten up its virtual assistant Siri and bring other artificial intelligence features to the iPhone as the trendsetting company plays catch up in technology's latest ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Brew, smell, and serve: AI steals the show at CES 2026

AI took over CES 2026, powering coffee machines to brew the perfect espresso, a device to create your perfect scent, and ball-hitting tennis robots that make you forget it's human against machine.

Consumer & Gadgets

From sci-fi to sidewalk: Exoskeletons go mainstream

Exoskeletons are shedding their bulky, sci-fi image to become lightweight, AI-powered consumer devices that manufacturers hope will become as commonplace as smartwatches, targeting everyone from hikers to seniors seeking ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Dose of uncertainty: Experts wary of AI health gadgets at CES

Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses AI to ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Smart glasses find purpose among blind users

The actual use-value of smart glasses remains keenly debated—but less so among blind people, who are increasingly relying on the latest models to improve their lives.

Consumer & Gadgets

A study of connected vehicle technology

The largest on-road trial of connected vehicle technology in Australia has found participants who used the technology for nine months approved of it in general and contributed significant feedback on further enhancement to ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Apple Watch models face US import ban in patent clash

Medical technology company Masimo Corp. on Thursday said a US trade commission has recommended banning imports of Apple Watch models that infringe its light technology for detecting blood oxygen levels.

Consumer & Gadgets

Energy bills: How households could feel the cold this winter

As winter starts to bite, you may be starting to worry again about how much you will have to pay for your gas and electricity over the coming months. Of course, energy isn't the only rising cost in the current inflation-led ...

Consumer & Gadgets

New phone case provides workaround for inaccessible touch screens

A new smartphone case could soon enable folks with visual impairments, tremors and spasms to use touch screens independently. Developed at the University of Michigan, BrushLens could help users perceive, locate and tap buttons ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Columnist: Your smart watch can assist if you fall

Last week I wrote about setting up Amazon Echo devices to enable making phone calls with your voice, which could be helpful in an emergency. I mentioned falling and not having a phone within reach to call for help.

Consumer & Gadgets

How can social media be better? Four researchers compare strategies

Major platform social media is in an upheaval. Bluesky and Meta's Threads want to be Twitter. LinkedIn's influence is rising. Meanwhile, Twitter has become X. And X wants to be an everything app—possibly including job listings, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Google plans to make flagship smartphones in India

Google plans to manufacture its flagship Pixel 8 smartphone in India, CEO Sundar Pichai said Thursday, joining a growing list of global tech companies limiting their supply chains' dependence on China.