https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/consumer-gadgets-news/ en-us Tthe latest news on consumer electronics, electronic gadgets and electronics. Google on Tuesday unveiled the design of new smart glasses, returning to a market the tech giant tried—and failed—to crack more than a decade ago. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-google-unveils-smart-glasses-meta.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 20 May 2026 07:20:06 EDT news698479553 You open a free app to do one simple thing. Before you even start, a full-screen message asks whether you want to try the paid version. The "Start free trial" button is large, bright and hard to miss. The option to keep using the free version is smaller, buried at the bottom. The same prompt appears again tomorrow. And the day after that. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-dark-patterns-web-illegal.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 18 May 2026 12:40:01 EDT news698326561 Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are investigating how humans respond to artificial intelligence agents that sound physically present in the same room, work that could shape the future of audio-only AI systems used in smart glasses, accessibility tools and other screen-free technologies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-audio-cues-ai-human-users.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:04 EDT news698324281 According to many deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, clarity—not volume—is one of the most challenging parts of understanding speech in enclosed spaces. In many types of rooms, sound reflecting off multiple walls muddies conversation, making it harder to understand. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-wall-centers-deaf-hard-individuals.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 14 May 2026 15:40:04 EDT news697966321 When a list of pros and cons won't cut it, a new decision-making tool developed by Cornell researchers can use artificial intelligence to help make difficult decisions. But there's a twist: Instead of checking AI's result, AI is checking you. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-humans-bad-complex-decisions-ai.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 14 May 2026 12:30:24 EDT news697980604 Originally, video games were a product you paid for once and that then provided as many hours of entertainment as users wanted to spend at the computer or console. Now, however, on the mobile phones that are in almost everybody's pockets, the industry's growth has taken a darker turn, with game design using a range of mechanisms that encourage user spending and can help normalize gambling habits. A study led by researchers at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) published in the journal Entertainment Computing, reveals a consistent relationship between these hidden mechanisms and behaviors associated with problematic gambling among young people. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-harmless-game-features-quietly-reshape.html Internet Thu, 14 May 2026 09:35:34 EDT news697970101 It's hard to overstate the impact that artificial intelligence has had since the release of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT just three years ago. While they have led to countless advances in how we live and work, they have also been at the center of controversies around domestic and sexual abuse. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-airtags-ai-nudification-toolkit-technologyfacilitated.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 13 May 2026 22:00:01 EDT news697886678 Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key factor in the advancement of many fields, but it is also a new frontier in the development of neurotechnologies. Beyond its growing popularity in fields such as automation, content generation or data analysis, its use in the study of the human brain and related interventions raises significant moral and ethical questions about the potential of AI tools and their relationship with fundamental rights and freedoms. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-eu-ai-indirectly-emerging-neurotechnologies.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 13 May 2026 15:42:49 EDT news697905301 If you've ever turned to artificial intelligence to try to figure out how to handle a tricky situation with a friend or colleague, you're far from alone. For many, AI has become a modern oracle—a source of guidance, emotional support, or clarity in moments of uncertainty—though critics worry that they could lead to emotional dependence on the technology. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-tarot-readers-ai-reliance-chatbots.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 13 May 2026 12:19:33 EDT news697893542 Cities across the Global South are urbanizing at pace, but their built environments for walking rarely resemble ideal, tidy, and well-regulated networks. Vehicles are parked on pedestrian sidewalks, and a seemingly direct route on a map may feel longer in practice. Moreover, many urban planning ideas and assumptions are based on research done on Global North cities like New York, which do not fully capture or reflect the nuances and lived experiences of the Global South. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-gps-reveal-pedestrians-phnom-penh.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 13 May 2026 11:34:15 EDT news697890541 When service robots make mistakes, it is not only important whether customers receive compensation. The robot's voice can also shape how the situation is perceived. A human-like voice can make customers feel more supported after a service failure. This is the finding of a study by the Chair of Value Based Marketing at the University of Augsburg, published in the Journal of Business Research. The findings are relevant for companies that use service robots and similar AI-based systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-human-robot-voices-boost-customer.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 13 May 2026 09:40:02 EDT news697882962 The American obsession with the iPhone is complicated, as most love-hate relationships are. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-americans-iphones.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 12 May 2026 15:20:03 EDT news697817891 Researchers in South Korea have developed a new sign language translation system based on users wearing seven rings equipped with sensors. According to a new study published in the journal Science Advances, the technology can reliably recognize and translate both American and International sign language words with roughly 88% accuracy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-smart-language-barriers-movements-instant.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 12 May 2026 14:10:01 EDT news697722046 A billboard tries to sell you something. So does a used car salesman. But no matter how smooth the pitch, you're quite aware of the profit motive, and you can walk away at any time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ai-chatbot-subtly-reshaping-opinions.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 12 May 2026 13:40:05 EDT news697808941 Despite regional variability in climate, electricity sources, congestion, and the wide variation in individual driving patterns, electric vehicles generate less greenhouse gas emissions and do not cost more than comparable gas-powered vehicles for drivers and vehicle fleet owners in most parts of the United States, according to a new study by MIT researchers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-drivers-evs-emissions-benefits.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 12 May 2026 12:40:03 EDT news697807801 From August 2026, an EU-wide AI regulation will come into force requiring the labeling of AI-generated content. However, a research team from the University of Bayreuth and Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, has found that users of AI systems can no longer reliably recall after just one week whether content was generated by AI or not. The researchers presented their findings at the CHI conference, the most important and largest international conference in the field of Human–Computer Interaction. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-people-struggle-recall-content-ai.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 11 May 2026 17:40:11 EDT news697737841 If the spring season has brought an urge to scrub your living space from top to bottom, why not clear out the digital detritus cluttering your electronic devices and online accounts at the same time? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-digital-devices-online-accounts.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 07 May 2026 19:40:06 EDT news697381106 Compared to the possibilities offered by on-body interaction techniques such as wearables, smartphones and computers are increasingly beginning to look like technologies of the past. But what risks arise when mini-computers worn continuously on the body become part of everyday life? This question was investigated by CISPA researcher Dañiel Gerhardt. His central finding is that privacy and security issues are closely intertwined, creating significant risks for users. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-body-tech-expose-users-privacy.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 07 May 2026 15:00:03 EDT news697384562 A study by TU Graz shows that women have a 60% higher injury risk in car accidents compared to men. This is especially true for female passengers and older women. The findings suggest that the safety systems and legal test standards should be adjusted. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-reveal-women-higher-injury-men.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:09 EDT news697365661 Large language models (LLMs), the computational models underpinning the functioning of ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar conversational platforms, are now used daily by many people worldwide. As these models can rapidly answer queries about most topics, many users use them to source information related to their personal and professional lives, sometimes sharing information about themselves. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ai-personality-traits-chatgpt-history.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:11 EDT news697193407 In 1985, the Innovative Design Fund placed an ad in Scientific American offering up to $10,000 to support clever prototypes for clothing, home decor, and textiles. William Freeman Ph.D., then an electrical engineer at Polaroid and now an MIT professor, saw it and submitted a novel idea: a three-sided zipper. Instead of fastening pants, it'd be like a switch that seamlessly flipped chairs, tents, and purses between soft and rigid states, making them easier to pack and put together. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-year-technology-enables-sided-zipper.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 04 May 2026 16:00:04 EDT news697126765 In our increasingly online lives, convenience has come at a cost. The average person has more than 100 online accounts, and creating a new one often requires handing over personal information like an email address or a birthdate. Researchers at the Applied Social Media Lab at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society say the current system puts your privacy at risk and makes you more vulnerable to identity theft, and they have a plan to fix it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-identity-wallet-biometric-proof-corporate.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 04 May 2026 12:40:06 EDT news697115041 Ultra-personalized artificial intelligence for assisted communication risks muting aspects of the user's identity and occasionally breaches privacy, according to a new study from a Cornell Tech doctoral student who trained the technology on himself. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ai-1.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 04 May 2026 12:20:05 EDT news697114261 I hope this article finds you well. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-looping-ai-emails.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 01 May 2026 09:20:06 EDT news696844862 Major AI platforms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as social apps like Replika and Character.ai, are increasingly designing chatbots to be warm, friendly, and empathetic. However, new research from the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford finds that chatbots trained to sound warmer and more empathetic are significantly more likely to make factual errors and agree with false beliefs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-friendlier-ai-backfire.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:20:03 EDT news696693463 Due to recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), it's now possible to digitally "revive" dead people and interact with them. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-deadbots-fuel-pathological-grief.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news696684662 A new method developed by MIT researchers can accelerate a privacy-preserving artificial intelligence training method by about 81%. This advance could enable a wider array of resource-constrained edge devices, like sensors and smartwatches, to deploy more accurate AI models while keeping user data secure. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-everyday-devices-ai-faster-personal.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:40:08 EDT news696680881 Workplace hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses. While hearing loss is preventable with earplugs, they can be uncomfortable, and users often remove them despite the risks. Low-frequency sounds, such as rumbling traffic and warehouse vibrations, are especially difficult to address because differences in ear physiology allow sound to leak into ears, despite protection from earplugs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-meta-earplugs-booming-voice-effect.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:19 EDT news696500461 A study into the use of deepfake technology in advertising has found that public acceptance of synthetic media generated by artificial intelligence (AI) is closely tied to how familiar someone is with technology and the way such content is framed. The research, published in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence Governance and Human Rights, raises questions for regulators and advertisers alike regarding transparency and trust. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-deepfake-ads-faster-artificial-media.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:20:05 EDT news696503527 AI chatbots can grant almost any request—a celebrity in love with you, a research assistant, a book character sprung to life—instantly and with little effort. New research presented at the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems suggests that this genie-like quality is fueling AI addiction, and that chatbot design could be partly to blame. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-addicted-ai-chatbot.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news696509648