https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/consumer-gadgets-news/ en-us Tthe latest news on consumer electronics, electronic gadgets and electronics. Rideshare e-scooters and e-bikes, and a change in public perception, could help close the gap between public transport hubs and commuters' starting points or destinations, according to a new report. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-scooters-bikes-people.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:52:39 EDT news700296732 From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks. But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has helped build a wall rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services, and the constant threat of scams can be daunting. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-technostress-older-people-digital-world.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:02 EDT news700221542 Apple unveiled an artificial intelligence overhaul for the iPhone on Monday, turning to Google for help two years after the company stumbled in its first attempt. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-apple-ai-google.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:04:46 EDT news700149743 Apple is expected to unveil new artificial intelligence features at its annual developers conference beginning Monday, which will be the last one featuring CEO Tim Cook before he turns his post over to John Ternus in September. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-apple-unveil-ai-features-conference.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:00:01 EDT news700114568 Some people have a gift for creating beautiful works of art. Others appreciate art but do not have the talent to create it. Researchers at Cornell Tech and the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science have created an artificial intelligence framework, ShadowDraw, that can create "shadow art"—partial line drawings that are completed by the shadow cast from an object—by simply scanning the object. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-framework-generates-shadow-art-scan.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:00:02 EDT news699796443 Someone with no computing experience may soon be able to remotely control a robot from anywhere on the planet using a smartphone, thanks to new technology developed by Georgia Tech. The new technology is also set to revolutionize the scale of policy training data collection, which is essential to advancing robotic capabilities and meeting growing production demand. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-app-robot.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:20:06 EDT news699786961 ChattyBear, a soft, brown-furred teddy bear, begins every conversation with a jubilant, "Hello, my buddy!" https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-chatbot-teddies-threeyearolds-ai-toys.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Jun 2026 22:00:01 EDT news699706971 Profound changes are ahead for online advertising. At the recent Google Marketing Live event, the tech giant outlined expanded artificial intelligence systems for digital ads. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-online-ads-harder-powerless.html Internet Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:00:07 EDT news699700713 As any athlete will tell you, perfect practice makes perfect. But for individuals who do not have regular access to coaches or trainers, maintaining good form can be tricky. In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people were exercising at home, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported a 48% rise in injuries related to at-home exercise. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ai-bad-real-injuries.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:40:01 EDT news699726422 When artificial intelligence is used to support or make important decisions in areas such as health care and public administration, it becomes crucial to understand how these systems arrive at their conclusions. A new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg presents a method for designing AI systems that can explain the evidence underlying their conclusions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ai-transparent-reliable.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:40:03 EDT news699707128 A new study from Taiwan combines consumer behavior research and life cycle assessment to design reusable cup systems that people are more willing to use. The findings show that convenience and incentives strongly shape participation, while well-designed reusable cup systems can still reduce environmental impacts compared to single-use cups. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-reusable-cups-easy-consumers.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:20:04 EDT news699706866 From laptops designed for the artificial intelligence era to advances in robotics and sky-high tech shares, here are five hot topics at Taipei's huge Computex trade show: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-robots-strain-hot-topics-computex.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:20:01 EDT news699688087 A peacock feather in sunlight shifts from blue to green to bronze as you turn it. Photograph it, and this shimmer collapses into one angle, one exposure, one compromise. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-screen-doesnt-range-human-eye.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EDT news699539883 It's well understood that people tend to be naturally drawn to those with bubbly and extroverted personalities. And those outgoing and gregarious types may naturally consider themselves people-persons and gravitate toward others. But the feeling may not be mutual when it comes to the people with whom these extroverts are interacting. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-people-chatbots-similar-personality-traits.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 29 May 2026 11:40:10 EDT news699273361 Queensland drivers support tougher and clearer distracted driving laws as technology becomes more complex, according to new research from QUT. The study, which surveyed 494 licensed drivers across the state and was published in Transport Policy, found strong public support for "technology neutral" legislation that would extend beyond mobile phones to cover smartwatches, in-built touchscreens, mounted devices and other emerging technologies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-queensland-drivers-tougher-distracted-laws.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 28 May 2026 07:40:02 EDT news699171961 Technology now allows the creation of increasingly realistic AI agents. Human-like AI agents—such as the digital characters that appear as virtual assistants, game characters, and the increasingly lifelike "metahumans" used in film and interactive media—can look remarkably realistic, but their facial behavior during conversation remains stiff and generic. A doctoral thesis defended at Tallinn University has addressed this gap by building a system that enables an AI agent to both interpret and generate facial expressions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-technology-ai-agents-people-facial.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 27 May 2026 15:00:05 EDT news699111781 Global society makes billions of images and uploads hundreds of thousands of hours of video on the internet every day. The problem is, some of this content is misleading or downright wrong. And when it's in visual form, it can be particularly convincing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ways-ai-slop.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 26 May 2026 11:20:07 EDT news699011407 Travelers who use AI-powered chatbots on hotel booking platforms often feel uneasy. That discomfort can cause them to disengage or delay booking decisions, according to new research from the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-hotel-chatbots-customers.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 25 May 2026 07:00:05 EDT news698910722 How can electronic music best be scored, music that's made not from staves, clefs and notes on the page but by physical gestures like turning a dial on a console or sweeping a hand across a synthesizer? And if that music is the result of "controlled accidents," where the musician intentionally triggers sonic surprises, can the unpredictability somehow be written down? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-music.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 22 May 2026 19:20:02 EDT news698665636 Modern smartphones are packed with incredible technology, from high-resolution cameras and advanced graphics chips to AI processors. In premium models, this hardware includes LiDAR (light detection and ranging), which helps power augmented reality features and improve depth sensing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-smartphones-track-hidden-lidar.html Software Fri, 22 May 2026 10:07:44 EDT news698663209 Music lovers may one day be able to blast their favorite artists, headphone-free, without angering the neighborhood or colleagues, thanks to researchers at Penn State. The team designed a system that can manipulate sound waves so that they are only audible at a precise spot slightly wider than an inch. Despite this tiny focal point, their system can produce high-quality audio, potentially offering listeners a crisp, yet private, sound experience. The team detailed their work in a paper recently published in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-3d-speaker-focus-audio-private.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 21 May 2026 13:20:07 EDT news698587561 Online shoppers could one day face fewer misleading fake reviews thanks to a newly tested AI-powered detection system developed by researchers at the University of East London. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-ai-fake-accuracy-amazon-yelp.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:01 EDT news698582341 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