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Fallout's second season is full of Easter eggs and references to the post-apocalyptic Bethesda games it's based on, including the enemies you try valiantly to avoid. Cooper (Walton Goggins) and Lucy (Ella Purnell) faced down radscorpions early this season, but in Season 2, episode 4, there's no getting around one of Fallout's mightiest foes.

The Deathclaw is HERE.

SEE ALSO: 'Fallout' Season 2 is full of game details. Here's a handy guide.

At the start of the fourth episode of Prime Video's series, we find ourselves back before the global nuclear holocaust, on the Alaskan Front during the war against the People's Liberation Army of China — the Chinese invasion of America is a major event in the Fallout games. Here, Cooper (Walton Goggins) is on the front line testing out that familiar T-45 power armor for the U.S. Marines. He orders his friend Dallas Goldtooth (Charles Whiteknife) back to base before hearing something in the chaos, an animal sound, as a horned beast emerges from the flames. As enemy troops pin Cooper down, the creature takes them all out, then shows its reptilian face, sharp claws, and long tail while giving Coop a major whiff of that maw.

Fans will probably recognise that face instantly as that of a Deathclaw, one of the apex predators that appear in basically every Fallout game. Not a boss you'd want to stumble across in the Wasteland, they're tough as nails — and extremely hard to beat without the games' signature aim-support V.A.T.S. system (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System).

Featured Video For You What tech would the 'Fallout' cast steal from the show?

Unluckily for our protagonists in the Fallout TV series, they don't have V.A.T.S., and it's not the last we see of the Deathclaws, with Cooper and Lucy unfortunately encountering one of the towering creatures on arrival in New Vegas in the same episode. Outside the Gomorrah Hotel and Casino, a key location from Fallout: New Vegas, the pair find the place strangely devoid of people — and full of irradiated, long-hatched eggs. Oh dear.

Out of the casino's illustrated flames emerges a mighty Deathclaw. This Reddit thread might help our heroes?

Fallout Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video with a new episode every week.

Stephen Colbert has hit President Donald Trump where it hurts: in the ratings. Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for the first time late last month, having boldly declared that the event would attract its highest ratings ever. As Colbert gleefully noted, the reality fell far short of that. Trump's hosting gig ultimately attracted just 3 million viewers on CBS — an all-time low. 

"Now, it is beneath me to gloat. But if it weren't beneath me, I'd call him no talent, low-rated Donald Trump," quipped Colbert, echoing Trump's frequently used turns of phrase.

Putting that viewer number into context, Colbert gleefully compared Trump's ratings to his own when he first hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. The Late Show host had attracted over three times as many viewers as Trump, with around 9.25 million people tuning in at the time.

"Trump's terrible numbers hurt more when you remember that he predicted it would be 'the highest rated show they've ever done,'" said Colbert. "Well, that's about as far off as a prediction could possibly be. Next to Amelia Earhart's famous words, 'One thing's for sure, I ain't getting lost.'"

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Insane.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

CRAZY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Glue.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

EPOXY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To rescind.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

QUASH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A common American last name.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for January 7 Hurdle Word 4 answer

SMITH

Final Hurdle hint

Two on a dice.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

DEUCE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

From our view, the Moon is changing every night, shifting through the lunar cycle as different portions of its sunlit side become visible. But what does that mean for tonight's Moon? Keep reading to find out.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Jan. 7, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 80% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

There's lots to see tonight when you look up. Without any visual aids you'll be able to spot the Mares Imbrium and Tranquillitatis as well as the Kepler Crater. With binoculars you'll also see the the Gassendi and Alphonsus Craters, and the Mare Nectaris. Add a telescope to your lineup if you want to spot even more, including the as the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in around 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Motorola is taking another swing at foldables. The company announced the Razr Fold at CES 2020's Lenovo Tech World, introducing its newest flagship and a more ambitious take on the Razr formula.

Instead of leaning into nostalgia with the flip-style Razrs, the Razr Fold is marketed as a productivity device. Closed, it looks and feels like a standard smartphone thanks to a large 6.6-inch external display. Open it up, and it unfolds into an 8.1-inch 2K LTPO screen meant for multitasking.

SEE ALSO: Hands on at CES 2026: Lenovo debuts two new rollable concept laptops, including one that grows wider

Motorola is also pushing its on-device AI harder here. Features like Catch Me Up and Next Move are designed to surface reminders, context, and suggested actions without requiring constant switching between apps. It’s all part of Motorola Qira, the company’s new unified AI platform which ties Motorola and Lenovo devices together under one assistant.

Camera specs are predictably stacked: a triple 50MP rear setup, including a periscope telephoto, plus separate internal and external selfie cameras. There’s Dolby Vision video, stabilization, and a Sony LYTIA sensor doing most of the heavy lifting. Motorola also confirmed stylus support, which makes the foldable pitch feel a little more serious.

This wasn’t the only Razr news. Motorola also showcased a FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition Razr, featuring custom branding and software enhancements. Pricing and availability haven’t been detailed yet, but it's clear that Motorola wants the Razr to be not only cool, but useful as well.

Six months after sending the world's first rollable laptop to market, Lenovo is back with two new concept PCs that have expanding screens. The tech giant unveiled the business-oriented ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept and the gaming-ready Legion Pro Rollable Concept at CES 2026 Tuesday, arriving on the heels of extensive leaks. Mashable was among the first to demo Lenovo's new laptops in the company's private showroom.

SEE ALSO: Hands on at CES 2026: Lenovo's voice-controlled twisting laptop arrives

Like last year's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI, these two Windows laptops were birthed from Lenovo's desire to play around with OLED panels, which are super thin and bendy. Both devices seem quite polished even though they're just prototypes, so I'd imagine getting them market-ready would just involve some further durability and stability testing. (Lenovo mentioned that they were delicate before letting us get our hands on them.)

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Even if that never happens, I think we can already chalk up these rollables as a win for the company's engineering team. They already work as intended and look sick while they're at it.

Lenovo's ThinkPad Rollable XD boasts an extendable double-sided screen Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

The ThinkPad Rollable XD has an expandable display that can grow from 13.3 to nearly 16 inches tall, bumping its screen real estate by 50 percent in seconds. It looks a lot like the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 when you're facing it straight-on, but it has an extra gimmick. Its OLED display wraps 180 degrees over the top edge of its lid to create a second "world-facing" display on the back.

Lenovo said it developed a transparent glass cover in partnership with Corning to protect the portion of the OLED panel that curves behind its main "user-facing" display. This has an aesthetic bonus: You can see the fiber cables and motors that power its "rolling" mechanism. (This is now housed in the device's lid instead of its base.) It's such a flex on Lenovo's part.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

You can control the height of the ThinkPad Rollable XD's display by pressing a button or by swiping a finger across the edge of its lid — every part of it has touchscreen capabilities. It doesn't respond to voice commands or hand gestures like last year's rollable, but remember: It's just a concept for now. Both control options could wind up on a market-ready model eventually.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable Lenovo's Legion Pro Rollable practically has an entire hidden monitor

Lenovo's second new concept laptop at CES, the Legion Pro Rollable, has a 240Hz OLED display that expands from both sides. It can grow from 16 inches in "Focus Mode" (its standard "unrolled" size) to 21.5 inches in "Tactical Mode," and expands a full two feet in "Arena Mode." It's basically producing an external monitor out of nowhere. For those who need more screen real estate, I think it would feel more instinctive than a dual-screen gaming laptop like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

I noticed some skid marks on the Legion Pro Rollable's screen when it unfurled (seemingly from an internal mechanism), but they were superficial and wiped off easily. There was some subtle creasing where the OLED panel retreated into its housing. Like I said, any market-readiness polishing will probably entail some build quality improvements. Lenovo states that it's currently rated to last 25,000 roll cycles.

The Legion Pro Rollable will be configured like Lenovo's Legion Pro 7i, a premium 16-inch laptop for competitive PC gamers. Think high-end Intel Core processors, a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and a ton of ports.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

Aesthetically, it's decked out with RGB accent lighting: There's an RGB keyboard, a glowy "Legion" logo on its lid, and dynamic rainbow LED strips lining its chunky rear fan vents. It's almost Lisa Frankian in its gaudiness — you can't look away.

Heft and heat are two obvious downsides to making a laptop this flashy. It was blasting out hot air while we demoed it, and we didn't even have a game pulled up.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

While neither prototype is guaranteed to hit shelves, the arrival of the original Lenovo rollable laptop two years after its conceptual debut gives me hope that we'll able to buy them in a couple years. Considering the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 retailed for $3,499.99, I would start saving now.

Lenovo's voice-controlled twisting laptop is officially hitting the market later this year, and Mashable got to go hands-on with it at CES 2026. The PC giant still has one kink to iron out before it lands in consumers' hands this summer, but overall the device is a fun and constructive twist on the 2-in-1 form factor.

Announced Tuesday, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist is a unique hybrid business PC with a swiveling 14-inch touchscreen that rotates on a motorized hinge. The user can open, close, and reposition its lid manually or by saying "Hey Tiko" followed by a voice command. If necessary, you can switch it between clamshell and tablet modes without lifting a finger. The screen can turn 90 degrees to the right and a full 180 degrees to the left.

Do the twist. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist has some other fun tricks up its sleeve. Its 10MP webcam can follow your face, and if you scoot too far to one side of the frame, the device will automatically adjust the position of its display to make sure it's always facing you. This seems perfect for presentations.

Additionally, the Auto Twist's webcam supports an AI-powered "Desk View" feature that lets it look around and analyze objects near it. A Lenovo rep had it sniff out a spec card that was sitting next to it; the device's lid swiveled around so that the camera could find and scan its contents. It also clocked the dimensions and price point of the spiral-bound notebook I was holding while standing in front of it. (Six-by-eight inches, $5 to $10, college-ruled.)

Hey chat. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Booting up the Auto Twist's "Companion Mode" puts a pair of eyes on its screen that reminded me of a minimalist Nick Jr. "Face." When you chat with it, the screen's position moves as it "thinks" and "emotes." Necessary? No. Cute? Kinda!

I ran into one snag whenever I manually rotated the Auto Twist's screen back up from tablet mode, which would cause its picture to get stuck upside-down. A Lenovo rep was able to re-orient it in the settings menu, but I'm hoping a fix is coming pre-release.

Left: Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Right: Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist initially debuted as a prototype at the IFA trade show in September 2024. Lenovo says the market-ready version has a faster, quieter, smoother, and more durable hinge with a refined electromotor design. It also got upgraded with a nicer 2.8K OLED display.

The Auto Twist is powered by an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processor with integrated Intel Graphics, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 2TB of storage. Its OLED screen has a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. Its Dolby Atmos speakers rotate with the screen so that they're always front-facing, ensuring clear audio quality.

Super sleek. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist hasn't been rated for battery life, but Lenovo notes in a press release that its 75Wh battery "provides long-lasting productivity."

The device is equipped with a decent mix of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. It measures 0.63 to 0.94 inches thin, and it starts at 3.09 pounds. It comes in a Luna Gray finish, and it's set for release in June with a base cost of $1,649.

You know you twist so fine. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist marks Lenovo's third crack at a laptop with a twisting display after 2012's ThinkPad Twist and 2023's ThinkPad Plus Twist. The latter was quirkier in that it had an second e-ink touchscreen on the back of its lid, though neither older device supported voice commands, giving the Auto Twist an edge from an accessibility standpoint.

The Auto Twist isn't to be confused with Lenovo's ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept from IFA 2025, which had a screen that rotated from landscape to portrait mode similar to a Samsung Sero TV. Lenovo's communications manager Jeff Witt told me via email that it's still just a concept — for now. "Give us some time," he said.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

For the past couple of years, tech companies have been pushing to make a wearable AI companion that actually breaks into the mainstream. Whether that company ends up being Motorola remains to be seen, but the smartphone maker is clearly angling for a shot. At CES 2026, Motorola debuted a new wearable AI proof of concept for guests and press during its Lenovo World Tour event.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: JBL's new open earbuds lineup gives listeners 5 unique options

I had the chance to see the device in action a few days earlier at a private media preview, where company spokespeople were careful to stress that this is very much a proof-of-concept device. What they showed us works largely as you’d expect this category of hardware to function right now. Powered by Motorola’s new AI assistant, Qira, the wearable can identify and explain objects in front of you, summarize information, and even navigate to events by launching apps on a paired phone.

Credit: Motorola

The device itself is small and minimalist, resembling a chunky pendant more than a traditional gadget. It’s encased in a glossy, pearl-like shell with softly rounded edges and hangs from a thin necklace chain. A subtle Motorola logo sits near the center, while a small camera lens and sensor array are positioned at one end. Aside from a narrow speaker slit and tiny pinhole microphones, there are no visible buttons or displays.

In practice, it teeters on the edge of being an agentic AI. Rather than just spitting out directions, the device actually opened Google Maps on the demo phone and entered the destination on its own. Some of the demos, however, felt redundant — including one where a spokesperson held up an event flyer, and the device more or less repeated the text verbatim, with only minimal added context about the speakers.

Still, Motorola may have an opening here. The bar for minimalist, wearable AI remains unsurprisingly low. Humane’s AI Pin flamed out almost immediately, criticized for its limited usefulness and high price. The Friend necklace followed, drawing immediate backlash for allegedly borrowing its design from someone else.

Motorola was clear that this wearable is still a long way from any commercial release.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

One of the coolest parts of CES is getting to preview the future of technology. LG’s iRobot-like helper robot and Sony’s XYN headset are two such examples from last year's event. Those are rather large and ambitious tech projects, but Lenovo is tackling a different sort of problem with its Self-Charging Kit Concept, which consists of a solar-powered mouse and keyboard that can charge themselves without natural sunlight

Lenovo says this technology provides "one of the industry's first true no-charging" experiences.

Credit: Lenovo

The tech uses what Lenovo calls “next-level light-harvesting technology,” which charges the mouse and keyboard using indoor light as low as 50 lux. For reference, most grocery stores are somewhere between 200 and 500 lux, so 50 lux would be equivalent to an overcast day, give or take.

These days, virtually every device comes with a throwaway USB-C charging cable, and we love the idea of having a truly wireless gadget with no charging required. Based on product images, it appears that the charging panel is right above the arrow keys on the keyboard and integrated into the mouse’s entire top side. 

Lenovo was a little vague in terms of other features, but based on the concept images, there are three Bluetooth buttons, indicating that the kit will be able to connect to multiple devices with the push of a button, and an eco mode button that will likely reduce functionality to help the battery last longer.

Credit: Lenovo

Lenovo gets points for having such a neat concept, especially one that can charge in such low light. This concept already exists in some products, such as this Logitech solar-powered keyboard, which can hold its charge for up to three months in total darkness. However, Logitech’s documentation says that keyboard needs at least 100 lux to charge, so Lenovo’s concept not only has a cleaner design, but also works in much dimmer lighting. 

Since this is a concept product, there is no release date or price tag. For comparison’s sake, Logitech’s previous solar model sells for $300 when not on sale.

Lenovo has debuted a ton of new concept products and AI laptops for CES 2026, and Mashable got the chance to spend some hands-on time with the products. Check our CES 2026 hub for the latest news and updates as Mashable reports live from the biggest show in tech.

Smart glasses are a major trend this year at CES 2026, and though TCL has been in the space for a while, its RayNeo glasses haven't made as many waves as competitors like Meta Ray-Ban and Xreal. That could be about to change. At CES, the brand announced the upcoming launch of the TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro, which boasts an HDR-capable Micro-OLED display and a very competitive price tag.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro will officially launch on Jan. 25 for $299, significantly less than similar augmented reality smart glasses. Not only that, but TCL says the Air 4 Pro is the world’s first HDR10-enabled AR glasses.

The Air 4 Pro operates like other AR glasses, and they have to be tethered to a connected smartphone or laptop via USB-C. They project a virtual screen in the surrounding environment, letting you bring an extra screen with you wherever you go.

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro will be released Jan. 25. Credit: TCL Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I got the chance to demo the glasses ahead of their official launch, and the display was surprisingly crisp, bright, and colorful. I've been testing the Xreal One Pro AR glasses for a few months now, and the difference in the display quality was immediately noticeable. While the Xreal display can be a bit dim, the new RayNeo AR glasses were almost too bright.

In addition to the impressive Micro-OLED display, the glasses feature Bang & Olufsen speakers and AI 3D video conversion, though I wasn't able to test these capabilities during the demo.

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro glasses have an impressive specs list as well:

• Display: SeeYa 0.6-inch Micro-OLED display

• Processor: Vision 4000 processor

• Brightness: Up to 1,200 nits

• Color accuracy: 98% DCI-P3

• Refresh rate: 60 to 120 Hz

• Weight: 76 grams

In addition to the RayNeo Air 4 Pro, TCL also showed off its RayNeo X3 Pro Project eSIM, a new concept pair of AR glasses with a built-in eSim. TCL says the RayNeo X3 Pro Project eSIM glasses are another world-first, and they have embedded eSIM (4G) connectivity that would let them operate untethered from a smartphone or laptop. Of course, those would likely be very expensive, as the just-launched standard RayNeo X3 Pro without an eSIM is priced at $1,299.

That said, untethered AR glasses have obvious benefits. They also look a lot cooler than some other alternatives, which I think is self-evident in my photos from the demo.

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

TL;DR: Invest easier and more confidently with a lifetime subscription to Sterling Stock Picker, now just $55.19 (reg. $486) with code STOCKS20.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced at CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week that its new superchip platform, dubbed Vera Rubin, was on schedule and set to be released later this year.

The news was one of the key takeaways from the highly anticipated keynote from Huang. Nvidia is the dominant player powering the AI industry, so a new line of chips is obviously a big deal. Here are four things to know as we await Vera Rubin's drop later this year.

1. There are 6 new chips across the Rubin platform

Nvidia introduced six chips on the so-called Rubin platform, one of which is the so-called Vera Rubin superchip that combines one Vera CPU and two Rubin GPUs in a processor.

"Rubin arrives at exactly the right moment, as AI computing demand for both training and inference is going through the roof," Huang said in a statement. "With our annual cadence of delivering a new generation of AI supercomputers — and extreme codesign across six new chips — Rubin takes a giant leap toward the next frontier of AI."

2. The new line of chips is aimed at big companies

Massive AI companies will look to package different parts of this new line of chips together to make massive supercomputers that power their products.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

"These huge systems are what hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and social media giant Meta are spending billions of dollars to get their hands on," wrote Yahoo.

3. We're not exactly sure where production is on the Vera Rubin

Nvidia assured the public the chips were set to be released this year, but when, exactly, remains unclear.

"Typically, production for chips this advanced—which Nvidia is building with its longtime partner TSMC—starts at low volume while the chips go through testing and validation and ramps up at a later stage," wrote Wired.

There had been rumors of delays, so the announcement at CES seems aimed at quelling those fears.

4. The chips should make AI more efficient

Nvidia has promised the Vera Rubin superchips are powerful and more efficient, which should, in turn, make AI products relying on them more efficient. That's why major companies will likely be lining up to purchase the new line of products. Huang said the Rubin chips could generate tokens — the units used to measure output — ten times more efficiently.

We're still waiting to get all the details — and to see when the chips actually hit the market — but the announcement certainly was a major bit of AI news out of CES.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

CES is all about wacky concepts, and Razer brought one of its own to the 2026 showcase.

The gaming accessory giant unveiled a concept gaming headset called Project Motoko that does more than just deliver audio and accommodate voice chat with friends. Much more, in fact. Motoko is actually a wireless AI wearable that's compatible with all the big AI systems like Gemini and OpenAI and does a lot of the same things that a pair of smart glasses could do. Just, you know, in the form of a headset instead of glasses.

SEE ALSO: 8 gadgets from CES 2026 that you can buy right now: Dell, Xreal, Soundcore, more

By that, I mean it can use first-person cameras positioned on the front of the device to recognize objects and text in real-time, with language translation and document scanning provided as examples by Razer.

It's also got multiple on-board microphones for recognizing voice commands for whichever AI assistant you feel like using. It really does seem, feature-wise, like it's got parity with any number of AI-powered smart glasses that are on the market today, but just in a different form factor.

Of course, the difference is that those glasses are actually on the market and Project Motoko is not. This is just a concept, with no release date or price at the moment.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Neurable’s pitch at CES 2026 is bold: what if performance tracking didn’t just include your mouse, keyboard, or heart rate, but also included your thoughts?

That idea is now packed into a pair of chunky-but-surprisingly-comfortable gaming headphones, built in partnership with HP's HyperX brand. Inside the headset are EEG sensors designed to read brain signals in real-time, allowing Neurable’s software to track focus, cognitive load, and reaction speed while you play.

Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

I tried Neurable’s neurotech headphones during a private demo with the team inside the Palazzo, away from the chaos of the show floor. The headset features thick earcups and fabric padding that are designed to conceal EEG sensors without resembling lab equipment.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

It should be noted that Neurable didn’t start in gaming. Much of the company’s underlying tech was developed in academic settings and tested with the Department of Defense, including applications for monitoring brain health after blast exposure.

The headset supports live metrics for streamers and coaches, including focus, cognitive speed, and “brain battery,” a measure meant to indicate when you’re mentally fatigued and should probably take a break.

Before any "performance boost" happens, the system establishes a baseline. Sitting at a demo station, I watched a live graph respond to nothing more than my thoughts: focusing pushed the line upward, distraction pulled it back down. No calibration session, no gel caps, no wires running across my scalp — something CEO Ramses Alcaide emphasized as a major hurdle Neurable claims to have solved using AI-driven signal processing.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: AMD says 'You ain't seen nothing yet' on AI

From there, the demo moved into Aimlabs, a familiar FPS training tool used by esports players to measure accuracy and reaction time. The goal is to hit as many targets as possible in a fixed time window. My first run went well, though not spectacularly, and was also hindered by the fact that my contact lenses kept sliding every time I focused too hard.

That baseline run mattered because it set the stage for PRIME.

PRIME is Neurable’s neurofeedback system, and it’s best described as a personalized meditation warm-up for your brain. Instead of asking you to "clear your mind" in the abstract, PRIME visualizes your focus and cognitive load in real time. As you relax and concentrate, dots on the screen slowly collapse into a single point — feedback that your brain is entering an optimal state.

Alicia Howell-Munson, the research scientist who developed PRIME, described it less as a relaxation exercise and more as cognitive tuning. The session lasted just over a minute for me. Others, I was told, can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on fatigue, stress, or how far off their baseline they are that day.

When it ended, I felt oddly alert. Not wired, but ready. The best comparison I can make is the feeling right after a good meditation session, except with a clearer sense of purpose. Unfortunately, my contacts were still drifting.

Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

After PRIME, I retook the same Aimlabs test. Despite my eyes fighting me, the numbers improved. I hit more targets, and my reaction time dropped noticeably, from roughly 500 milliseconds down into the mid-450s.

That aligns with what Neurable claims to have observed in early testing. According to the company, everyday gamers and esports athletes using PRIME showed average reaction time improvements of around 40 milliseconds, along with gains in accuracy and target hits. In competitive contexts, those margins matter.

The feeling afterward was quite pleasant, all things considered. Everything on screen felt slightly slower, but I was reacting more quickly. Alcaide described it as "bullet time for your brain," which sounds corny until you experience it.

While still a proof of concept, the team has high expectations to have this headset on the market in the very near future.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Acer had a ton to show off at CES 2026.

The Taiwanese tech giant blew out the show with a slew of announcements, ranging from enterprise hardware to routers and beyond. It's honestly too much to fit in one place, so here are the coolest Acer announcements from CES that you absolutely need to know about.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups New ultra-thin laptops Look at that touchpad. Credit: Acer

Acer refreshed its Swift line of thin laptops with five new models. For starters, there's the new Acer Swift 16 AI (yes, they all have "AI" in the name now), which Acer is positioning as the choice for digital creators. It has what Acer calls "the world's largest haptic touchpad" which offers stylus support for sketching and other similar activities. To ensure that whatever you're creating looks as good as possible, it comes with a 16-inch 3K OLED touch display, too.

Beyond that, there are two new Acer Swift Edge AI laptops in 14-inch and 16-inch variants. The smaller of the two measures in at just 13.95mm of thickness and weighs less than 1kg, making it perfect for business professionals who need something lightweight, according to Acer. These come with Intel Core Ultra 9 processors and up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, to go along with 3K OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates.

SEE ALSO: Roborock dropped 3 new robot vacuums at CES 2026. Of course they set a new suction power record.

Lastly, the Acer Swift Go 14 AI and 16 AI models seem to be sort of middle ground options for people who don't want to go too far in the creative or business directions. They offer 2K or 3K displays with up to Intel Core Ultra X9 processors, up to 32GB RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. Of course, all of these machines come equipped with AI capabilities thanks to Microsoft Copilot, hence the "AI" in their names. Acer has not shared price information on any of these devices yet.

Powerful gaming laptops Premium performance. Credit: Acer

Acer also showed off a few new gaming laptops, starting with the Predator Helios Neo 16S AI. Catchy name! Anyway, the Predator Helios laptop is the top-of-the-line model with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. It's also got a big 16-inch OLED display with HDR support to make your games look as fresh as possible.

After that, there's the new Nitro V 16 AI laptop, which has an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and the same 5070 GPU as the previously mentioned model. You "only" get up to 32GB of RAM on this one, but you can still get up to 2TB of storage. There's also a smaller Nitro V 16S AI model with a thinner chassis and similar specs, but as a more "accessible" price point that Acer didn't see fit to share in the press release.

Four decadent new monitors (and a projector) Curvy. Credit: Acer

For your display needs, Acer also introduced three new gaming monitors, a creator-focused monitor, and a new projector. The first of the three gaming monitors is the $799.99 Predator XB273U F6, which has a 2560x1440 resolution and a blistering fast 500Hz refresh rate that can actually go all the way up to 1000Hz if you feel like lowering the resolution to 720p. The $1,199.99 Predator X34 F3, meanwhile, has a relatively more modest 360Hz refresh rate to go along with a 3440x1440 resolution and a curved QD-OLED panel.

Finally on the gaming side, there's the $799.99 Nitro XV270X P monitor with 5K resolution at a staggering 27-inches of size. This one's refresh rate "only" goes up to 330Hz, but still, it's a beast of a monitor. It's joined by the even more beastly ProDesigner PE320QX display. That one is a 31.5-inch behemoth with support for 6016x3384 resolution at 60Hz and peak brightness that goes all the way up to 600 nits. This one is definitely intended for pro-level creators and it shows.

SEE ALSO: 3 major takeaways from Nvidia Live at CES 2026

Just for laughs, there's also a new 4K RGB laser projector called the Vero HL1820. It has a 1080p/240Hz mode for gaming purposes, but it'll also work great for cinema lovers, too. Unfortunately, this one is only slated for release in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for now, according to the press release.

And an electric scooter? That thing looks awesome. Credit: Acer

Last but certainly not least is the new Predator ES Storm Pro e-scooter, sadly only slated for release in Europe at this time.

Acer describes the ES Storm Pro as being best for "high-performance city riding," so it's definitely intended for urban commuters. It's a folding scooter with a 500W rear hub motor and up to 1200W of peak output and several different riding modes for different scenarios. It can travel up to 60km on a charge and even has convenient built-in holders for smart tags, so it won't get lost. I kind of want one, honestly.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Epson's projectors are getting smarter in 2026. In a continuing collaboration between the brands, Epson announced at CES 2026 that Google TV with Gemini is coming to select new Lifestudio projectors. The AI-powered system promises a seamless streaming experience, no auxiliary streaming devices required.

Lifestudio projectors from Epson utilize MediaTek's system on chip (SoC) smart projector platform already, which brings streaming platforms directly to the device. Now the system will have Google TV with Gemini integrated into MediaTek's SoC. The addition of Google TV and Gemini creates an efficient viewing experience for users, particularly those who hate bouncing between a dozen different streaming services.

Google TV with Gemini provides AI-based recommendations to help decide your next watch. Credit: Epson

Gemini, now fully integrated in Google TV, provides a personal AI assistant, helping you find your next watch and providing personalized suggestions across your apps based on what you've already watched. Google TV also aims to put all the content available to you in one place, no more jumping between apps trying to find your next watch. Plus, all of your shows and movies are in one place. A single watchlist collects everything you want to watch across streamers, and when you're away from home, you can even add and edit the list from your phone.

However, the Google TV with Gemini integration into Epson's projectors goes beyond entertainment. It also serves as a smart home headquarters, controlling compatible lights, doorbells, thermostats, and more.

The Google TV with Gemini integration is coming to the Lifestudio Grand projector in 2026. More Epson projector models compatible with Google TV will be announced later in the year.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Anker Soundcore is upgrading its earbuds lineup for the new year with the launch of the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special sleep earbuds and the AeroFit 2 Pro open earbuds at CES 2026 on Monday.

Notably, the new AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds offer both an open design and active noise cancellation, a combination we've never seen before.

Now that CES 2026 has kicked off, brands like Anker are unveiling a ton of new products, so head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news.

Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro launch

For CES, Anker announced the launch of the Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds, which are designed to give users the choice between open earbuds and active noise-cancellation within one product — a choice not usually found with traditional open earbud designs.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best noise-cancelling earbuds include the most comfortable buds we've ever tested

This is the first dual-form design from the brand, and a unique design in the market at large. Typically, investing in open earbuds means foregoing any form of ANC, as open earbuds are designed to sit outside the ear canal. However, the AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds have an adjustable ear hook — worn one way, the earbuds sit outside the ear for an open listening experience. Adjust the hook, and the earbuds then go into the ear canal like traditional noise-cancelling buds.

The earbud itself has five adjustment levels on the ear hook, with the intent that even within the open and noise-cancelling wear positions, users can find their most comfortable fit. Each earbud houses two sensors, which detect the type of wear and adjust the equalizer to provide the best sound possible.

The AeroFit 2 Pro will be available in four colorways, but only one upon launch. Credit: Soundcore

In the open earbud mode, the earbuds will hold seven hours per charge with 34 hours in the case, while the ANC wear mode holds five hours per charge and 24 hours with the case.

The original AeroFit 2 earbuds are one of Mashable's top picks for open earbuds overall, thanks to their comfortable fit, sound quality, impressive translation features, and price point.

Like the original AeroFit 2, the Pro earbuds will have an IP55 water- and dust-proof rating. They retail for $179.99 and come in three different colorways: matte black, gloss white, gloss blue, and matte purple. The matte black is available for purchase as of Jan. 6, while the latter two are available for preorder — all colorways have a special launch pricing of $149.99 at Soundcore when you use the code WSTDA3875US.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro $149.96 at Soundcore
$179.99 Save $30.03 Save $30 with code WSTDA3875US Shop Now Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds launch

The Soundcore Sleep A30 Special is the less innovative but more surprising upgrade. Soundcore just released the Sleep A30 earbuds this past August as the first sleep earbuds with true active noise cancellation — a feature not previously found on sleep earbuds (even on premium options costing hundreds of dollars).

After testing them out, Mashable named the new Sleep A30 buds the gold standard for premium sleep earbuds. They did have a shortcoming, however, in their nine-hour battery life (which drops down to six and a half hours with Bluetooth streaming on). For reference, the previous gen Sleep A20 buds had 14 hours of battery life per charge.

The side-sleeper friendly earbuds from Soundcore now come with better battery life and a lower price point. Credit: Soundcore

With the Sleep A30 Special earbuds, Soundcore is adding an additional hour of battery life for late sleepers. And rather than charging extra for this update, Soundcore is instead lowering the price on the new earbuds to $199.99 (down from the Sleep A30's $229.99). The Special buds will also feature a new integration with the Calm app, which will also be available with the regular Sleep A30 buds.

The Sleep A30 Special earbuds are available to preorder as of Jan. 6 in mist lilac, lunar white, moonlit white, and mist green.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Sleep A30 Special $199 at Souundcore
  Pre-order Here

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

SAVE 40%: As of Jan. 6, the Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A robot vacuum and mop is back to its record-low Black Friday price of $599.99. That's $400 off its usual $999.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A robot vacuum and mop $599.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $400   Get Deal

Roborock's 2026 spread of robot vacuums just dropped at CES on Jan. 6. While exact prices haven't been revealed yet, we can expect the flagships to sit near the $1,599.99 price point of Roborock's 2025 CES robot vacs. If you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly, Amazon has an amazing $400 off deal on another solid 2025 Roborock: Get the Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A for a record-low sale price of $599.99, matching its Black Friday price.

The Roborock Qrevo Edge's 18,500 Pa of suction power isn't far off from the 22,000 Pa seen in all three of Roborock's Saros vacuums from last year. Those numbers have since been upstaged by the 35,000 Pa suction power of the new CES drops, but anything over 15,000 Pa is still more than enough suction power for carpets or homes with a pet or two.

SEE ALSO: I tested 25 robot vacuum and mop combos and found 6 that actually scrub

But where the Qrevo Edge really shines is its corner and edge mopping. (Perhaps its name gave it away.) One of its two pressurized spinning mopping pads operates on a hinge and can flex out from under the robot vacuum to scrub along walls, cabinets, and furniture legs — tight spots that a round robot vacuum body can't squeeze into otherwise. I've tested this exact mopping system with the Roborock Qrevo Master and Saros 10R, and it was a game-changer for keeping my kitchen and bathroom corners free of mystery sticky splatters, hair, and dust.

SAVE $100: As of Jan. 6, the Amazon 55-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV (2025 release) is on sale for only $359.99 with an on-page coupon. That's 22% off its list price and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 55-inch 4-Series Fire TV (2025 release) $359.99 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $100 Use code SAVE100 Get Deal

It's NFL playoffs time, baby, which means it's officially the second-best time to upgrade your TV. If you're rocking an old model that's lost its vibrancy, now's a great time to buy a new one, as you can save a good chunk of change.

Case in point: Amazon's 55-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV (2025 release) is on sale for just $359.99 at Amazon with the on-page coupon code SAVE100. That's, as the coupon suggests, $100 off its list price and its best price ever (yes, even beating Black Friday).

It may not be the most impressive TV in Amazon's lineup, but it is the most popular. If the main things you care about are price and picture, the 4-Series is a solid choice. It was redesigned in 2025 to sport an ultra-slim bezel that fades into the background, making your content front and center. It also features a new quad-core processor for quick loading time and 4K UHD picture quality with support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Sound. The 2025 model also features Amazon's Omnisense technology, which is essentially a series of sensors that wake the display when you enter the room to show you artwork or your favorite TV show in a snap.

If a new TV is on your wishlist this playoffs season, consider this Amazon's gift to you — a 4K TV for its lowest price on record.

Asus is launching a 16-inch version of its award-winning MacBook Air competitor.

Announced at CES 2026 on Tuesday, the new Asus Zenbook A16 is a thin, light Windows laptop with a fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip and a 3K OLED touchscreen featuring a sleek 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Its tan chassis is made from Asus' patented "Ceraluminum" material, a durable and featherlight magnesium-aluminum alloy, and it weighs as little as 2.65 pounds depending on the version of Windows it runs. That makes it nearly an ounce lighter than Apple's 13-inch laptop. (For reference, the other 16-inch Windows laptops that Mashable has tested in recent months come in at 3.3 to 4.7 pounds.)

The Asus Zenbook A16 comes in a tan finish called "Zabrinskie Beige." Credit: Asus

The Zenbook A16 is a larger version of the Asus Zenbook A14, a 14-inch Copilot+ PC that debuted to acclaim at CES 2025 last January. It featured peppy last-gen Snapdragon X series chips, a 2K 60Hz OLED display, a good mix of ports, and a 22-hour battery life. As Asus' first all-Ceraluminum laptop, it weighed as little as 2.18 pounds depending on the configuration.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops in 2025

Asus originally priced the Zenbook A14 at $899.99, but President Trump's spring tariffs on Chinese imports led to a $100 price increase. Even still, it was a solid spec sheet at a decent value, paired with an astoundingly airy yet sturdy design.

The Asus Zenbook A14's 2026 update involves a new processor, thinner bezels, and a matte keycap coating. Credit: Asus

After taking home the CNET Group's "Best Laptop of CES 2025" award, the Zenbook A14 was named Mashable's top ultraportable Windows laptop of the year following more in-depth testing. It also nabbed a spot on Oprah's Favorite Things list for 2025, marking the first time a laptop has appeared on the iconic gift guide since the Sony VAIO FJ in 2005.

For 2026, Asus is refreshing the Zenbook A14 with a Snapdragon X2 Elite chip, thinner bezels, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and a matte keycap coating for extra durability. Its base configuration will start with 512GB of storage and 24GB of memory, up from 16GB RAM.

All of Asus' 2026 Zenbooks have full Ceraluminum chassis. Credit: Asus

Asus is going full send on Ceraluminum for the rest of the laptops in its light, minimalist Zenbook series. The 2026 iterations of the Zenbook S14, S16, and the dual-screen Zenbook Duo will be made entirely from plasma ceramic aluminum material, which is scratch-resistant, shock-resistant, fingerprint-resistant, and 100 percent recyclable.

Asus Zenbook A16 specs The Asus Zenbook A16 has a beauteous 90% screen-to-body ratio. Credit: Asus

Compared to its 14-inch counterpart, the new Zenbook A16 will have a bigger, brighter, crisper screen, an extra slot for an SD card reader, a faster processor, and more memory. (It comes with 48GB of RAM compared to the Zenbook A14's 24GB or 32GB.) Here's a full rundown of its spec sheet:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme CPU

• Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (up to 80 TOPS)

• Qualcomm Adreno GPU

• 48GB RAM

• 1TB SSD storage

• 16-inch 3K (2,880 x 1800) OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate; 500 nits of typical brightness and up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness for HDR content

• FHD webcam

• Two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one HDMI port, one SD card reader slot, and a headphone jack

• 70Wh battery

• WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

• 13.92 x 9.54 x 0.54-0.65 inches

• 2.65 pounds with Windows 11 Pro, 2.87 pounds with Windows 11 Home

• Zabrinskie Beige finish

The Zenbook A16 isn't the lightest 16-inch laptop out there, but it's one of the lightest that will be available for purchase in the U.S. The Acer Swift Air 16 launched at IFA 2025 in September with AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors, an optional 120Hz AMOLED display, and a starting weight of only 2.18 pounds (matching the heft of the lightest Zenbook A14 configuration — or rather, lack thereof). It's only available in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with a starting price of €999, or approximately $1,165.

Asus has yet to confirm pricing and availability details for the Zenbook A16 and the updated Zenbook A14. It will be interesting to see if the company can maintain the competitive value of the 14-inch model amid the ongoing RAM shortage. This could also prompt some edits to both sizes' spec sheets by the time they hit store shelves. Committing to 24 to 48GB of memory for consumer laptops may be unrealistic.