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Finding a performance sedan that’s thrilling on the road and dependable enough to handle hundreds of thousands of miles is rare, but one model manages both with surprising ease. While many sporty four-doors sacrifice reliability for speed or focus on short-term thrills, this performance-oriented sedan combines engaging driving dynamics with real-world durability you can count on year after year. For drivers who want the best of both worlds, excitement and long-term usability, it stands out in a crowded segment.

You should perhaps double-check the apps you use — especially if you're into AI.

A new project called Firehound from security firm CovertLabs tracks the apps that leak the most data, and the Top 10 was rife with AI apps. Here's a screenshot of the data from Firehound's website.

Lots of AI. Credit: Screenshot: Firehound

As you can see, the Top 10 list from Firehound has lots of AI apps. The project claims all kinds of data, from email addresses, to chat history, to names were left accessible by apps. One would hope that apps would work to fix such vulnerabilities moving forward, should they exist.

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Moving forward, it's probably best for users to tread carefully when downloading an app. It's worth stopping to think if it's a trustworthy product. And, of course, it's probably worth being cautious when sharing personal or professional information with an AI chatbot. You never know if it'll become public.

The best Pokémon TCG deals this week, at a glance: Best Pokémon TCG Elite Trainer Box Deal Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box $79.94 (Save $26.95) Get Deal Best Pokémon TCG Booster Bundle Deal Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle $52.70 (Save $12.29) Get Deal Best Pokémon TCG: Collector Chest Deal Pokémon TCG: Collector Chest Fall 2025 $37.99 (Save $20) Get Deal

Whether you're a longtime Pokémon TCG player and collector or just getting into the game, it's always good to save some cash when you can. These cards are hotter than ever, years after their debut, with demand at an all-time high for sets that released years ago, let alone those with more recent debuts.

So when you can snag a deal that works in your favor and nets you a set of awesome cards, it's a good idea to pounce on it, as is usually the case with most Pokémon-related things. With that in mind, however, how do you find some of the best deals on offer in the world of Pokémon TCG?

We've got your back, with picks you can turn to if you're ready to expand your collection or establish it in the first place. We've rounded up some of the best Pokémon TC deals you can shop as of Jan. 20. If you're ready to crack open some packs, consider these deals your gateway to doing so and saving some cash at the same time. Keep checking back, as we'll continue to add new deals that you won't want to miss out on.

Best Pokémon TCG Elite Trainer Box deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box $79.94 at Amazon
$106.89 Save $26.95   Get Deal Why we like it

Elite Trainer Boxes are the products you always want to look out for when it comes to every expansion, and when you can save some money on one, it's always a good idea to do so. This box comes with nine booster packs, a full-art promo card with Charcadet, dice, 65 special sleeves, and all the things you need to actually play the game. You get a total of 40 TCG Energy cards and a player's guide as well, with a plastic coin, a collector's box, and 6 dividers to keep it all organized. You'll also get a code for Pokémon TCG Live. As Phantasmal Flames cards continue to become even more expensive, this kind of access to them at an affordable price continues to shrink, so this is a good buy to snag while you still can.

Best Pokémon TCG booster bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle $52.70 at Amazon
$64.99 Save $12.29   Get Deal Why we like it

Though the Phantasmal Flames expansion is no longer the newest addition to the Pokémon TCG, it's still extremely valuable. This booster bundle nets you six Phantasmal Flames booster packs, which are still priced around $10 apiece on Amazon. That means you'l be saving nearly the price of one pack in its entirety by buying this box than you would with individual boosters. Given the fact that this expansion contains the Mega Hyper Rare Charizard ex, which is selling up to $400 as of TCGPlayer, you could come away with some serious high-value cards, so snap up a couple of these boxes and you'll get several chances to pull it.

Best Pokémon TCG: Collector Chest deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Pokémon TCG: Collector Chest Fall 2025 $37.99 at Amazon
$57.99 Save $20   Get Deal Why we like it

This fun collector chest comes in a special illustrated tin, which already makes it eye-catching and lucrative if you enjoy Pokémon as a fan or just as someone who likes special sets. And of course, saving $20 on the set is a good reason to be excited about it as well. This chest comes with six booster packs: three Mega Evolution, two Journey Together, and one Destined Rivals. Additionally, you get three foil promo cards of Ralts, Kirlia, and Riolu as well as a Mega Lucario coin, four sticker sheets, and a mini portfolio for your cards. All this lets you savor a great deal as well as some fun goodies without having to pay $50 to $60 for a booster bundle or booster box. Plus, you can store it all in the same place you got all the goodies.

More Pokémon TCG deals

• Pokémon TCG: Paldean Fates Great Tusk ex & Iron Threads ex Premium Collection — $174.93 $219.99 (save $45.06)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)

• Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar (2025) — $69.99 $74.89 (save $4.90)

• Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet 10.5 Black Bolt Binder Box — $62.94 $67.89 (save $4.95)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection — $58.94 $67.99 (save $6.91)

• Pokémon TCG: Charizard ex Special Collection — $57.99 $64.90 (save $6.91)

• Pokémon TCG: Trainer’s Toolkit — $34.95 $56.90 (save $22.04)

• Pokémon TCG: Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex League Battle Deck — $19.79 $52.99 (save $33.20)

RAM prices have skyrocketed over the past few months, and it doesn’t look like they’re coming down anytime soon. With upgrades threatening to hurt your wallet more than ever, maybe it’s time to take a different approach: making smarter use of the RAM you already have.

At a glance

• Today’s multimodal AI systems can give answers that sound right but may not be grounded in what they actually observe over time, leading to unpredictable errors and safety risks in real-world settings.
• Argos is a verification framework for multimodal reinforcement learning that trains models by rewarding not just correct answers, but correct answers grounded in visual and temporal evidence, using automated verification rather than human labeling. It selects the appropriate specialized tools for each answer based on what needs to be verified. 
• Models trained with Argos show stronger spatial reasoning, far fewer visual hallucinations, more stable learning dynamics, and better performance on robotics and real-world tasks while requiring fewer training samples.

Over the past few years, AI systems have become much better at discerning images, generating language, and performing tasks within physical and virtual environments. Yet they still fail in ways that are hard to predict and even harder to fix. A robot might try to grasp a tool when the object is visibly blocked, or a visual assistant integrated into smart glasses might describe objects that aren’t actually present.

These errors often arise because today’s multimodal agents are trained to generate outputs that are plausible rather than grounded in the actual information they receive from their environment. As a result, a model’s output can seem correct while relying on incorrect information. As AI systems are increasingly used to navigate 3D spaces and make decisions in real-world settings, this gap can be a safety and reliability concern.

To tackle this challenge, we posed the question: How can we train AI agents to generate correct answers and take appropriate actions for the right reasons so that their behavior is reliable even as the environment or tasks change?

Argos represents a novel answer to this challenge. It’s an agentic verification framework designed to improve the reliability of reinforcement learning in multimodal models. Reinforcement learning is a training method where AI models learn by receiving rewards for desired behaviors and penalties for undesired ones, gradually improving their performance through trial and error.

Rather than rewarding only correct behaviors, Argos evaluates how those behaviors were produced. It draws on a pool of larger, more capable teacher models and rule-based checks to verify two things: first, that the objects and events a model references actually exist in its input, and second, that the model’s reasoning aligns with what it observes. Argos rewards the model when both conditions are met. In practice, these rewards help curate high-quality training data and guide the model’s further training.

How Argos works

Argos functions as a verification layer on top of an existing multimodal model. Given an image or video, a task or query, and information about the model’s reasoning and output, Argos identifies where the model indicates objects are located in the image, when it indicates events occur in a video, and what action or answer it produces.

Argos then applies specialized tools tailored to the specific content to evaluate and score three aspects of the model’s output. It checks whether the answer is correct, whether referenced objects and events appear at the indicated locations and times, and whether the reasoning is consistent with the visual evidence and the answer (Figure 1).

These scores are combined using a gated aggregation function, a method that dynamically adjusts the importance of different scores. It emphasizes reasoning checks only when the final output is correct. This design prevents unreliable feedback from dominating training and produces a stable reward signal for reinforcement learning.

Figure 1. Argos selects different specialized tools to verify and score the accuracy of referenced points and events in the agent’s reasoning. Using Argos to curate data for supervised fine-tuning

Argos also helps curate high-quality training data to provide the model with a strong foundation in grounded reasoning. Before the reinforcement learning stage begins, Argos uses a multi-stage process to generate data that is explicitly tied to visual locations and time intervals.

In the first stage, Argos identifies the objects, actions, and events that are relevant to a task and links them to specific locations in images or specific moments in videos. These references are overlaid on images and selected video frames. Next, a reasoning model generates step-by-step explanations that refer to these visual locations and time spans.

Finally, Argos evaluates each generated example for accuracy and visual grounding, filtering out low-quality training data and retaining only data that is both correct and well-grounded in visual input. The resulting dataset is then used in an initial training phase, where the model learns to generate reasoning steps before producing its final output. This process is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Argos generates step-by-step reasoning grounded in image locations and video timestamps then filters out low-quality training data. Evaluation

Building on this foundation in grounded reasoning, we further trained the model using reinforcement learning guided by Argos and evaluated its performance across a range of benchmarks. On spatial reasoning tasks, the Argos-trained model outperformed both the base model Qwen2.5-VL-7B and the stronger Video-R1 baseline across challenging 3D scenarios and multi-view tasks. Models trained with Argos also showed a substantial reduction of hallucinations compared with both standard chain-of-thought prompting and reinforcement learning baselines.

Finally, we evaluated the model in robotics and other real-world task settings, focusing on high-level planning and fine-grained control. Models trained with Argos performed better on complex, multi-step tasks. Notably, these improvements were achieved using fewer training samples than existing approaches, highlighting the importance of reward design in producing more capable and data-efficient agents. Figure 3 illustrates some of these findings.

Figure 3. Performance of Argos compared with baseline models on the task of visual hallucination detection (left) and embodied task planning and completion (right).  How Argos shapes reinforcement learning

To understand how Argos affects learning, we took the same vision-language model that had been trained on our curated dataset and fine-tuned it using reinforcement learning in two different ways. In one approach, Argos was an agentic verifier, checking the correctness of outputs and the quality of reasoning. In the other, the model received feedback only on whether its answers were correct.

We evaluated both versions on 1,500 samples from a new dataset and tracked their performance throughout the learning process (Figure 4). Although they started at similar levels, the model without Argos quickly got worse. Its accuracy steadily declined, and it increasingly gave answers that ignored what was in the videos. It learned to game the system by producing answers that seemed correct without grounding them in visual evidence.

The model trained with Argos showed the opposite pattern. Accuracy improved steadily, and the model became better at linking its reasoning to what appeared in the videos. This difference highlights the value of verification: when training rewards both correct outputs and sound reasoning based on visual and temporal evidence, models learn to be more reliable rather than simply finding shortcuts to high scores.

Figure 4. Comparison of response accuracy changes with and without Argos across two model versions (left) and differences in visual grounding accuracy over training for both versions (right). Potential impact and looking forward

This research points toward a different way of building AI agents for real-world applications. Rather than fixing errors after they occur, it focuses on training agents to systematically anchor their reasoning in what they actually receive as input throughout the training process.

The potential applications span many domains. A visual assistant for a self-driving car that verifies what’s actually in an image is less likely to report phantom obstacles. A system that automates digital tasks and checks each action against what’s displayed on the screen is less likely to click the wrong button.

As AI systems move beyond research labs into homes, factories, and offices, reliable reasoning becomes essential for safety and trust. Argos represents an early example of verification systems that evolve alongside the AI models they supervise. Future verifiers could be tailored for specific fields like medical imaging, industrial simulations, and business analytics. As more advanced models and richer data sources become available, researchers can use them to improve these verification systems, providing even better guidance during training and further reducing hallucinations.

We hope that this research helps move the field toward AI systems that are both capable and interpretable: agents that can explain their decisions, point to the evidence behind them, and be trained to adhere to real-world requirements and values.

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The post Multimodal reinforcement learning with agentic verifier for AI agents appeared first on Microsoft Research.

The best Apple deals this week, at a glance: Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799.99 (Save $199.01) Shop Now Best M5 iPad deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $899 (save $100) Shop Now Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular, 49mm) $549 (save $250) Get Deal

While we're no longer in the biggest savings season of the year, there are always deals to be found. Sure, they won't be as dramatic as the epic deals from Black Friday, but you can still save big on some of our favorite Apple gadgets.

We're witnessing some products drop back down to their record-lows from Cyber Week — specifically the iPad Pro — while others are hovering within $50 of those prices. AirPods and other Apple accessories aren't exactly popping off with discounts right now, but we'll be sure to shout it from the rooftops if and when we see them drop once more. For now, we've rounded up all the best Apple deals we could find this week. Happy shopping!

Best MacBook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799.99 at Amazon
$999 Save $199.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M4 Apple MacBook Air.

The M4 MacBook Air topped Mashable's list of the best laptops of 2025. While the 15-inch version is our top pick for most people, the 13-inch version is our favorite budget pick. Even at full price, it's a stellar deal, but on sale, it's a total no-brainer upgrade. If you don't require fancy specs for things like video editing and graphic design work, the M4 Air is a monstrous machine in a sleek, portable package.

As of Jan. 20, the 13-inch base model with 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage is down to just $799.99 at Amazon. That's nearly $200 off its list price and just $50 away from its best-ever price from Black Friday.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,199 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,399 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,399 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399 $1,599 (save $200)

MacBook Pro

M4

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,549 $1,799 (save $250)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,745 $1,999 (save $254)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,749 $1,999 (save $250)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB Ram, 1TB SSD) — $2,099 $2,399 (save $300)

M5

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,627.89 $1,799 (save $171.11)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,825 $1,999 (save $174)

Mac

• Apple Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $499 $599 (save $100)

Best iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $899 at Amazon
$999 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

Mashable's tech editor took the M5 iPad Pro for a whirl when it was released in October and called it a "victory lap for Apple." Like most upgrades in recent years, the latest iteration isn't too much different than its predecessor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as we loved the M4 model as well. It's extremely light at just 0.98 pounds and wildly thin at 5.3mm — that's even slimmer than the iPhone Air or the iPad Air. The M5 processor is shockingly fast and more powerful than the average user even needs. As Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth puts it, "Everyday use is wasted on this tablet." As of Jan. 20, you can get the base model with 256GB of storage and WiFi connectivity for $899. That's $100 off and matches its previous record-low from Black Friday.

More iPad deals

iPad

• Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $319 $349 (save $30)

• Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi + Cellular, 512GB) — $699.97 $799 (save $99.03)

iPad Mini

• Apple iPad Mini, 8.3-inch (A17 Pro, WiFi, 256GB) — $549 $599 (save $50)

iPad Air

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $559 $599 (save $40)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 256GB) — $643.93 $699 (save $55.07)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi + Cellular, 128GB) — $649 $749 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $729 $799 (save $70)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 256GB) — $824.99 $899 (save $74.01)

iPad Pro

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $899 $999 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,099 $1,199 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,199 $1,299 (save $100)

Best Apple Watch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular, 49mm) $549 at Amazon
$799 Save $250   Get Deal Why we like it

There aren't a ton of Apple Watch deals floating around right now on new models. If you opt for the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra, however, you can save $250 on a model with both GPS and cellular connectivity. And the good news is you won't be missing out on much by grabbing an older model. The biggest difference between the newer Ultra 3 and Ultra 2 is about six more hours of battery life. Whether those six extra hours are worth an additional $200+ is up to you to decide. The Ultra 2 still beats the basic Apple Watch with a more durable titanium case, a programmable action button, built-in LTE, a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, an emergency siren, and up to 36 hours of battery life (up to 72 in low power mode).

More Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $379.99 $399 (save $19.01)

• Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS + Cellular, 42mm) — $599 $699 (save $100)

Apple AirPods and accessory deals

• Apple AirTag (4-pack) — $79.98 $99 (save $19.02)

• Apple Pencil USB-C — $71 $79 (save $8)

• Apple Pencil Pro — $94.99 $129 (save $34.01)

• Apple AirPods 4 (without noise cancellation) — $115 $129 (save $14)

• Apple AirPods 4 (with noise cancellation) — $148.99 $179 (save $30.01)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $239.95 $249 (save $9.05)

• Apple AirPods Max — $449.99 $549 (save $99.01)

Best Lego deals this week at a glance Best Lego Star Wars deal Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon A New Hope 25th Anniversary Collectable Model $67.97 (save $17.02) Get Deal Best Lego Pokémon deal Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball $199.99 Pre-Order Here Best Lego Disney deal Lego Disney Lilo and Stitch Beach House $79.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best Lego Technic deal Lego Technic Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck $26.49 (save $6.50) Get Deal Best Lego Marvel deal Lego Marvel Iron Spider-Man Bust Collectible $47.95 (save $12.04) Get Deal

What's one to do to keep busy in the winter? If you're looking for a non-screen form of entertainment, building a Lego set certainly fits the bill. It's a highly enjoyable activity and it leaves you with something fun to add to your desk or a bookshelf. Plus, some upcoming Lego sets are about to get a major upgrade since Lego just announced Smart Play sets that have interactive lights, sounds, and motions.

SEE ALSO: How to qualify for the new and exclusive Lego Mini Pokémon Center

Since Legos have no age bounds, it's a great activity to keep kids busy or a nice way to get the whole house working on a project together. The Lego collection is vast, so there's something for everyone when it comes to brick builds from the Danish brand. Here are some great deals and new sets to snag this week.

Best Lego Star Wars deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon A New Hope 25th Anniversary Collectable Model $67.97 at Amazon
$84.99 Save $17.02   Get Deal Why we like it

Nothing beats a Lego Star Wars set. Always a favorite, the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon anniversary build is a classic that every fan will enjoy both building and keeping on display. The build features details like the satellite dish, cockpit, and necessary cannons. The 921-piece set is sure to keep you occupied until your new Star Wars Smart Play set arrives. Pre-orders for those new Lego Star Wars are live with shipping expected in early March. In both cases, you'll have the power of the force behind any Lego build.

Best Lego Pokémon deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball $199.99 at Pre-order at Lego
  Get Deal Why we like it

In addition to the new Lego Smart Play builds, the brand recently announced its very first Lego Pokémon collection, and we're smitten. Pre-orders are live for all three sets, including the adorable Pikachu and Poké Ball build. The set has a whopping 2,050 pieces that'll look amazing in a gaming room, standing over a foot tall.

Best Lego Disney deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Disney Lilo and Stitch Beach House $79.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $10   Get Deal Why we like it

Now that winter's chill is running deep, it's time to bring in tropical vibes and the Lego Disney Lilo and Stitch Beach House is the perfect way to add some warmth. The set has palm trees, surf boards, Lilo in her tropical design dress, and Stitch in a spaceship, reading to crash land in sunny Hawaii. The Lilo and Stich Beach House is sure to warm up your weekend with a fun build.

Best Lego Technic deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Technic Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck $26.49 at Amazon
$32.99 Save $6.50   Get Deal Why we like it

Yes, the Lego Technic collection features one of our favorite Lego sets — the Lego Technic McLaren P1, but it also has smaller and more affordable builds that are equally awesome. For example, check out the Lego Technic Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck because there's nothing cooler than taking care of Mother Earth by recycling. The electric garbage truck build is an assured hit with kids who love watching the garbage collection each week. The gear lever allows builders to grab, lift, and tip the garbage can into the side loader on the truck.

Best Lego Marvel deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Marvel Iron Spider-Man Bust Collectible $47.95 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12.04   Get Deal Why we like it

Joining the wonderful world of Marvel and Lego is a dream come true. The iconic Lego Marvel Iron Spider-Man Bust Collectible is part of this week's best Lego deals since it's 20% off. Instead of paying the list price of $59.99, the 379-piece build is on sale at Amazon for $47.97. Lego recommends this build for those aged 18 and up, and it includes a fun mini-figure in addition to the bust.

Microsoft's PowerToys software adds many utilities and additional features to Windows, and it just received another major update. PowerToys 0.97 has arrived with a more customizable Command Palette, a new mouse utility, and other improvements.

It's easy to look back on the past with rose-colored glasses and remember everything as being better than it actually was. It's hard to deny, however, that a lot of apps and services are getting demonstrably worse. The Home Assistant smart home software is thankfully a clear exception to this rule.

Sony is effectively stepping back from the day-to-day business of making TVs, and handing the reins to TCL. The two companies announced they’ve signed a memorandum of understanding to form a new joint venture that will take over Sony’s home entertainment business, including televisions and home audio gear.

SEE ALSO: Sony's Afeela electric vehicle will offer digital license plates

Under the plan, TCL will hold a controlling 51 percent stake, while Sony retains 49 percent. The new company will handle everything from product development and manufacturing to sales, logistics, and customer support on a global scale. If all regulatory approvals go through, operations are expected to begin in April 2027.

On paper, Sony is framing this as a best-of-both-worlds scenario. The company says it will contribute its picture processing, audio technology, and brand power, while TCL brings its massive display manufacturing operation, supply chain efficiency, and cost advantages. Sony president and CEO Kimio Maki said the partnership is meant to deliver "even more captivating audio and visual experiences" by combining both companies’ strengths.

For consumers, the most important detail is that future TVs will still carry the Sony and BRAVIA branding. But behind the scenes, TCL will be calling more of the shots, especially on how these TVs are built and priced.

That could be a good thing if it means Sony TVs become more competitive on price without sacrificing image quality. It could also mean a subtle shift in what "Sony TV" actually represents over time.

January hasn't been great for Spotify due to price changes and the scourge of AI-generated music, but the music streaming service might have at least one neat new feature in the works.

Android Authority reported, based on some strings of code in the Spotify app, that a new audiobook feature called Page Match is in the works. The idea is simple and seemingly very intuitive: You just use your phone camera to scan a page in a physical copy of a book, and Spotify then syncs the audiobook in its app to that page. This works using optical character recognition (or OCR) technology to scan the text of the page and find the corresponding timestamp in the audiobook. Unfortunately, there's no word on when or if this feature will roll out to users.

SEE ALSO: Spotify is raising prices yet again. Here's how much and when.

That sounds great, but where things get even more useful is that it apparently works in reverse, too. You'll apparently be able to use Page Match to find the page in the physical copy that corresponds to what you're hearing in an audiobook. In other words, you'll be able to go back and forth between a physical book and an audiobook as you see fit, provided you actually own (or have otherwise acquired) a physical copy and have access to the audiobook on Spotify.

As Android Authority pointed out, this would be pretty novel (pun intended) in the world of audiobook streaming. Amazon offers a sync service that only works between Audible and Kindle copies of books, but Spotify's Page Match feature sounds like it works with just any physical book you've got lying around. Again, we don't know exactly when, or if, this is coming, but given that references to it are already appearing in Spotify code, hopefully it's sooner rather than later.

In January 2026, Charlie Brooker confirmed that Black Mirror is returning for an eighth season on Netflix. The first seven seasons offer a near-future fiction thriller that leaves you looking over your shoulder. However, looking back, it's more of an eerie user manual for today's tech reality.

I've been an avid aquarist for more than a decade, but after my last cross-country move I haven't gotten around to establishing a new tank for a few years. Looking at what's going on in the aquarium hobby these days, I've been blown away by the tech on offer. When I'm ready to install my next tank, these gadgets might very well be on my wish list.

Nova Launcher is back, but it's not all good news. Late last year, one of Android’s most iconic home screen launchers confirmed its eventual death, only to receive one final update. Then, after a few random updates in November, today we learned that Nova Launcher was acquired by the Swedish company Instabridge, and now it has ads.

With Apple's big September iPhone event just 8 months away, rumors have been swirling about what Apple has in store for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. In the past few days, Apple fans have been talking about one leak in particular, which suggested big changes were coming to the controversial Dynamic Island.

Specifically, rumor had it that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max would feature an under-display Face ID that would eliminate the need for the pill-shaped Dynamic Island, with the selfie camera housed in a smaller "hole-punch" cutout.

However, it now appears that those leaks were lost in translation. 

Instant Digital, a leaker on the China-based social media app Weibo, explained that the leak from last week (from another Weibo-based leaker known as Digital Chat Station) was mistranslated when Western outlets reported on the news.

Instant Digital claims that while Apple is relocating an infrared Face ID component under the display, this would not affect the overall design of the display itself.

It seems early reports from Chinese and Korean sources about the Face ID components were somehow mistranslated in some English-language coverage as a front hole-punch camera on the left side of the device.

As MacRumors points out, another Apple leaker on X known as ShrimpApplePro has also corroborated Instant Digital's explanation by leaking an alleged photo of the new Face ID and selfie camera assembly.

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In short, reports of the Dynamic Island's death have been greatly exaggerated. It seems that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will still have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island after all, even if it is slightly smaller in the new generation.

Last year, OpenAI announced that it was partnering with legendary iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive to release an AI wearable device, and a company leader recently confirmed the mystery device is on track to "unveiled" by the end of the year.

Speaking at an Axios-hosted panel at the annual Davos conference, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane confirmed the device would be announced in 2026. Frustratingly for OpenAI fans, Lehan didn't share any concrete details on what the device will be or do.

So far, OpenAI has been tight-lipped about its AI wearable, and it's been described vaguely as a screen-free AI companion. With no confirmed details, rumors are spreading in foreign publications and on social media that the company is planning to release AI-powered wireless earbuds with an eye on tackling the AirPods market.

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The rumors come from Chinese publications and a leaker known as Smart Pikachu, who claims that the manufacturer Foxconn will build the device. The rumors say that Foxconn is working on a secretive earbuds project code-named "Sweet Pea" for a mystery client called "Gum Drop." The device would be similar to open-style earbuds with a charging case and a powerful internal processor to power AI features.

Per Smart Pickachu, the AI earbuds would be hidden behind the ear, a design more like hearing aids than typical earbuds.

Of course, all of these leaks are unconfirmed, and "Sweet Pea" could be totally unrelated to OpenAI — or even non-existent.

Still, the rumors are growing louder.

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Previous attempts to launch AI wearable devices have not been successful, with devices like the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin failing to build a customer base. However, ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot, and OpenAI would be uniquely positioned to grow this market — especially with the involvement of a heavyweight designer like Ive.

A raft of startups are also bringing new AI wearables to market, with a variety of form factors — smart glasses, AI rings and bracelets, and necklace or pendant-style AI devices with cameras and microphones.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SHOP EARLY AND SAVE $150: As of Jan. 20, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is officially available for purchase (not just pre-order). For a limited time, score it for $849.99 instead of its $999.99 MSRP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow robot vacuum and mop $849.99 at Roborock
$999.99 Save $150   Get Deal

The first of Roborock's CES robot vacuums is officially out. Here to help kick off the great roller mop robot vacuum flood of 2026 is the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow — not only available to buy right now, but on sale. Early shoppers can save $150 and bring it home for $849.99. That's probably the cheapest CES robot vacuum you'll come across this year.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: All of the big robot vacuum announcements, from new suction power records to... another arm

The $849.99 price tag looks extra sweet compared to the other new roller mop robot vacuum that just came out this week: The $1,599.99 Eufy Omni S2. That's similar to what I expect the Narwal Flow 2 roller mop model to cost when it drops in April, as the first Narwal Flow debuted at $1,499.99.

The Qrevo Curv 2 Flow stops mopping on carpet and rugs. Credit: Roborock The Qrevo Curv 2 Flow mop adapts to corners and walls automatically. Credit: Roborock

Granted, those Eufy and Narwal models have 30,000 Pa of suction power compared to the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow's 20,000 Pa, but the $500+ difference isn't pocket change. Plus, Roborock was charging $1,599.99 for its big bad flagship robot vacuums with 20,000 Pa suction power last year. So you're still getting quite a high-octane robot vacuum for carpet. The Qrevo Curv 2 Flow's livestream camera — hands down my favorite extra feature if you live with pets — sets it apart from the Eufy E28, a more affordable Eufy roller mop vacuum.

The Qrevo Curv Flow 2's most noteworthy feature is mopping, of course. The roller mop rinses itself in real time as it's mopping, making it much less likely to drag residue around and leave the floor stickier than it was before. Personally, I appreciate that Roborock gave special attention to the Curv Flow 2's ability to clean along edges. When a corner or wall is sensed, the roller mop extends out from the vacuum's circularly body to scrub right up against the flat part — something that the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller wasn't very good at.

I use VS Code almost every day. One thing that sticks with me about it is that it can do so much heavy lifting for you. Doing repetitive edits? Searching for files in the sidebar? Retyping the same boilerplate for the hundredth time? VS Code can ease all these for you. Let's dive in to see how.

Unraid is a popular option for building your own NAS system, though it has always had one annoying limitation: you need an external USB drive to boot the operating system. That's finally changing.

I had a horrible habit that I've worked really hard to get rid of. I used my "Downloads" storage as a disorganized bin of important and non-important files—and it bit me in the rear when I mistakenly deleted some very important files when I tried flushing the several-gigabyte-sized folder.