In Seattle, the only thing we love more than coffee is our coffee shops. On a six-block walk I pass at least a half dozen, each with their own vibe: one focused on chai, another inside a yoga studio, a Starbucks that’s surprisingly busy for late afternoon downtown. I passed them all up to get […]
Is Tesla still a car company? It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves more frequently over the past year, especially as the company’s car business shrinks and Elon Musk continues to push the message that Tesla should be seen more as an AI and robotics leader and less so as a mere seller of four-wheeled […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here. Unboxing Mirumi is like traveling back in time. It’s […]
Tesla will discontinue the Model S and Model X in the second quarter of 2026, Elon Musk said in an earnings call with investors today. Musk said the reasons for cancelling the vehicle programs was to make room at Tesla’s Fremont factory for production of its Optimus humanoid robot. “It’s time to basically bring the […]
In its earnings report, Tesla says that the third-generation version of its Optimus humanoid robot “meant for mass production” will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2026. This new version of Optimus will include “major upgrades from version 2.5, including our latest hand design.” And the company is making preparations for the first production […]
A startup called Fauna Robotics has revealed a new humanoid robot called Sprout it’s been developing over the past two years. Standing around 3.5-feet tall, Sprout’s design, featuring a soft padded exterior, a wide head, and expressive mechanical eyebrows, was inspired by some of science fiction’s friendlier robots like Baymax and Rosie Jetson, the startup’s […]
Samsung’s spherical Ballie robot may be rolling off into the sunset, less than a year after its retail launch was announced. The smart home robot has made an appearance at CES almost every year since it was first announced in 2020, but was notably absent at CES 2026. Unfortunately, its disappearance may be because Ballie […]
There are some things you can reliably expect to see at the Consumer Electronics Show every year. Companies will announce big splashy TVs, there’s going to be a bunch of new gadgets for charging your other gadgets, and the odds are good that a robot or two is going to hilariously malfunction. But CES always […]
The CES show floor officially opened its doors yesterday and along with it came a deluge of more announcements and reveals. If you’re struggling to stay on top of all the new tech, gadgets, concepts, and AI-powered devices as day two gets underway, we’ve rounded up some of the best hardware and upgrades that have […]
It says a lot about the current moment when one of the world’s largest EV sellers shows up at the world’s biggest electronics show to announce not a new, more affordable model or a cool futuristic concept car, but a humanoid robot. And one we’ve seen already. Hyundai’s decision to use its CES keynote to […]