"Calm technology" is all the rage but big tech companies are leveraging the concept to distract from the ways their business models cause us harm, writes Rima Sabina Aouf. More about "Big Tech is using design philosophy as a smokescreen"
Inspired by local microbreweries, London-based start-up Arda Biomaterials has made a plastic-free leather alternative by altering the protein structures in brewer's spent grain. More about Arda transforms beer waste into plastic-free faux leather
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have made recycled plastic into floor trusses for housing, arguing the waste stream could provide an abundant and sustainable structural building material. More about MIT researchers developing process to make houses from recycled plastic
AI is a tool for deep contemplation rather than quick gratification in Cognitive Bloom, a device concept created by industrial design studio Map Project Office and recent Royal College of Art graduate Chanwoo Lee. More about AI-powered Cognitive Bloom device provides prompts for self-reflection
During this year's Super Bowl on Sunday, some blind and low-vision fans will be able to experience football more directly thanks to tactile devices that vibrate to indicate the position of the ball on the field. More about OneCourt helps blind and low-vision fans track the Super Bowl live
Dutch designer Vera van der Burg aimed to "slow down" AI by combining it with a ceramics practice in the project From Text-to-Clay, which has seen her exhibit several unworldly creations. More about Vera van der Burg puts AI and ceramics into "reflective" feedback loop
MIT Media Lab has developed a prototype that uses generative AI to interpret and distil the contents of a photograph into a fragrance. More about AI-driven "scent-memory machine" turns photographs into custom fragrances
Aidan Meller and his AI-powered creation Ai-Da are exhibiting what they believe to be the first building concept designed by a humanoid robot, currently on display at Denmark's Utzon Center. More about Home designed by humanoid robot goes on display in Denmark
British tech company Vertical Aerospace has debuted its electric flying aircraft in New York City, which is designed to transport customers short distances around a city "in near silence, with zero emissions". More about Vertical Aerospace debuts "electric flying taxi" in New York
IKEA is set to open a pop-up shop in the metaverse in collaboration with game platform Roblox, allowing players to add classic IKEA designs to their virtual homes. More about IKEA launches pop-up furniture shop in Roblox game
Musician and entrepreneur Will.i.am has entered the micro-mobility space with his new company Trinity, revealing a AI-equipped, single-passenger vehicle designed as "brains on wheels". More about Will.i.am unveils three-wheeled EV with AI assistant
An AI pocket pet, a vibrating ultrasonic knife and a "paper battery" were among the interesting and unusual products on display at the world's most influential technology fair, CES, in Las Vegas this week. More about Ten gadgets that caught our attention at CES 2026
In this week's comments update, readers are discussing CLOid, an AI-powered robot that takes care of household chores, unveiled by electronics brand LG at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas. More about "I'm dreading a future where all work is done by AI" says commenter
At the CES tech fair in Las Vegas, Chinese startup Takway has unveiled a cute AI-powered pet-like accessory, designed to grow physically and emotionally alongside its user. More about Sweekar is world's "first emotionally intelligent" pocket-sized pet
Tech company Cozytime has debuted a grilling and roasting device that uses infrared light to cook food and senses food type using AI, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. More about Cozytime debuts grill that uses light to cook "four times faster than fire"
At the CES tech fair in Las Vegas, US manufacturer Seattle Ultrasonics is presenting its ultrasonic C-200 knife, which vibrates over 30,000 times per second to create cleaner, smoother cuts. More about "World's first ultrasonic chef's knife" vibrates for easier chopping
At this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, technology brand TDM is presenting a "first-of-its-kind" audio device that transforms from a pair of headphones into a Bluetooth speaker with a simple twist. More about TDM's Neo headphones twist to become a portable speaker
Singapore tech company Flint has announced production on a rechargeable "paper battery", which it claims will biodegrade at the end of its life cycle, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. More about Flint announces production of biodegradable "paper battery"
UK-based company Clicks Technology has followed up its Blackberry-like keyboard accessory for smartphones with the Clicks Communicator, a phone built for messaging, launched at this week's Consumer Electronics Show. More about The Clicks Communicator phone is made specifically for messaging
Electronics brand LG has unveiled CLOiD, an AI-powered home robot that takes care of household chores like cooking and laundry, at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas. More about LG creates humanoid AI-powered robot to make "housework a thing of the past"