Consumer-Tech on Cowlpane

Porsche is discontinuing its performance e-bike division

Sat, 09 May 2026 18:12:10 +0000

Originally published by Engadget

EVs and Transportation

Porsche is hitting the brakes on its electric bicycle subsidiary called Porsche eBike Performance GmbH. The German automaker launched itse-bike offshootin August 2022 with plans to develop components like motors and batteries. After nearly four years of operation, Porsche decided to discontinue the subsidiary and will close the company’s factories in Ottobrunn, Germany and Zagreb, Croatia, putting around 350 employees out of work.

Porsche said in a press release that the e-bike division was created to make “high-performance e-bike drive systems and market them worldwide,” but added that market conditions have changed. Porsche eBike Performance created several e-bikes during its short run, including the Porsche eBike Sport for road rides and the Porsche eBike Cross for off-road adventures. TheeBike Sporteven made it to its fifth generation, despite the $10,920 starting price tag.

Banned drones and routers in the US will still get critical updates until 2029

Sat, 09 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Originally published by Engadget

If you have a foreign-made drone or router that has since been banned by the Federal Communications Commission, you’ll be able to get some more use out if it for the next couple of years. The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) postedan announcementon May 8 that stated affected routers and drones will be able to receive “software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to US consumers,” until January 1, 2029. The latest notice extends the update deadline by about two years from its initial cut-off.

NASA's Curiosity rover gets its drill stuck, recordings from the Arctic seafloor and more science stories

Sat, 09 May 2026 16:30:13 +0000

Originally published by Engadget

What a week. Beloved nature communicator David Attenboroughturned 100on Friday, and scientists named a newly discovered species ofwasp in his honor. The wasp from Chile, calledAttenboroughnculus tau,isn’t the first to be named after Attenborough — it joins a list of over 50 organisms bearing his name in some way, which seems about right. Also this week, NASA shared an update about its Curiosity rover, which encountered some issues during a sampling attempt on Mars, and the agency released a new batch of photos from the Artemis II mission.

Dyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to $279.99 for a limited time

Sat, 09 May 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Originally published by The Verge

The last-gen robot vacuum tackled dirty carpets well in our testing, especially compared to the newer Spot + Scrub Ai.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.

If you’re tired of running your vacuum multiple times just to get the dirt and debris out of the carpets in your living room,Dyson’s 360 Vis Navis worth a look. It’s one of the more powerful robot vacuums currently available, and now through May 11th (or while supplies last), it’s on sale atWootfor an all-time low of $279.99 ($919 off) with a full two-year warranty.

The Instax Wide 400 builds on instant photography’s simplicity and stretches it, literally

Sat, 09 May 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Originally published by TechCrunch

In an increasingly AI-driven and digital world, analog instant film and retro-style cameras remain popular, fueled by a combination of both nostalgia and charm. Instant cameras, in particular, stand out for their simplicity and an experience that has remained largely unchanged over time.

Fujifilm’s $175 Instax Wide 400builds on the familiar instant photography experience and expands it with a wider format. As someone who appreciates simple, easy-to-use instant cameras and often shoots with an Instax Square, I was interested in trying a model that offers larger prints and support for landscape photography.

Nvidia has already committed $40B to equity AI deals this year

Sat, 09 May 2026 14:43:30 +0000

Originally published by TechCrunch

Nvidia continues to be a major investor in the AI ecosystem, committing more than $40 billion to equity investments in AI companies — and that’s just in these early months of 2026,according to CNBC.

Much of that total comes from a single bet,a $30 billion investment in OpenAI. But CNBC reports that the chipmaker has also announced seven multi-billion dollar investments in publicly traded companies, most recently deals to invest up to $3.2 billion in glassmaker Corning and up to $2.1 billion in data center operator IREN.

These great digital gifts will arrive just in time for Mother’s Day

Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Originally published by The Verge

If you still haven’t picked up a Mother’s Day gift, we have dozens of last-minute ideas that are a mere click or two away.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.

And just like that, Mother’s Day is tomorrow, May 10th, which is too soon for most online purchases to arrive in time. That said, you aren’t alone if you waited too long to pick up a gift this year, and you definitely aren’t alone in feeling guilty for considering digital gifts instead of something your mom can unwrap. But here’s the thing: digital gifts can still unlock memorable experiences, be it movies, games, or music. They can also let your mom choose exactly what she wants, making them both convenient and versatile.

Let it snow

Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Originally published by The Verge

Get warm and cozy before playing this pair of games about trolls, frogs, and the joys and fears of winter.

Water gets all the credit. When gaming companies want to show off new graphics technology, things tend to get wet; splashing waves that are only possible with the latest physics engine, or puddles that can reflect the world around them thanks to ray tracing. But there’s something special about snow. It might not be as technically impressive as water, but when it comes to creating a mood in a game, snow can be very powerful. And two recent releases —Moomintroll: Winter’s WarmthandFroggy Hates Snow— really capture just what snow is capable of.

Mortal Kombat II review: More than just camp

Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Originally published by Engadget

The creative minds behindMortal Kombat IIknow precisely how to make an awful ’90s-style action movie. We get a glimpse of that with footage from “Uncaged Fury,” an in-film demonstration of Hollywood playboy Johnny Cage’s replete with one-liners, glacially slow choreography and ridiculous stunts, all of which would have felt right at home in a forgettable Van Damme flick. By nodding to schlocky action cinema — which definitely includesMortal Kombat(1995)— director Simon McQuoid and screenwriter Jeremy Slater are also making a statement: They know what not to do. That self-awareness ultimately makes it the best Mortal Kombat film yet.

Quantum dot TVs beat RGB LED TVs, says the company that makes QDs for TVs

Sat, 09 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Originally published by The Verge

A side-by-side comparison of an RGB LED TV and a QD TV showed color crosstalk and contrast issues in the RGB LED TV.

At the Los Angeles Convention Center, two 85-inch TVs sat side by side inside the Nanosys meeting room at Display Week — a yearly business-to-business convention focusing on the technology that goes into displays of all types. One TV was a mini-LED panel with super quantum dots, and the other was an RGB LED — this year’s hottest TV trend. Both TVs were showing the same content at the same time to highlight the differences between the two technologies — or more specifically, to show the potential failings of RGB LED backlights when compared to super quantum dot (SQD), which uses blue LEDs for the backlight.

The game that makes me actually want to exercise

Sat, 09 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Originally published by The Verge

Plus, in this week’s Installer: Two reasons to go to the theater, impressive new speakers, delightful buttons, and much more.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.

Hi, friends! Welcome toInstallerNo. 127, your guide to the best andVerge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, my Scorpion challenges your Sub-Zero to a duel, and also you can read all the old editions at theInstallerhomepage.)

Chainsaw carnage, lots of music-based titles and other new indie games worth checking out

Sat, 09 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Originally published by Engadget

Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. There are a bunch of interesting new games for you to check out this weekend and we’ve got some news about intriguing upcoming projects to share with you. But first, word of a neat marketing beat from a game we’ve been very much looking forward to around these parts.

Mixtape,from developer Beethoven and Dinosaur and publisher Annapurna Interactive, arrived this week to glowing reviews. It’s a coming-of-age adventure that tells the story of three friends on their last night together. They party, go skateboarding and get up to some mischief — exactly the kinds of things teenagers should be doing.

The new Wild West of AI kids’ toys

Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:51 +0000

Originally published by Ars Technica

The main antagonist ofToy Story 5, in theaters this summer, is a green, frog-shaped kids’ tablet named Lilypad, a genius new villain for the belovedPixar franchise. But if Pixar had its ear to the ground, it might have used an AI kids’ toy instead.

AI toys are seemingly everywhere, marketed online as friendly companions to children as young as three, and they’re still a largely unregulated category. It’s easier than ever to spin up an AI companion, thanks to model developer programs andvibe coding. In 2026, they’ve become a go-to trend in cheap trinkets, lining the halls of trade shows likeCES,MWC, andHong Kong’s Toys & Games Fair. By October 2025, there were over 1,500 AI toy companiesregisteredin China, and Huawei’sSmart HanHanplush toy sold 10,000 units in China in its first week. Sharp put itsPokeTomo talking AI toyon sale in Japan this April.

Best Live-Captioning Smart Glasses (2026), WIRED tested

Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000