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If you're on TikTok (or my FYP, anyway), you know Pilates is all the rage. Pilates is a full-body workout that can be done on a reformer machine to help with resistance, or on a mat with accessories like hand weights. Millions of videos showcasing women in aesthetically pleasing workout sets doing planks and squats with just as aesthetically pleasing equipment are across the internet.
The lure of the "Pilates body" being too good to pass up, I started looking for classes in New York City — only to learn that I'd have to drop $30 per hour for the group fitness experience. Thankfully, there's a plethora of free Pilates workouts on YouTube that I can do in my living room.
SEE ALSO: A dozen products to help you kickstart your New Year's resolutionsI already had a yoga mat, which is all you need to work out at home. I've been doing home workouts long before COVID lockdown, as they're cost-effective and perfect for bad weather or low-effort days when I just want to roll out a mat and get some movement in.
When wellness brand Stakt sent me its adjustable hand weights, it seemed like my TikTok-aesthetic home Pilates dreams were coming true. Stakt Weights have a two-pound base with two-pound ends that can twist off on either or both sides, so you can adjust (or "stack") them to be two-, four-, or six-pound dumbbells. Judging from Stakt's Instagram account, the weights are exactly for (aspiring) Pilates girlies.
Stakt Weights come in four colors: iron (gray), dune (beige), seafoam (pastel green), and rosewater (pastel pink), and are made of silicone on the outside and metal on the inside. A set of two six-pound weights retails for $98.00.
Stakt is a fitness company that started by producing its Stakt Mat, a foldable mat featured on Shark Tank in 2022. In September of last year, Stakt introduced Stakt Weights.
I received my weights at the end of September and have been testing them for three months as I'm writing this review. I've been mostly doing Pilates workouts (shout out to the Move With Nicole YouTube channel) several times a week with Stakt Weights, but I've also done standard weight-lifting movements like squats and shoulder presses with them. Overall, I love using Stakt Weights, but there are some key issues — like screwing the weights and the material — that make me hesitate to recommend them.
Stakt Weights make me want to work outA huge pro — but not the only one — is that these weights are aesthetically pleasing. If you're one to post about working out, these will surely fit into your next fitness flatlay.
But these weights are also useful. They feel nice in my hand (something I will never say for metal dumbbells), and I love that I can adjust the weights. Altogether one weight is around 10 inches, a bit longer than my forearm, and the base by itself is around half of that. I've used both the base and the ends by themselves if I needed two-pound weights, and I enjoyed the experience of them both. I've also used the weights in four- and six-pound variations and feel the same about both. From weighted ab twists to tucking a weight behind my knee for donkey kicks, I've enjoyed using Stakt Weights.
A big plus is that I can use either the ends or the base weight (which is the longest and has the Stakt branding on it) as a two-pound weight. Sometimes I'm in the middle of a workout with just a two-pound weight and think I can go heavier, so I quickly screw an end onto the main one. Or, the opposite: By the end of the workout I need something lighter, so I screw an end off.
All three Stakt Weight pieces. Credit: Anna Iovine / MashableStakt Weights are compact and don't take up too much space in my one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment, which is more than I can say for other clunky non-adjustable dumbbells I own.
The two six-pound dumbbells are perfect for the kind of workouts I'm doing, and I find myself wanting to use them. I can psyche myself into wanting to work out with the "look good, feel good" mentality just like wearing cute workout clothes versus old sweats. I'll continue using my Stakt Weights long after this review — with a few caveats.
Screw-on problems with Stakt WeightsMy biggest gripe about these weights is the screeching noise the ends make going in and out of the base. It's unavoidable. (I noticed that videos of Stakt Weights on the brand's Instagram have music playing over footage of folks screwing on the weights).
While my partner and my cat haven't expressed annoyance at this sound, evoking the New York City subway as it grinds to a halt during my workout isn't my favorite. When I made this video for the purpose of this review, I also managed to get one end stuck to one base. My partner and I both tried to free the end, but we couldn't. It might be stuck forever now…
Stakt? Stuck. Credit: Anna Iovine / MashableThere is also one base and one end weight that simply won't fit in with each other. As I often take ends off during workouts and screw them back to store them, I swap bases and ends and can't figure out which one won't fit until it happens (I suppose I could mark them, but wouldn't that ruin the look?).
A lesser problem is that hair and dust stick to the weights' silicone. I store them on the floor of my living room and I have the aforementioned cat, so maybe this is just a "me problem," but I do find myself having to wipe the weights before I use them.
Lint or cat hair stuck to Stakt Weight. Credit: Anna Iovine / Mashable Are Stakt Weights worth it?Given these issues, it's difficult to justify the $98 price tag. You're mostly paying for style here. Granted, there isn't another product like Stakt Weights that I can easily find with a Google search. Many adjustable weights, like on Amazon for example, are for much heavier weight and look more utilitarian than Stakt.
Most comparable to Stakt are these $33.24 light adjustable weights that come in several pastel colors and range from two to five pounds. I haven't used these or seen them in real life, but they seem a bit bulkier than Stakt. While Stakt Weights twist on and off in two-pound intervals, these weights have half-pound discs that snap on and off the base. While Stakt looks more sleek, they are also around three times the price.
There is an option on the Stakt website to pay with an HSA/FSA (health savings account/flexible spending account), a pre-tax medical benefit, where you can apparently save up to 30 percent on Stakt Weights. If you have an HSA/FSA, that might be worth looking into.
I use Stakt weights often and I really hope I can manage to get the stuck end off — but even if I can't, I can still use the other pieces for my workouts without too much of a disruption. I'm not sure if the pros would outweigh this con if I paid for these, however.
If you value looks over high-pitched metal and can swing $98, purchase Stakt Weights. If not, look elsewhere. It's not all about aesthetics.
Airbnb is offering free temporary housing to people impacted by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. Here's how to get help.
California's wildfires have been raging out of control this week, with at least five people dead, over 1000 buildings destroyed, and more than 100,000 residents ordered to evacuate. The fires remain largely uncontained despite local firefighters' best efforts, burning thousands of acres with no signs of slowing. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency while President Joe Biden has approved a Major Disaster declaration, and agencies across the country are sending assistance in fighting the flames.
SEE ALSO: How to protect your pets from wildfire smokeHowever, with so many people evacuating, it raises the question of where they should go. Information on evacuation centers can be found on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Los Angeles Fire Department's websites, with the Westwood Recreation Center, Pan Pacific Recreation Center, and Ritchie Valens Recreation Center a few of the options available. The Los Angeles Equestrian Center will temporarily house large animals.
Now Airbnb.org has partnered with non-profit 221 LA County to offer free temporary housing as well, helping more evacuees find a safe place to stay. A non-profit founded by short-term rental platform Airbnb, Airbnb.org coordinates discounted or free emergency housing during crises. It previously ran a similar program in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
"Stays are completely free for guests and are funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts — many of whom offer their home for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org," said Airbnb in its announcement on Wednesday. The company has also stated that it is waiving all service fees for both hosts and guests.
How to get free Airbnb housing if you're fleeing the L.A. wildfires Credit: Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty ImagesTo be eligible for Airbnb's free temporary housing, you must currently reside in an evacuation zone and have been displaced due to the current wildfires. This means that either your home has been destroyed, or you've been forced to evacuate. You must also be over 18 and have an Airbnb account.
If you fulfill these requirements, you can apply for Airbnb's housing support by filling out a form on 211 LA County's website. As of writing, all available Airbnb locations have already been allocated. Nevertheless, 211 LA County is still encouraging people to sign up in case more space becomes available.
Airbnb's housing offer is currently focused on people in Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Sylmar areas, however the company states that it may expand to other areas as well.
Hosts can visit Airbnb.org if they would like to offer free or discounted stays to people impacted by the wildfires.
The Los Angeles Fire Department's map of evacuation areas as of Jan. 9, 1 a.m. EST / Jan. 8, 10 p.m. PST. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / The Los Angeles Fire DepartmentThe announcement of this initiative coincided with notable criticism of Airbnb on social media, after the company reportedly told a user that her cancellation of a booking close to the ongoing Palisades Fire wasn't covered by its Major Disruptive Events Policy.
"To clarify, I called Airbnb to request help with rebooking accommodations farther from the danger zone," wrote Ana Mostarac, providing further context to her widely-shared post on X. "As always, their policies failed to account for context."
The company later told CNN that it has since offered Mostarac a full refund.
Mashable has reached out to Airbnb for comment.
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Koofr makes digital organisation simple and worry-free. Unlike other storage services, Koofr’s one-time payment model means no monthly fees, ever. Once you’re in, you’re set for life.
More than just a place to park files, it’s a thoughtful solution built to make digital storage easy, accessible, and secure. With 1TB of space, you can store up to 250,000 photos, 500 hours of HD video, or millions of documents. And if you’re already using services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, Koofr lets you connect them all in one place for simplified access to all your files.
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Koofr is ideal for anyone who wants to keep their digital files safe and accessible, especially those who might not be very tech-savvy. It’s a useful gift for backing up photos, archiving family memories, or securing important work documents.
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StackSocial prices subject to change.
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We know there's a chance that AI is going to take over the world, but before we get to that point, we should all learn how to make the most out of this technology. We might as well get what we can before things turn sour.
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How To Make YouTube Automation Videos in 20 Minutes Using AI
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Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI and ChatGPT Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Online courses from Stanford University are available to take for free on edX.
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These are the best Stanford University courses you can take for free this month.
These free courses do not include certificates of completion or graded assignments/exams, but you can still learn at your own pace. For unlimited access to all course material, you'll need to upgrade for a fee.
Find the best free online courses from Stanford University at edX.
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Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for January 9 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 9, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:An early version of something written.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?No letters appear twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter W.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
WAFER.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 9Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 9 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Place of business
Green: Obedience training
Blue: Business structure
Purple: Patriotic notes
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Vendor's spot at a market
Green: Dog commands
Blue: Corporate departments
Purple: Last words in "America the Beautiful"
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #578 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayVendor's spot at a market: BOOTH, STALL, STAND, TABLE
Dog commands: COME, HEEL, SIT, STAY
Corporate departments: EAR, MEMORY, TRUNK, TUSK
Last words in "America the Beautiful": FROM, SEA, SHINING, TO
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 9Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Members of
Green: Cities with with an original hockey team
Blue: Share the same mascot
Purple: Related to game played on the green
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Team
Green: Original six NHL teams
Blue: Panthers
Purple: Golf ______
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #108 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayTeam - CREW, GROUP, SIDE, SQUAD
Original six NHL teams - BOSTON, MONTREAL, NEW YORK, TORONTO
Panthers - CAROLINA, FLORIDA, NORTHERN IOWA, PITTSBURGH
Golf _____ - CART, CLAP, CLUB, COURSE
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 9 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Off the hook!These words are in the same family of fish.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords are things you catch on a hook.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is TunaFamily.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for January 9Bluefin
Bigeye
Yellowfin
Albacore
SkipJack
TunaFamily
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Robots are everywhere at CES 2025. We've been waved at by a robot stool, watched a droid do our laundry, hugged an adorable furry monster bot, and fact-checked a robot who claims to be able to climb stairs while vacuuming. Here's some of the highlights from the consumer tech show floor, where Mashable has walked among our future bot overlords.
Tech lovers: Bigger price tags may be on the horizon.
The incoming Trump administration has proposed a sweeping economic agenda that includes controversially high tariffs on imported goods, and while the plan has reportedly fluctuated over the last month, the President-elect argues increased tariffs on imports is the best way to pay for sweeping tax cuts and reduce the amount of drugs and immigrant workers coming into the U.S.
The more likely result? Higher prices for consumers and their favorite foreign-made goods.
Analysts and businesses themselves have warned about the potential price surge, and predict that Trump's current tariff plan would have disproportionate effects on consumer goods and electronics made in China, as the President-elect proposes blanket tariffs on all imports and a levy on Chinese goods that could be upwards of 60 percent.
SEE ALSO: CES 2025 highlights: What we've seen so farAccording to reports from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), this policy path would have a net negative effect on purchasing power for U.S. consumers in the tech market, which could see a $90 to $143 billion decline over the next year.
Meanwhile, the consumer tech industry is still on track for multi-billion dollar revenues in 2025, with the Consumer Technology Association predicting a $537 billion market in 2025. This year may see a reverse of the previous, which recorded dismal sales in its first half. For now, the industry's innovators and sales-folk aren't slowing down.
The annual Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES), which is produced by the CTA, unveiled everything from stair-climbing robot vacuums (well, sort of) to a laptop that unrolls itself into a bigger display.
But Trump's tariff crackdown may affect the kinds of products that make up CES' bread and butter, including the non-automobile lithium-ion batteries powering portable electronics, televisions, computer accessories, PCs, laptops, tablets, and other connected devices, among others, writes Business Insider. Around a quarter of CES exhibitioners are made up of Chinese AI hardware and robotics firms this year, the Information reports, amid an ongoing tech and AI race between the U.S. and China. In a statement to the Global Times, China's display maker BOE explained it has doubled its exhibition area since 2024, with more than 1,000 registered Chinese companies in attendance.
Speaking in Las Vegas this week, CES organizers made an indirect jab at Trump's economic plan to the international crowd: "To keep our economies thriving and inflation in check, we need policies that enable startups, allow businesses to flourish, and create the next generation of tech leaders — policies that create rules of the road for tech companies and offer guardrails to protect safety, privacy, and fairness," said CES CEO Gary Shapiro. "Here in the U.S., that means finding a way to break through the gridlock and pass sensible immigration reforms to promote highly skilled immigration and recognizing that tariffs are taxes paid for by American businesses and the American people and the world.”
Companies and brands at the showcase are taking a much less vocal approach to the looming levies, either avoiding discussion of tariffs or taking a "wait and see" stance as they debut new products.
"We will keep monitoring global regulations and will take strategic actions that increase our operational resilience, which includes being closer to the markets with a shorter supply chain so that we can act faster," said Lisa Emard, Acer's Director of Media Relations, in a comment to Mashable. "We work with ODMs (original design manufacturers) for manufacturing of our computers and in some regions, we have our own final assembly lines to increase our flexibility to meet local customer needs. Currently we also have manufacturing and assembly capacity in Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, and the United States."
Behind the scenes, some, like Apple, have tried to shift away from Chinese-dependent supply chains in recent years, with mixed results.
Consumers, on the other hand, are raring to go in a market full of shiny new products. Here's where some of CES' most anticipated showings fit into the country's potential economic future.
SEE ALSO: 12 new gadgets from CES 2025 that you can actually buy right now Vacuum cleanersWith Chinese companies quickly taking over the market for home cleaning electronics, consumers may first feel the tariff pinch as they shop for increasingly more expensive vacuum cleaners — including the robotic ones.
And CES exhibitors showcased a veritable army of new robotic vacuums this year. The Roborock Saros Z70 has an extendable arm that can help pick up obstacles in its path, while the Dreame X50 Ultra can breeze over thresholds that other vacuums balk at — as long as they're not taller than two inches.
Computers, tablets, and smartphonesIn its most recent report, the CTA estimates that Trump's economic plan could bump up the average price of laptops and tablets as high as 47 percent — that's a $200 to $350 margin. Due to rising prices, laptop sales overall could take a 68 percent hit in 2025, according to the CTA.
Those in the market for their own Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable (a laptop that can enlarge itself) or Nvidia's personal AI supercomputer may be inclined to get in early, then. New products from brands like Alienware and Acer could also feel the pressure later on, and monitors, like LG's buzzy 5K2K bendable gaming monitor, aren't safe from price hikes.
Gaming consolesThe CTA estimates that gaming consoles will see an average $250 increase from their current sales price, which, at the extreme, could drop sales by as much as 58 percent.
Notable CES showings include the handheld hybrid Acer Nitro Blaze 11 and the third-party SteamOS powered Lenovo Legion Go S.
Smart TVsWith AI set to innovate the somewhat bloated market of smart TVs, the products themselves may see up to a nine percent price increase in prices under the new tariff plan.
At CES, Samsung's Neo QLED, OLED and QLED, and The Frame models, as well as LG's OLED evo lineup debuted with a new suite of AI features. Samsung and LG also announced partnerships with Microsoft's Copilot AI, and Google unveiled it would be bringing Gemini AI to TVs, too.
Battery-powered TVs, like LG's StanByMe 2, could also take a hit.
Tech-boosted vehiclesTrump's tariff plan could also bump up the price of vehicles in the U.S., including from American-made brands, with some experts estimating a $600 to $2,500 price increase per vehicle. And while Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese assembled vehicles would certainly be hit by a country-specific tariff plan, the fate of other foreign vehicles is up-in-the-air.
CES audiences were introduced to the AFEELA 1 Signature, a brainchild of Sony and Honda, that debuted at CES this year with LiDAR cameras, touchless doors, and a Sony PlayStation 5 controller that you can literally game with. It's already sitting pretty with a six figure price tag.
I promise that headline isn't a Mad Libs.
The Canadian company Plantaform introduced its eponymous smart indoor garden powered by "fogponics" at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, marking its hard launch in the U.S. CEO Alberto Aguilar plugs it as a "Nespresso for your vegetables" that uses an ultra-fine vapor to hydrate plants, resulting in faster growth and 30 to 50 percent less water usage compared to standard hydroponic systems.
The Mashable team caught the Plantaform at CES' Pepcom media showcase Monday night, and it's easily one of the neatest smart home gadgets I've seen here all week. The Consumer Technology, the trade show's organizer, shares my enthusiasm: It's a 2025 CES Innovation Awards Best of Innovation winner in the Food and AgTech category.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableNot too shabby for NASA leftovers, mind you. Aguilar told me that the Plantaform's fog-based watering technology was originally developed (then ditched) by the administration as a way to grow plants in space.
SEE ALSO: I bent LG's new 5K2K bendable gaming monitor at CES 2025Design-wise, the Plantaform is a 26-inch-tall egg-shaped vessel (available in midnight black or frost white) with removable windows, full-spectrum LED lights, and a central column filled with chambers for up to 15 individual soil-free seed pods. The Plantaform tends to the plants throughout their entire growth cycles using an algorithm-determined combination of water, light, and nutrients, per the company's website.
Via GiphyThe fog in question hits the plants right at their roots from inside the Plantaform's pod hub. Some of it inevitably leaks out and floats among their leaves, humidifiying the system's immediate surroundings while looking cool as hell.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableAs far as maintenance goes, users need to do little more than make sure the Plantaform is topped off with water dosed with fertilizer every two to three weeks. Its companion mobile app offers setup guidance and care reminders.
SEE ALSO: CES 2025: Evenflo's SensorySoothe smart car seat is a calming backseat baby raveThe word "disruptor" is thrown around a lot at CES, but the Plantaform really does feel like one in the indoor garden space. Not only does it clean itself — eliminating a tedious between-cycle chore — but it'll also support users' own seeds by the end of the year, Aguilar said. No need to keep buying pods in perpetuity, as required by other indoor gardens like the popular hydroponic Gardyn.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Plantaform, while not exactly cheap, is also competitively priced: You can order one now for $499.99. Plant pod packs are $29.99 each and available in mixes of lettuces, cherry tomatoes, and cocktail herbs.
Opens in a new window Credit: Plantaform Plantaform $499.99 at PlantaformLG has always commanded an audience at CES with their latest televisions and displays. Last year, they stole the show with their transparent TV screens. (The transparent TVs are back this year too, by the way).
This year, LG cemented itself as the king of CES by having so much to show, they didn't even bring one of their new most-anticipated products, the LG UltraGear GX9 series bendable OLED gaming monitor, to the public show floor.
The LG 45GX990A, better known as the world's first 5K2K bendable gaming monitor, has already scored three Innovation Awards at CES 2025. And Mashable scored a sneak peek from LG at CES and we got to bend the bendable screen ourselves.
SEE ALSO: 12 new gadgets from CES 2025 that you can actually buy right nowFirst off, just as an ordinary computer monitor, it's massive as a 45" OLED display with a 5K2K resolution and 21:9 aspect ratios for incredible picture quality. The screen also features LG's Dual Mode, which lets users easily switch between aspect ratios and picture size with the push of a button.
But, LG wasn't done when it came to the 45GX990A because this is the model that's bendable. Here's the part you were waiting for.
This LG UltraGear GX9 model bends automatically, converting the monitor from a flat screen monitor into a curved one and back again. And it's all done with the push of a button, no manual bending required.
At the demo, LG had two big red buttons on the table that bent the screen back-and-forth. However, the model that consumers will be able to purchase will come with a remote that lets users bend the screen with the push of a button.
SEE ALSO: CES 2025 highlights: What we've seen so farAnd with that push of a button, the flat screen LG monitor bent and turned into an 800R curved display. The difference is stark in-person. LG had both a flat screen and curved monitor next to the bendable display during the demo too, which really helped accentuate the changes when the bendable screen worked its magic.
Now, a curved monitor isn't for everyone, and it's mostly used to give gamers a more immersive playing experience. This LG monitor fills a niche for users who may want both a flat screen and curved monitor for different use cases or just can't decide between the two.
SEE ALSO: A look at LG's award-winning bendable 5K2K gaming monitorIt's obviously not quite ready yet as the company didn't even have the remote at the event. However, it was shown alongside the company's other soon-to-be-released consumer products, so this certainly isn't some far-out prototype on display either. However, LG currently does not have any release date or price point to provide for the bendable gaming monitor.
Maybe you’re a busy content creator in need of a website but have zero design skills. Or maybe you have a Cajun-fusion catering side gig and are struggling to create a site that nails your branding. Whatever is stopping you from putting yourself out there, it’s Squarespace to the rescue.
Squarespace’s new Design Intelligence AI tools are a sure-fire way to build and launch a fully customized website, fast. Squarespace is even offering new subscribers 10% off with code MASHABLE10 right now, so let’s get building — here’s what you need to know to get started.
Opens in a new window Credit: Squarespace Squarespace $172.80Design Intelligence is a bundle of automated processes, AI-powered tools, and one-click design options in Squarespace that makes it a snap for you to create a branded, impactful website. From AI website builders that generate web pages based on your text prompts to landing-page creators and instant layout switchers, just choose Squarespace’s stylish lineup of easy-to-edit templates, and the Design Intelligence toolkit will show you what’s possible.
Let Blueprint AI do the art directingThe newest iteration of the Squarespace Blueprint AI tool is a dream if you have a creative vision but don’t know how to bring it to life. Just answer a few questions about your industry, goals, and brand personality, and you’ll receive AI-curated content and recommendations for your site’s structure, color palette, and font pairings. Just like that, each of your pages will be populated with premium AI-generated imagery that’s been designed using your own prompts.
Give your copy a boostIn addition to the art direction recs, Squarespace Blueprint AI will automatically flow in generative text copy that matches your website’s category, goal, and tone. A separate Squarespace AI writer tool can help you draft anything from a short headline to an email campaign. Whether you keep the generated text or use it as a jumping-off point, this tool is awesome if you have a hard time nailing the copy tone you want.
Squarespace has upped its game when it comes to AI tools that can help you create a head-turning website. Add in the mobile capabilities, the robust scheduling and hosting perks, and the 10% off deal with code MASHABLE10 — and Squarespace is a no-brainer for 2025.
SensorySoothe just might be the ultimate anti-"sad beige baby" tech.
Launched this week at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, SensorySoothe is the latest offering from the children's products company Evenflo. It's a first-of-its-kind car seat handle with built-in speakers and a color-changing light bar, and it's supposed to distract and calm infants on the go when Mom or Dad are busy driving. It's also plugged as a new alternative to traditional car seat toys, which can turn into dangerous projectiles in the event of a car crash.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableSensorySoothe will be available on some of the company's premium car seats and travel system strollers this February, and we got to check some of them out at Tuesday's ShowStoppers media showcase. IRL, they looked like the perfect places for one-baby raves.
SEE ALSO: 12 new gadgets from CES 2025 that you can actually buy right nowGeared toward preemies and infants from three to 30 pounds, SensorySoothe seats and systems can be controlled using on-device buttons, voice commands, or with the Evenflo mobile app. The light bar has presets for a variety of different colors and effects to suit infants' preferences and specific developmental stages. (As newborns, for instance, we really only see red.) Evenflo Product Manager Matt Lewis told Mashable that the app can send parents push notifications to change a setting if their baby may have grown out of one. There's also an ambient nightlight option.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableSpeaking as a 386-month-old, I liked the rainbow preset the best — it made the car seats Evenflo was demoing look like Razer Chroma gaming devices.
Parents are also able to pick different pre-loaded sounds for the SensorySoothe to play, including white noise, lullabies, bird chirps, and common children's songs, which can be synced to the light bar's patterns. (Spoiler: There's no "Baby Shark." You're welcome.) Lewis said the speakers meet standard regulations for safe levels of noise.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe SensorySoothe is powered by four AA batteries and should last 15 to 30 hours before it needs new ones — great for road trips.
For parents interested in adding one to their registry, SensorySoothe products will start at $259 for a car seat and $649 for a travel system. Look for them at retailers like Babylist, Amazon, Target, and Walmart in a few weeks.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was served with a lawsuit this week from his sister, Ann Altman, alleging he sexually abused her beginning when she was 3.
The suit was filed in Missouri, the site of the Altmans' childhood home where the alleged abuse took place from 1997 to 2006. Ann Altman says the alleged conduct began when her brother was 12 years old and he inappropriately touched her. She says he later sexually abused and raped her. Ann Altman says the abuse continued while her brother was a legal adult.
"At all times relevant herein, Defendant, Sam Altman, groomed and manipulated Plaintiff, Ann Altman, into believing the aforementioned sexual acts were her idea, despite the fact she was under the age of five years old when the sexual abuse began and Defendant was nearly a teenager," part of the lawsuit alleges. "The foregoing level of childhood sexual abuse continued for a period of approximately eight or nine years."
SEE ALSO: OpenAI launches new internal safety team with Sam Altman in controlThe Missouri Childhood Sexual Abuse statute allows plaintiffs to file suit against their alleged abusers within a decade of turning 21; Ann Altman is 30.
Ann Altman says the alleged abuse caused her PTSD, severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression, and forced her to incur numerous health costs, including mental health care. The suit claims the younger Altman is seeking a sum in excess of $75,000 for punitive damages and the cost of the suit.
Responding to the suit, Sam Altman released an open letter, along with his father, mother, and two brothers, on X. The family claims "Annie" faces "mental health challenges" and they have long supported her personally and financially, and that she continues to demand money from them. The family also acknowledged that the lawsuit is not the first time Ann has accused her brother of abuse, but her lawsuit prompted their public response. They added that Ann has claimed the Altmans have hacked her WiFi and shadowbanned her from X and ChatGPT, the latter of which is the AI-enabled chatbot offshoot of Sam Altman's OpenAI.
"All of these claims are utterly untrue," the Altmans claim in their letter. "This situation causes immense pain to our entire family. It is especially gut-wrenching when she refuses conventional treatment and lashes out at family members who are genuinely trying to help."
Tweet may have been deletedAltman is one of the original founders of OpenAI, along with Elon Musk and others.
Not everything at CES has to be some complicated technological marvel. Sometimes, there's a low tech device that figures out a new way to do something even better than what has come before it.
Take the Intake, for example.
Mashable came across Intake, which bills itself as the "only magnetic nasal dilator" at CES' Showstoppers event, where startups pitch their brand-new products. How did we find out about Intake? Well, because roughly half the attendees at the event were walking around wearing a little black strip across their nose. So, naturally, we had to check out what was going on.
SEE ALSO: 12 new gadgets from CES 2025 that you can actually buy right nowIntake's purpose is simple: The company wants you to breathe better. Whether you're just dealing with nasal congestion or have any ailment that affects your breathing, Intake is aiming to have its nasal dilator externally address that.
Credit: MashableThe Intake goes about that in a unique way. The user simply applies two sticky magnets to their nose, one on the side of each nostril. Then, they place the Intake, a small curved black band, across their nose, with each side snapping on to the magnets.
SEE ALSO: CES 2025: Here's how to get your hands on the new Lenovo Legion Go SAnd that's it. After putting it on, it immediately worked. You could actually tell the difference. All the Intake does is open your air passageways a little bit more, just enough where you truly don't even feel any pulling. But, that little bit extra makes a difference when you're breathing.
It wasn't uncomfortable to wear. At times, I completely forgot I had it on. The band is reusable, with only the magnetic strips needing to be replaced with every usage.
Intake's starter kit is priced at $49.99 and the magnet refills start at around $20.
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