AMD’s push into socketed desktop PCs that use the Ryzen AI 400 may yield an extraordinary bonus: the ability to buy a mobile Ryzen processor at a retailer like Newegg, install it, then upgrade that mobile processor into a desktop PC that uses it. At CES 2026, AMD announced the Ryzen AI 400 (Gorgon Point), its next-generation laptop processor. As part of the announcement—detailed in a deeper-dive interview with AMD executives—AMD announced that it would ship the Ryzen AI 400 into socketed desktops. What does that mean? To an enthusiast, a socketed desktop processor allows a consumer to pick and choose which processor to fill that socket with, just like a traditional desktop PC. The question is whether PC makers and AMD itself would allow that level of flexibility, or whether that socket would be available for the customer’s choice. Keep in mind that you’ve never been able to buy a mobile processor via Amazon or Best Buy. Laptop processors are sold directly to makers like Acer or Lenovo, which they use to build laptops. But this new world of socketed desktop processors opens new doors. We gave AMD every opportunity to shoot down this thesis. In a roundtable interview with Jason Banta, corporate vice president of client at AMD at CES 2026, he didn’t. DIY desktops with mobile Ryzen chips still have a shot “I think as we get closer to launch, we’ll have more information about DIY availability,” Banta said. “We have active partnerships with OEMs on Ryzen AI 400 socketed designs,” he added, somewhat flustered. “DIY is not something we are communicating information about that at this time. So that’s more work. More to come later, more to come later.” Officially, AMD will launch the socketed desktop version of the Ryzen AI 400 in the second quarter, an AMD representative confirmed, in what executives said would be the AM5 socket platform. The interesting twist is that Banta didn’t limit the available designs to just all-in-one PCs or mini PCs, but desktop PCs large and small. “We’re seeing OEM interest in all of those, all the different form factors. So, that’s everything from one liter [to] thirty liters,” Banta said. “Usually, I think twenty liters is about where we start to see more of the socketed designs,” Banta added. “But specifically that socketed rise in AI 400? We’re expecting to see that everywhere, from 1-liter designs all the way up to 30-liter designs. So, a wide range of availability there.” “But what’s cool about the socketed approach is it gives system integrators, it gives DIYers, it gives OEMs a lot of options in how they design, without redesigning boards, without redesigning an entire project,” Banta added. Read...

Household robot manufacturer iGarden unveiled its new M1 series of robotic pool cleaners at CES today, complementing its existing K series line of underwater scrubbers. And much like the K series, these four new models are distinguished almost exclusively by their battery size and resulting operating time. The M1 series showcases a revamped design that features four wheels instead of treads, with a bulbous section in the center of the robot that makes it look like the cockpit of a race car. The bright red color treatment only furthers that connotation, much as it did with the K Pro 150 we reviewed in October, 2025.) The very front of the robot, however, is where you’ll find its secret sauce, including twin cameras designed to help it scan the pool in 3D. iGarden says the cameras improve debris detection, floor coverage, and obstacle avoidance. As is becoming increasingly common with household robots, AI-powered algorithms analyze the video feed and are key part of the behind-the-scenes intelligence. iGarden also launched its new L- and L AWD-series robot lawn mowers at CES.iGarden Additional features across the M1 line include a new two-tier filter designed to improve tiny particle capture while reducing clogging, and a dual water pump design that adapts suction power to the environment, based on an analysis of how much and what type of debris the robot is capturing. A welcome one-touch return system instructs the robot to climb the nearest wall to reach the waterline for easy, pole-free retrieval, although it isn’t entirely clear how this system works at the moment. (Based on photography we’ve seen, it’s likely through a remote-control wand with flashing lights on one end.) At launch, the four models in the new series are the M1-50, with a 7500mAh battery and about 5 hours of running time; the M1-80, with a 10,400mAh battery and about 8 hours of running time; the M1-100, also with a 10,400mAh battery but a promised 10 hours of running time; and the M1 Pro-125, with a 14,500mAh battery and about 12.5 hours of running time. The units also differ based on pump rate, with the M1-50 offering a lower flow of 3,170 to 5,019 gallons per hour, the middle two robots featuring 4,227 to 6,076 gallons per hour, and the M1 Pro-125 hitting 5,283 to 7,133 gallons per hour. Many of the other features of the K Series, including running time options, periodic scheduling, various cleaning modes, and iGarden’s speed-boosting “Turbo Mode,” remain ported over to the new M1 models. Pricing and availability for each of the new robot models had not been published at press time. This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. Read...

Smart garden tech brand iGarden introduced two new robotic lawn mowers at CES this week, expanding its lineup with 2WD and AWD models aimed at homeowners seeking low-maintenance lawn care. Part of iGarden’s growing AI-powered ecosystem, the L Series and L AWD Series mowers feature an 8-hour runtime, smart LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and AI vision, and a 1080p HD camera with a wide-angle field of view to support real-time terrain mapping and obstacle avoidance. Both models are designed for quick setup, requiring no perimeter wires or complex antenna systems like RTK (real-time kinematic) positioning, which is often used for precision navigation in high-end robotic mowers. iGarden L AWD Series mower can tackles slopes up to 70%, ideal for uneven terrain. iGarden The L AWD Series offers enhanced all-wheel drive traction for handling slopes up to 70% (35 degrees), targeting yards with challenging topography. Both models use intelligent route planning for even, precise cutting, according to the company. The new models integrate with iGarden’s broader app-controlled backyard ecosystem, which was also on display at CES. The company is positioning its AI system as a central hub for connected outdoor devices, though full details on compatibility and feature control through the app were not disclosed. If you’re attending CES in person, iGarden is exhibiting its wares at booth #51248. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot lawn mowers. Read...

Finance Now will launch New Zealand’s first open loop Visa-powered fleet card in 2026, backed by Brazilian payments platform Pismo. Read...

CES 2026 is in full swing and there’s a surprising amount of cool stuff on the show floor, and it’s all pretty exciting even with high memory prices and uncertain availability throwing cold water on the party. Laptops in particular are turning heads, but there’s one trend that caught the attention of PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray: repairability. In a hands-on live-on-the-floor video, Adam shows how easy it is to user repair the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition. He starts by tearing down the demo unit and removing the backplate for immediate access to the internals. The battery, SSD, and even USB ports are easily swapped out—and not only that, the laptop can be flipped over to pop out the entire keyboard. All of it is simple to replace. Everything is held together by Lenovo’s new magnesium-based Space Frame, which improves upon past designs with its focus on user-accessible parts. The one big downside here is soldered RAM, which is a huge bummer if you want to level that up later. But, to be fair, Lenovo is leaning into user repairs, not user upgrades. Overall, it’s nice to see Lenovo move in this direction with its latest ThinkPad, as user repairability has sort of fallen by the wayside in recent years (aside from Framework). And all of it’s here without sacrificing battery capacity, cooling power, or anything else. It’s a significant shift from just last year when Lenovo laptops got an F for repairability. That said, it is a ThinkPad, so it’s a business-oriented machine and the repairability is primarily designed for IT managers in large-scale organizations. But it’s a step in the right direction and it’d be great to see this trend extend into the consumer space soon. If nothing else, it’d help with the e-waste problem with laptops. For more on the latest PC and laptop ponderings, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd. Read...

San Francisco Bay Area-based SunnyWhale brought an early version of its inaugural product to CES 2026, a new pool water quality measurement and chemical dispensing system called FinWhale. The device is named after the fin whale, the largest filter-feeding animal in the ocean, which inspired the system. FinWhale is a self-contained, floating device about size of a gallon milk jug. Bobbing in the pool, the device measures water temperature, free chlorine (FC), and pH, tracking data over time and logging it in its mobile app. A solar charging system ensures its batteries are kept topped up as it floats on the surface, communicating conditions regularly with the company’s cloud system via Wi-Fi. A cartridge inside the FinWhale holds up to six standard-sized chlorine tablets. The device monitors a pool’s free chlorine (FC), water temperature, and pH, and dispenses fresh chlorine as conditions warrant.Christopher Null/Foundry FinWhale distinguishes itself from other pool chemical monitoring systems thanks to the inclusion of an integrated chlorine dispensing system. The top of the FinWhale device unscrews to reveal a chamber that can hold up to six standard chlorine tablets. By configuring desired levels the FinWhale app, the tablets can be exposed to the water in the pool only when ambient FC is low enough to warrant it. In most cases, SunnyWhale says a full set of tablets should last for up to three weeks before they need to be topped off. The FinWhale outside of a pool.Christopher Null/Foundry While Auto Mode is designed for regular use, a secondary mode called Vacation Mode is also included. This switches the device into a very low-power operational cycle that keeps water chemistry stabilized over longer periods and is designed for use when you’re away from home for extended periods. FinWhale is ideally designed for pools of 20,000 gallons or less in volume, and it does not need to be removed from the pool in the winter unless the water freezes, thanks to an IP68 weatherproof rating. SunnyWhale expects the device will last for two to three years in typical conditions, with sensors requiring roughly annual replacement. SunnyWhale has not set pricing for the FinWhale, but expects to finalize it in time for an estimated Q3 2026 release. Additional details can be found at https://sunnywhale.net/, or if you’re attending CES in person, SunnyWhale is exhibiting FinWhale at its Venetian Expo booth #56345. Read...

Brivo and Eagle Eye Networks will merge under the Brivo name to create what they claim is the world’s largest AI cloud security platform. Read...

VOSS launches v25.3 of its workplace platform, boosting AI assistant Wingman, Microsoft 365 security, Teams insights and DEM capabilities. Read...

Google has fixed a vulnerability in the new Chrome versions 143.0.7499.192/193 for Windows and macOS and 143.0.7499.192 for Linux. According to Google, this vulnerability has not yet been exploited for attacks in the wild. In the Chrome Releases blog post, Harry Souders provides scant details on the fixed vulnerability, which was reported to Google by an external researcher. The vulnerability (identified as CVE-2026-0628) is classified as high risk and is located in the WebView component, caused by unspecified rules that aren’t consistently enforced (“insufficient policy enforcement”). This can mean, for example, that content from an external source is loaded because its origin isn’t checked or checked carefully enough, even though the rules (such as the same origin policy) provide for this. Gal Weizman reported this to Google at the end of November. Chrome usually updates itself automatically when a new version is available, but you can manually trigger the update check using the menu item Help > About Google Chrome. Google has also provided Chrome for Android 143.0.7499.193. The same vulnerabilities have been fixed in the Android version as in the desktop versions. The Extended Stable Channel for Windows and macOS now contains the updated Chromium version 142.0.7499.265. Google will release Chrome 144 on January 13th, 2026. Other Chromium-based browsers The manufacturers of other Chromium-based browsers are now being called upon to follow suit with updates. Microsoft Edge and Brave are currently on Chromium 143 and at the pre-Christmas security level. Vivaldi ignores odd Chromium versions (such as 143) and uses the Extended Stable Channel of the previous version instead. Vivaldi 7.7.3851.66 from December 17th, 2025 contains Chromium 142.0.7444.245. The Extended Stable Channel now contains Chromium 142.0.7444.265, which Vivaldi will presumably use to quickly provide an update. Meanwhile, the developers are focusing on Vivaldi 7.8 with Chromium 144. With the Opera One 125 browser based on Chromium version 141, which was released on December 4th, 2025, Opera has closed the gap on the competition for the time being. However, Google has not released any updates for this Chromium version—the last one dates back to October 2025. The beta version Opera 126 contains Chromium 142, which is likely to have received a final update this week. Read...

Index Engines to demo AI-driven CyberSense at Gartner Las Vegas, pitching continuous data integrity checks to speed ransomware recovery. Read...