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. No advance word was given about the cancellations, making it an abrupt ending for Tesla’s two original flagship EVs. Musk said the reasons for cancelling the vehicle programs was to […]
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 […]
A robot face developed by researchers can now lip sync speech and songs after training on YouTube videos, using machine learning to connect audio directly to realistic lip and facial movements.
The post This robot learned to lip sync like humans by wat…
At the recent CES 2026 tech show in Las Vegas, Boston Dynamics showed off the latest version of its advanced Atlas humanoid robot, a machine that it’s been working on for more than a decade. The robot strolled onto the stage with such a natural gait th…
A new artificial skin unveiled at CES 2026 could give robots human-like sensitivity, helping machines better understand pressure and texture to handle objects, adapt their grip, and interact with people and environments more naturally.
The post This ar…
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 […]
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 […]