The Ring controversy stems from a Super Bowl ad promoting the company’s new AI-powered “Search Party” feature for its doorbell cameras and home security devices.

The 30-second spot depicted a heartwarming (to Ring) story: a young girl loses her dog, posts flyers, and then a neighborhood network of Ring cameras scans live feeds using AI to match the pet’s photo to footage captured by other users’ devices. The dog is quickly located and reunited with the family. Ring’s founder and CEO Jamie Siminoff narrated, positioning it as a community-driven tool that helps “be a hero in your neighborhood” and has reportedly reunited at least one lost dog per day since rollout.

While intended as wholesome and feel-good, the ad triggered widespread backlash almost immediately after airing. Viewers and critics slammed it as “creepy,” “terrifying,” “invasive,” and dystopian. Many argued it normalized or glamorized mass surveillance networks where private citizens’ cameras feed into AI-powered searches across neighborhoods. With all of the current ICE controversy, this really hit a nerve.

The main concern: If AI can scan for lost pets, critics feared it could easily extend to tracking people (e.g., children, neighbors, or protesters), creating de facto “surveillance states” in communities.

It also brought up the issue of privacy erosion. Ring cameras already face scrutiny for data sharing with police (via Neighbors app and past partnerships); the ad highlighted how opt-in features could aggregate footage from thousands of homes without clear safeguards.

The viral backlsh spread for days while privacy advocates called it a “surveillance nightmare.” The company had no choice but to respond.

Ring (owned by Amazon) quickly announced that it was terminating a planned partnership with Flock Safety, a police surveillance tech company specializing in automated license plate readers and camera networks. The partnership had raised alarms about integrating Ring’s consumer cameras with law enforcement tools, and the Super Bowl ad amplified those fears. Ring emphasized the decision followed a “comprehensive review” and reaffirmed a “privacy first” approach, though everyone knows this was damage control.

Now Ring is on the defensive. The brand is tarnished and they will be under heavy scrutiny going forward.

One tip: Any data sharing features need an “opt in” trigger. You can’t put these out there but then expect people to have to opt out of their data being used.

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The race is on.

China is aggressively positioning itself to dominate the emerging humanoid robotics industry, outpacing the United States through massive government support, a deep domestic supply chain, and rapid commercialization. The Wall Street Journal highlights how Beijing views “embodied AI” (meaning AI integrated into physical systems like robots) as a strategic priority for the next five years, mirroring its successful playbook in electric vehicles (EVs).

Over 140 humanoid-robotics companies have sprung up across cities like Shenzhen, Suzhou, Beijing, and Hangzhou. These firms benefit from a vast ecosystem of local suppliers providing components such as sensors, batteries, motors, and joints at low cost and with quick turnaround. This enables rapid iteration and innovation. For instance, UniX AI in Suzhou can source about 80% of its parts within a one-hour radius, allowing immediate problem-solving and design tweaks. Companies like UniX AI demonstrate practical applications: its wheeled humanoid Panther adjusts bedsheets, picks up trash, and handles laundry in hotels, with units priced around $12,600 and hundreds already deployed in China.

Beijing and local governments are fueling this boom with substantial incentives. That’s what China does. Since late 2024, cities including Beijing and Shenzhen have established investment funds totaling over $26 billion (per Morgan Stanley estimates) to inject capital into the sector. Support includes discounted land and office rents, favorable loans, subsidies covering about 10% of robot purchase prices for buyers, and free or reduced-cost facilities for startups. State-owned enterprises and government agencies act as early adopters, deploying robots in museums, events, airports (e.g., luggage handling), factories, and even as “robocops” for traffic control. These real-world uses generate valuable data to improve performance and build market demand.Chinese firms are scaling production quickly. In the second half of 2025, orders exceeded $300 million, with companies like Shenzhen-based UBTech selling to international clients such as Texas Instruments and Airbus. Morgan Stanley forecasts up to 100,000 humanoid units shipped in 2026, with adoption accelerating faster in China than in the U.S. Some observers, including a Singapore industrial park representative, note that Chinese products are often the only viable option available.

Elon Musk has repeatedly warned of China’s threat, calling it “an ass-kicker, next level” and acknowledging no significant competitors outside China. Tesla’s Optimus robot relies on Chinese suppliers for key components like roller screws and hand motors for mass production, raising U.S. concerns about supply-chain dependence. The U.S. leads in foundational AI models (from Nvidia, Google, etc.), powering robot “brains,” but China’s hardware advantages and manufacturing speed give it an edge in deployment.

Skeptics, however, warn of a potential bubble. The industry remains nascent, with technical challenges in dexterity, locomotion, and reliability. Hype events—like a 13-mile humanoid marathon where robots needed human help or failed—underscore limitations. Rapid proliferation risks overcapacity, price wars, and unprofitability, similar to China’s EV sector where hundreds of brands competed fiercely. To mitigate this, China’s government is drafting technical standards, forming a standards committee, and tightening oversight on public listings to weed out weak players and promote sustainable growth.Overall, China’s strategy combines state mobilization, supply-chain depth, talent (including returnees from U.S. universities), and aggressive commercialization to challenge U.S. leadership. While the U.S. responds with policy efforts like a potential executive order to boost domestic robotics, China’s momentum could make it the first to achieve widespread humanoid deployment—if the sector avoids bursting.

We’re seeing plenty of companies in the generative AI space get ahead of customer demand by rolling out AI practically everywhere, and often overselling capabilities. We can probably expect something similar with robots. When will they be good enough that people and businesses will actually want them?

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Watching this Sony Walkman commercial from 1983 gives us a glimpse of the most popular and influential gadgets from the 80s. Forty years ago we lived in the analog age. Things we take for granted today just weren’t possible, though that didn’t stop some brilliant innovations that gave us beloved devices like the Walkman.

Before the Walkman, we did have portable music, but that involved transistor radios. It’s hard for young people now to appreciate just how important the radio was back then. That’s how you got most of your music, and certainly your portable music.

But of course you had little control over what you heard, beyond selecting your favorite radio station. The Walkman changed all that, as suddenly you could create your favorite mix tape (we call them playlists now) and listen wherever you wanted with your Walkman.

How was the Sony Walkman invented?

The Sony Walkman, the world’s first personal stereo, was born in 1979 thanks to the creativity of one man: Akio Morita. He was inspired by a simple idea—to make it easier for people to listen to music wherever they went.

Morita took existing technology and put it in a small, portable case about the size of a pocketbook. It included two headphone jacks so that you could share your jams with your friends! The original Walkman even had an option to record from the radio or cassette deck on cassettes that were specially designed for it. You can see in the commercial above that by 1983 the Walkman was shrunk to the size of a cassette case.

It wasn’t long before everyone wanted their own “personal soundtrack” and soon enough, thousands of people around the world were walking around with their own mini stereo systems. The Sony Walkman became an instant classic, and it forever changed the way we listen to music.

Cultural Impact

When the Sony Walkman debuted in 1979, it changed the way people listened to music. No longer were listeners chained to bulky radios or record players – they could now experience their favorite tunes on the go. This miniature device revolutionized the portable stereo industry, and sparked a cultural phenomenon that quickly spread beyond Japan into other parts of the world. With its groundbreaking design and sound quality, the Walkman made it easier than ever before to bring music with you everywhere you went. In fact, its impact was so great that it even inspired a new verb: “walkmenning,” which means playing music while walking around with headphones.

The Walkman also had an influence on style and fashion trends of the time. For many young people, it became a status symbol and went hand-in-hand with their own personal music collections. Many were obsessed with making mix tapes back then, and the Walkman made them even more essential.

It was cool to be seen walking around with the latest version of the Walkman, wearing both headphones and stylish clothing. The iconic device also made its mark in films such as “Risky Business,” “Say Anything,” and “Back To The Future.”

Flashback

Fast forward 40 years and we now have access to practically all the music in the world through services like Spotify. But looking back, we can see how some analog innovation gave consumers the gift of portable music.

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Few gadgets have been as successful and impactful as the first iPod, which revolutionized the way we listened to music. It also helped create the icon status of Steve Jobs. Here’s a fun look back at this amazing music player.

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According to a report on The Verge, Facebook will leap into the wearables market next summer with a new smartwatch. The key feature seems to be two cameras, one on the front of the watch that faces the user, which can enable video calls. The other camera will reportedly be on the back, and can be used as a camera for photos and videos which naturally can easily be uploaded to Facebook and Instagram.

Will this work? Who knows? Facebook doesn’t have a good track record with gadgets or wearables. Few companies have success with wearables. But they do need to try something, so this isn’t surprising.

And no, the photo above isn’t the Facebook watch . . . though we’re guessing it won’t look this cool.

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As we struggle to find ways to re-open the economy and get people back to work during this Coronavirus pandemic, we’re starting to see technology and health companies explore ways to make this transition easier and limit the spread of the virus.

Microsoft and UnitedHealth are now working together to offer companies free app to screen employees for Coronavirus. The app will set up various protocols for health screenings and testing for employees depending on their role. This customization by employee role should make the app much more effective than a “one size fits all” approach.

The availability and reliability of tests is still a big issue as we try to ramping up wide-scale workplace testing, but this app will help companies target their resources. The apps are also designed to entice customers to return to restaurants and stores by “ensuring wait staff and clerks are infection-free.” That seems overly optimistic. There is no complete assurance. But this could make customers feel more comfortable that a process is in place to minimize risk.

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Podcasting is exploding in popularity as the convenience of being able to listen whenever you like has helped to drive usage by consumers. It’s so easy to listen on your phone while you’re working out or in your car on a long drive. Now it’s getting even easier to listen to podcasts as Apple and Spotify can now play podcasts on your Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo.

The post You can listen to your podcasts on your Echo appeared first on Gadget Teaser.

The best mobile applications have been released for modern mobile gamers and people looking to utilize convenient web applications. Remodel your office and give yourself a mobile platform by taking Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Calendar and other web based office products and keeping them close at hand or rather, on your mobile device.

Through our team of talented expert professionals, we have discovered that there really are mobile applications we should have to be forced t live without. Even having to go a day without www.novibet.co.uk is pure torture, so we have decided there is absolutely nothing wrong with having modern day tech in our lives on a regular basis. If we had to choose, we would say the following apps are the best and compatible with all modern mobile releases.

Netflix

If you have Chromecast or you often travel from destination to destination and use your mobile to mirror screen movies, you will want to download the Netflix application, especially if you have an account with the movie streaming service. The latest smart devices are compatible with the application so you needn’t spend hours trying to troubleshoot any issues.

Luminary

Just as Netflix works for both Android and iOS, Luminary replicated the look, feel and purpose of the application however, it has been designed exclusively for Android. The difference with this application is that you can also listen to your favourite podcasts and there is loads of content to choose from. It is the King of podcast streaming.

Deezer

As far as music goes, Deezer is coming up in the world and is now officially one of the best applications to stream your music from. The premium version is wholly affordable and you have access to hundreds of thousands of songs, a song identifier, favourite tracks and more. It is an absolute treasure and has even been incorporated to FitBit trackers for the ultimate convenience experience.

Google Photos

Never worry about manually backing up your images again. Google photos automatically syncs your photos to its own cloud where you will have direct access to all saved images. Should you accidentally delete a photo, no problem! Go directly to your Google Photo’s application and open it to reveal the deleted photo. The only time you will ever lose a photo again is if you delete it in the Google Photo’s application.

Google Maps

Again Google has outdone themselves by giving public transport users, drivers and even pedestrians a means of navigating their way from their location to their destination. A great new feature includes the ability to download the maps so that if your data connection is lost, you still have access to the maps allowing you to find your way home no matter the situation.

To be honest, our expert geeks with an obsession for modern gadgets couldn’t settle all of their ‘must have’ applications on this list. Modern technology has allowed for us to enjoy the best of absolutely everything right from our mobile devices.

The post The Best Mobile Applications For The Latest Mobile Releases appeared first on Gadget Teaser.

Oh.
My.
God.

An Apple IIe. Sat in my parents’ attic for years. Decades.

And it works.

Put in an old game disk. Asks if I want to restore a saved game.

And finds one!

It must be 30 years old.

I’m 10 years old again. pic.twitter.com/zL7wWxOo36

— John Pfaff (@JohnFPfaff) February 17, 2019

The post The joy of old computers appeared first on Gadget Teaser.

Gaming can be painful. You may not think it at first, but avid gaming causes extreme wear and tear on your body, especially if you’re not outfitted with a gaming setup designed to reduce the risk of injury. Carpal tunnel, eye strain, and back pain are some of the most common game-related injuries you can face. The human body wasn’t meant to spend hours and hours sitting at a desk and you could be doing irreparable damage unless you’re taking care of yourself. It’s not that you need to give up gaming. You just need to be smart about taking care of your body to prevent injury.

#1 A Great Gaming Chair

Once you have your rig, your next purchase should be a gaming chair. This will save your posture and goes a long way toward sparing you future years of back pain as a result of gaming. A gaming chair is non-optional for competitive gamers, but anyone who games avidly would benefit from one of these. These days gaming chairs come in all types and styles, though most still hold true to the classic racing car design. Buying an ergonomic gaming chair will help you avoid some of the worst injuries gamers face.

#2 Pressing Pause

Once every hour, press pause, get up, and walk around the room. Walk to the corner store and back or just pace around your living room. Run up and down the stairs to get your blood flowing. The important thing is that you’re standing up straight and moving around. There are plenty of scenarios where pressing pause isn’t an option but whenever you have an opportunity to stand up and take a break from the screen, it’s a good idea to take it.

#3 Working Out

Since you’re spending so much time gaming and in a sitting position (maybe even on top of an office job), physical exercise should be part of your weekly routine. Low cost options include going for a run or cycling to work. Anything that gets you both active and stretching will be a positive impact on your posture and your health.

Yoga can also be a powerful activity for preventing back injuries. It will improve your flexibility, build muscle strength, and improve your posture. Yoga is known to prevent the breakdown of cartilage and joints. As you put these put these joints through the movements of yoga, you use parts of them that don’t usually see a lot of action.

As an added tip, try adjusting your setup to help your posture. Did you know that while consuming just about any form of entertainment, the top of your monitor should be level with your eyes? Fixing your posture will be a lot easier when you’ve adjusted your gaming set up. You want to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground to support your core and lower back. You should also keep your head perpendicular to the floor, preventing you from leaning forward too far and crunching up.

You can spare yourself back injury with a better gaming setup and some better habits offline. Start with a gaming chair and you’re already halfway there.

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