11 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Gadgets Archive

Archives for January 2026

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
A smaller version of this modernized BlackBerry is coming.

If you were tempted by the Unihertz Titan 2 when the Android-running 5G BlackBerry clone was announced last June but wanted a more svelte device to slip into your pocket, a successor is enroute. The company plans to announce a new smaller and sleeker Titan 2 Elite version at MWC in March 2026.

The Unihertz Titan 2 Elite smartphone showing a messaging app on screen.
We don’t yet know what will power the Titan 2 Elite but the phone will feature a smaller design than the original Titan 2 with rounded corners that look more comfortable to pocket.
Image: Unihertz
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Force feedback steering wheel in a gamepad feels surprisingly great!

GameSir’s Smart Drive was just a prototype at CES — a wired one at that — but I’ve always wanted to have room for a direct-drive racing wheel in my house. Maybe my thumbs are enough! $139 in Q3. (YouTube version here.)

How TiVo killed live TVHow TiVo killed live TV
David Pierce
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Easiest CPU liquid cooling install ever?

Asus brought a completely cable-free liquid cooler to CES: Asus’s “Q-Connector” uses hidden pogo pins instead of fan/pump cables! No price, but Asus spokesperson JJ Guerrero says even some mid-range Strix motherboards should include, and you can swap the pogo pins for a cable if you change motherboards. Another way it’s becoming easier to build a beautiful PC.

<em>See how the pins are modular? That’s for backwards/forwards motherboard compatibility. </em>
<em>You can see the big copper contacts just to the right of the CPU socket. </em>
<em>The cooler covers them completely. </em>
<em>Here’s a system with a Q-AIO installed.</em>
<em>A closer look at the Q-Connector cooler in the system.</em>
1/5
See how the pins are modular? That’s for backwards/forwards motherboard compatibility.
Asus, GIF by Sean Hollister / The Verge
CES 2026 was packed with smart home gadgets that matter

Better prices, better features, and Matter support made this a standout year for the connected home.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Watch me Wolfbox myself.

True story: when we forgot to pack a hairdryer on a beach trip last year, I bought Wolfbox’s awesome MF100 mini blower instead. (It’s one of the top-rated ones in comparison tests.)

Now, Wolfbox has super-sized it. Wolfbox Megaflow 500 Pro; $200 in May.

What’s on your desk, Stevie Bonifield?What’s on your desk, Stevie Bonifield?
Stevie Bonifield and Barbara Krasnoff
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Pocket Taco Pocket Taco Pocket Taco.

It’s not just a tongue-twister — the Pocket Taco is GameSir’s tiny Game Boy styled controller for your phone, not to be confused with 8BitDo’s tiny Game Boy styled controller for your phone. This one’s Bluetooth rather than USB-C, and cradles your phone’s bottom instead of hanging off the USB-C port. It also has a $35 price and a March release date.

<em>A pocket case to keep it in, with a lanyard slot.</em>
1/6Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge