Topic: consumer preferences
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Do Customers Actually Prefer Chatbots?
While human agents are still preferred for important matters, acceptance of chatbots is steadily growing, influenced by generation, industry, and interaction context. Younger consumers are more open to using chatbots for speed and convenience, whereas older individuals remain hesitant and often p...
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Survey: Electric Vehicles Still a Niche Market in the US
Only 7% of U.S. car buyers plan to purchase an electric vehicle next, a 40% increase from last year, but gasoline engines remain the dominant preference at 61%. The U.S. lags behind other major markets like China and Germany in EV adoption, partly due to federal policy changes and a significant l...
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Sip Without the Burn: This Startup Is Engineering Smoother Spirits
Voodoo Scientific identified the TRPA1 receptor as the cause of alcohol's burning sensation, challenging the common belief that ethanol alone is responsible. The TRPA1 receptor's reversible bonding property makes it difficult to block, causing repeated burning with each sip and explaining why tra...
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Bentley's 21st Century Evolution: Beyond Technology
The luxury automotive sector is undergoing transformation due to rising competition from Chinese EV manufacturers, which are gaining ground with advanced, competitively priced vehicles. Established European brands emphasize heritage, craftsmanship, and storytelling as key differentiators, though ...
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SEO, GEO, or ASO: The New Era of AI Brand Visibility
A recent survey shows 82% of consumers find AI-powered search more helpful than traditional methods, highlighting a shift in user preference as the industry adapts to new terms like GEO, AEO, and AISO. Marketers are not abandoning SEO but are layering new labels onto it, with GEO emerging as a le...
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Holiday Shopping Starts Earlier Than Ever This Year
The holiday shopping season is starting earlier, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday remaining key but no longer dominating as consumers spread spending across a wider timeframe. Younger shoppers, especially Gen Z, are driving this shift toward early buying, with many starting purchases before tra...
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Gizmodo's 2025 Best Tech: The Readers' Choice Winners
The inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards gathered over 1,100 community votes across 18 categories to highlight standout tech of 2025, revealing a mix of expected winners and surprises. Key winning products included Apple's iPhone 17 Pro for its top-tier performance, Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip 7...
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iRobot CEO: Bankruptcy Is a Reboot, Not the End
iRobot's Chapter 11 filing is a strategic reboot, with a pre-packaged plan to be acquired by its manufacturer, Picea Robotics, to preserve operations and continue product development. The company is shifting from a "tech-first" to a "consumer-led" approach, accelerating development with Picea to ...
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Will the Games Industry Boom or Bust?
The video game industry is at a crossroads, debating whether its post-pandemic slowdown is a temporary lull or a sign of market maturity, which will define its future trajectory. One perspective, from Chris Petrovic, argues growth will continue through innovation and expansion into new global mar...
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Tesla's CarPlay Surrender: Is It Imminent?
Tesla is reportedly testing Apple CarPlay integration internally, marking a potential reversal from its long-standing opposition to phone projection systems in its vehicles. The consideration of CarPlay adoption comes amid declining sales and public sentiment, positioning it as a strategy to boos...
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OpenAI Pauses ChatGPT's Model Router for Most Users
OpenAI has removed the automated model router for its free and $5 Go tier users, reverting them to the default GPT-5.2 Instant model to reduce operational costs and address user retention metrics. The router, which automatically directed complex queries to advanced reasoning models, led to a sign...
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Amazon's Fire Phone: The Strange Tale of a Failed Smartphone
The Fire Phone was Amazon's ambitious 2014 smartphone, featuring innovative but gimmicky technology like a 3D-like screen and head-tracking cameras, yet it was primarily designed as a shopping portal that misaligned with consumer desires. Its failure stemmed from a high initial price, lack of pop...
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Roomba's Rise and Fall: How the Home Robot Pioneer Lost Its Future
iRobot's Roomba pioneered the home robot vacuum market, becoming a household name synonymous with the category, but the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy. The company's decline is attributed to intense competition from innovative Chinese rivals, a slow adoption of popular features like lida...
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Score Up to 47% Off Apple AirPods This Black Friday
Black Friday discounts are making Apple's AirPods lineup more affordable, with major retailers like Amazon and Walmart offering significant deals. The entry-level AirPods 4 are available starting at $69, offering solid performance and access to the Apple ecosystem. The latest AirPods Pro 3 are di...
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Aura's First Color E Ink Frame Is Cordless
Aura has launched the first cordless digital photo frame with a color E Ink display, offering months of battery life and a wire-free way to showcase photos, though it comes with a premium price of $499. The frame uses E Ink Spectra 6 technology to display six colors, conserves power with features...
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Robotaxis Now Rival Rideshares on Price and Speed
Driverless robotaxis, particularly Waymo, are becoming a viable and competitive alternative to Uber and Lyft in San Francisco, with their pricing and wait times rapidly improving. Recent data shows Waymo's cost premium has significantly narrowed, especially on longer trips and outside peak hours,...
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Casting's Evolution: Why It's Stronger Than Ever
Netflix has significantly scaled back its casting feature, now limiting it to a small selection of older devices, reversing its earlier broad support for the technology. The decline of casting is attributed to the rise of sophisticated smart TV apps, with Netflix shifting focus to newer initiativ...
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Power Banks Are Getting Out of Hand
The modern power bank market is plagued by unnecessary feature creep, such as large displays and proprietary connectors, which increase cost, size, and complexity without solving real user problems. Many high-wattage and feature-heavy models, like those with integrated hotspots or Bluetooth, are ...
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Reggie Fils-Aimé Reacts to Nintendo Switch 2 Lineup
Reggie Fils-Aimé was initially puzzled by the Switch 2's software lineup, noting it lacks the strong launch titles like a new 3D Mario or flagship Zelda game that the original Switch had. He believes the Switch 2's success depends on attracting major third-party games and providing developers wit...
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2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9: Korean EV Tech for American Drivers
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a sophisticated three-row electric SUV built on the E-GMP platform, designed specifically for the U.S. market to appeal to families and commuters with its space, technology, and modern styling. Hyundai's E-GMP architecture has positioned the brand as a leader in the EV...
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Audio Pros Blind Test Headphones: The Shocking Results
While sound quality is the primary benchmark, modern headphones are defined by advanced features like active noise cancellation, wireless connectivity, and companion apps for personalization. A blind listening test was conducted by audio experts in a professional studio to objectively evaluate si...
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Corsair Unveils Carbon Fiber & Magnesium Gaming Mouse
Corsair has launched two new premium Sabre V2 Pro mice, the MG and CF models, featuring advanced materials like magnesium alloy and carbon fiber for enhanced durability and performance, but at significantly higher prices and weights than the original lightweight version. The new models are larger...
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