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Retractable door handles, popularized by Tesla, are now found on many electric vehicles. However, if automakers want to do business in China, they will have to adjust their approach to handling door handles in the country. As noted by the outlet  Autoblog , under new draft rules  released  by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, all vehicles in the country weighing under 3.5 tons must have interior and exterior handles with a mechanical emergency release. SEE ALSO: Apple removes popular gay dating apps from China's App Store This move will effectively ban all retractable EV door handles on new cars released in the country. The ban goes into effect on January 1, 2027. Regulators didn't have to work too hard to make their case that electric-only retractable door handles are a safety issue. A recent Bloomberg analysis tied 15 auto deaths directly to Tesla's doors not opening. Although many EVs feature mechanical releases within the vehicle, ther...

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Samsung is adding two brand new speakers to its audio lineup, along with updated soundbars boosted with AI features. While not as inconspicuous as the Samsung Frame , the new WiFi speakers, called the Music Studio 5 and 7, were designed to blend into your living room's atmosphere with their minimalist design. However, if you're looking for a more convenient option, Samsung also updated its flagship HW-Q990H soundbar, while also introducing the more affordable choice of the HW-QS90H. Samsung built the Music Studio 5 with a four-inch woofer and dual tweeters, pairing them with a built-in waveguide to deliver better sound. To customize the sound, Samsung added its new AI Dynamic Bass Control that can make bass sound better without any distortion. You can even control the "gallery-inspired" speaker via voice or Bluetooth and it's compatible with WiFi casting and streaming services. Samsung For an upgraded option, the Music Studio 7 comes with a 3.1.1-channel spa...

OpenAI is looking for a new Head of Preparedness who can help it anticipate the potential harms of its models and how they can be abused, in order to guide the company's safety strategy. It comes at the end of a year that's seen OpenAI hit with numerous accusations about ChatGPT's impacts on users' mental health, including a few wrongful death lawsuits . In a post on X about the position, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that the "potential impact of models on mental health was something we saw a preview of in 2025," along with other "real challenges" that have arisen alongside models' capabilities. The Head of Preparedness "is a critical role at an important time," he said. Per the job listing , the Head of Preparedness (who will make $555K, plus equity), "will lead the technical strategy and execution of OpenAI’s Preparedness framework , our framework explaining OpenAI’s approach to tracking and preparing for frontier capabi...

Capitalizing on the massive success of the hit Canadian Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry , audio erotica app Quinn has been teasing the show’s leads, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as its newest star collaborators. SEE ALSO: The glorious, easy-to-miss moments in Heated Rivalry's finale The rollout began on Friday with a series of cryptic teasers. The first featured hockey gear laid out in a recording studio , soundtracked by the instantly recognizable t.A.T.u. hit "All the Things She Said." A follow-up clip leaned further into the mystery, showing confused production staff questioning why the only food on set was tuna melts, followed by blurred shots, quick cuts, and what appeared to be cue cards — all but confirming the involvement of the Heated Rivalry stars. Taken together, the clues strongly suggest Quinn is preparing to have Williams and Storrie record audio content drawn from Heated Rivalry , the Rachel Reid novel that inspired the series and the ...

LG is set to show off the future of home robotics at CES 2026. The Korean tech conglomerate stated in a press release that it will unveil its newest domestic helper bot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January. Named "CLOiD," the robot is "designed to perform a wide range of indoor household tasks, enhancing everyday convenience and improving quality of life by making home management more efficient and intuitive." SEE ALSO: Chinese demonstration shows how dangerous commercial robot hacks can be It will theoretically do so with the help of two articulated arms, each with five finger-like digits on the end that are said to help it perform delicate tasks. The arms themselves have seven degrees of freedom. There's a chip in its head that acts like a brain, complemented by a camera, a display, a speaker, and other sensors that it will use to navigate the environment and communicate with its owners. It's powered by LG AI and, accor...

The Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) viewers meet in Stranger Things Season 5 doesn't feel like the same Dustin we've known since Season 1. Gone is Hawkins' resident ball of sunshine, replaced with a sulking, angry young man who would sooner graffiti a bully's locker than belt "Never Ending Story" over walkie-talkie. Yet this transformation didn't come out of nowhere. Instead, it stems from a clear point of trauma for Dustin: witnessing the tragic death of Eddie (Joseph Quinn) at the end of Season 4. SEE ALSO: Gaten Matarazzo on 'Stranger Things' 'SNL' shoutout, Dustin and Steve's big fight, and why AI is 'lame' Since then, Dustin has channeled his inner Eddie, growing out his hair, donning handfuls of rings, and rocking his Hellfire Club shirt no matter how much abuse it gets him from bullies. But while Dustin pays tribute to Eddie, he's been pushing away his other close friends, especially Steve (Joe Keery). "He...

The State of New York will now require social media platforms to display warning labels similar to those found on cigarettes. The bill was passed by the New York Legislature in June and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday. It will apply to any platforms that feature infinite scrolling, auto-play, like counts or algorithmic feeds. The labels will caution those on the platform about potential harm to young users' mental health. Social media companies will be required to display these warning labels when a user first interacts with any of the features the state considers predatory. The warning will also be displayed periodically after that interaction.  "Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use," Gov. Hochul said in a statement . The law will apply when any of these platforms are being accessed from New York. Gov....

Watching Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway after watching Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 was a surreal experience. Not only were audience members treated to the play's spectacular special effects — seriously, you'll feel like you're in an episode of Stranger Things — but we also got to see how the play linked to Season 5. SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' review: How does Netflix do the stage? Mentions of Henry Creel's (Jamie Campbell Bower) childhood in Nevada made audience members gasp as they recalled the mysterious Nevada cave system in Henry's mindscape. Elsewhere, young Joyce's production of Oklahoma! in The First Shadow tied to Henry's memories of his time at Hawkins High, through which Max navigates in Volume 1. You even catch a glimpse of the flyer in the series, which reveals that Henry himself is starring in it. But after watching Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2, it turns out there are even mo...

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