Today’s Big Story

It’s CES Time

The latest consumer gadgetry in all of its chatbot-enabled, sensor-packed, AI-infused glory

Now that the new year is squarely behind us, it’s once again time for the annual CES trade show to shine a spotlight on the latest tech that companies plan to offer in the year ahead. The multi-day event, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, just kicked off in Las Vegas, with advances across industries like robotics, healthcare, vehicles, wearables, gaming and more are display.

Of course, artificial intelligence will be anchored in nearly everything, as the tech industry explores offerings consumers will want to buy. Expect more unveils around domestic robots too. Korean tech giant LG already has announced it will show off a helper bot named “CLOiD,” to handle a range of household tasks. Hyundai also is announcing a major push on robotics and manufacturing advancements.

The biggest buzzword in the air at CES is “physical AI,” Nvidia’s term for AI models that are trained in a virtual environment using computer generated, “synthetic” data, then deployed as physical machines once they've mastered their purpose. CEO Jensen Huang showed off Cosmos, an AI foundation model trained on massive datasets, capable of simulating environments governed by actual physics. But once Huang called for two little, waddling, chirping robots to join him on stage, that’s all the audience wanted to see more of.

One of TechCrunch’s favorite so far? Razer’s Project AVA (originally introduced last year as an esports AI coach) latest evolution as a 5.5-inch animated holographic companion that watches you from your desk. It can assist with gaming strategies, productivity, daily organization, and even personal advice. “It’s both a gaming ally and an everyday assistant. Users can choose from different characters, such as the anime girl Kira or the muscular Zane.”

But WIRED piqued my interest with their highlight of L'Oreal's new prototype silicone face mask and eye patches that were developed with iSmart Developments. The red light therapy masks are apparently “light, soft and flexible—hardly more uncomfortable than a one-time-use sheet mask.” Now that’s progress.

Trump Says the U.S. ‘Needs’ Greenland for Arctic Security

After Venezuela, Europeans are taking the president’s threats seriously

The White House said Tuesday that acquiring Greenland is a “national security priority” and that using the U.S. military to achieve that goal is under consideration. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. European leaders have long downplayed Trump’s acquisitive posture and tried to ignore his comments. Not after what happened in Venezuela. According to The Atlantic, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, argued that the president’s threats are credible. “Unfortunately, I think the American president should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland.”

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that recent administration threats didn’t signal an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark. But NATO members have said an American attack on Greenland would effectively spell the end of the decadeslong political-military alliance.

Gas Prices Could Soon Dip Below $3 a Gallon

The last time prices were as low was 2020, when the pandemic kept millions of Americans home

The gas pump has emerged as a rare source of relief for Americans drowning in higher prices—and that positive trend is expected to continue in 2026, regardless of the uncertainty in Venezuela. Gas prices are projected to average just $2.97 a gallon nationally this year, according to forecasts from fuel savings platform GasBuddy.

That would be the lowest level since 2020. “It’s not a return to ultra-cheap fuel, but for the first time in a long time, the wind is clearly behind drivers’ backs,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told CBS News. But while prices are expected to average below $3 this year, he says drivers should expect some volatility throughout the year due to seasonal demand, weather and geopolitical risks.

The company, whose app helps drivers save money on fuel, predicts gas prices will edge up to around $3.20 between spring and early summer before falling to an average of $2.83 after June. That would mirror normal seasonal fluctuations. Gas prices tend to rise in the spring and fall in the winter, when fuel demand typically weakens. Americans are expected to spend $11 billion less at the gas pump than they did in 2025—that would translate to an average household spending of $2,083 on gas for the year, down from $2,716 in 2022.

Humans May Be Able to Grow New Teeth

Are scientists on the verge of a dental miracle?

Why get a crown or dental implant when you could just … grow a new tooth? While bones can regrow themselves when they break, teeth aren’t so lucky, and that leads to millions of people worldwide suffering from some form of toothlessness. But Japanese researchers are moving a promising, tooth-regrowing medicine into human trials.

This development follows years of study around a particularly antibody named Uterine sensitization–associated gene-1 (USAG-1), which has been shown to inhibit the growth of teeth in ferrets and mice. Back in 2021, scientists from the Kyoto University—who will also be involved in future human trials—discovered a monoclonal antibody (a technique usually used in fighting cancer) that disrupted the interaction between USAG-1 and molecules known as bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP.

And in the meantime, other scientists in Great Britain are working on lab-grown teeth that could serve as a real, practical replacement for cavities and damaged teeth. According to CNN, a real, biological replacement tooth grown from a patient’s own cells would offer many advantages over a crown or implant. First, it would be accepted into the tissue without inflammation or rejection, but it would also feel exactly like a real tooth—unlike implants that lack feeling and elasticity as they are simply fused into the bone.

Inside the Conversation Around Cabin Air Safety

Don’t trust the facade.