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New York became the first place in the US to implement the surcharge on driving, following the example of a few international metro areas.

NPR visited a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., to see how residents and staff are faring during a cold emergency. The shelter is busy year-round, though the frigid weather brings in more people.

(Image credit: Dee Dwyer)

Research shows that 5-minute walking breaks every half hour offset the harm of too much sitting. But that is easier said than done. These 5 tips can help you maintain movement throughout your day.

The strangest gadgets from day 2 of CES, with robots, plants and things that go in your mouth.

• TCL unveils its TCL 60XE NXTpaper 5G Android phone
• The NXTpaper tech makes week-long battery life possible
• The price is impressive

I'm happy to celebrate the day-long battery life I get with most flagship iPhone and Android handsets, but what if they offered a week of battery life and cost $199? Impossible, right? Not if you're TCL, apparently. Today at CES 2025, the Chinese electronics giant best known for affordable big-screen TVs is bringing the TCL 60XE NXTpaper 5G Android phone to the US and Canada and, yes, it fits this bill.

This active 6.8-inch handset achieves 7 days of battery life using TCL's proprietary NXTPaper technology. TCL calls it E Ink-like but this is not electronic paper technology (I previously saw it on the 14-inch TCL NxTPaper 14 Pro). The FHD+ screen is still LCD but uses a series of layers to kill reflectivity and remove blue light. The combination gives NXTPaper-based screens an almost matte-paper, magazine-like look.

(Image credit: TCL)

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

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So, yes, they're easy on the eyes but also a lot less bright. NXTPaper's technology makes it more of a power-sipping display. The TCL 60XE will not run in this mode all the time, though. There's a physical switch on the phone to enable the NXTPaper effect, and the 7-day battery life would be if you used it in NXTPaper mode 24/7 (standby would be an astounding 26 days).

Interestingly, this new phone won't even feature the latest edition of TCL's NXTPaper technology. TCL told us that NXTPaper 4.0 will arrive later this year, but only on its new TCL NXTPaper 11 Plus tablet, also announced at CES. NXTPaper 4.0 uses nano-matrix lithography, a new screen etching process to create microstructures on the cover glass that effectively kill reflections without undermining visual quality.

It's not clear when NXTPaper 4.0 will arrive on handsets. The next best thing, NXTPaper 3.0, is available on the TCL 60XE, as well as a few other enticing features that might make it a surprise winner in the 2025 Android market.

Specs that include a 50MP front camera, 32MP rear camera, 256GB storage, and 8GB of RAM (expandable to 16GB) would normally add up to a phone that costs at least $800. But TCL is bringing in the TCL 60XE at $199 in the US and Canada.

That's an unheard-of price for a phone that will last for days on a change (depending on how often you use the NXTPaper mode). As for build quality, camera capability, and overall performance, I'll know more when I get my hands on the new Android handset.

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Strange things are afoot at CES, where a CNET writer tucked some items in her shoe to give the tech a test. Spoiler: gummy worms are undetectable.

• BlackBerry's QNX will work with Microsoft on software-defined vehicles or SDVs
• QNX's software development platform will be available on Microsoft Azure
• This should shorten the time-to-market, enabling products to be delivered faster

BlackBerry, once synonymous with the business smartphone, is now a major automotive technology player through its QNX platform, and has now revealed a tie-up with Microsoft to revolutionize the development of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs).

The company announced its Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) division is collaborating with Microsoft in a bid to streamline the development process for automakers.

The partnership will integrate BlackBerry's software tools into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, with the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0 giving developers an environment for building, testing, and refining automotive software.

QNX Software on Microsoft Azure

Here, the cloud’s scalability should accelerate a typically extended development cycle. Early testing and the virtual validation of software can resolve issues much sooner, improving the time-to-market for software-defined vehicles.

The partnership will later extend to the QNX Hypervisor virtual machine software and QNX Cabin reference architecture, as BlackBerry looks to develop next-generation, hardware agnostic, and cloud-based automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

“Together with Microsoft, we are looking at innovative ways to bring Microsoft Azure AI in to support cutting-edge technology early in the development cycle," said John Wall, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product, Engineering and Services at QNX.

“This approach accelerates development timelines and minimizes risks, allowing automakers to leverage the scale and development velocity inherent to the cloud. Together, we're paving the way for the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles," he added.

Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing & Mobility at Microsoft said the collaboration, "bolsters our commitment to empower the automotive industry with cutting-edge technology to accelerate innovation. By combining the strengths of Microsoft Azure and QNX, we’re enabling OEMs to deliver on the promise of the Software-Defined Vehicle.”

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As three major fires continue to burn in the Los Angeles area, residents will experience poor air quality. An air purifier with a HEPA filter can effectively remove smoke particulate from indoor spaces.

Although the Santa Anas are a routine part of life for people living in southern California, the winds are particularly violent and destructive this time around, experts say.

(Image credit: Apu Gomes)

Waymo is expanding its fleet of autonomous robotaxis to more cities and needs new driverless cabs. These two EVs from Zeeker and Hyundai fit the bill, boasting the sixth-generation Waymo Driver hardware and software suite.

Washington state's attorney general says the company had years to fix vulnerabilities. T-Mobile says it's "fundamentally transformed" its approach to cybersecurity.

Honda reintroduces its 0 Series electric vehicles at CES 2025, announcing the new ASIMO operating system and plans to begin production in 2026.

Honda's full-electric 0 Series concepts graduate to become prototypes, arriving with the automaker's newly announced ASIMO OS onboard.

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Meet Aria, a robot with 17 motors driving her facial expressions, and AI powering her more "emotional" conversation skills.

If you can afford the higher monthly payments, a 15-year fixed mortgage allows you to pay off your home loan faster at a lower interest rate.

No more separate battery products to power your home, off-grid, camping or RV. Bluetti unveiled its new line that can do it all.

A nearby wildfire can be scary, but common responses to the threat can actually endanger your whole family. Here's what to avoid doing.

You'll be able to watch three episodes on Thursday.

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