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Google’s annual I/O developer conference is coming up on May 20—and all signs point to it being a big one.
It’s where we typically learn everything new coming to Android, Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence assistant, and all of the company’s other platforms, from Wear OS to Android Auto. But this week, Google announced a virtual event called The Android Show: I/O Edition, which takes place a week earlier, on May 13 at 10 am Pacific (1 pm ET). A teaser video showed Google’s Sameer Samat, president of the Android ecosystem, getting ready on camera and announcing the show.
The Android Show will likely explore all the new features coming to Android 16, the next version of Google’s mobile operating system. However, this break from the traditional process of announcing all the latest in Android at I/O suggests that the conference on May 20 will be jam-packed with news in other areas and services.
Last year, Android took a backseat to Gemini-related capabilities as pressure mounted for Google to show its answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This year, we’ll likely see features related to personal context in Gemini—the assistant’s ability to understand you through past conversations and your connected Google services like Gmail and Calendar. It’s also widely expected that we’ll learn more about Google’s Android XR, and maybe get an update on the company’s upcoming smart glasses.
Rad Power Bikes Debuts a New RadRunner Lineup
Photograph: Rad Power
The direct-to-consumer company Rad Power Bikes, which more or less created the entire DTC electric bike category and dominated it for years, has struggled recently, from layoffs and lawsuits to the recent quiet exit of its new CEO and an onslaught of tariffs. In this chaotic environment, the company has announced three new updates to its best-selling ebikes: the RadRunner, the RadRunner Plus, and the new RadRunner Max.
The RadRunner and RadRunner Plus are the company’s two popular utility bikes (I see a half-dozen every day while biking around Portland, Oregon) and upgrades to the line will include safety features like Rad Power’s Safe Shield, which debuted last year (the cells in the battery are now encapsulated, like in a car, to make it safer in the unlikely event of a battery fire). They will also include other upgrades, like passcode protection and IPX6 weather protection.
The most exciting launch is the RadRunner Max, now the high-end RadRunner model, which is a Class 3 electric bike. It’s pedal-assist only, with a top speed of 28 mph. It has 60 miles of range and works with Apple’s Find My network, so you can track if it’s stolen, no AirTag needed. A new digital key unlocks the bike as you approach, and radar features alert you when cars or other bikes approach. The company also debuted a new range extender compatible with all three models. The RadRunner is available for $1,499, and the RadRunner Plus is $1,799. You can preorder the RadRunner Max for $2,299 and the Range Extender for $249 for delivery in early May. —Adrienne So
Yale’s Latest Lock Has a New Kind of Z-Wave
Photograph: Yale
Yale, known for its smart locks (and regular locks, too), has announced a new version of its Assure Lock 2 tied to a deep partnership with home security brand ADT. It brings a new kind of Z-Wave technology into play.
Z-Wave is a wireless communication protocol that allows smart home devices to communicate with one another. You might have heard of Matter, the increasingly common standard that wants to make all smart home devices work on all major smart home ecosystems. Z-Wave came before, but doesn’t connect straight to the internet, instead using radio frequency and a smart home hub to keep Internet of Things devices connected locally. It’s employed more in smart home enthusiast circles and home security systems, and thought it’s not a part of the Matter standard, the company is looking to change that.
That brings us to the new Assure Lock 2 Touch from Yale and ADT, which uses the Z-Wave User Credential Command Class. It’s designed to work in tandem with ADT’s security service and allows you to disarm the entire system with a fingerprint. The vision is simple: Unlock the Yale Assure Lock 2 with your unlocking method of choice (code, fingerprint, physical key), and it not only opens your front door, but also knows that it’s safe to disarm your security system.
The lock relies on Z-Wave but also needs to be synced to an ADT+ base for this to work. That means your home has to be decked out in ADT’s security system, and everything works through the ADT+ app. You can set up the system yourself with ADT+ Self Setup, or get a professional installer. The new lock is available now on ADT’s website for $280. You’ll need at least one month of ADT Pro monitoring, which starts at $25 a month. —Nena Farrell
Boox Has a Color E Ink PC Monitor
Photograph: Boox
Color E Ink screens are increasingly common nowadays—we have color Kindles, color digital notebooks like the ReMarkable Paper Pro, and now color E Ink PC monitors. That’s the latest announcement from Boox, maker of e-readers and digital notebooks. The Mira Pro is a 25.3-inch screen that looks like paper, with a color E Ink Kaleido 3 panel. The company already sells a monochrome Mira Pro, but this is the first color variant.
Boox claims the glare-free screen is easier on the eyes and is suitable for “tasks that demand color differentiation,” like analyzing color-coded dashboards. There’s an adjustable front light so you can keep reading even in dim ambient light settings. Watching a video on an E Ink screen sounds painful, but the company says the Mira Pro is powered by Boox Super Refresh technology. This supposedly boosts refresh rates and eliminates ghosting—you can set modes for reading, typing, browsing, or watching videos, and the monitor will adjust the refresh speed for the best experience.
You have several ways to connect it—HDMI, Mini HDMI, USB-Type C, or Display Port—and Boox says it works with various operating systems, from macOS to Android. The monitor will cost you a pretty penny, though, as it starts at $1,900.
Philips Norelco’s AI Shaver Critiques Your Technique
Photograph: Philips
You know you’ve hit peak AI when your shaver wants to talk to you. Philips Norelco’s new i9000 Prestige Ultra shaver offers a flexing head, a triad of rotating “NanoTech” blades, and what Philips touts as AI-powered technology to track and offer real-time feedback on the pressure you use when you shave, and even how you’re moving your shaver.
In practice, this means an LED ring around the shaver will light up in different colors to let you know whether you’re getting your ideal shave, and if you’d like, you can even track your performance over time in Philips’ phone app. The “ideal shave” can be customized among five different modes depending on whether you shave wet or dry, and whether you’re the sensitive sort. Also, your shaver’s screen will greet you with a “good morning” message if it’s morning, and call you by your name if you’d like. All of this whizzbangery is put to service in achieving what Philips Norelco is calling the “world’s first root level shave,” lifting hairs from below the surface. I feel like this is a claim I’ve heard before, but from early testing, I can vouch that it’s quite a smooth shave. That said, it costs $329. —Matthew Korfhage
Wiz HDMI Sync Box Is a Cheaper Alternative to Philips Hue
Photograph: Wiz
Wiz has a new HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight that adds Hue-like smart lighting to your big screen. Plug your gaming console, streaming stick, or set-top box into the back and enhance your entertainment with synced lighting that matches the colors and intensity of the onscreen action. Your TV doesn’t even need to be on, because you can use the Wiz app to set the color and brightness for background lighting or enable the microphone in the box to sync with music.
If this reminds you of the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, that’s likely because Wiz is the budget sibling to Philips Hue—both brands are owned by the parent company Signify. True to form, the Wiz system is way cheaper than the Philips Hue version without any obvious compromises (to my eye). The only thing that pops out is the HDMI 2.0 spec, meaning video inputs top out at 4K and 60 Hz, though HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are supported. The latest, updated version of the Hue system supports 8K at 60 Hz and 4K at 120 Hz, for PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers.
While there’s no camera required, the downside to these systems is that they don’t work with smart TV apps and can only sync content via HDMI. But what makes the new Wiz HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight intriguing is the price. It costs $90 for TVs between 55 and 65 inches, compared to $350 for the equivalent Hue system. There’s a larger backlight for TVs 75 to 85 inches for $110. Wiz also offers Gradient Light Bars ($60) and a new Gradient Floor Light ($89) that can sync up with the box and bring your whole room to life. All these gadgets will be available this month. —Simon Hill
