Technologies

The Future of Work on Display at CES 2023

A metaverse-based hybrid could replace the office.

CES 2023 feels the same and also quite different. Fancy, new, and outright weird tech fills the Las Vegas showroom halls I’ve visited many times before. But in the three years since I was last here in person, the world has changed quite a bit. Especially the way we work.

It may take a little digging under the surface, but this year’s CES show has a lot to say about the great shift toward hybrid and remote work, in everything from better video conference tools to attempts at building a metaverse-infused, mixed-reality workspace.

Meetings in the metaverse

The metaverse office concept, at least according to one definition, is a shared collaborative space where one can participate via several means: virtual or augmented reality, 3D displays, standard laptop, tablet and phone screens; or in-person through things like smart whiteboards that work across all these different experiences.

Dell has become a leader in showing off concept pieces and prototypes during CES, and this year, its Concept Nyx (the same name Dell uses for gaming prototypes) tackles that version of the metaverse head on. At a pre-CES preview, I was able to participate in a faux meeting by creating a 3D avatar for others to see, and also by sitting in front of an autostereoscopic display (allowing you to see in 3D without special glasses) that gave me a 3D view of a project. After that, I donned a VR headset to feel like I (or my avatar) was actually in that shared space and writing on a whiteboard with my VR controller. And after that, I was able to use a slate-style tablet to interact with the real-world version of that same whiteboard, but without wearing a headset.

None of this is close to being a shipping product anytime soon, and like many things at and around CES, the hardware is carefully labeled as «conceptual.» Of that batch of products and experiences, the oversize, glasses-free 3D display, using eye-tracking hardware to make the 3D image actually look decent, seemed like the part with the most workplace potential.

Gamers go first

Much new PC technology is driven first by the gaming audience, which has a tolerance for gear that can be both expensive and experimental. That’s why ideas like VR and autostereoscopic 3D often show up in gaming hardware first, before moving into more practical products for your nongaming hours.

For example, this CES saw several new 18-inch gaming laptops, a screen size that’s been virtually extinct since the early 2010s. The first of these bigger screens are in gaming laptops from Dell, Razer, Asus and Acer, but there’s obvious crossover appeal for hybrid and remote workers who want the flexibility of a laptop but with a larger screen that feels more desktop-like. Razer laptops, with their minimalist styling, are especially popular with gamers and creative pros alike. I would not be surprised to see more professionally pitched laptops eventually grow into that new 18-inch size.

Asus also leaned into glasses-free 3D with its new ProArt Studiobook and Vivobook Pro laptops. Both, similar to Dell’s display prototype, use eye tracking to make 3D viable. And those devices are aimed at artists and designers, not gamers. Acer also has a similar eye-tracking 3D laptop aimed at gamers, called the Predator Helios 300, as well as a professional display from 2022 called the Acer SpatialLabs View with that same technology.

Laptops with glasses-free 3D were first tried back in 2012 and never made it to a second generation. The eye tracking in these new versions, however, makes the experience miles better.

More, and different, screens

Other experiments, like Lenovo’s twin-OLED-screen Yoga Book 9i and color E Ink/OLED combo, the ThinkBook Plus Twist, might eventually offer some new features that will bleed into more staid work laptops, but it’s far from a sure thing. That said, new E Ink devices like the 10.3-inch Yoga Paper could have more practical work applications, and I only say that because I’ve been using a similar-feeling new Amazon Kindle Scribe while walking the floor at CES 2023 to great effect.

The most welcome trend in both consumer and commercial laptops from the past two years continues unabated, I’m pleased to say. Nearly every new laptop we saw defaulted to a full-HD 1,080-resolution webcam, rather than the wimpy low-res versions that were common prepandemic.

Even better, it’s considered such a standard feature that PC makers hardly feel the need to call it out anymore. It was way too long in coming, and low-res webcams made that first year of remote work in 2020 more difficult than it needed to be for many. But now that we’ve normalized the hybrid workplace and accept video meetings as equal to in-person ones, I’d call it one of those subtle but important changes to how we work that’s making life just a little bit easier.

Technologies

On Expands Robot Factories to Manufacture Its Cloud-Like Sneakers

This is the second factory the Swiss brand is banking on to produce its shoes.

Popular sneaker brand On announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding its robotic production facility and opening up a new location in South Korea.

The Swiss brand is most known for developing running, training and lifestyle sneakers with a heavily cushioned, cloud-like sole. On opened its first robotic factory in Zurich in July 2025, after four years of development, and began production with four robots to make its first laceless LightSpray Cloudboom Strike LS shoe.

A representative for On did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The process involves a robotic arm that sprays On’s signature LightSpray material onto the shoe, creating a light, one-piece upper in just a few minutes. With the new location, the company plans to increase production by using 32 more automated robots.

As robots and AI continue to move more deeply into companies, there’s controversy about what this could mean for human workers. As recently as this year’s CES event, it’s evident that robots are here to stay, with Hyundai unveiling its Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot among other robot demos. Robot manufacturing companies are also expanding by using humanoid robots to take over specific tasks, and possibly for home use; however, the technology has not yet advanced enough to rely on them completely.

Supporters say robots could help in certain instances, such as social robots assisting kids to build confidence when reading aloud. In other cases, it could increase efficiency in a warehouse or factory setting and help around the home. But critics say automation could lead to more job loss, and even eliminate entry-level jobs.

In addition to the location announcement, On is launching the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, which is the first shoe upper designed at the new factory. According to On, the shoe is an ultimate super trainer for long runs and tempo runs, which are specific training runs where you’re running at a moderate-to-hard pace. The new shoe will be available first in North America on March 5, and then globally on April 16.

On says using robots to manufacture its latest shoes reduces waste and carbon emissions, plus cuts the time it takes to design an upper compared to handcrafted shoes.

«The beauty of LightSpray is that we can precisely program each robot, whether in Zurich or Busan, to execute precisely choreographed movements to craft each shoe’s unique look and feel,» said On’s chief innovation officer, Scott McGuire, in a statement.

On chose South Korea for its second factory location because of the country’s advancements in automation and robotics, and hopes to continue expanding its factories globally over the next few years. The company aims to eventually start production in the Americas and increase production in Europe.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 26, #991

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 26 #991.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a fun one. One of the groups matches up with the color of its category, which you might spot right away. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Iconic moment.

Green group hint: Color of this group.

Blue group hint: Try the fish, I’m here all week.

Purple group hint: Polite request.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Pivotal point.

Green group: Green things.

Blue group: Elements of joke-telling.

Purple group: «____ please.»

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is pivotal point. The four answers are crossroads, landmark, milestone and watershed.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is green things. The four answers are grasshopper, shamrock, Statue of Liberty and wasabi.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is elements of joke-telling. The four answers are callback, punchline, setup and timing.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is «____ please.» The four answers are attention, check, drumroll and pretty.

Technologies

The Top 25 Best Pokemon Games of All Time, Ranked

Whether you’re a new fan or a Pokemon master, the famous monster-catcher franchise has a game for everyone. Strap in to catch ’em all, enter a multiplayer online battle arena or solve an engrossing mystery.

There’s a reason your mom knows Pikachu. Over the past three decades, Pokemon has gone from being Satoshi Tajiri’s childhood dream to the highest-grossing entertainment franchise in the world.

The pocket monsters’ legacy includes a wildly popular anime, widely scalped trading cards, a movie starring Ryan Reynolds and many, many games. New entries in the series are dipping into the history of the franchise and dialing up the nostalgia. Pokemon Champions, which is slated to release in 2026, will combine all of the franchise’s battling gimmicks under one unified competitive game.

A Pokemon game exists for nearly every gamer, whether you love exploring new worlds, bonding with cuddly creatures, crawling through dungeons, solving mysteries or battling with other players.

We’ve curated this list of the best Pokemon games you can play, including mainline games and spin-off titles from throughout the franchise’s history.

Read more: Best Pokemon Day Deals: Enjoy Big Savings on Switch Games, TCG, Plushies and More

Best Pokemon games of all time

Recent updates to the list

February 2026: Removed Pokken Tournament DX. Added Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the latest game in Game Freak’s open world Pokemon spin off series.

New Pokemon games coming in 2026

There are multiple new Pokemon games releasing in 2026. Pokemon Champions is a player-versus-player battler that will be released for the Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS allowing players to bring over their favorite monsters from the Pokemon Home app. New set expansions for Pokemon TCG Pocket and new events for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will also be released throughout the year.

Best Pokemon game FAQs

How we determined CNET’s best Pokemon games

When creating this list of the best Pokemon games, we factored in how unique and enjoyable these games are for most players. We evaluated criteria including graphics quality, innovative gameplay mechanics and compelling narratives. We balanced our picks to include a variety of mainline titles across all nine generations while still representing the wealth of Pokemon spin-offs from other genres. We favored games that hold up well for contemporary gamers and added something new to the iconic franchise. If you’re looking for help choosing your next game, CNET’s top PlayStation 4 list is a good place to start narrowing down your choices.