Technologies
Facebook’s AI research could spur smarter AR glasses and robots
Rummaging through drawers to find your keys could become a thing of the past.
Facebook envisions a future in which you’ll learn to play the drums or whip up a new recipe while wearing augmented reality glasses or other devices powered by artificial intelligence. To make that future a reality, the social network needs its AI systems to see through your eyes.
«This is the world where we’d have wearable devices that could benefit you and me in our daily life through providing information at the right moment or helping us fetch memories,» said Kristen Grauman, a lead research scientist at Facebook. The technology could eventually be used to analyze our activities, she said, to help us find misplaced items, like our keys.
That future is still a ways off, as evidenced by Facebook’s Ray-Ban branded smart glasses, which debuted in September without AR effects. Part of the challenge is training AI systems to better understand photos and videos people capture from their perspective so that the AI can help people remember important information.
Facebook said it teamed up with 13 universities and labs that recruited 750 people to capture more than 2,200 hours of first-person video over two years. The participants, who lived in the UK, Italy, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the US, Rwanda and Colombia, shot videos of themselves engaging in everyday activities such as playing sports, shopping, gazing at their pets or gardening. They used a variety of wearable devices, including GoPro cameras, Vuzix Blade smart glasses and ZShades video recording sunglasses.
Starting next month, Facebook researchers will be able to request access to this trove of data, which the social network said is the world’s largest collection of first-person unscripted videos. The new project, called Ego4D, provides a glimpse into how a tech company could improve technologies like AR, virtual reality and robotics so they play a bigger role in our daily lives.
The company’s work comes during a tumultuous period for Facebook. The social network has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, advocacy groups and the public after The Wall Street Journal published a series of stories about how the company’s internal research showed it knew about the platform’s harms even as it downplayed them publicly. Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, testified before Congress last week about the contents of thousands of pages of confidential documents she took before leaving the company in May. She’s scheduled to testify in the UK and meet with Facebook’s semi-independent oversight board in the near future.
Even before Haugen’s revelations, Facebook’s smart glasses sparked concerns from critics who worry the device could be used to secretly record people. During its research into first-person video, the social network said it addressed privacy concerns. Camera wearers could view and delete their videos, and the company blurred the faces of bystanders and license plates that were captured.
Fueling more AI research
As part of the new project, Facebook said, it created five benchmark challenges for researchers. The benchmarks include episodic memory, so you know what happened when; forecasting, so computers know what you’re likely to do next; and hand and object manipulation, to understand what a person is doing in a video. The last two benchmarks are understanding who said what, and when, in a video, and who the partners are in the interaction.
«This sets up a bar just to get it started,» Grauman said. «This usually is quite powerful because now you’ll have a systematic way to evaluate data.»
Helping AI understand first-person video can be challenging because computers typically learn from images that are shot from the third-person perspective of a spectator. Challenges such as motion blur and footage from different angles come into play when you record yourself kicking a soccer ball or riding a roller coaster.
Facebook said it’s looking at expanding the project to other countries. The company said diversifying the video footage is important because if AR glasses are helping a person cook curry or do laundry, the AI assistant needs to understand that those activities can look different in various regions of the world.
Facebook said the video dataset includes a diverse range of activities shot in 73 locations across nine countries. The participants included people of different ages, genders and professions.
The COVID-19 pandemic also created limitations for the research. For example, more footage in the data set is of stay-at-home activities such as cooking or crafting rather than public events.
Some of the universities that partnered with Facebook include the University of Bristol in the UK, Georgia Tech in the US, the University of Tokyo in Japan and Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.
Technologies
Xbox Set to Bring Resident Evil, Star Wars and More to Xbox Game Pass
Subscribers can play several other games, including the original Final Fantasy in all its 2D glory, on Game Pass in January.
Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth game in the main Resident Evil series, is set to be released on Feb. 26. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can prepare for Requiem by playing Resident Evil Village, the most recent entry in the series, starting on Jan. 20.
Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, added monthly.
Here are all the games subscribers can play on Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in December, including Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
Note: «Handheld» means a game is optimized for handheld play.
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Brews & Bastards (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.
What’s a hero gotta do to get a drink around here? Choose an inebriated hero to travel deep under a tavern in search of the stolen Brew Stone. You’ll explore tavern-themed dungeons and use bar-inspired weapons, like high-caliber champagne bottles, to blast through drunken demons and other boozy monsters. And if you’ve ever called one of your exes a drunken demon, maybe this game will be a little cathartic for you.
Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition (cloud, handheld, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.
Little Nightmares is back in high-quality 4K and 60 frames per second in this enhanced edition of the dark tale. You play as a lone child trapped in a massive world inhabited by monstrous versions of adults called the Maw. All you can do is run from these creatures, but you’ll also have to sneak and hide to throw them off your trail if you want to survive.
Atomfall (cloud, console, handheld and PC)
New to Game Pass Premium. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
The Windscale fire was the worst nuclear disaster in the UK’s history, and it’s estimated that it caused between 100 and 240 cancer-related deaths. Atomfall asks, «What if Windscale was similar in magnitude to the disaster at Chornobyl?»
This game takes place five years after a far more devastating Windscale disaster. You’ll encounter gangs of bandits, cults and rogue government agencies throughout the quarantine zone in the beautiful Lake District, in northern England. It’s up to you whether you avoid conflict or charge into the heat of battle, but resources are scarce, so maybe don’t go in guns blazing every chance you get.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (cloud, Xbox Series X/S, handheld and PC)
New to Game Pass Premium. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
You’re the once-great ruler of Random, Queen Aleksandra, and you’re on a mission of vengeance and redemption in this fast-paced rogue-like game. You’ll fight monsters and beasts with four unique weapons, plus powerful card-based abilities and relics. But death isn’t final here, so if you fall, you’ll return to Sanctuary to rearm, upgrade and prepare for your next run.
Rematch (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
New to Game Pass Premium. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Tackle, dribble and score in this team-based football game (or soccer, depending on your locale). This game was designed for 5v5 online multiplayer matches where players control a single athlete. That means you’ll have to coordinate and plan with the rest of your co-op teammates if you want to win. And with no player stats to give one person an advantage over another, coordination is the key to success.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
New to Game Pass Premium. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
You are Capt. Demetrian Titus, an Ultramarine in the Imperium of Man tens of thousands of years from now, and it’s up to you and your squad to help reclaim the Forge World Graia from an Ork horde. Originally released in 2011, this third-person shooter has been remastered for modern consoles with enhanced character models, a modernized control scheme and more. So grab your chainsword and bolter and get ready to fight. For the Emperor!
Final Fantasy (cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Jan. 8.
This is the game that started it all. Join the Warriors of Light on a journey to restore power to the Crystals and save their home world. The remastered version of this game introduces enhanced gameplay features, including auto-battle and more, to your screen.
Star Wars Outlaws (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Jan. 13.
Luke Skywalker and the Jedis are cool and all, but who didn’t want to be a cool smuggler like Han Solo? This open-world Star Wars game lets you become just that. You play as Kay Vess, a scoundrel looking for freedom and a new life. You’ll fight, steal and outsmart crime syndicates from around the galaxy. But the Empire is out there, too, so watch your back.
My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (cloud, console, handheld and PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Jan. 15.
Go on an adventure with Sunny, Hitch, Izzy, Pipp, Zipp and Misty as you try to solve a mystery together. Strange music is turning the world upside down, and it’s up to you and your friends to use your powers to put a stop to the music.
Resident Evil Village (cloud, console and PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Jan. 20.
The latest entry in the mainline Resident Evil series puts you back in the shoes of Ethan Winters as he ventures into a haunting European village in search of his abducted daughter. You’ll fight lycans, vampires and other monstrous creatures as you try to uncover why your daughter was taken and your wife was murdered.
MIO: Memories in Orbit (cloud, handheld, PC and Xbox Series X/S)
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Jan. 20.
Get ready to explore a treacherous ship in this sci-fi metroidvania game. You play as Mio, a nimble android who wakes up in the Vessel, a spaceship drifting aimlessly through the stars. The ship’s machines have gone rogue, and vegetation has taken over parts of the Vessel. It’s up to you to figure out what happened to the Vessel and the ship’s purpose.
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on Jan. 15
While Microsoft is bringing those games to different Game Pass tiers this month, the company is also removing these games from the service on Jan. 15. So, you still have some time to complete your campaign or any sidequests before you have to purchase these games separately.
For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to the Game Pass service.
Technologies
We’ve Found the Coolest, Most Futuristic Tech at CES 2026. And the Show Just Started
We’ve already had a day to trawl for our favorite cutting-edge technology. Neat stuff abounds!
We have people all over the show floor and beyond at CES, searching for the most interesting, innovative and cutting-edge tech available. A ton of useful new information is also available, which you can find on our CES 2026 live blog and in our CES hub.
The show floor opened Tuesday, and we had a lot of preview time beforehand to gawk at some CES staples, such as robots, electronic toys, phones and more. I’ll be back here to top off our fun finds regularly throughout the show.
Technologies
Grab This Tariff-Busting Xbox Series X Deal and Save $44 While You Can
You can bag a 1TB Xbox Series X for just $606, but act fast, since we don’t know how long this deal will last.
Ever since tariffs and other economic uncertainty led to Xbox price increases in late 2025, things have gotten expensive. A 1TB Xbox Series X now sells for $50 more than it used to, and there is little sign of these prices improving anytime soon.
Thankfully, every so often, a deal pops up that helps make things a little more affordable like this Walmart discount that slashes that same Series X to just $606. The catch? Well, there isn’t one. But we don’t expect this deal to last for long, so make sure to get your order in soon before it leaves for good.
The Xbox Series X has been around for a while now, so there are no surprises with what you get in the box. The Series X comes with a 1TB SSD for storage, and you get a controller in the box. This version also has a disc drive for installing games and watching Blu-ray movies, too.
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You can look forward to watching 4K content and playing 4K games, as well as enjoying audio options such as Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD and DTS. All of that makes this a capable machine, whether you want to watch content or play games.
CHEAP GAMING LAPTOP DEALS OF THE WEEK
Why this deal matters
It’s unlikely that Xbox prices will get any cheaper anytime soon, so deals like this are the best we can expect for a while now. If you’re in the market for an Xbox and have the $604 to spare, then this is probably the time to place your order before it’s too late.
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