A year ago, Mercedes-Benz did the prudent thing and paused its EQ lineup of electric vehicles in the US. With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice.
Technology
The Mercedes EQS returns with massive range and charging gains
But then, in January, Mercedes quietly reintroduced the EQS brand in the US, with The Drive declaring that the “blobs are back” — a reference to the sedan’s much-maligned jelly-bean shape that prioritized aerodynamics over a more traditional profile. But we didn’t yet realize how back the EQS truly was.
Today, Mercedes is reintroducing its electric sedan to a wary, cash-strapped market, and it’s sweetening the pot with a crazy range estimate and an innovative steer-by-wire technology, a first for the German automaker. The 2027 EQS is scheduled to arrive at US dealerships in the second half of 2026.
Mercedes is truly not screwing around with the new EQS. The sedan is estimated to have 925km (575 miles) of range on the WLTP cycle (which tends to be around 10–20 percent more generous than the EPA’s estimates). This can be achieved thanks to a battery with a new chemistry that blends silicon oxide with graphite for the anodes, enabling a usable capacity of 122kWh. Mercedes is also cutting back on its use of cobalt, which has been called the “blood diamond of batteries” due to its ties to human rights abuses.
Charging will be much improved with the refreshed EQS, too. The automaker upgraded architecture to 800 volts, allowing for 350 kW DC fast charging, adding 320 km of range in just 10 minutes. When charging at a 400-volt station, the EQS’s intelligent control system virtually divides the battery into two parts, charing each half with 400 volts and up to 175kW of energy.
The inclusion of steer-by-wire is certainly a big risk. Steer-by-wire, in which the vehicle can be steered electronically rather than through a physical connection between the steering wheel and steering rack, could lead to improved maneuverability and enhanced comfort. Or it could lead to latency issues — although Mercedes says it has thoroughly tested its system for safety. A new steering yoke could help attract race enthusiasts to the dealership. But if you prefer a good old fashioned round-shape steering wheel and reliable electromechanical steering, Mercedes will be happy to sell you an EQS with those too.
The silhouette is still decidedly blob-like, but Mercedes maintains that the one-bow design enables an industry-leading drag coefficient of 0.20 — which is further optimized by “refined exterior mirrors.” This likely helps with range gains, but it could be a tough sell among shoppers who would prefer a few more sharp angles. Mercedes also boosted the regenerative braking power by a third for 385kW of recuperation.
And, of course, there’s more AI integration, including Mercedes’ improved MB.OS operating system that features an AI-powered assistant and over-the-air software updates. The now standard 55-inch Hyperscreen has a “Zero Layer” interface for easier navigation. The operating system uses AI to learn which features you use the most, then surfaces those features as individual widgets on the main screen. Ideally, you don’t have to rummage through too many submenus to find what you want.
Mercedes plans on offering the EQS in a variety of packages. The EQS 450+ is the range leader, with a single, rear-wheel drive motor providing the most efficiency of all the versions. The EQS 500 4MATIC and EQS 580 4MATIC are both all-wheel drive, with an Integrated Disconnect Unit in the front motor. This allows the car to decouple the front motor when not needed to save energy, then activate it at “lightning speed” when the driver needs extra traction or a burst of acceleration. And these models will feature the most regen thanks to their ability to harvest energy from both axles during braking.
Image: Mercedes-Benz
The new EQS will come standard with MB.Drive Assist, the automaker’s advanced driver-assist system, that uses 10 cameras and 27 sensors for automatic lane changing, evasive steering, and automated parking. What it’s not, however, is Mercedes’ new Level 2++ feature called Drive Pilot Assist that is rolling out to the CLA electric sedan later this year. The system is similar to Tesla’s FSD in that it can be used hands-free in cities but requires the driver to stay attentive.
Mercedes hasn’t revealed the EQS’s price yet, but it is offering seemingly bottomless options for configuration and customization. This will be through the automaker’s Manufaktur Made to Measure program, which includes over 100 paint colors and other bespoke interior options. This could help shift the vibe around the EQS from a “series production” feel into “tailor-made” territory, allowing for combinations that wouldn’t be found on a standard dealership lot.
All in all, the new EQS will certainly help round out Mercedes’ EV lineup in the US, which is fluctuating right now. The automaker hasn’t said whether it will also resurrect the EQS SUV, or the EQE sedan and SUV. The CLA is doing a good job of turning heads. And Mercedes is sticking to its promise of introducing several new EVs in the US in the coming years, including variants of its GLC crossover and E-Class sedan.
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RAMageddon has come for computers. The price of memory chips, hard drives, and solid state storage has skyrocketed. That’s led to price increases on desktop and laptop RAM, SSDs, spinning hard drives, and pretty much everything that uses any of those things. Consoles are more expensive. Desktops are more expensive. Laptops are more expensive. Tablets and phones are more expensive. Even MacBooks, which started out expensive but then started looking like a pretty good deal, just got more expensive.
All that sucks. But if (if) there’s a silver lining, it’s that most of the stuff you plug into a computer — keyboards, mice, webcams, monitors, and so forth — isn’t getting bananas expensive. Actually, there are some good deals out there.
Great keyboards on the cheap
Hot deals on mice in your area
Monitors to watch (get it?)
Cases and stands, hubs and docks, and other stuff
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Robots have gotten very good at moving fast, repeating steps and doing jobs that would wear you and me out. But ask a robot to pick up something delicate, oddly shaped or slightly different from the last item it handled, and things can get a little complicated quickly.
That is where a new collaboration between ABB Robotics and PSYONIC comes in. ABB Robotics is working with PSYONIC, a California bionics company, to explore whether real-world touch and motion data from human prosthetic use can help train robotic arms.
In other words, the same kind of bionic hand that helps a person grip a tool, pick up a fragile object or adjust pressure in real time could help teach robots how to do those tasks better.
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SOFT ROBOTIC ARMBAND GIVES PROSTHETIC HAND USERS NATURAL CONTROL
The PSYONIC Ability Hand can capture touch, motion and grip-force data from real human prosthetic use. (ABB Robotics)
How a bionic hand could teach a robot
The collaboration centers on PSYONIC’s Ability Hand and ABB’s GoFa cobot. The Ability Hand was originally developed for prosthetic use. It has multi-articulating fingers, pressure sensors, vibration feedback and flexible mechanics that help it conform to irregular objects. That combination is important because human grip isn’tt one fixed action. You hold a coffee cup differently than a screwdriver. You handle an egg differently than a phone. Most of us do that without thinking about it.
For robots, that instinctive adjustment is hard. ABB and PSYONIC want to explore how movement, contact and grip-force data from the Ability Hand can help train robots to handle objects that are fragile, uneven or unpredictable. ABB’s GoFa cobot brings the industrial side of the equation, offering the accuracy and repeatability needed to test those movements in a controlled way. The result could be a robot arm that learns from real human handling data, then applies that information to factory and warehouse tasks.
Why robot grip is such a hard problem
Industrial robots can already lift, move, weld, sort and assemble with impressive speed. However, many still struggle when a task involves subtle touch. Think about a robot picking up a soft package, a medical component or a part that shifts slightly on a conveyor belt. Too much pressure can damage the item. Too little pressure can make the robot drop it. A tiny change in angle can throw off the whole process.
JOB-KILLING ROBOT LEARNS AT WORK, AND IT’S COMING TO THE FACTORY FLOOR
That is why gripping and dexterity remain major challenges in automation. ABB calls this a key part of Autonomous Versatile Robotics, or AVR, its vision for robots that can sense, reason, move and handle objects with precision in changing environments.
Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, put it this way: Human dexterity remains “one of the most difficult things to replicate in industrial-grade robotics.” He said the collaboration with PSYONIC could help “close the long-standing gap” between human and robot dexterity. That gap is where this technology could make a real difference.
What makes the PSYONIC Ability Hand different
The PSYONIC Ability Hand was built to help people. It uses myoelectric control, touch sensing and compliant mechanics in a lightweight design. Its sensors can detect pressure during a grip, while vibration feedback can help communicate touch back to the person using it. That same sensing ability could be valuable for robots.
AI ENABLES PARALYZED MAN TO CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM WITH BRAIN SIGNALS
PSYONIC says the Ability Hand can capture detailed data about movement, contact and grip force. When that hand is used by people in real-world situations, it can generate a more natural dataset than a lab-only robot demonstration.
ABB’s GoFa cobot is being used to test how bionic hand data could help robots handle delicate and irregular objects. (ABB Robotics)
Dr. Aadeel Akhtar, founder and CEO of PSYONIC, called dexterous manipulation “a data challenge as much as a hardware challenge.” That line really gets to the heart of this. Better robot hands are important. Yet the training data behind those hands may be what decides how useful they become in real workplaces.
Where bionic hand data could show up first
ABB and PSYONIC say this work could apply across automotive, aerospace, packaging, logistics and life sciences. That makes sense. These are industries where robots already play a major role, but where delicate or variable handling can still slow things down. A robot that can better adjust its grip could help with fragile components, oddly shaped products, soft packaging or repetitive tasks that are tough on the body.
HUMANOID ROBOTS HANDLE QUALITY CHECKS AND ASSEMBLY AT AUTO PLANT
The International Federation of Robotics has also pointed to advanced gripping and digital integration as a way to reduce engineering time by up to 30%. That’s important for companies because automation often gets delayed by setup, tuning and custom engineering. If touch-enabled robotic hands can reduce some of that work, companies could deploy robots faster and use them in more flexible ways.
How touch-trained robots could change factory work
There is a hopeful side to this. Robots that handle repetitive or ergonomically challenging work could reduce strain on people. That could mean fewer workers stuck doing the same painful motion all day. However, there is also a bigger labor question here. More capable robots could take on tasks that once seemed too variable to automate. That may affect how companies hire, train and assign work in the future.
The most useful version of this technology would support people instead of simply replacing them. For example, robots could handle the repetitive gripping while workers focus on oversight, quality checks, machine setup and higher-skill work.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
ABB Robotics and PSYONIC are taking a different approach to one of robotics’ hardest problems: touch. Instead of training robots only in a lab, they want to use real movement and grip data from a bionic hand that people already use. That could help robots become better at delicate, variable tasks that have traditionally been hard to automate. It could also push industrial robots closer to working safely and effectively around humans in more settings. But the human side should not get lost in the excitement. If robots are going to learn from human touch, companies need to be clear about data use, workplace impact and safety testing.
The collaboration could help robots become more useful in factories, warehouses and other workplaces where precise grip matters. (ABB Robotics)
Would you feel comfortable knowing a robot at work was trained using real human touch data? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Amazon’s Prime Day is now in its second day, and whether you’re looking for a new pair of wireless earbuds or a smartwatch, there’s a good chance you’ll find a discount. The Apple Watch Series 11 has already dropped to a new low price, while the AirPods Pro 3 are discounted to $179. With Tim Cook warning that price hikes are coming, now may be the moment if you’ve been eyeing one of the company’s devices.
Below are the best Apple deals currently available. Some are exclusive to Prime Day, while others are simply great discounts we think are worth highlighting. We’ll continue updating this guide throughout Prime Day, highlighting more deals as they become available.
Earbud and headphone deals
Update, June 24th: Adjusted prices and availability, and added deals for Apple’s MagSafe Charger as well as the Apple Magic Keyboard.
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