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We've Officially Entered the Year of the Horse
Welcome to the
Year of the Horse
Feb 17, 2026 6:42 AM CST

Welcome to the Year of the Horse

East Asia, Moscow, even Argentina among those celebrating the Lunar New Year

(Newser) - Traditional prayers, fireworks, and fairs marked the Lunar New Year on Tuesday, alongside 21st-century humanoid robots. The activities ushered in the Year of the Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, succeeding the Year of the Snake, per the AP . Crowds descended on popular temples to burn incense...

As Lunar New Year Approaches, Bring On the Bots

Humanoid robots are helping to celebrate by dancing and playing soccer

(Newser) - It's not just people—in China, the robots are also getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year. As the AP reports, Friday was dress rehearsal day for four cute humanoid robots, each about 3 feet tall, at a mall in western Beijing. Curious onlookers stopped to watch. Each...

Meet Sprout, a New Kind of 'Approachable' Robot

Startup company Fauna Robotics says its cute humanoid is inspired by popular sci-fi characters

(Newser) - As a new robot called Sprout walks around a Manhattan office, nodding its rectangular head, lifting its windshield wiper-like "eyebrows" and offering to shake your hand with its grippers, it looks nothing like the sleek and intimidating humanoids built by companies like Tesla. Sprout's charm is the whole...

Boston Dynamics Unveils New Humanoid Robot

Atlas debuts at the CES tech showcase

(Newser) - Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics publicly demonstrated its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time Monday at the CES tech showcase, ratcheting up a competition with Tesla and other rivals to build robots that look like people and do things that people do. "For the first time ever in public, please...

He Saw Arcade Boxing Game, Came Up With a Home Version

Burt Meyer, who helped invent Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Lite-Brite, dies at 99

(Newser) - Burt Meyer, the inventive mind behind some of America's most iconic toys, has died at the age of 99. A rep for the King-Bruwaert House retirement community in Burr Ridge, Illinois, where Meyer resided, says he died on Oct. 30, reports the AP . His son Steve also confirmed his...

Russian Robot Strolled Out to Rocky Theme, Fell on Its Face

Nation's first humanoid powered by AI didn't do so hot in its big Moscow debut

(Newser) - Russia's debut of its first AI-powered humanoid robot took an unexpected turn at a Moscow tech event Monday when the machine, named Aldol, toppled over and broke apart moments after its introduction. The incident happened during a showcase featuring the Russian robotics sector, with Aldol entering to the iconic...

Ukraine Robot Retrieves Soldier Behind Enemy Lines

Device on an ATV frame traveled about 40 miles and brought the servicemember to safety

(Newser) - Ukrainian forces pulled off a dramatic rescue of a wounded soldier trapped for more than a month behind enemy lines—thanks to a robot built for just such missions, reports CBS News . The military knew the location of the soldier and had been dropping him supplies, but multiple attempts to...

Tesla Shareholders Approve $1T Pay Package for Musk
Tesla Approves Musk's $1T Pay
Nov 6, 2025 5:45 PM CST

Tesla Approves Musk's $1T Pay

CEO has to hit series of milestones, including selling 1M humanoid robots

(Newser) - Tesla shareholders have approved a compensation plan that could award CEO Elon Musk up to $1 trillion in stock, making it the largest pay package in corporate history. More than 75% voted in favor of the proposal at the company's annual meeting at its Austin headquarters, the Wall Street...

Amazon Opens Whole Foods 'Store Within a Store'

Robots will fetch items for customers who want mainstream national brands

(Newser) - At a Whole Foods market near Philadelphia, Amazon is catering to customers who want some Doritos or Kraft Mac & Cheese as well as their usual organic kale and quinoa.The experiment involves a robot-powered "store within a store" at the Plymouth Meeting location, Axios reports. Shoppers can pick...

Bezos Predicts 'Millions' Will Be Living in Space Soon

But robots will be doing most of the work, he reckons

(Newser) - Jeff Bezos is looking to the stars, and he thinks millions of us will soon follow. Speaking at an Italian Tech Week event in Turin earlier this month, the Amazon and Blue Origin founder predicted that within two decades, "millions of people" will be living in space. Bezos is...

Musk: I Need $1T Pay Package to Run 'Robot Army'

Tesla CEO suggests he may leave company if deal doesn't pass Nov. 6 vote

(Newser) - Elon Musk ended Tesla's earnings call Wednesday with a fiery outburst over his proposed $1 trillion pay package , blasting the advisers trying to block it and warning shareholders that his future at Tesla is on the line. Musk rejected the idea that his deal is simply "compensation,"...

Amazon Automation May Mean 600K Fewer Jobs

New York Times reports the company thinks it can avoid that number of hires by 2033

(Newser) - Amazon is leaning hard into automating its operations, so much so that the New York Times reports an eye-popping number: The stepped-up automation means the company will be able to avoid hiring 600,000 actual humans by 2033. Even by 2027, the figure is 160,000. Amazon currently employs about...

How Sharpie Bucked the Trend of Outsourcing to China

Automation, training, and investment fuel Sharpie's American manufacturing turnaround

(Newser) - Inside a Tennessee factory, Sharpie has reimagined American manufacturing—producing its iconic markers faster and more cheaply in the US than overseas, all while keeping jobs at home, reports the Wall Street Journal in an extensive look at how the company is bucking the trend of outsourcing abroad. The...

Can't Remember to Water Your Plants? There's an App for That

Gardening and plant care go high tech, with some innovations backed by artificial intelligence, apps

(Newser) - Looking to go high-tech in your gardening endeavors? Tools are evolving to incorporate technology—including artificial intelligence—to help us keep plants healthier, avoid unpleasant tasks, and even grow crops indoors over the winter. Here, a quick look at some of these gardening innovations from the AP :
  • Mowing: If you
...

China's Robot Army Is Coming Along Nicely

Nation leads the world with 2M factory bots, outpacing every other country combined

(Newser) - China now leads the world in factory robots, outpacing every other country combined, according to a new report from the International Federation of Robotics. More than 2 million robots toiled in Chinese factories in 2024, with nearly 300,000 newly installed—far surpassing the 34,000 added in the...

MLB Players Will Soon Be Able to Challenge Balls, Strikes

'Robot umpires' will be ready when needed, beginning next season

(Newser) - Major League Baseball is now officially set to roll out " robot umpires " for 2026. The league's 11-member competition committee—made up of six owners, four players, and one umpire—gave the green light on Tuesday to an automated strike zone "challenge" system, which Commissioner Rob...

This $500K Robot Army Only Needs to Look, Smell Good

Florida officials optimistic about ongoing effort to attract the invasive Burmese python

(Newser) - They look, move and even smell like the kind of furry Everglades marsh rabbit a Burmese python would love to eat. But these bunnies are robots meant to lure the giant invasive snakes out of their hiding spots. It's the latest effort by the South Florida Water Management District...

Robot Rabbits Join Florida's Fight Against Invasive Snakes
In Fight Against Pythons,
Florida Stuffs 40 Toy Bunnies
in case you missed it
Aug 9, 2025 1:00 PM CDT

In Fight Against Pythons, Florida Stuffs 40 Toy Bunnies

Robotic rabbits join state's battle against invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades

(Newser) - Florida's ongoing battle with invasive Burmese pythons has gone high tech, with wildlife teams now deploying robotic rabbits to help find and capture the elusive snakes. The solar-powered, remote-controlled decoys look and smell like marsh rabbits—favored python prey—and even emit heat signatures to lure the snakes...

Amazon Deploys Its Millionth Robot
Amazon Deploys
Its Millionth Robot
Jul 1, 2025 3:25 AM CDT

Amazon Deploys Its Millionth Robot

Company is on track for robot workers to outnumber humans

(Newser) - Amazon is on track to have more robots than humans working in its warehouses, with over a million robots now deployed—nearly matching its human workforce. Robots now assist with or handle tasks like picking, packaging, and sorting in about 75% of Amazon's global deliveries, according to the...

Report: Amazon Is Training Humanoid Delivery Robots

Source says company is building 'obstacle course' for testing

(Newser) - Optimus Prime delivery? Amazon is reportedly planning to use humanoid robots to carry out deliveries in its fleet of Rivian electric vans. Citing a source involved in the project, the Information , via the Guardian and the Verge , reports that the company is building a "humanoid park" obstacle course in...

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