On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Accessory maker Hyper takes to Kickstarter to present a combination of USB-C hub and wireless charger-- the clunkily named HyperDrive USB-C Hub + 7.5W Qi Wireless charger iPhone Stand.

Clearly aimed at owners of both the latest MacBooks and iPhones, the HyperDrive offers 8 ports, namely HDMI, ethernet, microSD, SD, x3 USB-A and USB-C Power Delivery. Also built into the compact device is a wireless charging stand able to handle all 4 Qi wireless standards (1.5W, 5W, 10W and 15W).

Customers can buy the the E1, the first smart toothbrush from dental hygiene specialist Colgate, from one brick-and-mortar retail chain-- Apple Stores, together with the Apple online store.

The E1 is a connected toothbrush able to provide real-time brushing feedback, map the mouth and remove plaque using "sonic vibrations." The head carries a variety of sensors to map the mouth across 16 brushing zones, while the handle stores data before pushing it to Colgate Connect, a companion iDevice app.

Reuters reports the Italian antitrust body and French consumer fraud watchdog DGCCRF (part of the Economy Ministry) are looking into the Apple admission that it does, in fact, push software updates to slow down older iPhones.

According to the Italian watchdog, Apple and Samsung run “a general commercial policy taking advantage of the lack of certain components to curb the performance times of their products and induce consumers to buy new versions.” Meanwhile in France a prosecutor has launched a preliminary investigation over the alleged deception and planned obsolescence, which is against the law.

In addition a French consumer dubbed "HOP" (stands for "Stop Planned Obsolescence") has filed a legal complaint against Apple.

Remember the Laundroid, the robot promising to make the folding of laundry a thing of the past seen back at CES 2016? Seven Dreamers returns to this year's CES with an updated prototype and a launch date.

The Laundroid continues to bear an ominous resemblance to HAL 9000, the malevolent AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey, even if Tokyo-based Seven Dreamers insists its purpose remains to simply fold the laundry. One will be able to dump clean and dry clothes in the cabinet-style machine, and before too long (or around 4 hours, depending on the size of the load) it will all be folded automatically.

The latest prototype has the capacity of 30-40 pieces of clothing (depending on size), and takes around 5 minutes to fold one item. More complex clothing, such as dress shirts, may require more time. Operation promises to be quiet at around 35db, and it even has two sorting modes-- either by category (towels, shirts, etc) or person/family member, since the Laundroid can register a piece of clothing with a particular user.