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Lego is all set to show off its wares at CES this year.

The internationally beloved Danish toy company is holding its very first CES press conference in Las Vegas next week. While CES is a tech show that's largely focused on things like computer chips, electric vehicles, and AI, it's hard to guess what, exactly, Lego will announce. Lego's press conference is set for 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5. While there isn't a confirmed livestream link yet, we will update this piece as soon as we have one. If one does not become available, we will report the news out of the press conference as best as we can.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: The biggest tech trends to watch out for

As for what Lego is going to show off, it's hard to say. The company has its fingers in lots of pies, including some tech-y ones. There's a big new Lego Batman video game coming out soon, as well as a collaboration with F1 to produce a Lego car. I would expect the unexpected here, at any rate.

If nothing else, it should be more fun than the cavalcade of apps that use AI to manage your stock portfolio that get shown off at CES every year.

Astronomers have confirmed for the first time with direct evidence that a lone, starless world is actually drifting through the Milky Way. 

Though scientists have documented a dozen of these so-called "rogue planets" in the past decade, this one isn't merely an educated guess based on a handful of clues. By catching the same brief cosmic alignment from Earth and space, researchers were able to directly measure the celestial object’s mass. 

In doing so, they found this orphan is within the same weight class as Saturn, strengthening the case that the galaxy teems with castaway exoplanets — born within solar systems but chucked out later into the abyss, said Subo Dong, a professor of astronomy at Peking University in Beijing.  

The finding, published in the journal Science, suggests at least some so-called "rogue planets" form like regular planets before their violent expulsion.  

"For the first time, we have a direct measurement of a rogue planet candidate’s mass and not just a rough statistical estimate," said Dong, who led the study, in a statement. "We know for sure it's a planet."

SEE ALSO: NASA's Hubble sees a stunning planet-forming disk. It's a real doozy.

Researchers determined the planet's mass by observing a fleeting event from both Earth and space, overcoming a long-standing obstacle in the study of wandering planets.

These rogues are difficult to detect because they give off little light and do not orbit stars. Astronomers have only ever spotted them through gravitational microlensing, which occurs when an object passes in front of a distant star and briefly magnifies the star’s light through gravity. The detectable flicker can last from hours to days, then disappears.

Scientists were able to measure the distance and mass of the rogue planet using the principles of parallax, which gives humans depth perception. Credit: Yu Jingchuan illustration

"Without a host star, common detection techniques, such as the transit method — finding an exoplanet (a planet outside of the solar system) by observing slight dimming of a star’s light as a planet passes in front of it — cannot be used," wrote Gavin A. L. Coleman, a Queen Mary University of London researcher, in a related commentary. "Currently, the only technique available to discover rogue planets is gravitational microlensing." 

But until now, microlensing observations could not clearly determine the distance to these planets, making it difficult to independently calculate their masses. That ambiguity left scientists relying on speculative estimates, raising questions about whether the sources were indeed planets or small failed stars called brown dwarfs. Some experts have even considered whether the objects are something else entirely unknown.

The new result comes from a microlensing event in May 2024. Ground-based observatories detected a short, two-day brightening of a star toward the bulging center of the galaxy. By chance, the European Space Agency's Gaia star-surveying spacecraft — about 1 million miles from Earth — also watched the event.

The two vantage points made it possible to measure microlens parallax, an effect similar to human depth perception. People can sense depth because a scene looks slightly different from each of their eyes, based on the space between the pair.

"We are able to use the same principle to extract the distance information of this rogue planet candidate, finding the mass and distance separately," Dong said. "The difference is that the spacing between the eyes of we humans is a few centimeters."

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The timing of the event was seen about two hours apart by the ground-based telescopes and Gaia. That delay revealed the object’s distance and, combined with other measurements, its mass.

The object is about 22 percent of Jupiter’s mass and lies roughly 9,800 light-years away. No host star appeared in the data, further indicating that the planet is either free-floating or on one super vast orbit rendering its distant star undetectable.

The planet’s relatively low mass is key because objects several times heavier than Jupiter — brown dwarfs — can form in isolation, like small stars. But an object akin to Saturn is far more likely to have formed in a planet-forming disk around a star, then later turned loose. That ouster likely happened through cosmic collisions, close encounters with other worlds, or the capricious gravitational influence of an unstable star. 

The study gives credence to the idea that planet ejection is a common occurrence in planet formation. Future missions, including NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are expected to dramatically increase the known rogue planets and help clarify how often worlds are sent astray. If they're abundant, perhaps developing solar systems are routinely losing one or two worlds in the process.

"So far," Dong said, "we only have a glimpse into this emerging population of rogue worlds and what light they can shed on the formation of the bodies in the planetary systems of the universe."

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just a matter of days away, which means it's time to take stock of what to expect from the world's most recognizable tech brands.

Companies like Samsung, LG, and AMD will showcase new products that range from futuristic concepts to more tangible and real-world items you can purchase in the near future. Between foldable phones, fancy new TVs, robots, and computer hardware, there's going to be a lot to talk about in the coming week. Let's dig in.

Here are the biggest tech trends to expect at CES 2026.

SEE ALSO: How to watch CES 2026 live: Streaming schedule, keynotes, events Lots of colorful, big TVs Get ready to hear the letters 'RGB' a lot. Credit: LG

Television sets always take a prominent place at CES, and 2026 appears to be no exception. However, one thing that will be different is the color technology being used in a lot of the TVs on display this year.

Specifically, RGB (which stands for red, green, and blue) TVs are en vogue at CES 2026. A typical TV has backlights that emit white or blue light, depending on what is on screen, but RGB TVs have numerous small red, green, and blue lights that create the picture instead. The idea here is to create greater color accuracy than you'd find on a different kind of display. As a bonus, these screens can achieve higher brightness levels and better contrast as well.

We know for certain that Samsung, LG, and Hisense are all showcasing RGB TVs at CES, but other companies will likely have something on the docket as well. Beyond the RGB of it all, it appears that these same companies are pushing harder on huge displays this year as well. Leaks suggest that Samsung is showcasing a 98-inch version of its Frame TV, while LG's line of RGB sets starts at 75 inches and increases from there. This isn't to say that smaller TVs are going away, but it does mean that huge ones are here to stay.

New laptop chips Intel has some new chips coming. Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The atmosphere surrounding computer components at CES 2026 is currently a bit muted, given the skyrocketing prices of memory these days. In previous years, we've seen powerful consumer-grade GPUs showcased at CES, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case this year.

Still, that doesn't mean there will be nothing to chew on. For instance, AMD will deliver a keynote address to kick off the show, which it may use to announce its Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU, reportedly designed for incredibly fast PC gaming. Intel, meanwhile, has already pre-announced its Panther Lake chips, which will likely be showcased in powerful laptops and PCs at CES. The same goes for Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. Whether they're entirely new laptops or refreshes of older models, expect to see machines with those chips inside at the show this year.

As always, keep an eye out for innovative new concepts, such as rollable screens and other unconventional form factors. We don't know of any in this specific category just yet, but there's always something like this at CES.

(Hopefully) helpful robots Where are you? Credit: Kim Gedeon/Mashable

Robots consistently make an appearance at CES in some form, and 2026 appears to be no exception.

In fact, we already know about one in advance. Its name is CLOiD, and it comes from LG. The Korean tech company has yet to share any photos, specs, or price info about CLOiD, but we know it will have two limbs with actuated digits at the end, a menagerie of sensors for navigating and interacting with your home, and an AI-powered robot brain that will personalize its responses to its owners over time. At least, it'll do all of that in theory. CLOiD could be one of those far-off concepts I mentioned earlier, something that doesn't launch for quite some time, if ever.

Speaking of which, Samsung has been threatening to unleash Ballie, a spherical robotic helper, since CES 2020. After that initial showcase, Ballie went silent for several years, reappearing at CES 2024. We still haven't gotten any concrete info about when (or if) Ballie will be available to consumers. There's no guarantee Ballie will show up this year, but it definitely warrants a mention until Samsung provides some answers.

At least two new foldable phones Big phone! Credit: Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images

The heavily rumored iPhone Fold is unlikely to appear at CES, but other foldables are expected to be showcased.

For starters, Samsung has just recently launched its anticipated Galaxy Z Tri-Fold in Asia, and we expect it to arrive in the U.S. in early 2026. That doesn't necessarily guarantee it will appear at CES, but given Samsung's substantial presence at the show this year, it would not be surprising at all to see the TriFold make its Western debut at the show. In case you haven't been following along, this is the ultra-big, book-style foldable that has two creases instead of just one. In other words, when it's unfolded, it'll almost be like three smartphone displays attached to each other.

Interestingly, Samsung is also reportedly working on another new foldable with a wider display than its previous devices. That one may be further off and isn't guaranteed to appear at CES, but it's worth keeping an eye out for.

And while we know less about this than the TriFold, Motorola is apparently going to show off a new foldable of its own at CES. The company sent physical invites to some media outlets that heavily hinted at a new book-style foldable (as opposed to clamshell-style devices Motorola already makes), and it might have a wood finish, giving it a distinct look. Other than that, though, we know next to nothing about this device. That will probably change next week.

Smart glasses Smart glasses are having a comeback. Credit: IAN MAULE/AFP via Getty Images

Between last year's CES showcase and Meta's increasing market saturation with Ray-Ban, smart glasses made a modest comeback in 2025. Do not be surprised to see more of them at CES 2026.

We don't have many firm predictions about which companies will show which glasses at CES, but in general, you should expect to see more glasses with built-in displays than in previous years. Those have been at CES for a while now, but it's starting to feel like a device category that might actually be used by regular consumers in the near future, rather than just a far-off tech fantasy. Well, maybe, anyway. It depends on whether tech companies can figure out how to navigate all the horrifying privacy implications of wearing a camera on your face.

AI will be everywhere

Lastly, as a general prediction, expect the term "AI" to be frequently used in relation to any and all of the above device categories. New laptop chips will be optimized for AI applications. Smart glasses and home robots will be powered by AI. New TVs will probably use AI in some way. And, of course, foldable phones will come with AI features built in, just like non-foldable phones do.

Will any of it be especially new or novel? It's impossible to say. We'll find out together soon.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

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It's the Full Moon tonight, and the fourth consecutive supermoon. Full Moons all have their own names, and January's is traditionally known as the 'Wolf Moon'.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 3, the moon phase is Full Moon. According to The Sky Live, 100% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to complete a full cycle. This cycle is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.