The Worst Tech Products of CES 2025 Revealed! | Tech News of the Week

Chaos Lever Podcast

Welcome to this week’s Tech News of the Week! Join us as we break down the most fascinating and sometimes ridiculous tech stories making headlines. Let's dive in! 🎙️

🚨 **Cyber Trust Mark Labels**
Starting in 2025, new "Cyber Trust Mark" labels will appear on IoT devices, supposedly ensuring better security standards. But will this label actually mean anything, or is it just marketing fluff? Introduced by the FCC in 2023 and overseen by UL Solutions, this program outlines six key security capabilities, like software updates and data protection. Look for this label when buying smart devices in the future! 🔐 Learn more here: https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/07/us-government-set-to-launch-its-cyber-trust-mark-cybersecurity-labeling-program-for-internet-connected-devices-in-2025/

🚗 **Goodyear’s Smart Tires Initiative**
Forget smart cars—Goodyear says smart *tires* are the future! At CES, they unveiled their Tire Intelligence Platform (Sightline), which monitors tire performance, weather conditions, and driving history to improve vehicle handling. They’re even working on embedding sensors directly into the tires themselves. Looks like your tires may soon know more about the road than you do! 🌧️ Learn more here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/self-driving-cars-dont-do-snow-goodyear-says-the-solution-is-smarter-tires-6ccf0e85

👶 **CES Worst in Show Awards**
The "Worst in Show" awards are back, calling out the worst tech products in terms of security, privacy, and environmental impact. This year's highlights:
* 📷 *Least Private:* The Bosch Revell Smart Crib—because who doesn’t want a crib spying on their baby?
* 🔓 *Least Secure:* TP-Link Archer BE900 Router, flagged for reporting security issues to the Chinese government before telling customers.
* ❄️ *Worst Overall:* The LG AI Home Inside 2.0 Refrigerator—because apparently knowing what's inside requires AI and an invasion of privacy. Get the full rundown at WorstInShowCES.com! Learn more here: https://www.worstinshowces.com

🌐 **China’s Silent Telecom Cyberattack**
A chilling report reveals China-backed hackers, Salt Typhoon, infiltrated US wireless networks and political campaigns. The group accessed over a million user accounts through known software vulnerabilities that weren’t patched. No ransoms, no bragging—just quiet, calculated spying for months. The US government is finally urging everyone to adopt end-to-end encryption for calls and texts. Irony, anyone? 🕵️‍♂️ Learn more here: https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/typhoon-china-hackers-military-weapons-97d4ef95

That’s all for this week’s tech roundup! Thanks for tuning in—and don’t forget to patch your software. Bye! 👋