This Is LEGO’s Biggest Innovation in Decades — It’s Also Highly Controversial

LEGO’s first innovation of 2026 is perhaps the brand’s biggest in decades, but it’s also a perilous gambit for the brand. The new Smart Play System — which hinges on the Smart Bricks, Smart Tags and Smart Minifigs — seeks to add interactivity in the form of motion and voice-activated lights and sounds to the building brick toys. While it clearly adds plenty of interactivity to LEGO’s sets (starting off with the brand’s beloved Star Wars offerings) and a steep price increase, it might also be compromising the simple beauty of what the brand built its reputation on: imagination.

Junkless builds on the success of its popular granola bars with 12-pack muscle-fueling snacks boasting 15 grams of protein, 8 grams of dietary fiber, just 2 grams of sugar and a focus on real ingredients rather than artificially concocted crap. The fourth and newest addition to the series, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie, wraps a crunchy peanut-filled chocolate brownie in peanut buttery goodness, allowing you to treat yourself post-workout without trashing your diet.

This minimalist new shoe from Lems pairs a rich suede upper and easy slip-on style with the brand’s comfort-forward, proprietary Injection Blown Rubber outsole, resulting in a style that is as cool as it is cozy. The wide toe box, zero drop construction and breathable design make this an easy shoe to slip on and off, whether you’re strolling around the block or chilling at home. The Zen Clog is available in Chocolate or Latte colorways.

Remember Afeela? Yes, the automotive joint venture between Sony and Honda. Well, they’re back and with a new concept car called the Afeela Prototype 2026. The company revealed the model at the Consumer Electronics Show and is essentially the brand’s pitch at an all-electric crossover SUV. Afeela introduced itself three years ago at CES 2023 with the debut of the Afeela 1 sedan prototype, a futuristic Tesla Model S-like competitor. Now, the Prototype 2026 broadens the prospects for a potential SUV, representing Afeela’s latest progress. It boasts new tech designed and built in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies and its Snapdragon Digital Chassis architecture, which seeks to more closely blend mobile entertainment with autonomous driving tech. Technical specs aren’t quite available just yet, but Afeela claims the 1 sedan could be ready for customers later this year with the Prototype 2026 scheduled for production in 2028.

Samsung’s Music Studio 5 (pictured) and Music Studio 7 are wireless powered speakers that support streaming over Wi-Fi. The smaller of the two, the Music Studio 5, looks quite similar to Ikea’s recently released Nattbad Bluetooth speaker. It features a 4-inch woofer and dual tweeters, and supports Bluetooth streaming as well. The larger Music Studio 7 looks more like a bookshelf speaker and supports higher-resolution streaming (up to 24-bit/96kHz). It can also wirelessly sync with Samsung’s latest TVs (via its Q-Symphony technology) and be used as TV speakers. Pricing and availability info have not yet been released.

You might not think of Korea when you think about single malt whisky, but that doesn’t mean the country isn’t doing some interesting things in the spirit business. Take, for instance, Ki One’s collaboration with chef Edward Lee. This wholly unique expression is the first-ever whisky to be aged for three years in red chilli pepper-infused casks, granting it both classic smokiness and a kick of spice. Only 1,500 bottles of this unique spirit are made, and just 200 are destined for the US.

Fender Audio — Fender’s more consumer-focused audio brand — has introduced two portable Bluetooth speakers: the Elie 06 and the larger Elie 12 (pictured). The speakers are powerful, delivering 60 watts and 120 watts, respectively. They’re also quite versatile. In addition to Bluetooth streaming, each speaker has XLR and 1/4-inch inputs for connecting an instrument and a microphone. In fact, the most unique thing about these speakers is that they can play four different audio channels simultaneously, so you can have a multi-person jam session.

Venetian microbrand Venezianico kicks off 2026 with this special-edition of its GMT diver that celebrates the historical Silk Road that once ran between Venice and China. The red dial is made of mother-of-pearl, which has been hand-applied in a mosaic pattern representing the traditional Chinese cloud motif that symbolizes good fortune. The bidirectional BK7 crystal bezel has a red and white color scheme, complete with Chinese characters in place of Arabic numerals, and the caseback features an engraved depiction of China’s famed Terracotta Army. Limited to 500 pieces, the watch is priced at €950 (~$1,111).