Guided by its vision of “AI for All,” Samsung Electronics continues to develop home appliances that are intuitive and convenient for a wide range of home
Guided by its vision of “AI for All,” Samsung Electronics continues to develop home appliances that are intuitive and convenient for a wide range of home environments. Among the most impactful advancements are accessibility features designed to make these appliances easier to use for individuals with disabilities and older adults — reflecting the company’s commitment to inclusive design.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with Bona Lee, Vice President and Head of Customer eXperience (CX) Insight Group at Digital Appliances (DA) Business, Samsung Electronics, to discuss the latest accessibility features in Samsung’s home appliances and the philosophy that shapes them.

Q. What core value or principle guides your approach when designing accessibility features for home appliances?

Using home appliances typically involves a combination of sensory input — such as sight, sound and touch — along with cognitive functions like making selections and adjusting settings, as well as physical actions like pulling, pushing or lifting. These steps can present challenges for some users.

Samsung is working to reduce or eliminate these usability barriers to ensure that everyone can access all features and benefit from the latest technologies. As part of our broader commitment to inclusive design, we offer tailored solutions for different accessibility needs — such as tactile stickers for buttons, audio cues for users with visual impairments and control panels positioned at heights accessible to wheelchair users.

Q. What are some standout accessibility features or services that users might not be aware of?

The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo offers a significantly more streamlined control experience than before. While previous models required users to turn a dial and strain to read small text to select a cycle, the new model features a built-in digital screen with large, easy-to-read fonts. AI further enhances usability by prioritizing frequently used cycles at the top of the menu.

What’s more, SmartThings routines empower individuals with limited mobility by automating device control. A simple voice command like “I’m going to sleep” can turn off lights and appliances, creating a more comfortable and accessible home environment.

Q. What new accessibility features have been introduced in the 2025 Bespoke AI appliance lineup?

In the 2025 lineup of Bespoke AI appliances, Bixby can now recognize individual voices using Voice ID technology and provide accessibility settings tailored to each person. In addition, with built-in microphones and speakers, users can ask Bixby about the appliance’s status and receive key alerts via voice responses.

Moreover, the Auto Open Door feature — highly praised by users with limited mobility — has been expanded to more products, including refrigerators, washing machines, ovens and dishwashers. A light tap or simple voice command like “Open the [device] door” provides easy, hands-free access.

Q. Are there any ongoing collaborations focused on enhancing accessibility in home appliances?

Samsung is actively collaborating with various organizations to identify and address real-world accessibility challenges. We receive objective evaluations and expert guidance from various professional organizations including the Korea Center for Accessibility Assessment & Research. Additionally, accessibility features for our screen-equipped appliances — such as voice guidance and improved visibility — are being developed in alignment with the European Accessibility Act that goes into effect this June.

Internal collaboration is just as vital. The Samsung Family Supporters group — comprised of employees with disabilities and those with family members who have disabilities — is actively involved in shaping accessibility initiatives. Furthermore, the newly established Accessibility Employee Resource Group (ERG) within the Device eXperience (DX) Business fosters open dialogue by encouraging members to share real-life experiences and ideas to improve accessibility across our products and services.

Q. What results or improvements have come from these collaborations so far?

While many visually impaired users found voice guidance for operating SmartThings-connected appliances helpful, some reported that the initial device connection process was challenging.

To address this, we improved the SmartThings app and partnered with TUAT Corp. — the developer of AI-powered visual assistance app Sullivan Plus — to introduce a dedicated mode that recognizes Samsung appliances and helps users easily connect them to SmartThings. Selected for Samsung’s C-Lab Outside startup incubator, Sullivan Plus is expected to further enhance the overall user experience.

We’ve also developed assistive tools based on ideas and feedback from employees and the Samsung Family Supporters group. Designs for these tools are shared on ITDA, a public platform for customizing and 3D-printing assistive devices. One example is a stick-on handle for drawers, designed to support users with limited hand mobility. Development continues toward creating more automated assistive solutions that offer even greater convenience.

Q. What steps is Samsung taking to further advance its vision of “AI for All” in the future?

“AI for All” reflects Samsung’s commitment to ensuring that the benefits of technology are seamlessly integrated into everyday life — regardless of a user’s physical abilities or environment. It’s about transforming individual features into connected, inclusive experiences that make life better for everyone.

Looking ahead, Samsung will continue to embed universal design principles that prioritize inclusivity into product development. This includes gathering input from diverse user groups during the planning stage, leveraging user data to identify new opportunities and collaborating with both internal and external experts and organizations to create more meaningful solutions.

As AI capabilities in home appliances evolve, the goal is to create a truly intelligent in-home experience — one that understands each user, their family and their environment by automating tasks and reducing the need for manual input. Rather than addressing diversity with isolated features, Samsung strives to deliver integrated, all-in-one solutions that adapt to any situation.

We see this as the future of innovation — where accessibility and technology come together to serve everyone, under the vision of “Universal Accessibility, Universal Technology.”

Comparing 2014’s Mario Kart 8 Direct to this week’s Mario Kart World Direct, Nintendo is clearly a very different company 11 years later.
After the Mario Kart World Direct finished airing this morning, YouTube served me a surprising recommendation. Thanks to the unassailable algorithm, YouTube figured I might want to watch the Mario Kart 8 Direct from April 30, 2014 — a month before the game debuted on the ill-fated Wii U. I actually wrote about the presentation over a decade ago, but when I rewatched it today out of curiosity, I was fascinated by what I saw.
Looking back to April 2014, Nintendo was undoubtedly in a state of panic at this point. After the record-breaking success of the Wii, the Wii U was floundering, and Mario Kart 8 was Nintendo’s last chance to right the ship. It ended up being the console’s biggest game launch, and remains the system’s best-selling game, but it couldn’t save the Wii U.
Instead, Nintendo fast-tracked the Switch (then known as NX), and the rest is history. Ironically, the best-selling game on the Switch would be the re-release of the kart racer, titled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is also now one of the best-selling games of all time.
History lesson aside, I was struck by just how different the tone was in a 2014 marketing video from Nintendo versus what we saw today. Despite the Wii U’s struggles, the Mario Kart 8 Direct is proudly and unabashedly silly. In fact, I’m willing to bet Nintendo spent more time on the gags and jokes in this video than it did on compiling gameplay footage. I mean, the first minute of the presentation is dedicated to a sleepy man eating cereal in the dark.
In 36 minutes, Nintendo squeezed in pro wrestling introductions for the Koopalings, a parody of an infomercial, a Mythbusters-like segment about the speed of the game’s bikes, and footage of musicians performing the game’s theme. Oh, and former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé even says the word “reggie-mendation.”
It’s loaded with personality, and while traces of it remain in some of Nintendo’s consumer-facing content, Nintendo is far more professional and buttoned-up in 2025. Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo until his death in 2015, clearly played a major role in keeping the childlike spirit alive during his tenure at the company.
For a blast from the past, check out the Mario Kart 8 Direct in full below:
For comparison, here is the relatively sterile, short Mario Kart World Direct that Nintendo shared this week for its upcoming Switch 2 launch game:
For as much attention as the price Mario Kart World is receiving (understandably so), I think I might be more concerned about the slow and steady disappearance of Nintendo’s identity. Not every video presentation needs to be a comedy festival, but I’d like to see some of the flavor of the mid-2010s return to the company’s public persona. Put more human beings in front of the camera to remind us you aren’t just a faceless, money-printing behemoth.

A tab hidden in the native iOS Mail app in iOS 18.4 comes out of hiding in the iOS 18.5 beta.
While the first two iOS 18.5 beta releases indicate that the eventual stable update to iOS 18.5 will be underwhelming, there is a new feature coming to the native Mail app in iOS 18.5 that might have you looking forward to the update. As we previously mentioned, in iOS 18.5 users will be able to disable Contact Photos from the Mail app. This is the page you create that is associated with a person listed in your Contacts app and pops up when a phone call is received from that person.
Previously, one would have to open Settings first in order to disable Contact Photos in the Mail app and this change will make it not only easier to strike this feature, it will also make it faster. The developer version of iOS 18.5 beta 2 and the iOS 18.5 beta 1 public version also feature a new look for the inbox that was previously hidden: the All Mail view. For some reason, Apple decided to keep this setting a secret in iOS 18.4 which is a shame since it is quite useful.
In iOS 18.4 the Inbox on the native Mail app seems to have four headings:
However, if you swipe to the left across all four categories, you will see the hidden All Mail option. In iOS 18.5 developer beta 2 and public beta 1, the fifth All Mail heading is out in the open. Tapping on that button will show you email from all your different categories and you’ll find the button to the right of the Promotions tab.
Personally, I prefer to have the «All Mail» tab enabled at all times since it will show me all of the new mail I’ve received regardless of the category it fits into. It isn’t clear why Apple decided not to promote this feature but it is available for those running iOS 18.4 or the iOS 18.5 betas.
In case you deleted the native iOS Mail app from your iPhone, you can install it via the App Store it by tapping on this link. The best reason for using the iOS Mail app is to hear the «Swoosh» sound that your iPhone makes when you send an email using the app. To make sure you have this sound set correctly, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and scroll down to Sent Mail. Make sure it is set on «Swoosh.» You’ll want to send tons of emails when you hear that sound each time you send one.