9 Great Reads From CNET This Week: Amazon Astro, Web3, EVs and More

Amazon's Astro robot for the home is designed to make us love and trust it. (Those eyes!) But to function properly, Astro -- which brims with cameras, sensors, facial recognition and AI -- needs an enormous amount of your personal data.

That's one of the issues that CNET's David Priest grapples with in his excellent and thorough review of Astro, which, in an extended period of day-to-day use, he found to be charming, ambitious and very much a work in progress. It's more than just an Echo Show display on wheels, for better and for worse. Separately, colleague Laura Hautala digs into the privacy angle. One privacy advocate worries about a "dystopian level of surveillance capitalism," though Amazon says it has protections in place. 

Those stories are among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss.

I Spent Over Two Weeks With Amazon Astro. Here's My Final Review

Amazon's ambitious robot assistant is available by invite only. It's equal parts fascinating and frustrating.

What Is Web3? The Confusing Term, Explained

Web3 can take power and control out of the hands of big tech companies, according to crypto proponents. 

Here's Who's Winning America's Electric Vehicle Race 

Tesla is the undisputed champ, but among the traditional Detroit Three automakers there is a consensus as to who's in second place.

Yes, I'm Autistic. No, I'm Not a STEM Genius

Commentary: You probably work with autistic people. Here's how you can better understand and support us.  

Cryptocurrency Is Risky. 5 Things Every Crypto Investor Should Know

Cryptocurrency is risky. Our guide can help you navigate the wildly volatile world of digital currency. 

Forget Musk's Extreme Wealth. Here's How People Are Redefining Success

There's wealth, and then there's extreme wealth. The latter may affect the perception of success less than you think. 

Driving the 2023 VinFast VF 8, Vietnam's First EV for America

We get to know the global juggernaut behind America's next carmaker and take its first product, an all-electric SUV, for a spin.   

Can't Visualize Objects in Your Mind? Aphantasia Weakens the 'Mind's Eye' 

If you find it hard to mentally visualize objects, you're not alone. You might have aphantasia.

Elon Musk's Next Twitter Challenge: Figuring Out How to Moderate Speech 

He has described himself as a "free speech absolutist."