At this point, most home robots are either glorified vacuums or far-off concepts that may never become commercially available. However, we just got a look at a new home companion robot potentially coming to market next year, and its inventor has a proven track record of putting robots into homes.

Colin Angle, co-founder of Roomba maker iRobot, fully unveiled his new company Familiar Machines & Magic at the Wall Street Journal‘s The Future of Everything event this week.

FM&M’s goal is to make home robots that act more as emotional companions than chore machines. Its debut product is a four-legged robot companion codenamed Ami (per The Verge). The robot looks like a cross between a dog and a bear, and it’s designed to spark a connection with its human owner.

“The next era of robotics is not just about dexterity or humanoid form — it’s about machines that can build and sustain human connection,” Angle said, per an official press release.

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Ami probably won’t launch until next year at the earliest, and we don’t have a price point yet, but it’s still quite fascinating to look at. In addition to its Roomba pedigree, a Familiar Machines & Magic press release states that the company’s employees have also worked with Disney Research, MIT, Amazon, Boston Dynamics, Bose, and Sonos.

The robot animal has 23 degrees of freedom and can move its head, ears, and eyes.

Credit: Familiar Machines & Magic

According to The Verge, it can’t grasp objects or climb stairs, which would severely limit its usefulness, if it existed to be useful, anyway. It uses on-device generative AI to learn about its owner and respond to the owner’s needs on an emotional level.

One very important detail is that it doesn’t speak, instead purring and making other pet-like noises. A pet seems to be the best point of comparison here, as the robot seems almost totally incapable of performing practical tasks, and instead exists to make people feel less lonely.

Some other crucial points include a touch-sensitive coat that should, in theory, be pleasurable to pet, and onboard cameras and microphones that help the robot react to situations without streaming that audio or video anywhere. It doesn’t have to connect to the internet to work.

The idea of using AI to cure the loneliness epidemic isn’t necessarily new or without merit, even if it can sometimes feel a bit dystopian.

Last year, Mashable reported on a service that allowed the elderly to talk to an AI over the phone, just for the sake of providing company. Multiple companies are creating AI-powered robot companions for elder care applications, including startups like ElliQ and Abi.

Anthropomorphizing robots and artificial intelligence can be dangerous, especially given what we know about AI psychosis. However, some experts believe that companion robots could prove beneficial in specific settings.

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Table of Contents

A quick look at the best May the 4th deals, freebies, and merch:

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I’ll level with you: I’m not a Star Wars fan. (Cue collective gasps.) I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Sith and a Jedi, and my knowledge of the franchise basically begins and ends with Baby Yoda memes. But if there is one thing I do love, it’s finding a good deal.

Every year on Star Wars Day (aka “May the Fourth”), brands use the unofficial holiday as an excuse to drop new products, hand out gifts, and discount their inventory. So, while I won’t be having a movie marathon today, I have spent the morning scouring the internet for the best sales.

Below is a running list of all the May the 4th deals, new releases, and freebies going on right now.

Celebrate Star Wars Day with Lego

Lego has always had some pretty cool Star Wars sets (and I say that as a non-fan), but this year, the brand’s going all out with freebies (you’ll get a free Razor Crest Mini if you spend $40+, or Darksaber if you spend $160+), new product drops (including the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter which comes with a Mandalorian and Grogu Display set), quadruple the points, and exclusive rewards for Insiders.

Insiders also get access to the following deals:

Shop limited-edition Star Wars Echo Dot stands at Amazon

Amazon usually celebrates May 4th by releasing a new Star Wars-themed Echo Dot stand. This year, the company released two: The Mandalorian Helmet and Grogu. Both bundles are available for $79.96 and $71.98, respectively.

Get your pups a Star Wars-themed toy at Bark (by the creators of Bark Box)

Bark just dropped two $100 Star Wars-themed enrichment toys inspired by The Mandalorian: The Mythosaur Plush XXXL Multi-Part and Enrichment Dog Toy and the Krayt Dragon Plush XXXL Multi-Part and Enrichment Dog Toy.

They’re huge, so if you have a big dog and you’re a Star Wars fan, this might be a good collectible (if they don’t destroy it, that is). If you have smaller pups, like I do, you may want to check out Bark’s other Star Wars toys:

PetSmart also has a collection of Star Wars-themed toys, but they’re not on sale.

Preorder John Williams’ newest Tiny Vinyl releases: ‘The Imperial March’ and ‘Finale’

Tiny Vinyl makes literal four-inch records, and the company just dropped a Target-exclusive Star Wars edition.

You can finally preorder John Williams’ “The Imperial March” (from The Empire Strikes Back) and “Finale” (from Return Of The Jedi) for $14.99 at Target. The miniature record company first teased the release on its Instagram back on March 17, but it’s finally available to add to your cart.

Target also has a ton of other Star Wars items on sale, including:

Protect your phone from the Dark Side (and general clumsiness) with Casetify

If you’re looking for a new phone case and want to sport your love for Star Wars, Casetify has tons of options, including a Darth Vader Chest Plate Case, a C-3PO Case, and a classic R2D2 Case. The standard iPhone 17 Pro Max cases will run you $64.

Grab new Baby Yoda (aka Grogu) merch directly from the Disney Store

Unsurprisingly, the Disney Store is packed with new Star Wars merchandise today, including a handful of exclusive new items. You can grab a Grogu Crossbody Bag for $34.99, a Mandalorian Voice-Changing Helmet for $119.99, and a Mandalorian and Grogu Squishmallows Plush Set for $34.99. (Note: When you enter the site, you’ll be prompted to enter a code, and then you’ll be put into a queue. It only takes a couple of seconds, though!)

Get early access to Bath & Body Works’ new Mandalorian collection

Bath & Body Works is offering a limited, online-only early drop for its upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu collection. The catch? You have to be a signed-in member to buy anything today. The full collection doesn’t officially launch until May 11, so this is your only chance to grab these items before the general public.

Show your love for the franchise with a Star Wars-themed rug

Ruggable, our fave washable rug brand, has a variety (33 options) of Star Wars-themed rugs, including the oh-so-popular The Rebellion Rug and the Dark Side Damask Delft Blue Rug.

Bring the fandom to the gym with 30% off BlenderBottle

Get some motivation at the gym with Star Wars-themed BlenderBottle shakers. The whimsy (and wisdom) of Yoda can come with you to the gym as BlenderBottle is offering 30% off Star Wars-themed bottle on May 4 and 5.

May the 4th deals for puzzle lovers from Ravensburger

To celebrate May the 4th, Ravensburger is offering 20% off Star Wars puzzles and games. Deals are marked down on the Ravensburger website, but unfortunately, it doesn’t apply to the brand’s 18,000-piece Star Wars puzzle.

Find Star Wars art in the Samsung Art Store

In honor of May the 4th, Samsung added eight new Star Wars artworks to the Samsung Art Store. Digital art can then be added to Frame TVs so you can enjoy your favorite universe on the TV, even when you’re not watching one of the movies.

A new batch of Star Wars apparel just dropped, and it’s already on sale

BoxLunch just dropped a whole new collection of apparel to celebrate the upcoming release of The Mandalorian & Grogu. Plus, for May the 4th, it’s 30% off. Get it now, and you can roll up to the theater in style.

Bring home the Ultimate Grogu

If you want a very own Grogu of your own — and not just a plain old plushy, but a real-life replica of Grogu — Hasbro dropped the Ultimate Grogu. This lifelike replica includes 250+ animations and a screen-accurate design. But this item is preorder only and won’t ship until 2027, so you’ll have to be patient.

Buy $15 worth of Hasbro Star Wars toys at Walmart and get a $15 Fandango movie reward

Hasbro, Walmart, and Fandango teamed up for the ultimate Star Wars Day deal. When you purchase $15 worth of Hasbro Star Wars toys at Walmart, Fandango will give you a $15 Fandango movie reward. After you make your purchase, submit your receipt online, and once approved, you’ll get a promo code from Fandango.

Get a classic Vera Bradley tote with a Star Wars twist

The classic, soft Vera Bradley styles now come with a Star Wars twist. You can find Vera Bradley’s classic duffel bags, cosmetics cases, wallets, and more, all in the adorable Grogu Medallion print.

Get an actual piece of Star Wars history

OK so most of the deals and products to shop during Star Wars Day are just replicas or homages to the legendary series, but what if you could own an actual piece of Star Wars history? Starting May 4, Propstore is now selling props, memorabilia, storyboards, and more from the Star Wars film franchise. Many items have already been sold at auction, but you can still shop available items.

Spirit Airlines is officially out of business. The budget airline carrier ceased operations on May 2, 2026 due to financial troubles. The company has now begun winding down after filing for bankruptcy twice and failing to secure a government bailout.

If you’re a Spirit Airlines customer, you may be asking yourself: “I booked a flight with Spirit…what do I do now?”

Here’s how to get your refund or book your flight with a different airline.

Spirit Airlines refunds

According to Spirit Airlines, anyone who booked tickets for an upcoming flight will automatically receive a refund to the credit card or debit card they used to make their purchase. 

Spirit’s official website, Spirit.com, now forwards to a new URL, spiritrestructuring.com. However, existing customers can still login to their account at https://www.spirit.com/my-trips/find-trip in order to view the status of their refund.

Customers who booked a Spirit flight through a travel agent must contact their agent for a refund.

It’s currently unclear how Spirit will handle any vouchers, credits, or points used to book flights.

Book a ‘rescue fare’ flight

Finding out that your Spirit Airlines flight home in the middle of your trip has been canceled because the company is no longer operating is certainly not a fun experience.

However, many airlines are trying to make things simple for travelers so they aren’t left stranded. Airline carriers like American Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines are all offering “rescue fares” or discount flight tickets for Spirit customers.

For example, JetBlue is offering discounted $99 one-way flights for anyone with a valid itinerary through May 6. Some airlines, however, are offering these discounts only to traveling Spirit customers who show up in person at the ticket booth during their trip.

Companies like Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, and Frontier are also temporarily offering reduced fares on routes that Spirit once flew.