Gadgets – TechCrunch

sciencefeed (56)in #sciencefeed • 9 years ago

‘Substitute Phone’ artfully satisfies your compulsion to swipe and scroll

Smartphones are inarguably an addictive class of devices, and not just because they put an endless font of information at your fingertips. The experience of holding the phone and touching it is itself associated with that pleasure — so much so that you might wish you were doing it even when you don’t want to actually use the phone. That’s when you need one of these… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/25/substitute-phone-artfully-satisfies-your-compulsion-to-swipe-and-scroll/?ncid=rss

Let’s talk about commercial drones at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin

Everyone loves drones, including companies with very specific needs. Drones once were the hot new thing and the perfect birthday gift. But drone makers are now realizing that there’s a bigger opportunity with commercial use cases, from farming to inspection. That’s why we’re excited to announce that three founders of three amazing companies in the drone industry will join us… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/23/lets-talk-about-commercial-drones-at-techcrunch-disrupt-berlin/?ncid=rss

Apple’s Thanksgiving ad is mostly about the AirPods

Every year, Apple airs a new ad in the U.S. for Thanksgiving. Compared to other Apple ads, this is less about showing product features and more like a greeting card. This year is no different — you still see a lot of AirPods. Apple’s new ad is called “Sway” and takes place in the streets of Prague. A woman starts playing Sam Smith’s “Palace” on her… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/22/apples-thanksgiving-ad-is-mostly-about-the-airpods/?ncid=rss

Snips lets you build your own voice assistant to embed into your devices

French startup Snips is now helping you build a custom voice assistant for your device. Snips doesn’t use Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service or Google Assistant SDK — the company is building its own voice assistant so that you can embed it on your devices. And the best part is that it doesn’t send anything to the cloud as it works offline. If you want to understand how a… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/22/snips-lets-you-build-your-own-voice-assistant-to-embed-into-your-devices/?ncid=rss

10 excellent battery pack gifts for your friend whose phone always dies

After putting our favorite battery packs in various gift guides over the years, we decided to go all out this year and do a gift guide JUST for battery packs. I consider myself something of a battery pack aficionado, so I decided to step up to the plate and lay out some of my favorites. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/gallery/10-excellent-battery-pack-gifts-for-your-friend-whose-phone-always-dies/?ncid=rss

This DIY project lets you catch a falling muon

Physicists at MIT have developed and released a $100 muon detector that you can build at home, allowing you to sense deep space bombardment on something that looks like a TV remote. The CosmicWatch is basically a little box that can detect high-energy cosmic rays as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere and decay into muons. Muons hit the Earth in a “light drizzle” say the… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/this-diy-project-lets-you-catch-a-falling-muon/?ncid=rss

Shadow upgrades its cloud computer for gamers and opens signups to everyone

French startup Blade, the company behind Shadow, announced at a press conference that it is launching new offers, updating specifications and the ability to become a client and buy a subscription without any waiting list. Shadow is a gaming PC in the cloud for a monthly fee. The company has been running thousands of computers with an Intel Xeon processor and an Nvidia GTX 1070 in a data… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/shadow/?ncid=rss

YouTube returns to the Amazon Echo Show

When the Amazon Echo Show first debuted, it included a YouTube feature, as is right and proper for a device with a screen capable of playing video and connecting to the internet. But Google quickly nixed the Echo Show YouTube player, since it was a non-standard presentation of the company’s stuff which did not comply with their terms of use. Now, YouTube is back on Echo Show (via… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/youtube-returns-to-the-amazon-echo-show/?ncid=rss

You can now control the DJI Spark with Gamevice’s controller accessory

Gamevice is a bit like way to turn your iPhone or iPad into a Switch, at least in terms of adding physical controls to your gaming experience. But now the add-on can go beyond gaming, offering a way to easily control the DJI Spark with added precision and improved ergonomics when compared to just using a touchscreen device on its own. This is actually great news for Spark owners, since the… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/you-can-now-control-the-dji-spark-with-gamevices-controller-accessory/?ncid=rss

Sonos One users can now ask Alexa to play Spotify music

In October, Sonos launched the Sonos One, raising the bar on what is already the gold standard in wireless whole-home audio. The big new feature? An integrated microphone that added support for Amazon’s Alexa. However, there was one big caveat: While Alexa was integrated to control music services like Apple Music, Google Play Music, Soundcloud and others, it was missing a major player in… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/sonos-one-users-can-now-ask-alexa-to-play-spotify-music/?ncid=rss

You can virtually inhabit Toyota’s new humanoid robot

Toyota has a new, third-generation humanoid robot bears the charming name “T-HR3” and is designed to be a helpful and safe assistant to humans. It also features a so-called “master maneuvering systems,” which is essentially a VR-powered remote operating platform that a human can use to have the T-HR3 mirror its movements. Yes, kind of like a jaeger from kaiju movie… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/21/you-can-virtually-inhabit-toyotas-new-humanoid-robot/?ncid=rss

How the Kindle was designed through 10 years and 16 generations

The Kindle has become one of the most ubiquitous pieces of specialty electronics in the world since it launched 10 years ago, but the device has changed so much since its debut that one can hardly believe the oldest and newest models are meant to do the same thing. Amazon’s Chris Green talked with me for a retrospective of the design choices that have defined and redefined the device. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/how-the-kindle-was-designed-through-10-years-and-15-generations/?ncid=rss

Amazon’s all-new Echo goes (RED) for a limited time

The new Echo is a better looking device than its predecessor, thanks in large part to its various fabric coverings. Now, there’s a new option for the outer shell: A PRODUCT(RED) special limited edition. The fabric outer comes in red, appropriately enough, and $10 of the purchase price (of $99.99, same as any other Echo) will go toward (RED)’s work fighting AIDS through the Global Fund. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/amazons-all-new-echo-goes-red-for-a-limited-time/?ncid=rss

Swiss watchmaker Omega joins the ecommerce bandwagon

Swiss watchmakers have long resisted the siren call of ecommerce. While many of their products sold online – you can find everything from Swatch to Breguet on the “grey market” – there were no official online channels for many brands. Until now. Omega, a Swiss watchmaker whose wares now grace the wrist of James Bond, just started selling online, joining Panerai and… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/swiss-watchmaker-omega-joins-the-ecommerce-bandwagon/?ncid=rss

The new Kindle Oasis is my dream e-reader

Amazon’s newest Kindle Oasis arrived like the answer to a timely question – mostly because I happened to request an update to the device right before it actually arrived. I’m an unabashed fan of the Kindle, dating back to its earliest days, so take that into consideration, but believe me when I say: The new Kindle Oasis is the Kindle update I’d hoped for, and more.… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/the-new-kindle-oasis-is-my-dream-e-reader/?ncid=rss

Defakto’s ‘Stille Nacht’ watch is a limited edition of galactic proportions

Independent watchmaker Defakto creates some stunning timepieces via its regular collection, but it has a new limited series that is particularly eye-catching. The new Defakto Stille Nacht is a collaboration with artist Friederike Bellman, and it uses a hand-painted star field to brighten and distinguish each watchface for the 50-piece limited edition run. The Stille Nacht (‘Silent… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/defaktos-stille-nacht-watch-is-a-limited-edition-of-galactic-proportions/?ncid=rss

Germany bans kids’ smartwatches that can be used for eavesdropping

A German regulator has banned domestic sales of children’s smartwatches that have a listening function — warning that parents have been using the devices to secretly eavesdrop on teachers at their kids’ school. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/20/germany-bans-kids-smartwatches-that-can-be-used-for-eavesdropping/?ncid=rss

17 STEM-focused gifts to inspire kids to learn coding and love robotics

This year’s STEM gift guide reflects the boom in ‘educational’ techie toys — featuring programmable and controllable robots of all stripes and shapes, as well as some fully fledged learn-to-code computers and a few lower tech alternatives for variety. Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/gallery/17-stem-focused-gifts-to-inspire-kids-to-learn-coding-and-love-robotics/?ncid=rss

Romain-Jerome builds a Batman watch that tells you your time is up, bat

Watchmaker Romain-Jerome has announced a new Batman-themed watch that looks like something Bruce Wayne would wear to the club. The watch, which is based on R-J’s Skylab design, features a meticulous reproduction of a map of Gotham City cut into the rear sapphire glass and a glowing Bat Signal that lights up in the dark and/or in times of danger. R-J is famous for making high-end watches… Read More

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/16/romain-jerome-builds-a-batman-watch-that-tells-you-your-time-is-up-bat/?ncid=rss

Tortuga Logic raises $2 million to build chip-level security systems

Tortuga Logic has raised $2 million in seed funding from Eclipse Ventures to help in their effort to maintain chip-level system security. Based in Palo Alto, the company plans to use the cash to build products that will find “lurking vulnerabilities” on computer hardware. The founders, Dr. Jason Oberg, Dr. Jonathan Valamehr, Professor Ryan Kastner of UC San Diego, and Professor… Read More