Latest from Brian Heater
Apps
Google’s new Private Space feature is like Incognito Mode for Android
10:00 am PDT • May 15, 2024
The space is available from the launcher and can be locked as a second layer of authentication.
It ran 110 minutes, but Google managed to reference AI a whopping 121 times during Google I/O 2024 (by its own count). CEO Sundar Pichai referenced the figure to wrap…
The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday and will offer glimpses into the latest versions of Android, Wear OS and Android TV.
The system effectively listens for “conversation patterns commonly associated with scams” in-real time.
This is a great example of a company using generative AI to open its software to more users.
You can expect plenty of AI, but probably not a lot of hardware.
Hardware
Apple iPad Pro M4 vs. iPad Air M2: Reviewing which is right for most
2:00 pm PDT • May 13, 2024
Apple devoted a full event to iPad last Tuesday, roughly a month out from WWDC. From the invite artwork to the polarizing ad spot, Apple was clear — the event…
iRobot has announced the successor to longtime CEO, Colin Angle. Gary Cohen, who previous held chief executive role at Timex and Qualitor Automotive, will be heading up the company, marking a major…
We’re still well over a month out from WWDC, but Apple went ahead and snuck in another event. On Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET, the company…
Hardware
Google’s budget Pixel 8a delivers updated silicon, Gemini access for $499
9:00 am PDT • May 7, 2024
Google, it seems, couldn’t wait until I/O next week to show off the latest addition to the Pixel line. For the past several years, the company has used its annual…
Hardware
Google’s Pixel Tablet is now available without the thing that makes it interesting
9:00 am PDT • May 7, 2024
When we reviewed the Pixel Tablet roughly this time last year, we noted in no uncertain terms, “It’s all about the dock.” It was, after all, the one thing that…
Biotech & Health
Machine learning aids in discovery of sperm whale ‘alphabet’
8:00 am PDT • May 7, 2024
Researchers at MIT CSAIL and Project CETI believe that they have unlocked a kind of sperm whale alphabet with the aid of machine learning technologies. Results from the study, which…
Hardware
Apple’s $129 Pencil Pro arrives with a squeeze sensor and Find My functionality
7:32 am PDT • May 7, 2024
Shocking as it may seem, it’s been nearly a decade since the first Apple Pencil was announced, way back in 2015. The stylus hasn’t seen much in the way of…
As anticipated, Apple’s iPad Pro was the star of Tuesday’s “Let Loose” event. The arrival of the seventh-generation device marks the first major upgrade to the premium tablet since 2022.…
Featured Article
Apple iPad event: What to expect
So far, the biggest surprise about May 7’s “Let Loose” event is that it’s happening at all. We’re just over a month out from Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference, and yet the company determined there was enough news to warrant a stand-alone event. iPads (including the iPad Pro and iPad…
3:12 pm PDT • May 6, 2024
Robotics
Alphabet-owned Intrinsic incorporates Nvidia tech into robotics platform
8:00 am PDT • May 6, 2024
The first bit of news out of the Automate conference this year arrives by way of Alphabet X spinout Intrinsic. The firm announced at the Chicago event on Monday that it…
Hardware
Apple earnings see 10% iPhone sales drop, massive buyback fuels stock jump
1:45 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
Apple on Thursday reported a 10% drop in iPhone sales for the second fiscal quarter, dropping from $51.33 billion to $45.96 billion, year-over-year. The slowdown was fueled, in part, by…
Microsoft, it seems, is hedging its bets when it comes to general-purpose robotics AI. At the end of February, the Windows maker spearheaded a massive $675 million Series B in…
A harsh truth: As bad as North American wildfires have grown over the past several years, things are only going to get worse. Climate change continues to accelerate the issue,…
Hardware
Razer hit with $1.1M FTC fine over glowing ‘N95’ mask COVID claims
1:53 pm PDT • April 30, 2024
The Federal Trade Commission hit Razer with a $1.1 million fine Tuesday. The order claims that the gaming accessory maker misled consumers by claiming that its flashy Zephyr mask was…
Featured Article
Humanoid robots are learning to fall well
The savvy marketers at Boston Dynamics produced two major robotics news cycles last week. The larger of the two was, naturally, the electric Atlas announcement. As I write this, the sub-40 second video is steadily approaching five million views. A day prior, the company tugged at the community’s heart strings…
1:15 pm PDT • April 28, 2024
Sanctuary AI often isn’t mentioned in the same breath as humanoid robotics firms like Boston Dynamics, Agility, Figure and 1X, but the Canadian company has been operating in the space…
Featured Article
Rabbit’s R1 is a little AI gadget that grows on you
If there’s one overarching takeaway from last night’s Rabbit R1 launch event, it’s this: Hardware can be fun again. After a decade of unquestioned smartphone dominance, there is, once again, excitement to be found in consumer electronics. The wisdom and longevity of any individual product or form factor — while…
1:05 pm PDT • April 24, 2024
When Trace’s future co-founders Greg Tran, Martin Smith and Sean Couture joined Magic Leap in spring/summer of 2015, it was about as hot as startups come. After years of secrecy,…
Apple just dropped an invite for its next event. Scheduled for May 7, the “Let Loose” presentation appears to be happening exclusively online — something that became standard fare for…
Hardware
Framework’s repairability philosophy is set to expand beyond the laptop
7:00 am PDT • April 23, 2024
Framework Computer was ahead of the curve. The company was founded in 2019, as 20 U.S. states began exploring potential right to repair bills. It delivered its first product, the…
A few weeks back, TechCrunch ventured out to New Jersey to pay an early visit to HAX’s Newark offices. As much as I complained about the 90-minute commute in from…
Amazon confirmed it is ending Prime Air drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California. The Central California town of 3,500 was the company’s second U.S. drone delivery site, after College Station,…
Oura on Monday announced that its smart ring will be available in select Target stores in the U.S. The deal, which also brings the wearable to the retailer’s site, follows…
Much has been (and will continue to be) written about automation’s impact on the jobs market. In the short-term, many employers have complained of an inability to fill roles and…
