French startup Whyd started off as a social network for music lovers but recently announced that it would switch its focus for a hardware project. The company just unveiled this secret hardware project — it’s a high-fidelity connected speaker that combines voice recognition with all music streaming services out there. ...
Read More »Step trackers in Happy Meals let you tone your McNuggets
The latest move by McDonalds to distance itself from its enduring image as a greasy, unhealthy fast food apocalypse is once sure to please fitness-conscious parents: for a limited time, every Happy Meal now comes with a working pedometer. The Step-it is a simple device that comes in six colors ...
Read More »China launches the first quantum communications satellite – and what is that, exactly?
Congratulations are in order for China: by launching the world’s first quantum communications satellite, the country has achieved an interesting — if somewhat difficult to explain — milestone in space and cryptography. Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS), nicknamed Micius after the philosopher, lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center ...
Read More »The IoT threat to privacy
As the Internet of Things becomes more widespread, consumers must demand better security and privacy protections that don’t leave them vulnerable to corporate surveillance and data breaches. But before consumers can demand change, they must be informed — which requires companies to be more transparent. The most dangerous part of ...
Read More »The Onion Omega2 lets you add Linux to your hardware projects
Need a tiny, $5 computer to build a robot that will bring you your slippers, initiate a massage chair session, and pour out your daily dose of bourbon?The Onion Omega2 can do all that and more. This tiny board is Arduino-compatible but also runs Linux natively. This means you can ...
Read More »Qubie is an open hardware solution for tracking wait times at voting places
With an incredibly important national election coming up, it’s more critical than ever that everyone who can vote does — and is able to. Election tech firm Free and Fair is hoping to help avoid overflowing voting locations with a simple, open source device that automatically monitors waiting times and ...
Read More »Razer CEO Min Liang-Tan is speaking at Disrupt SF 2016
The first OSVR headset made its debut at last year’s CES. The wearable wasn’t aimed at Oculus or HTC – nor were its creators looking to take on Samsung’s low cost Gear VR. Rather, the prototype represented the first step in a multi-company effort to build a new, non-proprietary paradigm in ...
Read More »NASA awards companies $65 million to develop habitats for deep space
NASA is serious about going to Mars, and not just for a quick visit, either. It just committed $65 million, spread over two years and six companies, for the purpose of developing and testing deep-space habitats that could be used on the way to — and on the surface of ...
Read More »Robotic legs could power up physical therapy for kids with cerebral palsy
Kids suffering from cerebral palsy may soon have a powerful new physical therapy technique in the form of robotic assistance for their legs. A study is being conducted on the potential benefits of the system, newly adapted for the use of children. Lokomat is a “robotic gait training program” that’s ...
Read More »Polish 3D printer company Zortrax lied about contract with Dell
Two years ago when the international 3D printing industry was still a much-contended space a small Polish company called Zortrax made waves – and raised capital – on the news that it had signed a contract with Dell for 5,000 3D printers. I reported the news in 2014 and researched ...
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