What happens when you mix two software dudes, a little kid, and a light switch? You get the Knocki, a clever little device that connects to a wall or under a table. You can tap the surface to trigger events – turning on a light, muting speakers, etc. – and it is surprisingly small and easily-hidden. The founders are Ohad Nezer and Jake Boshernitzan, both of Houston, Texas.… Read More
TechCrunch’s Hardware Battlefield finalists are BloomLife, Pillar Technologies, Siren Care and Stratio
Over the past two days, 13 startups have taken the stage at TechCrunch’s Hardware Battlefield. Now our editorial team has finished deliberating with the expert judges (seriously, expert) and chosen four finalists who will be competing for the big prize of $50,000, as well as a trophy that we like to call the Metal Man.
You can watch the presentations live on TechCrunch tomorrow… Read More
Hands-on with Nvidia’s new 4K HDR-streaming Shield with Android TV
Nvidia’s Shield set-top streaming device got an update at this year’s CES, and it was a big one: The new hardware is 40 percent smaller than the original, with a new Android 7.0 Nougat-based operating system and a redesigned UI that groups games together and just generally organizes things a bit more logically. It also handles 4K HDR content streaming, and boasts the most… Read More
Smart canes and wheelchairs among tech empowering the disabled at CES
Amid the confusion of smart showerheads and selfie drones at CES this year, a handful of companies are working to serve the needs of populations that are frequently overlooked by the proprietors of high tech. You won’t find these devices in every home, but homes with someone disabled by age or misfortune will welcome them more than a new voice-powered fridge. Read More
Ford’s going to put Alexa in cars starting later this year
A lot of car makers are building Alexa skills for their vehicles, but these tend to be about making it possible for car owners to do things like turn on their cars from inside their homes via their Echo devices. Ford and Amazon are building an Alexa integration that goes the other way, providing car-to-home voice control with Alexa embedded in Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment system. The… Read More
The real Technics is dead (again)
Technics just announced the Grand Class SL-1200GR turntable at CES 2017. It’s basically just a slightly adjusted version of the SL-1200G that they announced last year. Vinyl enthusiasts were hoping that this would be a budget model, but that might not be the case at all. Technics has yet to release any official pricing information, yet Gizmodo is reporting that the price should come… Read More
Airthings wants you to measure the Radon in your house
We have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors that live in our house, sniffing the air for nasties, and beeping loudly if something has gone horribly wrong. Norwegian company Airthings wants to add Radon to the list of things you constantly monitor for, with the Wave radon detector. Read More
Nemonic is like Post-It notes with IoT smarts
Mangoslab showed off its first product today. Nemonic is a 0 thermal printer that prints on sticky notes from your phone. That’s right – everyone’s favorite tool for passive-aggressively leaving notes on a colleague’s computer monitor is now weaponized with all the powers of IoT combined. Ladies and gentlemen, the future of office warfare is here. Read More
How to dive into that New Year’s Resolution to get started with VR
But consumer VR’s splashy debut in 2016 did not result in something that was immediately affordable, available, or indeed appealing to many, so it’s no surprise if you’ve been standing back and waiting for a time to jump in.
Now might just be the time; a confluence of factors, including a lot of great software that eschews mistakes made by early movers, as well as dramatic… Read More
Fiat Chrysler’s Portal concept is a van with a plan for autonomous driving
Fiat Chrysler is getting ready for a future in which your vehicle is an extension of your living space with their new Portal concept car, which is debuting at CES this year. The Portal is an electric-powered vehicle with its own wireless network, Level 3 semi-autonomy standard and the hardware necessary for an upgrade to true Level 4 self-driving capability, and fold-flat/removable seating… Read More