Apple’s first AirPods ad reminds me of the iPod ads

 Ever since the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch took the spotlight, most of Apple ads have been focused on those devices. So it’s always nice to see the company try new things for less important devices, such as the AirPods. With today’s new ad, Apple is going back in time to the good old days of the iPod. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but I instantly thought about the… Read More

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton is now Snapchat’s chairman

 Michael Lynton, the CEO of Sony Entertainment, will be stepping down from the company in order to serve as chairman of Snap (the makers of Snapchat), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lynton’s name may sound familiar with respect to Snap. During his time at Sony Entertainment, he oversaw the company suffer a massive breach — which also included a trove of leaked emails… Read More

Hello Egg puts a friendly voice-powered cooking assistant in your kitchen

Alexa is going to at least own the living room, and there’s a good bet that it’s going to own the whole home. But that’s not stopping RnD64, a small company building a small little black voice-powered black egg, from trying to get in the kitchen first. Hello Egg works as a cooking assistant, with a few extra flourishes — like a friendly little eye to keep you company on… Read More

‘AI-powered’ is tech’s meaningless equivalent of ‘all natural’

 What does artificial intelligence have in common with the price of eggs? At the store, you may find one carton drawing your eye with promises of being “all natural.” This is meaningless, of course: no one has defined what “natural” is, so anyone can put it on there. The same problem is now happening in tech — but with AI. Read More

This 20-cent whirligig toy can replace a $1,000 medical centrifuge

 Centrifuges are found in medical labs worldwide. But a good one could run you a couple grand and, of course, requires electricity — neither of which are things you’re likely to find in a rural clinic in an impoverished country. Stanford researchers have created an alternative that costs just a few cents and runs without a charge, based on a children’s toy with surprising… Read More

CyberPowerPC intros VR-ready PC for $499, or $1,100 with Oculus Rift

 CyberPowerPC has introduced a new entry-level virtual reality-ready pre-built PC with AMD’s Radeon RX 470 on board for $499 at Best Buy and Amazon. That’s a new low for an off-the-shelf VR-capable configuration, and it’s also available as a bundle with Oculus Rift for $1,099.98 — or exactly what you’d pay if you purchased the two separately. Even if there’s… Read More