[Deal] Google Clips gets a $50 discount

Last fall during their big product announcements, one item that was a bit of a surprise was Google Clips. The small camera was designed to do just what its name suggests – grab short video clips that can then be uploaded to social media. It is hard to gauge whether Google Clips has been a […]

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Scratch and bend test puts Huawei P20 Pro’s vulnerability on display

Huawei launched the P20 Pro in Paris a little over a month ago, and we were mightily impressed with the performance of the triple camera system it possesses as well as its superb design, as we said in our review. But what about the durability of the P20 Pro when pushed to its limits and […]

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Google may be readying a switch from YouTube Red to YouTube Premium

  If you’re like most of us, you probably have no clue what YouTube Red actually means. Sure, you know that it’s a premium YouTube service with some exclusive shows and no advertisements, but… regular YouTube is already Red. Why is the paid version called Red? How many times have you heard someone awkwardly shorten […]

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[TA Deals] Name your price for the Ashampoo software bundle for Windows

The best kind of deals are the ones where you get to choose how much you spend, and right now you can pick your price for this bundle of Ashampoo’s best selling software. There’s a ton of stuff here to supercharge your computer and make everyday tasks a little more efficient, and it’s not going […]

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Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge could get Android Oreo update in May

New reports out indicate Samsung may be on the verge of rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update for their Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones possibly as soon as mid-May. If Samsung and carriers are able to stick to this timeline, then the S7 devices will be getting the update one to […]

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Images of the HTC U12+ have been leaked

Good news for HTC fans; some images of the HTC U12+ have reportedly leaked thanks to a Taiwanese Facebook page, and it shows the front and back of the device in decent detail. The leak doesn’t reveal much about specs or any information like that, but there are a few things we can glean just […]

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[Sponsored] Save big with BESTEK’s May Day sale, now through May 5th

If you’re in the market for some new charging accessories, BESTEK has you covered. They’re running a promotional May Day sale that sees a few different gadgets discounted, and they’re running bundle discounts on top of that. You’ll find a selection of power strips, power inverters, and other plugs and chargers on sale, and fortunately, […]

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[Deal] Save up to 30% on these Anker Accessories!

Today’s Anker deals post is about charging, typing, and chilling. We have a bunch of Lightning charging cables in a multitude of colors to match whichever device you might have, a wireless keyboard and mouse combo to take care of your productivity needs, and a SoundCore Mini Bluetooth speaker (reviewed here) to chill while listening […]

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ZTE doubles down on the notch, believing two are better than one

A newly discovered patent filing from ZTE shows that the company has been potentially working on a phone with two notches, one on the top and a second disgracing the bottom. The filing is from September 2017, so it was right around the time of the iPhone X reveal. There’s a ZTE concept, known as […]

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LG’s Watch Timepiece is a hybrid smartwatch with both Wear OS and analog functionality

LG is launching its G7 ThinQ on May 2nd, just a couple of days from now, but that might not be the only hardware that the Korean manufacturer unveils this week with reports of a new Wear OS smartwatch also being announced. The LG Watch Timepiece, as the new smartwatch is called, will feature a […]

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It’s real this time: T-Mobile and Sprint are combining in a $26 billion deal

Trust me, I know you’ve heard the “T-Mobile and Sprint are merging” story over and over, and nothing ever happens. Well, whatever roadblock was in the way was finally demolished, and the two companies have officially announced a multi-billion dollar merger that will combine both carriers to compete with Verizon and AT&T. The merger is […]

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Fuchsia OS officially shows up in AOSP, hints at native Android app support

Google’s Fuchsia OS has been a mystery ever since it was hinted at several years back, and despite Google kind of officially acknowledging it, we know almost nothing about it. From previous leaks, we can guess that it’s an operating system meant to bridge the divide between Android and Chrome OS, possibly for tablets and […]

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This soft robotic arm is straight out of Big Hero 6 (it’s even from Disney)

The charming robot at the heart of Disney’s Big Hero 6, Baymax, isn’t exactly realistic, but its puffy bod is an (admittedly aspirational) example of the growing field of soft robotics. And now Disney itself has produced a soft robot arm that seems like it could be a prototype from the movie.

Created by Disney Research roboticists, the arm seems clearly inspired by Baymax, from the overstuffed style and delicate sausage fingers to the internal projector that can show status or information to nearby people.

“Where physical human-robot interaction is expected, robots should be compliant and reactive to avoid human injury and hardware damage,” the researchers write in the paper describing the system. “Our goal is the realization of a robot arm and hand system which can physically interact with humans and gently manipulate objects.”

The mechanical parts of the arm are ordinary enough — it has an elbow and wrist and can move around the way many other robot arms do, using the same servos and such.

But around the joints are what look like big pillows, which the researchers call “force sensing modules.” They’re filled with air and can detect pressure on them. This has the dual effect of protecting the servos from humans and vice versa, while also allowing natural tactile interactions.

“Distributing individual modules over the various links of a robot provides contact force sensing over a large area of the robot and allows for the implementation of spatially aware, engaging physical human-robot interactions,” they write. “The independent sensing areas also allow a human to communicate with the robot or guide its motions through touch.”

Like hugging, as one of the researchers demonstrates:

Presumably in this case the robot (also presuming the rest of the robot) would understand that it is being hugged, and reciprocate or otherwise respond.

The fingers are also soft and filled with air; they’re created in a 3D printer that can lay down both rigid and flexible materials. Pressure sensors within each inflatable finger let the robot know whether, for example, one fingertip is pressing too hard or bearing all the weight, signaling it to adjust its grip.

This is still very much a prototype; the sensors can’t detect the direction of a force yet, and the materials and construction aren’t airtight by design, meaning they have to be continuously pumped full. But it still shows what they want it to show: that a traditional “hard” robot can be retrofitted into a soft one with a bit of ingenuity. We’re still a long way from Baymax, but it’s a more science than fiction now.

This soft robotic arm is straight out of Big Hero 6 (it’s even from Disney) was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Huawei’s P20 Pro has become its bestselling flagship device in Western Europe

It’s exactly a month since Huawei launched its new P20 series of smartphones that consists of the P20 Lite, P20, and the impressive P20 Pro with its trio of rear cameras and a superb finish. Huawei may be experiencing all sorts of strife with its now-canceled plans to expand into the US, but across the pond, […]

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Google is sticking with YouTube Music for their upcoming streaming service

Google is planning on dropping Google Play Music and forcing all the service’s users over to their upcoming music streaming service, which we’d heard was going to be called YouTube Remix. For better or worse, though, it looks like that name was just something internal and won’t be the official name. Instead, Google will be […]

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[TA Deals] Save over 50% on the world’s first surround sound earbuds

You’ve probably seen some stereo headphones that offer virtualized surround sound in either 5.1 or 7.1 flavors, giving you a full surround theater experience in a much more personal setup. But what about if you want that home theater effect without having to wear giant headphones? The 360 Earphone are exactly that. They’re the world’s […]

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Amazon bumps up yearly Prime membership to $119 from May 11th

Towards the tail-end of December last year, Amazon announced that more than 4 million shoppers signed up for Prime subscriptions during the holiday season, and in his annual shareholder’s letter, Jeff Bezos revealed that there are 100 million Prime subscribers in total. That’s a pretty big number of people who will be affected by the […]

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Google I/O 2018 gets updated ahead of this year’s event

As always, Google has updated its Google I/O application ahead of the 2018 event to include the latest information about everything you can get into during the annual conference. The update includes some nice interface tweaks to the latest Material Design standards, and it’s been slimmed down a bit from last year. You’ve got three […]

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MIST paints your walls so you don’t have to

If you’ve ever painted a room you know that getting every nook and cranny is pretty difficult and Tim Allen help you if you have hardwood or carpet. The tarp alone costs more than the paint. Now, thanks to MIST, your robot can manage the entire job, slapping paint up like a robotic Jackson Pollock.

The robot uses mapping technology and a sort of elevator-like neck to spray up and down walls. The team, which hails from the University of Waterloo, has finished their prototype and it’s called Maverick. The team has experience working at multiple big names including Apple and Facebook. It includes Shubham Aggarwal, Utkarsh Saini, Baraa Hamodi, Hammad Mirza, and Dhruv Sharma.

This is just the beginning for Maverick. The team plans on adding other features that make it easier to use.

“We actually plan on mounting a camera behind the sprayer so that it follows the sprayer up and down, and hence can use image processing to make decisions about whether to actuate the spray or not. We’ve already implemented this logic in software and even have a paint quality detection algorithm. That being said, we haven’t mounted the camera just yet as seen in this video,” the team said.

As you can see below the project involves a platform, arm, and spray system. The robot maps the room and then rolls around, hitting spots that are supposed to be painted and avoiding spots that aren’t. Obviously you’re going to want to tape up some spots but for the most part Maverick will blast your walls with a few layers of paint in the time it would take you to go down to the paint store.

I’ve reached out to the team for more information on their project but until then enjoy their jaunty video below. I, for one, welcome our robotic spraying overlords.

MIST paints your walls so you don’t have to was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Teradyne snatches up robot maker MiR in $272M deal

Teradyne, a prosaic-sounding but flush company that provides automated testing equipment for industrial applications, has acquired the Danish robotics company MiR for an eye-popping $148 million, with $124 million on the table after meeting performance goals.

MiR, which despite the lowercase “i” stands for Mobile Industrial Robots, does what you might guess. Founded in 2013, the company has grown steadily and had a huge 2017, tripling its revenues to $12 million after its latest robot, the MiR200, received high marks from customers.

MiR’s robots are of the warehouse sort, wheeled little autonomous fellows that can lift and pull pallets, boxes, and so on. They look a bit like the little ones that are always underfoot in Star Wars movies. It’s a natural fit for Teradyne, especially with the latter’s recent purchase of the well known Universal Robotics in a $350 million deal in 2015.

Testing loads of electronics and components may be a dry business, but it’s a booming one, because the companies that test faster ship faster. Any time efficiencies can be made in the process, be it warehouse logistics or assisting expert humans in sensitive procedures, one can be sure a company will be willing to pay for them.

Teradyne also noted (the Robot Report points out) that both companies take a modern approach to robots and how they interact and must be trained by people — the old paradigm of robotics specialists having to carefully program these things doesn’t scale well, and both UR and MiR were forward thinking enough to improve that pain point.

The plan is, of course, to take MiR’s successful technology global, hopefully recreating its success on a larger scale.

“My main focus is to get our mobile robots out to the entire world,” said MiR CSO and founder Niels Jul Jacobsen in the press release announcing the acquisition. “With Teradyne as the owner, we will have strong backing to ensure MiR’s continued growth in the global market.”

Teradyne snatches up robot maker MiR in $272M deal was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Check out a leaked render of the upcoming Moto Z3 Play

Motorola and Lenovo have had a rough year when it comes to leaks, with tons and tons of information and renders surfacing about their 2018 lineup well before any actual announcements. The only good news for Motorola is that we were already expecting a lot of these follow-up devices anyway, like the Moto Z3 Play. […]

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[TA Deals] Grab a lifetime VPN Unlimited subscription dirt cheap today

On Talk Android Deals, VPN Unlimited is our featured deal of the day. It’s lifetime access, too, so that you’re only making a one-time purchase and the service is yours forever. Secure public Wi-Fi connection: your data is hidden & encrypted Unlimited traffic bandwidth: no need to worry about your data usage Unlimited high-speed connection […]

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The ONE Smart Keyboard Pro lets you tickle the ivories with ease

While the ONE Smart Keyboard Pro doesn’t have a sweet demo tune nor can it play barking dog Jingle Bells without some help, it can teach you or your kids how to play piano. The elegant keyboard has 88 weighted keys that simulate a true mechanical piano and connects to your phone so you can learn to play at your own pace.

The Keyboard Pro costs $799 and is essentially a compact teaching keyboard. It can connect to your iOS or Android devices via an oddly shaped USB B cable and once it’s paired with the app you can run through simple songs – think Greensleeves – and more complex sheet music. This keyboard is weighted but not progressively which means that each key offers the same resistance, a consideration that might be important to some more experienced players. Further, you can connect a USB cable and connect the keyboard to your computer to use it as a MIDI controller.

Again, this is a very austere keyboard. It doesn’t do much aside from teach you how to play which, in the end, is what most of us need. Because it doesn’t have the expansive bells and whistles of a Casio and because most of the smarts are in the app itself, it’s a bit of a hard sell for most people. However, if you’re looking to learn, the ONE works.

This larger and more complete version of the One Smart Keyboard offers quality workmanship and design. The entire system is surprisingly sparse with nothing but a power button and volume on the front of the keyboard. There is an input for a sustain pedal as well as a few output jacks for headphones and that’s about it. Don’t expect to pick out instruments or pitch shift with this keyboard. Once you fire up the app you have access to teaching exercises and games that let you follow along on the LED-lit keyboard as you run through songs and scales. Finally, you can buy sheet music for $3.99 or so that you can learn to play on the ONE. There is also free sheet music available for those who want to play a little classical.

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I found the entire system to be quite usable and my kids, once they figured out how to slow down the music, jumped right in learning little songs. Nothing can quite teach you how to play piano like a human teacher – there aren’t enough smarts in this app to make adjustments based on your skill – but it’s the electronic equivalent of buying a Teach Yourself Piano book and sitting down in front of grandma’s old upright. I’m especially pleased with the quality of the keyboard. I’ve already had a few MIDI keyboards over the years including models from Casio and Yamaha and this one is on par with those. The teaching feature is the main draw here, as I noted before, because there is little else you can do with this keyboard right out of the box. However, if that’s what you’re looking for in a keyboard and you don’t want to sample bodily noises so you can play Farting Clair De Lune at the school talent show, this might be the model for you.

Learning to play on the One piano. pic.twitter.com/Ec2CVkmDEw

— John Biggs (@johnbiggs) April 26, 2018

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The ONE Smart Keyboard Pro lets you tickle the ivories with ease was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

This is a real life Transformer

The J-deite RIDE transformers from a vehicle to a robot just like the Megazord from Voltron. Specific information about the creation is a bit sketchy but the YouTube channel states it’s an electric vehicle and show the driver and passenger staying in their seat as it changes forms. It can even walk.

The whole process seems automated and takes just a few minutes. Sure, if this was a Michael Bay movie, this transformer wouldn’t stand a chance against the Jaegers that can change form in seconds. But this is real life and so I’m still impressed.

This is a real life Transformer was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Google’s new Tasks app is now available on the Play Store

Besides launching a refreshed Gmail yesterday, Google also released a dedicated app for the Tasks function, upgrading it from existing purely as an add-on within Gmail. The Tasks app features elements of the Material Design refresh we are expecting to see unveiled at Google I/O in just a couple of weeks time.  As you can see from […]

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Leaked iPhone pics show glass back and headphone jack

The headphone jack could still have a future in an iPhone. These leaked pics show an iPhone SE 2 with a glass back and headphone jack. Like the current iPhone SE, the design seems to be a take on the classic iPhone 5. I dig it.

The leak also states the upcoming device sports wireless charging, which puts it inline with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Rumors have long stated that Apple was working on an updated iPhone SE. The original was released in March 16 and updated a year later with improved specs. With a 4-inch screen, the iPhone SE is the smallest iPhone Apple offers and also the cheapest.

WWDC in early June is the next major Apple event and could play host for the launch of this phone. Last month, around the iPhone SE’s birthday, Apple held a special event in a Chicago school to launch an education-focused iPad. It’s logical that Apple pushed the launch of this new iPhone SE to WWDC to give the iPad event breathing room.

While Apple cut the headphone jack from its flagship devices, the SE looks to retain the connection. It makes sense. The low-cost iPhone is key for Apple in growing markets across the world where the last two models helped grow iOS’s market penetration. This is Apple’s low-cost offering and thus suggests Apple doesn’t expect buyers to also spring for its wireless earbuds.

If released at WWDC or later in the year, the iPhone SE looks to serve consumers who enjoy smaller phones with headphone jacks. That’s me.

Leaked iPhone pics show glass back and headphone jack was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Snapchat launches Spectacles V2, camera glasses you’ll actually wear

Photos, not just video. No yellow ring alerting people to the camera. Underwater-capable. Classier colors with lighter lenses. Prescription options. Faster syncing. And a much smaller charging case. Snapchat fixed the biggest pain points of its Spectacles camera sunglasses with V2, which launch today for $150. The company only sold 220,000 pairs of V1, with their limited functionality, tricky exports, and goofy style. But V2 is stylish, convenient, and useful enough to keep handy. They’re not revolutionary. They’re a wearable camera for everybody. 

You can check out our snazzy hands-on demo video below:

The new Spectacles go on sale today in the US, Canada, UK, and France, then in 13 more European countries on May 3rd. The $150 V2s are $20 more than the old version and only available on Snap’s app and site — no Amazon, pop-up stores or vending SnapBots. And V1 owners will get a firmware update that lets them take photos.

After two days of use, I think Spectacles v2 cross the threshold from clumsy novelty to creative tool accessible to the mainstream. And amidst user growth struggles, that’s what Snap needs right now. 

V1 Was To Get People Comfortable

What it doesn’t need is a privacy scandal, and that risk is the tradeoff Snap is making with its more discrete Spectacles design. They still display a little circle of white lights while recording, but without the permanent yellow ring on the corner you otherwise might not notice there’s a camera lens there. That could make people a little nervous and creeped out.

But the company’s VP of hardware Mark Randall tells me he thinks the true purpose of V1 was to get people comfortable wearing and being recorded by a face computer. It certainly wasn’t a consumer success, with less than half of owners using them after the first month. He said he feels pretty good about shipping 220,000 pairs. Yet Snapchat was roundly mocked for taking a $40 million write-off after making hundreds of thousands too many. Randall attributes that to having fragmented sales channels, which Snap is fixing by only selling V2 itself.

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Snap did learn that users wanted to take photos, get them in less flashy coral colors, bring Spectacles to the beach, pair them quicker with better resolution exports, and hear less wind noise when moving. And most importantly, they wanted something they didn’t feel weird wearing. So his team essentially scrapped the yellow warning ring, style, architecture, chipset, and electronics to build a better V2 from the ground up. The result rises high above its predecessor.

What’s Special About Spectacles V2

Snapchat isn’t making a spectacle out of the Spectacles V2 launch. There’s no hidden vending machines with cryptic clues leading to long lines. They’re openly for sale today in Snap’s four top markets, with IE, BE, NL, SE, NO, DK, FI, DE, AT, CH, PL, ES, and IT coming nex week. This might make sure everyone who wants them can have them before they inevitably stop being trendy and will have to rely on their true value.

As soon as you slide them out of their tennis ball tube package, you’ll notice a higher build quality in Spectacles V2. The yellow case is about 1/3 smaller, so you could squeeze it in some pants pockets or easily throw it in a jacket or purse. The old version you basically required a backpack. The charging port has also been moved to the side so it doesn’t fall out so easily. Even with the better hardware, Spectacles are supposed to have enough battery and memory to record 10 videos a day for a week on normal on a charge, plus carry four extra charges in the case.

The Spectacles themselves feel sleeker and less like chunky plastic. They come in onyx black, ruby red, and sapphire blue and you can choose between a more mirrored or natural lens color too. Users in the US can order them with prescription lenses through a partnership with Lensabl. Those colors are a lot more mature than the childish coral pink and teal of V1. More transparent lenses make them easier to use in lower light, so you won’t be restricted to just the sunniest days. I could even get by inside to some degree, whereas I was bumping into things indoors with V1.

The box holding the hardware on the hinges is now much smaller, making them lighter overall. An extra microphone helps Spectacles reduce wind noise and balance out conversations so the wearer doesn’t sound way louder.

It’s easy to long-press for a photo or tap for 10-second video, with extra taps extending the clip up to 30 seconds. Either fires up the light ring to let people know you’re recording, but this is much more subtle than the permanent yellow ring that was there as well on V1.

Snap Inc actually reduced the field of vision for Spectacles from 115 to 105 degrees to cut off some of the fish-eye warping that happened to the edges of clips shot on V1. Videos now record in 1216 x 1216 pixels, while photos are 1642 x 1642. What’s fun is that Spectacles can record under water. Randall doesn’t recommend diving to 200 feet with them, but jumping in the pool or getting caught in the rain will be no problem. In fact it can make for some pretty trippy visuals. Cheddar’s Alex Heath nailed most of these features in a scoop about V2 last month.

Syncing goes much faster with Spectacles V2

Syncing to your phone now just requires Bluetooth and a seven-second press of the shutter button, rather than a shoddy QR code scan. Exports always happens in HD now, and transfers go four times quicker than the old process that required you to sync standard definition (low quality) versions of videos first, then pick your favorites, then download them in HD. Randall says that led lots of people to accidentally or impatiently settle for SD content, which made Spectacles’ capture resolution seem much lower than its potential.

Annoyingly, you can only sync your Spectacles to Snapchat Memories first before exporting videos individually or as one big Story to your camera roll. That makes it a pain to share them elsewhere. You can only add stickers and drawings after you shoot and export your Spectacles Snaps, so that means there’s no adding augmented reality face filters or dancing hot dogs to what you see first-person.

Still, what really matters is the how the incremental improvements all add up to something much more liveable.

Snapchat may have finally found a way to make Spectacles carryable and wearable enough that people use them as their default sunglasses. That could lead to way more content being produced from Spectacles, which in turn could make Snapchat more interesting at a time when it’s desperate to differentiate from Instagram.

Snapchat launches Spectacles V2, camera glasses you’ll actually wear was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Amazon is releasing an Echo Dot Kids Edition with parental controls

Amazon is releasing a kid-friendly Echo Dot in a couple of weeks for $79.99. That’s $30 more than the original, but has new Amazon FreeTime content that’s tailored for kids. Parents will also get more control over what content their kids are exposed to. The hardware is virtually identical to the original, but now comes with […]

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Alexa integration comes to Meural Canvas, letting you use your voice to navigate the art world

Alexa can do just about everything if you ask it the right question in the right way. Today, it’s gaining a new skill, letting you move through artwork on the Meural Canvas digital artwork frame.

The company’s $595 device lets you browse artwork from new and emerging artists as well as publicly available classics.

One of the cool elements of the product has been the device’s gesture controls, which let people wave their hands in front of the frame to swipe through pieces of artwork. It makes a lot of sense to have a tactile control system when you’re showing something to guests or the device is in an easily accessible spot. If you’ve opted to hanging your device on a spot on the wall that’s a little bit tougher to reach, your best move has been to switch artwork with Meural’s mobile app or desktop site.

This update makes things a bit more seamless for smart home enthusiasts, and chances are that if you’re buying a smart painting, the rest of your house or apartment might have a voice assistant hub or two as well. It’s just Alexa integration for now, so Google Assistant or HomeKit users will have to wait, but for those in the Amazon ecosystem, you’ll be able to swipe through artwork by querying your Echo product.

Meural is one of the more notable startups in the digital art subscription space. For hardware that is ultimately just a high-end digital photo frame, the companies are more focused on the idea that a certain type of consumer is interested in a monthly subscription to digital art. It’s a wild idea that has been a tough one to chase. Another startup in the space, Electric Objects, shut down its hardware business and had its assets bought by Giphy last year.

Alexa integration comes to Meural Canvas, letting you use your voice to navigate the art world was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

The FDA is cracking down on Juul e-cig sales to minors

The FDA has its eye on Juul Labs, the e-cigarette company that has captured nearly half of the $2 billion e-cig market.

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced a new initiative called the Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan. While the agency is focused on making sure kids don’t have easy access to any e-cigs, the Juul vaporizer seems to be of particular concern to them.

As part of the initiative, the FDA has sent a request for information to Juul Labs in an effort to understand why young people are so attracted to the product.

Over the past year, a number of reports have suggested that teen vape use, especially with the Juul, is steeply on the rise.

The request is for documents related to “product marketing; research on the health, toxicological, behavioral or physiologic effects of the products, including youth initiation and use; whether certain product design features, ingredients or specifications appeal to different age groups; and youth-related adverse events and consumer complaints associated with the products.”

In response, Juul Labs issued a press release announcing its plan to combat underage use. The strategy includes an initial investment of $30 million over the next three years going towards independent research, youth and parent education and community engagement efforts. Juul Labs also said it will support federal and state initiatives to raise the legal minimum purchase age to 21+. The company website has required that purchasers be 21 or older since August 2017.

Here’s what Juul CEO Kevin Burns had to say about it:

Our company’s mission is to eliminate cigarettes and help the more than one billion smokers worldwide switch to a better alternative. We are already seeing success in our efforts to enable adult smokers to transition away from cigarettes and believe our products have the potential over the long-term to contribute meaningfully to public health in the U.S. and around the world. At the same time, we are committed to deterring young people, as well as adults who do not currently smoke, from using our products. We cannot be more emphatic on this point: No young person or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL.

Juul Labs is not the only organization that the FDA is cracking down on. The agency said it had sent out 40 warning letters to retailers selling e-cigs, including the Juul, to minors. Some of those retailers were caught as the result of a ‘blitz’ that has been underway since the beginning of April.

The agency has also asked eBay to take down all listings of Juul vaporizers, which run the risk of being sold to minors.

Alongside the FDA’s request for information from Juul Labs, the agency is also sending out similar letters to other e-cig manufacturers.

The FDA is cracking down on Juul e-cig sales to minors was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Instagram’s “Data Download” tool lets you save offline copies of your content

Instagram announced a couple of weeks ago that it would soon introduce a tool so users could download their information, similar to how Facebook users can. True to its word, Instagram has announced the availability of the tool that allows users to download their photos, videos, profile, info, comments, and archived Stories.  The “Data Download” […]

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[Deal] Save $10 on Anker’s Soundcore Vortex Wireless headphones plus

Anker may have only launched its Soundcore Vortex Wireless headphones a couple of days ago, but you can already grab them at a reduced price if you are quick on the button. The accessories maker has also discounted a wireless charger, dashcam, and a USB Type-C wall charger for good measure, which are all available […]

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[TA Deals] Save 96% on the Complete Six Sigma Training bundle

If you’re looking to make 2018 one of your most productive years yet, you might want to check out our daily deal on the Six Sigma certification bundle. Six Sigma is a data-driven improvement philosophy that uses a unique methodology to try and improve process outputs within organizations, which means this is something that’s going […]

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Huawei wants to make its AI voice assistant a little more sensitive

A small leak surfaced last month hinting at Huawei bringing its own AI voice assistant to the table to compete with Google Assistant and Alexa, but at the time there weren’t too many details about what would really make the AI stand out in a crowded market. The leak did point at the AI being […]

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[Deal] Save 39% on the small yet powerful Sbode M350 Bluetooth speaker

We recently reviewed Sbode’s newer, more compact M350 Bluetooth speaker, and found that it offers some serious sound in a very small form factor. Plus, it’s loaded with features like a built-in FM radio and support for a microSD card. If you’re tempted, Sbode is sweetening that value even further by running a pretty aggressive […]

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Google’s new features in their overhauled Gmail update is rolling out

Earlier today Google started the process of rolling out an overhaul of their Gmail web interface. Signs of the impending changes were first spotted a couple weeks ago. Google is planning to freshen up the interface and will be adding to the main interface to make it easier for users to access related tools. The […]

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[Sponsored] BESTEK’s Smart Plug is a new, affordable way to automate your home

Automating your house and buying smart electronics can be a headache at times, and honestly, it can get pretty expensive. BESTEK wants to make that experience a little bit better, though. Their newly announced Smart Plug is a WiFi-enabled smart outlet that’s simple to use, and best of all, isn’t ridiculously expensive. The Smart Plug […]

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LG gives a peek at the upcoming display for LG G7 ThinQ

With LG back on track to release their next flagship level smartphone, the LG G7 ThinQ, the company has provided some information about the display and how it will stand out from what is available on the market today. Keep in mind that LG officials earlier this year temporarily halted release of the G7 while […]

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The OnePlus 6 will launch on May 16 in London, fans can buy tickets to attend!

With a build-up of leaks, both official and otherwise, about the OnePlus 6 sporting a rear glass panel, a notched display, Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of built-in storage, it should come as no surprise to learn that OnePlus’ latest flagship will launch on May 15. The unveiling will be held in London […]

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Spotify for Free, an improved ad-supported experience, is rolling out globally

Spotify has redesigned its app for the 90 million Android and iOS users around the globe that use the free service. Better music discovery and customization will be offered in an ad-supported environment, which is a fair compromise for those not wanting to pay a monthly fee. On-demand playlists can now replace the often frustrating […]

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We put the Nintendo Labo to the test

The Nintendo Labo is for kids so we took Nintendo’s latest product to its target audience. Our resident toy testers Kasper, Milla, and Guthrie went hands-on with this cool STEM system. They cut, folded, and played for almost an hour and finally gave their rousing review including near perfect scores from each of the judges. It’s great to see Nintendo thinking outside (or inside) the box.

We put the Nintendo Labo to the test was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

PUBG Mobile hits version 0.4.0, includes new arcade mode, controls, and more

PUBG Mobile has officially been updated to version 0.4.0, and it’s a pretty sizable update with some new features and control options to improve your game. The biggest changes are a new Arcade Mode, a Training Ground, and a Dusk setting. The Arcade Mode is a smaller mode with specific item modifiers, which sounds like […]

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In-car delivery now available for Amazon Prime members

Last fall Amazon took a step toward trying to provide a more secure delivery solution for Amazon Prime members who were ordering physical goods from the company. Knowing what a ripe target Amazon boxes left on doorsteps and front porches make, Amazon launched Amazon Key which enabled delivery drivers to enter a home to leave […]

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Google is about to double down on podcasts

Podcasts are a weird piece of Android, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. Contrast it with Apple’s podcast integration and you get a pretty ugly picture, for example. On an iPhone, podcasts have their own standalone app called Podcasts, users have a full library and store to browse and store their […]

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[TA Deals] Pay what you want for the 2018 Machine Learning Bundle

Machine learning is one of the biggest trends in current development and tech circles, and you’re going to want to stay in the loop with something this big. Right now we’re offering a comprehensive machine learning bundle that includes several ebooks and educational courses, and it won’t break the bank. The bundle includes six ebooks […]

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Alphabet’s Q1 earnings call reveals Nest posted a $621m loss

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has announced its first-quarter earnings for 2018, which on first glance show impressive growth in both revenues and operating income of 26% ($26.1 billion) and 22% ($7 billion). This is incredible growth for such a big company that employs around 85,000 employees globally. But not all of Alphabets companies are in […]

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Sbode M350 Bluetooth speaker review: small package, big features

There’s no shortage of Bluetooth speakers on the market, but we’re starting to see a trend towards speakers in smaller form factors with more features. Voice assistants, fast charging, surround sound, you name it; if you can imagine it, someone’s probably tried it. We recently reviewed Sbode’s wireless Bluetooth speaker that offered a really, really […]

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Meet the quantum blockchain that works like a time machine

A new – and theoretical – system for blockchain-based data storage could ensure that hackers will not be able to crack cryptocurrencies once we all enter the quantum era. The idea, proposed by researchers at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, would secure our crypto futures for decades to coming using a blockchain technology that is like a time machine.

You can check out their findings here.

To understand what’s going on here we have to define some terms. A blockchain stores every transaction in a system on what amounts to an immutable record of events. The work necessary for maintaining and confirming this immutable record is what is commonly known as mining. But this technology – which the paper’s co-author Del Rajan claims will make up “10 percent of global GDP… by 2027” – will become insecure in an era of quantum computers.

Therefore the solution is to store a blockchain in a quantum era requires a quantum blockchain using a series of entangled photons. Further, Spectrum writes: “Essentially, current records in a quantum blockchain are not merely linked to a record of the past, but rather a record in the past, one does that not exist anymore.”

Yeah, it’s weird.

From the paper intro:

Our method involves encoding the blockchain into a temporal GHZ (Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger) state of photons that do not simultaneously coexist. It is shown that the entanglement in time, as opposed to an entanglement in space, provides the crucial quantum advantage. All the subcomponents of this system have already been shown to be experimentally realized. Perhaps more shockingly, our encoding procedure can be interpreted as non-classically influencing the past; hence this decentralized quantum blockchain can be viewed as a quantum networked time machine.

In short the quantum blockchain is immutable because the photons that it contains do not exist in the current time but are still extant and readable. This means you can see the entire blockchain but you cannot “touch” it and the only entry you would be able to try to tamper with is the most recent one. In fact, the researchers write, “In this spatial entanglement case, if an attacker tries to tamper with any photon, the full blockchain would be invalidated immediately.”

Is this really possible? The researchers note that the technology already exists.

“Our novel methodology encodes a blockchain into these temporally entangled states, which can then be integrated into a quantum network for further useful operations. We will also show that entanglement in time, as opposed to entanglement in space, plays the pivotal role for the quantum benefit over a classical blockchain,” the authors write. “As discussed below, all the subsystems of this design have already been shown to be experimentally realized. Furthermore, if such a quantum blockchain were to be constructed, we will show that it could be viewed as a quantum networked time machine.”

Don’t worry about having to update your Bitcoin wallet, though. This process is still very theoretical and not at all available to mere mortals. That said, it’s nice to know someone is looking out for our quantum future, however weird it may be.

Meet the quantum blockchain that works like a time machine was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Leaked image shows the LG G7 ThinQ from all angles, reveals an audio jack

With just over a week to go until the official launch of LG’s G7 ThinQ on May 2, it’s difficult to think how the phone maker has any surprises left up its sleeve. From previously leaks we already know LG’s new flagship will sport an MLCD+ display with a notch, that there’s a Snapdragon 845 […]

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Bag Week is coming and we need your recommendations

Every year your faithful friends at TechCrunch spend an entire week looking at bags. Why? Because bags – often ignored but full of our important electronics – are the outward representations of our techie styles and we put far too little thought into where we keep our most prized possessions.

To that end we need your help. Do you have a favorite bag we should check out? Do you make a bag we should check out? Is there a bag we should avoid? We’ve created this form to gather bag and bag-related information. If you’re a manufacturer just add a link to your wares and we’ll be in touch. If you are a civilian and simply love a bag (or hate it) add as much info as you’d like and include a rating. We’ll pick a few brand new backs and some old standbys you recommend.

Considering we spend months carrying around our laptop and gear bags they deserve a closer look. That’s what Bag Week is about and we hope you can help us out with some recommendations. Our back and shoulders will thank you.

Bag Week is coming and we need your recommendations was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Unstoppable exploit in Nintendo Switch opens door to homebrew and piracy

The Nintendo Switch may soon be a haven for hackers, but not the kind that want your data — the kind that want to run SNES emulators and Linux on their handheld gaming consoles. A flaw in an Nvidia chip used by the Switch, detailed today, lets power users inject code into the system and modify it however they choose.

The exploit, known as Fusée Gelée, was first hinted at by developer Kate Temkin a few months ago. She and others at ReSwitched worked to prove and document the exploit, sending it to Nvidia and Nintendo, among others.

Although responsible disclosure is to be applauded, it won’t make much difference here: this flaw isn’t the kind that can be fixed with a patch. Millions of Switches are vulnerable, permanently, to what amounts to a total jailbreak; only new ones with code tweaked at the factory will be immune.

That’s because the flaw is baked into the read-only memory of the Nvidia Tegra X1 used in the Switch and a few other devices. It’s in the “Boot and Power Management Processor” to be specific, where a misformed packet sent during a routine USB device status check allows the connected device to send up to 64 kibibytes (65,535 bytes) of extra data that will be executed without question. You need to get into recovery mode first, but that’s easy.

As you can imagine, getting arbitrary code to run on a device that deep in its processes is a huge, huge vulnerability. Fortunately it’s only available to someone with direct, physical access to the Switch. But that in itself makes it an extremely powerful tool for anyone who wants to modify their own console.

Modding consoles is done for many reasons, and indeed piracy is among them. But people also want to do things Nintendo won’t let them, like back up their saved games, run custom software like emulators, or extend the capabilities of the OS beyond the meager features the company has provided.

Temkin and her colleagues had planned to release the vulnerability publicly on June 15 or when someone releases the vulnerability independent of them — whichever came first. It turned out to be the latter, which apparently came as a surprise to no one in the community. The X1 exploit seems to have been something of an open secret.

The exploit was released anonymously by some hacker and Temkin accordingly published the team’s documentation of it on GitHub. If that’s too technical, there’s also some more plain-language chatter about the flaw in a FAQ posted earlier this month. I’ve asked Temkin for a few more details.

In addition to Temkin, failOverflow announced a small device that will short a pin in the USB connector and put the device into recovery mode, prepping it for exploitation. And Team-Xecuter was advertising a similar hardware attack months ago.

The answer to the most obvious question is no, you can’t just fire this up and start playing Wave Race 64 (or a pirated Zelda) on your Switch 15 minutes from now. The exploit still requires technical ability to implement, though as with many other hacks of this type, someone will likely graft it to a nice GUI that guides ordinary users through the process. (It certainly happened with the NES and SNES Classic Editions.)

Although the exploit can’t be patched away with a software update, Nintendo isn’t powerless. It’s likely that a modified Switch would be barred from the company’s online services (such as they are) and possibly the user’s account as well. So although the hacking process is, compared with the soldering required for modchips of decades past, low on risk, it isn’t a golden ticket.

That said, Fusée Gelée will almost certainly open the floodgates for developers and hackers who care little for Nintendo’s official ecosystem and would rather see what they can get this great piece of hardware to do on their own.

I’ve asked Nintendo and Nvidia for comment and will update when I hear back.

Unstoppable exploit in Nintendo Switch opens door to homebrew and piracy was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Meizu launches new Meizu 15 series of smartphones

Meizu announced the launch of three new smartphones today that will make up their new Meizu 15 series of smartphones. The new devices stick to some older design cues from the smartphone market, sticking with some bezels, a 16:9 aspect ratio for the displays, and no signs of a notch anywhere. The hardware included suggests […]

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[Deal] Anker discounts selected accessories to celebrate launch of new Soundcore Vortex headphones

If you are thinking about buying some new headphones with noise canceling technology that doesn’t cost the earth, Anker has you covered. The accessories maker has just launched its new Soundcore Vortex Wireless Over-Ear headphones, and to celebrate, it has also discounted a bunch of other items from 26-35%.  The Soundcore Vortex headphones come with Anker’s 18-month […]

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[TA Deals] Sleep better with a discounted Pzizz Pro subscription

Sleep is important, and I think that might be one of the only things that we can all universally agree with. Sometimes good sleep can be hard to come by, though, but with modern smartphones there are apps that can help with that. One of those apps, Pzizz Pro, is actually available with a discount […]

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Pete Lau confirms OnePlus 6 will sport a glass rear panel and “premium hand-feel”

It’s no secret that OnePlus is winding up the hype machine in preparation for launching its latest flagship, the OnePlus 6. We already know the specifications the OnePlus 6 will likely feature, the presence of a notched display that can be switched on and off via software settings, and even the tie-up with the upcoming Avenger: Infinity […]

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Glowforge opens public orders for its desktop 3D laser cutter

Hardware startup Glowforge, which makes a desktop laser cutter and engraver for home or office use, has finally opened up sales to the general public.

The maker-targeted device, which can ‘print’ (read: engrave/laser cut) a variety of materials including leather, wood, acrylic, glass, and even the metal surface of a Macbook, starts at $2,495 for the entry level machine, rising to a full $5,995 for the pro model — which is billed as faster, able to print larger items, and capable of running for longer periods.

With a starter price-tag of $2.5k Glowforge is clearly not for everyone. Though arguably it does offer more creative bang for your buck than, say, the equally expensive Skydio face-tracking selfie drone. But horses for courses, and all that.

The Seattle-based startup has also topped up with $10M more in VC funding, according GeekWire, from existing investors True Ventures and Foundry Group — who also backed its $22M Series B, in mid 2016, and an earlier $9M Series A.

Glowforge has raised just over $60M at this point, according to Crunchbase, including pulling in almost $30M in pre-sales via a crowdfunding campaign back in 2015. We first covered the hardware startup ahead of that, when it announced its Series A.

Safe to say, it’s been a long journey to turn the founders’ novel idea and prototype into a market-ready and robust laser cutter — and get that into all its backers’ hands.

It’s also clearly been a frustrating process at times. But Glowforge now at least appears confident it can fulfill orders in a timely fashion — it’s offering a May 3 shipping date to new buyers (within the US).

That said, it does not look like all original backers have had their device shipped though.

According to founder Dan Shapiro’s comments to GeekWire, there are some backers who still haven’t got their device — for a few different reasons. “There’s some folks who haven’t replied, asked us not to send it yet, or live in a country that’s awaiting regulatory approval,” he told it.

A quasi-optional air filter component for the Glowforge — which costs an additional $995 — also isn’t shipping until November. (A note on the website says the machine can be used without it, though in that case it warns the placement of the machine “needs a window or 4″ dryer hose”.)

 

Glowforge opens public orders for its desktop 3D laser cutter was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Apple is offering free battery replacement for some MacBook Pro units

Apple is offering free battery replacements for some 13-inch MacBook Pro (without Touch Bar) laptops that may have a faulty component.

The company announced recently that a limited number of these devices have a component that may fail, which would case the original built-in battery to expand. While Apple says this isn’t a safety issue, it wants to solve the problem as quickly as possible with free battery replacements.

The models that might be affected were manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017.

Think your MacBook Pro might be eligible?

Apple has set up a website for the replacement program where users can input their device’s serial number to check for eligibility. 

This isn’t the first time Apple has offered a battery replacement. In fact, Apple famously found itself in hot water last year when users learned that the company was slowing down older iPhones in an attempt to save power on older batteries. The company responded by offering $29 battery replacement in iPhones.

Apple is offering free battery replacement for some MacBook Pro units was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Huawei P20 Pro review: A top notch contender despite the controversy

2018 has been an interesting year for Huawei; the company’s US expansion plans with American carriers was canned just hours it was supposed to happen at CES 2018, and  things haven’t gotten any better since. The Chinese handset maker was dropped from shelves at Best Buy and certain US agencies are even advising against buying their products. While there […]

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