Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition officially unveiled

At a press conference in Shenzhen today, Xiaomi introduced several new products. The first one we check out is the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, one of three variants of the phone launched today and the most powerful option for interested buyers. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition includes hardware that puts it on par […]

Come comment on this article: Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition officially unveiled

Visit TalkAndroid

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition officially unveiled appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

[TA Deals] Save 33% on the KeySmart Pro with Tile location tracker

If you’re bad about losing your car keys, you’d probably benefit from a smart tracker that you could slap on your keys to find with your smartphone. The device uses Tile’s location tracking and can hold up to 10 keys, completely taking the headache out of finding your keys in the morning. Holds up to […]

Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Save 33% on the KeySmart Pro with Tile location tracker

Visit TalkAndroid

[TA Deals] Save 33% on the KeySmart Pro with Tile location tracker appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Podcasts come to Plex along with new interface tweaks

Tired of waiting on Google start taking podcasts seriously? If you already have a Plex server up and going, why not just roll your podcasts in with your music and movies? Plex has started to roll out a new podcasts section in the Plex app, starting with their mobile apps. Best of all, you don’t […]

Come comment on this article: Podcasts come to Plex along with new interface tweaks

Visit TalkAndroid

Podcasts come to Plex along with new interface tweaks appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Nokia closes digital health business sale to Withings founder Eric Carreel, who plans relaunch by EOY

Nokia has closed the books on its unlucky foray into digital health devices and services, and with it, a business is marking its return to the world of startups. Today, the Finnish telecoms giant announced that it has closed the sale of its digital health division, along with 200 employees, to Eric Carreel, the former chairman and co-founder of Withings. Now Carreel plans to relaunch the business once again under the Withings brand by the end of this year, with products focused on preventive health.

Withings had formed the core of Nokia’s digital health business after it acquired the company, famous for its smart scales, in 2016 for €170 million. Nokia later rebranded the business as Nokia Digital Health.

“I am delighted to start working again with the brilliant teams that made the brand such a great success” said Carreel in a statement. “We have an exciting challenge ahead of us as we continue to push the boundaries of connected health.”

The deal comes less than a month after Nokia announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Carreel for the sale, part of a larger reorganization at the company to refocus away from unprofitable businesses.

There were no financial terms revealed in the sale, nor any details about how the new Withings will be financed. (We are asking.) In its previous incarnation as a startup before its exit to Nokia, Withings had raised just under $34 million with investors including Bpifrance, Ininvest and and Ventech starting in 2008. The new startup will be based out of Paris with operations also in the U.S. and Asia.

Alongside the news about Withings, there are some executive changes at Nokia, too.

Gregory Lee — who joined the Nokia Technologies division in part to restructure the business by hiving off unprofitable operations like digital health — is now leaving the company altogether. Maria Varsellona, who is the company’s Chief Legal Officer, will now also be the president of Nokia Technologies.

This change makes some (disheartening) sense: Nokia has a huge trove of patents from its long history, which included helping forge and for a long time leading the mobile phone industry. While Nokia’s mobile phone business eventually collapsed, quite dramatically, it has held on to a number of patents, and has added to that in recent years. And this is why it is unsurprising to have Nokia’s legal head also leading its Technologies division: it shows where the company’s priorities are today. 

Back at Withings, in addition to connected scales, the company today makes activity tracking watches, blood pressure monitors, a smart thermometer, and a sleep tracking pad, which work with an app it calls Health Mate. The focus on preventive health sounds like it will keep all of these in place.

The story of hardware startups is one of many optimistic and often exciting ideas, but also a lot of failures, as the realities set in of developing supply chains, trying to find the right economies of scale and of course finding customers for your shiny new gadgets. Withings is some way out of the initially hard part of simply getting products designed, working, made and out into the market, but it will still have to contend with keeping the business operating and growing — challenges that Nokia clearly could not surmount.

One thing in its favor is the rise of AI and the general expansion of possibilities that come with all the data that can now be collected. Putting aside clunkers like Theranos, a number of startups — such as Ava, which is focusing on women’s health — have been exploring not just what kind of data they can gather from wearables and other devices, but how to “read” that data and match it up with new understanding about disease pathology and health, to gain more insights about us and how we work.

This seems to be the direction that Withings hopes to go, too.

“We are still only just starting to discover what connected health can really bring to people,” said Carreel in a statement. “From now on we must concentrate our efforts on developing tools capable of advanced measurements and the associated services that can help prevent chronic health conditions. Today’s technologies allow us to imagine solutions that have the potential to benefit the lives of millions of people, and our ambition is to ensure that we, as Withings, lead the way with technological advances and intuitive designs.”

Nokia closes digital health business sale to Withings founder Eric Carreel, who plans relaunch by EOY was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

UK puts legal limits on drone flight heights and airport no-fly zones

The UK has announced new stop-gap laws for drone operators restricting how high they can fly their craft — 400ft — and prohibiting the devices from being flown within 1km of an airport boundary. The measures will come into effect on July 30.

The government says the new rules are intended to enhance safety, including the safety of passengers of aircraft — given a year-on-year increase in reports of drone incidents involving aircraft. It says there were 93 such incidents reported in the country last year, up from 71 the year before.

And while the UK’s existing Drone Code (which was issued in 2016) already warns operators to restrict drone flights to 400ft — and to stay “well away” from airports and aircraft — those measures are now being baked into law, via an amendment to the 2016 Air Navigation Order (ahead of a full drone bill which was promised for Spring but still hasn’t materialized yet).

UK drone users who flout the new height and airport boundary restrictions face being charged with recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or any person in an aircraft — which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine, or both.

Additional measures are also being legislated for, as announced last summer — with a requirement for owners of drones weighing 250 grams or more to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and for drone pilots to take an online safety test.

Users who fail to register or sit the competency tests could face fines of up to £1,000. Though those requirements will come into force later, on November 30 2019.

Commenting in a statement, aviation minister Baroness Sugg said: “We are seeing fast growth in the numbers of drones being used, both commercially and for fun. Whilst we want this industry to innovate and grow, we need to protect planes, helicopters and their passengers from the increasing numbers of drones in our skies. These new laws will help ensure drones are used safely and responsibly.”

In a supporting statement, Chris Woodroofe, Gatwick Airport’s COO, added: “We welcome the clarity that today’s announcement provides as it leaves no doubt that anyone flying a drone must stay well away from aircraft, airports and airfields. Drones open up some exciting possibilities but must be used responsibly. These clear regulations, combined with new surveillance technology, will help the police apprehend and prosecute anyone endangering the traveling public.”

Last fall the UK government also announced it plans to legislate to give police more powers to ground drones to prevent unsafe or criminal usage — measures it also said it would include in the forthcoming drone bill.

UK puts legal limits on drone flight heights and airport no-fly zones was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Xiaomi’s new fitness band has 20-day battery life and 50-meter water resistance

Xiaomi’s very-iPhone-X-looking Mi 8 smartphone was the highlight of its Shenzhen press event today, but the company did also unveil a number of other notable products, including an updated version of its popular fitness band.

The Mi Band has always offered a solid performance at around $30 — to the point that I’ve bought two of them for myself — and the third incarnation pushes things further. Mi Band 3 includes a longer 20 days of battery life per charge, 50-meter water resistance and a new band design that Xiaomi touts as being both more comfortable and more secure on your wrist.

Like the Mi Band 2, the third-gen tracker includes a pulse monitor and the usual fitness tracking. It syncs to the Xiaomi Mi Fit app, with data exportation to other services possible.

The Mi Band isn’t a full blown fitness band, for example it doesn’t include GPS so it won’t help you track runs on apps like Strava, but at just 69 yuan, or around $25, it is a seriously cheap option. The Mi Band 3 will make its debut in China first, where it’ll come in a choice of red, black and blue. Like most Xiaomi products, we’ll have to wait on details of international availability but it will almost certainly be sold outside of China soon.

Aside from the Mi Band 3 and Mi 8, Xiaomi also unveiled its Mi VR Standalone product, which was developed alongside Facebook-owned Oculus, which is now home to former Xiaomi international executive Hugo Barra. Xiaomi also took the wraps off its largest smart TV to date, the 75-inch Mi TV 4.

Xiaomi’s new fitness band has 20-day battery life and 50-meter water resistance was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

More speakers, panels at The Europas, and how to get your ticket free

The Europas Unconference & Awards is back on 3 July in London and we’re excited to announce more speakers and panel sessions as the event takes shape. Crypto and Blockchain will be a major theme this year, and we’re bringing together many of the key players. TechCrunch is once again the key media partner, and if you attend The Europas you’ll be first in the queue to get offers for TC events and Disrupt Europe later in the year.

You can also potentially get your ticket for free just by sharing your own ticket link with friends and followers. See below for the details and instructions.

To recap, we’re jumping straight into our popular breakout sessions where you’ll get up close and personal with some of Europe’s leading investors, founders and thought leaders.

The Unconference is focused into zones including AI, Fintech, Mobility, Startups, Society, and Enterprise and Crypto / Blockchain.

Our Crypto HQ will feature two tracks of panels, one focused on investing and the other on how blockchain is disrupting everything from financial services, to gaming, to social impact to art.

We’ve lined up some of the leading blockchain VCs to talk about what trends and projects excite them most, including Outlier Ventures’ Jamie Burke, KR1’s George McDonaugh, blockchain angel Nancy Fenchay, Fabric Ventures’ Richard Muirhead and Michael Jackson of Mangrove Capital Partners.

Thinking of an ICO vs crowdfunding? Join Michael Jackson on how ICOs are disrupting venture capital and Ali Ganjavian, co-founder of Studio Banana, the creators of longtime Kickstarter darling OstrichPillow to understand the ins and outs of both.

We’ve also lined up a panel to discuss the process of an ICO – what do you need to consider, the highs, the lows, the timing and the importance of community. Linda Wang, founder and CEO of Lending Block, which recently raised $10 million in an April ICO, joins us.

We are thrilled to announce that Civil, the decentralised marketplace for sustainable journalism, will be joining to talk about the rise of fake news and Verisart’s Robert Norton will share his views on stamping out fraud in the art world with blockchain. Min Teo of ConsenSys will discuss blockchain and social impact and Jeremy Millar, head of Consensys UK, will speak on Smart Contracts.

Our Pathfounders Startup Zone is focused purely on startups. Our popular Meet the Press panel is back where some of tech’s finest reporters will tell you what makes a great tech story, and how to pitch (and NOT pitch them). For a start, TechCrunch’s Steve O’Hear and Quartz’s Joon Ian Wong are joining.

You’ll also hear from angels and investors including Seedcamp’s Carlos Eduardo Espinal; Eileen Burbidge of Passion Capital; Accel Partners’ Andrei Brasoveanu; Jeremy Yap; Candice Lo of Blossom Capital; Scott Sage of Crane Venture Partners; Tugce Ergul of Angel Labs; Stéphanie Hospital of OneRagtime; Connect Ventures’ Sitar Teli and Jason Ball of Qualcomm Ventures.

Sound great? You can grab your ticket here:

Early bird ticket sales end on Friday! Remember, you can end up getting your ticket for free.

All you need to do is share your personal ticket link. Your friends get 15% off, and you get 15% off again when they buy.

The more your friends buy, the more your ticket cost goes down, all the way to free!

The Public Voting in the awards ends 11 June 2018 11:59: https://theeuropas.polldaddy.com/s/theeuropas2018

We’re still looking for sponsor partners to support these editorially curated panels.

Please get in touch with Petra@theeuropas.com for more details.

SPEAKERS SO FAR:

Jamie Burke, Outlier Ventures

Jeremy Millar, ConsenSys

Linda Wang, Lending Block

Robert Norton, Verisart

George McDonaugh, KR1

Eileen Burbidge, Passion Capital

Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Seedcamp

Sitar Teli, Connect Ventures

Michael Jackson, Mangrove Capital Partners

Min Teo, ConsenSys

Steve O’Hear, TechCrunch

Joon Ian Wong, Quartz

Richard Muirhead, Fabric Ventures

Nancy Fechnay, Blockchain Technologist + Angel

Candice Lo, Blossom Capital

Scott Sage, Crane Venture Partners

Andrei Brasoveanu, Accel

Tina Baker, Jag Shaw Baker

Jeremy Yap

Candice Lo, Blossom Capital

Tugce Ergul, Angel Labs

Stéphanie Hospital, OneRagtime

Jason Ball, Qualcomm Ventures

The Europas Awards
The Europas Awards are based on voting by expert judges and the industry itself. But key to the daytime is all the speakers and invited guests. There’s no “off-limits speaker room” at The Europas, so attendees can mingle easily with VIPs and speakers.

Vote for your Favourite Startups

Public Voting is still humming along. Please remember to vote for your favourite startups!

Awards by category:

Hottest Media/Entertainment Startup

Hottest E-commerce/Retail Startup

Hottest Education Startup

Hottest Startup Accelerator

Hottest Marketing/AdTech Startup

Hottest Games Startup

Hottest Mobile Startup

Hottest FinTech Startup

Hottest Enterprise, SaaS or B2B Startup

Hottest Hardware Startup

Hottest Platform Economy / Marketplace

Hottest Health Startup

Hottest Cyber Security Startup

Hottest Travel Startup

Hottest Internet of Things Startup

Hottest Technology Innovation

Hottest FashionTech Startup

Hottest Tech For Good

Hottest A.I. Startup

Fastest Rising Startup Of The Year

Hottest GreenTech Startup of The Year

Hottest Startup Founders

Hottest CEO of the Year

Best Angel/Seed Investor of the Year

Hottest VC Investor of the Year

Hottest Blockchain/Crypto Startup Founder(s)

Hottest Blockchain Protocol Project

Hottest Blockchain DApp

Hottest Corporate Blockchain Project

Hottest Blockchain Investor

Hottest Blockchain ICO (Europe)

Hottest Financial Crypto Project

Hottest Blockchain for Good Project

Hottest Blockchain Identity Project

Hall Of Fame Award – Awarded to a long-term player in Europe

The Europas Grand Prix Award (to be decided from winners)

The Awards celebrates the most forward thinking and innovative tech & blockchain startups across over some 30+ categories.

Startups can apply for an award or be nominated by anyone, including our judges. It is free to enter or be nominated.

Instead of thousands and thousands of people, think of a great summer event with 1,000 of the most interesting and useful people in the industry, including key investors and leading entrepreneurs.

• No secret VIP rooms, which means you get to interact with the Speakers

• Key Founders and investors speaking; featured attendees invited to just network

• Expert speeches, discussions, and Q&A directly from the main stage

• Intimate “breakout” sessions with key players on vertical topics

• The opportunity to meet almost everyone in those small groups, super-charging your networking

• Journalists from major tech titles, newspapers and business broadcasters

• A parallel Founders-only track geared towards fund-raising and hyper-networking

• A stunning awards dinner and party which honors both the hottest startups and the leading lights in the European startup scene

• All on one day to maximise your time in London. And it’s sunny (probably)!

That’s just the beginning. There’s more to come…

More speakers, panels at The Europas, and how to get your ticket free was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

ASUS announces a motherboard just for crypto-mining

Mining hardware is weird stuff. Either it’s commodity hardware used – inefficiently – for complex computation or specifically-designed, expensive boards that can be used to bring in Bitcoin and little else. Asus, a motherboard maker of some renown, is now helping bridge the gap.

The H370 Mining Master is a basic motherboard that supports 20 graphics cards, the boards used for Ethereum and other less resource-intensive scripts. The cards connect via PCIe-over-USB and each port has is individually controlled and managed by on-board diagnostics. This lets you ensure that each graphics card is running properly and fully connected.

From the release:

Less time maintaining your machine means more time mining with it, which is why the H370 Mining Master includes a suite of diagnostic features designed to make your platform easier to manage. Chief among them is GPU State Detection, which scans the system at boot and indicates whether each riser port is empty, connected to a functional graphics card, or experiencing problems. The updated State Detection GUI clearly identifies the location and status of each port along with the alphanumeric code that identifies it. Onboard diagnostics are augmented by individual debug LEDs that light up when there are problems with specific system components, like the CPU or memory.

The boards also has a number of cryptocurrency features that are activated “out of the box.”

The board ships in Q3 2018 for a few hundred dollars – a far cry from the massive costs associated with custom hardware. Now you just need to power all those massive graphics cards to keep the mining gear going.

ASUS announces a motherboard just for crypto-mining was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

The Motorola One Power will be Moto’s Android One notched smartphone

Motorola and Lenovo have apparently been pretty quiet while working on a brand new Android One smartphone, but a massive leak has pinned down almost everything there is to know about the device, courtesy of AndroidHeadlines. The phone itself looks to be called the Motorola One Power, which is odd in that Lenovo has stuck […]

Come comment on this article: The Motorola One Power will be Moto’s Android One notched smartphone

Visit TalkAndroid

The Motorola One Power will be Moto’s Android One notched smartphone appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Google Fi adds support for the Moto G6, LG’s G7 and V35 phones

Project Fi, Google’s wireless service, is getting support for a number of new phones today. Until now, if you wanted to switch to Fi, the only officially supported phones were Google’s own Pixel and Pixel 2 phones, the Nexus 5X and 6P, as well as the Moto X4 and its Android One variant. Today, Google is adding the Moto G6, as well as LG’s G7 ThinQ and V35 ThinQ phones to this list.

Since Google’s network is a bit different from its competitors, thanks to Fi’s ability to switch between the networks of T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular to provide users access to the strongest signal in a given area, the company has always taken a very strict approach as to which phones it officially supported.

If you want to make the switch to Fi, which also recently introduced its own take on its competitors’ flat-rate plans, then the 32GB version of the 5.7-inch Moto G6 is now available for $199 (discounted from $249). The two LG phones will be coming to Fi next month for their standard retail prices of $899 for the V35 and $749 for the G7. While Google isn’t offering any major outright discount for the LG phones, those who pre-order one will get a $50 Fi credit.

It’s worth noting that the V35, LG’s new a 6-inch flagship phone, only launched today and is essentially a G7 with more RAM, a different display and larger battery. The phone was originally rumored to be an AT&T exclusive, but I guess we can put that idea to rest now.

Both the G7 and Moto G6 have generally received favorable reviews. Google also currently offers the Moto X4 for a heavily discounted $249, but that still makes the G6 the most affordable option for Fi. This may create a bit of confusion for potential users, though, as those are quite similar and it’s hard to figure out which one to pick (just like choosing between the G7 and V35). At the same time, though, it’s nice to see Google add more options for its Project Fi customers.

LG adds more AI camera features and a notch for the G7 ThinQ

Google Fi adds support for the Moto G6, LG’s G7 and V35 phones was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

LG announces the V35 ThinQ to compete against itself

LG just announced the G7 ThinQ a few weeks ago, but they’re ready to shock and awe us again with yet another brand new phone. This time it’s the V35 ThinQ, marking the second upgrade to the V30 that LG has made, putting their second flagship on par with the G7. Is it a confusing […]

Come comment on this article: LG announces the V35 ThinQ to compete against itself

Visit TalkAndroid

LG announces the V35 ThinQ to compete against itself appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Xiaomi’s Mi 8 could launch in 8 new countries other than China

May is proving to be a busy month for Xiaomi, with the Chinese handset maker launching its latest flagship smartphone along with making announcements of global expansion. The company revealed its plans to sell handsets with the Three network in the UK, and other European countries such as France and Italy. Today, a leaked image […]

Come comment on this article: Xiaomi’s Mi 8 could launch in 8 new countries other than China

Visit TalkAndroid

Xiaomi’s Mi 8 could launch in 8 new countries other than China appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Official images of Motorola Moto Z3 Play leaked

Believed to be launching next week on June 6th for the Brazil market followed by wider global availability, apparent official images of the Motorola Moto Z3 Play leaked to the web today. The Motorola Moto Z3 Play is the latest update to one of Motorola’s mid-tier line of devices. That means the hardware is not […]

Come comment on this article: Official images of Motorola Moto Z3 Play leaked

Visit TalkAndroid

Official images of Motorola Moto Z3 Play leaked appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

[TA Deals] Save 96% on the CompTIA Certifications Study Guide Bundle

CompTIA offers a ton of certifications for particular things in the IT field, and if you’re looking to land a new job or pad your resume, those certifications are a great thing to have. To help you out, right now you can save a ton of cash on the CompTIA Study Guide bundle to prepare […]

Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Save 96% on the CompTIA Certifications Study Guide Bundle

Visit TalkAndroid

[TA Deals] Save 96% on the CompTIA Certifications Study Guide Bundle appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

This is the first look at Nvidia’s wild new 750,000 sq ft building

Nvidia is preparing a new, massive building in Santa Clara, CA and this is it. Called Voyager, it will be larger than the building Nvidia just finished constructing by 250,000 square feet. And just like the other building, Endeavor, Voyager will share the same wild design that’s distinctly Nvidia.

Nvidia opened the first building, Endeavor, in in 2017 and it feels like if a person could go into an Nvidia GPU. There’s green and sharp angles everywhere. Triangle skylights pepper the roof, which is also a triangle. It’s just two stories due to local zoning laws and it appears the new building will following much of the same trends.

Voyager will be 750,000 square feet and situated next to the Endeavor in Santa Clara. This puts the combined buildings square-footage at 1.25 million, which is a little less than half of Apple’s new HQ in Cupertino. Nvidia tells me the company is still planning the building’s staffing but expects the building will house its growing engineer teams. The company has 11,500 employees around the world with 5,000 in Santa Clara.

Nvidia is using Gensler to design the building and it will be constructed by Devcon, the same companies tapped for the first building. Construction is expected to start next month and take up to three and a half years.

I asked Nvidia why these buildings are named after notable spacecraft. The response is interesting. Endeavor and Voyager have the initial sounds of “En” and “V”, hence the initial sounds of Nvidia, while the names also suggest a sense of pushing frontiers. Cheesy? A bit, but still clever and I’ll buy it.

This is the first look at Nvidia’s wild new 750,000 sq ft building was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Creative Labs iRoar Go review: The only Bluetooth speakers that can make your neighbors mad

Creative Labs is well known in the PC and audio space thanks to a very long, rich history of making components like sound cards and DACs for computers. They’ve branched out since then, but ultimately they’re an audio component company that focuses on premium sound quality. Creative still makes sound cards and the like, of […]

Come comment on this article: Creative Labs iRoar Go review: The only Bluetooth speakers that can make your neighbors mad

Visit TalkAndroid

Creative Labs iRoar Go review: The only Bluetooth speakers that can make your neighbors mad appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

OnePlus 6 256GB is sold out in the US, UK, and Canada

Having launched on May 16th and become available to purchase just a week later, the 8GB/256GB variant of the OnePlus 6 is currently sold out in the company’s online stores in the US, Canada, UK, and the Netherlands. On the face of it, selling out of the most expensive variant is noteworthy. However, it’s unknown just […]

Come comment on this article: OnePlus 6 256GB is sold out in the US, UK, and Canada

Visit TalkAndroid

OnePlus 6 256GB is sold out in the US, UK, and Canada appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Meet Super Anthony, the fighting robot that lands mighty blows

If you’ve always wanted recreate the fighting scenes in Big Hero 6 with your own little fighting robots, now is your chance. Super Anthony is a rocking, socking robot that can punch, kick, roll, and jump and has enough torque to knock any other little robot off its little robot legs.

Super Anthony costs $1,299 for early birds and consists of a little frame 14 inches high and a set of 45 kg per servo punch force motors. The system is controlled via a standard game controller or phone app and it is “wear resistant” so you can keep fighting. This particular model won a straight-line walking competition so you know he has great legs.

“Super Anthony has a customized 15-axis crafted structure that provides intuitive control for full freedom of mobility. He can fight more swiftly and accurately than other robots,” the creators write.

The robot is shipping on November 2018 and it looks to be an interesting little opponent. While you probably need a few Super Anthonys to get a real fight going – a multi-pack costs $5,199 – you can still have fun and experiment with a single robot until you and your wacky friends invent nanobot technology that eventually kills your brother but lets you learn about teamwork along the way.

Meet Super Anthony, the fighting robot that lands mighty blows was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Carrot Weather is your sassy virtual weather assistant, and it’s finally coming to Android

Carrot Weather is a pretty well known app on the iOS side of the market due to its very vocal personality. If you’ve ever wanted a weather app to insult your intelligence and drop insightful, snarky comments about the shape of clouds, well, Carrot is probably your only option. But the good news is that […]

Come comment on this article: Carrot Weather is your sassy virtual weather assistant, and it’s finally coming to Android

Visit TalkAndroid

Carrot Weather is your sassy virtual weather assistant, and it’s finally coming to Android appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

[Deal] Save up to 28% on today’s blend of accessories from Anker

Whether you need a new wall charger or power cable, a pair of earphones, a mini projector or perhaps even a smoothie maker, Anker has got you covered with this veritable Smörgåsbord of products on offer at reduced prices. you can save anywhere between 15-28% on today’s deals, so join us after the break for more […]

Come comment on this article: [Deal] Save up to 28% on today’s blend of accessories from Anker

Visit TalkAndroid

[Deal] Save up to 28% on today’s blend of accessories from Anker appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Kobo’s new entry-level Clara HD e-reader has a crisp, color-adjustable display

Kobo has announced a new e-reader, the Clara HD, which won’t set the world on fire but will be a perfectly good option for e-book readers who don’t want to spend a fortune. It basically revives the well-liked but discontinued Glo HD with a better frontlight and more memory.

The screen is 6 inches and 300 PPI, which is comparable to Amazon’s latest Kindles and high enough that you shouldn’t notice pixelation in the type. More importantly for some, it has the company’s improved frontlight, which can be dialed from the now-familiar cool LED tone to a much, much warmer one. There’s 8 GB of storage inside, more than enough for hundreds of books and comics — but no MicroSD card slot, which some do love to have.

I’ve been using the Clara HD as my daily reader for a week or so and I can vouch for the type quality and usual features — in terms of loading books onto the device, reading and navigating them, this reader is much the same as Kobo’s other ones.

The improvements are small basically because the Clara HD will likely replace the Aura Edition 2, which it outperforms by a huge amount, as the company’s entry-level device. At $130 it’s just $10 more than Amazon’s Paperwhite (the version with built-in ads, that is), but I’d go with the Kobo every time.

The simplicity of managing your books and articles on the Kobo is one selling point — I love being able to just drag and drop files like epubs and CBRs onto it like it’s a USB drive, and my Pocket articles jump onto it automatically.

And the color-changing light might help attract people who aren’t sure about the illumination they’ve seen in other readers. That cold blue tone can really put people off, and the ability to warm it up is great. If you’re like me you’ll find both tone extremes too much, then pick something in the middle and keep it there.

The design is nothing to shout about, but it’s quite light and thin and gets the job done — except for one nuisance that just baffles me. The power button is dead center on the bottom edge of the device.

Why?

Whose idea was that? If you’re holding the device by the side and bottom edges, there’s always a risk you’ll grab the button by mistake and put the device to sleep. It’s dumb, but it’s not enough for me to change my mind and switch to Kindle. I’m also not a big fan of the texture on the back (it feels like it will collect dirt), but that too is far from a deal-breaker.

The Clara HD is available for pre-order now, and if you’re in the market for an all-purpose e-reader, this is a great option and I would say a solid value. It ships in June in the U.S. and some other regions, with more coming later. From the press release:

The device will also be available France on June 1, and as of June 5 in Canada, the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Turkey; Hong Kong in July; with Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico to follow later this year.

Kobo’s new entry-level Clara HD e-reader has a crisp, color-adjustable display was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

[TA Deals] Grab a discount on the Civilization VI bundle with Rise and Fall!

The latest installment in the legendary Civilization franchise recently received an expansion pack, so now’s a better time than ever to jump into the game. And if you are ready to buy, we’ve got a discounted bundle that includes both Civilization VI and the Rise and Fall expansion at one discounted price. This bundle nets […]

Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Grab a discount on the Civilization VI bundle with Rise and Fall!

Visit TalkAndroid

[TA Deals] Grab a discount on the Civilization VI bundle with Rise and Fall! appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Leaked photos reportedly show the frontside of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

It’s about time for the Pixel rumors to pick up steam, and today we’re getting a really good glimpse into what to expect from the third generation of Google’s new flagship. We know there’s going to be a notch, and we know that Google’s sticking with their plan of making two different designs for both […]

Come comment on this article: Leaked photos reportedly show the frontside of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

Visit TalkAndroid

Leaked photos reportedly show the frontside of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

This sensor stops your quadcopter before it can cut you

The folks at Spectrum have found a truly cool project for quadcopter pilots. It’s a spinning sensor that will stop the rotors if your finger gets too close to the blades, thereby preventing you – or your kids – from getting cut.

Researchers at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia created so-called Safety Rotor to help prevent accidents with more powerful quadrotor drones. The system constantly senses for a “finger” – in this case a hot dog – and then slams the rotor to a stop within 0.077 seconds. A cage around the propellers spins more slowly than the propellers and is constantly on the lookout for biological material approaching the blades.

The measured latency [of the Safety Rotor’s braking response] was 0.0118 seconds from the triggering event to start of rotor deceleration. The rotor required a further 0.0474 s to come to a complete stop. Ninety percent of the rotational kinetic energy of the rotor (as computed from angular velocity) was dissipated within 0.0216 s of triggering, and 99 percent of the rotational kinetic energy of the rotor was dissipated within 0.032 s.

The safety functionality of the safety system was tested on the bench using a processed meat “finger” proxy to trigger the hoop, and also applied to an open rotor (without hoop) for comparison. The rotor was spun at hover speed (1100 rads−1) and the finger proxy was introduced into the hoop at 0.36 ms−1 … The rotor and finger motion were captured using a shutter speed of 480 Hz. The rotor came to a stop within 0.077 s, with only light marks on the finger proxy from the impact of the hoop. The rotor was completely stopped by the time the finger reached the rotor plane. In contrast, the tip of the finger proxy introduced to an open rotor was completely destroyed.

The kit adds $20 and about 22 grams to the drone so it’s not particularly expensive or difficult to implement. It could be, as they note, a real lifesaver if you tend to put your juicy, blood-filled digits into copter blades.

This sensor stops your quadcopter before it can cut you was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

Nokia teases a new announcement at their #ChargedUp event

Nokia and HMD Global have teased an event in Moscow for tomorrow, May 29th. The teaser doesn’t really list what we should be expecting, but they did drop the tagline #ChargedUp with it, which might clue us in. The general consensus is that this will most likely be a broader announcement of the Nokia X6, […]

Come comment on this article: Nokia teases a new announcement at their #ChargedUp event

Visit TalkAndroid

Nokia teases a new announcement at their #ChargedUp event appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

[TA Deals] Master Microsoft Excel with the Ultimate All-Level Bootcamp Bundle

It’s always great to pad out your resume with new skills, and right now you can add Microsoft Excel to that list thanks to our latest discounted bundle. The Ultimate All-Level Excel Bootcamp bundle offers four courses to help you master this part of Microsoft’s Office suite to make better business decisions and impress potential […]

Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Master Microsoft Excel with the Ultimate All-Level Bootcamp Bundle

Visit TalkAndroid

[TA Deals] Master Microsoft Excel with the Ultimate All-Level Bootcamp Bundle appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Amazon taking heat after Echo recorded, sent private message to contact

Every week I get together with some friends and the host has an Amazon Echo where we meet. Our group has a fun time cracking jokes about Amazon listening in on our conversation (along with various government agencies). The idea that Amazon is listening in may not be so funny after an incident that occurred […]

Come comment on this article: Amazon taking heat after Echo recorded, sent private message to contact

Visit TalkAndroid

Amazon taking heat after Echo recorded, sent private message to contact appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

LG V35 appears to be notchless in latest leak

LG appears to be bent on keeping potential buyers of their devices off balance as they jumble around flagship releases in 2018. The company delayed and almost canceled the LG G7 ThinQ smartphone, but finally released in earlier this month. In the past, that would setup LG for a fall release of the next V […]

Come comment on this article: LG V35 appears to be notchless in latest leak

Visit TalkAndroid

LG V35 appears to be notchless in latest leak appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Snips announces an ICO and its own voice assistant device

French startup Snips has been working on voice assistant technology that respects your privacy. And the company is going to use its own voice assistant for a set of consumer devices. As part of this consumer push, the company is also announcing an initial coin offering.

Yes, it sounds a bit like Snips is playing a game of buzzword bingo. Anyone can currently download the open source Snips SDK and play with it with a Raspberry Pi, a microphone and a speaker. It’s private by design, you can even make it work without any internet connection. Companies can partner with Snips to embed a voice assistant in their own devices too.

But Snips is adding a B2C element to its business. This time, the company is going to compete directly with Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. You’ll be able to buy the Snips AIR Base and Snips AIR Satellites.

The base will be a good old smart speaker, while satellites will be tiny portable speakers that you can put in all your rooms. The company plans to launch those devices in 18 months.

[gallery ids="1646039,1646040,1646041,1646042,1646043,1646044"]

By default, Snips devices will come with basic skills to control your smart home devices, get the weather, control music, timers, alarms, calendars and reminders. Unlike the Amazon Echo or Google Home, voice commands won’t be sent to Google’s or Amazon’s servers.

Developers will be able to create skills and publish them on a marketplace. That marketplace will run on a new blockchain — the AIR blockchain.

And that’s where the ICO comes along. The marketplace will accept AIR tokens to buy more skills. You’ll also be able to generate training data for voice commands using AIR tokens. To be honest, I’m not sure why good old credit card transactions weren’t enough. But I guess that’s a good way to raise money.

Snips announces an ICO and its own voice assistant device was first posted on https://techcrunch.com/gadgets/

[Deal] Save up to 33% on these Wall and Car Chargers from Anker

With all the charging products on offer at reduced prices lately, perhaps Anker’s slogan should be “Power to the People”. Today we have a Roav SmartCharge Car Kit F2 with FM Transmitter and Bluetooth 4.2, the 40W PowerPort 5 multi-port wall charger, as well as the Quick Charge Dual USB car charger that are all […]

Come comment on this article: [Deal] Save up to 33% on these Wall and Car Chargers from Anker

Visit TalkAndroid

[Deal] Save up to 33% on these Wall and Car Chargers from Anker appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com

Pornhub launches a new Virtual Private Network app called VPNhub

PornHub. Before you turn away, honestly, it’s not what you think. Really. The adult entertainment company has just launched its very own virtual private network (VPN) service to help bypass censorship with apps for Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows. The service is called VPNhub and is available in free and premium formats.  VPNhub says that […]

Come comment on this article: Pornhub launches a new Virtual Private Network app called VPNhub

Visit TalkAndroid

Pornhub launches a new Virtual Private Network app called VPNhub appeared first on http://www.talkandroid.com