Humans are pretty good at ballparking distances, even with one eye closed — but it turns out computer vision systems have a hard time with it. Researchers hope to fix that, or at least make robots a little more robust, by teaching them to navigate a space without the benefit of stereo vision — in zero gravity, to boot. Read More
Back in the old days hardware manufacturers felt safe in the knowledge that no mere hardware hacker could attempt to recreate their inventions. From Sony to Philips to LG to Samsung, the consumer electronics industry was locked up and no one could crack the case. Until those meddling Arduino kids came along… Now anyone can make cool hardware and, thanks to Arduino, it is easier than ever… Read More
Elon Musk has a plan to colonize Mars, but he’s not rushing it. In a conference call following the SpaceX CEO’s presentation today at the International Astronautical Conference, Musk noted that the project is still essentially a hobby at the company, drawing only a fraction of its efforts. Read More
Plex is a pirate’s best friend. It’s by far the best way to get movies downloaded illegally from the computer to TV. Sure, Plex has a handful of useful, legal features, but let’s be honest, its big claim to fame is hosting and serving downloaded movies. And now the company behind the software announced a service where users can stream movies, photos and music stored on… Read More
Did you hear? Wireless audio is the future — at least to Apple. And to that end, Sonos, perhaps the best wireless speakers available, are now available in the Apple Store alongside speakers from B&O, Logitech, and Apple’s Beats. Apple already sells several wireless speakers but the Sonos speakers would be the first multi-room system available. The Sonos PLAY:1 and PLAY:5… Read More
Hot on the heels of the launch of the iPhone 7 Plus, Apple’s first smartphone with dual reverse-facing cameras, China’s Xiaomi has joined the double camera club with Mi 5s Plus announced today. Read More
At a glance Wireless, solar-powered design Dual HD cameras with 1/3″ CMOS sensors 175-degree field of view Pros Incredibly easy to set up Image quality, both day and night Cons Must be turned on manually Expensive Quick and painless The out-of-box experience for Pearl’s RearVision is really well designed. Even packaging is done right, with a folding two-sided box that… Read More
When unmanned aerial vehicle makers and gimbal engineers get together they like to have a few beers and make something like the SMOVE. Designed to connect to a regular smartphone the SMOVE is basically a steadicam for your iOS or Android device, allowing you to take steady shots in rough conditions, follow faces in front of the camera, and even take seamless panoramas. The SMOVE team… Read More
At a glance 157 degree wide-angle f/2.4 aperture 1/1.8″ image sensor 1080p 30/60pfs, 720p 120/60fps Pros Camera design itself is top-notch Built-in OLED touchscreen Cons Included mounting hardware for cable not great Expensive at $499 Connecting the car The Waylens Horizon is essentially a conical, dense metal camera replete with optics, onboard processing power and battery.… Read More
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has called on HP to restore customer’s ability to use third-party ink cartridges in its Office Jet printers. It is also urging consumers to sign a petition, which as of this posts’s publication, has nearly 7,500 signatures. In an open letter to HP Inc. President and CEO, Dion Weisler, activist Cory Doctorow calls on the company to take five… Read More
Remember ThingMaker? Mattel’s $300 3D printer that would let kids print out their own toys? Its ship date – which was supposed to be this month – just got pushed back another year, according to a report from Engadget. The toy maker says it needs the extra time to “enhance the digital functionality” in order to deliver the “most engaging” experience… Read More
It’s been 16 months since Kano took to the stage at TC Disrupt New York 2015 to announce a $15M Series A, and to talk up its big ambition to build a creative computing brand. And 10 months since, flush with VC cash, it started work on its next big product reveal… Today it’s ready to show what it’s been working on. Read More
