Latest from Brian Heater
The first six months of the year have seen $4.2 billion invested in robotics, putting this year well on track to beat 2023’s 12-month total of $6.8 billion.
Digit’s first job will be moving totes around a Connecticut Spanx factory — which is most definitely not a euphemism.
At this early stage, Persona’s pitch doesn’t stray far from the various humanoid firms with which it’s set to compete.
The perfect device is one that never breaks in the first place, while still allowing for easy user repair access when needed.
Smart ring makers Oura and Circular on Tuesday announced a settlement in an ongoing patent suit. The agreed-upon terms find the French company entering into a multi-year agreement with Oura,…
AI
Mixhalo’s latest feature uses AI to beam real-time translation to phones at events
6:00 am PDT • June 24, 2024
Mixhalo Translate couples the startup’s ultra-low latency in-person streaming with AI-generated audio translations.
Hardware
A new startup from Figure’s founder is licensing NASA tech in a bid to curb school shootings
7:55 am PDT • June 21, 2024
Cover says what sets it apart is the underlying technology it employs, which has been exclusively licensed from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Robotics
Labor shortages are still fueling growth at automation firms like GrayMatter
9:18 am PDT • June 20, 2024
GrayMatter self-reports that its systems currently produce “a 2~4x improvement in production line productivity [and a] 30% or more reduction in consumable waste.”
Hardware
XReal introduces a $200 device that brings Android apps to its AR glasses
6:00 am PDT • June 18, 2024
The $200 Beam pro looks like an Android phone, but instead it’s a mobile device designed specifically for Xreal’s glasses.
Apple announced at last week’s WWDC 2024 that users would be able to access loans through third-party app Affirm through Apple Pay.
The push to produce a robotic intelligence that can fully leverage the wide breadth of movements opened up by bipedal humanoid design has been a key topic for researchers.
Apps
Apple Watch is finally adding a feature I’ve been requesting for years
4:41 pm PDT • June 11, 2024
The ability to pause your activity rings is a minor feature update for most, but for those of us who obsess about such things to an unhealthy degree, it’s the…
Featured Article
Why Apple is taking a small-model approach to generative AI
It’s a very Apple approach in the sense that it prioritizes a frictionless user experience above all.
3:51 pm PDT • June 11, 2024
“We’re looking forward to doing integrations with other models, including Google Gemini, for instance, in the future,” Federighi said during WWDC 2024.
Apps
Watch the Apple Intelligence reveal, and the rest of WWDC 2024 right here
12:45 pm PDT • June 10, 2024
Apple kicked off its weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) event today with the customary keynote at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The presentation focused on the company’s software offerings…
The company has been pushing the feature as integral to all of its various operating system offerings, including iOS, macOS and the latest, VisionOS.
iOS’ perennial tips calculating app is finally coming to the larger screen.
Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote was packed, including a number of key new updates for iOS 18. One of the more interesting additions is Tap to Cash, which is more or…
Apple today kicked off what it promised would be a packed WWDC 2024 with a handful of visionOS announcements. At the top of the list is the ability to turn…
Featured Article
What to expect from WWDC 2024: iOS 18, macOS 15 and so much AI
Apple is hoping to make WWDC 2024 memorable as it finally spells out its generative AI plans.
3:00 am PDT • June 10, 2024
Gadgets
Apple’s generative AI offering might not work with the standard iPhone 15
10:09 am PDT • June 7, 2024
Apple is set to board the runaway locomotive that is generative AI at next week’s World Wide Developer Conference. Reports thus far have pointed to a partnership with OpenAI that…
Featured Article
Siri and Google Assistant look to generative AI for a new lease on life
Voice assistants in general are having an existential moment, and generative AI is poised to be the logical successor.
5:28 am PDT • June 7, 2024
Gadgets
Humane urges customers to stop using charging case, citing battery fire concerns
2:32 pm PDT • June 5, 2024
The warning for the Ai Pin was issued “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Humane.
Featured Article
Sonos Ace review: A high-priced contender
The Ace are a contender in a crowded market, but they’re still in search of that magic bullet to truly let them stand out from the pack.
11:18 am PDT • June 3, 2024
Featured Article
Inside Apple’s efforts to build a better recycling robot
Last week, TechCrunch paid a visit to Apple’s Austin, Texas, manufacturing facilities. Since 2013, the company has built its Mac Pro desktop about 20 minutes north of downtown. The 400,000-square-foot facility sits in a maze of industry parks, a quick trip south from the company’s in-progress corporate campus. In recent…
2:23 am PDT • June 3, 2024
Featured Article
Industries may be ready for humanoid robots, but are the robots ready for them?
How large a role humanoids will play in that ecosystem is, perhaps, the biggest question on everyone’s mind at the moment.
11:00 am PDT • June 1, 2024
Gaming
Fitbit’s new kid smartwatch is a little Wiimote, a little Tamagotchi
7:00 am PDT • May 29, 2024
The watch features a variety of different 3D games, unlocking more play time the more kids move.
Featured Article
Iyo thinks its GenAI earbuds can succeed where Humane and Rabbit stumbled
Iyo represents a third form factor in the push to deliver standalone generative AI devices: Bluetooth earbuds.
8:00 am PDT • May 27, 2024
The struggle isn’t universal, however.
Response time is Aerodome’s immediate value prop for potential clients.
