Leander Kahney's Blog, page 84

Gogoro electric scooter could roll into U.S. faster than expected

LAS VEGAS — The makers of Gogoro, the electric smart scooter that wowed CES last year, have two unassuming tools for gaining traction beyond their launch city of Taipei. The first is a charger for their 20-pound battery packs; the second is a website that lets wannabe owners nominate their hometowns to become Gogoro hubs. […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Bluetooth speakers that light up your ears and party space

If music is one of the lights of your life, then shouldn’t your speakers shine, too? Acoustic Research introduced a new line of wireless speakers that offer quality sound, a design attractive indoors and out and a customizable, multi-color LED light to fit the mood of your music and social scene. Acoustic Research debuted the […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

HomeKit-compatible safe gives us hope for the future

We like HomeKit; don’t get us wrong. Apple’s automation framework has taken our relationship with our lights to strange, wonderful, and not at all awkward new places. And we like the potential of saving money on energy with smart thermostats, getting smoke and carbon monoxide alarms directly on our phones, and using our iPhone or […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Kia pledges to fully automate all vehicles by 2030

LAS VEGAS — It’s not gadgets that are making the news here at CES 2016, but cars. For example, at a press event this afternoon the Korean car giant Kia said all of its cars will be fully autonomous by 2030. Not just its high-end vehicles — all the cars it makes. And that’s just […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

iDevices’ new gear really wants to talk to your iPhone

iDevices is doing a better job at pushing HomeKit than Apple is. That’s the impression we’re getting, anyway, as the peripheral maker just keeps churning out products that are compatible with the home-automation framework built into your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The four new devices, which the company is showing off at the Consumer […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

New Hopper 3 DVR only lets you record 16 shows at once

You now have a new buddy to enable you to binge watch TV like never before. DishTV just rolled out the Hopper 3 DVR, which lets you record up to 16 programs at once. Sixteen! Consider that the first DVR player in 1999 only let you record one show at a time. It seems like […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Presence security camera keeps an eye outside your door

Consumer electronics company Netatmo has made a camera that is easily overlooked as it keeps a lookout outside your door. The outdoor surveillance camera Netatmo named Presence uses an algorithm to detect whether something in its view is a person, car or animal. It then immediately sends a notification through a companion iPhone or Android […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Evil alarm clock tricks you out of bed with food smells

LAS VEGAS — There was a whole lot of sniffing going on at the Sensorwake booth here at CES Unveiled. The first olfactory alarm clock promises a kinder, gentler start to mornings, using scents instead of noise to wake up sleepyheads. The quirky gadget couldn’t be any simpler: Set the alarm and wake up to one […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Apple plans new Reno data center, calls it Project Huckleberry

Apple is expanding its presence in Reno Technology Park in Nevada by building a new data center adjacent to its current one. The company filed a permit with Washoe County for “Project Huckleberry,” the codename for the new facilities that will stand next to the current “Project Mills” data center. “It’s a whole different set of buildings but it […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Kodak’s new Super 8 camera aims at keeping film alive

Kodak is not prepared to let analog filmmaking disappear into the digital world. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the film-stock maker is showing off a prototype for a new camera that will combine time-honored, physical shooting techniques with the latest in digital technology. This powerful combination hopes to capture the […]

(via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)