Airbnb wants to prototype the home of the future
Airbnb is getting into the design business, focused on building prototypes for what the home of the future could look like, starting in the fall of 2019. As well as how the home looks and […]
How should driverless cars communicate with pedestrians?
With Waymo’s commercial autonomous taxi service kicking off this month, you’d be forgiven for thinking the driverless car conundrum had already been solved; that robo-taxis are here and we’ll just have to get used to […]
15 smartphones to get excited about in 2019
As 2018 draws to a close, the global smartphone market is expected to post an annual fall for the first time. Not since the days before the first iPhone landed in 2007 has the mobile […]
What is 5G and when can I start using it?
Just as 4G followed 3G, 5G is about to land. 5G promises significantly faster speeds not just for smartphones, but also for infrastructure, VR and even autonomous cars. A number of 5G trials have taken […]
6 ways to increase your home’s efficiency & comfort this winter
Just as the smart home can be used to keep you cool in the summer, it can also be relied upon to keep you warm through the cold winter months. From smart thermostats and motorized […]
These smart-home predictions for 2030 are already coming true
A future vision of drones, smart kitchens and augmented reality came true quicker than anyone expected. Back in 2015, the Near Future Laboratory, Mobile Life Center and Boris Design Studio produced their impression of an […]
Here’s how to trade stocks with voice commands
By now, many of us are familiar with how Alexa, Amazon’s friendly voice assistant, can answer questions, provide news and weather information, and help out around the home by switching on lights and adjusting the heating. However, […]
How to tap Apple Music through your Amazon Echo products
Apple Music is coming to Amazon devices for the first time. Announced on November 30, Apple’s move is surprising considering its walled-garden approach to tech. Beginning December 17, though, Amazon Echo Dot owners will be […]
8 great holiday tech gifts for students
As the holiday shopping season begins, it can be difficult to buy for the student in your life. College demands a certain level of tech savvy, which means that many students already have the latest […]
10 gifts that will have your favorite geek totally geeking out
We all have a geek in our life who’s first to buy new tech or fix our smartphone. Their early bird attitude can make buying them gifts difficult, since they’re so often the ones standing […]
Holiday gift guide: Premium smart speakers for the audiophile in your life
Budget smart speakers like the $50 Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are great gifts for anyone who is new to smart home tech – but what if they value high-quality music as much […]
First driverless taxis may hit the streets before year’s end
Waymo, the autonomous car company owned by Google parent firm Alphabet, will launch the first driver-free taxi service before the end of 2018. The as-yet-unnamed service will allow customers to hail driverless cabs with apps […]
6 high-tech holiday gifts for your favorite fitness fanatics
Anyone who works out regularly can tell you that health and fitness are more closely integrated with technology than ever before. With the holidays right around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of our six […]
Is an 8K TV worth buying right now?
“Just wait until you see the beetroot being pulled up, that’s my favorite part.” As introductions to new televisions go, this is a strange one. Samsung’s PR and product demo team seems visibly excited by […]
How smart assistants can help you seek counseling
For most of us, an Amazon Echo is just a means of playing music or controlling smart home devices. However, smart assistants are also valuable tools for more vulnerable members of society. They can respond to […]
Alexa has a skills problem: No one is reviewing them
Sixty-two percent of Alexa skills have no ratings. Many others have just one, including 65 percent of five-star skills. Seventy-eight percent of one-star Alexa skills have one user review. Meanwhile, only one percent of Alexa skills […]
The beginner’s guide to not crashing a drone
With Christmas right around the corner, the number of drones buzzing through the skies is sure to increase. Between their long flight ranges, HD cameras and self-navigation capabilities, drones can make attractive gifts. However, drones […]
Google’s new Home Hub gives Google Assistant a touchscreen
Google has released the Home Hub, a smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen display and a new Home View app for controlling your smart home. Similar to the Google Smart Displays sold by third parties like […]
5 ways to turn your smart speaker into a travel agent
Did you know that you can use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to book your next vacation without lifting a finger? GearBrain found ways to use Amazon Echo, Google Home and other smart speakers to set up […]
This smart sofa knows who’s sitting on it
LG’s new smart sofa can recognize whoever sits on it. The company teamed up with Natuzzi, Italy’s largest furniture manufacturer, to produce a prototype couch of the future. Branded under the high-end LG Signature name, […]
A beginner’s guide to buying drones
It’s easy to be wowed by drones, but they’re not toys — they are complex, powerful and expensive machines. This is important to remember when one wrong maneuver could send your new drone crashing into a wall or […]
5 ways tech can help you ax your gym membership
We all know that we should actually use that gym membership that we blindly pay for every month, but it can be easy to let traffic, long work hours, or bad weather stop us from […]
Having a smart home with roommates can be hard
It’s easier than ever these days to build house-wide smart home systems and manipulate appliances with an Amazon Echo. Though some of these products don’t yet play nice with each other, the smart home industry […]
Want the first-ever 8K TV? You’ll need a cool $15K to get it
Samsung surprised everyone at IFA Berlin this year when it promised to begin selling its first 8K television before the end of 2018. Boasting four times the resolution of 4K (also known as ultra HD), […]
Renault unveils a beauty of an autonomous vehicle
Renault is celebrating its 120th birthday in self-driving style. The French automaker unveiled an autonomous luxury car, the EZ-Ultimo, at the 2018 Paris Motor Show last week. The vehicle represents Renault’s vision of high-end, self-driving […]
Autonomous trucks are here
Autonomous driving is no longer exclusive to Silicon Valley hot rods. The Vera is a self-driving, cabin-free semi truck that is currently being developed by Volvo. Despite Uber’s recent withdrawal from trucking, many analysts believe that the […]
Everything iPhone users need to know about Siri Shortcuts
Apple has launched an app that can dramatically shorten even your most complicated phone tasks. The Shortcuts app creates Siri-controlled workflows that function similarly to IFTTT (if this, then that) right on your smartphone. Using this […]
The watch that knows if you’re having a heart attack
The Apple Watch Series 4 takes smartwatches in a new, potentially life-saving direction. In addition to a larger display, a more powerful processor and the other features that consumers expect of a new device, the Series […]
Alexa Auto offers drivers navigation, weather updates & more
Drivers can now bring Amazon Alexa along for the ride. Instead of battling with their car’s default, oftentimes tedious voice command system, drivers can now ask Alexa about navigation, weather and more. So says Amazon, which […]
BMW unveils its first smart motorcycle
It’s unnerving to watch a motorcycle drive itself around a track, lean into corners and even deploy its own kickstand. That’s exactly what BMW has created. As demonstrated in a recent video, this prototype motorcycle […]