Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Former Magic Leapers launch a platform for AR experiences
When Trace’s future co-founders Greg Tran, Martin Smith and Sean Couture joined Magic Leap in Spring/Summer 2015, it was about as hot as startups come. After years of secrecy, the augmented reality
Apple’s next iPad event is May 7
Apple just dropped an invite for its next event. Scheduled for May 7, the “Let Loose” presentation appears to be happening exclusively online — something that became standard fare for the co
Framework’s repairability philosophy is set to expand beyond the laptop
Framework Computer was ahead of the curve. The company was founded in 2019, as 20 U.S. states began exploring potential right to repair bills. It delivered its first product, the Framework 13, in 2021
Here are the 30+ startups showcasing at HAX’s May 1 Demo Day
A few weeks back, TechCrunch ventured out to New Jersey to pay an early visit to HAX’s Newark offices. As much as I complained about the 90-minute commute in from Queens, it’s nothing compared to
Amazon ends California drone deliveries
Amazon confirmed it is ending Prime Air drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California. The Central California town of 3,500 was the company’s second U.S. drone delivery site, after College Stat
Oura’s smart ring hits Target stores
Oura on Monday announced that its smart ring will be available in select Target stores in the U.S. The deal, which also brings the wearable to the retailer’s site, follows similar announcements with
Robots can make jobs less meaningful for human colleagues
Much has been (and will continue to be) written about automation’s impact on the jobs market. In the short-term, many employers have complained of an inability to fill roles and retain workers, furt
ChatGPT is a squeeze away with Nothing’s upgraded earbuds
Nothing today announced a pair of refreshes to its earbud line. The naming conventions are a touch convoluted here, but the Nothing Ear is an update to the Nothing Ear (2), while the Nothing Ear (a) i
Alphabet X’s Bellwether harnesses AI to help predict natural disasters
The world is on fire. Quite literally, much of the time. Predicting such disasters before they get out of hand — or better yet, before they happen — will be key to maintaining a reasonable
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot goes electric
Atlas lies motionless in a prone position atop interlocking gym mats. The only soundtrack is the whirring of an electric motor. It’s not quiet, exactly, but it’s nothing compared to the hydraulic
Formlabs says new 3D printer ‘rivals injection molding’
This month marks five years since the release of the Form 3, Formlabs’ last major 3D printer refresh. To celebrate the occasion, the MIT spinoff has unveiled the long-awaited Form 4. At the top of t
A humanoid robot is on its way from Mobileye founder
Mentee Robotics hasn’t been in stealth, exactly. The Israeli firm caught a small wave of press at the tail end of 2022, following Tesla’s initial humanoid robotics announcement. As that was the ye
Atlas shrugged: Boston Dynamics retires its hydraulic humanoid robot
Now that humanoids are all the rage in the robotics industry, Boston Dynamics on Tuesday officially retired theirs. The Hyundai-owned firm has always marched to the beat of its own drummer. Even so, i
These 74 robotics companies are hiring
It’s tough out there — and yet, doing my semi-regular jobs post always gives me hope. Seems every time I post one of these, the number increases. At 74 companies, this is undoubtedly the l
Walmart will deploy robotic forklifts in its distribution centers
The story of warehouse robotics is a story of attempting to keep up with Amazon. It’s been more than a decade since the online giant revolutionized its delivery services through its Kiva Systems acq
Humane’s $699 Ai Pin is now available
Humane today announced the availability of its first product, the Ai Pin. The Bay Area-based hardware startup has been kicking around since 2017, a year after co-founders Bethany Bongiorno and Imran C
European car manufacturer will pilot Sanctuary AI’s humanoid robot
Sanctuary AI announced that it will be delivering its humanoid robot to a Magna manufacturing facility. Based in Canada, with auto manufacturing facilities in Austria, Magna manufactures and assembles
Apple opens access to used iPhone components for repair
On Thursday, Apple announced that it has opened its iPhone repair process to include used components. Starting this fall, customers and independent repair shops will be able to fix the handset using c
Humane’s Ai Pin considers life beyond the smartphone
Nothing lasts forever. Nowhere is the truism more apt than in consumer tech. This is a land inhabited by the eternally restless — always on the make for the next big thing. The smartphone has, b
Muscle tissue harvested from mice cells move ‘biohybrid’ robots
Sometimes nature provides the best blueprints for building effective robots. It also can provide the best material. Billions of years of natural selection has built some pretty impressive machinery, s