Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Live from Apple’s media special event
You know Apple’s got something big in the works when it went ahead and launched new iPads, iMacs and AirPods in one week with little fanfare. And while this week’s event was a bit of a surprise, A
Peek into an empty Steve Jobs Theater before tomorrow’s big Apple event
What are you up to this afternoon? If your answer is anything but “watching the live stream of an empty Steve Jobs Theater,” honestly, I’m not sure how you call yourself an Apple fan. A day befo
MoviePass parent’s CEO discusses the service’s rocky year
In the space of a few months, MoviePass went from being the hottest startup on the block to a cautionary tale about growing too big, too fast. By the time the summer of MoviePass came to an end, the c
Drone analytics startup Aria Insights suddenly shutters
Earlier this year, Helen Greiner-founded drone startup CyPhy Works announced a major change. The company was rebooting and renaming itself Aria Insights, a move that arrived with a newfound AI/data-dr
What to expect from Apple’s ‘Show Time’ event
The biggest surprise about next week’s Apple event may be the fact that the company has anything left to announce. This week, several core pieces of Apple hardware received upgrades, including the i
Could Walmart be the next big company to launch a game streaming service?
Google stole the spotlight at this year’s GDC with the launch of Stadia. What the game streaming service lacked in specifics, it more than made up for in buzz. The software giant certainly isn’t t
Nintendo’s Labo: VR Kit is not Virtual Boy 2.0
Even the most successful tech company is going to have a stumble from time to time. Nintendo’s 45 years in the video game industry is spotted with a few doozies, but none are more infamous than the
MoviePass parent’s CEO says its rebooted subscription service is already (sort of) profitable
Two days after MoviePass announced the return of the company’s unlimited ticket plan, Ted Farnsworth, CEO of its parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics, sat down with TechCrunch to offer insig
How Amazon and Walmart are putting robots to work behind the scenes
This week Brian Heater, fresh off a trip to Pittsburgh to visit a handful of robotics companies, led a discussion about the current state of robotics and how startups are integrating the machines into
Xbox One S is reportedly getting a disc-free version in May
The writing has been on the wall for physical media for a while now. In May, Microsoft is reportedly set to hammer another nail into that coffin with the launch of the Xbox One S All-Digital. As adver
Dyson launches a vacuum with better battery, a desk lamp and a personal air purifier
Dyson’s got a very specific way of doing things. The British company makes super-high-quality products for a world where price isn’t an option. Using their devices is a bit like driving a sports c
Peloton hit with $150 million music licensing suit
Streaming video is the key to Peloton’s success. But like any good spin class, it’s the soundtrack that really does the heavy lifting. A new suit filed by The National Music Publishers’ Asso
Amazon updates the $90 Kindle with a front light
Cost has always been a big part of the Kindle line’s appeal at the low end. Amazon’s very good at undercutting the competition, while still managing to provide a workhorse e-reader in the process.
Kickstarter CEO Perry Chen steps down
Kickstarter CEO Perry Chen issued an open letter on the site’s blog today, noting that he will be stepping down from his role. The executive served as one of three co-founders for the service, launc
Pandora switches up its classic listening experience with Modes
If you’ve ever tried Pandora, you know the basic deal. The service offers a more passive form of music discovery than other streaming services, encouraging users to let algorithms do most of the hea
Facebook settles ACLU job advertisement discrimination suit
Facebook and the ACLU issued a joint statement this morning, noting that they have settled a class action job discrimination suit. The ACLU filed the suit in September, along with Outten & Golden
Aibo learns a new trick with security upgrade
The new Aibo is impressive. Ultimately, however, it’s an extremely expensive toy that does very little. One of the upsides of opting for a robot dog over the real thing is the ability to buck the wh
Apple upgrades the iMac line with boosted processors and graphics
For a company hosting a big event next week, Apple’s sure got a lot of news bubbling up these days. It kicked off the week by unveiling upgrades to the iPad line, and now just revealed a handful of
Angry Birds AR is coming to iPhone this spring
Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs took the scenic route to the iPhone. Rovio began flirting with augmented reality on the Magic Leap of all places, releasing First Person Slingshot for the headset last year.
Moby’s new album is exclusive to the Calm meditation app
Album exclusives are nothing new in the age of Tidal, of course. But Moby’s latest is taking a kind of circuitous route to the world’s mobile devices. The electronic artist has released his la