Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Samsung exec says the Galaxy Fold is ‘ready to hit the market’
As we asked back in February, “We’re ready for foldable phones, but are they ready for us?” The answer, so far, has been an enthusiastic, “not really.” The Galaxy Fold was pushed back af
Apple expands authorized repairs to ~1,000 Best Buy stores
Since 2001, Apple has staked its claim across the world with its own first-party brick and mortar locations. But the U.S. is a big country, and the 270 or so stores can only cover so much ground. In t
Amazon adds color adjustable lighting to its best Kindle
For e-reader devotees, it doesn’t get better than the Kindle Oasis. Amazon’s the last giant player standing in the category (unless you consider what Barnes & Noble is doing “standing”), a
This $99 AirPower knockoff is available for order now
There are a number of key differences between Apple’s AirPower and lookalike knockoff, AirUnleashed. The most pertinent one, however, is that one of the two is actually available for purchase. Apple
VidAngel ordered to pay $62.4M for copyright infringement
The VidAngel story seemingly ended in late 2017 when it declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But the bad news wasn’t over for the streaming service, which promised to edit all of the dirty bits out of ot
Google Calendar is down, it’s not just you — Update: It’s back
Snow day. All meetings are canceled until further notice. Google Calendar has been hit with what appears to be some pretty widespread issues. The company has confirmed service interruptions via its G
Dr. Mario is in (on iOS and Android) July 10
After years of heel dragging, Nintendo finally opened itself up to the smartphone world in late-2016. The gaming giant hasn’t exactly opened the floodgates in the intervening years, but Fire Emblem
New iOS feature prompts you to cancel subscriptions when uninstalling apps
There are operating system updates that feel tacked on or otherwise not particularly useful. Then there are those that genuinely alter the way you interact with a device. This new addition by way of i
Dishcraft launches with a massive robotics-powered dishwashing system
Bay Area-based robotics startup Dishcraft has unveiled a massive robotics and AI-powered dishwashing system. Like much of the rest of the industrial robotics industry, the company’s looking to autom
Palm’s tiny phone is available unlocked at $350
The first time I showed the Palm phone to the TechCrunch staff, they were excited. At the very least, it was a unique take on the category, designed to be a second phone for those moments that didn’
5G reportedly coming to premium iPhones in 2020, all models in 2021
The latest report from renowned Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo already has an eye on 2020 and beyond. The news lines up with other reports around future iPhones, noting that the high-end versions of the ha
From Project Scarlett to Gooigi: The best of E3 2019
Every story about E3 has opened with a mention of Sony’s absence, and this one’s no different. The lack of one of gaming’s “big three” loomed large over the show, right down to a strange sen
No, I’m not selling TechCrunch stories for $20 on Fiverr
You weren’t going to try to buy a place on TechCrunch for $20. You, dear reader, are smarter than that. But that doesn’t make it any less concerning when a reader emails you in the middle of the n
Nintendo: we’re ‘evaluating’ streaming
Game streaming loomed large as the biggest story of E3. Between Google’s Stadia news late last week, Microsoft’s Game Pass additions, a Ubisoft announcement and even the presence of Netflix, the w
Apple soups up Logic Pro X ahead of Mac Pro launch
When it announced the long-awaited Mac Pro relaunch onstage at WWDC last week, Apple settled on creative pro software as the best way to illustrate the desktop’s power. Along with Final Cut, Logic w
Kickstarter issues new transparency guidelines for projects
Fresh off its 10th anniversary and under the helm of a new CEO, Kickstarter is shaking things up with a new set of guidelines targeted at seller claims. A new page titled Honest and Clear Presentation
Zume buys packaging company, with eyes on plant-based plastic alternative
Zume Inc. (they of the robotic pizza) has acquired Southern California-based Pivot, designer of plant-based packaging material. Along with the deal, Zume will be opening a 70,000-square-foot manufactu
Microsoft will offer console streaming for free to Xbox One owners
Microsoft’s Sunday E3 presser was all about the games. In fact, while the company did offer some information about hardware and services, the information all arrived fast and furious at the end of t
Fall Guys is a kinder, gentler battle royale
You’d be forgiven for assuming that “battle royale” is an inherently violent genre. Hell, the word battle is right there, staring you in the face. Certainly the most prominent examples o