Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Robotic farming firm Iron Ox raises $53M
Bay Area-based autonomous farming startup Iron Ox this week announced a $53 million round. The Series C, led by Breakthrough Energy Venture, brings the firm’s total funding up to $98 million. Iron O
WarnerMedia’s Andy Forssell discusses a fascinating first year for HBO Max
Andy Forssell, HBO Max’s head of business operations, joined us on TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 this week to discuss the fascinating 17.5 months of the streaming service's life so far.
Attack of the $200M robotic raises
How’s this for a bit of regional synchronicity? This week, a pair of Chinese robotics firms secured $200 million rounds. It’s all part of a booming ecosystem that we get some insight into every so
California governor signs bill aimed at unsafe warehouse quotas
California Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed a bill aimed at protecting warehouse workers from unsafe quotas. The bill, which cites issues around bathroom breaks, rest periods and other safety la
Peloton’s CEO John Foley on the changing face of connected fitness
No one roots for a pandemic, but for companies like Peloton, the timing couldn’t have been better. People on the fence about buying a treadmill or stationary bike went for it as their options shrunk
AeroFarms is supplying the hops for Goose Island’s latest IPA
The world of vertical farming has seen a massive uptick in interest over the past decade, as the world grapples with concerns over resource use, farmable area and exploding population growth. While pr
Microsoft announces Surface Laptop Studio and Duo 2 ahead of Windows 11 launch
With the first major Windows release in a half-dozen years looming over the horizon, Microsoft has just unveiled a big slate of new hardware. The Surface line has always been viewed as a sort of proof
Mirror CEO exits company, following 2020 acquisition by Lululemon
Brynn Putnam has stepped down as CEO of Mirror. The news arrives via a leaked memo to staff also viewed by TechCrunch that notes her exit from the top spot at the connected fitness startup she founded
EyeGage is building a database of eye scans for drug testing
LaVonda Brown developed an interest in eye-tracking during her time at Georgia Tech. The fascination with all the information that can be derived by scanning the so-called “windows to the soul&#
Verdi aims to give farmers granular control over crop irrigation
Verdi, which launched today at TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield, refers to its smart valve clusters as “swarms.” The term denotes the kind of high-density implementation the company is looki
Facebook adds a battery-powered smart screen to the Portal line
The Portal line has always been a kind of odd duck in the world of smart screens. Facebook’s most significant contribution to the category is almost certainly Smart Camera, which uses AI to track a
Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite returns with a bigger screen, USB-C and wireless charging
We’ve entered the throes of hardware season, with big events from all of the industry’s big names. Amazon has already announced a number of new Fire TVs, with plans for a big (likely Echo-focused)
WarnerMedia’s Andy Forssell will discuss HBO Max at Disrupt 2021
In May 2020, WarnerMedia launched HBO Max into a crowded streaming landscape. In spite of early struggles, the timing couldn’t have been better. When the world was stuck at home, struggling to find
Boston Dynamics owner Hyundai deploys Spot for factory safety monitoring
Back in June, Hyundai completed a deal for controlling interest in Boston Dynamics. The Korean automotive giant no doubt has some grand plans for integrating the Massachusetts-based firm’s technolog
Tiger’s bullish robotic investments
On Tuesday, Tiger Global led not one but two big funding rounds, announcing its role in a $26 million Series A for Ambi and an additional $50 million for Locus Robotics. The firm has been so active in
SOSV is building a New Jersey HAX facility for industrial, healthcare and climate startups
SOSV this morning announced work on a $50 million HAX facility in Newark, New Jersey focused on growing industrial, healthcare and climate startups. The five-year development plan utilizes $25 million
Apple’s iPhone 13 sports better battery and improved cameras, starting at $799
The rumors were right. The centerpiece of today’s big Apple event is the latest iPhone. The latest device lands less than a year after its predecessor, now that things have settled down somewhat
Apple Watch Series 7 arrives with a larger, more rugged display
Big day for hardware over at Apple HQ. In addition to all of a pair of new iPads, the company just launched the latest version of the wearable-dominated Apple Watch. As anticipated, the Apple Watch Se
Apple refreshes iPad Mini with a new design, 5G and an 8.3-inch display
As expected, we’re going to be seeing a LOT of hardware at today’s Apple event. The company has already unveiled a refresh to the iPad and here’s a new version of the Mini that looks
Live from Apple’s virtual 2021 iPhone event
It’s that time of year again. Summer is winding down, the leaves are starting to change color and Apple’s getting ready to drop a brand new iPhone on the world. Today’s big event arrives less th