Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Investor Marlon Nichols and Wonderschool’s Chris Bennett on getting to the point with a pitch deck
Investor Marlon Nichols and founder Chris Bennett review Wonderschool's original pitch deck.
Apple is opening a store in downtown LA’s nearly 100-year-old Tower Theatre
This Thursday, Apple will mark the opening of a new store in downtown Los Angeles. The space occupies the newly renovated Tower Theatre, which opened in DTLA’s Broadway Theater District in 1927. Amo
As venues reopen, Mixhalo announces new tech for in-person live event streaming
As venues reopen across the U.S., Mixhalo has announced a pair of additions to its in-person audio live event audio streaming platform: Mixhalo Over Cellular and Mixhalo Rodeo. The first is, more or l
Hamburger-flipping robotics company Miso introduces an automated beverage dispenser
How do you follow up a burger-flipping robot? If you’re Miso Robotics (which you likely are, if you’ve created a burger-flipping robot), the answer is simple: beverages. The robotics startup conti
Toyota Research Institute shows how its robotics work with difficult surfaces in the home
Following this morning’s announcement that Hyundai has closed its acquisition of Boston Dynamics, another automotive company has posted some robotics news. The Toyota Research Institute announcement
Hyundai completes deal for controlling interest in Boston Dynamics
Hyundai this morning announced that it has completed its acquisition of Boston Dynamics. The deal, which values the innovative robotics company at $1.1 billion, was announced in late-2020. The compani
Music licensing marketplace Songtradr raises $50M
Music licensing marketplace Songtradr this morning announced a $50 million Series D. The oversubscribed round — which features Regal, Aware Super, Perennial, Argo and Greencape — follows a
Google announces EPYC-based Tau virtual machines for Cloud
Google this morning announced the launch of Tau, a new family of virtual machines built on AMD’s third-gen EPYC processor. According to the company, the new x86-compatible system offers a 42% price-
Last-mile, landscaping and leaping robots
I spoke to Refraction AI co-founder/CTO Matthew Johnson-Roberson on the occasion of the Michigan startup’s $4.2 million seed raise. This week we posted a Q&A where he answers a wider range of to
A look inside Google’s first store, opening in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood tomorrow
There have been plenty of pop-ups over the years, but tomorrow Google’s first store opens in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood. The brick-and-mortar model finds the company joining peers like Apple,
E3 2021 wrap-up
E3 2021 kicked off with news about E3 2022. Kind of a funny way to start a show, as Mayor Eric Garcetti told the crowd, “we look forward to seeing you in-person, here in the City of Angels, in 2
Experts from Ford, Toyota and Hyundai outline why automakers are pouring money into robotics
We spoke with Max Bajracharya of Toyota Research Institute, Mario Santillo of Ford and Ernestine Fu of Hyundai Motor Group about their companies’ unique approaches to robotics.
Apple Watch accessory maker Wristcam raises $25M
Last week word got out that Facebook was taking another big step into first-party hardware with the planned launch of its own smartwatch. The most intriguing part of the report was the inclusion of no
Mayor Bill Peduto will be speaking at TechCrunch City Spotlight: Pittsburgh on June 29
Last week we announced that Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian will be speaking at our upcoming City Spotlight: Pittsburgh event. Today, we’re excited to announce another big guest
Construction robotics firm Dusty raises $16.5M
It certainly follows then that some leading construction robotics companies are able to strike while the iron is hot with some healthy raises. Today, Bay Area-based Dusty Robotics announced a $16.5 mi
Sonos and Ikea’s latest collaboration is a picture frame speaker
Following a smattering of leaks, Sonos and Ikea just unveiled the newest addition to their three-year-old Symfonisk line of home speakers. As the name implies, the Picture Frame is a medium-size, flat
Robotic landscaping startup Scythe emerges from stealth with $13.8M raise
Founded in 2018, Scythe Robotics is emerging from stealth today by announcing an $13.8 million Series A raise. The round was led by Inspired Capital and features True Ventures, Zigg Capital and Lemnos
How I Podcast: Left Handed Radio’s Anna Rubanova
The beauty of podcasting is that anyone can do it. It’s a rare medium that’s nearly as easy to make as it is to consume. And as such, no two people do it exactly the same way. There are a wealth o
How autonomous delivery startups are navigating policy, partnerships and post-pandemic operations
Gatik's Apeksha Kumavat, Nuro's Amy Jones Satrom and Starship Technologies' Ahti Heinla joined us to discuss their companies’ unique approaches to autonomous delivery.
E3 2021 catch up
If you’re like me, you spent the weekend longing for the mixed bag that is downtown Los Angeles during E3. I’ve got fond memories of fish tacos, The Last Bookstore, watching playoff basketball in