Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
CES was a snoozefest
At a certain point during the last week, I found myself wandering the halls of CES, looking for the gadget that would fix all of my problems. Maybe it’s the modern condition, or just a sign of havin
After delays, noise-adapting NuraLoop earbuds are coming soon and sound great
A few buffet mistakes aside, NuraLoop proved the biggest disappointment of my 2019 CES. When the headphones showed up at the show as dummy units, it hurt my heart a little. The original Nuraphones mad
A sex tech startup’s triumphant return to CES
When the Lora DiCarlo wagon finally arrives, the rolling glass box’s back door opens and another journalist pops out to get on his way. The sex tech company has a week packed full with 20-minute rol
Is Clicbot a spiritual successor to Cozmo? (Mostly no, but maybe a little yes)
Anki’s true legacy in robotics will only be sufficiently determined over the course of a few years. But while the startup’s vision for Cozmo ultimately failed, I suspect we’ll see its take o
Virtual Incision Corporation raises $20 million for its abdominal surgery robot
Over the past several years, surgical has become one of the hottest — and best funded — categories in robotics. That’s thanks, in no small part, to the massive success of companies like Intuitiv
Looking Glass is targeting enterprises and eventually gamers with 8K holographic display
The first thing you need to note when writing about Looking Glass is that it’s incredibly difficult to photograph convincingly. It’s really exactly as you might assume, attempting to capture a 3D
Samsung’s Lite devices bring the headphone jack to flagship design (sort of)
Some devices need no explanation. The Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite are no such devices. They’re more nebulous, walking an interesting line, between premium and mid-range. They’re a clear attem
A closer look at Ballie, Samsung’s friendly robotic ball
Okay, I’ve slept on it. I was skeptical at first, but after a good night’s sleep, let’s do this. I want a Ballie. All of the people and the pets in the below video seemed super into it. Where do
Samsung’s knife-wielding robotic chef is all flash
Last year, we asked whether Samsung was getting serious about robotics. A year later, we’re not any closer to answering the question. This year’s presser played out roughly the same as last on the
Samsung hints at AR ambitions, shows off prototype glasses
What a weird Samsung press conference. The company didn’t waste time on the familiar. Things like Galaxy phones and washing machines got little love onstage tonight. Instead, the company was focused
Samsung’s GEMS exoskeleton is now an ‘immersive workout experience’
Remember the G.E.M.S. (Gait Enhancing and Motivation System) exoskeleton Samsung introduced last year? Plot-twist. It’s a workout device now. One of the weirdest elements of a super-weird keynote wa
Eargo’s latest hearing aid improves bandwidth and noise cancellation
Bay Area-based medical device startup Eargo just announced its fourth-gen product at CES. The Neo HiFi builds on past learnings from the six-year-old company. The improvements are mostly around sound
Meet Ballie, Samsung’s rolling personal assistant that does…stuff
This time last year, we asked the question: Is Samsung getting serious about robotics? I’m not sure we’re that much closer to an answer, but tonight’s CES keynote pointed to a company that clear
PlayStation 5 announced for holidays 2020
Turns out Sony is still able to pack a surprise or two into its CES press conference. The company just kicked off its event by announcing that the PlayStation 5 will be arriving this holiday season. N
Get a load of these Dell PC concepts that you can’t buy
Concept PCs are a lot like concept cars. The idea comes from a decent enough place, but mostly they exist to make you feel bad and inadequate about your current dumb device. It’s a metaphor for life
Royole looks to move flexible displays beyond the foldable phone
If nothing else, Royole grabbed our attention a couple of years back by bringing the first foldable smartphone to market. There’s something to be said for being first, I suppose. It raised the profi
Pollen Robotics is selling a $17,000 robot torso for researchers and startups
CES has never been a great show for serious robotics. It’s not a phenomenon I expect to change at any point in the near future, though things do seem to get slightly better each year. Pollen Robotic
Mophie’s newest battery pack ships with jumper cables to start your car
As of this week’s CES, Mophie can add cars to the growing list of things powered with its battery line. It was a matter of time, I suppose. Certainly the company’s not the first to offer this leve
TCL teases a 5G device, headset and its first foldable at CES
TCL is hardly a household name in the smartphone space. That’s hardly surprising, however, as the Chinese electronics company is better known for sub-brands like Alcatel and BlackBerry (hardware, no
The ThinkPad X1 Fold is Lenovo’s first foldable screen PC
I know, I know. Laptops fold. Convertibles fold. I get it, you’re being pedantic. So let’s just move past all of that and talk about this funky new thing from Lenovo. The company just announced th