Matt Burns
Senior Editor
The Latest from Matt Burns
Clinc raises $52M Series B as it marches toward IPO
Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Clinc is today announcing a $52 million Series B. The company behind the conversational AI platform netted cash from Insight Partners, DFJ Growth, Drive Capital, Hyde Park Ventu
Rivian debuts a pull-out kitchen for its electric pickup truck
Sometimes you need scrambled eggs. And with that thought, today at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, AZ, Rivian announced a major accessory for its electric pickup: A camp kitchen. The unit slides out f
Jeff Bezos aims Blue Origin at the Moon
Today at a packed event blocks from the White House, Jeff Bezos took the stage in front of select members of the media, executives, government officials and a gaggle of middle schoolers to reveal new
Mint House raises $15M to give business travelers a better hotel
Hotels are convenient but rarely homey. Short-term rentals through Airbnb or HomeAway are often comfy but can be a pain to book and check-in. Business travelers often have to pick the best of two lous
Fli Charge Technology acquired by Birch Lake to accelerate a wireless future
Fli Charge Technology is today announcing it was acquired by an affiliate of Birch Lake Associates. As part of the purchase, industry veteran Khalid Zitouni is taking the chief executive position as t
Marshall continues to impress with new retro portable speakers
Marshall, the headphone company and not the loudspeaker company of the same vintage, today announced two new portable speakers. Like the company’s previous offerings, these speakers ooze a retro
Watch Facebook’s F8 2019 keynote right here
Facebook’s yearly developer conference kicks off today. The keynote starts at 1PM / 10AM with opening remarks from Facebook’s chief Mark Zuckerberg. As in past years, the event will last s
Is this the vertical-folding Motorola Razr?
This could be the upcoming Motorola Razr revival. The images purporting to be the upcoming smartphone appeared online on Weibo and show a foldable design. Unlike Galaxy Fold, though, Motorola’s
2019 Audi RS 5 review: A bruising high-tech cruiser
The Audi RS 5 Sportback is an animal. Tamed, sure, but not domesticated. It’s important to remember as one day, maybe next week or next year, or both, the RS 5 will revert to its natural state a
Ford invests $500M in Rivian and intends to build a vehicle on Rivian’s EV platform
Rivian today announced a major investment from Ford. The 115-year-old automaker is investing $500 million into the Michigan-based EV startup. Along with the cash, Ford announced plans to build a vehic
‘Anyone relying on lidar is doomed,’ Elon Musk says
Today at Tesla’s first Autonomy Day event, Elon Musk took questions from the press but didn’t have time for questions about lidar. Historically, he’s been vocal about the technology, and this ti
The consumer version of BBM is shutting down on May 31
It might be time to move on from BBM. The consumer version of the BlackBerry Messenger will shut down on May 31. Emtek, the Indonesia-based company that partnered with BlackBerry in 2016, just announc
Review: The $199 Echo Link turns the fidelity up to 11
The Echo Link takes streaming music and makes it sound better. Just wirelessly connect it to an Echo device and plug it into a set of nice speakers. It’s the missing link. The Link bridges the g
Review: The $299 Echo Link Amp adds Alexa to any speaker
The Echo Link Amp is designed to give Echo owners options. Instead of settling for the sound from a couple of Echo speakers, this amp lets owners use a set of nice bookshelf speakers. Best yet, this r
Tonal raises $45 million to bring strength training to more living rooms
Tonal is today announcing its Series C financing that it hopes will allow the company to bring its at-home gym to even more homes. The funding round shows investors’ excitement around the new ge
Ford to offer hybrid and electric options in redesigned 2020 Escape SUV
Ford today is taking the wraps off the latest generation of the Escape. It’s a major re-work inside and out, with new sheet metal and powertrain options. The 2020 Escape is sportier, loaded with tec
FarmWise turns to Roush to build autonomous vegetable weeders
FarmWise wants robots to do the dirty part of farming: weeding. With that thought, the San Francisco-based startup enlisted the help of Michigan-based manufacturing and automotive company Roush to bui
Ludlow Ventures raises $45M for third fund
Ludlow Ventures raised another $45 million to invest in young startups. The Detroit-based venture firm is today announcing it closed its third fund since the firm’s founding in 2010. Founding and ma
Nvidia AI turns sketches into photorealistic landscapes in seconds
Today at Nvidia GTC 2019, the company unveiled a stunning image creator. Using generative adversarial networks, users of the software are with just a few clicks able to sketch images that are nearly p
Verizon’s 5G to launch first in Chicago and Minneapolis on April 11
Verizon today announced the launch details of its first standards-based 5G wireless service. Starting on April 11, 5G will be available throughout areas of Chicago and Minneapolis. Current subscribers