Articles by Don Melanson
Audi Is Working With LG And Samsung On An Electric SUV With A 500KM Range
Audi looks to give its new all-electric SUV a broader appeal with a promised 300+ mile range. It isn't saying a whole lot about the vehicle itself just yet, but Audi announced yesterday that it is partnering with LG and Samsung on a new all-electric sport utility vehicle with a range that the German automaker hopes will give it a broader appeal.
Nymi And MasterCard Are Testing Wristband-Based Payments Authenticated By Your Heartbeat
Nymi, MasterCard and TD Bank are currently testing mobile payments authenticated by a person's heartbeat.
Motorola's Moto X Pure Edition Set To Launch September 3rd
Motorola's new flagship smartphone will be available on September 3rd. Motorola said when it introduced the Moto X Pure Edition that the phone would be available in September, and it looks like you won't have to wait very far into the month to get your hands on one.
Google's Life Sciences Division Strikes Deal To Make Miniature Glucose Monitoring Devices
Google's Life Sciences division and Dexcom will work together on disposable, bandage-sized glucose monitors.
The UK Is Set To Begin Trials Of Roads That Could Charge Electric Vehicles
Highways that can charge electric vehicles are inching a bit closer to reality with a new trial set to begin in the UK.
SpaceVR Kickstarter Wants To Send A 360-Degree 3D Camera To The ISS
The SpaceVR project wants to give people a taste of life in space through virtual reality. We've just recently seen a 3D printer sent into space to bolster the capabilities aboard the International Space Station, and if a new Kickstarter project goes as its creators hope, that printer could soon have a role in building a 360-Degree, 3D camera to capture immersive images of space.
Google's Deep Dream Weirdness Goes Mobile With Unofficial Dreamify App
A new Android app makes it easy to give your own photos the Deep Dream treatment. Google's Deep Dream experiment is certainly one of the more unusual pieces of recent internet phenomena.
Samsung Launching 'Gear Indie' Channel To Spotlight Independent VR Content
Samsung's latest VR initiative aims to encourage indie VR development with challenges and a new mentorship program.
The Gnarbox Promises To Make Editing And Sharing HD Video On Your Phone More Practical
A new portable video editing suite could let you leave your laptop behind. Editing video on a smartphone may already be a more attractive option than it was just a few years ago, but it's still hardly an ideal solution for anyone looking to do some serious work.
Android Fragmentation Report Finds Over 24,000 Distinct Devices, Double The Number From 2013
A new report from OpenSignal looks at the state of Android fragmentation and finds lots and lots of devices.
Facebook Is Starting To Let Public Figures Stream Live Video
Facebook moves into live streaming video with a new feature reserved for celebrities. Facebook apparently isn't ready to fully jump on the live video streaming bandwagon just yet, but it has made a move in that direction today.
A Drone Delivered Drugs To An Ohio Prison And Sparked A Fight
A drone was recently used to deliver drugs to a prison, prompting a fight among inmates. It's not the first report of a drone being used to deliver drugs or other contraband behind the walls of a prison (successfully or otherwise), but it looks like this is one 21st century occurrence that's only increasing in frequency.
New Research From Stanford Promises To Reduce VR Sickness
Stanford researchers have developed a prototype VR headset that could reduce nausea. There's no question that virtual reality headsets have gotten a lot more immersive in recent years, but you don't have to talk to too many people who've tried them to find a few that have gotten a bit queasy after spending some time detached from reality.
Sphero's Latest Rolling Robot Is Designed For Students
Sphero's new SPRK Edition robot promises to help teach programming to students. Sphero's garnered a good deal of attention as of late thanks to its role in developing the new BB-8 Droid for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and its eventual toy), but movies aren't the only area the company has expanded into recently.
German Automaker Consortium Buys Nokia's Mapping Business For $3 Billion
Audi, BMW, and Daimler are each taking an equal stake in Nokia's Here mapping business. You can be forgiven for not being able to keep track of Nokia's various spin offs, mergers, and acquisitions in recent years, but the company's latest move will likely perk up the ears of those even just casually paying attention.
Nvidia Recalls Shield Android Tablets Due To Potential Fire Hazard
88,000 of the Shield tablets by Nvidia are being recalled as a result of batteries that can overheat.
The Imperial Spherificator Will Make Caviar-like Pearls Out Of Anything
A new gadget promises to quickly turn just about anything into caviar. If you've ever looked at a can of Coke or a piece of fruit and thought, if only I could turn this into caviar, then there's a new Kickstarter project you might be interested in.
Saent's Real-Life Mute Button Promises To Block Out Distractions
Saent's Bluetooth button blocks distractions and doubles as an input device. There isn't exactly a shortage of tools -- hardware or software -- that promise to free you from the distractions involved with sitting at a computer all day, but the Saent button from the company of the same name looks to do a fair bit to distinguish itself from the usual options.
Amazon Signs Deal With Former 'Top Gear' Hosts For New Show
Amazon has announced three seasons of the new show, starting sometime next year. Netflix may have gotten a head start on Amazon with its push into original series development, but the online retailer's streaming video arm has been busily ramping up its own offering as of late, and it's now announced what is by far its highest profile show to date.
NTSB Finds Lack Of Protections For Human Error To Blame For Virgin Galactic Crash
The NTSB has released its findings into the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo last October.
eBay Shuts Down eBay Now Service And Some Mobile Apps In 'Simplification' Push
eBay's Valet, Fashion and Motors apps are shutting down alongside its eBay Now service. This month has seen some big changes at eBay, with its spinoff of PayPal now complete, and it looks like the company's attempt at a fresh start will also affect some of its less successful apps and services.
LG Keeps The Flip Phone Alive With New Android-based 'Gentle'
LG's latest flip phone crams Android into the classic form factor. The flip phone options at most North American carriers may be limited to nothing more than a few barebones models these days, but it isn't like that everywhere.
Honda's 2016 Accord Will Include Both Android Auto And Apple CarPlay
Honda's new Accord will accomodate both Android and iOS users with its in-car connectivity options.
Google's Tony Fadell Says Google Glass Can Still Be 'Important,' But It Will Take Time
Nest founder Tony Fadell says he volunteered to take over Google Glass. Google turned more than a few heads earlier this year when it announced that Nest's Tony Fadell would be taking charge of Google Glass, a move that came just a year after he joined the company following the acquisition of his home automation startup.
SunPort Power Outlet Promises To Automatically Offset Your Electricity Use With Solar Credits
The SunPort outlet will keep track of your energy use and automatically buy solar credits ot offset it.
T-Mobile Begins 'Advanced Messaging' Rollout With iMessage-like Features
T-Mobile customers with select Samsung phones will soon be getting more features with their text messaging.
BC City's App Uses IBM's Watson To Answer Residents' Questions
Surrey, BC residents can now turn to Watson for answers to their city services questions. IBM has already put its Watson cognitive computing platform to use in healthcare and business (among other areas) following its now-famous run on Jeopardy, and it looks like the company sees city services as another potential market where the artificially intelligent system can find some work.
Google Glass Reportedly Set To Return As Rugged, Enterprise-Focused Device
Google's next version of Glass is said to be more rugged, water-resistant and not for consumers.
Study Finds 'Nonnegligible' Number Of Complications During Robotic Surgery, 144 Deaths Since 2000
Researchers have linked 144 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries to robotic surgery over a 14-year period, and suggest areas for improvement.
Twitter Axes Custom Background Images On Its Website
Plain white backgrounds now take the place of a bit of personalization that has long been afforded to users.
