Do we really need a $340, Wi-Fi enabled toaster?

If you’ve heard of Tineco, it’s probably because the 24-year-old company has been making vacuums and hair dryers for a hot minute. The company’s next product is a $339 toaster that connects to your Wi-Fi network and can toast your toast with science and precision, and makes me won

Motion capture becomes more accessible as Rokoko raises at $80M valuation

South Korean company Naver Z is the brain behind the popular 3D-avatar app Zepeto. Today, the company announced it made a strategic investment in the Danish animation and motion capture company Rokoko. The mocap (motion capture) company has more than 50,000 users all over the world, including some

Twelve South adds a collapsible, portable MacBook stand

This is the sort of thing I definitely would have been all over when I still traveled a bunch for work. Twelve South has long been the go-to for MacBook stands and the like, and today the company introduced a clever addition to the family: the collapsible/portable Curve Flex. The stand collapses fu

Mobot secures capital to grow its fleet of robots that bug-test mobile apps

Mobile apps have to be bug-tested across countless devices to ensure they work as intended. Users don’t look kindly on poor experiences — 88% say they’ll abandon apps based on minor glitches, according to software testing vendor Qualitest (which admittedly has a horse in the race)

VinFast says preorders ‘will get a $7,500 rebate,’ federal tax credit or not

We wrote that the Vietnamese EV car company VinFast is bringing its EV companies to the U.S. Since then, Congress announced it is making changes to the $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit, meaning that it becomes much harder to get that sweet, sweet tax deduction. The two major changes are t

Hyundai announces $400M AI, robotics institute powered by Boston Dynamics

When Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics at the end of 2020, there were plenty of open questions. Chief among them was why we should assume this acquisition would be any different than the past few? The 30-year-old bleeding-edge robotics firm had been an uncomfortable fit for its last two owners, Goog

Meet Xiaomi's new humanoid robot, CyberOne

Long gone are the days when a consumer electronics company could simply announce a phone and call it a day. At this morning's big launch event in Beijing, Xiaomi followed up its foldable news by handing the stage over to CyberOne. The bipedal humanoid robot joined Lei Jun onstage, greeting the

Xiaomi’s new foldable is thinner than Samsung’s and only available in China

A day after Samsung announced a pair of foldable devices, Xiaomi launched its second-gen foldable, Mix Fold 2, in China. The new phone sports a 6.56-inch outer display, 8.02-inch inner display and a Leica-powered camera system. The phone is China-only for now for the base price of RMB 8,999 (~$1,33

Mawi launches a patch to track your heart health faster and in real time

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of needing continuous EKG monitoring, you’ve probably used a Holter monitor. It’s like carrying a 1980s walkman made of metal with a bunch of wires going from it to your chest. If that sounds uncomfortable, and as if you won’t sleep or enjoy

Apple announces ‘Beats x Kim’ collab, but all I see is shapewear

Apple and Kim Kardashian announced their first collaboration this week, taking the Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds to new, nude-toned heights. In hues so neutral they could make even Sir Jony Ive blush, Apple said the buds will come in three flavors: “moon,” “dune” and ̶

Smart mug maker Ember just spun out a life sciences company

Ember's first decade has been a journey. The Southern Californian startup first hit our (and most folks') radar as a mug company. The company captured a fair bit of press attention with its high-end electronic mug designed to keep beverages a consistent temperature. Nichey? Sure. Mostly unn

Samsung Galaxy Pro 2 feature a smaller design, improved sound

Galaxy Buds have quietly been a great part of Samsung's line. It's a strange thing to say about anything coming from a company that's generally anything but quiet, but its earbuds have long been among the industry's best — with little or no fanfare. Perhaps it's because th

Samsung ditches the physical bezel, picks up a Pro Model for the Galaxy Watch 5

Samsung giveth and Samsung taketh away. The latest additions to the Galaxy Watch line present a bit of both. The headline on each side of that equation is the addition of a “Pro” version to the ever-evolving smartwatch lineup and the decision to, once again, drop the Galaxy Watch's best and

iRobot announced a 10% staff cut the same day its Amazon news dropped

You'd be forgiven for missing this bit of news. I fully cop to not seeing it myself amid the buzz of last week's Amazon acquisition news on Friday (knowing nod to Robot Report for pointing it out). Later that day, inside its quarterly earnings report, iRobot announced plans to cut 140 jobs