Sure, being able to control your lights using an app is cool and all, but smart bulbs are typically (frustratingly!) expensive. If you don’t mind getting basic features on a basic bulb, though, Cree has a new $15 option now out at Home Depot — that’…
Technical
Xiaomi mocks Apple with its very own premium phablet
There’s just no stopping for the world’s most valuable startup. After adding an air purifier, an IP camera, a smart light bulb and the affordable Redmi 2 to its portfolio, Xiaomi is now going right after the iPhone 6 Plus with its very own high-end p…
Logitech wants to link the living room with the rest of your smart home
You might’ve written off the idea of a connected home up to this point, and if so, Logitech wants you to give it a second chance. Together with Harmony (its living room wing), the outfit’s working on an API that allows developers to link all of the c…
IBM’s monster mainframe is built to handle your mobile shopping
Shopping from your phone is a big deal these days, but it requires a lot of effort behind the scenes to run smoothly — when there are thousands of people tapping “buy” in short succession, they can easily bring a server to its knees. That crush migh…
Can’t decide on a wearable? Lumoid lets you try a box full of them
It’s increasingly easy to find a decent wearable these days — the real problem is deciding on the one that fits you the best — perhaps literally. Now Lumoid, the startup best known for its short-term camera rental service, has got you covered. The …
Here’s how accessories will use your iPhone’s Lightning port
Apple already lets accessory makers use the Lightning port on iOS devices for headphones. However, it’s reportedly close to opening the floodgates to more devices… and if 9to5Mac’s leaked specs are accurate, the company will let these peripherals d…
New NASA and environmental bosses don’t like science
Well, this is more than a little depressing: The politician who tried reducing NASA funding (and successfully shut it down for over two weeks) is now in charge of the senate subcommittee that effectively controls NASA. More than that, one of the most…
Leoht’s tech handbag will charge your gadgets and help you find them
Leoht’s “tech” handbag is one of those things you won’t necessarily need, but may really (really) want. As you might have guessed, it’s a purse for modern times. The bag’s simple, black leather exterior is stylish, but it’s what’s on the inside that’…
You’re more likely to listen to Spotify on mobile devices than a PC
When’s the last time you listened to Spotify on your PC? It might have been a while, according to the company’s latest stats. The streaming music service says that 52 percent of listening now takes place on phones (42 percent) or tablets (10 percent)…
Young adults flock to Instagram, while more seniors sign up on Facebook
When we wrote about that survey, which found that working adults care more about email than social media, we said that might be why grandparents are some of the most active on Facebook. Well, according to this new study that’s also from Pew Research …
Restaurants will soon take any mobile payment at the table
Sure, your local drug store or theme park may let you buy things with your phone at the counter, but what about paying at the table in your favorite restaurant? Never fear, as Verifone will soon have you covered. Its upcoming Payware Mobile e355 wire…
2015 is the year that wearables begin to grow up
When I talk about an industry maturing, I don’t mean “getting old” so much as facing a different set of challenges. For instance, a year ago, the wearable and fitness section of CES occupied a few hundred square feet. In 2015, the two categories had …
WSJ: GM to release the $30,000 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle in 2017
Looks like General Motors is about to go head to head against Tesla with a new electric vehicle called Chevy Bolt (yes, Bolt with a B) — at least according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication’s sources say the Bolt can travel 200 miles on a …
President Obama uses Facebook and Vine to preview his free college plan
President Barack Obama is previewing parts of his State of the Union address in a bid to drum up support ahead of the big speech, and his latest effort is breaking some ground — both in the policy and how he’s presenting it. The head of state took t…
Kodak and Polaroid square off again, this time with smartphones
Kodak and Polaroid are both still fighting for relevance in a world that’s mostly left them behind, and this year they’ve got a new kind of weapon in their arsenals: the smartphone. Both of these companies have basically lent the power of their brand…