Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Magic Leap has a new CEO
Five weeks ago, Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson joined me onstage at Disrupt. Much of the conversation focused on the augmented reality hardware company’s full pivot into enterprise applications with t
Apple Watch’s best new feature is now live
With today’s watchOS 10.1 drop, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 owners now have access to the smartwatches’ most exciting feature. Double Tap, which adds gesture-based interac
Two years after launching the C1 webcam, Opal is still committed to hardware
December 14 marks two years since Opal launched the C1 after accruing a 16,000-person waitlist. In some respect, one couldn’t ask for a better time to launch a webcam than a global pandemic. Our rel
Apple, government officials lend support to federal right to repair law
This afternoon, the Biden White House convened a meeting of top executives and government officials to discuss growing calls to institute right to repair on a national level. The virtual meeting came
Apple sends out invites for ‘Scary Fast’ event – new Macs could be on the menu
Apple this morning sent out invites for its upcoming “Scary Fast” virtual event, set for October 30. Along with being scheduled for All Hallows’ Eve-Eve, the tagline could well be a
Humanoid robots face a major test with Amazon’s Digit pilots
Announced amid a deluge of news at this week’s Delivering the Future event in Seattle was word that Amazon will begin testing Agility’s Digit in a move that could bring the bipedal robot to its na
These 27 robotics companies are hiring
[These listings originally appeared in TechCrunch’s robotics newsletter, Actuator. Subscribe here.] Every time I put out a call for robotics jobs, I’m bombarded. It’s a beautiful thing. In s
OnePlus Open is a foldable contender
In the earliest days of foldables, simply participating was enough to get people to take notice. With every new player on the scene, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish oneself f
Amazon begins testing Agility’s Digit robot for warehouse work
At today’s Delivering the Future event, Amazon announced that it will begin testing Agility’s bipedal robot Digit in its facilities. Amazon Robotics Chief Technologist Tye Brady said the testing i
Amazon and MIT are partnering to study how robots impact jobs
Mention automation and someone will invariably (and understandably) mention its impact on jobs. There are a lot of opposing views on the subject, of course, but the one thing everyone seems to agree o
Amazon is bringing drone deliveries to the UK and Italy next year
Amazon today announced that it will be bringing its drone delivery offerings to the U.K. and Italy by the end of 2024. The news also includes a third U.S. location, following Lockeford, California and
Nvidia brings generative AI compatibility to robotics platforms
It likely won’t surprise you to learn that generative AI has been a white-hot topic in the world of robotics. There are a number of different ideas floating around about the best ways to embrace the
Figure’s humanoid robot walks for the camera
In May of this year, TechCrunch ran a piece titled “Figure’s humanoid robot takes its first steps.” The story was a firsthand account of my visit to the startup’s South Bay offices. The he
Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses have ‘influencer’ written all over them
Somewhere between the Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Quest 3 sits an ideal mixed-reality headset. It’s slim, light, offers hand tracking and passthrough and livestreams video when the moment calls for it. It
How roboticists are thinking about generative AI
Reporting on tech requires a healthy dose of skepticism, hopefully tempered by some excitement about what can be done.
Mojo Vision’s Series A hits $43.5M, following pivot to micro-LED displays
Back in April, Mojo Vision announced a new $22.4 million Series A. Six months later, the round has nearly doubled to $43.5 million, courtesy of New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Khosla Ventures, who
Google’s Pixel Watch 2 offers solid upgrades
There are a couple of parallels to be drawn between the Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2. One is obvious, the other a bit more subtle. The first is the addition of temperature sensors — though I would
Google Pixel 8 Pro: The camera’s still the thing
This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren’t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there’s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the P
Formant is managing data so robotics companies don’t have to
Ten years ago this December, Bot & Dolly became one of a dozen or so robotics companies snapped up during Google’s robotics acquisition spree. The San Francisco-based firm, best known for its sp
Meta Quest 3 takes a step closer to mainstream AR/VR
However this all plays out, 2023 will almost certainly be regarded as a pivotal year for AR and VR. After years of waiting for the category to have its iPhone moment, Apple finally unveiled the Vision