Up close, the cylindrical styling reminds me a lot of Apple's HomePod, except with a couple of slits around the speaker's sides. On the top are the controls, such as the volume buttons and a mute toggle. It also has the same fabric-covering as most of the Echo lineup. In an admittedly controlled environment, here…

Apple has proven that combining true wireless earbuds with always-on access to a virtual assistant can be a reliable recipe for success. Its Airpods continue to be the best selling option, even as the true wireless scene really starts to take off. So, it's no surprise then that Amazon is looking to cash in. Its…

Facebook Reality Labs is building LiveMaps, calling it "the core infrastructure that will underpin tomorrow's AR experiences." LiveMaps generates a shared, virtual map that mirrors the physical world, using machine vision, localization and crowd-sourced mapping technology. Facebook will use the oodles of data that it collects from its 2.4 billion users to build LiveMaps, pulling…

It's a stylish look that deftly balances Nintendo's heritage with modern video game sensibilities. The controller also comes in three kickass color schemes: matte black, a SNES-themed grey and lavender, and a Gameboy-inspired cream and mulberry. I've been playing with the SNES variant but would happily own and display all three on my bookshelf.Ergonomically, I…

The technologyMost consumer projectors use two types of technology: LCD and DLP. For each, the light source is usually a simple lamp, but some higher-end LCD and DLP projectors are powered by lasers. In any case, LCD and DLP use fundamentally different technology, and there are some strong advantages and drawbacks with each.LCD: Inside a…

Amazon held a media event in its hometown of Seattle on Wednesday morning. The company unleashed a flood of hardware over 90 minutes, including new Alexa devices, new Echo speakers devices, and some very curious gadgets you can place on your body. We've rounded up the highlights for you below.If you buy something using the…

Public pressure is mounting against e-cigarettes. At a US House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing today on e-cigarettes’ effect on public health, US representatives blasted government officials for being slow to act, and those officials responded with concern but few solutions.“E-cigarette products are not safe,” said Ned Sharpless, acting commissioner of the Food and…

On Wednesday, the White House declassified a recap of President Donald Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, a conversation apparently at the heart of a whistleblower complaint and a broader impeachment inquiry. In the five-page summary, Trump urges Zelensky to contact US attorney general William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal…

Privacy problems are age-old. The extravagant Sun King, Louis XIV of France, popularized the envelope as he used them to protect his letters from the prying eyes of the chambermaid or shopkeeper. In the colonial era, adhesive envelopes and patterned lining helped hide the contents of commonly intercepted mail. Along with increased regulation, these efforts…

In April, Cloudflare, the internet infrastructure giant, launched a security- and speed-focused mobile VPN called Warp. The idea was to offer a sleek, streamlined alternative to the buggy, laggy, generally frustrating options that make up most of the mobile VPN market. But things with Warp didn't go as planned. In fact, the original release had…