Gadgets | Latest gadget news, updates & reviews on TechCrunch

Corning, maker of toughened Gorilla Glass for phones, faces EU antitrust probe

Natasha Lomas — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:40:37 +0000

On Wednesday, the European Union opened an investigation of U.S. manufacturer Corning over possible anti-competitive practices. Corning may not be a name that’s super familiar to the average tech consumer, but you are almost certainly within touching distance of its products, as it’s a leading supplier of speciality toughened glass for mobile devices, including Apple’s […]

Apple may update Find My to let you share locations of lost items

Ivan Mehta — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 07:32:47 +0000

Apple could soon let users share the location of lost items via the Find My app with people who are not in their contacts using a link.

Amazon acknowledges screen issues on a ‘small number’ of Kindle Colorsoft units

Brian Heater — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:06:05 +0000

After more than a decade of waiting, Amazon’s first color Kindle has stumbled out of the gate. An issue with the new display has left Colorsoft buyers leaving unfavorable reviews. At last count, the e-reader is hovering around 2.7 stars. The company confirmed the display issues that are affecting a “small number” of units in […]

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy hints at an ‘agentic’ Alexa

Kyle Wiggers — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:59:49 +0000

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Thursday hinted at an improved, “agentic” version of the company’s Alexa assistant — one that could take actions on a user’s behalf. “I think that the next generation of these assistants and generative AI applications will be better at not just answering questions and summarizing, indexing, and aggregating data, but […]

Oura buys Sparta Science, its third acquisition in 2 years

Brian Heater — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 20:10:53 +0000

Smart ring maker Oura on Thursday announced that it has acquired Sparta Science, a Bay Area-based health tracking startup. TechCrunch spoke to Sparta back in 2018 at the offices of Playground Global, a key investor. The deal marks Oura’s third acquisition in two years. The company purchased digital identity platform Proxy in May 2023. This […]

Carl Pei says Nothing could build its own operating system

Brian Heater — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 18:20:27 +0000

Two mobile operating systems currently comprise nearly 100% of the global smartphone market. Building one is hard, and for most phone makers, there are better uses of resources, especially when Android is right there for the taking. While it’s a potential differentiator, these companies have largely opted to maintain Google’s mobile OS, customized by skins and […]

Apple announces M4 Max chip, debuting on the MacBook Pro

Brian Heater — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Apple wrapped up a half week of Mac announcements Wednesday by debuting the latest addition to the M-series of chips. A day after announcing the M4 Pro alongside the tiny new Mac mini, the company is showcasing the M4 Max, which is coming to the MacBook Pro line. Like the other members of the M4 […]

Apple upgrades MacBook Pro with M4 chips

Brian Heater — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Apple on Wednesday wrapped up Macweek (well, Mac half week) by introducing an updated MacBook Pro. Apple’s most premium laptop is catching up to is brethren with the addition of M4 chips. The Pro and Mini are the first two Macs getting the new chip. The Pro will also be the first to sport the […]

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review: A muted approach to color

Brian Heater — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:15:00 +0000

October was an exciting month for reading devices. We got a new iPad mini, a couple of products from Boox, and this strange yet compelling iPhone e-reader adapter from Astropad. The biggest splash of all, however, came from Amazon. It’s unsurprising, as the retail giant commands around 80% of the devoted e-reader market. The past […]

Apple will buy renewable power for its Mac mini users

Tim De Chant — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Apple went to unusual lengths to ensure it accounted for and neutralized all the pollution that the new Mac Mini might produce.

Apple Intelligence is more about convenience with initial iOS 18.1 launch

Ivan Mehta — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:52:49 +0000

After much hype, Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI features, finally shipped to users this week with the iOS 18.1 update. I used these features for months through beta software and realized that the feature set rolling out this week is more about creating convenience for users than letting users plan or brainstorm ideas […]

Apple introduces M4 Pro chip, debuting on the new Mac Mini

Brian Heater — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

The week of Mac announcements chugs along, as Apple introduces the latest addition to its line of first-party silicon. The new M4 is debuting as an upgradeable option for the just-announced palm-size Mac Mini. The Pro follows the May release of the original M4. That chip bucked the standard Apple Silicon cycle by debuting on […]

Apple updates iMac with M4 Chip, 16GB RAM starting at $1,299

Brian Heater — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:13:34 +0000

Apple kicked off “Mac week” by unveiling a refresh to its perennial favorite all-in-one, the iMac. The big news here is the addition of the newish M4 chip, which the company says is 2x more powerful than the original M1 iMac. The new desktop notably arrives alongside the general availability of Apple Intelligence, which debuts […]

Apple’s Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad finally get USB-C

Brian Heater — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:01:29 +0000

Apple’s EU-mandated transition from Lightning to USB-C has already affected most of its hardware. There have been a few stragglers, however. Near the top of the list are its desktop accessories, the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad. On Monday, the company finally addressed the issue. Along with an M4 refresh to the iMac, […]

How to enable Apple Intelligence on your iPhone

Ivan Mehta — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:22:07 +0000

If you are on the developer beta, you can only use Apple Intelligence features if your language is set to U.S. English and region is set to U.S.

Apple wins $250 from Masimo in watch patent trial

Anthony Ha — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 19:53:20 +0000

A federal jury ruled Friday that Masimo smartwatches infringed Apple patents, but Apple isn’t getting a big payday. Bloomberg Law reports that the company was only seeking the statutory minimum of $250, and that’s all it was awarded. Apple’s attorney John Desmarais reportedly told jurors, “We’re not here for the money.” Instead, he said the […]

The Hisense C2 Ultra is a well-rounded, great-looking home projector

Brian Heater — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m new to the projector game. Anker won me over at the end of last year with its Nebula series. The Capsule prioritizes ease of use and portability, above all. While not cheap at $800, it’s a good starter projector in the sense that it’s self-contained and largely […]

McDonald’s broken ice cream machines could get fixed faster thanks to new federal rule

Maxwell Zeff — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 00:02:47 +0000

McDonald’s ice cream machines have developed a lousy reputation for being broken when you visit the restaurant, largely due to strict copyright laws that only permit specially licensed technicians to legally repair them. The manufacturers have to license each technician, and they put locks on the McFlurry machines to prevent others from repairing them. However, […]

Native Union’s clever little combo charger just earned a spot in my travel bag

Brian Heater — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:04:35 +0000

I love a clever gadget almost as much as I love saving space in my carry on. Native Union’s new Voyage charger handily ticks both boxes. It’s an unassuming puck-shaped product that’s easily stashed in a pocket or bag when folded shut. Open it up, and you get a pair of Qi2 chargers. One side […]

Apple Vision Pro production reportedly scaled back due to disappointing demand

Brian Heater — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:07:48 +0000

Apple has dramatically scaled back Vision Pro production, according to a new report from The Information. The news comes days after CEO Tim Cook admitted in an interview that the $3,500 mixed-reality headset is for early adopters and “not a mass-market product.” The production slowdown is believed to be a response to disappointing sales, leaving […]