Author Archives: Brittany A. Roston

Foxconn has announced plans to build a massive facility in the United States, one that will include housing units, service businesses, stores and more. The facility will be constructed in Wisconsin, with the overall plan representing a massive $10 billion investment for the company. Wisconsin lawmakers are now tasked with presenting a subsidy package, one that may be about 50 times greater than the biggest it has ever offered.

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It has been nearly seven long years since Google rolled out Instant Search, a feature that irritated a bunch of users early on by presenting search result pages as a user typed their query. You've no doubt gotten used to Instant Search by this point (if you haven't disabled it entirely), but things are changing regardless: Google has killed the feature. You've likely already noticed the change, and you have the rise of mobile devices to thank for it.

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Earlier this week we reported that customers who had preordered the SNES Classic from Walmart were experiencing order cancellations. Though the company hadn't said anything official about the issue, emails were going out to customers advising them of the cancellation, and customer service reps were giving explanations that basically amounted to 'the website glitched.'

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The TSA has announced new domestic safety screening rules that will make air travel a bit more frustrating for many travelers. Following the international in-flight laptop ban that had affected some countries -- a rule reportedly based on tips from intelligence agencies that large electronics may be modified as bombs -- the TSA has announced that all gadgets bigger than a cell phone will need to be screened separately from carry-on luggage.

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The company Cochlear Limited has taken the wraps off its new Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, an FDA-approved technology that is explicitly 'Made for iPhone' so that those hard of hearing can better utilize their Apple smartphone. This is the first ever cochlear implant sound processor designed to work with the iPhone, and it also has the distinction of being the market's smallest/lightest behind-the-ear implant processor, says Cochlear.

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Remember those glow-in-the-dark roads that began cropping up a few years ago? One in Singapore just opened to the public, and it aims to make the length of space safer for people to use at night. Whereas ordinary road lights are expensive and result in light pollution, glow-in-the-dark materials are energized by the sun during the day and then glow softly at night, improving the quality of life for people who live and work nearby.

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Have you ever wondered who would win in a battle between Jedi Knights and regular ole medieval knights? It seems pretty obvious that the Jedi would win (read: slaughter) the metal-sword-wielding warrior, but what about an entire league of them? An entire army? What about sixty-thousand of them against a mere 300 Jedi? A simulator offers the answer.

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No doubt included on the list of appliances you won't want to transport often is a new espresso machine called the 'AnZa,' one created by designers in California who position the appliance as something like a kitchen sculpture. The appliance would match well with both modern home interiors and grungy, dark warehouse-style apartments. One would be tempted to think this model is unique, but it's not.

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While some companies are still working to get their smart speakers on the market, Xiaomi has launched its own, the Mi AI. This is the first smart speaker launched by the Chinese company, and as we'd expect, its price undercuts most of the existing models on the market substantially. A big question remains, though, and that's whether it'll be hitting international markets.

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Google's Trusted Contacts app has finally arrived on iOS, giving iPhone users the same location-sharing ability as the Android version of the app. With this, users are able to share their location with someone they trust -- a friend or family member, for example -- as well as giving these people access to certain information such as whether their phone has moved recently or if their battery is on the brink of powering down.

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Yale, the locks and hardware company, not the university, has announced a new smart lock product that it says is the slimmest currently available on the market. Called the Yale Assure Lock SL, this electronic deadbolt boasts a very slim body and a touchscreen display, the combination of which gives home and business owners a way to update their security without adding a bulging, unsightly gizmo.

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It's official: Nikon is developing the model D850, a DSLR camera it says will be a full-frame offering with other high-end features. The camera is targeted solely at professional, serious photographers (it will, no doubt, be priced in the thousands of dollars, lenses not included), and it'll be the successor of the current Nikon D810 model. We don't know the release date yet, but Nikon has revealed some of the camera details.

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