Author Archives: Satsuki Then

We've come a long way since the very first Roomba rolled on living room and kitchen floors. While still sticking to that same circular design, robot vacuum cleaners have changed and evolved considerably over the years, gaining features like obstacle avoidance, simultaneous mopping, or voice control. Roborock's latest S6 MaxV cleaning helper has all those and more, making it one of the smartest robots to grace your floor and certainly one of the more expensive ones as well.

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When people say they are searching on the Internet for information, they usually mean using Google Search, whether they're aware of it or not. Google's biggest and most universal Internet service has become the gateway to information but is sometimes also used to deceive people. That happens especially in times of crisis and confusion, which is why Google specifically formatted and curated COVID-19 search results in late January. Now it is stepping up that game not just with more data but with a whole website dedicated to official and verified information about the coronavirus.

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In the mobile world, there are arguments over the accuracy and security of biometrics such as fingerprints, irises, and faces. In the security and military sectors, however, people are turning to heartbeats. Just like fingerprints, the cardiac signature of a person is believed to be unique and infallible. But unlike fingerprints, heartbeats can be measured secretly from a distance with a laser. And wouldn’t you know it, the US military has one exactly like that.

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The Apple Music tripod just lost one of its legs. When the service launched in 2015, Apple promoted three foundations that made Apple Music unique: music streaming, Beats Radio, and the social hub Connect. Now Apple will have to revise history to show that the service stands only on two legs. As of today, Apple Music Connect is practically shutting down, save for a few traces, leaving artists less connected with their fans.

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Mechanical watchmaking is an old trade that requires traditional process. In today’s world, the watchmaking industry has adopted advance technology in manufacturing and material processing. Small brands, or what we call “micro brands” are also taking advantage of the internet and manufacturing tech on getting funds for their watch projects by utilizing crowdfunding like Kickstarters. There are many micro-brands on the crowdfunding sites, however there aren’t many that fully utilizing today’s manufacturing technology. We spoke to Nop Srinara, the co-founder of Vilhelm Watch to get an inside look of his watch project - The Elemental - an interesting watch project that uses multiple materials on a single watch case.

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Google's plans for the upcoming Google TV system may be facing unexpectedly strong opposition from TV networks, with skepticism about the search giant's ability to monetize the platform.  According to the WSJ's sources, Google has met with officials of TV networks including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, who have expressed concerns that their content may get lost amid the deluge of streaming media and even pirated content.

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Definitely one for the rumor-mill, but DownloadSquad claim to have heard from a source that HTC are building Google a Chrome OS tablet that will launch on the Verizon network in the US on November 26th.  That's a Black Friday launch, leading to speculation that Verizon will couple the slate with some seriously subsidized pricing so as to lure in would-be iPad buyers.

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Just two days after officially going on sale in the UK via Amazon, the Toshiba Libretto W100 dual-screen ultraportable has sold out.  Priced at $1,100 (for the W105-L251 model with no integrated 3G) and admittedly only available in "limited numbers", the Libretto W100 obviously proved appealing to a subset of cash-rich users who liked the look of two 7-inch capacitive touchscreens.

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Last we heard, Microsoft's Arc Touch Mouse was due sometime next month; that hasn't stopped German retailer notebooksbilliger jumping the gun and putting up their product page.  According to their details, the Arc Touch Mouse is a wireless peripheral that physically bends for comfortable mousing but flattens out for easier transportation.  It has a large touch-scroll sensor - presumably the grey bar running between the buttons - for easier navigation.

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T-Mobile USA has just pinged us to flag up their latest teaser site, for the new T-Mobile G2.  Billed as the network’s first HSPA+ smartphone – which T-Mobile reckon will deliver speeds on a par with 4G rivals – there’s scant detail as to the identity or specifications of the G2 itself, but we’re guessing it’s the HTC-made QWERTY slider previously known as the HTC Vision or T-Mobile G1 Blaze.

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RIM's first weekend sales for the BlackBerry Torch may have proved disappointing for AT&T and the manufacturer, with various analysts suggesting the touchscreen smartphone shifted just 150,000 units in its first two days of availability.  Both RBC Capital Markets and Stifel Nicolaus came to the 150k figure, having made spot-checks for stock levels at stores over the weekend, while Goldman Sachs merely described the launch as "underwhelming".

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Revo are known for their distinctive digital radio and iPod docks, offering either curiously retro or decidedly futuristic models, and their latest, the Revo AXiS, falls into the second camp.  Packing DAB, DAB+, internet and FM radio support, together with network audio streaming, the AXiS also has an iPhone/iPod dock and a color touchscreen for control.

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