Keeping an eye on crops is getting to be a high tech job for farmers. Already farmers can use drones to fly over their fields and keep an eye on the temperature, humidity, and crop health. The catch is that the large drones have short flying times before they need to land and recharge. This has led researchers at the University of Washington (UW) to create a tiny sensing system that is small enough to be attached to the back of a bumblebee.

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Almost any and all companies involved with phones and the Internet are rallying behind a single, two-letter word: “5G”. From chipmakers like Qualcomm to service providers like T-Mobile to phone manufacturers like Samsung, the big players are lining up their big guns on the 5G wall. One company, however, sounds almost unconvinced. Despite portraying itself as a rebel who never settles for anything less, OnePlus isn’t in a rush to put out a 5G-capable phone. Oh it’s coming alright, in about five months or so. It won’t, however, making it much money.

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ATwerkingYoshi is going bananas. And quite literally too. When Super Smash Bros. U finally launched, it went big immediately, despite the earlier high-profile premature leak. And, as expected, anyone and everyone who could streamed or recorded their experiences and reactions playing what some already call the best-selling Switch game of all time, or at least this year. None, however, would have probably guessed that someone would take seven bananas and use those as a controller, not to mention win some matches, too!.

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Almost all software these days, from small apps to hulking operating systems, scrap some pieces of data from users. Some simply take stats needed to improve the app or service. Others use that same excuse to gather even more information, personal or otherwise. To make sure users don’t misinterpret their activities or sue them for such, companies like Google and Microsoft provide dashboards for users to see and control what data they collect from you. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s version of that for Windows 10 isn’t exactly doing what it says it’s doing.

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Ever since the initial scandal a few years back, a scandal that has apparently persisted to today, mobile performance benchmarks have lost their luster and flair. People still use them, of course, mostly as a reference and starting point. And companies just love citing those, especially to boost their prestige and, eventually, sales. One company that might revel in those numbers is Huawei, whose three, yes all three, Huawei Mate 20 phones grabbed AnTuTu’s November ranking. But things might not be what they seem.

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If this all sounds like deja vu, you might have been closely monitoring reports on iPhone X sales last year. Apple’s most daring iPhone, it has been reported as both failing and succeeding as far as sales go. This year’s iPhone XS, XS Max, and especially the XR are similarly getting conflicting reports, most of on the disappointing side of the scale. But while reports of Apple cutting back on production due to weaker than expected demand for the phones, two of its biggest suppliers seem to be proving otherwise.

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Smartphone cameras have become quite capable and formidable but even those with the most innovative features, like Samsung’s dual aperture lens or Google’s AI-backed single camera, are pretty much limited by the lenses manufacturers bolt on to them permanently. There’s really no way around that unless phones become like interchangeable lens cameras. Fortunately, there are companies like Moment that do offer something equivalent and fortunately for OnePlus 6 owners, the company has finally taken notice of them.

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Just as an earlier leak indicated, LG is expanding its once famous “LG gram” line of laptops and taking it places no gram has gone before. Meaning, just like what that same leak suggested, they are taking on not just new forms but new weights as well. Whether that actually breaks the deal, only consumers will be able to decide. Suffice it to say, the LG gram 17 and 14-inch LG gram 2-in-1 are not your average grams.

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Footwear company Puma has revived its RS-Computer Shoe, a classic sneaker from 1986 that -- at the time of its launch -- included sophisticated hardware targeted at athletes and enthusiasts. Though the technology has long been made obsolete by modern alternatives, the design itself retains a certain retro appeal and the model enjoys a number of fans. Puma's upgraded version retains the same classic design.

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It’s that time of the year again when we not only take stock of the past nearly twelve months, we also go through our list of things we’d love to buy if we got the chance or the need. Whether it’s buying a gift for a tech-savvy friend or family member or even for yourself, there’s no shortage of options that could send you down a spiral of paralysis analysis. To save you from drowning, here are some of the best of the best this year when it comes to smart and mobile devices.

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Lyft has taken the wraps off its new Grocery Access Program, an initiative that will provide residents in Washington DC with discounted shared rides to grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8. The program will undergo a six month pilot period lasting from January 2019 to June 2019, helping reduce the burden of getting to stores while providing Lyft with valuable data.

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When Samsung announced its own take on the AI-powered smart assistant, there were naturally some doubts as to Samsung’s ability to carry through its vision. The botched launch of Bixby and other criticisms made it even less certain that the company will be able to deliver what it promised. One of those is support for languages other than Korean, Chinese, and English. The good news: that’s partially being delivered. The bad news: it’s only available for a very select few.

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