Columns

The smart homes and cities of the future are often painted as places full of transparent touch screens, voice-controlled assistants, and robots that can often predict what we need before we even ask. Unfortunately, what these advertisements and marketing materials don't always show is who is really in control of these future worlds.

Sure, most of these videos or images show regular people like you and me as the main actors, but it is really the companies that run the services and networks behind the scenes that are really in control, and it's going to take a long while before we can and should completely trust these systems with our safety and our lives.

Continue Reading

In a 2021 Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study by J.D. Power, range anxiety remains the most cited factor in deciding which EV to buy. In other words, range anxiety remains a primary concern when making that all-important shift from gasoline to electric.

Continue Reading

September is fast approaching and so are the possibilities and rumors surrounding the forthcoming iPhones. We are again looking at the probability of four new models – similar to last year’s iPhone 12 lineup – in the iPhone series for 2021. Reportedly, the iPhone in 2021 will be called iPhone 13 (with its Mini, Pro and Pro Max variants) and will hit the scene with improved cameras, a smaller notch, smother display, even faster processer, and whether you like it or not, in four sizes, like the ones launched last year.

Continue Reading

Google Pixel 6 is hot in the rumor mill with multiple leaks presenting a deeper peek into the upcoming Google smartphone. It is also speculated that the Pixel 6 will be accompanied by the bigger Pixel 6 Pro phone. It is highly likely, the Pixel Fold and even an XL model may debut alongside the Pixel 6 series smartphones. The last year’s legitimate leak suggested three code-named devices – Passport, Raven and Oriole – now believed to be the trio of these Pixel phones, set to release this year.

Continue Reading

Microsoft has an event scheduled next week to reveal what CEO Satya Nadella has painted as one of the biggest Windows updates of the past decade. Of course, it might just be Microsoft's top honcho hyping up what is now believed to be called Windows 11 but it has definitely gotten people talking. A leaked build of this Windows 11 upgrade just leaked this week to give a partial preview of what's to come. If that represents what Microsoft has to offer, however, Windows 11 might end up being more of a dud and yet another anecdote to the platform being chained forever to its past.

Continue Reading

Sonos and IKEA have returned with another surprisingly affordable speaker, but the SYMFONISK Picture Frame hides its music in plain sight. In the process it has added a new element of design to the partnership though, as excited as I am for more attainable connected speakers, I can't help but feel that neither company has quite closed the loop on this third product.

Continue Reading

Ford confirmed the power figures for the 2021 F-150 Raptor this past week, and it's fair to say they came as a surprise. Since the first generation of the performance truck back in 2010, the Raptor badge has meant Ford's most potent version of the pickup. Problem is, even before it hits dealer forecourts, the new Raptor finds itself in an electric shadow.

Continue Reading

The new 2022 Lexus NX looks slick, gets a welcome plug-in hybrid option, and an uptick in power, but it's the dashboard tech that I'm most excited by. It's fair to say that Lexus' infotainment systems haven't exactly been the most popular over the past 5-10 years, and while there have been multiple reasons for that, a lot of the blame can be placed squarely on the touchpad or joystick.

Continue Reading

If you are from the camp who thinks Windows 10's next version is long due, there is an exciting development in the Microsoft quarters. The Silicon Valley giant is working on the next major update after Windows 10 which debuted way back in 2015.

Continue Reading

Usually, seeing the underside of a new car on a launch event is a sign that something went terribly wrong. Even before I'd touched the wheel of the new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, though, I'd seen it stripped back to bare metal. The automaker knows that perceived quality is key to nudging the first three-row Grand Cherokee upmarket, and that involved a tour of where they build it - and a preview of what's to come.

Continue Reading

The foldable phone market is a lucrative one as evidenced by developments in the last year or so. Samsung, Huawei and Motorola have already shown the design capabilities and functionality of foldable phones. Now Google seems to be on the verge of joining the party with its own version of a foldable device, at least the rumors suggest.

Continue Reading

Should your EV shout about its electrons, or will more drivers come calling if aesthetic takes a back seat to technology? That's the challenge automakers like BMW face, and the confirmation of the 2022 i4 and iX launch details this week has thrown a spotlight on some of the biggest difficulties that linger beyond electric range alone.

Continue Reading