If you’re in the market for a new GPS smartwatch that can handle your high-altitude antics, Garmin might have just the thing: the fenix 5X Plus. Priced from $ 849.99, it’s not cheap, but it’s Garmin’s first wearable to offer a wrist-based Pulse Oximeter so you can measure your oxygen level at higher altitudes. “With […]
Gears & Gadgets
Microsoft “Andromeda” this year, new HoloLens in 2019, and the next Xbox in 2020
The HoloLens headset. Microsoft Internal documents outlining Microsoft’s future hardware plans have leaked, giving a sneak peek at what the next couple of years of the company’s hardware are likely to look like, writes Brad Sams of Thurrott.com. First up, there’s a trio of Surface-branded devices with the code names Carmel, Libra, and Andromeda. Libra is […]
Exclusive: Plume’s new “Superpod” hardware is here—and it’s fast
Plume made a splash into the burgeoning Wi-Fi mesh scene a couple of years ago by promising to do things differently. In a market where vendors vie with each other to put the biggest, nastiest-looking hardware with the biggest possible numbers on the box, Plume seemed to say, “That’s not how you actually fix Wi-Fi.” […]
The Apple Watch will soon ditch its mechanical buttons, report says
Enlarge / Buttons on the side of an Apple Watch Series 3. Valentina Palladino FastCompany published a report today citing “a source with direct knowledge” of Apple’s plans for a future Apple Watch that will feature solid-state, touch-sensitive buttons instead of the clickable ones that are currently part of the device. This will apply to […]
Google Pixel 3 XL prototype shows an all-glass back, giant display notch
You can just barely make out the screen outline here. XDA Developers The back is a glass version of last year’s design. XDA Developers The bottom doesn’t have a headphone jack. XDA Developers Power and volume buttons. XDA Developers It looks like we’re quickly learning more about Google’s upcoming flagship smartphone. After a description of […]
Intel isn’t going to be launching a 28-core 5GHz processor this year after all
Enlarge / This is a 10-core Skylake-X processor. It uses the low core count (LCC) version of the Skylake-SP die. Fritzchens Fritz Earlier this week, Intel showed off a product coming in the fourth quarter of this year: an enthusiast-oriented 28-core processor running all cores at 5GHz. This combination of clock speed and core count […]
Microsoft’s plan for GitHub: “Make GitHub better at being GitHub”
Enlarge / From left to right: current GitHub CEO Chris Wanstrath, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and former Xamarin CEO, soon-to-be GitHub CEO Nat Friedman Microsoft As part of Microsoft’s $ 7.5 billion purchase of cloud source code repository GitHub, the company is installing a new CEO. Once the deal closes (which is expected to happen […]
These Smart Socks Keep Tabs on People With Diabetes
We’ve been hearing about “smart fabrics” that respond to the human wearer for years but little has transpired, apart from floaty dresses that light up with LEDs, or mod-style parkas threaded with charging cords. But something that saves your life? That’s worth a look. PCMag was in San Francisco recently and sat down with Ran […]
Sonos launches a new mini soundbar, pegs AirPlay 2 support for July
Here’s the Sonos Beam. There isn’t a ton going on from a design standpoint, which is probably for the best for a thing that’s meant to sit under your TV. Sonos It comes in black or white. Sonos You can really get a sense of how small the Beam is and what kind of audience […]
WatchOS 5 first take: Walkie Talkie, workout auto detect, and smarter Siri
Enlarge Valentina Palladino SAN JOSE—Just three years after the release of the first Apple Watch, Apple announced the fifth iteration of its wearable operating system at WWDC 2018. Unlike iOS updates, most watchOS updates haven’t brought drastic changes to Apple’s device in terms of look and feel. WatchOS 5 doesn’t radically alter the experience of […]
Lenovo’s all-screen smartphone was all talk
A drawing of the Lenovo Z5 shared in the lead-up to the phone’s launch. Lenovo A teaser render of the Z5. Lenovo The Lenovo Z5. This looks nothing like what Lenovo’s pre-launch hype led us to believe. Lenovo Twenty-two days ago, Lenovo started hyping the upcoming launch for its Z5 smartphone. Lenovo VP Chang Cheng shared […]
Everyone complaining about Microsoft buying GitHub needs to offer a better solution
Enlarge Microsoft Microsoft is buying GitHub for $ 7.5 billion dollars, and predictably, there’s a developer backlash. GitHub, though notionally a for-profit company, has become an essential, integral part of the open-source community. GitHub offers free hosting for open-source projects and has risen to become the premiere service for collaborative, open-source development: the authoritative source […]
Apple announces macOS 10.14 “Mojave”
Enlarge SAN JOSE—Apple detailed its next major operating-system update at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote today: macOS 10.14, which the company has named “Mojave” in keeping with its California-based naming convention. Tim Cook told the audience that MacOS included a lot of new features for both everyday and pro users, and Craig Federighi kicked off […]
Liveblog: Apple’s WWDC 2018 keynote is today at 1pm ET/10am PT
Enlarge Apple Liveblog starts in: View Liveblog At 10am PDT (1pm EDT, 5pm GMT) on Monday, June 4, 2018, Apple will host its keynote to kick off the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference. The company will outline its software plans for Macs, iPhones, iPads, and much more. Ars will of course be in attendance, and we’ll […]