People prefer to bring this portable speaker with them on weekend treks or to backyard gatherings, and before long, they’re using it almost daily. For $90 (was $140), it punches far below what many people expect to pay for portable audio. Anker engineered the Boom 2 to endure whatever life throws at it and still create a sound that’s a lot greater than you’d expect from a speaker of this size.
A band of wild boars broke onto the sidewalk and grass on the outskirts of Warsaw, as seen on video late one night. Barely a moment later, a Unitree G1 humanoid robot appears from the side, its legs pumping furiously as it fights to stay upright.
Mark Zuckerberg is pushing for his staff to communicate with him directly via a highly realistic digital copy of himself. Meta is developing an AI avatar that looks and sounds exactly like him, using a treasure trove of his images, voice recordings, personal habits, and even public remarks. One day, employees across the company’s massive workforce of over 79,000 people will be able to fire off queries, receive responses, and hear words of advice from the founder that sound exactly like the real thing.
Pro cycling is getting faster each season, crashes are becoming more common, and although riders accept the risks as part of the sport, one company is aiming to reduce the damage without slowing anyone down. Van Rysel has created a skinsuit with its own built-in airbag system, which is literally sewed directly into the cloth. This suit was developed in collaboration with In&motion, the same team that created airbags for skiers and bikers, and it looks and feels exactly like any other race-ready gear. Cyclists put it on, zip it up, and forget about the extra gear until it’s actually needed.
Anbernic’s new throwback handheld, the RG Rotate, is bringing swivel screens, which were once the hallmark of flip phones, right up to date. When closed, this device resembles a compact music player or a stylish small device that can hang off a backpack. The square display rotates 90 degrees on a specially made, incredibly thin metal hinge when you gently nudge it. You won’t have to worry about the hinge failing on you anytime soon because it is designed to endure years of regular use.
On April 12, crowds flocked to Toyota Arena in Tokyo to witness CUE7 come to life on the court. Standing 219 cm (7’2″) tall, it moved with an unsettlingly steady balance as it retrieved a basketball off the ground. When the robot began to move, it appeared to be playing basketball like any other player, with deft dribbles and precise motions. When the robot took a free shot in front of 8,400 yelling spectators, the ball left its hands in a perfect arc and fell over the net.
Data Slayer wondered if it was possible to send messages across large distances without relying on those giant telecoms providers, and for him, the answer was definitely yes. He accomplished the feat of bridging the almost 2,500-mile gap between Florida and Venezuela to demonstrate his idea. Even more impressive, though, is that he accomplished this using just about 20 radio boards (which cost between $20 and $30 apiece), a few small computers, and some open-source networking magic known as Reticulum.
In the company’s most recent video, Unitree’s H1 humanoid bot is seen speeding down a typical athletic track and passing a speed sensor at a scorching 10 m/s (22.3 mph), with an error margin of up to 10.1 m/s. His average speed was close to the 200-meter sprint record (23.3 mph) that Usain Bolt achieved in 2009.
Zac Builds was fed up with waiting for Valve to finally release their Steam Machine. So, he decided to do things the hard way and build his own version from the ground up, resulting in something that actually exceeded Valve’s official product in terms of speed and price. What started as a fun little competition to see who could be the first to market has grown into a full-featured gaming machine that anyone with basic tools can construct at home.
Compact size is rarely combined with so much capability in one device. Google designed the Pixel 10 Pro, priced at $749 (was $999), with everyday requirements in mind, rather than breaking records on paper, and that mindset has resulted in a phone that feels robust and ready to go day after day.