Time to read: 2 min
The week’s top hardware news.
April 1, 2016
Products
Blinded By the Light
FlipFlic is a solar-powered device that can adjust your blinds based on time, light, or your schedule. The device, which just launched on Kickstarter, promises easy installation for a wide range of blinds.
Oculus is Here
The virtual reality headset maker acquired by Facebook finally began shipping products to its first customers. The company still has some hurdles to bypass before it’s widely adopted though—mainly the cost of the hardware needed to run it and the availability of games.
+ iFixit’s teardown
Model 3 is Unveiled
The highly anticipated Model 3 from Tesla was unveiled last night. And even before the unveiling, fans around the globe placed an impressive 115,000 pre-orders. The Model 3 is Tesla’s first car targeting consumer levels, predicted to retail at $42,000.
The Swiss Army Knife of 3D Printers
This machine can do it all: Trinus can print metal and within 60 seconds transforms into a laser engraving machine. Early backers on Kickstarter will receive the printer for under $500.
Industry
Foxconn and Sharp Reach a Deal
After many weeks of talks and years of pursuit, Foxconn will pay $3.5 billion for 66% of Japanese electronics giant Sharp, giving Foxconn a controlling stake in the company. It’s rare that a large Japanese firm is sold to a foreign company and we imagine this deal may lead the way for similar acquisitions in the future.
Appetite for Robots
CB Insights released their data on investor deals in robotics for 2015—the results showed that funding to robotic companies doubled and deals reached record highs. Auras Surgical Robots, a California based stealth mode robotics startup, was notably the most funded.
MIT Opens Up
Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab, announced that the academic organization had switched to using open source software by default. The change in procedure is to align themselves with their community and encourage sharing.
Pinshape’s Rollercoaster Week
On March 29th, Pinshape, a platform for users to find, share and sell 3D files, announced they would be shutting down the platform due to lack of revenue from their service.
