Time to read: 2 min
The week’s top hardware news.
March 11th, 2016
Products
Zero Screen Time
PrimoToys has returned to Kickstarter to launch a new Cubetto Playset. If you haven’t seen this Montessori approved wooden robot yet, you’re in for a treat. Cubetto is designed to teach kids ages three and up the basics of computer programming, along with other STEM skills… but with zero screen time. Has it got moms’ attention yet?
+ as for students, littleBits has a new STEAM Kit for them
Let Your Ears Breathe
No matter how soft or ergonomic the cushions, regular headphones still start to feel pretty tight at the end of a long workday. Through the innovative use of geometrical design, the 3D molded Vie Shair headphones “float” the speakers away from the ears. Sure, that means you’ll wear your ears in two wire cages, but when has unusual design ever stopped a Japanese startup?
+ headphones that track your head
+ Sony’s no-ears audio wearable
Did You Forget to Take Your Meds?
Theoretically, with a smart pill dispenser like the one built by Hero, you shouldn’t forget to take your meds ever again. It looks and sounds a whole lot like a coffee maker, which is a little bit wacky, and it tells on you when you skip a dose.
Industry
VR’s Biggest Seed Round
Penrose Studios, the virtual reality film company that wants to be the Pixar of VR, has raised $8.5 million in its first funding round. Company founder Eugene Chung has a reputation in the world of VR films after leading Oculus’ first productions. Chung’s belief is that VR films will rise just like motion picture did more than 100 years ago.
+ 2016 investments in VR and AR have already hit $1.1 billion
+ DODOcase SMARTvr takes a leap into the brave new virtual world
FreeD TV is Coming
Intel is looking for ways to expand 3D video technology into a different industry and on a larger scale. This week, the company announced that it has acquired the Israeli company Replay Technologies, which makes “free dimensional” 3D video technology. The two have teamed up before, to create this awe-inducing experience during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
Brain of Things
What if, instead of robots filling up our houses, we could actually have a robot as a house? A startup called Brain of Things is developing what the company’s founder refers to as “robot homes” in three locations in California. Tuned up with a large array of sensors and smart fixtures, this home collects data about its residents and adapts to their needs and whims. A bit creepy…or is it?
