This is part of our Road Trip 2018 summer series “Taking It to Extremes,” which looks at what happens when people mix everyday tech with insane situations. Smoke is billowing from a five-story window. In between those thick plumes, I know there are two people trapped inside — but I can see only one. How do I …
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The slimy children’s goo known as oobleck, made from cornstarch and water, has inspired researchers to create a lithium-ion battery that is less prone to dangerous fires. Lithium-ion batteries are indispensable to our tech-filled lives — they power basically all of our electronic devices, from laptops to headphones to smartphones. Sadly, they can explode when damaged (as one major mobile manufacturer …
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If you follow the phone market, you know that Andy Rubin’s much-ballyhooed Essential Phone debuted last year to mixed reviews. Critics dinged the so-so battery life, finicky camera and missing headphone jack, but users have been far more enthusiastic. Of course, with its $700 price tag (later cut to $500), only the well-heeled could afford it. That changes today: For …
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Regular readers know of my fondness for the Goolsky TB-802, a simple indoor drone with a gesture remote. (Still a killer deal at just $18, FYI.) If you like the idea of that kind of controller but want something a little more substantial (read: outdoor-friendly), I’ve got just the thing. For a limited time, and while supplies last, EachineDirect (via …
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You might think of Bluetooth as that handy radio technology that connects your phone to your wireless earbuds. But Intel has co-opted it to try to keep drones from falling out of the sky. The chipmaker has proposed a system called Open Drone ID with which the unmanned aircraft, whether piloted or flying under remote control, use Bluetooth to broadcast …
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DJI now has super cute drones. On Monday, the drone maker said it’s teamed up with Line Friends to create a mini drone that features the cute bear icon, Brown. The Line Friends (Brown) I Spark can do everything a standard Spark drone can do, such as quick launch, selfie taking, tracking and more. “Similar to other things we carry …
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The day was dawning at popular Instagram spot Lago di Braies when a young man and his girlfriend broke into the boathouse, jumped into one of the waiting boats and paddled out across the mountain lake in Italy’s Dolomites range. It sounds so romantic. Waking at daybreak, stealing a boat, rowing out into the middle of the lake to watch …
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DJI was just forced to confirm its hot new Mavic 2 Pro drone — after it was accidentally advertised for sale in a UK retailer’s ink-and-paper catalog! After DJI postponed a July 18 press event, UK-based retailer Argos apparently didn’t have time to pull the listing before its catalog went to print. So you can imagine the surprise when astute …
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This May, sleuths at IEEE Spectrum revealed something exciting — Facebook appeared to be secretly working on an experimental satellite that could beam internet down to Earth using millimeter wave radio signals. Now, Facebook has confirmed to Wired and CNET that the satellite, dubbed Athena, is indeed a Facebook project — and that Facebook is a believer in satellite internet technology. …
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Elon Musk’s absurdly advanced submarine didn’t help during the #ThaiCaveRescue, but let’s not write off technology just yet. Scottish climber Rick Allen was saved by a drone after he falling during a solo climb of Broad Peak mountain in the Himalayas, BBC reports. Allen’s climbing bag was spotted by a base camp worker, prompting the drone to be sent out to …
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