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The industrial revolution in your basement: You don't own it unless you make it
"I was a graphic artist" says master modder Ben Heck. This hacking expert got into making as a hobby thanks to a library of items available at his job. With the 3D printing boom, it's now easier than ever for hobbyists and tech enthusiasts to design and prototype ideas on a small scale without the need for expensive manufacturing. Thanks to the DIY movement, a community has blossomed for makers, offering support and inspiration to keep the ideas and new devices flowing. So how does one get started tweaking electronics and building rockets? That's precisely what a panel of expert makers tackled on stage at Expand NY this weekend.
Live from Expand: Gesture / Alternate Interfaces
Wait, you're still using keyboards and mice? Well, we just typed this with our mind! Explore the world of alternative interfaces with representatives from Samsung, Leap Motion and Pelican Imaging. November 10, 2013 11:50:00 AM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Pebble CEO bets big on developers for the smartwatch's future
Pebble has come a long way since its debut way back in April 2012, having sold more than 190,000 smartwatches and growing the company from 11 employees to 40 in the span of a little over a year. Now that the hardware has proven immensely popular, the company is shifting its focus to software, and nowhere is that more evident than its big announcement this week. It not only seriously expanded iOS 7 support, but it also introduced the second version of its SDK, which should hopefully get its nascent developer community excited about making even more apps for the eponymous smartwatch. Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, sat down at Expand NY to give a little more insight into the origins of Pebble and the vision of the company going forward.
Live from Expand: The Industrial Revolution Starts at Home
This is going to be a fun one. We've brought some of the top names in the maker space to discuss the world of do-it-yourself electronics. We'll be joined by master modder Ben Heck, littleBits founder Ayah Bdeir and Make Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mark Frauenfelder. November 10, 2013 10:20:00 AM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
The green issue: It's never been easier, but will we do our part?
The green message has never been stronger. It's something that we all play a part in, even more so as lovers of technology. What can we do, as consumers, to make sure that we minimize the impact we make on the environment? Greener energy is an obvious choice, but there's also the issue of conflict minerals, which has never been more relevant to technology. Speaking at Expand NY today, Jill Fehrenbacher (Inhabitat), Shayne McQuade (Voltaic) and Beth Ferguson (Sol Design) expressed the challenges they, as industry players face and how that affects every one of us.
Forget devices; the future of technology is seeded in biology
A lot of you, dear readers, may remember a time when mobile phones didn't exist, let alone smartphones with touchscreens, apps and pro-grade cameras. Some may even recall a childhood completely devoid of TV, when the phrase "playing in a sandbox" meant literally that. Not content with books that glow in the dark, among other electronic conveniences, we're now strapping computers to our heads and a second smartphone screen to our wrists. io9's Annalee Newitz and Joichi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab, took to our Expand stage to talk about what technology of the future might look like, and both agreed we'll see much less built from circuits, and much more from (somewhat) natural ingredients.
Reggie Watts admits he's an impulse tech buyer, but it's those digital interfaces that still need work
When Reggie Watts took to the Expand stage, he was wearing a Pebble. The performer said that he's obsessed with the wearables and picked up multiples of the smartwatch during those early adopter deal days. "If it's something I'm curious about, [something} that provides a service or that I'm interested in," then he makes the purchase. These early adoptions have to survive a very narrow success rate. "About 80 percent of these might not get integrated into my life -- and those go to my friends." How about Pebble? "It's great to not look at my phone to see SMS messages," Watts said, adding that he hated the disconnect that happens when people are talking and those smartphone notifications pull one half of the conversation away. Touching on what Watts outlined during a recent episode of Peripheral Vision, he said that technology was a means of expressing creativity -- and he's been obsessed with most things tech since he was little. "I used to lick batteries a lot. I thought licking a 9-volt battery would give me super powers." From there, it went in a safer and arguably more productive direction, as deconstructed X-Wing toys, Casio keyboards and music began to dovetail, quite neatly, into that obsession. Does technology inform his music? To an extent: "It inspires me to add layers, project them in a complex way." Most of the times, as displayed in his quick set at the end of the session, he's layering over himself, adding and enriching his own vocal and beatbox lines. When it comes to his performances, Watts explained that his equipment has to fit into his bag, and as such he's always looking for ways to shrink that volume down. He's involved himself with littleBits' synth kit collaboration with Korg, -- which seems pretty on target. However, he doesn't expect his equipment to unify into a tablet or smartphone controller any time soon. To begin with, there's a lack of tactile sensation that you can only get from IRL dials and switches. That's not to say he hasn't done a smartphone-only performance in the past -- he has -- but Watts added that now "inputting the information, the interface ... is the problem." "[At the moment] we're still like cavemen."
Here are your five Insert Coin finalists, cast your vote now!
It's been a long day of demos, tough questions and talking to potential consumers for our Insert Coin competitors. But the judges and readers have spoken, and we have our five finalists. MyBell, DIWire, GrowCubes, Smart Power Strip and BlinkScan will be moving on to the next round where they'll be competing for two prizes: one awarded by our panel of judges, and the other chosen by you the readers. Your vote here will select the winner of the $15,000 Reader's Choice Award from the slate of the five finalists. Read more about each project, along with the finalist projects, before casting your vote very carefully. Voting starts at 6:30 PM EST on Saturday, November 9 and closes at 4:30 PM EST on Sunday, November 10!
The wearable dilemma: forming habits first, then building ecosystems
"Getting people to want to wear things all the time -- whether it's on or off" is a huge stumbling block, said Becky Stern, director of Wearable Electronics at Adafruit. Sure, smartwatches and activity trackers are becoming increasingly more visible in the tech space, but mainstream adoption is still key for the long-term success of the diminutive gadgets. Here at Expand NY, a trio of wearable-tech experts from across the spectrum of devices discussed the tech and the roadblocks to widespread use from consumers. Currently, there's still a challenge with getting the public to want to wear anything, let alone a smartwatch or activity tracker. Not only does the device need to look amazing, but it also has to provide a function that we can't live without. If you think about a diabetes tracker, that wearable serves a vital purpose for a niche of consumers. For Co-founder of Narrative Oskar Kalmaru (the outfit that makes the Clip life-logging camera) the usefulness of wearables is a software issue. "[It's] making it smart enough to do something for you." With a large number of Americans using either activity-tracking gadgets or services, the interest is clearly there -- even now in infancy -- and Kalmaru is convinced the sector will continue to grow with more improved software.
Live from Expand: Sony President Phil Molyneux with special guest Spike Lee
Sony President Phil Molyneux joins us to discuss the company's role in the ever-expanding world of consumer electronics, with a little help from none other than director Spike Lee. November 9, 2013 5:40:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Google's Timothy Jordan: Glass is a complete break from the past
Many wonder whether Google Glass has legs as a technology. Will we still be using it (and talking about it) years from now? If you ask Google's Senior Developer Advocate Timothy Jordan, absolutely. Speaking at Expand in New York, he described the wearable eyepiece as a fundamental shift in user interface concepts that will remain exciting for a long time to come. There has even been a surprise or two for Google itself, he says.
Live from Expand: Staying Green
Green's been quite the buzzword in consumer electronics and other technologies over the past decade or so. Is it simply a fad, or will today's technologies truly help provide for a more sustainable future? Join panelists from Inhabitat, Voltaic and Sol Design Lab to find out where green tech is headed. November 9, 2013 5:00:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
LeVar Burton on Google Glass: 'It disturbed me'
"It disturbed me. I was skeptical... [and] I'm a person that's very open to technology." That's the reaction LeVar Burton, the man best known from Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation, first had when encountering Google Glass backstage at Engadget Expand. Burton, a self-described edutainment pioneer, acknowledges the disruptive power new technologies can have on media and culture -- after all, he did help transform television into a worthy educational tool/babysitter with his PBS program. But even with that storied success, and his company's current inroads into digital with an iPad Reading Rainbow application, Burton still had a "knee-jerk" response when confronted with Glass. Although his celebrity status and the resulting paranoia could have something to do with it.
Live from Expand: Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky
The age of the smartwatch, it seems, is upon us, thanks in no small part to the success of Pebble. What began life as a record-breaking Kickstarter success has grown into a wearable phenomenon. We sit down with the company's CEO to discuss Pebble's successes and where it goes from here. November 9, 2013 3:55:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Pivothead's new video capture glasses let you mix and match power, storage and wireless add-ons
Pivothead's video-recording specs have undergone only a slight evolution since they launched early last year, gaining live broadcast abilities through the Air Sync add-on. Here at Expand NY, however, we've seen what's next, as the company's been kind enough to bring along a prototype of its next-gen model: the Pivothead SMART. Nothing's changed on the camera front, so the SMART carries the same 8-megapixel sensor as its predecessor and records up to 1080p footage at 30 fps. What's different about this new pair, though, is the addition of ports at the end of each arm into which you can plug one of three modular accessories, called Fuel, Air and Live Mods. Essentially, these Mods split the three functions of the bulkier Air Sync peripheral -- streaming, storage and power -- into individual parts. Each Fuel Mod contains a 800mAh battery to supplement the 250mAh internal pack; the Air Mod adds Bluetooth, WiFi, Android for app development and a microSD card slot for bolstering the 16GB of built-in space; and the Live Mod contains a WiFi module for livestreaming your POV. The Pivothead SMART glasses we got to try out weren't quite the finished product -- the company's going to shorten the arms, for example, as they're a bit too long when paired with Mods. It's worth noting that the accessories didn't add much extra weight, so sore ears shouldn't be an issue. For early adopters and eager developers, Pivothead's releasing an SDK and starting an Indiegogo campaign for the SMART specs next Tuesday (November 12th), prior to a true consumer launch in March. Check out the gallery for snaps of the prototype pair and Mods, as well as some obligatory modeling shots, of course.
Live from Expand: Thinking Ahead: the Future of Consumer Electronics
It's time to look ahead. We've enlisted MIT Media Lab Director Joichi Ito and iO9's Annalee Newitz to help us separate the fads from the future and predict what precisely is on the technological horizon. November 9, 2013 2:00:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Live from Expand: LeVar Burton
For more than 20 years, LeVar Burton helped kids discover the magic of books through the beloved PBS show Reading Rainbow. Both Burton and the program have returned, albeit in a form more befitting of the early 21st century. The actor-turned-educator joins us on stage to discuss how technology can be used to expand young minds. November 9, 2013 1:15:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Lunar elevators and asteroid mining: Kickstarting the next chapter of space exploration
Privately funded space missions might sound like the preserve of the financial elite, but the truth is actually a little more pedestrian. Speaking at Expand New York today, Michael Laine (LiftPort) and Chris Lewicki (Planetary Resources) both extolled the virtues of people power, and the critical role it will play in the future of private space exploration. Head past the break to find out how you might play a part in the next chapter of space research.
Live from Expand: Google Glass Senior Developer Advocate Timothy Jordan
Still got lots of questions about Google Glass? Yeah, us too. The wearable's Senior Product Advocate Timothy Jordan will be joining us on stage to discuss hardware as a platform, the company's visions for the technology and why Glass represents Google's future. November 9, 2013 11:45:00 AM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Live from Expand: Moonshots: the Independent Space Race
The next frontier in space travel? All signs point to private enterprise. In fact, this is arguably the most exciting time for the industry since the early days of the space race. We'll be speaking to some of the folks who are re-framing the way we think of outer space, from the president of asteroid-mining company Planetary Resources to an entrepreneur attempting to construct a space elevator. November 9, 2013 10:20:00 AM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
