Kristen Bobst

Contributing Writer

Kristen is a freelance tech and space writer and the author of STEM graphic novel series Style Engineers Worldwide.

Articles by Kristen Bobst

Misfit's $250 Vapor 2 smartwatch adds GPS and NFC
Misfit's Vapor 2 touchscreen smartwatch is ready to join the company's line of fashionable fitness trackers. Unlike the original, the Wear OS-powered Vapor 2 will be equipped with GPS and NFC, making it appealing for those who like the option of leaving their phone at home during workouts. Misfit also upgraded the smartwatch's optical heart sensor which tracks active and resting heart rates.
NBC Sports adds ‘Snow Pass’ to its hyper-specific streaming options
NBC Sports announced "Snow Pass" today, which is the latest in hyper-specific sports streaming packages on NBC Sports Gold. Snow Pass includes over 700 hours of live coverage for seven winter sports: alpine skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, biathlon and snowboarding. The new streaming options is available now for $69.99. The pass runs through April 2019, but it's only available in the US.
YouTube TV apologizes for outage with a one-week credit
If you're one of many who experienced the Youtube TV outage on October 16th, check your email. YouTube TV sent its subscribers an apology today which contained a link to a form you can fill out to receive one week's free credit.
Some Google Pixel 3 users claim their photos aren’t saving
If you're having issues with your Google Pixel phone not saving photos, you're not alone. According to reports on Reddit and Google's own forums, some owners of Google Pixel 3, 3XL, 2 and 2XL models -- and potentially other Android phones as well -- are experiencing a bug where photos disappear shortly after they've been taken.
Uber adds VoIP calling option to its app
Uber now allows riders and drivers to communicate over voice over internet protocol (VoIP) in addition to SMS texts, in-app messaging and regular phone calls. The Verge reports that Uber announced the global availability of the VoIP feature at a conference in San Francisco today. The ride-hailing firm has also confirmed the feature to Engadget.
Shaper's AR-equipped Origin power cutter is going on sale for $2,500
If you've been itching to add AR to your DIY with a handheld CNC, you'll be happy to know that Shaper's Origin augmented reality power cutter will once again be available for purchase. Originally launched in 2016, Origin scans visual markers and then displays a guide on the device's screen to direct where you cut. If you get too far off your design, the blade will retract.
Adobe's 'Fast Mask' can edit one object across an entire video clip
Last night at Adobe Max's Sneaks session, a showcase unveiling potential software features, comedian Tiffany Haddish and Adobe evangelist Paul Trani announced ten new tools that the company is exploring. The sneaks run the gamut from fun voice-to-music features to impressively useful tools like Smooth Operator, an intelligent vertical video cropping tool.
GOAT sneaker marketplace partners with NBA player Kyle Kuzma
Online sneaker marketplace GOAT announced that Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma will serve as the company's brand ambassador. Today's announcement marks the first partnership between a sneaker reselling platform and a professional athlete. During this NBA season, GOAT will outfit Kuzma with 'rare and highly-coveted Nike sneakers,' which he'll wear both on and off the court
Google-backed startup's chat bots turn ads into conversations
AdLingo, a marketing platform fresh out of Google's Area 120 incubator program, is making advertisements "conversational" with the help of AI. AdLingo doesn't build its own chatbots, but instead connects third-party chatbot tools with a company's marketing department.
Hulu considers a skinnier live TV bundle
A year and a half after getting into the live TV game, Hulu may make some changes to its live offerings. In a new "skinnier" package, Hulu could offer less live channels but more shows on-demand. Hulu CEO Randy Freer told The Information that reshuffling the programming mix could help improve the company's bottom line.
Sony tries using blockchain tech for next-gen DRM
Sony announced today that it's jumping on the blockchain bandwagon for digital rights management (DRM), starting with written educational materials under the Sony Global Education arm of the business. This new blockchain system is built on Sony's pre-existing DRM tools, which keep track of the distribution of copyrighted materials, but will have advantages that come with blockchain's inherent security.
Venmo increases fees on instant money transfers
Effective November 6th, Venmo patrons who use Instant Transfer to move money from their Venmo accounts to their debit cards will notice increased service fees. Instead of a flat $.25 per transfer, Instant Transfer fees will be set at 1% of the total sum.
Apple fires back at Australian encryption bill
In a seven-page letter to the Australian government, Apple criticized the country's proposed Access and Assistance Bill 2018. Apple claims, among other complaints, that the legislation raises cybersecurity concerns and give the state power to abuse users' privacy.
YouTube cracks down on ‘duplicative content’
Members of YouTube's Partner Program (YPP), those creators who monetize their content on the platform, must adhere to new rules regarding "duplicative content." According to a post on the company's Help Forum, YouTube Partners, both new and established, who break the new duplicate content rules will face their channel's removal. YouTube states that these changes are an effort to safeguard creators from abuses such as piracy.
1Password no longer automatically submits passwords on Macs
Updates to 1Password mean that while you can run the application in dark mode to match your MacOS Mojave's nighttime setting the password manager will no longer automatically submit previously filled passwords. In 1Password 7.2, you will have to press the enter key to submit your passwords in Safari, which is an improvement to the tool's security.
Amy Winehouse's hologram will tour with a live band in 2019
Amy Winehouse will return to the stage in 2019 as the latest in a long line of deceased performers resurrected as holograms. The digital ghost of Winehouse (who died in 2011) will perform her hits such a "Rehab" and "Valerie" while backed by a live band. The tour is a product of a partnership between LA-based BASE Hologram and the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which raises money for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.
Twitter updates level the playing field for emoji character counts
Twitter announced today on its developer forum that all emojis will count evenly toward the platform's maximum 280 character limit. Before this update, various modifiers such as gender and skin tone caused certain emojis to use up more characters than other emojis.
Apple bought real-time video editing startup to boost its AR push
Apple has doubled down on AR by acquiring Danish machine learning company Spektral, whose software erases backgrounds from videos instantly. The purchase remained quiet until Danish newspaper Børsen broke the news today. Fortune notes that the deal closed in December 2017 for a cool $30 million.