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The Rabbit R1 will offer up-to-date answers powered by Perplexity's AI
The Rabbit R1 AI device will offer up-to-date answers powered by Perplexity.
Recommended Reading: Behind the wheel of the Rivian R1S
Recommended Reading highlights the week's best writing on technology and more.
Kroger starts testing self-driving grocery delivery in Arizona
You now have a chance to try Kroger's self-driving grocery delivery... if you happen to live in the right part of Arizona. The chain has launched its driverless delivery pilot at a single Fry's Food Stores location in Scottsdale, giving you a chance to receive foodstuffs courtesy of Nuro's autonomous vehicles. Order through the Fry's website or app and the robotic courier can deliver either the same day or next day for a $6 flat fee. You'll have to live in the same 85257 ZIP code, so you can't make them drive across town just to satisfy your curiosity.
Skydio R1 review: The ultimate follow-me drone comes at a price
In a park, perched on San Francisco's East Bay, I set down Skydio's R1 drone, open an app on my phone, click "launch" and do something I would normally never do. I walk straight under a tree, knowing full well that the R1 will follow me and that the branches are directly in its flight path; I am trying to make it crash. I fail. I repeat this task a few more times, even with the drone flying backward, but try as I might, the R1 slips right under (and sometimes over) the tree's canopy. I am doing nothing but walking, no controller or phone in my hand; the R1 is figuring this all out by itself. Should I be surprised at this? In theory, no. When drone newcomer Skydio recently revealed the self-flying R1 ($2,499), the main selling point was its superior ability to follow a target and avoid obstacles at speed. But drones have offered various versions of follow-and-avoid for a while, and in my experience, none has really nailed it. Hence my surprise at how deftly the R1 avoided Californian topiary, right out of the box.
After Math: Market fluctuations
It's been a volatile week for us all, what with the stock market's unpredictable undulations, the US Senate's DACA drama, the Olympics hacking and whatever other craziness that's sure to happen between the time I file this post and Sunday morning. It was pretty wild for the tech industry as well. Turns out that Apple's HomePod seemingly secretes wood-marking oils, Sony announced it'll cut the price of its VR headset by a third, and Netflix continued its spending spree, blowing $300 million on the guy who brought us "Glee." Numbers, because how else are you going to count stuff?
The Skydio R1 might be the smartest consumer drone in the sky
Autonomous features in commercially available drones are nothing new. Heck, I'm old enough to remember when DJI Phantoms didn't even offer follow-along technology. Shorter version: Most every drone worth its rotors possesses some level of autonomy. But then there's Skydio's R1, which ratchets things up a notch. Or two.
Samsung has new 360-degree wireless speakers and a better app
Samsung is releasing three new 360-degree wireless speakers -- the R1, R3 and R5 -- as a follow-up to its Portal-esque R7 device. They're not quite egg-shaped like their predecessor (and its own predecessors), but they feature the same "ring-radiator" technology that helps them fill a room with sound. Plus, they now have a physical user interface on the top panel that allows users to quickly play, pause, adjust the volume and switch music sources.
Panasonic's bringing Technics back with a pair of high-end amps
Technics, Panasonic's high-end audio brand, may never have actually gone away, but it certainly fell out of the gaze of the mainstream. Now, however, the company feels that it's the time for the name to make a comeback with a pair of speaker-and-amp combinations that'll appeal to audiophiles everywhere. At the top end is a "Reference Series" R1, which comprises of a stereo amp, network audio control player and a pair of speakers. If your cash won't stretch that far, however, then you'll be able to shift down a gear with the "Premium Series" C700 range, which offers an amp, speakers, network audio player as well as - wait for it - a compact disc player. There's no word on what the company is going to be pricing this hardware at, but we'd assume that Technics won't sully its name with some budget devices. Still, it won't be long until we find out, since both ranges will land in Europe in December, with global sales coming in early 2015.
Oppo's bringing another LTE phone to the US (and it might just be affordable)
Oppo has a reputation for clever smartphones, but there's a good reason why you rarely see its devices in the US: it hasn't had local LTE data until the (currently unreleased) Find 7, and that's not exactly cheap. Imagine our surprise when we found a version of the R1 with US-capable LTE, fresh from FCC approval. The high-style, low-cost phone can now handle 4G data on T-Mobile and, to a limited extent, AT&T. It should also run quickly on Canadian providers.
Oppo R1 smartphone arrives in China with a bright camera and high style
It's tough to stand out in the mid-range Android crowd, but Oppo may have found a way to separate itself from the pack. Its newly launched R1 smartphone carries a gold-effect metal frame that adds a touch of class around the 5-inch screen. Camera quality may also lure in a few buyers. The R1 carries a bright 8-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture shooter like that in the R819, and there's an upgraded 5-megapixel camera at the front. No one will mistake Oppo's latest hardware for a flagship, though. There's a modest 1.3GHz, quad-core MediaTek chip inside, and neither the 720p display resolution nor the 16GB of non-expandable storage will please video lovers. The real obstacle for some may be the price -- the R1 sells for ¥2,498 ($411) in its native China, which is a lot to pay when the Vivo X3 offers slightly better performance in a slimmer design.
Toshiba REGZA R1 and H1 series promises USB storage, HDD, adventure
If you were contemplating a move to Japan (you know, because you're sick of waiting for all those feature-packed REGZA HDTVs to make it stateside) the idea just got a little more compelling. The new REGZA R1 series (up to 42-inches) and REGZA H1 series (32 and 37-inch displays) sport USB ports for recording and external storage. All but the 32-inch models feature 1080p (the little guys make due with 720p) and the R1 line also feature IPS panels and an enhanced gaming mode. All of the above support DLNA streaming, four HDMI ports, analog inputs, and two 10W speakers. But that's not all! In addition to USB, the H1 line throws in the 500GB hard drives that are becoming commonplace on other REGZA models lately. Look for new H1 displays to drop in early June, starting at ¥150,000 (about $1,600), while the new R1 line is due any time now starting at ¥130,000 (about $1,400). Hit the source link for all the details -- and for an insane trip into the world of machine-mangled Japanese press releases. If you dare.
Samsung announces US availability, pricing for R1, R0 PMPs
Samsung first announced its R0 PMP way back and July of last year, and we saw its R1 model hit the FCC a month later in August, but the company has just now finally gotten official with US availability for both of them. Set to be available sometime next month, the touchscreen-equipped R1 will come in 8GB and 16GB varieties (in black or silver) for $149.99 and $179.99, while the non-touchscreen, and slightly larger R0 (pictured above), will run just $99 and $129 for the same capacities in your choice of black, silver or pink. Both will also give you Samsung's own Digital Natural Sound Engine 3.0 "sound enhancement" technology and DivX support, along with a microSD card slot on the R0, and Bluetooth support on the R1, among other standard fare.
ASUS ships $100 O!Play HDP-R1 HD media streamer
Hey, you -- yeah, you. Remember that O!Play HDP-R1 media player that ASUS teased us with back in June? Remember how you dedicated a calender to it so you could count down the days 'til its arrival? Time to stop all that madness, as said box is finally on sale and shipping right now within the US of A. For the surprisingly reasonable price of $99.99, users can utilize this very device to stream and play back an array of formats with 1080p resolution support. Heck, there's even an eSATA and Ethernet port there, just waiting for your love. So, will you show it? Or is life still worth living knowing what you've neglected?[Via Slashgear]
Samsung's YP-R1 now really official, ships next month
It ain't the first time we've seen a gizmo take a backwards approach to launch, and we get the feeling it won't be the last. After leaking out, getting reviewed and hitting the all-revealing FCC, Samsung's mildly exciting YP-R1 portable media player is finally an official product in the megacorp's product line. Expected to debut at IFA here in just a few days, the 8.9 millimeter-thin player will boast DivX compatibility, a 2.6-inch touchscreen, TouchWiz interface and a Beat DJ feature that enables owners to add in their own crackly voice and space-themed sound effects to songs. We don't expect the $180 starting price to budge much, though exact pricing details should be uncovered in Berlin within the next few days. As for shipping dates? It'll march out next month in Europe, with "other markets including Russia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan to follow."
Samsung YP-R1 portable media player hits the FCC
It's unfortunately not the (presumably) Tegra-based YP-M1 that Samsung has just debuted in South Korea, but the company's YP-R1 player still isn't too shabby as far as basic PMPs go, and it's now finally popped up at the FCC. While still far from a guarantee, that would seem to signal that US release could be coming sooner rather than later, and hopefully means that it's bigger brother, the M1, will also be following suit. In case you missed it, the YP-R1 is a touchscreen-based player with a 2.7-inch display, and packs 8GB to 32GB of flash storage, built-in Bluetooth, TV-out, support for most of the major audio / video formats, and even a few games for good measure. Still curious for more? You can get a glimpse of the manual, some internal shots, and some always-riveting test reports at the link below.
iriver's gramophone speaker, UNIT2-S, and R1 concepts do impress
iriver came to IFA with the usual collection of concept gear we crave. Unlike other manufacturers, iriver usually brings its prototypes to market, eventually, so you'll want to pay attention. First up is a concept horn speaker (pictured top) attached to an iriver SPINN. The device plugs into the existing headphone jack bringing a sense of gramophone nostalgia to this most-modern device. Next up is iriver's latest take on the Unit2, the UNIT2-S, a simpler multimedia communications device for the home. Remember, it's just a concept, but as envisioned, the working prototype functions as a video phone, digital photo frame, web browser, FM radio, flash gaming rig, SMS/MMS receiver, and audio / video player with DMB television tuner. The specs list a 4.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, 30GB hard drive and 2GB of flash (presumably in the base unit and handset, respectively), mic, stereo speaker, and Li-Polymer battery all packed into a 185.4 x 117 x 19.8-mm tower.Last up is the R1 DAB radio concept (pictured bottom). Again, the prototype is fully functional and capable of playing back internet, DAB, and FM radio or audio streaming from PC or local storage through a pair of 2W stereo speakers. They also included an alarm clock to remind you that these concepts are just part of an iriver dream -- for now.%Gallery-30735%
Vita Audio releases the R1 DAB / FM radio
For some reason DAB radio manufacturers love rocking the retro look, and Vita Audio's R1 is no exception. Featuring a DAB and FM tuners, the seven-watt single-speaker all-in-one also sports a two-line LCD and Vita's "RotoDial" controller, while still retaining an certain old-school charm. The unit also sports an 1/8-inch input for MP3 players and analog outputs if you want to add some DAB love to your existing rig, but something tells us the kids who drop £150 ($300) on this thing will want to put it out front and center.[Via TechDigest]
