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60 seconds with the tracker that proves how close you got to the edge
Sure an action camera can provide the video record of your extreme (or not so extreme) sports exploits, but what about the data? Any number of fitness and motion trackers exist, but the Push Supernova is a ruggedized device that not only captures the key metrics from your session -- GPS, depth underwater, G-forces, speed, etc. -- but can display them on its color screen in real-time, or feed them into an overlay to accompany video recorded by a GoPro or similar camera. The touch-controlled interface is glove-friendly and protected by Gorilla Glass, it can mount anywhere a GoPro goes, it's waterproof to 30m with sealed expansion and USB ports, plus it can log data for days and the internal battery lasts up to 24 / 8 hours at a time (screen off / screen on). Finally, you don't have to buy a brand new Corvette to get the videogame-style readouts of data to go along with with your highlight reel.
WiTricity's CEO paints a picture of a wirelessly powered future
If WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen gets his way, the company's tech will soon wind up in your phone, your car and even inside your body. That's because the Massachusetts-based company deals in magnetic resonance technology, and if those words don't mean anything to you now, they probably will before long. You see, WiTricity has been working for the past five years on a way to wirelessly transfer power between devices, and Gruzen told our audience at Engadget Expand NY that the wireless future is basically right around the corner.
Check out how designers are fusing fashion and tech
Some of fashion's most innovative designers showed off their high-tech collections at the Make: Wearables on the Runway fashion show at Engadget Expand in New York. Make: Magazine Contributing Editor Matt Richardson introduced each designer's work, along with Adafruit's Becky Stern and Associate Professor Kate Hartman. Check out some of their cutting-edge creations in the gallery below.
Taking apart Google's modular smartphone
What do you want to know about Project Ara? Does a modular smartphone actually work? Yes. Is it very different from Android phones? In a basic how-a-phone-all-works, yes indeed. Paul Eremenko, Technical Project Lead on Google's modular phone project just called in at Expand NY, and he brought along the latest working prototype. Modular phones do indeed work: you can take out a component without bricking the device, it can already run Angry Birds and we just got to play with one.
Adafruit's Becky Stern knows why we don't have stylish wearables yet
Becky Stern is probably the world's foremost expert in do-it-yourself wearable technology, which is why we felt compelled to pick her brain at Expand. Adafruit's director of wearables believes that the different languages that technology and fashion companies explains why we've yet to see a truly stylish wearable. She didn't have many kind things to say about the Moto 360, either, since she carries the disassembled hardware in a Ziploc bag around with her. It's not all doom and gloom, however, since the smartphone revolution has made high-end technology cheap enough for everyone to use. That's part of Stern's mission to teach everyone how to build their own GPS trackers, light-up hats and, most famously of all, TV-deactivating jackets. On that subject, it's the infamous TV-B-Gone hardware that she'd most like to see appear in a next-generation smartwatch so she's got a way to discreetly turn off barroom TVs without attracting attention. If you'd like to be inspired to build yourself some cool technology, you can watch the full video, and keep your eyes pointed toward Engadget for even more cool interviews over the next few days.
60 seconds with a robotic pour-over coffee machine
Coffee enthusiasts know that one of the best ways to brew the caffeinated beverage is via the pour-over method, a meticulous technique that requires a steady hand and precise timing. At coffee shops, baristas have traditionally brewed this style of coffee the old-fashioned way, carefully pouring hot water in a steady spiral stream over multiple filter setups. Not only can it be tiresome, it can also distract them from giving better customer service. Poursteady, however, is a potential solution to that.
60 seconds with the team that wants to make every car smart
Wouldn't it be great if you could change your car's head unit as frequently as you do your smartphone? Enter Onics, a startup that's crafted a dashboard-mounted module that lets you turn your phone into your car's nerve center. Essentially, the hardware's just a double-din unit with a locking clip up front, that'll accept any Android or iOS smartphone that's up to six inches in size. Rather than trailing a power wire from the 12V socket, there's a built-in microUSB or Lightning port, and if your vehicle supports it, you'll even be able to start the car with your mobile.
60 seconds with the wearable that might save your back
This Insert Coin contender could well cure what we call "Engadget back": the slightly unappealing hunch that some editors (read: this editor) descend into after typing away at one too many articles or trade shows. The Upright sticks (through a hypoallergenic adhesive strip) to the small of your back, where it uses multiple sensors -- an accelerometer and a strain gauge -- to monitor the line of your spine -- and tell you through gentle vibrations when you're doing it wrong. We just tested it briefly here at Expand, and the reminder vibrations are far more gentle than, say, your smartphone. It kinda feels like soda water on your skin: enough to remind you that you're slouching but not enough to grate. The team behind it reckons that 15 minutes a day will be enough to reeducate your back muscles and a Bluetooth connection links the device to your smartphone to keep everything recorded for future posterity.
Watch RJD2 perform live at Expand right here on Engadget
Couldn't make it down to New York this weekend for Engadget Expand? No worries, we won't hold it against you. Well, maybe a little. But, to show you that we don't bear a grudge, we've been streaming it for you right here on the site. This means we're not only feeding you a bunch if interesting talks and panels, but we're about to help you get your weekend started too. How? By streaming hip-hop producer RJD2's live performance right into your ears. He'll be kicking at 4pm ET, so make sure to un-mute your browser, and plug in your speakers for that. We just wish you could have joined us in person.
60 seconds with a giant, rollable display for your mobile devices
At some point, you've probably wished that your smartphone had a much larger screen to watch a movie or get work done... but you can't always lug a desktop display or tablet around, can you? If Insert Coin finalist RollRR has its way, you won't have to. It's developing rollable displays that would give your mobile devices a lot more visual real estate without consuming much space in your bag. The prototype on the Engadget Expand show floor is a 10.7-inch roll of e-paper attached to a giant tube, but the ultimate goal is to fit a 21-inch or larger screen (ideally, full color plastic OLED) into a gadget the size of a small umbrella. It's also considering touch technology like 3M's silver nanowires, so RollRR could expand your input area, too -- you could edit a large image on your phone just by unrolling the sheet on a table.
60 seconds with a modular drone that packs a pro camera
We're entering a golden age of UAVs, with models ranging from hobbyist drones like the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 all the way up to DJI's DSLR-packing Spreading Wings S900 Hexacopter. So what could our Insert Coin semi-finalist drone possibly bring to the party? Ivan Stamatovski said he created the EasyDrone for one simple reason: portability. Unlike most commercial drones, the EasyDrone can be broken down into a relatively compact case and easily assembled without having to connect any wires. At the same time, it comes with all the capability of a high-end drone: video streaming, a built-in gimbal, the ability to carry heavier cameras like Sony's NEX models and a high-end navigation system from 3D Robotics.
Five things we learned from robotics expert Mark Setrakian
Mark Setrakian has been working with robotics and animatronics for a while -- starting at 19 and working at Industrial Light & Magic. If you've seen Men In Black, Hellboy or even Pacific Rim, then you've seen some of his creations. He's also a former heavyweight champion of Robot Wars and the man behind Robot Combat League's metal fighters. Who better, then, to come onstage at Expand NY (the show starts today!) and explain how robotics make it onto the big screen, how to ensure it all looks the part and what challenges still remain. However, before all that, we've asked him to explain what he's learned from roughly two decades of making inanimate things come to life.
Five questions for the man making contactless wireless power a reality
With wireless power demos and proposals going as far back as 2006, what's taking so long? And, most importantly, is it safe? At Engadget Expand, we'll be addressing these questions with WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen, who will also share his thoughts on the industry.
Five questions about VR beyond gaming with three people making it happen
Looking at Facebook, Sony and Samsung, you might think the future of virtual reality is all entertainment and social interaction. While video games and movie watching are both primary components of the recent virtual reality wave, there's much more to the field. Matterport, a company focused on 3D-mapping tech, and BeAnotherLab, the group behind interactive art installation "The Machine to be Another" -- are each pushing forward virtual reality, and neither are focused directly on game-like interactive immersion. The medium of virtual reality is young, but it is already varied. So, what does the future hold? We asked five questions surrounding that subject to three people who are shaping that future: the panelists for our "Back to Reality: VR Beyond Gaming" panel at Expand 2014 (which starts tomorrow!). Head below for their answers!
Five questions about the future of drones with 3D Robotics' Colin Guinn
Everyone, it seems, is talking about drones these days. Whether it's for industry, research or performance art, the skies have never been busier. Thanks, in no small part, to the ever-increasing number of consumer-friendly, ready-to-fly quadcopters. Colin Guinn left DJI to join one of the biggest names in commercial drones -- 3D Robotics -- as SVP of sales and marketing. If anyone knows about the future of our skies, it's him. I'll be speaking with Guinn at Expand on Saturday, November 8th, about the future of commercial, personal and hobby drones -- with maybe a little onstage flying going on, too. Before that though, read on to get a little primer on the buzzing topic from the man himself.
Five questions for the athletes making wearables you won't take off
MC10's most notable projects -- the Checklight head-impact tracker that protects athletes from the effects of dangerous collisions and a Biostamp "seamless sensing sticker" -- are already at the forefront of sports and medicine technology. Isaiah Kacyvenski and Angela Ruggiero are experienced athletes on the company's sports advisory board, tasked with figuring out ways to use technology to optimize athletic performance. That's certainly great news if you're an athlete in an impact sport trying to avoid the after effects of concussions, or a blogger getting punched in the face by your coworkers. But what about everyone else? Kacyvenski and Ruggiero will join me at Engadget Expand on November 8th for a discussion on how the new technology can help us stay healthy, and ensure that our workouts are refined to get the most impact. You can tune in or attend the event for free, but check after the break for a quick preview, and let us know if you have any questions that need answering.
Five questions answered about the future of food
There are more than 7 billion people on the planet and counting. The United Nations recently projected that the world's population will rise to 9.6 billion in 2050 and perhaps even 10.9 billion by the end of the century. With so many more mouths to feed, the environmental impact of increased food production is an issue that's only growing in importance. This weekend we'll be talking with two people who have very different approaches to the problem. Agnieszka Nazaruk (also known as Aga) co-founded a company called Niwa, which makes a smartphone-connected, modular hydroponic growing system that is intelligent enough so that even those with the blackest of thumbs can grow their own fruits and vegetables at home. Greg Sewitz, on the other hand, co-founded Exo, which offers a line of protein bars that has crickets -- yes, actual crickets -- as its main ingredient. Intrigued? Come on by the Expand stage this Saturday, November 8th, to hear more about what they have to say. Here's a little amuse-bouche for the conversation ahead (The answers below are not verbatim and were compiled from a series of interviews).
Five questions for the man who created a robot documentarian
We've spilled buckets of digital ink on headless horse bots, uncanny humanoids and the coming of the robot apocalypse, but there's a softer, more emotional side to these machines. Social robots, as they're referred to, are less mechanized overlords and more emotional-support automatons, providing companionship as well as utility. Robots like these are forcing us to consider how we interact with the technology that we've created. Under the direction of artist/roboticist Alexander Reben and filmmaker Brent Hoff, a fleet of precious, cardboard BlabDroids, set out to explore the shifting boundaries of human-robot interaction. These tiny, wheeled machines aren't automated playthings, but serious documentarians seeking an answer to a deceptively simple question: "Can you have a meaningful interaction with a machine?" We'll dive deeper into the topic at Expand this weekend, but in the meantime, here's a short Q&A with Reben on an incredibly complex topic.
Five questions for the woman running the Pentagon's mad science research agency
DARPA. It's an acronym that comes loaded with certain expectations -- a governmental research organization from which emerges some of the most advanced military technology the world has ever seen. While there's truth to that description, it fails to encapsulate all the work DARPA does. Yes, the research agency is developing robots, tactical drones and futuristic weaponry, but it also has its hands in biotechnology, big data analysis and telecommunications research, among other projects, too. And managing all of that fast-paced, groundbreaking work is Dr. Arati Prabhakar, DARPA's director. She's joining us this Saturday, November 8th, onstage at Expand in New York to share (some of) her agency's secrets, but you can read on to get a sneak peek into the United States' most renowned governmental skunkworks, right now.
10 reasons to join us at Engadget #ExpandNY!
It's what you've all been waiting for! Engadget Expand is the place this week. We're taking over the Javits Center in Manhattan on November 7th and 8th. We're pretty damn excited for what's on tap this year, and we think you should be too. But, in case you need convincing read on for 10 reasons to get pumped.
