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iRobot's Root rt0 is a $129 coding bot for kids and curious adults
iRobot's Root rt0 is a cheaper and more accessible way to learn how to code.
Kano's $300 DIY Windows 10 PC Kit is finally ready
A little more than a year ago, Kano unveiled a colorful build-it-yourself tablet running Windows 10. The Kano PC was sold, it turns out, but only to a small group of fans that were happy to act as unofficial beta testers. The Kano PC is a chunky tablet that you have to assemble with components wrapped in colourful plastic.
NBC is creating a 24-hour version of 'Today' for Peacock
NBC is bringing an around-the-clock, free, ad-supported feed of 'Today' to its Peacock streaming platform.
Apple releases Mac version of its developer app just before WWDC
Apple has released a Mac version of its developer resource app just in time for a virtual WWDC.
Texas Instruments makes it harder to run programs on its calculators
Texas Instruments has pulled the support for assembly-based programs on its graphing calculators -- it's meant to fight cheating, but also hurts hobbyists.
This chip plays ‘Doom’ and nothing else
Sylvain Lefebvre has programmed an FPGA chip to play Doom with 666 lines of code. The chip handles everything except for RAM.
Amazon #AtHome brings free content to Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices
To help keep users entertained while they stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon is bringing curated content from over 100 partners to a new #AtHome section on its Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices in the US. Fire users will have access to free TV shows and movies, including Billions, Silicon Valley, The Sopranos, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Star Trek: Picard, The Twilight Zone and more. Amazon will stream the upcoming Prime Video SXSW virtual film festival and One World: At Home Together Concert, the benefit concert hosted by late-night comedians to raise money for the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
GitHub's core code tools are now free for everyone
GitHub's new Free tier makes it easier to code at home for both teams and individuals.
GitHub's mobile app helps you manage code on the move
Believe it or not, GitHub hasn't had an official mobile app -- a pain when you just want to offer some feedback on a project. That won't be a problem from now on. After months of testing, the Microsoft-owned company has released native GitHub apps for Android and iOS. Both let you manage tasks and pull requests (contributions to open projects) on the move, and you can both dish out and respond to comments.
Watch the first trailer for Spielberg's Apple TV+ series 'Amazing Stories'
Apple has shared the first trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming Amazing Stories revival. The series will hit the tech giant's TV+ streaming service on March 6th, with five different stories to watch.
Aibo update lets you program your robot puppy's actions
Not happy with what Sony's reborn Aibo can do? You now have the power to make it do more. Sony has rolled out a 2.50 update for the robot dog that enables, among other things, a web-based interface for programming actions. Beginners can use a visual programming kit that uses blocks to create actions, while seasoned programmers can participate in a Developer Program. You can't modify the personalty of your Aibo, to be clear -- this is mainly for tricks and other activities Sony didn't envision itself.
The follow-up to 'Band of Brothers' is coming to Apple TV+
Just one day after signing Alfonso Cuarón to a multi-year deal, Apple has scored another coup for its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service. Variety reports the company will produce Masters of the Air, the follow-up to 2001's Band of Brothers and 2010's The Pacific. Both Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who helped create the two World War II series, will serve as executive producers on the new show.
‘Rabbids Coding’ teaches young gamers basic programming concepts
We've seen plenty of games that teach kids the basics of coding, but it's rare to see the big game publishers embrace the "edutainment" sector. The latest coding game, though, comes from Ubisoft, the creators of the Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six franchises. Rabbids Coding -- which features those demented, titular creatures that are somehow both annoying and cute -- tasks players with creating routines that will repair the Rabbids' malfunctioning spaceship.
Kano's latest coding kit is a Star Wars-themed motion sensor
Back in January, Kano revealed that it was working with Disney on a Star Wars-themed coding kit. It's taken a while, but today we finally know what the company -- best known for its colorful Raspberry Pi computers -- has been cooking up: Star Wars The Force Coding Kit. The Bluetooth-enabled motion sensor includes a circular case, printed circuit board with nine LEDs, and two tops that contain Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire iconography. Once assembled, it can be used to control lightsabers, Porgs and other Star Wars paraphernalia in a companion app that's compatible with Windows 10 PCs, Macs, iPads and Amazon Fire HD 10 tablets.
Comcast sues Maine over a law requiring a-la-carte cable offerings
Cord cutting may seem like the new norm, but plenty of people still pay for cable TV. That doesn't mean they're happy with it though. This summer, in response to complaints that customers had to purchase an entire cable package just to watch one or two channels, Maine passed a law requiring cable companies to offer channels a-la-carte. Now, Comcast and a handful of cable operators, including Fox, CBS and Disney, are suing Maine and 17 municipalities to prevent the law from going into effect.
Arcade Coder teaches kids to build games for the whole family
Tech Will Save Us (TWSU), the company behind cool kids' STEM kits, has launched a new flagship product designed to get kids into game design. The Arcade Coder is a 12-inch by 12-inch board with 144 fully programmable and controllable multi-colored LED buttons, that teaches children aged six and over easy-to-learn block coding and how to design their own games.
YouTube TV will carry PBS and PBS Kids
PBS and PBS Kids are coming to YouTube TV. Beginning sometime this year, PBS member stations who choose to participate will have their programming streamed on YouTube TV's live TV and on-demand subscription service. The move will bring both educational and local TV to the platform, and it marks the first time PBS has partnered with a streaming service in this way.
Netflix cancels animated comedy 'Tuca & Bertie' after one season
Even a stellar cast and team of Bojack Horseman producers, led by creator Lisa Hannwalt, couldn't save the animated series Tuca & Bertie from Netflix's axe. The streaming company announced that the series, starting Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, would not be back for a second season. "While Tuca & Bertie won't have a second season, we're proud to feature this story on Netflix for years to come," Netflix said in a statement.
Kano unveils its first build-it-yourself Windows 10 computer
Kano is graduating from Raspberry Pi boards. Today, the company is announcing a partnership with Microsoft and unveiling its first build-it-yourself computer that officially runs Windows 10. The aptly-named Kano PC is housed in a central unit that is visually similar to its 'complete' Computer Kit Touch. All of the components are different, however. The new machine has an 11.6-inch touchscreen with a yet-to-be-disclosed resolution. It's powered by a 1.44 GHz, quad core Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, which is upgradeable through a microSD slot. In short, it's a proper computer.
With Disney in charge, Hulu plans original content push
Now that Disney is in charge of Hulu, the streaming service is going to get more original content. Hulu CEO Randy Freer told CNBC that Hulu's "investment in original programming will increase significantly." Freer credits the change to "the capacity inside of the Walt Disney Company," including its ability to invest in the best stories and creators.
