Creepy robot mask will teach you to program artificially intelligent robots

Why it matters to you

This creepy Phantom of the Opera-style head promises to teach you how to code by building your very own robot.

There are plenty of cool educational robotics projects we see on a regular basis but, to the best of our knowledge, only one which promises to give you a super-creepy Phantom of the Opera-style robot mask to learn to code on. That’s the spooky gift the makers of Nova have given the world with their new Arduino-based artificial intelligence robot, now available on Kickstarter.

Creoqod’s Nova is a do-it-yourself kit, which lets users build their own artificially intelligent robot, while practicing their coding and engineering skills. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and promises to be both a great tool for newcomers, and a fun testing platform for seasoned professionals. Building it will provide a good overview of various engineering and computer science concepts, ranging from computer vision and image processing to kinematics and control theory. The finished robot can recognize and track faces, identify colors, measure distances, and move in five different axis — all while looking like a cross between The Terminator and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s aforementioned scarred musical maestro.

“Nova is fully customizable,” Cem Eltutar, CEO of Creoqod, told Digital Trends. “Users can literally do anything they can imagine with it. Any type of sensor and electronic gadgets can be connected to add new functionalities — to name a few, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, microphone, speakers, thermal vision, wheels, and additional motors. Nova will appeal to everyone who has a passion and interest in robotics, artificial intelligence, electronics, computer programming and engineering.

This kit is ideal for people who want to see and understand the working principles of such a device. Additionally, we will be providing Nova to universities for their robotics, engineering and computer programming classes. Many concepts that are only thought about theoretically in the classroom can be demonstrated practically with Nova. This increases the quality of the education and adds value to the learning experience.”

Nova can currently be pre-ordered on Kickstarter. An early bird version of the kit — consisting of board, servo motors, servo shield, joystick, acrylic body parts, mask, HD camera, ultrasonic sound sensor, jumper wires, power adapter, USB data cable, and assorted screws, nuts, and spacers — will set you back $183. You also get an assembly instruction booklet, while tutorials and educational guides are provided through Qode Share. Shipping is set to take place in May 2018.

Creepy robot mask will teach you to program artificially intelligent robots

Why it matters to you

This creepy Phantom of the Opera-style head promises to teach you how to code by building your very own robot.

There are plenty of cool educational robotics projects we see on a regular basis but, to the best of our knowledge, only one which promises to give you a super-creepy Phantom of the Opera-style robot mask to learn to code on. That’s the spooky gift the makers of Nova have given the world with their new Arduino-based artificial intelligence robot, now available on Kickstarter.

Creoqod’s Nova is a do-it-yourself kit, which lets users build their own artificially intelligent robot, while practicing their coding and engineering skills. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and promises to be both a great tool for newcomers, and a fun testing platform for seasoned professionals. Building it will provide a good overview of various engineering and computer science concepts, ranging from computer vision and image processing to kinematics and control theory. The finished robot can recognize and track faces, identify colors, measure distances, and move in five different axis — all while looking like a cross between The Terminator and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s aforementioned scarred musical maestro.

“Nova is fully customizable,” Cem Eltutar, CEO of Creoqod, told Digital Trends. “Users can literally do anything they can imagine with it. Any type of sensor and electronic gadgets can be connected to add new functionalities — to name a few, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, microphone, speakers, thermal vision, wheels, and additional motors. Nova will appeal to everyone who has a passion and interest in robotics, artificial intelligence, electronics, computer programming and engineering.

This kit is ideal for people who want to see and understand the working principles of such a device. Additionally, we will be providing Nova to universities for their robotics, engineering and computer programming classes. Many concepts that are only thought about theoretically in the classroom can be demonstrated practically with Nova. This increases the quality of the education and adds value to the learning experience.”

Nova can currently be pre-ordered on Kickstarter. An early bird version of the kit — consisting of board, servo motors, servo shield, joystick, acrylic body parts, mask, HD camera, ultrasonic sound sensor, jumper wires, power adapter, USB data cable, and assorted screws, nuts, and spacers — will set you back $183. You also get an assembly instruction booklet, while tutorials and educational guides are provided through Qode Share. Shipping is set to take place in May 2018.

Razer unveils a revamped Blade Stealth and a new external GPU, the Core V2

Why it matters to you

Razer’s new lineup offers a stylish, lightweight alternative to other premium laptops, and with the Core V2 it could provide desktop-grade gaming performance.

Good news for laptop gamers, Razer recently refreshed its Blade Stealth lineup along with its companion the Razer Core external GPU enclosure. Outfitted with Intel’s latest eighth-generation processors, a new Quad HD touchscreen, and 16GB of RAM the Blade Stealth is ready to take on the latest batch of rivals from competitors like Dell and Asus.

The new ultraportable laptop configuration starts at $1,700 and features an Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a Chroma-lit keyboard — only on the black model though. The understated gunmetal model features a keyboard with white backlighting.

What makes the Blade Stealth special, however, is its relationship with the Razer Core graphics enclosure. Neither the original Blade Stealth or the new version feature discrete GPUs, so their gaming performance is limited unless they are hooked up to an external GPU like the Core V2.

“Our engineers have done something truly remarkable with the new Blade Stealth by significantly increasing power while extending battery life,” Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “The new Blade Stealth is the most well-rounded Windows laptop out there, and it can be further supercharged with the help of the new Razer Core V2.”

Razer’s new GPU enclosure improves on the original model by redesigning the internal layout to accommodate a wider range of graphics cards. Following in the footsteps of the original Razer Core, the Core V2 is also built from CNC machined aluminum, with a dual Thunderbolt 3 internal controller design with separate lanes for graphics and connected devices.

The new design sports a 500W power supply, along with additional cooling fans to keep your graphics card running smoothly, even when you’re knee-deep in dead orcs. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the Core V2 only supports 375W graphics cards, that excess power is for the rest of your devices.

That’s right, the Core features four additional USB 3.0 ports, an ethernet port, and two Chroma lighting zones.

The new Razer Blade Stealth, with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, starts at $1,700, and it’s available from the Razer Store. The Razer Core V2 will be available for $500 and starts shipping soon within the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Google Pixel 2 has a dark theme when using certain wallpapers

Choose your wallpaper carefully.

With Pixel 2 reviews now out and devices finally shipping to those with early preorders, we now have the chance to really get to know Google’s latest and greatest. We covered quite of ground in our full review of the Pixel 2, but even so, there are still some subtleties that we either didn’t have time to mention or haven’t stumbled across yet.

One such feature is that of a somewhat hidden dark mode.

When selecting a wallpaper on the Pixel 2, choosing and applying one with mostly dark colors will darken certain elements of the UI so that they’re much more fitting for the wallpaper you’ve selected.

By default with Android 8.0 Oreo, app folders, the app drawer, and quick settings panel all feature stark white backgrounds. It’s not a bad look by any means, but it can be a tad harsh on the eyes when it gets to be late at night.

Once you apply a dark enough wallpaper on the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, the background of app folders will change to a dark gray, the app drawer will become more transparent with a darkish hue, and the quick settings panel will go completely black – making good use of the phones’ OLED display.

Although it’s slightly annoying that this dark theme is limited on a per-wallpaper basis, it’s still exciting to see this sort of theming available on Android right out of the box. We’ve been begging Google for something along these lines for ages now, and while this isn’t a perfect implementation, it’s a big step in the right direction.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL hands-on preview
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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TicHome Mini portable Google Assistant speaker is on sale now for $79

Google Home wherever you go.

Although the Pixel 2 was the start of Google’s October 4 event, the Home Mini and Home Max were also really exciting to see. This expansion of the Google Home lineup is really encouraging for this product segment, but as good as Google’s first-party Google Assistant speakers are getting, there are a lot of third-party ones in the pipelines as well. One of the first that was announced is the TicHome Mini, and it’s finally available for purchase at a special introductory price.

The TicHome Mini looks a lot like an Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini had a love child, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On the top, you’ll find four LED lights not unlike what’s present on the Home Mini, and surrounding this are buttons for volume control, muting the microphone, and prompting the Assistant without having to use your voice.

Also included with the TicHome Mini is IPX6 water resistance, and while you can connect the device to another speaker via Bluetooth and NFC, the Mini also has a built-in speaker of its own that you can use as well.

A lot of this might sound like what Google already offers with the Home Mini, but where the TicHome Mini shines is its portability. Thanks to the built-in 2,600 mAh battery, Mobvoi (the company behind the TicHome Mini) says that you can expect up to six hours of standby time when the speaker is connected to Wi-Fi. That’s certainly not the best endurance we’ve ever seen, but then again, simply having the option to take the TicHome Mini out of the house with you is more than either the Google Home Mini or Echo Dot can say for themselves.

The TicHome Mini will cost $99 when it officially launches, but between now and Friday, October 20, you can preorder it for just $79.

See at Mobvoi

Google Wifi expands to five more countries

Now available in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.

Although it’s been over a year since Google Wifi was first announced, the gadget has, up until now, only been available in seven different countries – the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. Thankfully, Google is now bringing Google Wifi to five new countries.

Those markets include Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, and they’re available to purchase from their respective Google Stores starting today.

The breakdown for their pricing is as follows:

• Denmark: 1090 KR for a 1-pack | 2890 KR for a 3-pack
• Finland: 149 € for a 1-pack | 375 € for a 3-pack
• Netherlands: 139 € for a 1-pack | 359 € for a 3-pack
• Norway: 1390 KR for a 1-pack | 3590 KR for a 3-pack
• Sweden: 1490 KR for a 1-pack | 3690 KR for a 3-pack

We were quite impressed with Google Wifi following our full review of the gadget last December, with our own Jerry Hildenbrand saying:

If you just need one Wi-Fi router and want something expandable (and pretty cool to use through the app) definitely go with Google Wifi here. The price is comparable to any good Wi-Fi router and you’ll appreciate both the network performance and ease of use.

Along with this market expansion, Google Wifi also recently picked up some new parental control tools that allow you to block certain accounts from accessing adult websites. So, while Google Wifi might not have gotten any new hardware this year, it’s clear that Google is still committed to making the product as awesome as it possibly can.

See at Google Store

Google Hardware

• Google Wifi review
• Google Home review
• Everything you need to know about the Chromecast Ultra
• Chromecast vs Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?

Google Wifi:

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Google Home:

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Chromecast Ultra:

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You can now control YouTube TV with your voice using Google Home

Making it easier than ever to binge watch your favorite shows.

Keeping track of everything Google Home is capable of is a daunting task, especially since it seems like Google is adding new features to it every other day. In the latest feature release, you can now control playback of YouTube TV on a Chromecast using just your voice.

Until Google decides to release a proper Android TV or Roku app for YouTube TV, watching your live channels on the big screen needs to be done via Chromecast. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this implementation, but having to use your phone to select a show to watch or pause a current stream can sometimes be a bit of a pain.

With YouTube TV support via Google Home, you’ll be able to use your Google Home, Home Mini, or Home Max to say things such as “Hey Google, play Chopped on YouTube TV” or “Hey Google, play ABC on YouTube TV” to start playing your desired shows or channels from YouTube TV on your Chromecast without ever having to touch your phone. Plus, once the stream has started, you can say “Hey Google, pause” and “Hey Google, resume” to control what you’re watching.

You can now stream YouTube TV with #GoogleAssistant. Link #GoogleHome with #Chromecast to get started. Hey Google, play #TheWalkingDead. pic.twitter.com/MGCL6GFi6E

— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) October 17, 2017

This new functionality is available starting today, and you can get started with it by linking your Google Home and Chromecast together via the Google Home app if you haven’t already done so.

Google Home

• Google Home review
• These services work with Google Home
• Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
• Join our Google Home forums!

Google Store Best Buy Target

Google Pixel 2 + Pixel 2 XL video review

How do you follow up on two of the best Android phones ever made?

That’s the conundrum facing Google to answer with its new Pixel phones, which, understandably, have an awful lot to live up to. Aside from anything else, these are the flagship devices from the people who make Android. Expectations are high, especially with the super-expensive price tags these phones will carry.

So the question is: Are are these the best Android phones of 2017? And the answer is: Mostly yes. Google’s new phones are more complex than last year’s models. And the competition is that much fiercer this time around.

Check out our Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL video review for a full breakdown of what we love — and what’s not so great — about two of the most important Android phones of 2017.

• Android Central on YouTube
• Google Pixel 2 + Pixel 2 XL written review
• Where to buy the Google Pixel 2 + Pixel XL
• More Google Pixel 2 news

Facebook’s head of hardware at Building 8, Regina Dugan, is resigning

Dugan will officially depart Building 8 in early 2018 to lead “a new endeavor.”

Although most of us know Facebook for its bloated social network and messaging service, the company has its toes dipped in quite a few different projects – one of which is Building 8. Building 8 is where Facebook works on top-secret hardware projects, and the head of this division, Regina Dugan, has announced she’s leaving the company.

Regina Dugan joined Facebook as the head of Building 8 just about 18 months ago at this point, so her departure this early on does come as a surprise. There was an internal announcement on Tuesday, October 17 that Dugan would be resigning, and shortly after this, Dugan published a post on her Facebook page announcing the news.

Image from Anthony Quintano

In her post, Dugan says:

Today I am announcing that early next year, I will be leaving Facebook to focus on building and leading a new endeavor. I will be working with leadership over the next several months to ensure Building 8 makes a smooth transition into 2018.

This was a difficult decision for me. Together, we have already done so much good work. And there are many people that I will miss, personally, and professionally.

It’s worth noting that Facebook recently promoted Andrew Bosworth to lead all of the company’s current and future hardware projects, but in regards to who will be leading the team at Building 8, that’s still up in the air. During her time at Building 8, it’s reported that Dugan worked on devices such as a video chat gadget and a smart speaker.

Regina Dugan first joined Facebook in early 2016, and prior to her time there, she had been in charge of Google’s Advanced Technology and Product’s team, as well as the director of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

We don’t know what Dugan’s “new endeavor” will be, but whatever it is, we can likely expect great things to come of it.

All the big announcements from Oculus Connect 4

Phiaton’s new noise-canceling headphones are neckbuds for the sophisticated traveler

‘Neckbud’ may be a terrible term for a headphone, but their convenience makes up for it.

Phiaton is well known for its excellent Bluetooth headphones, and the company just announced perhaps its most interesting pair yet, the BT 150 NC.

Part of its growing lineup of noise canceling-enabled headphones, the BT 150 NC uses the divisive neckbud form factor — the bulk of the equipment is in hardware that wraps around one’s neck like bulky jewelry — which takes weight off the ears for increased long-term wearing comfort.

I’ve tried almost all of Phiaton’s other noise-canceling headphones, and still use the excellent BT 220 NC on planes because the algorithm is so good (the sound, though, isn’t great). The BT 150 NC promise much better sound for $149, with longer battery life — 6 hours with NC enabled and 10 hours without — and 95% noise reduction.

Other niceties? Phiaton has moved on from buttons to adopt a touch-friendly gesture interface on both sides of the neckband, and the phones are water resistant so they can be used in the rain. They can also be paired with two devices at once, and promise excellent sound quality from their 12mm drivers.

While the BT 150 NCs are aimed at travelers, they’ll probably be great for commuters, too. Interested? They’re available now at Amazon for a hair under $150.

See at Amazon