Future Motion says its new OneWheel+ XR hoverboard does away with ‘range anxiety’

We’ve talked quite a bit about Future Motion’s Onewheel hoverboard here on Digital Trends, including chatting with the company’s (then beardless) CEO Kyle Doerksen during last year’s live coverage. Kyle and Future Motion have returned to the DT CES booth for 2018, this time showing off the new Onewheel+ XR.

As we mentioned earlier this week, the biggest upgrade on the XR is its range. Riders will get between 12-18 miles per charge, which is more than double the range of the previous model. Doerksen says this is the result of a complete rework of the Onewheel’s battery system, which now uses new NMC battery cells — and more of them.

While the new model does boast significantly more battery capacity, the overall thickness of the board grew by only a few millimeters. Doerksen says this is the result of significant advancements in battery cell technology, thanks largely to research and development driven by the electric car industry.

Doerksen used to ride the original Onewheel+ to and from work on a daily basis, but he could do so without issue due to the fact he lives only two miles from company headquarters. Most people live significantly further from their place of work — closer to the original five- to seven-mile range of the previous model.

“Range anxiety is a real concern for electric vehicle users,” he says, and he hopes the extended range of the XR will promote wider use. Whereas earlier models competed with walking, the XR makes longer trips feasible, and further cements these types of rideables as legit commuter vehicles rather than expensive toys.

To that extent, Future Motion completed Tueseday evening a relay that took a team of riders on a single  Onewheel going from from Los Angeles to Las Vegas over three days to show off the XR’s capabilities. Unfortunately due to heavy rain in southern California and the Las Vegas area,  relay riders weren’t able to make Future Motion’s appearance on our livestream but did end up arriving at CES a bit late and a bit wet.

While you might be getting excited about getting a Onewheel of your own, you might want to temper that just a bit unless you have some fairly deep pockets. The XR will retail for $1,800, and the Onewheel+ is still $1,500 — the same price it was when it debuted last year.

Hopefully the next time we see Kyle and Future Motion, the price will be at a point that average consumers can afford.

The Sense Glove enables users to get a grip on virtual reality

Virtual reality is one of the most exciting trends in consumer technology today — so much so, Digital Trends awarded the HTC Vive VR headset Product of the Year in 2016. There are plenty of cool games and applications in the VR space already, but the technology is still in its infancy, as developers and artists try to figure out the best way to craft immersive experiences. One big problem for VR is that, while it can use sight and sound to create 3D environments, other senses, like touch, are not as developed. The makers of the Sense Glove aim to change that, with a device that lets users feel their interactions with virtual objects.

The Sense Glove resembles a large, skeletal hand into which the users slides their own, while also fastening attachments to their fingers. CEO Gijs den Butter explained how it works.

“So basically, Sense Glove enables touch in virtual reality,” den Butter said. “It does it with force feedback, so you actually are restricted when you’re trying to grasp an object, and with haptic feedback, so you get a little tactile sensation when for example you’re touching hard or slippery objects.”

It’s a tantalizing prospect for game designers looking to develop more visceral VR experiences, but den Butter is focused on satisfying needs of a more mundane variety.

“We use it mainly, currently for B2B (business-to-business) training purposes. So you have to think of training workers on an assembly line. It’s really expensive to hold an assembly line just for training purposes, but in VR you can build it as real as possible, and with our Sense Glove, the interaction with the virtual objects are just as if touching real objects, almost.”

The Sense Glove is a remarkable advancement over the typical controllers bundled with VR headsets, with may track the movement of the user’s hands, but don’t offer any real sense of touch beyond rumbling.

Consumers hoping to acquire a Sense Glove may need to wait a bit. The device is still in the prototype stage. Den Butter plans to have a development kit out in June 2018. Those kits are currently available for pre-order.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Now, you can play with a cool retro Power Glove VR controller
• HTC Vive Tracker Review
• Why binge watch when you can binge experience? TV is about to seem old-school
• The best VR headset you can buy
• The ZephVR blows air in your face, which might actually make VR better

How to factory reset an Xbox One

Whether you’re giving your console to a friend or troubleshooting a technical issue, sometimes you just need to give your Xbox One a fresh start. Fortunately Microsoft makes this very easy to do, whether you want to keep your games and apps installed, or just start with a totally clean slate. This same process applies to all versions of the console, whether you have the original or the new and beefed-up Xbox One X, with one minor difference noted when relevant.

Note that even if you opt to keep your games and apps installed, performing a factory reset will still remove all personal files and associations from the console, including saved games, achievements, settings, and accounts. All of that will be stored in the cloud if your console has synced up with Xbox Live, which happens automatically when connected to the internet, so be sure to go online, if able, before initiating the reset.

When you’re ready, proceed with our guide on how to factory reset an Xbox One. If for technical reasons you are unable to see the screen or access the Settings menu in order to perform the following steps, then skip ahead and we’ll tell you the workaround to boot it up with an external USB drive. Note that you will need access to a Windows PC to do this, however.

Performing a factory reset from the dashboard

Step 1: Sign in

Press the Xbox button (glowing in the center of the controller) to bring up the guide overlay.

Step 2: Navigate to the System menu (the gear on the far right), and select “Settings.”

Step 3: Select “System,” then “Console info.”

Step 4: Select “Reset console.”

At this point, you have the option to either Reset and remove everything or Reset and keep my games & apps (or cancel and back out if you aren’t ready).

Note that even if you keep your games and apps, all of your personal data will still be wiped from the system, so be sure to sync up with Xbox Live or export your settings manually beforehand if you don’t want to lose them. Once you’ve selected your preferred way to reset, the console will proceed with erasing content, which could take several minutes.

The Sense Glove enables users to get a grip on virtual reality

Virtual reality is one of the most exciting trends in consumer technology today — so much so, Digital Trends awarded the HTC Vive VR headset Product of the Year in 2016. There are plenty of cool games and applications in the VR space already, but the technology is still in its infancy, as developers and artists try to figure out the best way to craft immersive experiences. One big problem for VR is that, while it can use sight and sound to create 3D environments, other senses, like touch, are not as developed. The makers of the Sense Glove aim to change that, with a device that lets users feel their interactions with virtual objects.

The Sense Glove resembles a large, skeletal hand into which the users slides their own, while also fastening attachments to their fingers. CEO Gijs den Butter explained how it works.

“So basically, Sense Glove enables touch in virtual reality,” den Butter said. “It does it with force feedback, so you actually are restricted when you’re trying to grasp an object, and with haptic feedback, so you get a little tactile sensation when for example you’re touching hard or slippery objects.”

It’s a tantalizing prospect for game designers looking to develop more visceral VR experiences, but den Butter is focused on satisfying needs of a more mundane variety.

“We use it mainly, currently for B2B (business-to-business) training purposes. So you have to think of training workers on an assembly line. It’s really expensive to hold an assembly line just for training purposes, but in VR you can build it as real as possible, and with our Sense Glove, the interaction with the virtual objects are just as if touching real objects, almost.”

The Sense Glove is a remarkable advancement over the typical controllers bundled with VR headsets, with may track the movement of the user’s hands, but don’t offer any real sense of touch beyond rumbling.

Consumers hoping to acquire a Sense Glove may need to wait a bit. The device is still in the prototype stage. Den Butter plans to have a development kit out in June 2018. Those kits are currently available for pre-order.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Now, you can play with a cool retro Power Glove VR controller
• HTC Vive Tracker Review
• Why binge watch when you can binge experience? TV is about to seem old-school
• The best VR headset you can buy
• The ZephVR blows air in your face, which might actually make VR better

Catch up on Day 2 of CES 2018 with our quick wrap-up video

With the already infamous power outage taking place, the second day of CES 2018 was filled with lots of happenings, many of which, happened at the Digital Trends CES booth.

The booth was just a hub of activity as guests from a variety of companies and industries stopped by. Here’s a quick breakdown of who stopped by:

• Cloudious9: Bringing technology to the cannabis industry, Cloudious9 showcased Hydrology9, a combination vaporizer and waterpipe.
• Indiegogo: The crowdfunding platform’s CEO David Mandelbrot stopped by the booth to show off some interesting and new Indiegogo projects. Mandelbrot also broke down how Indiegogo helps funders after they raise funds by connecting them with the appropriate resources.
• Qualcomm: Snapdragon chips are powering some of the best devices on the market and Qualcomm’s senior marketing manager PJ Jacobowitz stopped by the booth to show which new products are harnessing the power of its processors.
• AMD: In a similar vein, Mark Papermaster, AMD’s chief technology officer, talked with Digital Trends about the company’s new Ryzen processors and some of the company newest products like the Kaby Lake-G.

This is just a small sample of what went down at the DT booth on Day Two of CES. To catch up on all things related to the conference and keep tabs on everything happening on Day Three, visit the CES coverage page, and also check out the live videos happening on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

Editors’ Recommendations

• We discuss wallpaper TVs, roll-up TVs, and OLED canyons with LG’s Tim Alessi
• After a quiet year, is Microsoft ready to wake up, or settle down?
• How to speed up Windows in a few easy steps
• How to set up multiple monitors for PC gaming
• Save up to $850 with these awesome smartphone deals

Catch up on Day 2 of CES 2018 with our quick wrap-up video

With the already infamous power outage taking place, the second day of CES 2018 was filled with lots of happenings, many of which, happened at the Digital Trends CES booth.

The booth was just a hub of activity as guests from a variety of companies and industries stopped by. Here’s a quick breakdown of who stopped by:

• Cloudious9: Bringing technology to the cannabis industry, Cloudious9 showcased Hydrology9, a combination vaporizer and waterpipe.
• Indiegogo: The crowdfunding platform’s CEO David Mandelbrot stopped by the booth to show off some interesting and new Indiegogo projects. Mandelbrot also broke down how Indiegogo helps funders after they raise funds by connecting them with the appropriate resources.
• Qualcomm: Snapdragon chips are powering some of the best devices on the market and Qualcomm’s senior marketing manager PJ Jacobowitz stopped by the booth to show which new products are harnessing the power of its processors.
• AMD: In a similar vein, Mark Papermaster, AMD’s chief technology officer, talked with Digital Trends about the company’s new Ryzen processors and some of the company newest products like the Kaby Lake-G.

This is just a small sample of what went down at the DT booth on Day Two of CES. To catch up on all things related to the conference and keep tabs on everything happening on Day Three, visit the CES coverage page, and also check out the live videos happening on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

Editors’ Recommendations

• We discuss wallpaper TVs, roll-up TVs, and OLED canyons with LG’s Tim Alessi
• After a quiet year, is Microsoft ready to wake up, or settle down?
• How to speed up Windows in a few easy steps
• How to set up multiple monitors for PC gaming
• Save up to $850 with these awesome smartphone deals

Catch up on Day 2 of CES 2018 with our quick wrap-up video

With the already infamous power outage taking place, the second day of CES 2018 was filled with lots of happenings, many of which, happened at the Digital Trends CES booth.

The booth was just a hub of activity as guests from a variety of companies and industries stopped by. Here’s a quick breakdown of who stopped by:

• Cloudious9: Bringing technology to the cannabis industry, Cloudious9 showcased Hydrology9, a combination vaporizer and waterpipe.
• Indiegogo: The crowdfunding platform’s CEO David Mandelbrot stopped by the booth to show off some interesting and new Indiegogo projects. Mandelbrot also broke down how Indiegogo helps funders after they raise funds by connecting them with the appropriate resources.
• Qualcomm: Snapdragon chips are powering some of the best devices on the market and Qualcomm’s senior marketing manager PJ Jacobowitz stopped by the booth to show which new products are harnessing the power of its processors.
• AMD: In a similar vein, Mark Papermaster, AMD’s chief technology officer, talked with Digital Trends about the company’s new Ryzen processors and some of the company newest products like the Kaby Lake-G.

This is just a small sample of what went down at the DT booth on Day Two of CES. To catch up on all things related to the conference and keep tabs on everything happening on Day Three, visit the CES coverage page, and also check out the live videos happening on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

Editors’ Recommendations

• We discuss wallpaper TVs, roll-up TVs, and OLED canyons with LG’s Tim Alessi
• After a quiet year, is Microsoft ready to wake up, or settle down?
• How to speed up Windows in a few easy steps
• How to set up multiple monitors for PC gaming
• Save up to $850 with these awesome smartphone deals

A mirror that tells it like it is? Here are the wackiest gadgets from CES 2018

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is home to some brilliant, game-changing technology every year. It’s also where you’ll find examples of the weirdest and wackiest tech around as its creators search for eyeballs and buyers on the world’s biggest tech stage. Here are some of our favorite examples of that second group, as glimpsed at CES 2018.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall

There’s nothing like getting up for work on a rainy Monday, only to have your bathroom mirror quickly run down everything that’s wrong with your face. Okay, so that’s an uncharitable version of what the HiMirror Mini does, but it’s not a million miles off, either. An Amazon Alexa-integrated smart mirror that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) to pick out every flaw, wrinkle, pimple and blemish on your face, and track your “skin care goals” over time, the Mini offers a glimpse at what the bathroom of the future may look like.

In terms of image-recognition technology, it’s kind of awesome. Although we do have our doubts about its impact on the self-esteem of people who may already be too concerned about their appearance.

The world’s most comprehensive water drone

There’s a classic Saturday Night Live joke about a multipurpose product that’s both a floor wax and a dessert topping. At CES 2018, the equivalent to that may well be PowerDolphin, an RC boat (or, if you will, a water-based drone) that packs so many features you get the feeling its creators wrote down and used every single suggestion in all their product development meetings.

The PowerDolphin packs a camera for both above- and below-water photography, sonar detector for making topographical maps, and the ability to autonomously release bait and catch fish. What more could you want from a self-described “lifestyle robot?”

An airbag belt

Ever felt the need for a wearable airbag system for your hip? That’s exactly what Helite’s Hip’Air promises, with a belt that’s able to inflate into a protective airbag in less than a third of one second. The device works by analyzing its wearer’s movements and detecting when a fall may be about to happen. It then inflates itself using a replaceable CO2 canister.

The device could be used for everything from horse riding and skiing to keeping loved ones safe around the house.

The smartest toilet you’ve ever sat on

If you’ve ever wanted to speak to your toilet, you’ll soon get your chance thanks to Kohler’s high-tech, internet-connected $6,300 device. Offering Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant integration, the toilet can activate its bidet feature, lift its lid, keep track of water usage, and even blast your favorite tunes while you’re doing your business.

Man’s best robot friend

Robots may one day be on track to rule the Earth, but for now it seems that they’re quite happy to be our pets. Shown off at CES, Sony’s revamped Aibo robot dog (the first-gen version launched way back in the 1990s) shows that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.

The robotic puppy now includes OLED eyes for more realistic expressions, A.I. capabilities that allow it to develop its own personality, and even image recognition for distinguishing between objects or telling members of the family apart. And, yes, if one member of the family interacts with Aibo the most, they will become its favorite.

An unnecessary gadget? Sure. An adorably cute unnecessary gadget? You bet!

A flying smartphone case

How did you make it through your life this far without having a flying smartphone case? That’s what the folks behind the Selfly want you to ask yourself. Basically a flying selfie stick, the Selfly promises to fulfill the dream of a person grabbing their smartphone, popping out the miniature drone that lives in its case, and then launching it upwards into the sky to take 13-megapixel images from above.

The Selfly can also record 1080p video at 60fps, and claims a battery life of up to four minutes, which should be more than enough for most instances. The fact that its priced starting at just $130 means it’s also affordable enough (kind of!) that many folks may be willing to take a gamble on it.

Brain-reading tech for drivers

Every car manufacturer is obsessed with making autonomous cars a reality these days, but Nissan is giving human drivers a new way to compete with their robot counterparts: brain-to-vehicle technology. The company’s in-development B2V tech is designed to read a driver’s brain waves and make their car react accordingly.

It’s kind of genius — although the brain wave-reading cap you’d have to wear would make us a bit embarrassed about stopping at a red light next to someone we knew.

A robot that folds your clothes

Folding laundry sucks. Robots don’t. A robot folding laundry may be the best of all. That’s what the makers of Foldimate, a robotic clothes-folding machine, hope to make a mainstream part of every home.

Boasting the ability to fold an average laundry load of up to 40 items in just four minutes (although you have to manually attach each separate item for it to do this), Foldimate uses its multitude of clothes-folding robot arms to inject a much-needed dose of fun into one of the most monotonous tasks around.

Never have we wanted a worse idea to prove us wrong and take the world by storm. Even if the $980 price tag does make that a bit unlikely.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The 5 biggest computing trends to watch for at CES 2018
• Hanson Robotics CEO talks A.I. and Sophia, his latest humanoid robot, at CES
• Whirlpool and Yummly 2.0 app combine for meals that practically cook themselves
• Bang & Olufsen looks to the future with new headphones and Airplay 2 support
• OLED is dead on the laptop at CES 2018, but there’s still hope

A mirror that tells it like it is? Here are the wackiest gadgets from CES 2018

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is home to some brilliant, game-changing technology every year. It’s also where you’ll find examples of the weirdest and wackiest tech around as its creators search for eyeballs and buyers on the world’s biggest tech stage. Here are some of our favorite examples of that second group, as glimpsed at CES 2018.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall

There’s nothing like getting up for work on a rainy Monday, only to have your bathroom mirror quickly run down everything that’s wrong with your face. Okay, so that’s an uncharitable version of what the HiMirror Mini does, but it’s not a million miles off, either. An Amazon Alexa-integrated smart mirror that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) to pick out every flaw, wrinkle, pimple and blemish on your face, and track your “skin care goals” over time, the Mini offers a glimpse at what the bathroom of the future may look like.

In terms of image-recognition technology, it’s kind of awesome. Although we do have our doubts about its impact on the self-esteem of people who may already be too concerned about their appearance.

The world’s most comprehensive water drone

There’s a classic Saturday Night Live joke about a multipurpose product that’s both a floor wax and a dessert topping. At CES 2018, the equivalent to that may well be PowerDolphin, an RC boat (or, if you will, a water-based drone) that packs so many features you get the feeling its creators wrote down and used every single suggestion in all their product development meetings.

The PowerDolphin packs a camera for both above- and below-water photography, sonar detector for making topographical maps, and the ability to autonomously release bait and catch fish. What more could you want from a self-described “lifestyle robot?”

An airbag belt

Ever felt the need for a wearable airbag system for your hip? That’s exactly what Helite’s Hip’Air promises, with a belt that’s able to inflate into a protective airbag in less than a third of one second. The device works by analyzing its wearer’s movements and detecting when a fall may be about to happen. It then inflates itself using a replaceable CO2 canister.

The device could be used for everything from horse riding and skiing to keeping loved ones safe around the house.

The smartest toilet you’ve ever sat on

If you’ve ever wanted to speak to your toilet, you’ll soon get your chance thanks to Kohler’s high-tech, internet-connected $6,300 device. Offering Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant integration, the toilet can activate its bidet feature, lift its lid, keep track of water usage, and even blast your favorite tunes while you’re doing your business.

Man’s best robot friend

Robots may one day be on track to rule the Earth, but for now it seems that they’re quite happy to be our pets. Shown off at CES, Sony’s revamped Aibo robot dog (the first-gen version launched way back in the 1990s) shows that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.

The robotic puppy now includes OLED eyes for more realistic expressions, A.I. capabilities that allow it to develop its own personality, and even image recognition for distinguishing between objects or telling members of the family apart. And, yes, if one member of the family interacts with Aibo the most, they will become its favorite.

An unnecessary gadget? Sure. An adorably cute unnecessary gadget? You bet!

A flying smartphone case

How did you make it through your life this far without having a flying smartphone case? That’s what the folks behind the Selfly want you to ask yourself. Basically a flying selfie stick, the Selfly promises to fulfill the dream of a person grabbing their smartphone, popping out the miniature drone that lives in its case, and then launching it upwards into the sky to take 13-megapixel images from above.

The Selfly can also record 1080p video at 60fps, and claims a battery life of up to four minutes, which should be more than enough for most instances. The fact that its priced starting at just $130 means it’s also affordable enough (kind of!) that many folks may be willing to take a gamble on it.

Brain-reading tech for drivers

Every car manufacturer is obsessed with making autonomous cars a reality these days, but Nissan is giving human drivers a new way to compete with their robot counterparts: brain-to-vehicle technology. The company’s in-development B2V tech is designed to read a driver’s brain waves and make their car react accordingly.

It’s kind of genius — although the brain wave-reading cap you’d have to wear would make us a bit embarrassed about stopping at a red light next to someone we knew.

A robot that folds your clothes

Folding laundry sucks. Robots don’t. A robot folding laundry may be the best of all. That’s what the makers of Foldimate, a robotic clothes-folding machine, hope to make a mainstream part of every home.

Boasting the ability to fold an average laundry load of up to 40 items in just four minutes (although you have to manually attach each separate item for it to do this), Foldimate uses its multitude of clothes-folding robot arms to inject a much-needed dose of fun into one of the most monotonous tasks around.

Never have we wanted a worse idea to prove us wrong and take the world by storm. Even if the $980 price tag does make that a bit unlikely.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The 5 biggest computing trends to watch for at CES 2018
• Hanson Robotics CEO talks A.I. and Sophia, his latest humanoid robot, at CES
• Whirlpool and Yummly 2.0 app combine for meals that practically cook themselves
• Bang & Olufsen looks to the future with new headphones and Airplay 2 support
• OLED is dead on the laptop at CES 2018, but there’s still hope

Whill’s newest electric wheelchair is sporty, speedy, rugged, and portable

When you picture an electric wheelchair, the first thing that comes to mind may be something slow, clunky, and impractical. Whill’s newest addition to its line of personal electric vehicles is anything but those things. With a patented front-wheel design, speeds of up to 5 miles per hour, and a lightweight body, the Model Ci looks like something straight out of the future. Whill’s Model M may have turned a few heads at last year’s CES, but its newest model really knocks it out of the park — so much so that it garnered a CES 2018 Innovation Award.

While the Model Ci is loaded with cool features, the front wheels are perhaps the most intriguing of them. Made up of 24 separate rollers, they allow for smooth movement in just about every direction. Combined with it’s ultra-portable design, they make the Model Ci the ideal vehicle for maneuvering in tight spaces. The wheelchair’s sporty, rugged design also allows you to tackle off-road terrain, so those accustomed to a more adventurous lifestyle can stray from the cemented path.

Weighing in at just 115 pounds, it’s one of the lightest chairs on the market. This can be attributed to an upgraded lithium-ion battery, which offers up to 10 miles in travel on a single charge, despite its lightweight build. The Model Ci also addresses concerns about portability; the chair breaks down into three separate parts, making it far more convenient for travel than previous models.

You can control this futuristic electric wheelchair using the joystick built into right armrest, or with an accompanying mobile app, the latter of which allows for complete control using your smartphone. Though relatively new, Whill’s Model Ci is currently available for $4,000 from various retailers. You can also take a look at the Model M and Model A, both of which incorporate the aforementioned front-wheel design.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Whill’s new electric wheelchair is fast, light, portable, and available now
• How to put on snow chains (and why you really should use them)
• Latest MirraViz screen allows you to watch multiple movies at the same time
• The best camping gifts
• Porsche’s Panamera popular hybrids have battery makers struggling to keep up