Gadgets

Are you a Mac user who wants to pull a photo off your iPhone, iPad, or Android device quickly, without having to go through iPhoto? There's an easy way to do that, built into your Mac: the Preview app.

For ages, I was frustrated that the Mac wouldn't let me browse my iPhone or Android phone to drag-and-drop pictures I wanted, in the way that I could when plugging them into my Windows PC.

If only I could browse like on the PC

On the PC, my phones appear like a drive within Windows Explorer, which is wonderful:… Read more

The upcoming HTC One may be top billing, but AT&T hasn't completely forgotten about the One X. The carrier announced today that HTC One X users on its network can now upgrade to Android Jelly Bean.

This is an update a long time coming since the HTC One X+ already runs a fresh helping of Google's mobile operating system. To be clear, the version of this software is Android 4.1 and not the most recent 4.2 Jelly Bean variant you'll find on LG's Nexus 4. Still, a new infusion of code is … Read more

You've played that "no phones at dinner" game and lost. You can't bear ignoring your messages. Well, this bit of bling could be your new best friend.

LinkMe is a digital bracelet that displays the messages, Facebook updates, and tweets that you need most.

Billed as a world first on its Kickstarter page, LinkMe will "display the messages and alerts you choose, making your entire social life available to you with just a glance at your wrist." … Read more

New reports suggest that AT&T will be the first U.S. carrier out of the gate with the BlackBerry Z10 on March 15. If they pan out, then it reveals BlackBerry's true weakness despite the hype of BB10.

Originally reported by N4BB and echoed by mobile news sites Phone Arena and BlackBerryOS, AT&T apparently has moved up its plans to push the Z10 out to the American public. If sources close to N4B can be trusted, then BlackBerry's most advanced handset could hit the street the day after the Samsung Galaxy S4's big unveiling. … Read more

Successful health technology startup Fitbit has just gained access to a new round of investment funding, to the sweet tune of $30 million.

According to a report by venture capital watcher TechCrunch, multiple sources have told the outlet that Fitbit is in the process of raising over $30 million. This influx of additional cash has helped the company notch an impressive $300 million in valuation.

While the extra funding is eye-popping, these figures should not come as a big surprise to those following the personal fitness space closely. The category is exploding with a flood of players, from device makers … Read more

A watched pot never boils, but some pots can stir themselves.

Kurukuru Nabe, a pot developed in Japan, stirs its own contents, freeing you up to do better things with your time.

You'd think this is high-tech stuff, but no. It's a conventional saucepan with a grooved insert that produces a circular motion resembling a whirlpool in the water.

The design is fairly simple, as seen in this video of an aluminum pot with grooves that induce a spin. … Read more

In the category of "one day people, will ask, 'How did you ever exist with just an iPhone?'," I recently visited the Old Town Music Hall, a little movie theater built in 1921 in El Segundo, Calif., which is near Los Angeles, and marveled at the technology and talent that went into playing live music for silent films.

That technology was the mighty Wurlitzer. That's right, before talking pictures, audiences were entertained by silent films that used title cards and, in many theaters, live music accompaniment. The Wurlitzer is a brand of organ, but also much more. … Read more

Coffee in the morning is no small matter. Decisions get made while sipping the caffeinated brew, decisions that shape the day. Like an architect, we construct plans, piece by piece, layer by layer, until a form emerges. Of course, that usually doesn't involve the actual coffee cup. But then again, who is to say it cannot?

The ThinkGeek Build-On Brick Mug ($19.99) is a coffee mug designed to appeal to designers of all ages. The interactive mug invites users to fiddle with it, stacking popular parts onto their own creations. Exactly what those popular parts might be is, of course, of utmost importance; the last thing anybody wants to do is wrestle with their morning beverage.

Rest assured, the mug is compatible with Lego, PixelBlocks, Mega Bloks, Kre-O, or K'Nex Bricks. The mug itself doesn't come with any bricks; it's strictly BYOB.… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--At MWC 2013, much of the buzz was predictably about new smartphones, tablets, and mobile operating systems. Behind the scenes though, another movement stirred. Gear that places humans and sophisticated technologies in extremely tight proximity, almost approaching the cybernetic, was everywhere.

The trend of people integrating computing technology into their daily lives has been with us for decades, but it's only within the last few years that we've really seen a groundswell of these cybertech products. A flood of smartwatches that link to smartphones via wireless Bluetooth connection, many born on Kickstarter, have begun to finally ship. … Read more