Xiaomi’s business model isn’t about selling handsets, except insofar as those handset sales lead to recurring service revenue later on. So said Xiaomi global VP and former Android VP Hugo Barra in an interview with Reuters. The executive for the device maker was commenting on a drop in its smartphone sales in China, explaining that […]
Michael Eisenberg Crunch Network Contributor Michael Eisenberg is a partner at Aleph. More posts by this contributor: How to join the network Even before smartwatches, I did not wear a watch. I did not buy an Apple Watch or Pebble, despite the cool factor, even though I always upgrade to the latest iPhone as soon […]
Sphero’s BB-8 was the most memorable bit of merchandizing among last year’s epic Force Awakens merchandising bonanza. It was the perfect piece of synergy – leveraging the hardware startup’s compelling piece of remote control technology to bring to life the film’s most marketable creation. This year the company looked to take things a step further with […]
When TechCrunch went to Beijing recently, I got the chance to try out KatVR’s Kat Walk virtual reality walking simulation rig. The setup encircles the player’s waist, keeping them upright no matter what’s going on in virtual space, while the special shoes and a slick plastic pad, both laden with sensors, help translate your perambulation […]
Welcome to the 2016 TechCrunch Holiday Gift Guide! We’ll be rolling out a bunch of guides leading up to Christmas, hopefully making your holiday shopping a little easier. Looking for gifts for others on your list? Check out our full 2016 Gift Guide Hub. We’re back again for the third year in a row with […]
Last year, Ember Technologies, Inc. ran a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to build a mug that keeps hot drinks at the perfect sipping temperature. By now, it’s sold 4,000 of these devices. And in something of a coup for the startup, Starbucks Corp. has begun selling Ember Temperature Control Mugs in its stores across most […]
The world of prosthetics is advancing in two directions: on one hand, if you will, the latest in soft robotics and shrinking sensors enables limbs and digits with ever-increasing levels of sensation and realism. On the other, rapid manufacturing techniques are making it possible to bring sophisticated designs to the underprivileged and geographically isolated. Po […]
Another day, another Spectacles vending machine location. This is the fifth place the Snapbot has appeared, to sell its first-person video capturing sunglasses to droves of willing Snapchat fans (or at least people hoping to turn a tidy profit by reselling them on eBay). Today’s spot is in Pasadena, at the Rose Bowl Stadium where […]
The Skyscraper Art Deco Watch is a new crowdfunded piece by horologist Mark Carson and designer Richard Paige. Based on Art Deco skyscraper decoration – think the Empire State Building’s handsome arches or the swooping buttresses of Gotham city – this watch is interesting for a few reasons. First, this team has made some nice […]
Google has significantly rethought its approach to hardware with the new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, devices designed and created by Google itself. It’s also rethinking how it sells devices, with the new Google Shop. This fall saw Google introduce its Pixels, the Chromecast Ultra and the Daydream View VR headset, and to help sell […]