Sean Hollister

The Microsoft Band Could Get Way More Interesting With DIY Web Apps

Soon, the Apple Watch will wirelessly monitor your glucose level. But you know what? The Microsoft Band can do that too. This is just one of many apps that will come to the formerly-unimpressive Band—thanks to a new ability to turn web data into live tiles for the wearable. See the picture above? That’s the…

Want to try the gorgeous new Windows 10 Start Menu? Feel free—there’s a new Windows 10 preview build with loads of improvements that you can download right this second. [Microsoft]

Microsoft HoloLens Hands-On: Incredible, Amazing, Prototype-y as Hell

I just put Microsoft’s new holographic glasses on my face. It’s one of the most amazing and tantalizing experiences I’ve ever had with a piece of technology. This piece was originally published on 1/21/15, but we thought you might like to know what Hololens is all about—since Microsoft just re-introduced it at theBuild dev conference.…

Windows 10 with Holograms Looks Freaking Awesome

You’ve heard that Microsoft is trying to build the holodeck, yes? With a visor called Hololens that you wear on your head? It turns out Hololens is a full Windows 10 computer, and using it looks totally awesome. Sure, you can see crazy holographic objects that appear to exist in the real world, like I…

I Think GoPro Is Building a Virtual Reality Camera

This is a “what if” scenario. I have no proof. But I think it’s pretty damn likely that GoPro is building a virtual reality camera. A GoPro that captures your adventures in 360 degrees—and lets people experience them as if they were right there with you. Why do I bring this up? Because GoPro just…

The Internet Just Killed An App Store For Video Game Worlds

Perhaps you’ve heard a thing or two about “Valve” and “Skyrim” and “mods” recently. What does it all mean? The company that built the world’s most successful video game marketplace started an app store that pays people to remix virtual worlds—and 100,000 angry internet denizens just shot down that idea. It’s a bit of a…

Parrot Bebop Drone and Skycontroller Review: Looks Aren’t Everything

You’ve graduated from your cheap beginner drone, and you want to try something new. Something that can shoot beautiful video from the sky—but doesn’t cost $1,000+ like a camera-equipped DJI Phantom. You spot the $500 Parrot Bebop Drone, and pull the trigger. It’s kind of fun, you think, between strings of obscenities. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-drone-for-every-indoor-need-1644579797 What Is…

Starbucks Computers Are Down Nationwide, And You Might Get Free Coffee

Think you’re going to pay for Starbucks with your shiny new Apple Watch this evening? Think again. Starbucks computers are down across North America, and some stores are giving out free coffee in the meanwhile. I certainly enjoyed mine! “Yes it is true,” Starbucks spokesman Jim Olson told CNNMoney. “The point of sale cash registers…

Holding off on a Samsung Galaxy S6orS6 Edge until you can use it as a VR headset? The new Gear VR—smaller, with a fan for ventilation—goes on sale May 8th for $200. You can preorder it here tomorrow.

Pro/Con: Why Google’s Fi Could Be Awesome and Terrible

Today, Google announced its very own wireless network. Just $20 a month for unlimited call and texts, plus $10 per gigabyte of data. No contracts or termination fees. Google will even refund your unused megabytes. Sounds awesome. So what’s the catch already? The catch is that if Google becomes a cell carrier, it’ll wield more…

Here’s What a $400 Laptop Looks Like This Year

Cheap laptops are getting better every year. The $200 HP Stream 11 is a perfect example of that. What do you get for a couple extra $100 bills? The new 11-inch Pavilion x360. It’s a sleek backflipping laptop/tablet hybrid that sounds like surprising value for the money. For $410 on May 13th, the 11-inch Pavilion…

PopSlate Lightning Review: This iPhone Case Has An E-Ink Screen in Back

What does the back of your phone look like? Is it covered by a case? Either way, I’m willing to bet it looks the same every day. What if you could personalize it with the push of a button, wirelessly beaming your favorite photos to an e-ink screen that lives in a special iPhone 6…

Now You Can Download Your Google History—Or Better Yet, Delete It

You can now download your entire Google search history to your computer. Sound neat? That’s what I thought at first. And then I realized there were dangerous things in my search history—things way worse than my taste in porn. I’m not talking about the embarrassing fact that I always start Pandora Radio by typing “Pandora”…

New MacBook Review: Stupidly Thin

The new MacBook is a marvel of engineering. It’s beautiful, and far more functional than a computer this size has any right to be. But it’s not for me, and I doubt it’s for you, either. It’s just too damn thin. What Is It? The latest crazy-thin Apple computer—a tiny 12-inch laptop with a incredible…

Google Has a Surprising Plan to Make Cheap VR Better

Good virtual reality is coming, but it isn’t here yet. That’s worrying. What if someone buys a cheap smartphone adapter, has a bad experience, and writes off VR as a fad? But Google, the company providing the cheapest solution of all—Cardboard—may have an answer. An answer that involves not strapping them to your head. Starting…

This Hacked App Lets You Play Bloodborne In Any Room Of The House

Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice to play a little Bloodborne tonight? Shame my wife will be using the TV. If only I had a way to stream games from my PlayStation 4 to another device. How about a hacked version of the PS4 Remote Play app that works on Android phones and tablets—and my Nvidia…

Steal This Idea: A Smartwatch App That Automatically Provides Passwords

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could just walk up to your locker, glance at your wrist, and see the right combination appear on your smartwatch screen? Particularly if you multiply that by every lock and password you encounter over the course of a day? Today, 1Password—the popular password manager app—has taken the first step…

Guitar Hero Is Back This Fall, And You’ll Only Need Three Fingers

“This is stupid,” I try to tell myself. “Weren’t music games just a fad?” For one long minute, I struggle to hit a single note on my plastic axe, as game developers and PR people fire eye-daggers into the back of my head. But then, all of a sudden, it clicks. I’m strumming up a…

HP Spectre x360 Review: My New Favorite Backflipping Windows Laptop

“Oooh, what’s that?” It’s the reaction I get every time I pull out the new HP Spectre x360 in a coffee shop. It hasn’t failed yet. Java fiends always want to know where I got such a good-looking laptop—and they’re always surprised when I tell them the answer. But the truly surprising thing about HP’s…

3DR’s New Solo Drone Promises Airborne Footage Without a Learning Curve

Flying drones isn’t easy—which is why I recommend a cheap one to start. It gets even harder if you’re trying to control a camera at the same time you’re flying around. But drone pioneer 3D Robotics believes it has a fix: the new 3DR Solo. You just show it what kind of shot you want……