In this issue

From Braille smartwatches to GPS-enabled shoes, intuitive, connected technology is changing the game for people with disabilities. Our May cover story explores the growing world of smart assistive tech. Also, reviews of the LG G6 smartphone, Fitbit Alta HR activity tracker, and five of the best all-in-one computers; and why your next cute robot may be Korean.

Elon Musk Wants to Implant an AI Interface in Your Brain

Elon Musk has had another bright idea. Nobody can accuse Mr. Musk of a lack of intellectual diversity in his pursuits, which have ranged from glitzy solar roof tiles to cartoonishly fast cars, colonizing other planets, and domestic energy infrastructure. He’s someone who thinks in the future tense. And he clearly believes that AI is the future.

2 mins

The Coolest Features in Windows 10 Creators Update

Windows 10 is now considered by Microsoft to be a service. What that means is that the OS is continually updated with new features and fixes in small increments (such as the redesigned Photos app— see our review in this issue) and big releases. The Creators Update is the latest big one, and it starts rolling out to Windows 10 users for free on April 11.

2 mins

Microsoft Teases New Minecraft Marketplace, Currency

Microsoft’s Minecraft game is getting a new marketplace and its own currency. With the launch of the Minecraft Marketplace, businesses will—for the first time—be able to sell their original content to players within the game. Arriving this spring, the Marketplace will be packed with “amazing adventure maps, texture packs, mini games,” and other goodies available for purchase, all accessible across devices via Xbox Live.

1 min

IoT Botnet Mirai Now Forces Smart Appliances to Mine Bitcoin

Earlier this year, I declared the Internet of Things had officially hit peak stupid, courtesy of a new smart toaster being shown at CES. I should have known better. What’s even more useless than a smart toaster? A smart toaster that’s been hacked to mine Bitcoin.

2 mins

What We Love Most This Month

MICROSOFT PROJECT SCORPIO Ready for the future of gaming? This new console—due to ship in Q4—looks to be the most powerful performer ever. Specs include a 6-tera flop GPU, which enables 4K and mixed-reality gaming. On the memory front, Project Scorpio will deliver a total bandwidth of 326GB/s, achieved by using 12 1GB GDDR5 memory chips running on a 384-bit bus.

1 min

Minibeam LED Projector Is Lightweight and Portable

DESIGN AND FEATURES The PH550 is a DLP-based model with an LED light source rated for 30,000 hours, so it should last the lifetime of the projector. It provides 720p (1,280-by720) native resolution at a 16:9 aspect ratio, and has a rated brightness of 550 lumens, which is typical for palmtop projectors and somewhat lower than the 800-lumen rating of the LG Compact Pebble Design Smart Minibeam Projector PW800.

3 mins

Microsoft's Mixed-Reality Plans Go Far Beyond Hololens

When Microsoft made the surprise announcement of a new augmented reality (AR) product at a Windows 10 event in early 2015, the Microsoft HoloLens headset wasn’t the first thing the audience saw. Instead, as he unveiled the new technology to the world, Microsoft’s Alex Kipman — creator of both the Microsoft Kinect motion controller and the HoloLens — showed a logo for Windows Holographic, the Windows 10-aligned software platform underpinning Microsoft’s AR ambitions.

5 mins

Your Next Cute Robot May be Korean

Pibo and Cubroid are friends. In a country where three giant conglomerates (LG, Samsung, and Hyundai) suck up most of the engineering talent, these two pint-sized little robots could be the future of Korean hardware innovation.

6 mins

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