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HTC takes on Meta with the Vive Eagle smart glasses

HTC is once again attacking the wearable space with a pair of new smart glasses, the company announced. The Vive Eagle is a rival to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses with a fashion-foward lightweight design, open ear audio, voice-activated AI and an ultra-wide AI-powered camera. They look promising, if a bit expensive, but will only be available in Taiwan to start with.

The Taiwanese firm clearly noticed that Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have been a surprise hit. It’s easy to see why — in our Engadget review, we found that they look great and perform admirably. The current model includes in-ear speakers, cameras, microphones and access to Meta’s virtual assistant.

HTC has used much the same formula for the Vive Eagle, though they have an uphill battle against Ray-Ban’s brand brand in terms of consumer awareness and style. “Vive Eagle features a refined aesthetic that conceals its powerful technology in clean, minimalist lines,” the company wrote. It managed to fit all the technology into a relatively lightweight frame that weighs just 49 grams, only a gram heavier than Meta’s Ray-Bans.

HTC

On the camera side, the Vive Eagle comes with a 12MP ultra-wide model with voice-activated AI, offering support for multiple platforms including OpenAI and Gemini. “With a simple voice command like ‘Hey VIVE, take a photo,; users can capture what they see — right from their glasses,” the company wrote.

Voice commands also let you do things like record reminders, take notes, and get restaurant recommendations. You can also get real-time translation in 13 languages: Arabic, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, Turkish.

On the audio side, the Vive Eagle has an open-ear setup that “combines large acoustic drivers and virtual bass enhancement to deliver rich, spatial audio while minimizing sound leakage,” HTC said. It promised that you’ll be able to hear music or voice prompts without others overhearing, while still being aware of your surroundings.

HTC promises up to 36 hours of standby time and 4.5 hours of continuous music playback thanks to the 235mAh battery, and you can get to a 50 percent charge (via magnetic fast charging) in just 10 minutes. It also features a “privacy-first” architecture with all video and other data stored exclusively on-device — and that is protected via 256-bit AES encryption, according to HTC.

The Vive Eagle will only available in Taiwan at first for NT$15,600, or about $520 — quite a bit more than most of Meta’s Ray-Ban models. HTC has yet to say if it will bring the Vive Eagle to other territories including the US — but if it does and at that price, it’ll be in tough against its rival.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/htc-takes-on-meta-with-the-vive-eagle-smart-glasses-120048879.html?src=rss

Cowboy e-bikes rescued from collapse thanks to rescue deal

E-bike company Cowboy has secured short-term financing that would allow its operations to go back to normal after a period it describes as the “most challenging in [its] history.” The company has revealed that it has signed a term sheet with a new partner, Rebirth, which it believes would pave the way for long-term stability. As The Verge notes, Rebirth is the parent of ReCycles, the prominent French manufacturer that took over bike assembly for Cowboy back in February.

For quite some time, the company’s fate was up in the air. Cowboy explained that over the past couple of years, it has been hit by several problems that are plaguing the whole industry, including the post-COVID shifts in the demand for e-bikes and massive supply chain problems. On top of those, it had to launch a recall for some of its Cruiser ST bikes when their frames started to crack after 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles), which Cowboy said “added strain to an already difficult time.” It explained that the issue was caused by one of its suppliers making an unauthorized change to the bikes.

Cowboy has admitted that due to the issues it faced, customers experienced a lot of delays and that it wasn’t able to communicate things with them clearly. Now that it has secured financing, the first replacement frames for the recalled bikes have finally arrived from its supplier and it was able to start operating its first recall center, with more to follow in the summer. “We are not yet where we want to be, but we are here,” the company said in the email it has sent its customers. “Still standing. Still fighting. And more determined than ever.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/cowboy-e-bikes-rescued-from-collapse-thanks-to-rescue-deal-123012537.html?src=rss

How Long Will Air Canada Flight Cancelations Last? Flight Attendant Strike Updates

Air Canada confirmed it will ‘wind down’ operations amid the possible strike by its flight attendants. Get updates on the situation here.

What’s in Your Kid’s Multivitamin? How Expert-Developed EllaOla Raises the Bar on Quality and Heavy Metal Testing

Key Takeaways EllaOla lead tests its products using independent, third-party labs that follow ISO standards. EllaOla’s products are developed with pediatricians and dietitians, and made in NSF-certified, cGMP-certified, and organic-certified facilities in the USA. EllaOla multivitamins provide more comprehensive nutrients than many competitors and avoid junk like added sugar, dyes, artificial sweeteners, and fillers. Walk…

What to expect at Apple’s iPhone 17 event

We’re likely only around a month away (give or take) from Apple’s next iPhone launch event. This year’s shindig could see the thinnest iPhone to date joining the iPhone 17 lineup. Also on tap could be new Apple Watch models — including the first Ultra model in two years — and (maybe) the long-awaited AirPods Pro 3.

Apple’s iPhone family will likely welcome a new member this year. The iPhone Air is expected to be roughly 5.55 mm thick. The thinnest model so far has been 2014’s iPhone 6, at 6.9 mm. And they’ve only gotten chunkier since then. (The iPhone 16 Pro has a depth of 8.25 mm.) So, the Air would stand out from its peers in that respect. It would also give Apple a direct rival to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, which we found to be more than a gimmick.

But the iPhone Air’s thin design will likely lead to some compromises. It’s rumored to have only a single 48 MP camera and a smaller battery. So, expect a stylish phone that… won’t be for everyone.

Brian Oh for Engadget

The Pro lineup could offer some design tweaks and performance improvements. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to switch from titanium to aluminum. They could also see the rear camera array expand to an entire “island” that extends across most of the phone’s backside. It’s expected to house three cameras (as before), but multiple rumors have suggested it will have an improved telephoto one. The zoom lens could jump to 48MP, which would strengthen its digital zooming / cropping chops. The phones may also add an anti-glare coating, similar to those found on iPads.

The standard iPhone 17 could see some welcome display upgrades. At least one supply chain source claimed it will add a 120Hz variable refresh rate (ProMotion) display, which the Pro series has used since 2021.

Apple

One thing we know without a doubt is that the new iPhones will launch with iOS 26, which brings Apple’s biggest design refresh in years. It’s easy to imagine the company highlighting the new model’s displays as the best way to experience the new Liquid Glass visual language. As for the naming scheme, there haven’t been any leaks pointing to a similar hardware rebranding (“iPhone 26,” “iPhone 26 Pro,” etc.). But hey, Apple does like surprises.

Engadget’s iPhone 17 rumor roundup gives you a deeper dive into what to expect from the new models.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Apple’s fall event isn’t just for iPhones. The company is also expected to roll out new Apple Watch models. 5G and a processor upgrade are expected for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It may also let you send texts via satellite, handy for those who use it out in the wilderness. Regardless of the details, Apple hasn’t launched a new rugged and premium model since 2023 (apart from a new color), so it’s due for an upgrade.

The Series 11 model is unlikely to depart dramatically from the Series 10. After all, that model introduced a new design, with a thinner body and larger screen. (And Apple has historically kept those around in three-year cycles.). But a faster chip also seems logical. Perhaps we’ll see 5G arrive on the standard wearable, too.

We may also see the AirPods Pro 3 at the event. It’s been about three years since Apple last upgraded its premium earbuds. The new model could also bring some biometric sensors to the earphones: an in-ear heart-rate monitor and (maybe) temperature sensing. Live translation is also rumored, although that may not be exclusive to the third-gen model.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/what-to-expect-at-apples-iphone-17-event-090059189.html?src=rss

Apple’s ‘tabletop robot’ companion rumored for 2027 launch

Apple is still hard at work on becoming a relevant player in AI. The latest missive from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg suggests that Apple is shifting its artificial intelligence goals to center on new device segments. Sources reportedly told the publication that Apple has a slate of new smart home products in the works that could help pivot its lagging AI strategy.

The center of the new lineup is a tabletop AI companion that has been described as an iPad on a movable robotic arm. It would be able to swivel to face the screen toward a user as they move around their home or office. Sources said the current prototype uses a horizontal display that’s about seven inches while the motorized arm can move the screen about six inches away from the base in any direction. Equipped with a long-promised overhaul to the Siri voice assistant, this device could act like an additional person, recalling information, making suggestions and participating in conversations. According to Bloomberg, Apple is targeting a 2027 release for this product.

Apple’s new lineup is also rumored to include a smart home hub that is a simpler version of the robotic friend with no moving stand. We might be seeing this sooner, with a projected 2026 release for the device. This hub device would be able to control music playback, take notes, browse the web and host videoconferencing. Both the robot companion and the smart home hub are reportedly running a new operating system called Charismatic that’s designed to support multiple users. The Siri running on the device will be given a particularly cheery personality, and it may also be getting a visual representation. Bloomberg‘s sources said there hasn’t been a final decision on aesthetics; internal tests have had Siri looking like an animated Finder icon and like a Memoji.

Today’s scuttlebutt follows on previous reports from Gurman that pointed to Apple’s interest in these categories. The idea of a smart home hub was apparently floated at the company as far back as 2022, and it’s finally being rumored to have a formal debut some time this year. Robots have also been a topic of interest in Cupertino for some time, with claims that Apple was developing a personal robot dating back at least to last spring. While this Bloomberg piece offers more detail about those hypothetical plans, there’s always a chance Apple will change direction or scrap a project.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apples-tabletop-robot-companion-rumored-for-2027-launch-204904807.html?src=rss