Astro

The touchscreen revolution wiped out physical keyboard from pocketable devices – but if you loved your Nokia E7 or a Sony Vaio P, you may have wished for a modern alternative. Planet Computers sought to grant those wishes with the Astro Slide 5G Transformer. The device had a physical keyboard that slides out from the side and promised boot either Android or Linux, depending on whether you want something more phone-like or PC-like. In retrospect that should have been red flag number 1 since none of those dual-booting…

After launching in the US and Japan in 2022, Sega's bite-sized Astro Mini V finally gets an official release in Europe. Previously only available as an import, the SEGA Astro Mini V can now be purchased from Amazon for £229. A follow-up to the original Astro Mini, the new version features a grand total of 22 games, including a wealth of 2D shooters like Raiden, Samurai Aces and Gunbird.The Astro Mini V's headline feature is a 4.6-inch vertical LCD monitor, ball-top joystick and action buttons that replicate the original…

Introducing Amazon’s robot that rolls around the house with a ring home security camera system Amazon’s home creepy surveillance robot, Astro, will be getting a slew of major updates aimed at further embedding it in homes and our daily lives. Mobility is also an essential aspect of Astro’s growing set of automated features. Astro will also be able to wander around the house to keep an eye on rooms and entry points. Amazon Astro uses advanced navigation technology to find its way around your home and go where…

Screenshot: Amazon/GizmodoEver since Amazon launched Astro, its domestic robot, it’s been a product in search of a purpose. When the bot was unveiled last summer, a wealth of tech journos called it “cute,” while others found it creepy (I was one of the latter). The contraption, which could roam around your house, talk to you, and even deliver beer, had its supposed charms, but critics were quick to point out that Astro had no fixed identity. Amazon said it would be a helper (basically an Alexa on wheels) but the company…

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Amazon has a new plan for its home robot Astro: to guard your life The news: Amazon announced yesterday that its home robot, Astro, will be getting a slew of major updates aimed at further embedding it in homes—and in our daily lives. The details: The new features offer more home monitoring. Astro will be able to watch pets and send a video feed of their activities…

The same approach to teaching Astro with gestures and words could in the future be extended to all kinds of furniture and objects in a home, Washington says. The underlying AI technology could also help the robot make sense of what people are doing. “Artificial intelligence has reached this amazing inflection point,” he says. “It’s fully within reach to know ‘This is a chair,’ and ‘There is someone sitting in a chair.’” Amazon is also planning a software update this year that will allow Astro to identify cats and dogs and…

Still, last year’s pitch was that Astro could be a home assistant to make your life more comfortable and entertaining—a sort of cute, bumbling sidekick. This year, Amazon has recast Astro as a device with a much more serious mission, to provide another set of eyes on the things a person most values: their pets, their home, their livelihoods.  As with any surveillance technology that you invite into your life, using Astro will require an element of trust. This time, however, you would be extending that trust to a robot…

Image: AmazonIf you have a pet, you know how hard it can be to leave your furry friend home alone, either because they'll get lonely or just wreck the house. Now Amazon's friendly house robot Astro will bring checking in on your pets to a whole new level. Amazon announced today that the Astro will soon be able to detect cats and dogs in the home. The pet recognition will allow the robot to, at your command,  find your pet and send you a video feed of what it finds. Regardless of your location, you will be able to use…

AmazonAmazon's WALL-E looking household robot, Astro, was announced a year ago and has been available exclusively by invitation since. The robot has functioned as a household handy helper, both monitoring your home security and also following you from room bringing Alexa's assistance and items directly to you. Now, Astro is rolling out of your home and into your business to work as a security guard. SEE: From Echo to Astro, what Amazon's device strategy is really all about At Amazon's invite-only media event today,…

From Lee Min-ho to Blackpink’s Jennie, a slew of South Korean stars are aiming to make their mark in American showbiz recently. Take a look at these highly anticipated debuts. Whose Hollywood screen project are you most excited about?Jennie: Recently, fans of BLACKPINK’s Jennie trended Jennie Ruby Jane — the name on her Insta account. The reason? That’s the screen name she’ll be using for her Hollywood debut. The South Korean rapper will be starring in web show The Idol. Created by singer The Weeknd, the show will also…