Mobile computers

DataPlay: The futuristic optical disc format that time forgotIn the early 2000s, there were serious efforts to find the next technological breakthrough that would succeed the CD. One of those was the DataPlay, a miniaturized version of a CD with a 32mm diameter. Why use DataPlay instead of CD? For one, it could store more than just music—artist interviews, music videos, and pre-recorded songs could be accessed when connected to a PC. It was also adorable tiny, or as The New York Times put it, “about the size of the ing in…

Spotify’s Car Thing is a neat trick, but it needs more functionality before it’s essential. Photo: Florence Ion / GizmodoR.I.P. to Car Thing, the Bluetooth dashboard accessory from Spotify that required you to use your smartphone alongside it, but didn’t do anything your phone couldn’t do already on its own.Spotify will stop manufacturing Car Thing(s), in a move that was announced in the company’s 2022 second quarterly earnings report on Wednesday. By Spotify’s own estimate, the decision to discontinue the product is…

Imagine your next Apple Watch doubling as a removable wrist camera. Screenshot: USPTOThe thing about patents is that, even when they’re quietly filed, they eventually get exposed—especially if they’re Apple patents. The latest Apple patent to get this treatment concerns the Apple Watch, and how it might potentially fit a camera in the future.Imagine using the Apple Watch itself to snap a photo. It’s a different concept from how some smartwatches do cameras now, where they allow you to use thewearable as a camera remote…