modular

Apple is responsible for an ever-growing number of truly intriguing (re: nonsensical) patent applications. These usually cause Apple fans’ heads to turn like a dog hearing the quiet skittering of a nearby squirrel. However, the latest approved patent from the Cupertino, California-based company may take the prize as its strangest yet.Can This iPad Replace Your Laptop?In the patent, first filed in June of 2021 and approved Tuesday, Apple talks up its ideas for “Modularized Computing and Input Devices.” This kind of…

The Framework laptop has shown that modular laptops can offer something really compelling to customers, and it seems that Apple might have taken notice. That’s because a newly granted patent (number 11709527) suggests the Cupertino company is considering a modular MacBook that could let you come up with all kinds of crazy combinations of screen, keyboard and more. For example, some of the illustrations in Apple’s patent document show a device with two displays, with the MacBook keyboard replaced entirely by a second…

Zenvo Automotive is already known for building some of the world's most exotic, powerful hypercars, and it's about to step its game up to the next level. The Danish performance carmaker is teaming with powertrain specialist Mahle to create the world's most powerful road-going V12 engine, with sights on topping the current king by over 200 hp. As if that isn't enough muscle for any four wheels, the new 12-cylinder mill will feature in the center of a hybrid drive with over 1,800 hp of combined power, making for one of the…

June Wan/ZDNETA new patent suggests that Apple is exploring how to create a modular version of the MacBook Pro.  According to an Apple Insider report, a modular MacBook would go well beyond the upgradeable components of the Mac Pro. Rather than offering internal hardware modularity, the MacBook's keyboard, trackpad, and display -- as well as the hinges that connect these pieces -- would be interchangeable. Also: Buying a used Mac laptop: How to avoid scams and find the best dealsThe patent describes how the base of…

Framework’s modular Laptop 16 is available for preorder in the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland and Australia. The company’s first gaming notebook starts at $1,399 for a DIY system (sans operating system). Pre-built variants start at $1,799. The machine ships with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor; the DIY versions start at $1,399 and $1,699, respectively. You can use it with the processor’s integrated graphics or pay $1,799 or $2,099 for a ready-to-go model with Radeon RX…

French startup REF Bikes is looking to revolutionize bicycle design and, perhaps, the entire industry. In place of the fixed, welded tubes that have dominated bicycle design forever, its bikes use a modular tube system that works more like PVC pipes. Each tube secures into place via three hubs, quickly building up into a full frame. Not only does the design allow for faster manufacturing, it makes bicycles that can swap out damaged tubes during repair and adapt as a user grows physically or in terms of cycling level and…

Here’s a dirty little secret: Consumer electronics can be boring sometimes. Hardware scaling is hard and people love the familiar, both things that have a tendency to disincentive adventurous product design. So it’s worth acknowledging when big companies try something a bit different. From a purely design perspective, there’s a lot to love about the HT-AX7. Sony’s new modular wireless speaker system is clean but warm, symmetrical and generally pleasing to the eyes. The fabric-covered minimalism wouldn’t look out of…

The Fairphone 4 modular smartphone launched back in 2021, at least in Europe. It's only now making its way to the US, believe it or not, but with a twist. The device is being brought to the States by Murena, a company that specializes in "de-Googling" Android phones. As such, the US-only Murena Fairphone 4 won't run Android like its European counterpart. Instead, it will boot Murena's "/e/OS". This is described by the company as a privacy-focused, Google-free OS, aimed at those who are wary of sharing their data…

is at long last bringing its sustainability-focused smartphones . The company has teamed up with Murena to start offering in the country. The Murena Fairphone 4 is available to order now. It starts at $599 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, according to . A variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will run you $679. Storage is expandable via microSD. Those prices might seem fairly steep for a two-year old device with , but the Murena Fairphone 4 is about much more than the pure specs. For one thing, it's a…

Diagram illustrating two independent modular vehicles picking up passengers from different locations, then attaching together allowing passengers to transfer between the two vehicles in motion, before the vehicles split from each other and carry the passengers to separate destinations. Credit: Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2023.104191 Researchers at NYU Tandon School of…