Google debuted the results of a partnership with Anker, releasing the $50 Roav Bolt, that brings Google Assistant to automobiles. Previously, consumers who wanted Google Assistant in their cars could purchase a vehicle with Android Auto or install the Android Auto app on their phones. The device fits into a car’s 12-volt port (the cigarette lighter) and features USB ports on the side for charging a phone, with an AUX jack as well. The user activates the device by saying “Hey Google” or pressing a physical button. Continue reading Google, Anker Debut Device for In-Vehicle Google Assistant

Solace Power, a small Canadian startup, has developed a technology that wirelessly charges unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while still in flight. The company has a standing partnership with Boeing and recently secured government funding from Industry Canada to help facilitate the technology for military drones. The technology, which could effectively eliminate the need to physically charge a drone while on land, works using energy transmitters that communicate to receivers attached to the UAVs. Continue reading Solace Power Develops Wireless Solution to Charging Drones

Tel Aviv-based StoreDot claims it has developed a battery technology that can charge a mobile phone in 30 seconds and an electric car in mere minutes. The prototype can reportedly store a higher charge more quickly by using nanotechnology to synthesize artificial molecules. Bio-organic peptide molecules known as “nanodots” enable the rapid absorption and retention of power. StoreDot is aiming to have a slimmer version of the current prototype available for the smartphone market by 2016. Continue reading Battery Using Nanodots Charges Mobile Phone in 30 Seconds