Perceptiv Labs, a startup from Waterloo, Ontario is launching a device for drones called SHIFT that can be used to capture remarkable aerial shots of an intended subject without ever going out of focus. The two-part accessory, available for pre-order now, comes with a processor and vision sensor that can be attached to the DJI Phantom and 3D Robotics Iris drone models. Users can then use their mobile devices to designate what they want to track and where they want to track it. Continue reading Perceptiv Labs Launches Subject-Tracking Accessory for Drones

A startup called Athos, founded by a pair of electrical engineers from the University of Waterloo, is making sensor laden workout gear to help quantify physical activity. Many people may have an image in their mind of a futuristic workout involving sensor laden workout gear, such as that depicted in the training montage from “Rocky IV.” However, Athos hopes to deliver Under Armor-style workout gear, invisibly embedded with muscle-tracking sensors. Continue reading New Athos Fitness Gear Takes the Place of Physical Trainers

BlackBerry announced yesterday that it will abandon a sale of the company, following two months of talks with potential buyers including Facebook, Lenovo and private equity firms. Instead, the struggling smartphone maker plans to raise $1 billion by issuing convertible notes to long-term investors including Fairfax Financial Holdings, the company’s largest shareholder. Additionally, BlackBerry said CEO Thorsten Heins will step down. The news resulted in a 16 percent drop in share price. Continue reading BlackBerry Calls Off Company Sale, CEO Heins to Step Down

If things weren’t already looking bleak enough for BlackBerry, the company released its latest earnings report on Friday. Second quarter results for the three months ending August 31 show revenue of $1.6 billion, down 49 percent from the previous quarter and 45 percent from the same quarter last year. The company also reported an adjusted loss of $248 million. And on the heels of a near $1 billion inventory markdown, BlackBerry announced it will start directly selling unlocked smartphones. Continue reading BlackBerry Selling Phones Directly After Bleak Earnings Report

BlackBerry announced on Monday that its board of directors has formed a special committee and has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to explore strategic alternatives that could include joint ventures, strategic partnerships or an outright sale of the Waterloo, Ontario-based company. The news follows declining stock value in the wake of disappointing sales of new devices running BlackBerry 10 and a shrinking customer base for the company that helped pioneer the smartphone market. Continue reading Losing Ground to Apple and Google, BlackBerry Is Up For Sale