Tech Talk

Xiaomi's product goals don't align with the Chromebook segment right now, but that may change in a few years. At the outset, Xiaomi feels like the ideal brand to release a Chromebook ; the Chinese manufacturer is associated with value, and Chromebooks are all about delivering great value on a budget. If you think about it, a Chromebook would be a perfect addition to Xiaomi's growing portfolio of products. It's not like Xiaomi is a stranger to the notebook business. Xiaomi has rolled out products in the Mi Notebook series for four years now, and while these products were limited to the Chinese market, Xiaomi introduced the category earlier this year in India with the Mi NoteBook Horizon Edition . So, why not a Chromebook? I chatted with Xiaomi India's Chief Business Offer Raghu Reddy to understand why the brand hasn't released a Chromebook yet. Reddy is in charge of Xiaomi's product portfolio and has final say in new growth areas and product categories

In what began as a kind of funny, savvy marketing stunt that has since gained traction, a nearly three-year-old, Santa Monica-based startup that sells water from the Austrian Alps under the brand Liquid Death , has raised $23 million in Series B funding. Backers in the round include an unnamed family office; Convivialité Ventures, which is Pernod Ricard Group’s venture arm; the musician known as Fat Mike; and earlier backer Velvet Sea Ventures. The company, originally incubated with the help of the L.A.-based startup studio Science, has now raised a little more than $34 million altogether. We talked with Liquid Death founder Mike Cessario, who was formerly a West Coast agency exec, not long after he launched the company to the public, and he argued at the time that canned water could give sugary energy drinks like Rockstar, Monster and Red Bull a run for their money if it was also named like a heavy metal act. Indeed, our favorite part of the product has long been its promise to

Both new and existing Netflix subscribers will be eligible for the deal. What you need to know A listing for the new Chromecast with Google TV has been spotted on the Canadian Google Store. The listing reveals customers in Canada will get six months of Netflix with the new Chromecast. Chromecast with Google TV will be unveiled alongside the Nest Audio smart speaker and new Pixel phones at Google's hardware event later today. Google is set to reveal a new Chromecast, Nest-branded smart speaker , and two 5G-enabled Pixel phones at its " Launch Night In " event later today. Ahead of the big event, the new Chromecast with Google TV has been spotted on the Canadian Google Store. Although the listing is no longer accessible, a Reddit user managed to save a screenshot before it was pulled down. In addition to giving us another look at the new dongle and its voice remote, the listing reveals the Chromecast with Google TV will be priced at $69 in Canada. In the United

The Dyson V11 costs a lot of money, but it is well worth the investment. I used a $150 corded vacuum for the better part of the last five years, and more recently switched to a robot vacuum . It's hard to be excited about a vacuum cleaner (unless you have the Darth Vader Powerbot ), so when the folks at Dyson asked if I wanted to take a look at the V11 — the brand's current-gen cordless vacuum — I was ambivalent. But I attended a demo session (virtually, of course) where a Dyson specialist went through everything the V11 can do, and I was intrigued. What interested me the most was its versatility; with seven attachments in total, the V11 cleans just about any surface. I also liked the fact that it works as a handheld and a regular stick vacuum, and that there's a built-in LED that shows the remaining battery time. One of the reasons I didn't pick up a Dyson cordless vacuum in the past was because of the price. At just under $700, the Dyson V11 is several magnitudes

Neuron Mobility , a Singapore-based e-scooter rental startup, announced today that it has added $12 million to its Series A. Led by Square Peg, an Australian venture capital firm and GSR Ventures, this increases the round’s new total to $30.5 million. The company, which operates in Australia and New Zealand in addition to Southeast Asian markets, first announced its Series A in December 2019. Singapore’s Neuron Mobility raises $18.5M to bring its electric scooters to more international markets Part of Neuron Mobility’s growth plans hinges on the increased adoption of electric scooters and bikes during the COVID-19 pandemic . Many people are using their cars less frequently because they are working remotely or there are movement restrictions where they live. When they do go out, electric bikes and scooters offer an alternative to public transportation and ride-hailing services for short trips. Neuron Mobility’s chief executive Zachary Wang said the company raised a Series A+ i

The smaller, the better. While many folks looking for a new phone will immediately race to the biggest and fanciest new flagship around, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is just too much in size, price, and problems. While the Galaxy S20+ is a more reasonable phone, as a busy woman with small hands, it's too big to use one-handed, too big for my pockets, and too big my shoulder holster . Thankfully, the "baby" Galaxy S20 is just a few hairs bigger than last year's Galaxy S10, and between a power-user's godsend of a battery, a Lindt Chocolate-smooth 120Hz screen, and the most significant camera upgrade in Galaxy history, the Galaxy S20 is without a doubt the best Android phone for non-Pixel-purists —and especially the best Android phone for women (and men who prefer smaller phones) available today. I've had my Galaxy S20 for a week now, and while I have some very, very tiny hang-ups with the phone, none take away from the great experience I've had with the S2

MIUI 12 gets a fresh set of features thanks to Android 11, but the beta build is not ready for public use. Xiaomi is doing things differently in 2020. The Chinese manufacturer switched focus from the value flagship segment to the high-end category, with the Mi 10 series going up against the best Android phones . The move is working out pretty well for the brand; the Mi 10 Pro in particular is one of the best phones you can buy now. Xiaomi is also paying more attention to software updates. MIUI 12 was introduced a few months ago with exciting new features across the board, and it is now making its way to millions of Xiaomi phones. The MIUI 12 update is based on Android 10, but Xiaomi is offering a build based on Android 11 for the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, serving up a first look at how the latest features in Android 11 have been integrated into MIUI. So let's take a look at what's new with MIUI 12 based on Android 11, and when the update will be available on your Xiaomi pho