Belkin has a new 3-in-1 wireless charger that’s tailor made for iPhone and Apple Watch owners, and that also provides MagSafe 15W charging speeds for iPhone 12 and 13, along with fast charging for the latest Apple Watch 7 series. Belikin also introduce a new standalone portable fast charger for Apple Watch that includes an integrated USB-C cable and also offers fast charge compatibility for Series 7 models.

The Belkin “BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad” which is too much of a mouthful and will henceforth be referred to as the 3-in-1 charger, has a MagSafe 15W wireless charger for your iPhone as mentioned. It also includes a standard Qi-compatible wireless charging pad that you can use to power up your AirPods, and there’s an adjustable Apple Watch charging puck that supports fast charging as mentioned above. The adjustability of the Watch puck is a nice touch, giving you freedom to charge either lying flat or upright in Apple Watch’s ‘nightstand mode,’ and there’s a clever switch underneath that allows you to tweak the height of the stand to perfectly fit Apple Watch models new and old, as well as a side variety of Apple Watch cases if that’s your thing.

The stand is covered in a rubberized silicone so you don’t need to worry about inadvertently scratching any of your gadgets as you fumble in the night, and it’s all powered by just a single cord that plugs into an included 40W power adapter. I’ve been using this for about a week now, and can confidently say it’s the best option out there for a one-cord, max speed bedside charging solution for Apple fans.

It’s $149.95, sold via both Belkin’s own website and Apple’s, and goes on sale starting today.

The Belkin “BOOST↑CHARGE PRO Portable Fast Charger” (again, terrible, so let’s just call it the Watch charger) is an awesome alternative to Apple’s own little standalone pillow charger for Apple Watch. Thanks to the integrated cable it’s super portable for travel, and again features adjustability to fit various Watch models and cases, as well as offering both flat and upright nightstand charging. Plus, you get the fast charging feature if you have a Series 7. Definitely the charger to beat when it comes to dedicated Apple Watch kit.

The Watch charger is just $59.95, which is a steal relative to Apple’s own dedicated magnetic charging dock, and also is available to order starting today at both Belkin.com and Apple.com

Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’ve got lots of them. We’re just starting to roll out this year’s gift guides, so check back from now until the end of December for more! 

For this year’s STEM toy gift guide we’ve split out our recommendations by age for easier navigation. The 20+ gift ideas (below) run the gamut from train sets controlled by colorful blocks, to robots that can draw, all the way up to a cute DIY handheld gaming console that’s really an experimental platform for teens to build on.

Gifts we’ve selected hit a range of price points — starting at $15 and topping out at just under $550 (for all the educational LEGO your kid could ever need!), with a spectrum of price-points in between.

The learn-to-code category as a whole continues to mature, showing a strengthening (and welcome) focus on art and design, not just pure engineering. At the same time, it’s clear that sustaining a business selling educational gizmos/games is challenging, with a number of players winking out of existence (or taking an exit) since we last checked in. Product novelty also feels like it’s diminishing, even as maker hardware itself is flourishing (thanks to the likes of the Raspberry Pi). But, in general, the category’s experimental ‘Cambrian explosion’ moment seems to have passed — and the programmable robots have (mostly) taken over.

Consolidation remains a big theme in the space. As do pivots (see: Kano’s new jam, for example). After all, kids are fickle and even the fanciest toy can soon be discarded for a newer, shinier thing. Plus, it feels like some of the earlier hype (and loud claims) — around gizmos that ‘teach coding’ — has faded to a more practical/realistic and less flashy projection of potential educational value.

One extra challenge for STEM toy makers is the (now) high concern over kids’ screen time. Hence lots of products feature marketing that loudly touts ‘screen-free’ alternatives to teaching coding (such as by using physical blocks/cards/buttons etc). Meanwhile some others that do require a screen to work are trying to distinguish what they’re offering as ‘good screen’ time vs the addictive ‘digital sugar’ of non-learning-focused games and/or social media… whether parents buy that remains to be seen.

For surviving STEM players, increasing amounts of their time and energy are being directed away from the consumer space and toward supplying schools with learning-geared kit and resources directly — chasing a more reliable revenue stream, although selling to schools is no cake walk, either. Overall, being part of a larger maker marketplace or broader group of educational businesses seems to be where many surviving STEM startups are headed.

This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.

Tiny techies: 2-4+

Botzees Toddler – Coding Train Set

Image credits: Pai Technology

This colorful Coding Train play-set is touted as teaching tots early coding concepts, puzzle-solving and critical thinking by letting them add disc-shaped action bricks to their train track designs. Four different colored action bricks contain sensors that interact with the battery-powered car — causing it to brake, switch on its lights or generating sound effects. Screen-free play (but there’s an optional 3D building app for designing track circuits).

Age: 2+
Price: $90 from Amazon
Made by: Pai Technology

Sphero indi at Home Learning

New from Sphero for 2021 is indi, a robotic car designed to teach kids coding logic through play. Youngsters aged 4 and up can start learning screen-free, using colored cards from the kit to create tracks for the robot car to traverse while also solving puzzles.

Image credits: Sphero

But that’s not all: a companion app, Sphero Edu Jr, means kids can customize indi’s behavior — via a drag and drop block-based interface —  to reprogram the car’s reactions to the tiles, build their own mazes, or play games and simple songs.

Age: 4+
Price: $100 from Amazon
Made by: Sphero

KIBO 10 Home Edition

Image credits: KinderLab Robotics

KinderLab is a veteran player in the screen-free STEAM learning space with its programmable robotic toy, Kibo. The learning device is designed for 4-7 year olds to spark creative, educational play — without the need for tablets or apps. Instead wooden blocks introduce coding concepts, while kids are encouraged to customize their bot using a variety of add-ons and sensors — and by incorporating their own artistic creations.

The multifaceted toy is intended to inspire aspiring engineers, designers, artists and writers, as well as coders. KinderLab says its approach draws on two decades of early child development research.

The Kibo 10 Home Edition pack (pictured above) contains the Kibo robot with a drawable face-plate, wheels and motors, and scannable cards for creating Kibo programs.

Age: 4-7
Price: $199 from Amazon
Made by: KinderLab

Coding Critters MagiCoders

Another screen-free play option is Coding Critters MagiCoders from Learning Resources. Each programmable play-set is designed around a cartoon character — either Blazer the Dragon or Skye the Unicorn — which kids control using a battery-operated ‘wand’ that contains directional buttons.

Image credits: Learning Resources

A spell button on the wand lets youngsters dive into more involved ‘programming’, with the help of a (paper) ‘spell book’ that contains instructions for triggering a variety of modes (like dance party and patrol guard).

Sensors on the rolling critters allow for further fun interactions.

Age: 4-8
Price: $55 from Amazon
Made by: Learning Resources

Itty-bitty builders: 5-7+

Ultimate Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot Bundle

Image credits: Learning Resources

Another long time STEM learning toy is Botley the Coding Robot, also from Learning Resources. This Ultimate Coding Robot Bundle comes with last year’s updated robot (Botley 2.0) — which expanded the programmable interactions, added color-changing eyes and night vision for line-sensing in the dark — plus a variety of accessories, including a construction kit and costumes and wraps so little builders can change the look and feel of their bot. Screen-free play.

Age: 5+
Price: $94 from LearningResources
Made by: LearningResources

CodeSpark Academy  

LA-based startup CodeSpark has been making mobile and web games to teach kids coding for years — now as part of the Homer early learning group after being acquired by its parent company, New York-based Begin, earlier this year.

If your youngster already has access to a tablet, CodeSpark‘s pitch for its learning games is “screen time you can feel good about” — saying they cover basic concepts of computing coding (such as sequencing, loops, conditional statements, events, boolean logic & sorting etc) — just cunningly disguised as cartoonish characters and fun-looking puzzles and challenges. So kids won’t even realize they’re learning…

Image Credits: CodeSpark Academy

Since access to the software requires a subscription there are no ads or in-app purchases to worry about. CodeSpark does also offer a seven day free trial to get a taster of its wares. And there’s a dedicated gifting option on its website.

Age: 5-9
Price: $90 (for 12 months access) from CodeSpark
Made by: CodeSpark

Osmo Explorer Starter Kit

Indian edtech giant Byju-owned Osmo has been making educational games for tablets for almost a decade. Its big twist is to combine physical (offline) play (pens, blocks, cards etc) with digital on-screen content and interactions.

It does this via a dedicated tablet stand that adds a reflector to the iPad’s front-facing camera so that it gets a view of the physical play area directly below the screen. This means the app is able to mirror/act on what the kids are doing in the physical space. (And the bounded view means the camera only captures tiny hands, not your kids’ faces, so that’s a plus for privacy.) Osmo calls this blend of physical-digital play “embodied learning”.

Image Credits: Osmo

The Osmo Explorer Starter Kit is described as its “most complete STEAM learning kit yet” — with a range of interactive games and art supplies in the bundle (Note: A tablet is not included so you’ll need your own iPad or equivalent). The kit includes a set of coding focused games which let kids manipulate on-screen characters to progress by combining (physical) coding blocks into a set of instructions and tapping the screen to execute their (proto)program.

Age: 5-10
Price: $158 from Osmo
Made by: Tangible Play Inc

Robo Sense 

European startup Robo Wunderkind has built a STEM learning business, one modular robotic block at a time. Kids get to learn about circuits and engineering concepts by plugging a variety of its smart blocks together — to build their own robots and make them move or otherwise animate them. Creations can be further extended by adding (actual) Lego bits and bobs.

Image Credits: Robo Wunderkind

As well as pure physical play, Robo Wunderkind has a digital aide in the form of a companion app that expands the learning into on-screen coding. Here it offers tiered complexity — with three different levels from coding basics, where kids may just be manipulating colorful icons, to doing drag-and-drop block-based coding (based on Scratch) — which introduces more complex concepts like variables, functions, operators, and input/output handling. Python and Arduino APIs are also supported for more advanced programmers. 

The Robo Sense kit offers a taster of Robo Wunderkind’s approach, with a handful of sensing blocks to play with plus over 30 projects and tutorials to access online or in-app.

Age: 5-12
Price: $99 from Robo Wunderkind
Made by: Robo Wunderkind

Doodling devs: 8-12+

Artie Max

Artie Max is the latest programmable robot from Educational Insights. Much like its predecessor, Artie 3000, the STEM toy combines programming and art in a very literal sense: The robot is designed to hold colored marker pens and kids write code that the bot ‘draws’ by moving around on a piece of paper.

Image Credits: Educational Insights

Artie Max’s main upgrade vs Artie 3000 is that it can hold a bunch of marker pens, not just a single marker — allowing for multicolored designs to be coded. Programming Artie’s movements is done via a drag and drop interface in the companion app or web interface. Other coding languages are supported, along with a visual interface where kids can draw a design on screen that they want the bot to ink out on paper.

Age: 8+
Price: $100 from Amazon
Made by: Educational Insights

littleBits At-Home Learning Starter Kit

Sphero-owned littleBits’ approach to sparking interest in hardware hacking involves easy to connect modular electronics. It spices things up with some colorful housings and incorporates a little product design into the mix, through kit-based projects.

Image Credits: Sphero

This (screen-free) STEAM littleBits Starter Kit (above) consists of a box of bits and pieces — including a handful of the brand’s customary snap-together components, plus craft supplies and (paper-based) project instructions. The idea is to bundle all the key bits kids need to work through five electronics projects and be budding inventors by brainstorming ideas, either on their own or guided by a parent.

Age: 8+
Price: $65 from littleBits
Made by: Sphero

Magic of LED

Image credits: Mand Labs

Inspire your little one with actual, real-world electronics with this Mand Labs STEM stocking stuffer. The Magic of LED kit offers an easy intro to hands-on electronics (no soldering required). The box of 30+ components — including LEDs, a buzzer, transistors and capacitors — supports five projects, including a touch-activated switch and an automatic night lamp. An Internet-connected computer is needed to access digital instructions.

Age: 8+
Price: $30 from Mand Labs
Made by: Mand Labs

Code Lab

Shortcut to programming electronics with Code Lab: A board that packs in 60 different components (including LEDs, a speaker, an LCD thermometer, sound-sensitive lights, a random tone generator and more) and hooks up to a computer (by USB) for coding the hardware via a C++ interface.

Image Credits: Let’s Start Coding

A variety of learning content is bundled with Code Lab, including walkthrough videos; 100 sequenced project pages (which it says “cover the fundamentals of all coding languages”); and 2,200+ lines of example code that can be modified or tinkered.

Code ‘challenges’ and ‘bug hunts’ further encourage kids to interact and engage with the code to help strengthen learning.

Age: Varies, but they’ll need to be able to follow complex instructions and type well.
Price: $200 from Code Lab
Made by: Lets Start Coding

Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code 

You can’t beat a book for screen-free learning. Get your little developer-in-training inspired by the story of early computer pioneer Grace Hopper (not to mention why the word ‘bug’ owes a lot to an ill-fated moth), engagingly told by Laurie Wallmark — with eye-catching illustrations by Katy Wu.

Image Credits: AdaFruit

Age: 8+
Price: $15.95 from Bookshop.org, AdaFruit and others

imagiCharm Smarter Kit

Women-in-tech focused Swedish startup, imagiLabs, has come up with this cute IoT device designed to get girls interested in computing. The imagiCharm is an app-controlled wearable which contains an array of programmable colored lights to inspire coding through customization.

Image Credits: imagiLabs

Your up-and-coming developer will need access to a mobile device in to connect to their imagiCharm so they can program and upload their custom designs — learning Python as they come up with their own twist on classic emoji to adorn the battery-powered wearable.

The imagiCharm Smarter Kit bundles six lessons (roughly 12 hours) of learning content with the hardware for sustained learning opportunities right out of the box.

Age: 8-14+
Price: $100 from imagiLabs
Made by: imagiLabs

LEGO Education At Home STEAM Learning Bundle

LEGO has been extending its learning legacy into electronics for years. This massive LEGO Education STEAM Learning Bundle brings together three different kits from its education-focused robotics platform line (for grades 5-8) — the Spike Prime Core Set, Spike Prime Expansion Set and the (sports science-focused) BricQ Motion Prime Set — to really dial up the creative, learning potential.

Image Credits: Lego Education

As well as bundling up (lots of)  bricks and components for kids to combine in all sorts of ways, building their own robots and other mechanical and/or sensing creations (as well as offered guided buids), there’s a Scratch-based drag-and-drop coding interface to bring their creations to life. LEGO Education also provides lesson plans for more extended learning.

Age: 10+
Price: $550 from LEGO
Made by: LEGO Education

pi-top [4] Robotics Superset

UK-based STEM startup pi-top has had a number of challenges in recent years. Its latest incarnation sees it joining the programmable robotic fray with this Robotics Superset.

Image Credit: pi-top

While the pi-top [4] processor that powers the kit is basically an encased Raspberry Pi, the addition of a battery and hard case (plus a bunch of ports) means the mini desktop computer can now go roving and (with the right add-ons) sense stuff in its environment. Components bundled in the Robotics Superset include motors, servos, an HD camera and an ultrasonic sensor.

Kids can get help to program the Pi-powered rover by accessing resources provided through pi-top’s learning platform, called Further, including projects, challenges and courses.

Age: 11+
Price: $399 from Pi-top
Made by: pi-top

NextMaker Box

Give a STEAM gift that keeps on inspiring with MakeBlock’s NextMaker Box: A monthly subscription box of coding and making projects.

Each month kids get a box of bits to build programmable things — robots, IoT devices, sensing hardware etc — and learn at their own pace. An online learning system provides instructions, support and access to a block-based coding interface for programming the build-it-yourself gizmos. Bundled craft supplies add art and design into the mix.

Image Credits: Makeblock

Projects for kids to build include a voice-operated smart trash bin; a motion-sensing tumbler toy; a smart wearable and more.

Age: 6-12
Price: $40 from MakeBlock
Made by: MakeBlock

Techie teens: 12+

mBot Mega Advanced Robot and Electornics Kit for Arduino C, Scratch

Makeblock’s programmable remote-controlled all terrain robot rover, mBot Mega, packs a MegaPi control board based on the open source Arduino electronics platform. So if your teen is keen on learning programming hardware in Arduino IDE or Scratch this could be just the kit to whet their appetite.

Image Credits: Makeblock

Makeblock promises a detailed construction guide and 20+ online projects to keep curious minds busy. Access to a computer is required for coding the bot. The bot’s hardware can be further extended by adding a Raspberry Pi (not included).
Age: 12+
Price: $130 from MakeBlock
Made by: MakeBlock

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

For a budget-friendly but endlessly explorable challenge, why not throw your teen in at the deep end by getting them a Raspberry Pi? The low cost microprocessor preempted the current wave of STEM devices — offering a ‘no frills’ approach to getting kids learning coding that combines cheap but powerful hardware and minimal hand-holding. Pi has gone on to become a maker powerhouse.

Image Credits: Raspberry Pi Foundation

New for 2021 — and costing just $15 — the tiny Pi Zero 2 W (above) nonetheless packs a punch, with a quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 engine clocking in at 1GHz and with 512MB of SDRAM there’s power enough for some serious smart home programming projects. Wireless LAN is also included. Your teen will need access to a computer to program the hardware.

The Pi Foundation has a curated feed of community-built Pi Zero projects to get your kid inspired.

Age: 12+ to infinity
Price: $15 from Raspberry Pi 
Made by: Raspberry Pi Foundation

AdaBox

AdaBox is a quarterly (i.e. once every three months) subscription box of DIY electronics projects, curated by AdaFruit. You won’t know what electronics bits and bots you’re getting in advance — but, for more advanced teens with access to a computer this blackbox of hack together hardware could be just the inspiration they need to get building.

Image Credits: AdaFruit

AdaFruit says the subscription service is “designed for makers of all levels, with a special focus on folks just starting out”. Tutorials and videos are provided via the Learning System on its website. Access to an Internet-connected device is required for programming the hardware.

Projects in past boxes include building your own Matrix Portal Flow Visualizer.

(Note: There is a dedicated ‘Give’ option for gifting the AdaBox during checkout. However with the holiday season fast approaching, AdaFruit says the first box of any new orders won’t now ship til Spring — so ordering this as a holiday gift will require a little patience in the recipient.)

Price: $60 per box
Sold by: AdaFruit

PicoSystem

Why not buy your game-developer-in-training this tiny, Raspberry Pi Pico-powered handheld gaming system from UK-based Pimoroni — which is not just a teeny games console but an experimental gaming platform.

Image Credits: Pimoroni

Games can be coded for the PicoSystem using a variety of languages, including C++/MicroPython (Per Pimoroni: “Our official PicoSystem API is designed to be lightweight, easy to use and to not get in the way while you’re developing games”) — see their tutorial to get started.

Out of the box, the tiny handheld ships flashed with Super Square Bros. by Scorpion Games.

Price: $80 from AdaFruit
Made by: Pimoroni

Piper Make Starter + Robotics Expedition Kit

Piper is another long time player in the STEAM toy space — starting out back in 2014 offering a DIY Minecraft computer to teach kids coding. It’s still selling its classic, wooden-cased Raspberry Pi-powered computer kits, but has expanded to sell a range of maker kits.

Including — new for 2021 (and slated to ship this month) — the Robotics Expedition Kit which comes bundled with the requisite Pi Pico (and other starter electronics essentials). Kids get to build a couple of kinetic robots (a walker and a rover) and then get help to write code to get them moving them via Piper’s drag-and-drop coding platform Make. So they’ll need access to a computer or mobile device.

Image Credits: Piper

Piper’s coding platform includes a virtual representation of the microcontroller and automatic translation of the block-based programming language to text-based CircuitPython to support youngsters to learn the basics of hardware coding.

A variety of other projects are also available via the Piper Make portal — where it says it uses storytelling-based lessons to motivate young learners. Its Make programming software is also available via a mobile app.

Price: $148 from Piper
Made by: Piper

Google is set to announce new Pixel phones today. The company is holding an event at 10 AM PT (1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Paris). And you’ll be able to watch the event right here as the company is streaming it live.

Google already said that it plans to unveil its own Tensor chip for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The company has also shared a ton of details about the new phones.

The Pixel 6 will have a matte aluminum finish and a 6.4-inch display. The Pro models will have a bigger, 6.7-inch display and a polished aluminum finish.

As for cameras, the regular Pixel 6 will have two camera sensors while the 6 Pro will feature three different camera sensors. And if you’ve seen a photo of those devices already, you already know that they feature a camera bump like you’ve never seen before.

But specifications only tell you one part of the story. It’s going to be important to listen to what Google has to say about chipset performances and camera features. We’ll discover all that during Google’s event.

Hello again, and welcome back to TechCrunch’s running series of posts discussing how the public markets rarely give even half of a spare fuck concerning what Apple announces at its events.

Indeed, Apple’s stock seems to be far more labile to external events than from internally sourced announcements; rare is the case in which Apple’s stock actually picks up ground in contrast to the Nasdaq Composite during its press-friendly announce-a-thons.

Which never ceases to astound us somewhat. Perhaps Apple’s events are so well-leaked these days that new products are baked into its value?

That argument is perhaps necessary but not sufficient in market terms — participatory but not complete? — as Apple did break some news today regarding its line of PC chips. Yes, Apple did detail the new M1 Pro, but it also blew more than a few minds with its M1 Max chip. Sure, the name is a bucket of boomer cringe, but the chip itself appears to be an incredibly impressive feat. And Apple is baking the new chips into a range of computers that have price points above expectations.

Sitting here, I’m thinking: Killer new hardware, and potentially higher per-computer revenue? Sounds good, right? And yet, Apple’s stock pretty much tracked the Nasdaq during its event, which took place between the hours of 1 pm and 2 pm in the following chart:

The only notable element of that chart is that Apple’s initial declines after 1 pm struck were sharper than what the larger Nasdaq tech collection managed. But then Apple recovered more sharply, leaving the entire trading period essentially a wash — Apple gained ground just as tech shares did. Wee.

If I was an Apple engineer, I’d be livid. Look, world, behold chips that are actually really good. All those years, Intel was screwing over the market by putting out bilge when this was possible! And yet Wall Street is precisely and exactly not impressed.

Ouch.

Apple has unveiled some new MacBook Pro models at a virtual conference today. And the company is timing the release of the next major release of macOS with the new laptop. Mac users will be able to update to macOS Monterey on Monday, October 25. This new major release of macOS will be available for free in the App Store.

macOS Monterey comes with Safari 12, which you might already be using on macOS Big Sur. It lets you create tab groups that you can sync between your devices and it features a brand new design. The new tab design has been controversial but it sounds like Apple isn’t done tweaking it.

FaceTime is also receiving some new features. SharePlay isn’t part of this update just yet, but you’ll now be able to share your screen, turn on Portrait mode, view your friends in a grid view and create links so that people on other devices can join your conversation — yes, even Windows PCs.

The new Focus modes that were introduced with iOS 15 are also coming to the Mac. You’ll be able to create a Work mode, a Gaming mode or whatever you want. When you change your mode on one Apple device, it changes it on all other Apple devices you use.

With macOS Monterey, your Mac is now an AirPlay device. You can send music or videos from your phone to your Mac display. Essentially, it works like AirPlay on an Apple TV.

When it comes to automation, the Shortcuts app is landing on the Mac. It’ll gradually replace Automator, but Automator is sticking around for now.

A ton of apps are also receiving small or big updates, such as Notes, Messages and Maps. And if you like to use your MacBook during long trips, you’ll be able to turn on Low Power Mode on your computer.

If you think your Mac works fine right now, Apple won’t force you to update to macOS Monterey. You can keep using a previous major release of macOS for as long as you want.

Apple is set to announce new hardware today. The company is holding a (virtual) keynote at 10 AM PT (1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Paris). And you’ll be able to watch the event right here as the company is streaming it live.

Rumor has it that the company is set to announce some new Macs. Over the past year, Apple has updated its entry-level computers with new custom-designed M1 chips. And now, the company could bring its own chips to higher-end computers, such as a 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, a new Mac Mini and a 27-inch iMac.

Apple could use this opportunity to redesign its laptops from the ground up with new display technologies, a new array of ports and a new form factor in general. But that’s not all. Apple has also been working on an updated version of its entry-level AirPods.

You can watch the livestream directly on this page, as Apple is streaming its conference on YouTube.

If you have an Apple TV, you can open the TV app and look for the ‘Apple Special Event’ section. It lets you stream today’s event and rewatch old ones.

And if you don’t have an Apple TV and don’t want to use YouTube, the company also lets you livestream the event from the Apple Events section on its website. This video feed now works in all major browsers — Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

We’ll be covering the event and you can follow our liveblog for live commentary.

Spotify’s in-car entertainment system known as just “Car Thing,” launched this spring on an invite-only basis, is now becoming more broadly available. The company announced today Car Thing will become available to U.S. users who want to purchase the $79.99 device. Previously, Spotify had distributed the product for just the cost of shipping during its limited release testing period, noting that this was Spotify’s first hardware and it wanted to “get things right.”

Now, Spotify says U.S. users who had previously signed up for the Car Thing waitlist will be offered the ability to purchase the device ahead of others. However, any current Spotify user — free or Premium — can sign up for the Car Thing waitlist. The product will roll out to these customers in time.

The device requires a Spotify Premium membership (either an Individual, Family or Student plan). Users will also need a smartphone for the mobile data. But you won’t need a paid subscription in order to enter your name on the waitlist at this time.

The device itself is a lightweight (3.4 oz.), thin (4.6″ x 2.5″ x 0.7″) music and podcast player that offers a combination of voice control, knobs, buttons, and a touchscreen display for navigating its menus and selecting the media you want to hear. Through Car Thing, users can access Spotify’s entire catalog of music and podcasts while in their vehicle.

The idea is to offer a way for vehicle owners without built-in infotainment systems, like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, to have an easier way to access Spotify’s personalized listening experience.

Car Thing can be mounted inside the car in a number of different ways, thanks to the variety of different mounts that ship alongside the gadget along with a car charger and USB-C cable.

Image Credits: Spotify

Its main interface features four preset buttons that let you save your favorite content for quick access. By default, these are configured with your Liked Songs and Spotify’s Daily Drive and Morning Commute playlists, with the last preset empty. You can change any of these to match your own preferences.

You can also speak to Car Thing using the “Hey Spotify” voice commands, which the device receives through its four microphones at the top. Currently, Spotify’s policy regarding its use of voice data explains the company will collect recordings and transcripts of what you say along with information about the content it returned to you, and may use the data to improve the feature over time.

Since its limited launch earlier this year, Spotify has already released some software updates aimed at improving the Car Thing experience. The company says it will continue to do so in the future, as well, as the device rolls out to more people.

Spotify did not say how many Car Thing devices have been shipped to date.

E-bike manufacturer VanMoof recently raised a $128 million funding round. And the company is already using some of that cash to develop a brand new product — the VanMoof V. This is a new product in the VanMoof lineup, a high-speed bike.

The VanMoof V isn’t available just yet. Instead, the company teased the new bike in a live YouTube video. The company plans to release the VanMoof V by the end of 2022. It should cost approximately $3,598, €3,498 or £2,998 according to the landing pages on VanMoof’s website.

What you get for that price is an electric bike with two motors — one in the front wheel and one in the rear wheel. There are two suspension systems at the front and at the back of the vehicle to help you with uneven streets. The VanMoof V also features thick tires for increased safety.

Image Credits: VanMoof

According to the YouTube video, the bike can reach a top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph). But if you have an e-bike already, you know that there are regulations when it comes to motor assistance for bikes. In Europe, an e-bike cannot travel faster than 25 km/h (15.5 mph). In the U.S., that limitation depends on each state but is still lower than the VanMoof V top speed.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t ride faster than that. It means that the motor will stop assisting you if you reach the top speed of your jurisdiction. The company is already saying that the VanMoof V won’t help you break the law.

“When we first started imagining what the V could become, we very soon agreed it’s about a whole new approach to how we use the roads. The VanMoof V will have integrated speed settings to match your country’s regulations. However, this bike has the technology and capacity to hit speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour or 37 miles per hour. As it stands, local regulations across the world cap the top speed of this category. But in the long term, we need much bigger thinking,” VanMoof co-founder and CEO Ties Carlier said during the announcement.

“In our vision, current policy is limiting the adoption of this type of transportation. We’re calling for policies designed for people instead of cars. That’s why we will work with city governments to explore geofencing and push for modernized speed regulations,” he added.

In other words, the VanMoof V should be considered as a concept bike to share VanMoof’s vision, as well as a lobbying vehicle for policymakers around the world. The company had to share its plans in advance because you don’t need a two-wheel drive to reach 25 km/h.

Having said that, VanMoof is sending invitations to a group of VanMoof customers and crowdfunders. These invitations let you reserve a VanMoof V with a $20 reservation deposit. Reservations start today with a potential release date of late 2022.

Image Credits: VanMoof

Ring is just one part of Amazon’s annual devices and services event this year, but they’re bringing a lot of updates, including a new Pro Alarm suite that includes refreshed hardware and integrated Eero Wi-Fi 6 router capabilities. They also have a new service offering called ‘Virtual Security Guard’ that basically keeps an eye on your Ring feeds the way you would in case you can’t, and they’re improving alerts on their existing Doorbells and Cams with smarter event recognition.

Ring Alarm Pro

Ring Alarm Pro is an upgraded home security system suite that includes a base station with Eero built-in. The base station doubles as a Wi-Fi 6 router that is mesh capable for linking up to other modern Eero hardware (which is some nice consumer brand synergy for another Amazon acquisition). Ring Alarm Pro also includes 24/7 backup internet thanks to 3GB of included cellular data use per month, with extra data available at $3/1GB. Ring’s Power Pack accessories can be attached to the base station to keep the internet up and running in case of a pwower outage, too.

The Alarm Pro base station also has a microSD card slot with support for cards with up to 64GB in capacity, which can provide local video storage for your connected Ring cameras and doorbells.

Like Ring’s previous alarm products, it works with their motion sensors, door and window sensors, and fire and moisture sensors and more. The company is also introducing a Pro tier of its subscription product ($20/month), which is how you can gain access to that cellular backup service as well as professional monitoring and (synergy again!) ad blocking, content filtering and threat protection services for your home internet via Eero.

Virtual Security Guard

Not to be confused with its new Pro tier subscription (which is offered alongside its existing, $10/month option), is a new separate subscription service called ‘Virtual Security Guard’ that aims to replicate the benefits of having an onsite security guard.

Basically, this adds an additional level of scrutiny in terms of professional monitoring, through a partnership with monitoring company Rapid Response. Rapid Response personnel will keep an eye on the Ring camera and doorbell feeds you specific if you’re a member, responding to motion alerts and providing interventions including triggering sirens and lights, using two-way talk features, and even escalating to actually dispatching emergency services should they judge that that’s required.

Ring is quick to point out the ways in which Virtual Security Guard remains wholly within the control of the individuals subscribing; cameras are opted out by default, for instance, so that a user selects which will be monitored and when. Agents also can’t activate the cameras unless they’re green lighted to be monitored in either Home or Away mode as specified by a user. They can only see real-time videos via Live View, when a motion event is detected, and videos are not saved for download or any other use by the agents. Finally, any Privacy Zones set up by a user are hidden for monitoring agents, and the Ring app also shows live when Virtual Security agents are monitoring feeds, and any past Live Views seen by the agents will also be clearly marked.

There’s no word on specific pricing here, but it sounds like it’s going to be a premium since it requires that a user have a professional monitoring plan in place already. They also have to have an outdoor, hardwired video doorbell or security cam from Ring in place in order to use the program, and it’s going to be available on an invite-only basis starting later this year.

Custom Event and Package Alerts

Image Credits: Ring

Ring has a lot of pretty flashy announcements this year, including its flying drone actually shipping, but the news that might be the most useful to most of its users is the introduction of new smart alerts, including Package Alerts and Custom Event Alerts.

Package Alerts do exactly what they say, offering you the ability to specify a zone of your choosing and get an alert anytime a package is present in that zone. So you could set it up to watch your front step or your porch, for instance, and get an alert about anything Amazon (for instance) drops off there.

Those are going to be available to anyone with Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and Ring Video Doorbell (2020 model year) devices with roll-out starting today — provided you have a Ring Protect Plan.

Custom Event Alerts apply for Spotlight Battery Cam users, again provide they have a Ring Protect Plan, and will offer a bit more custom flexibility. So you can, for instance, use a still of your garage door closed as captured by your Ring, and a still of it open, and teach it to differentiate between those two states and alert you about state changes when they happen. Ring mentions this can work with gates and doors, and other types of state changes as defined by users. It’s going to start rolling out a bit later than Package Alerts, with availability expected “in the coming months.”

Ring Jobsite Security

Image Credits: Ring

Last but not least, Ring is targeting the contractor and job site management crowd with Jobsite Security, a product based around the Ring Alarm Pro that tweaks it for professional use with upgrades like Outdoor Contact sensors for keeping track of gate open/closed status, for instance. There’s also a lot of Safety Orange involved, which reflects the target audience (pun intended because safety orange is in part used for its reflectivity).

Jobsite Security is a team-up with The Home Depot, which will sell it exclusively starting at $399.99. It’s a smart extension of the company’s brand beyond the domestic sphere, and maybe a precursor to more B2B efforts to come.

Last year, Ring announced at futuristic (slightly dystopian?) take on in-home security with its Always Home Cam, a drone equipped with sensors and a camera that can navigate the interior of your home along custom paths laid out by a user, in response to triggers including Ring Alarm sensors, or a manual command from the Ring app itself. Now, the concept becomes a reality as it starts shipping out to users in the United States — though it’s an invite-only launch at first.

Ring revealed the $249 Always Home Cam just over a year ago, and it said at the time it would ship in 2021, which it now is. The small drone only measures around 5″ by 7″ by 7″, which should make it more nimble when navigating your halls. The idea behind the device was to provide a way to essentially have a camera everywhere inside your home when you’re away, without requiring that you actually buy a whole bunch of individual cameras and put them in every corner.

Ring stresses that the Always Home Cam will only take flight when it’s directed to do so by a user, either via pre-set trigger or manually. It also doesn’t activate its cameras or record at all by default when it’s at rest in its base, which the company says is an intentional decision choice aimed at increasing “privacy and security.”

If you’re inclined to get in on the ground floor of the next generation of aerial domestic surveillance, you can go ahead and request an invite from Ring starting today to get on the list.

Amazon today introduced Amazon Glow, a new, interactive device aimed at families that allows kids to interact with family members and other remote loved ones over video calls. While something of a competitor to Facebook’s line of Portal devices, which are also largely aimed at connecting families over video, Amazon Glow differentiates itself by providing more than just another connected screen experience. It also uses technology to create an interactive, projected space in front of the device to provide a surface for virtual activities — like games, art, puzzles, and more — to give the feeling of an in-person experience,

To do so, Amazon Glow combines immersive projection, sensing technologies, and video into a single device. Unlike other smart screens on the market, the Glow doesn’t look like a tiny TV. Instead, its 8-inch display stands up vertically and a projector creates a 19-inch touch-sensitive space in front of the display for playing virtual games and engaging in other activities with remote family members who are participating on their own tablets.

This gameplay takes place on a special mat, which is also included with the device.

Image Credits: Amazon

With Amazon Glow, kids and their loved ones can play games like Chess, Checkers, Go Fish, or Memory Match. They can pick from thousands of children’s books to read together or draw using digital pencils, crayons, brushes, or spray paint, among other activities. The idea is to make the remote, digital play feel more like the sort of experience you’d have if you were in the same room with the other person.

The Amazon Glow can also do things that combine physical objects and digital play. For example, it can scan the child’s favorite toy then turn it into a custom jigsaw puzzle by projecting the digital scan on the flat surface in front of the device. The child then smashes the digital scan into bits with their hand to turn it into a puzzle. Or they can scan a drawing they made on paper then transform it into a new artwork, with their family member’s help, by digitally drawing on the scanned version.

It also ships with something called “Glow Bits,” which are physical objects designed to work with the new device. The first Glow Bits kit is the Tangram puzzle game, where the child uses the puzzle bits to solve challenges while the remote family member plays along using digital puzzle shapes on their tablet’s screen.

Image Credits: Amazon

At launch, Glow will support special activities from favorites in children’s entertainment, like Anna and Elsa from “Frozen;” Woody and Buzz from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story;” characters from Mattel’s Barbie and Hot Wheels; Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer; Elmo, Zoe other others from “Sesame Street,” and others.

The device is mainly aimed at families who want to stay in better touch with others from a distance. This could be used with families where one parent travels a lot, with grandparents who live far away, and so on. It could also be helpful during this pandemic era, where families have been spending more time isolated from each other for Covid safety.

Amazon Glow doesn’t allow the child to just call anyone they choose, of course. A parent or guardian will have to first configure the Amazon Glow by providing consent and pre-approving the contacts the child is allowed to call. This way, parents could limit the device only to family members or trusted family friends. And at any time, the parent can disable the cameras and microphone by closing the physical privacy shutter on the device.

Amazon Glow is also not an Alexa device, so no voice or video recordings are collected. It also doesn’t track or save location data or even the drawings that are made.

However, Amazon will retain things like profile preferences and activity history to suggest relevant activities and content available with the included Amazon Kids+ subscription that families may want to try.

Image Credits: Amazon

The device will eventually retail for $299.99, but is launching with a discounted price of $249.99. It comes with the mat, a mat case, the Tangram Bits puzzle game, and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. (Amazon Kids+ is a paid service that offers unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games, and premium kids’ skills for Alexa.)

Amazon Glow is not yet broadly available.

Instead, customers will need to request an invitation to join the early access program at www.amazon.com/glow. The first devices will then ship to U.S. customers in the weeks ahead, said Amazon.

Developers are invited to apply to access the SDK, which will be available in the first half of 2022.

EU lawmakers are finally set to standardize charging ports for consumer electronics devices like smartphones and tablets — announcing a proposal today that, once adopted, will see the region settle on USB-C as a universal charging port for gadgets which will also include cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogames consoles.

Some smaller consumer electronics devices — like smart watches and fitness bands — are being excluded owing to factors like their size and conditions of use.

The Commission plan will also see regional lawmakers unbundle the sale of chargers from mobiles so they are not automatically included in the box.

Fast charging standards will also be harmonized under the proposal — while device makers will have requirements to provide users with “relevant information about charging performance”, including info on the power required and if a device supports fast charging.

“This will make it easier for consumers to see if their existing chargers meet the requirements of their new device or help them to select a compatible charger,” the Commission notes, going on to suggest that the full package of measures will help consumers limit the number of new chargers they buy and help them save €250M a year on unnecessary charger purchases.

In its announcement of the proposal, the Commission acknowledges that the “voluntary approach” it has pursued for over a decade — attempting to nudge the electronics industry toward a common standard through mechanisms like a Memorandum of Understanding — has failed to deliver the sought for standard, with still three different types of mobile phone chargers in play for instance.

The wider aim here is to make a meaningful dent in the global e-waste mountain by reducing a portion generated by the consumer electronics sector — with the Commission noting, for example, that consumers already own around three mobile phone chargers on average, of which they use two on a regular basis. Ergo, there’s simply no call for device makers to put a new charger in the box every time.

Disposed of unused chargers are estimated to represent some 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, the Commission adds.

One of the non-standard chargers still on the mobile market belongs to the iPhone maker Apple, of course — which has resisted pressure to put a standard port in its devices — so a pan-EU law to enforce a universal charger could force the tech giant to finally abandon its proprietary Lightning port.

For years, Apple has presided over a sprawling and doubtless highly lucrative accessories business rather than switch to more standard ports on its devices. Indeed, sometimes it has even removed standard ports — deleting the 3.5mm headphone jack off of the iPhone, for instance. It means that users of Apple’s devices typically have to purchase dongles if they wish to gain access to more standard ports — generating yet more future e-waste.

Whether the EU’s legislative proposal will actually outlaw Apple’s dongle-based workaround to embedded universality remains to be seen. (We’ve put the question to the Commission.)

Commenting on the Commission proposal in a statement, Margrethe Vestager, its EVP for digital strategy, said: “European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions.”

In a mirror statement, Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market, added: “Chargers power all our most essential electronic devices. With more and more devices, more and more chargers are sold that are not interchangeable or not necessary. We are putting an end to that. With our proposal, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics – an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste.”

The EU’s other institutions — the European Parliament and Council — will still need to back the proposal in order for it to become law. Although the European Parliament has long expressed frustration with the Commission’s failure to deliver a common charging standard — and voted overwhelmingly for tougher action on the issue last year — so MEPs will likely be keen to make a pan-EU law on this happen.

Even so, there won’t be a radical change overnight. The Commission has suggested a transition period of 24 months from the data of adoption of the legislative — so even if the Parliament and Council quickly agree to the plan it will still be years, plural, before device makers have to comply.

The Commission’s PR notes that it wants to give industry “ample time” to adapt to the planned law change, even though the sector has had over a decade of pressure on exactly this issue.

A further step will be needed for Europe to get the common charger solution the Commission wants — with more harmonization required to ensure interoperability of the external power supply. Legislators say that piece will be dealt with by the review of the Ecodesign Regulation — slated to be launched later this year with the aim of it also entering into force at the same time as the common charger port requirement.

In an FAQ on the latter proposal, the Commission answers its own question on why it’s taken it so long to grasp the legislative nettle with this issue, writing that it had initially sought to continue with a more “ambitious” voluntary approach in the hopes that the sector would engage. However it said proposals put forward by the industry “fell short” — and would not have delivered a common charging solution.

Legislators learning that they do actually need to legislate looks like an important lesson as the world gears up to tackle other existential environmental challenges — like climate change and microplastics pollution.