If you’ve ever wished your
phone had more memory,
a massive zoom lens,
beefier battery life, or
improved speakers, the
Moto Z makes it
possible—all without
having to buy
a new phone. Any of
five accessories,
called Moto Mods,
magnetically attach to
the back of the Android
handset, including a pico
projector. It’s a platform
for builders and makers
too: check out our article
on the Moto Development
Kit on page 77
Swappable
Phone Features
B
MOTOROLA
MOTO Z
DIYers looking to copy
parts have had a tough
choice: Buy an expensive
industrial scanner or
settle for a low-res scan
of stitched-together
photos. The Eora 3D is
aquality, compact
scanner that connects a
phone via Bluetooth. The
soda-can-size device uses
a laser to capture eight
million depth readings,
while the phone’s camera
takes over 1,000 images.
Eora 3D’s app merges
both into formats for 3D
printers and various
CAD software packages.
Portable 3D
Scanning
C
EORA
3D
Query-answering virtual
assistants are nothing
new. (Right, Siri?) But an
AI that can recognise
who’s talking, swivel in
response, and emote
with abstract but
effective icons is rare.
Add on top of this the
ability to take messages,
video chat, shoot family
photos, and serve up
calendar reminders, and
you have Jibo. A
developers’ kit allows
third parties to create
skills for the 300-mm
feller. Welcome to the
era of the social robot.
An AI Bot for the
Countertop
E
JIBO
GADGETS
Many ultrathin laptops
pack a punch but have
no room for fans, leading
to overheating. So Acer
turned to liquid cooling
in the Switch Alpha 12,
a laptop-tablet hybrid
with Intel’s latest
processors. As the
system heats, so does
coolant moving through
a circular pipe; as the
liquid condenses, the
CPU cools down. In tests,
the underside of the
computer remained a
comfortable 29 degrees
after 30 minutes of
video playback.
Liquid-Cooled
Laptop
D
ACER SWITCH
ALPHA 12
Most wireless routers
struggle to deliver
consistent, fast Wi-Fi
to every corner of our
McMansions. The
Almond 3 can blanket
an entire 450-square-
metre house with
powerful Wi-Fi. With one
unit set up as a base and
establishing the
network, two additional
Almonds act as Wi-Fi
extenders. The router
also doubles as a
smart-home hub,
communicating with
connected devices like
lights and thermostats.
Wi-Fi for
Huge Houses
A
SECURIFI
ALMOND 3
A
B
F
D
C
E
