Consumer & Gadgets news

Consumer & Gadgets

Climate change will increase value of residential rooftop solar panels across US, study finds

Climate change will increase the future value of residential rooftop solar panels across the United States by up to 19% by the end of the century, according to a new University of Michigan-led study.

Consumer & Gadgets

The biggest barrier to a vibrant second-hand electric vehicle market? Price

News policies and broader subsidies are needed to help lower-income buyers afford used electric vehicles, according to a Rutgers study.

Consumer & Gadgets

A new wave of wearable devices will harvest a mountain of personal data

Web and mobile services try to understand the desires and goals of users by analyzing how they interact with their platforms. Smartphones, for instance, capture online data from users at a large scale and low cost.

Consumer & Gadgets

What the 'Fallout' show gets right about the post-apocalyptic video game series

With superhero movies losing pop culture steam, the next big thing emerging on the horizon is video game flicks. Over the past few years, films and TV shows based on interactive entertainment have steadily gained traction, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Samsung returns to top of the smartphone market: Industry tracker

Samsung regained its position as the top smartphone seller, wresting back the lead from Apple as Chinese rivals close the gap on both market leaders, industry tracker International Data Corporation (IDC) reported Monday.

Consumer & Gadgets

Why won't some people use a smartphone? And is that difficult?

In a world where more and more services and social interaction are based on mobile apps, a smartphone has become close to a necessity. Despite this, some people avoid smartphones and instead use a dumbphone—a traditional ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Apple's 'Walled Garden' under fire in lawsuit

Call it a "walled garden" or an ecosystem, but at the heart of Thursday's blockbuster US lawsuit against Apple are the many ways the company gets customers to remain faithful to its products.

Consumer & Gadgets

Children may overestimate smart speakers' abilities

Children overrate the intelligence of smart speakers—such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Home—and are uncertain if the systems can think like humans or not, research suggests.

Consumer & Gadgets

Does TikTok pose a security threat to Canadians?

Concerns about the threats TikTok poses to privacy and liberty were raised again, as a bill to divest TikTok of its Chinese ownership or ban it gathered steam in the United States Congress. And Canada's federal government ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Can you get electrocuted by an electric vehicle?

Electric cars, scooters and bikes are everywhere. Are they safe? A Northeastern expert breaks down the safety of EV and lithium-ion batteries when they encounter water.

Consumer & Gadgets

Should you be concerned about flying on Boeing planes?

The American aerospace giant Boeing has been synonymous with safe air travel for decades. Since the 1990s, Boeing and its European competitor Airbus have dominated the market for large passenger jets.

Consumer & Gadgets

What we know so far about the rumored Apple smart ring

Samsung officially announced the launch of a new smart ring-shaped wearable device, Galaxy Ring, as part of its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this year. The ring, expected to be on sale in late summer 2024, will be able to ...

Consumer & Gadgets

How AI is shaping the music listening habits of Gen Z

For four years, we've been teaching a class on music and the mind. We've asked the students at the start of each semester to complete a short, informal survey on their music education and favorite songs and artists.