Facebook Portal is coming to Canada this June

Embed from Getty Images

Facebook’s Portal video chat devices are coming to Canada soon. The company just announced that it’ll be bringing both the Portal and Portal+ here in June. It’ll also be heading to Europe in the fall. On top of that, the devices are getting WhatsApp support soon. What’s available now is you can turn these into a better photo frame. You can add your favorite photos from Instagram and Facebook to Superframe. There will be a new mobile app coming out in the summer where you can send photos straight to Superframe from your camera roll. You will also later be able to stream through Facebook Live later this year.

Source: The Verge + Engadget

The Energizer phone with enormous battery fails to reach crowdfunding goal

The Energizer phone from Avenir Telecom with the gigantic 18,000mAh battery has proven that getting press doesn’t translate to sales. The P18K Pop got tons of mileage at Mobile World Congress for that comically-large battery and its equally comically-large size (think the thickness of three iPhones). But that press didn’t mean people wanted to get it. The phone’s crowdfunding campaign asked for £927,873 to hit its target (around CA$1.6 million) and only reached one percent of its target. It only got 11 backers, who contributed a total of £11,602 (around CA$20,000). The perks ranged from one P18K unit at £425 (around CA$740) to a three-pack at £1,227 (around CA$2,100). It was supposed to deliver the phones in October, but it’s highly unlikely that they will do that now. As Engadget points out, the huge target might mean that this could just be a marketing stunt, because asking for that much money for this really hefty phone seems like too much of an ask.

Samsung launches a vertical TV, because why not?

In the realm of strange gadget launches, this new Samsung TV seems high up there. Until you start thinking about it. The company just launched in its home country the new Sero TV, a 43-inch TV designed for the younger, smartphone-reliant generation. Acknowledging that a lot of content these days are consumed vertically, this TV is designed to encourage the younger generation to project their smartphone content right on the Sero’s screen. Samsung hopes the Sero will serve as a music streaming hub as well as an interesting piece of furniture. It comes with a 4.1-inch channel, 60W speakers, an integrated navy stand, and minimalist rear design. You can use its screen as a giant digital photo frame or music visualizer. And if you want access to Bixby, that’s available here, too. It retails for 1.89m KRW (around CA$2,200) and will released in South Korea at the end of May.

Source: The Verge

Anki shutters its toy robot business

We never want to hear about businesses closing but here’s one that is closing its doors. Robotics startup Anki announced it will be shutting down its business and will be terminating nearly 200 employees effective Wednesday, May 1^st. According to CEO Boris Sofman, “A significant financial deal at a late stage fell through with a strategic investor and we were not able to reach an agreement.” The company is known for developing toy robots that helped teach children how to code, among other things. But perhaps its toy-like appearance made them seem less sophisticated than they were. According to Engadget, Microsoft, Amazon, and Comcast have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the company. Anki also told Engadget they pursued every financial avenue to fund future product development and they continues to explore all available options. For now, employees will get one-week severance pay.