SolarCity Creates $750M Fund For Residential Solar With $300M From Google

tc-Solar_City-Musk-Coden_0079 SolarCity, the solar power startup whose chairman is the seemingly ever-present Elon Musk, has announced a new $ 750 million fund created to help fund residential solar projects, including defraying the upfront costs of solar panel installation at homes in 14 different states across the U.S. and in D.C. The new fund includes a contribution of $ 300 million, or just under half the total value,… Read More

TechCrunch » Gadgets

Startup Building Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Plans To Launch A Working One In 2016

hyperloop-car You know when you have a good idea for a game or blog and you tell a friend who might actually make it, since you don’t have time? That’s kind of like what Elon Musk did with his ambitious Hyperloop, a next-level transportation system that uses near friction-free tubes to zip capsules containing humans long distances with incredible speed for shorter commutes. And now, Hyperloop… Read More

TechCrunch » Gadgets

Swiss Watch Makers Announce An Activity Tracking System Designed To Hide Inside Fancy Watches

Alpina-Horological-Smartwatch-AL-285BTD3CD6-21 If you’ve been wondering how Switzerland was going to react to the coming of the Apple Watch, ponder no more: two smaller luxury watch companies, Alpina and Frederique Constant, have added electronic components to otherwise staid analog watches, essentially turning a fancy timepiece into a sort of mechanical Fitbit. The platform, called Manufacture Modules Technologies or MMT, is… Read More

TechCrunch » Gadgets

Boostcase For iPhone 6 Review: Modular Power Helps Save Face

IMG_8362 The iPhone 6 charging cases are arriving, and Boostcase has returned with its modular design, offering additional battery life when you want it, and a slim protective shell when you don’t. It’s a clever take on the usual static bulky mass, and it does what it promises to, extending your device’s battery life by a non-trivial amount for those times when you need your smartphone… Read More

TechCrunch » Gadgets