Fully Charged: Pioneer’s new docks, McDonalds mulls over 3D printing and RoboCop gets new trailer
What time is it? It’s gadget news time, so feast your eyes on our daily round-up
Pioneer outs iPhone speaker dock duo
Pioneer has unveiled its first Lightning-equipped iPhone speaker docks, due to go on sale in December. The X-SMC11DAB (£220) supports DAB+ radio and CDs as well as iPhones, while the X-SMC55DAB (£300) adds Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Wireless Direct and Spotify Connect to the mix.
McDonalds ponders 3D printed Happy Meal toys
In the not too distant future a trip to McDonalds could come with a side order of 3D printing. The burger chain is reportedly considering installing 3D printers at its restaurants in order to supply Happy Meal toys on demand – meaning that your kids won’t ever be disappointed when the Big Mac-accompanying trinket they’d set their heart on is no longer available. There’s no roadmap in place for this scheme, however, and McDonalds are keen to point out that it’s merely a consideration at this stage, and not a concrete plan. [Source: The Register]
Image credit: _skynet
Nokia patents folding battery
Future Microsoft phones could well benefit from the tech outlined in a recent Nokia patent. The document describes a mobile device battery that can be folded or curved, due to its being made up of several small cells joined together. The design could make it easier for Nokia/Microsoft and any licensees to build curved or folding phones.
The battery could also be spread the entire length of a device rather than being confined to a single area, meaning smartphones could get even thinner than they are now without a drop in battery life. [Source: Nokia Power User]
Watch the new RoboCop trailer!
The idea of remaking RoboCop, a film considered to be among the best science fiction movies of the 80s, has rubbed a lot of fanboys up the wrong way – but the trailers are undeniably whetting appetites. A fine cast and massive budget can go a long way to disguising a terrible film pre-release, we know, but watch the second official trailer and you may be pleasantly surprised.