Bad batteries reportedly the cause of Galaxy Note 7 fires

Bad Battery Battery problems appear to be the reason for Galaxy Note 7's catching fire, according to Reuters. An unnamed source spoke with the news organization, adding that a final report on its findings will be made at its earnings conference later this month. But the source notes that Samsung was able to repeat the explosions—and that they were not cause by software or by the design of the product. Samsung recalled its smart device last year after reports of the smartphone catching fire hit social media and news. Concern pushed the Federal Aviation Administration to ban the devices on planes. The company eventually stopped selling the smartphone entirely.

Health Detector A wearable to detect when you have Lyme disease? A Stanford team has been developing just such a device that would be able to tell when your body has changes such as blood oxygen levels shifting, or skin temperatures changes. The prototypes are already starting to work, as one of the authors of a paper in the PLOS Biology journal about the project found, using his wearable and the data to diagnosis his own Lyme disease. Wearable sales are growing, but not as quickly as once estimated. About 16 percent of Americans use wearables, according to eMarketer. And tat's only thought to reach 21 percent by 2020. Interest in smartwatches, and fitness trackers certainly appear to be stalling. But wearables that can detect or manage health may hold a different interest to consumers. Stanford researchers clearly believe this is so.

Apple Commercial Apple has pushed out a series of ads for its new AirPods. The problem? Apple's wireless earbuds are few and far between. Ordering them online will take six weeks. Pickup in stores? Plan to wait until sometime in March.

Nokia Foldable Nokia has a patent for a foldable phone—with a screen that folds inside, a bit different from the Samsung option we wrote about last week. Samsung, as we mentioned, is planning to launch their option this year. The patent was filed back in 2013—but with Samsung's presumed launch up and coming, brands may be looking to launch competing options as well. (Via PhoneArena)

Robot Kill Switch The EU wants to ensure that humans have protection from robots in the future—demanding they have a kill switch installed when developed.