California prepares to lead the nation in solar-equipped housing
California is making a huge investment in solar power by mandating that all new homes, condominiums, and apartment buildings be outfitted with solar panels beginning in 2020, a move that will cost homeowners more up front but also boost energy savings in the long run.
Here’s everything we saw at the action-packed Google I/O 2018 keynote
Google I/O 2018 is finally here, and boy are there some great announcements to go over. From improvements to Android, to updates to Google Assistant, to a revamped Google News, to improvements to Google Maps, here's everything we saw at the Google I/O 2018 keynote.
No one injured as another Samsung washing machine explodes
A Texas family received an unwelcome surprise when their Samsung washing machine exploded over the weekend. The incident was the latest in a rash of explosions that have plagued Samsung since it revealed the potential for harm in 2016, following nine reports of injuries including a broken jaw and an injured shoulder.
Modsy’s latest partnership will put a virtual designer in your home
You don't need to be a professional to get professional-quality design help for your home. A partnership between Architectural Digest channel Clever and home design company Modsy combines 3D renderings of your space and a team of style experts for a one-of-a-kind decorating experience.
The Hiuni smart telescope lets you stargaze from your Apple or Android device
It may be awhile yet before ordinary people like us can journey to the stars, but until then, we can bring the stars a lot closer. Here to help is a smart interactive telescope that promises to satisfy the needs of both amateur stargazers and professional astronomers. Meet the Hiuni, an app-connected smart telescope.
How to get Amazon to deliver to the trunk of your car
Would a delivery straight to your car make life easier? Amazon now offers an in-car delivery service for Prime members, and it's available for a range of products in major cities around the country. We'll guide you through how to set it up and tell you everything else you need to know.
Philips Hue smart home lighting app boosts features, simplifies customization
Easier navigation, customization, and smart home lighting management in the Philips Hue control app help users get creative with lighting design without needing another semester of college. Philps simplified navigation of new features such as color matching, color pickers, and resetting favorite light scenes.
TaskRabbit app goes down as it investigates ‘cybersecurity incident’
TaskRabbit, the service that matches freelance labor with local demand, was taken offline recently while the company investigates "a cybersecurity incident." Few details are currently available, though it advised people to change their password. Now, we have a bit more information from the CEO.
Google’s Android Things is a new OS for the Internet of Things
Android Things' primary target is the Internet of Things market, including smart thermostats, TVs, ovens, and more. Now, after a developer preview that saw over 100,000 SDK downloads, Google is releasing Android Things 1.0 with "long-term support for production devices."
Beer kegs latest to join the smart device party with the Kegtron
It's the 21st century, which means there is now officially nothing in your life that you can't make smart. And that includes things that often lead you to make choices that are not so smart, like your keg of beer. Meet the Kegtron, a new device promising to bring "intelligence to your kegerator."
Amazon is starting to scan customers’ bodies in the name of online shopping
Amazon is reportedly inviting customers into a New York office in order to keep tabs on their body shape and size over a 20 week time period. Twice a month, volunteers (chosen from a survey) will visit the office in order to allow Amazon to better understand "how bodies change shape over time."
Peek inside the outlandish mansions of tech titans, from Musk to Zuckerberg
It pays to be CEO of giant tech companies, and these mansions are proof. Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and other tech execs have huge homes all over the country. Check out our gallery of some of the biggest, most expensive homes on the planet owned by the tech giants of Silicon Valley and beyond.
Smart dresser could help people with dementia achieve more independence
Daily tasks that seem insignificant to many of us can present major challenges for people living with dementia. For those suffering from dementia, the lack of independence it causes can be frustrating. Thankfully, researchers have created a smart dresser that might be able to help, if only in a small way.
Ditch all romaine lettuce and check your eggs — a bad month for food recalls
The CDC has reported the first death from the major E. coli outbreak associated with romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, winter lettuce growing region. Last month more than 200 million eggs distributed from a North Carolina farm were also recalled after infections were tracked back to the farm's eggs.
Nest expands offerings further with new $39 temperature sensors
Nest is showing off just how robust its portfolio of products really is with the launch of a full-blown home security solution and new temperature sensors. The Nest Temperature Sensor is now available for purchase from the Nest website, as well as the Google Store. One will cost you $39, whereas a 3-pack is $99.
Google Assistant grows hookup list to over 5K smart home devices, appliances
Google's Assistant smart home speaker and voice control unit now connects to a wide range of more than 5,000 smart home devices and appliances. Focusing primarily on entertainment, home security, and home control device and service compatibility, Google also announced a growing list of major appliance categories.
Bissell’s new vacuum cleaner shows a genuine love for pets and their owners
Bissell offers a wealth of products for pet owners including vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, steam cleaners, and pet hair tools. For pet owners, its latest product, the Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro, boasts features that are designed to clean up after furry friends with gusto.
Vayyar Imaging’s new 3D sensors double down on ‘Superman vision’
Vayyar Imaging has been making inroads into the smart home, health care, and automotive fields since it was launched in 2011; now a new series of smart 3D-imaging chips are unleashing an even more powerful potential for monitoring people, places, and things without optics.
Facebook’s smart speakers will launch overseas before they hit the U.S.
As expected, Facebook did not debut its highly anticipated smart speakers at its F8 Developer Conference. But unexpectedly, it may be the case that we in the United States are still a ways away from seeing the devices here. According to reports, Facebook is looking to launch its speakers overseas first
Urban dwellers will like the sound of these noise-canceling windows
For many urban dwellers, the noise can be so aggravating that it means keeping the windows firmly shut for much of the day. Wouldn't it be great if you could enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in your urban home even when the windows are open? Thanks to researchers at a university in Singapore, it could soon be the case.
Alexa’s bigger ‘brain’ is getting new skills, natural conversation, and memory
Get ready for some important changes to Amazon's Alexa. The digital assistant found on Amazon's Echo and other smart speakers is about to gain a memory, a contextual conversational ability, and the ability to automatically launch skills based on specific conversational cues. Remember This is now live.
From baking to air-frying, Breville’s Smart Oven Air does it all
Calling it a toaster oven really doesn't do the Breville Smart Oven Air justice, as it's more like a Swiss army knife for your kitchen counter top. With 13 cooking presets, including air frying, it does more than any other toaster oven on the market, and is a grown-up version of a beloved appliance.
The Sirona M car seat keeps babies safe from forgetfulness and accidents
Far be it from us to ever encourage the use of a phone in a car, but there's a new smartphone-connected safety device for new parents that really does benefit from its mobile compatibility. Meet the Sirona M from Cybex, heralded as the world's first smartphone-synched convertible car seat.
The Sky from Ninety7 gives your Amazon Echo 2 a greater range of mobility
As smart as your home assistants are, they're not always particularly mobile. Alexa and Assistant, after all, are generally tethered to your smart speaker, which means that you have to bring yourself to them when you want to issue a command. But this is no longer the case with the Sky from Ninety7.
Click and Grow gardening starter kit provides you with micro greenhouses
Click and Grow's DIY Garden Starter Kit is a great way to begin your journey to becoming a master indoor gardener. And now, Click and Grow is making it easier to maintain that garden with a new plant subscription service that allows you to receive the seeds of your choice every three months.
Mystery solved: Your washing machine actually could be eating your socks
A mystery dating to the early twentieth century has been answered by social media. A routine maintenance chore in a mobile home park laundry room revealed the culprit. A commercial washing machine held a large stash of mismatched socks. Consultation with experts clarified how the machines eat socks.
Looking to buy a washing machine? Be prepared to dig deeper into your wallet
Consumer Reports, working with market research company Gap Intelligence, has discovered that washing machine prices are rising, though whether tariffs are to blame is unclear. Goldman Sachs say prices could go 8 to 20 percent higher in the coming year. It's uncertain whether tariffs are the cause or not.
Tile lets Comcast users use voice control to find keys, wallets, and even kids
Tile's latest partnership will enable Comcast cable’s customers to use their Xfinity X1 Voice Remote to locate Tile's Bluetooth-enabled devices, tags and other dongle-equipped devices anywhere and display the results of their search directly on the television to augment its home automation platform.
Amazon smart security packages soften smart home setup learning curve
Amazon Smart Home Services rolls out state by state. Amazon's bundled smart home security packages come with consultation, hardware, installation, training, and no ongoing service fees. Amazon competes with residential security companies and signals that smart homes have moved beyond techies and early adopters.
This conductive paint transforms regular walls into giant touchpads
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research have found a way to use conductive paint and some low-cost electronics to transform regular, boring internal walls into smart infrastructure that are able to detect human touch. Here's why that's exciting.
Study shows Google Assistant is smarter than its rivals
Amazon's Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana saw strong improvement over last year, but Google Assistant still leads the pack when it comes to A.I. Siri, on the other hand, did not fare so well.
On National Drug Take Back Day, Google and DEA make it easier to get rid of drugs
Working with the DEA, Google Maps introduced a new locator tool for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The tool helps find a place to safely dispose of leftover or unwanted prescription drugs. Pharmacies can't take back prescriptions and flushing them down the toilet or sink adds drugs to the water supply.
Technology makes our lives easier, but is it at the cost of our humanity?
In a new book called Re-Engineer Humanity, Evan Selinger, professor of philosophy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Brett Frischmann, professor of law at Villanova University, argue that technology is causing humans to behave like mere machines.
When will your phone charge wirelessly in your pocket? We asked an expert
The idea that our smartphones might charge in our pockets, or smartwatches might charge up on our wrists, is appealing, but how close are we to a world without wires? True wireless charging is creeping closer, but there still some big barriers to overcome. We spoke to experts at Energous and Ossia to find out more.