FBI hostage rescue team bamboozled after criminals unleash drone swarm
Drones are apparently being used by criminals to conduct nefarious activity. Recently, an FBI stakeout was raided by a swarm of drones, and in other cases, these quadcopters have been used by criminals to surveil potential targets. Unfortunately, it appears that a fix may take quite a while to implement.
The Force is strong with Google Assistant on this Star Wars Day
For dedicated Star Wars fans, May the Fourth is practically the most important day of the year. And here to help us celebrate is Google Assistant, who certainly understands the gravity of this most hallowed day. Google's virtual helper has a few useful Jedi tricks up its sleeve.
Toyota research arm to construct new test track for automated vehicles
Tests deemed too dangerous for self-driving vehicles to perform on public roadways will now be relegated to a new facility, courtesy of TRI. The carmaker's research arm has announced the construction of a new closed-course test facility that will help Toyota continue to develop its autonomous car technology.
Self-driving cars hit the Las Vegas Strip thanks to Lyft and Aptiv
If you're in Vegas, you may want to pass taking a spin on the roulette wheel, but instead try out some self-driving wheels. As part of its partnership with ride-hailing giant Lyft, Aptiv has launched a fleet of 30 autonomous vehicles in Sin City, and they're now available for your commuting convenience.
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.
Picture Organic Clothing may have just made the eco-friendliest wetsuit
Picture Organic Clothing has a brand new wetsuit that is being heralded as the most eco-friendly wetsuit ever, and is made of a "sustainable and responsible alternative" to neoprene, which is the material most commonly used in wetsuits (and one that is not exactly recyclable or biodegradable).
This new glucose monitor eliminates the need to prick your finger
A team from Cardiff University's School of Engineering has come up with a type of "wearable" that uses microwaves to track glucose levels.
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
Newton axes the sent folder — and it makes for a better email experience
Newton decided to change up the way you interact with your inbox once again by ridding users of the sent folder once and for all. It's a sensible move and it helps streamline the email experience. Now, rather than having to navigate between several folders, Newton is putting everything in one place.
U.S. agency investigating Nintendo after Switch-related patent-infringement claim
The Switch's road to success thus far hasn't been without its pitfalls -- first, there was the report of the unpatchable exploit, and now, there's more bad news. Nintendo is officially under investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which means that the beloved Switch may be in hot water.
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.
Microsoft rolls out security features, additional updates for Outlook users
Microsoft is now rolling out two new features to Outlook.com. The web-based client now supports end-to-end encryption, requiring recipients outside the Outlook fold to grab a one-time passcode to read your encrypted message. Microsoft has also unveiled a slew of new features geared toward business users.
Facebook’s downvote test has made its way to New Zealand and Australia
Facebook previously confirmed that it had begun testing a downvote button for comments on Pages posts for a small percentage of Android users in the U.S. Now Facebook is introducing the downvote button to some of its users in Australia and New Zealand, though there's no word yet on further expansion of the feature.
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.
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.
Nintendo sells a whopping 15 million Switch units, gets a new leader
In the first three months of 2018, Nintendo managed to sell a total of 15 million Switch gaming consoles, which is 50 percent greater than its initially expected sales volume of 10 million units. The handheld console contributed enormously to the company's $9.7 billion revenue figure, up 116 percent.
Canary View camera offers home security, peace of mind for less than $100
Canary recently unveiled a $99 indoor HD security camera called the Canary View to help protect you and your loved ones. Now, it has improved upon some of its software (namely Person Detection) to help better detect human beings, and reduce false positive notifications about pets and the like.
Twitter turns a profit in the first quarter, makes progress fighting spam
There was a time when it seemed Twitter was knocking at death's door, but that time is no more. On Wednesday, April 25, the social media giant shared its Q1 earnings report, and not only have user numbers seen an increase, but the company is profitable, and its fight against bots appears to be working.
DoorDash is helping Walmart to take on Amazon and Whole Foods
Walmart is getting some help in its ongoing battle against Amazon for grocery delivery dominance. On Tuesday, April 24, the retailer announced a new partnership with the delivery service DoorDash, who will serve as a "key delivery provider" for Walmart's Online Grocery program in Atlanta, Georgia.
The GroBox One lets your indoor garden grow, no green thumb needed
Whether you're looking to grow herbs for your dinner or herbs for a different purpose altogether, the GroBox One can help.
Uber will no longer store exact pickup and drop-off locations in drivers’ apps
In a soon-to-be-launched pilot program, the San Francisco-based Uber will begin hiding passengers' exact pickup and drop-off locations in the trip history available to drivers. Rather than pinpointing where you are and where you're going, the Uber app will instead show drivers a more general location.
Man turns wife’s criticism of his culinary skills into a robotic cooking machine
Never say that nagging never got anything done -- apparently, one enterprising wife managed to nag her husband into creating a smart robotic chef. At the sixth annual China International Technology Fair, the CEO of a Shanghai-based catering company unveiled his latest creation.
Take charge of your water bill with the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller
Rachio, the company behind a smart sprinkler controller that allows you to control your watering system (and by extension, your water bill) from your smartphone, has now introduced the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller and Wireless Flow Meter. Now, the system is $30 of as a result of high demand.
Facebook fuels fake-news fight with fleet of fact checkers
As Facebook continues to face scrutiny at home in the United States over its handling of user data, it's looking to step up its efforts to combat fake news abroad. Facebook announced the launch of a dedicated fact-checking program in the India, and its pilot program will begin operations in Karnataka.
The world’s last Apple Watch pop-up will be closing in a few weeks
The world's last Apple Watch store will soon be no more. On May 13, the only remaining Apple store completely dedicated to the sale of Apple's wearable will be closing its doors, as per signage recently spotted at the Isetan department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The closing doesn't come as a surprise.
Apps featured by the Apple App Store saw a bump of up to 800% in downloads
As per a new report from Sensor Tower, apps that are featured in the App Store -- particularly as the "App of the Day" or "Game of the Day," can see their download numbers increase by as much as 800 percent. That makes good on Apple's claim that the App Store redesign boosted discoverability for developers.
Owner survey suggests Tesla’s batteries see only limited degradation
Tesla's batteries display less than 10 percent degradation of their energy capacity after 160,000 miles. That means, by extension, that their cars could also travel farther than previously believed. That is great news for Tesla, which has received more than its fair share of bad news in recent weeks.
Lyft pledges to offset its carbon emissions, commits to carbon-neutral rides
While Lyft has figured out how to effectively transport its passengers in an efficient and rather cost-effective manner, it remains the case that this convenience comes at quite an ecological cost. But now, the ridesharing giant is putting its money on the line to do what it can to offset those costs.
An ‘NBA on TNT’ ad is triggering people’s HomePods and they are not pleased
You may not be the only one controlling your smart assistant -- savvy advertisers are in on the game, too. Per a new report from Apple Insider, there's an NBA on TNT ad that features the phrase, "Don't wanna miss out? Hey Siri show me the NBA schedule," which triggers the HomePod, much to many a user's chagrin.
As unlimited data plans grow more popular, Wi-Fi loses its dominance
As major cellphone service providers continue to re-introduce unlimited data to their customers, it looks like folks are spending more time surfing the web on their phones in Wi-Fi free zones, rather than looking for free Wi-Fi to connect to. OpenSignal's latest report sheds light on the trend.
The iPhone Do Not Disturb While Driving feature cut down on distracted driving
Despite the threat of fines, the emergence of ad campaigns, and even the introduction of new features, we are having quite a bit of trouble when it comes to cutting back on phone-related distracted driving. 37 percent of car trips include "at least some significant phone usage," as per a new study.
Dine out and get paid in the process with the Seated restaurant app
Seated is more than a reservation app -- it's a restaurant discovery app that actively rewards you for choosing to dine at some of the finest establishments at your city. Currently active in 14 cities across the United States, Seated encourages local foodies to explore their neighborhood culinary gems with $10 to $50.
Puerto Rico is plunged into an island-wide blackout yet again
The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria has yet to be fully addressed in Puerto Rico, but now, the island is contending with yet another power-related problem. On Wednesday, an islandwide blackout plunged Puerto Rico into darkness, and was apparently caused by an excavator. Most of the island remains powerless.
Logistics firm XPO integrates with virtual assistants to help you track deliveries
Wondering where your delivery is? XPO Logistics, the largest provider of last-mile deliveries for large items in the U.S., introduced voice-enabled delivery tracking through both Amazon and Google's smart assistants. You can now reschedule deliveries with your voice.
Notion partners with HomeAdvisor to connect you to a plumber, and fast
Best known for its smart home sensor system, Notion has introduced a new integration with HomeAdvisor that allows homeowners to immediately get in touch with an available local plumber anytime a water leak is detected. The new feature, called Plumber Matching, is Notion's first partnership with a service provider.