Give your kids a direct line to St. Nick with Alexa’s Call Santa skill
Amazon released new holiday features for children including Alexa-interactive calls to Santa. Customers who own Echo Dot Kids Edition or subscribe to FreeTime with Alexa can check in daily for new stories or jokes. With the Santa Letter Blueprint skill, kids can send their wish lists and check in for daily updates.
Enthusiast alert: Get up to 67% off Polk Audio speakers at Adorama
Any time of year is a good time to upgrade your home theater sound system, which makes Adorama's Polk LSI Blowout Weekend Sale particularly tempting. Adorama has discounts up to 67 percent on Polk Audio's top-of-the-line LSiM Series which is designed and built for the most discerning home theater sound enthusiasts.
Instacart’s Whole Foods home deliveries now cost less than Amazon Prime’s
If your only reason to subscribe to Amazon Prime is grocery home delivery from Whole Foods, Instacart is now a better deal. Instacart's membership fee and delivery charges for orders less than $35 both undercut Prime prices. Instacart's delivery service membership includes 300 U.S. retail chains.
Air Force to upgrade A-10s with 3-D audio (but not for the reason you’d think)
Piloting a warplane gets busy and loud, so the U.S. Air Force asked for proposals to add 3-D audio to A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. The upgrade contract was awarded to Terma North America. Terma's 3D-Audio and Radio Separation system is already used in Danish F-16s in its Missile Warner System.
You can now make Skype calls on Amazon Echo devices
Amazon's Alexa can now make video and voice calls with Microsoft's Skype audio and video calling. Alexa-enabled devices can make voice calls. Alexa devices that support video, including the Echo Show, Echo Spot, and Fire Tablets with Show Mode can also make video calls to computers, mobile devices, and Xboxes.
No cash. No talking. What goes next? Welcome to your ‘app-tive’ digital life
Bank of America's Trends in Consumer Mobility Report for 2018 found mobility has changed our lives. Mobile tech influences the way most of us communicate, meet people, and build relationships. Nearly all we do with money can be done with mobile services, moving us firmly in the direction of a cashless society.
Many adults believe fully self-driving cars are already traversing U.S. highways
AAA research found confused consumers and semiautonomous vehicles not up to their tasks. The American Automobile Association tested cars with features such as lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control and found them lacking in real-world conditions. Forty percent of surveyed adults think self-driving cars exist now.
Xfinity indoor/outdoor camera zooms in on Grinch’s faces and license plates
Comcast's Xfinity Home security cameras can help the police catch Grinches who steal delivery packages from your home. The cameras use artificial intelligence to analyze moving objects and zoom in on faces of people at your front door and license plates of any vehicles in view. Footage is stored in the cloud.
Ford teams up with Walmart to study consumer response to autonomous delivery
Last week it was Ford and VW and this week Ford and Walmart are signaling a desire to work together on autonomous vehicles solutions. Ford and the giant retailer will study consumer reactions to self-driving delivery vehicles. The purpose of the research is to discover the services people want.
Ecobee announces Black Friday deals on smart thermostats and smart switches
Ecobee's 2018 Black Friday deals are live. The smart home device maker announced three deals, all effective immediately. Ecobee's smart thermostats and smart wall switch are compatible with smart home voice assistant systems including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings.
VW will use Siri as the designated driver for its connected car party
Volkswagen of America added an enhanced version of Apple's Siri to help drivers control and interact with their connected cars. Owners can customize voice commands to tell Siri to change access settings such as vehicle lock status, and fuel checks. VW-Car-Net also allows car access via mobile apps.
Amazon Alexa added a skill for Butterball’s annual Turkey Talk-Line
Just in time for Thanksgiving Day meal planning, you can say "Alexa, ask Butterball" for access to Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line. Alexa will connect you to Butterball experts who answer cooking questions. Echo Show, Echo Spot, and Amazon Fire TV devices can also play Thanksgiving cooking how-to videos.
Virtual newscaster wants to know: Is this the real me or just a fantasy?
Xinhua News, China's state news agency, introduced a virtual newsreader. The agency says the virtual presenters will reduce production costs and will be used on its website and social media channels. The voices, lip movements, and expressions of real news presenters are used to synthesize the virtual readers.
How’s your Spanish, Alexa? Some Amazon Echo devices pick up a new language
Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and Echo devices are now available for customers in Mexico. Alexa has been customized for the Mexican market with local knowledge, a new voice, and support for the Mexican version of Spanish. Third-party developers also launched devices with Alexa built in for Mexican customers.
Get your glamour on with Sephora makeup videos via the Google Home Hub
Google Home and Sephora have partnered to bring the makeup giant's 2,500-plus library of makeup and beauty video tutorials to the Google Home Hub. Users can say the Google Home wake-words, "Hey Google," and ask for video help with hair, makeup, skin care, fragrances, and more.
Follow the yellow brick road? New pee-based ‘bio-bricks’ cut construction costs
University of Cape Town graduate students recently revealed the results of a long-term project: bio-bricks created from human urine, sand, and bacteria. The environmentally kind building materials harden at room temperature and can be made in any shape and strength. The process also creates valuable by-products.
Amazon sends out physical toy catalog for kids of all ages this holiday season
Amazon confirmed it is shipping a printed holiday toy catalog, "A Holiday of Play," to millions of customers starting in November. The 68-page catalog has QR codes for many toys and an immediately available online download version links to each product on Amazon.com. Amazon is stepping into the void left by Toys R Us.
Patented camera inside microwave ovens will let you watch food blow up
If you've always wanted to watch your food cook inside a microwave oven, your ship just came in. The U.S. Patent Office granted a patent for a microwave oven with a camera to BSH Appliances. BSH, a joint venture by Bosch and Siemens and Europe's largest appliance maker, may use the camera for A.I.-enabled cooking.
Former luxury car buyers turning to premium pickup trucks instead
Luxury car brands face pressure from a once unlikely source: pickup trucks. Ford, Chevy, and Ram trucks are selling faster than ever and the greatest demand is for the top-trims. Loaded with comfort and entertainment features and priced up to $100,000, high-end pickups are attracting former luxury car owners.
Bentley claims connected car bragging rights with super-fast in-car Wi-Fi
Bentley and Viasat offer new super-fast in-car connectivity for all 2019 Bentley models. The Bentley Advanced Connectivity option aggregates mobile operator signals in a secure virtual private network. Passengers can access multiple entertainment and productivity applications simultaneously including high-def video.
Austrian e-car drivers get Go-Faster card, raising the speed limit by 30 percent
A recent Austrian speed limit policy amendment allows all-electric vehicles to travel at higher speeds than non-EVs under certain conditions. Home to the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV production facility, Austria hopes to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles. The higher speed allowance is tied to air quality.
GM’s luxury brand hits the pause button on Book by Cadillac subscription service
Referring to its subscription service as a pilot program, a spokesperson for the automaker confirmed that Book by Cadillac will shut down December 1. Promising a comeback after making "adjustments," Cadillac said its first subscription model gave the luxury car maker insights into innovative customer experience needs.
Pizza Hut tricks out a Toyota Tundra to whip up a pie in 7 minutes
Spotlighting the importance of future technology for both companies at the 2018 SEMA Show, Toyota and Pizza Hut built the Tundra Per Pro. Powered by a converted fuel-cell electric power plant that also drives the truck, the robotic kitchen in the truck bed cranks out freshly cooked pizzas in under seven minutes.
Control your smart home from the shower with this splash-proof speaker
The splash-proof Aqua Dew smart shower speaker works with Alexa so you don't have to sing alone. The wake-word activated Aqua Dew can read the news, manage your smart home, call or message people, and make announcements in other rooms. The battery-operated wireless smart speaker runs for up to eight hours per charge.
Hive takes it outside with weatherproof live feed HD security camera
Centrica Hive smart home security camera combines easy installation and 24/7 multimode detection. Equipped with infrared night vision, the Hive View Outdoor camera automatically records video and sends alerts when it detects motion, sound, or people. Live HD video and two-way audio let owners speak to visitors.
The Devasa tiny house on wheels lets you raise the roof — no party necessary
Tiny houses often incorporate some clever design elements to increase livability. Tiny Houses NYC's Devasa model increases loft bedroom headspace by four feet when the roof is elevated. The roof extends via four motorized corner-mounted screw jacks run with a car battery.
Advanced driver assistance tech can more than double your repair costs
Advanced driver assistance systems in new cars can multiply collision repair costs, according to AAA research. Replacing cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and other collision detection equipment after even minor accidents can be surprisingly expensive. Even after repair, damaged systems require calibration.
JennAir breaks boundaries to redefine luxury with Noir and Rise kitchen designs
Luxury appliance manufacturer JennAir wants to rock your world, or at least your kitchen. Jennair hopes to inspire you to personalize your cooking environment with its edgy design styles, Rise and Noir, each with enhanced digital features. Both kitchen appliance lines can be ordered at JennAir showrooms.
Instant Pot sous vide appliance puts the coup de grâce on alternative cookers
The Instant Pot multifunction pressure cooker gains another role when used with the brand's Accu Slim Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. Cooking food in vacuum-sealed bags in precisely temperature-controlled water removes the guesswork while retaining flavors, vitamins, and minerals for tasty, evenly cooked meals.
Alexa outage foils hundreds worldwide, service now restored for many
Hundreds of users worldwide reported Amazon Alexa failures on Twitter and elsewhere in an outage with no apparent common characteristics. Users reported malfunctions ranging from bad server connections and login failures to the inability to execute specific skills. The outage spread as others regained service.
This mobile camera can help alleviate anxiety for your animals
Vava launched an Indiegogo campaign for the Vava Mobile Pet Cam. The Pet Cam follows pets around the house and can capture images and video clips. Pet owners away from home can see pets, engage with them, and even play games. Extra features include a laser pointer, treat feeder, feather teasers, and more.
U.K. on-demand car service plans autonomous vehicles in London by 2021
U.K.-based Addison Lee and Oxbotica formed an alliance to carve a major share of the predicted market for connected and autonomous vehicle services. Addison Lee is an established executive car service in London and Oxbotica's self-driving car system and fleet management software are in multiple trials.
Tesla drops Full Self-Driving option from online configurator to spare ‘confusion’
Tesla no longer offers a Full Self-Driving (FSD) option for Models S, X, and 3 in the company's online configuration tool. CEO Elon Musk said the FSD option caused confusion. The option was for a future software upgrade to the Enhanced Autopilot option. FSD software validation and regulatory approval could take years.
SiriusXM, Amazon team up for two Echo Dot deals with freebies
Amazon wants everyone to talk to Alexa and SiriusXM wants us all to stream its content. The companies partnered on two joint promotions. New SiriusXM subscribers can receive a free Amazon Echo Dot. People who already own an Echo device can sign up for new SiriusXM subscription with the first three months free.