Amazon turns Whole Foods into a drive-through with new curbside pickup service
Starting in Sacramento, California and Virginia Beach, Virginia, with more cities to come throughout 2018, Amazon is launching a new Amazon Prime perk that allows members to pick up groceries from Whole Foods Market in as little as 30 minutes without ever leaving their cars.
Amazon still hasn’t figured out how to sell more stuff via Alexa
It's a $2 billion market that is expected to expand to $40 million by 2022, so why does a new report reveal that only 2 percent of Alexa-enabled Amazon device owners use them to shop? Out of a reported 50 million devices on the market, it's a widely untapped opportunity that Amazon has yet to figure out.
Swann adds voice for Google Assistant in multi-camera security systems
With a new feature, Swann has become the first security camera provider to launch Google Assistant voice control on its multi-camera wired surveillance systems, enabling users to see live video from home security cameras on their mobile devices or televisions on command.
Alexa’s newest feature lets the A.I. get back to you with an answer
Some enterprising Alexa users were surprised recently to discover a previously unknown update to the intelligent assistant called "Answer Updates," an improvement that allows Alexa to file away questions she can't answer yet and inform users once she learns the answer.
Meal service Chef’d puts a fork in itself, rattling investors
It was a competitive player in a nearly $2 billion market but ultimately a lack of capital and a high burn rate for its cash has forced meal kit delivery service Chef'd to close, laying off approximately 350 employees and rattling investors who are watching the market closely.
This 3D-scanning smart mirror is the world’s biggest nude selfie camera
Silicon Valley startup Naked Labs is using it multi-million dollar venture capital to launch an eclectic new product called Naked, a 3D-scanning smart mirror that can deliver body data that is far more complex and detailed than anything a simple scale could deliver.
Zillow’s new online tools are going to make apartment hunting much easier
Zillow, the world's leading database and service provider for the real estate market, is making an aggressive move into the property management services market by integrating a new function that allows users to submit rental applications and background checks for a single fee.
NYC startup Roomrs rents smart apartments to young professionals at very low rates
Smart apartments are still evolving, but Roomrs has figured out a way to offer reasonable rents and smart technology to its community of students and young professionals navigating their way into a life in the Big Apple.
Kasa smart home brand hits the great outdoors with a new weatherproof cam
One of the world's biggest smart home brands is finally getting out into the great outdoors as TP-Link expands its Kasa smart home ecosystem with a brand-new, high-definition outdoor security cameram as well as an expanded Wi-Fi plug that offers dual use from a single outlet.
Alexa makes for a good shopping buddy but Google Assistant may ‘get you’ better
The struggle over the smart speaker rages on, as CNBC surveyed five digital advertising agencies who say that Amazon's Alexa is the better shopping assistant, but Google's deep roots in machine learning and voice recognition makes Google Assistant more understanding.
Morgan Stanley says, ‘Hey Google, give away the Home Mini for free!’
Morgan Stanley made a fairly dramatic admonishment to Google's parent company Alphabet this week when the financial giant suggested in a note to investors that the company should simply give away its signature smart speaker for free, at a cost of $3.3 billion.
A California chipmaker is working to free Alexa from the power cord
If a California chip maker is successful in its new partnership with Amazon, its digital assistant Alexa could soon be free to roam in third-party products like smart home fixtures, thermostats and cameras, making the voice platform less reliant on external power sources.
Alexa helps players travel the globe in the new board game, ‘When in Rome’
London-based game developer Sensible Object is paying off on a multi-million investment by releasing its first Alexa-powered board game When in Rome, a multimedia experience that uses the digital assistant to guide players through 20 cities around the globe.
Google and Nest pack more than 25,000 apartments with smart home tech
In what is claimed to be the largest smart apartment technology rollout in history, Alliance Residential Company announced that more than 25,000 apartments in its $10 billion portfolio will be outfitted with a complete smart home package that includes a Google Home Mini, Nest Learning Thermostat, and more.
Warning: The way your neighbors use Alexa will bore the snot out of you
The technology that powers smart speakers like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home may be wildly sophisticated and continually evolving but users in the U.K. report using the smart speakers for remarkably basic functions, according to a new survey.
Google Home adds Spanish speaking and listening capabilities
Speakers who habla Español can try out all sorts of new skills on the Google Home smart speaker series as of today, as the company officially announced that the device speaks and understands versions of Spanish tailored for markets in Spain, Mexico, and the United States.
The U.K. and Europe lose their fizz as a CO2 shortage rocks pubs, restaurants
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the gas that beer and soda manufacturers use to make drinks effervescent but a shortage of the vital gas resulting from a series of events is causing disruption in the markets for beer, fizzy sodas, meat, and prepared foods in the U.K. and Europe this summer.
Robots and delivery services take over a kitchen-free future, reports says
UBS analysts suggested to investors this week that the traditional home kitchen might be permanently altered by meal-delivery services-, envisioning a future where meals made by robots are delivered by drones in lieu of a home-cooked meal.
MIT engineers a smarter, safer power outlet (for IoT, of course)
A team led by Dr. Joshua Siegel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed in a new journal that they have invented a new smart power plug that employs artificial intelligence, Internet of Things technology and a machine learning algorithm to make power safer.
This guy beamed Alexa into the head of L3-37 from ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’
When designer Patrick Stefanski's affection for the animated droid L3-37 from Solo: A Star Wars Story joined his inspiration for an Alexa-powered robotic companion, a fascinating, animatronic re-creation of the robot was born.
You can drive away in this tiny home, converted from a 1966 Greyhound bus
Take one 1966 Greyhound bus, add about $70,000 worth of interior renovations, meticulous carpentry and lots of imagination and you would end up with this mobile tiny home, currently up for sale by its imaginative owner.
Indiegogo-backed Tapplock proves breakable and hackable; fixes incoming
Pishon Lab's much-lauded Tapplock smart lock turns out to be not as "unbreakable" as the company claims after hackers and penetration testers prove the locks can be cracked in seconds, both physically and through software hacks.
Amazon’s Echo Look is back on the market to dispense fashion advice
Formerly available by invitation only, Amazon's new fashion-friendly Echo Look is hitting the broader market in a big way with new features that allow users to capture, pair, rate, and take suggestions on their wardrobe and outfits. The Echo Look made its grand debut in February.
Sengled brings beauty and the beat to its new Element smart bulbs
Smart appliance manufacturer Sengled is continuing the expansion of features and applications to its most popular products, starting by adding color and rhythm features to its Element smart light bulbs.
Plan to keep gun away from kids by storing it in oven backfires on Ohio man
A man in Warren, Ohio recently learned the consequences of storing his handgun in the broiler when his girlfriend decided to some baking, leading to the inevitable hail of bullets, multiple injuries, and a burn.
Are smart cities as safe as we think they are? Security experts say not yet
New research by non-for-profit global security association ISACA has revealed that security experts believe that malware, ransomware, and denial of service attacks continue to pose a threat to smart city infrastructure, including the energy sector, communications, and financial services.
Get ready for more smart cooking and cleaning with Samsung’s Bixby A.I.
Samsung is doubling down on its investment in its Bixby A.I.-powered assistant by embedding the smart platform in all of its robot cleaners and smart ovens by the end of 2018, one more step toward unifying its smart product ecosystem under Bixby by 2020.
A Florida parrot conquers its household by learning Alexa commands
Petra the friendly African grey Congo parrot has earned quite the following after learning to use her family's Amazon Alexa to turn on and off smart lights and other smart home devices at will.
This NYC high-rise building cleans the air like trees do
New York City-based architecture firm Buildt has created a unique way to break down the city's growing pollution problem by combining a high-tech mineral-based facade with a photo-catalytic compound that turns harmful nitrous oxide into harmless water and gas.
The Instant Pot is on sale at crazy prices for Mother’s Day
Still shopping for a Mother's Day gift? Surprise your mom (or wife) with the wildly popular kitchen appliance The Instant Pot at a massive markdown today at Amazon and Sur La Table. This 10-in-1 multi-use pressure cooker almost never goes on sale, so act now to get this fantastic price.
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.
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.
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.