Make your own Netflix button with the Pebblebee Stone – CNET

Taylor Martin/CNET

Back in September, Netflix released instructions for what it called The Switch — and what everyone else referred to as “The Netflix and Chill Button.”

In essence, it’s a DIY button that dims the lights, silences your phone, powers on the TV and launches the Netflix app. All of this happens with the press of a button.

The company provided the schematics and the source code for the button so anyone who wanted could make a Netflix button for themselves. That said, the instructions require basic coding knowledge, soldering skills and assembly or fabrication of the button housing.

You can make your own Netflix button with a lot less hassle, however. Here’s how.

What you will need

While you won’t need a soldering iron or a 3D printer to make your own Netflix button, you will need some smart lights that are compatible with the Web service IFTTT, a Harmony smart hub or smart switch and an IFTTT account. Optionally, you can choose to pick up a Pebblebee Stone, Flic or Bttn.

Also, before starting, make sure all the necessary IFTTT channels are active. From ifttt.com, click Channels in the upper right corner and search for the brand of your smart bulb or smart switch and click on the icon. Click Connect, login to your account for the smart device and authorize the connection.

How to set up your own Netflix button

The first step to creating your own Netflix button is to create a series of IFTTT recipes, all with the same trigger.

Before that, however, you need to select what you will use as the trigger. For this example, I’m going to repurpose the Pebblebee Stone as The Switch.

• Start by creating a new recipe. Go to ifttt.com from your browser, login and click on your username. In the dropdown menu, click Create.
• Click This to advance and search for Pebblebee. Click on the Pebblebee channel icon and click Stone press for the Trigger.
• Select which Stone and press type (press or hold) you want to activate the recipe, then click Create Trigger.
• Click That to continue, and for the Action Channel in this example, we’re going to automate the most important part of any movie night: dimming the lights. Search for your smart bulb channel — in our case, Lifx — and click on the channel icon.
• Select Change color of lights and choose which lights the recipe will affect. Select the color and brightness you want the lights to change to, whether they should turn on first and how long the transition duration should be.
• Click Create Action, followed by Create Recipe to complete the recipe.

This will just be one recipe in a series that you will need to create to setup your own Netflix button. Some ideas for additional recipes are:

• Use the Harmony channel to power on the TV
• Use the Android Text channel to text Dominos to order pizza
• Use the Nest channel to raise the temperature 1 or 2 degrees
• Use the Android Device channel to mute ringtone
• Use the Smartthings channel to lock the doors

If you don’t want to spend the cash on a Pebblebee Stone, another neat solution is using a DO Button recipe with an Android Wear device or Apple Watch to send a request to the Maker IFTTT channel. Using a series of Maker IFTTT recipes, you can create an entirely virtual Netflix button.

Amazon Echo Dot Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Amazon Echo Dot.

James Martin/CNET

Chop off the top inch and a half of the Amazon Echo smart speaker, and you’d be looking at the new Amazon Echo Dot, announced this morning. At $90, the Echo Dot is half the price of the original Amazon Echo, but just as smart.

Like with the original Echo, you’ll control things by talking to Alexa, Amazon’s always-on, always-listening virtual assistant. Like the original Echo, Dot connects to the cloud to stream music, read the day’s headlines, or control your connected home.

The difference with Dot is that Echo’s full-size speaker is gone. Instead, you’ll hook it up to your own audio setup, either via Dot’s line out jack or Bluetooth.

A trio of big Alexa announcements from Amazon…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 11

Next
Prev

That means that you’ll be able to use Alexa with whatever speakers you want — a great solution if you’ve already invested in an audio setup. Plug in Dot, and you’ll be able to ask Alexa to stream music from Amazon Prime Music, Pandora or Spotify. You’ll also have access to internet radio and podcasts through iHeartRadio and TuneIn, as well as audiobook support from Audible and the Kindle Store.

Dot also features tiny built-in speakers that put out about as much audio as your phone does. That’s obviously not enough to fill a room with sound the way that Echo can, but it would work as an additional control point for smart homes anchored by Alexa.

Those smart home controls are a growing part of Alexa, and thus Echo and Echo Dot’s, feature set. Along with existing support for Philips Hue and Lifx smart bulbs, Belkin WeMo’s smart switches, and connected home platforms like SmartThings, Wink and Insteon, Amazon is set to roll-out a newly announced set of third-party developer tools that’ll help Alexa work with smart thermostats. That includes the Nest Learning Thermostat, which hasn’t worked directly with Alexa before now.

Open up the Alexa app and you’ll also find a growing number of “Skills,” which are basically the apps of Amazon’s voice platform. These include additional smart home device controls, voice-activated games, branded integrations from third-parties ranging from Uber to Domino’s, and numerous other Alexa tricks and gimmicks. If it works with Echo, it works with Dot, too.

You can connect Echo Dot with your existing audio setup via Bluetooth, or using the Dot’s line out jack.

James Martin/CNET

Like the Echo, you’ll need to keep the Echo Dot plugged in. For a wireless, more portable take on the Alexa-powered smart speaker, there’s Amazon Tap, the other Echo offshoot unveiled by the online mega-retailer this morning.

For now, Amazon Echo Dot is an Amazon Prime exclusive, and, in a bit of an odd move, you’ll only be able to pre-order one by asking Alexa. You’ll only find Amazon’s virtual assistant with the Echo smart speaker and with the Amazon Fire TV — if you don’t own either one, your dreams of Dot will have to wait.

Amazon wouldn’t say how long the Alexa-only pre-order period will last, but said that the Echo Dot is expected to start shipping at the end of March.

Like the Echo, the Echo Dot will only be available in the US, though an Amazon representative tells us that expanding internationally is “super important,” adding, “we expect over time to go everywhere Amazon is.” For what it’s worth, that $90 price comes out to about £65, or roughly AU$125.

At any rate, we’ll look forward to testing the Echo Dot out in the CNET Smart Home, where the Amazon Echo already plays a central role.

Amazon Tap Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Amazon Echo Tap.

James Martin/CNET

We’ve heard reports that Amazon was working on a smaller, battery-powered version of the Amazon Echo smart speaker. Today, the online mega-retailer made it official.

The product is the Amazon Tap and, as expected, it’s a smaller, more portable, more affordable version of the popular cloud-connected speaker, complete with full access to Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant. It’ll cost $130 — $50 less than the Amazon Echo (like the Echo, the Tap is only available in the US at this point, but Amazon tells us they’d like to expand to new markets in the future).

Unlike the Echo, the Amazon Tap is totally wireless. You’ll charge it by setting it down in the included cradle, then take it wherever you want to listen to it. Amazon tells us it’ll stream up to nine hours of audio on a full charge, or last up to three weeks in standby mode.

A trio of big Alexa announcements from Amazon…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 11

Next
Prev

That battery life comes with a trade-off: The Tap isn’t an always-on, always-listening device like the Echo is. That means you can’t wake it up just by saying “Alexa” — you’ll instead need to press the microphone button on the front of the device. Once you do, you’ll enjoy full access to all of the tricks in Alexa’s toolkit (provided, of course, that you’re connected to Wi-Fi. Take Tap to the beach, and it’ll function as little more than a standard Bluetooth speaker that plays songs from your phone or tablet.)

Alexa’s tricks include streaming music from Amazon Prime Music, Pandora, and Spotify, along with streaming internet radio from TuneIn and iHeartRadio. You can also ask her to play your audiobooks from Audible or the Kindle Store, or read the morning headlines from sources like NPR, CNN and ESPN.

Amazon Devices Senior Vice President Dave Limp demonstrates the Tap at Amazon’s UX Lab in San Francisco.

James Martin/CNET

Alexa is also a growing player in the smart home. As of now, you can put her in control of Philips Hue and Lifx smart bulbs, Belkin WeMo Switches, connected home platforms like SmartThings, Wink, and Insteon and the Ecobee3 connected thermostat. A new set of developer tools for third-party manufacturers promises to bring more smart thermostats into the mix, including the popular Nest Learning Thermostat.

As for sound, the Tap promises the same sort of room-filling audio quality as the Echo. Amazon gave us a quick demonstration at its UX Lab in San Francisco. To my ear, it sounded similar to what I expect from the Amazon Echo I use in my own home. Which is to say that it’s a perfectly sufficient streamer for casual listening.

The Tap wasn’t the only new Alexa gadget Amazon announced today — there’s also the Amazon Echo Dot, which features all of the same smarts as the original Amazon Echo, but without the full-size speaker. Instead, you plug Dot into your existing audio setup, putting Alexa in control of it. That’s an intriguing solution for audiophiles who aren’t sold on the quality of the Echo or Tap’s sound.

The Tap is available for pre-order on Amazon starting today, and open to anybody who wants it, regardless of whether or not they’ve got an Amazon Prime subscription. It’s scheduled to start shipping out at the end of March.

Rythm Dreem Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Every night I go to bed with a mini Darth Vader mask on my face. It’s a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. I do it because I hope it’ll make me sleep better.

There’s a company that wants to make a headband that can help you sleep better. And that headband can double as a brainwave-reading machine. It’s called the Dreem. The Dreem has nothing to do with CPAP machines, and it isn’t even meant to do anything with apnea. It’s not an approved medical device, either. But it does claim to improve your sleep…by interrupting your brainwaves, just a bit.

Sound weird? Yeah, to me too. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but I did get to wear one on my head briefly during a demo in New York. I remain skeptical, as any sane person would. But Rythm’s CEO and co-founder Hugo Mercier confidently claims it works.

What the final Dreem hardware will look like.

Ariel Nunez/CNET

A metronome for your deep sleep

According to Mercier, who I met with at CNET’s office in New York, Dreem is an “active” neurological wearable. This means it not only monitors and measures, but can take action based on what it perceives.

The Dreem is a compact EEG-measuring device. When I got my CPAP machine outfitted, I first had to undergo a sleep study using a complicated, multi-wired full-body system that measures breathing, oxygen levels, brain activity with wires pasted to my head and body movement. The Dreem just measures brain activity. According to Mercier, it can see whether you’re in deep sleep, REM or light sleep — each phase is different (deep sleep can be the most body-restful; REM sleep involves dreams). And it can do more than that: it senses eye movement, and potentially a whole lot more.

The Dreem pairs with an iOS or Android device to sync sleep data, but it operates on its own at night. It measures brain activity, and then sends optimally timed noises via bone conduction that are meant to trigger deep sleep cycles, and keep the sleeper in deep sleep for longer. The goal is faster entry into deep sleep, and more rest in less time.

Sounds like magic to me. I had no way of actually vetting whether the Dreem could do this in my office demo. Instead, I wore a delicate prototype device and saw it was measuring activity via the phone’s paired display, which showed changes in brain waves when I looked around, or blinked.

Trying on the prototype model.

Ariel Nunez/CNET

Occasionally, I’d hear a soft hiss. That, Mercier told me, is the bone conduction sound the Dreem sets off: a “pink noise” that’s meant to impact brain waves. The little hiss is odd. Would I get used to this as I slept?

The Dreem costs $349, and is available for pre-order now on Rythm’s website (UK and Australian prices are yet to be announced but that converts to about £250 or AU$475). I still have no idea what the Dreem actually does versus what Rythm claims it can do, so I certainly wouldn’t get one yet. We’ll get a review unit sometime this spring, hopefully, and I’ll get to sleep with one. That’s the only way I’ll know if this works.

My bulky Philips DreamStation CPAP machine is already something I use each night, and helps me get some rest by opening my air passages. The Dreem isn’t a medically approved device yet, so it can’t be a true replacement for anything. But I want to see if it can do what it promises, as I had no way of vetting Dreem’s claims during my demo.

My brain waves are…being read?

Ariel Nunez/CNET

A future AR/VR mind controller?

Rythm isn’t just setting its sights on sleep quality. I was reminded of other brainwave-controlled toys and wearables, and demos I’ve seen of brain-controlled games. I asked Mercier about this and he smiled. AR/VR interfaces are definitely a future goal of Rythm. Whether that manifests in the Dreem or in another device isn’t exactly clear. But if the Dreem is a very good EEG monitor (something I also can’t vet yet), maybe it could be very good at a lot of other things, too.

Neurological wearables are coming (maybe)

This should prepare us for the inevitable: brain-monitoring wearables are probably going to be a popular pitch of the near future, especially if EEG-sensing technology is feasible and somewhat I don’t think I’d want to wear a crazy band on my head all the time, but a new category of brain devices might be the next wave of wearable tech beyond the stuff of basic things like wristbands. Rythm imagines devices that could measure mood and other states. It reminds me a bit of what the Muse headband promised a couple of years ago.

I wouldn’t necessarily want a brain-sensing band on my head, and I don’t think my wife would be a fan. But what if this could be built into a pair of headphones, or a VR headset? Mind-controlled virtual reality…I’d go for that.

In the meantime, though, I’d settle for a decent night’s sleep.

No Man’s Sky Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

No Man’s Sky is a game unlike any we’ve seen before: As a starship pilot, you’ll explore a universe so vast, its developers think explorers won’t set foot on 99 percent of its planets. That seems ridiculous, but Hello Games estimates No Man’s Sky has 18 quintillion planets. It has to estimate, because of course it didn’t craft them by hand — they’re all the result of algorithms, procedurally generating each one as it’s discovered.

The idea that any one player could be the first — and last — to ever set foot on an alien world? It’s incredibly exciting stuff. And on June 21, 2016, you’ll be able to jump into No Man’s Sky on PlayStation 4 and PC, and start exploring.

Hello Games, a tiny British company which until now has been reticent to share much about its hotly anticipated game, is ready to give us more of an idea of what to expect. There are alien civilizations in this universe, and we don’t mean simple animals, minerals or vegetables. We’re talking worlds occupied by intelligent beings. And they might want to meet you — that is, if you can find them.

A procedurally generated, living universe is a fascinating prospect for gamers. But since its official announcement almost two years ago, we’ve had to survive on tidbits revealed in developer demos. We haven’t seen what a regular player might experience as they explore and discover planets in the No Man’s Sky universe.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to play the game for about 30 minutes in a solar system with a more advanced ecosystem — planets farther from the sun might be less developed, but have elements players might want for crafting. As I zipped around in my spacecraft, taking off and setting down on various planets in the system, the transition between space, atmosphere and land were impressively seamless. No loading screens here.

Ominous, to be sure. Let’s play dumb and pretend we need its help, just in case it’s an angry monolith.

Hello Games

While on one planet, I discovered various animal species (shout-outs to Bailey and Jenkins, small lizard-like creatures now officially named after my dogs), gathered resources from the planet, protected myself from the elements, and died to a large nocturnal predator; all mechanics we’re familiar with in video games. But then, I arrived at a large monolith covered in unintelligible inscriptions.

In my own personal “2001: A Space Odyssey” moment, it turns out these monoliths are relics left by alien races, and you can interact with them. Hello Games’ Sean Murray says there are “thousands” of potential options — watch our interview with him below. I told the slab I was a pitiful, lower intelligence being and asked for mystical learning, which it then bestowed upon me via an alien word. Learning a particular alien race’s words help you decipher what a member of that race has to say to you, which could be the difference between life, death and sweet loot.

I found an occupied station with a strange parrot-like being inside, and after trading niceties with him, I was gifted an upgraded gun, and went on my way. Murray explained that each race has its own lore, and some are focused on a particular pursuit, like military strength or science.

The addition of these alien characters made the game feel much more immersive than previous demos I’ve seen. After hearing previously that you might never run into another player in No Man’s Sky because of the vastness of the universe, I had concerns the game would be a terrifyingly lonely experience. The addition of alien races made me feel like I was truly exploring living planets, almost like an astro-archaeologist. Yes, I just called myself the Indiana Jones of outer space.

There’s still that nagging question though, the one that’s been out there since we learned about No Man’s Sky: What’s the balance between lush, advanced worlds like the ones we explored earlier this week, and barren planets devoid of life? The inherent problem with demoing the game is that there isn’t really a way to figure that out — because the universe is so large, and its developers don’t even know what’s on most planets (they had to spend days playing around in this particular system before we sat down for our demo, so they could help show us around if we needed help), it’s almost impossible to gauge how interesting most planets might be.

After playing the game for a half hour, all I wanted was more time. No matter if you want to catalog one single planet’s life, see as much of the universe as you can, or something in between, No Man’s Sky seems to welcome you with open arms. If Hello Games can pull off a launch relatively free of bugs and glitches, gamers who love open sandboxes will be in for a treat that’s well worth the price of admission.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 makes its debut in India for ₹9,999

At a media event in New Delhi, Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi Note 3 in the Indian market. The handset is priced at ₹9,999 ($146), and is set to go on sale starting March 9 on the vendor’s online portal as well as Amazon.

The metal-bodied Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display, Snapdragon 650 SoC with four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz and two newer Cortex A72 cores at 1.8GHz, microSD slot, 16MP camera with phase detection autofocus, 5MP front shooter, LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1, and a 4000mAh battery. There’s also a fingerprint sensor at the back. On the software front, you’re looking at the latest version of MIUI 7 running on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

The phone comes in two variants: a model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB internal memory for ₹11,999 ($176), and a base model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory for ₹9,999 ($146). The handset will be assembled in India under the government’s “Make in India” initiative.

Xiaomi was the first Chinese vendor to offer attractive hardware in the budget segment, but the market has matured since the launch of the Mi 3 a few years ago, with the likes of Lenovo, Huawei, and LeEco aggressively targeting the segment. As such, the Redmi Note 3 goes up against Lenovo’s Vibe K4 Note, the Honor 5X, and the LeEco 1S.

There’s no question that the Redmi Note 3 holds its own — at least in terms of specs — when compared to other handsets on sale in this segment, but it remains to be seen if the vendor manages to make enough units available at launch to deal with the inevitable demand.

Last year was a largely forgettable one for Xiaomi in India due to its litigation with Ericsson, which prevented the manufacturer from launching its marquee products in the country. With the case now settled, it looks like Xiaomi is gearing up for a massive 2016, with its flagship Mi 5 slated to make its debut in the coming months.

Indian readers, how many of you are looking to buy the Redmi Note 3?

See at Mi.com

After 90 days with Google’s Play Music Family Plan, I’m not turning back

Change is rarely easy, and for some reason that is doubly true of music services.

My home is something of a digital mess. Between the two girls who love their iPods, the boy who only really cares about Minecraft and Terraria, the guy who moved everything from Android to iOS last year, the spouse who hates change unless I can justify it, and the tech blogger who touches everything, there’s a massive selection of services flying through our house. Spotify, iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, and Amazon’s Prime Music make up a short list of music apps that get used just about every day, and all by different people.

I didn’t hold out a lot of hope for unifying all of these people under Google Play Music All Access with the new family plans that were rolled out recently, but when I saw that the plan also included shared purchasing through the Play Store I decided to give it a shot anyway.

We’re now 90 days into this particular experiment, and I don’t think I’ll be canceling this family plan anytime soon.

Making the switch was just about as easy as you’d expect. Migrating the girls from iTunes was a little challenging since each account didn’t have a dedicated desktop experience, but asking Apple to make it easy to leave their services has always been a bit of a joke. My son doesn’t really listen to music, and the iPhone user prefers local audio so doesn’t have a compelling reason to switch. My spouse took some convincing, but that became a lot easier after two days in a row of Spotify’s streaming stations being less than acceptable.

Over time, I found the feature my girls were using the most was audio pinning. Since they have Wi-Fi-only hardware, this made a lot of sense. No need to purchase new albums if you can pin what you like and listen to it wherever you are. I’m not sure exactly how much this has saved me so far, but I’ve more than broken even against the monthly cost of the family plan just with the girls.

Ultimately I think Google is headed in the right direction with this family plan.

My son is the only Android user of the kids, and that meant I needed to decide how to handle his ability to make purchases. Ultimately, I decided not to block his access to my card, and so far that has worked out well. While I don’t take the idea of giving a six-year-old access to my credit card lightly, he’s been thoroughly educated on how to use the apps and games he enjoys playing. He asks before making a purchase, and never really bothers with in-app purchases.

The most difficult convert was my partner, and it still hasn’t fully happened yet. The biggest issue with switching from one streaming service to another is the inability to take your curated lists with you. After months of tapping the thumbs down icon in Spotify, repeating this process in Play Music isn’t exactly appealing. On the other hand, Play Music seems to offer greater variety in its radio stations and makes accessing new stations based on themes instead of artists a little easier to enjoy. In this instance, the switch from one service to another is slow but steady.

There are several small changes I’d like to see in the way Google has set up these family plans. For starters, I’d like a parent view of what my kids are listening to. Something I can access without physically picking up their hardware, just so I can occasionally check in and make sure everything is cool. Also, I’m still a big fan of remote parent authentication for purchases. I’ve not had any problems so far, but it’s still something I have to think about and it shouldn’t have to be. A family recommendation tool wouldn’t be terrible either, something I can use to jump in and suggest apps or movies or books. More like a group wish list, where anyone in the family can contribute.

Ultimately I think Google is headed in the right direction with this family plan. It’s only going to get better from here, and with any luck we’ll see deeper integration and more controls as we move into this year.

Amazon Echo Dot makes Alexa compact, Amazon Tap goes portable

Amazon’s much-loved and constantly-updated Amazon Echo smart speaker has some new Alexa-enabled companions: the compact Echo Dot and the portable Amazon Tap.

Amazon says:

Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice controlled device that uses the same far-field voice recognition as Echo. Directly connect Echo Dot to speakers with an audio cable or via Bluetooth, and add voice-control to your home stereo system. Plus, with its small built-in speaker, you can place Echo Dot in the bedroom and use it as a smart alarm clock, or in any room as a voice assistant to control smart home devices and more.

Echo Dot is not being sold via the Amazon website. Instead, it is available exclusively for Amazon Prime members who own an Amazon Echo or a Fire TV device. All they have to do is say, “Alexa, order an Echo Dot” to start the process. It is priced at $89.99.

Here’s what Amazon has to say about the Amazon Tap:

“Amazon Tap is an Alexa-enabled portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker that offers rich, full-range sound. Just tap the microphone button and ask for music, hear the news, search for information, order a pizza, and more with the Alexa Voice Service. Amazon Tap has dual stereo speakers with Dolby processing that provide crisp vocals, extended bass response, and 360° omni-directional audio.”

The Amazon Tap is available for pre-order now at $129.99 on the Amazon site, and shipments are scheduled to start on March 31.

See at Amazon

Source: Amazon

Amazon’s Alexa devices to add Nest and Honeywell thermostat support

Amazon is expanding the reach of its Alexa-enabled voice command devices like the Amazon Echo to include controlling the smart thermostats made by Nest and Honeywell.

According to The Verge:

Both companies’ Wi-Fi-connected thermostats, which are usually controlled by smartphone apps, should work with Alexa by the end of March, Amazon says. Alexa will also start working with some of Insteon’s smart home thermostats, too.

Amazon just announced two more Alexa devices, the Echo Dot and the Amazon Tap that should be able to control those thermostats alongside the Amazon Echo.

Source: The Verge

Samsung and Six Flags partner for a virtual reality roller coaster experience in the U.S.

Six Flags and Samsung have entered a new partnership that will bring a virtual reality roller coaster experience to customers in the U.S. There will be six different roller coasters to start, as well as three Superman branded coasters in different states. The experience will put you in a futuristic battle to save planet earth from an alien invasion. You are a co-pilot in a fighter jet and you can see all around you, testing your weapons and much more.

Here is a list of the roller coasters in which this technology will make its debut:

• Shock Wave at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, opening March 10 to Season Pass Holders as a special sneak preview
• Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Over Georgia outside of Atlanta, opening March 12 to Season Pass Holders as a special sneak preview
• The New Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles, opening March 26 to Season Pass Holders as a special sneak preview
• Ninja at Six Flags St. Louis in Eurek
• Steamin’ Demon at The Great Escape in Lake George, New York
• Goliath at La Ronde in Montreal

Additionally, three Superman rollercoasters will also have this experience. The locations for those are San Antonio, Texas, Agawam, MA and Upper Marlboro, MD. Six Flags has more information about the roller coaster experience on its site now.

Source: ThrillGeek