Fisher-Price Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper with SmartConnect review – CNET
The Good Fisher-Price’s SmartConnect Sleeper makes calming your baby easy and hands-free. The movement patterns work well, the cradle itself is soft and comfortable, and the sound quality is great for this type of product.
The Bad You can’t play your own music through the speakers with either an auxiliary cable or via Bluetooth.
The Bottom Line Every parent should consider buying the SmartConnect Sleeper. It’s a device you’ll probably use for at least a few hours every day, and one that calmed my baby better than any other I’ve tested yet. At only $100, it’s a steal. The app connection and flexible settings are just an added bonus.
I started reviewing baby-related technology a few weeks after my wife delivered our first child. But dealing with the forced frugality of early parenthood (our “Friday-night-movie” money has been reallocated into “diapers-and-wipes” money) at the same time as testing the trendiest and priciest infant tech has made me reluctant to label any products “must-buy.”
Then I put my infant son in the Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Auto Rock ‘n Play Sleeper with SmartConnect (or if you hate long product names like I do, the SmartConnect Sleeper). It’s a simple sleeper that works during the first year or so of your baby’s life. It keeps them comfortably on their back to avoid SIDS, and features a curved base so parents can rock their children to sleep. More notably, the SmartConnect Sleeper offers automated movement that helps soothe your child as well as a Bluetooth-connected app so you can do so hands-free. And did I mention the cost? The sleeper is $100, a surprisingly reasonable price when similar products without the smarts can cost as much as $150.
Every baby’s needs are different, but the SmartConnect Sleeper offers enough features to appeal to most parents. Personally, after testing and living with the sleeper for a couple weeks, my family’s having a hard time adjusting to life without it. It’s well worth a $100 investment if you’re in need of a little calm in the hectic life of new parenthood. For that reason, the SmartConnect Sleeper has earned CNET’s Editors’ Choice Award.
This Fisher Price Sleeper boasts low-key…
See full gallery
1 – 5 of 11
Next
Prev
What it does
The Fisher-Price SmartConnect Sleeper has a pretty standard basic design. The plush material that cradles your baby is comfortable and breathes well. The sleeper rocks on the curved tracks at its base. You can even attach the included textured plastic rings to the harness so your baby can receive tactile stimulation while falling asleep.
Here’s where the smarts come in: On the side of the sleeper, a control panel allows you to queue music, ambient sound, vibration and rocking. This control panel is replicated on the iOS and Android-compatible app with more precision — you can control vibration patterns and intensity, rocking speed and even specify particular environmental sound effects.
View full gallery
This control panel lets you toggle music and sounds, rocking speed, volume and vibration.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Other devices feature vibration and speakers (although SmartConnect’s are better than most of the competitors’ I’ve tried out). The novel addition is the automatic rocking. A short leg extends from the bottom of one of the sleeper tracks and rocks the baby. It’s a simple mechanism, but it moves the baby like you do when you’re rocking them to sleep.
MotoMods: Hasselblad camera, JBL speaker, and projector modules leak
Lenovo is reportedly getting ready to launch a new Moto Z modular smartphone line with attachable backplates known as MotoMods, and thanks to a renowned leakster, we’ve just been given a first look at three MotoMods and the different types of functionality they’ll add.
Lenovo acquired Motorola from Google a few years ago and has steadily pumped out affordable phones under various Moto-branded lines, such as the Moto X and Moto G, but now it’s thought to be introducing a whole new line called Moto Z. In fact, VentureBeat’s Evan Blass has claimed Motorola will release two new flagships this year called Moto Z Style and Moto Z Play.
Both Moto Z phones will come with attachable backplates that add functionality. They’re thought to be called MotoMods and should include a Pico projector, stereo speakers, and a camera grip with zoom lens. In the leaked picture above, published by Blass on Twitter, you can see the pico projector MotoMod, JBL speaker MotoMod, and Hasselblad Camera MotoMod.
We don’t know how the projector will work, but the speaker could replace the phone’s built-in speaker, and the camera backplate will likely cover up the built-in camera. These MotoMods will make the Moto Z a modular phone (similar to the LG G5 Friends). Other specs for the Moto Z are still sparse, but Moto Z Style could feature a quad HD 5.5-inch display and SnapDragon 820.
It might also have a 16-megapixel rear shooter, while Moto Z Play could have the Snapdragon 625, 13-megapixel sensor, and a full HD screen. We’ll know more when Lenovo-owned Motorola announces Moto Z, a brand name it just trademarked through the US Patent Office.
Another recent leak has suggested Lenovo is planning a 9 June launch event.
Urbanears has sweat-soaked headphones, if that’s what you’re into
What’s the best way to promote a line of workout headphones? Well, if you’re Urbanears, offering a “Limited Sweat Edition” that carries the perspiration of real human “movement makers” is how you go about it. The audio company teamed up with seven folks from fashion, music and sports on a group of sweat-soaked headphones that will be used to raise money for charity. Yes, it’s pretty gross, but Urbanears is playing up the Hellas wireless headphones removable headband and earpads to remind you that said funk can be removed. And yes, you can buy a fresh pair if you prefer.
Urbanears got seven people to wear the headphones during a workout and immediately bagged the sweaty audio gear afterwards. The list of folks includes running coach Knox Robinson, dancer “WilldaBeast” Adams, musician Amanda Bergman, British singer V V Brown, American model Barbie Ferreira, German fashionista Bonnie Strange and French DJ/entrepreneur Nadege Winter. If you want to buy ’em, the “WilldaBeast” Adams and Bonnie Strange headphones go on sale May 27th with others to follow. There’s only one of each, so you’ll have to act fast to drop €119 (around $133) that will be donated to charity.
Source: Urbanears
Twitch Clips share your favorite stream moments
Twitch viewers know the problem: you’ve seen something amazing on a stream that you’re dying to share, but you’d rather not make friends watch the whole stream (or remember the exact time) to relive the moment. What to do? After today, it should only take a few clicks. Twitch is rolling out a Clips feature that creates a shareable video capturing the 25 seconds before you tap the button, and 5 seconds afterward. After that, you get a web link that takes people directly to the broadcaster; if the feed is no longer live, you’ll go to the exact moment the clip began in the finished video.
Only partnered channels get to use Clips right away, and then only for “select” viewers. It’ll take a few weeks before everyone has access. When it reaches a wider audience, though, it’ll represent a big step toward giving Twitch the social video sharing that you’re used to from services focusing on pre-recorded videos.
Source: Twitch
Facebook and Microsoft are building a huge trans-Atlantic data cable
Microsoft and Facebook today have announced a partnership to build a massive underwater data cable connecting the US to Europe, an effort that’ll help the two internet giants better move data back and forth around the world. The cable, dubbed “MAREA,” should be ready by October 2017 and will have an insane estimated data capacity of 160Tbps, making it the highest-capacity subsea cable to ever cross the Atlantic.
It’s not hard to understand why having a better infrastructure for transmitting data is important to both Facebook and Microsoft. Facebook has a whopping 1.6 billion users, and that’s not counting traffic from other hugely popular services like Instagram and Whatsapp. For Microsoft’s part, its Azure cloud services use a ton of bandwidth, and that’s without mentioning its other cloud-based products like Bing, Office, Skype and Xbox Live.
The MAREA system isn’t just for Microsoft and Facebook, however. The cable will be managed by Telxius, a division of the Telefónica telecommunications company. The company will then sell off capacity from MAREA to companies in addition to Facebook and Microsoft.
The cable itself will stretch from Virginia Beach in the US to Bilbao, Spain, a rather unique path. Most trans-Atlantic cables originate in the New York City / New Jersey area, despite the fact that many huge data centers are located in Virginia. Additionally, this route further south from most large cabling systems will supposedly allow for more “resilient and reliable” data connections — something of the utmost importance when dealing with internet services like those Microsoft and Facebook deal in.
Source: Facebook (PR Newswire), Microsoft
Facebook is reportedly working on ‘shoppable’ video ads
Facebook already has ways for you to shop using ads and shop pages on the social network. In an effort to prove ads can encourage spending rather than just promoting a brand, the company is reportedly working on “shoppable” video ads. In other words, you’ll be able to buy products highlighted by a commercial or some other kind of footage with ease. As The Information explains, you’ll be able to tap on a Nike video if you want get more info about a pair of shoes that someone is wearing. If you decided you want to buy them, another tap will send you out to the retailers website.
The Information reports that the new video ads are still in the works, but there are plans to start testing them next month. If the video format sounds familiar, Google Shopping ads show you related products on the pre-roll content ahead of YouTube videos. In that case, clicking the “i” icon displays a list of items alongside pricing and retailer info.
Facebook already has dedicated a dedicated Shop section for business pages and its so-called Canvas feature makes ads a bit more interactive. Messenger chat bots were among the big announcements at this year’s F8 event, and some of those will allow you to order food while others provide updates on orders or serve as “gift concierges” to guide your shopping. Facebook is also said to be working on a way for users to save items they see for browsing later. You know, just in case you need to weight your options before committing.
Source: The Information
HTC has stopped producing the Nexus 9
As has often been the case with larger Android tablets, the Nexus 9 never quite lived up to its potential. And, it’s relatively long in the tooth, first launching back in October of 2014. Google stopped selling the device about a month ago, and now HTC has confirmed that its days are numbered. While you can still buy most models of the tablet on HTC’s site, the company says that it is no longer manufacturing the tablet. Once the stock on HTC’s site and across various other random retailers runs out, that’ll be the end of the line.
That leaves the Pixel C as the only Android tablet Google itself is selling directly. Despite some flaws, that’s probably still your best bet for a large-screen Android experience right now — and Android N should fix many of the issues we had with the tablet. And, of course, Samsung still sells a dizzying array of Android tablets, from large to, well, larger.
Given the Nexus 9’s lifespan, it’s not at all surprising that HTC has stopped manufacturing the device. HTC did confirm that it’ll continue selling and supporting the device for the near future, but if you for some reason had your eye on it and never pulled the trigger, don’t wait too long.
Via: CNET
New study shows the scale of Twitter’s misogyny problem
When then-CEO Dick Costolo admitted last year that Twitter “suck[s] at dealing with abuse and we’ve sucked at it for years,” he was addressing the elephant in the room and a frustratingly common problem for women on the platform. Although the company has taken steps to combat abuse and report real-world threats, the overwhelmingly negative attitude towards women on Twitter persists. And a new study from the UK has the data to back it up.
To quantify the woman-hating on Twitter, UK thinktank Demos looked for the words “slut” or “whore” in 1.5 million tweets sent by UK users during a three-week period from mid-April to May 2016. Using an in-house algorithm, the research team filtered out conversational or self-identifying tweets to focus only on those with clearly aggressive language aimed at another user. During that short timeframe, the study found “10,000 explicitly aggressive and misogynistic tweets” directed at 6,500 users in the UK alone, TechCrunch reports. Internationally, there were more than 200,000 tweets using the same terms directed at 80,000 users. The study also claims about 50 percent of those abusive tweets were sent by women.
For its part, Twitter’s head of trust & safety outreach for Europe, the Middle East and Asia told TechCrunch, “Our ambition, in tandem with addressing abusive behaviour, is to reach a position where we can leverage Twitter’s incredible capabilities to empower positive voices, to challenge prejudice and to tackle the deeper root causes of intolerance in society.”
And Demos is quick to note that Twitter is not the only social media platform with a misogyny problem — just the source of the data for this particular study. “It’s important to note that misogyny is prevalent across all social media, and we must make sure that the other big tech companies are also involved in discussions around education and developing solutions,” Demos researcher Alex Krasodomski-Jones wrote in a statement. “This is less about policing the internet than it is a stark reminder that we are frequently not as good citizens online as we are offline.”
Gunless MMO game ‘Absolver’ slated for 2017 release
Indie studio Sloclap has teamed with Devolver Digital on a new melee-based MMO, dubbed Absolver. The game is currently scheduled for release on both consoles and PC some point in 2017.
It follows the standard RPG trope format wherein a player’s neophyte character joins an organization — in this case, the “Absolvers” who maintain world stability through combat — and must advance through the ranks by clearing dungeons. You know, just like your first job out of school. The game will include both PvE and PvP arenas and offer all sorts of upgradeable/customizable gear. Everything from armor and weapons to combat styles and even individual attack sequences can be tweaked to the player’s preference — fingers crossed for a One Punch Man skin.
But what really sets Absolver apart from other MMOs is its utter lack of firearms. From what you can see in the reveal trailer above, characters will have access to swords, staves and maybe even some magic but projectile weapons appear strictly verboten. Also looks like players will be able to assemble themselves into mobs for large-scale PvP rioting. We’ll get a better look at the action at E3 where Devolver Digital will host hands-on demos.
Planetary Resources cancels ‘space selfie’ project
Sad news for fans of space exploration and pictures of themselves today: asteroid mining company Planetary Resources has decided to cancel its plans to launch an Arkyd 100 space telescope that would have allowed users on earth to take a “selfie” of sorts with the satellite. The project racked up $1.5 million during a Kickstarter campaign in 2013, but it wasn’t enough to get the project off the ground. While they won’t be getting a photo of themselves from space, the 17,000-plus backers will at least be getting their money back.
The project was supposed to use a specially modified Arkyd 100 telescope mounted with a second camera pointed at an external screen that would display a user’s picture and snap an extraterrestrial selfie. The company even promised users they could point the telescope at the backdrop of their choice (as long as it wasn’t the sun) and a majority of the project’s backers paid $25 for space selfie option. Another 27 contributors shelled out $10,000 for tickets to the selfie-scope’s launch, which obviously isn’t happening at this point.
“It’s a decision that we make with a heavy heart,” Planetary Resources CEO Chris Lewicki told GeekWire. While the crowdsourcing campaign shot past their expectations, Lewicki says his company couldn’t find the right partner to turn this into a real space mission.
Although the selfie-shooting satellite was a failure to launch, Planetary Resources is still preparing to put “a constellation of Arkyd 100 telescopes” in orbit by the end of 2019. Those satellites are designed for thermal infrared and hyperspectral Earth photography, however, so you might still technically be in the picture, but you’ll be a lot harder to spot.
AIVAnet 