Toymail Talkies are an adorable way for kids to safely talk with others

Why it matters to you

Staying connected with your children is a concern for many parents. Talkies offer a safe solution without the need for a phone.

These days, if parents want to stay connected with their kids while they are away, phones seem to be the only option. However, phones come with the risk of enabling children to contact, or be contacted by anyone. Toymail understands this dilemma and has specialized in alternative ways to send voice messages between family and friends.

Talkies are the latest creation from Toymail. These quirky plush characters offer a screen-free way to connect to any approved adults via the Toymail app, or to any of their friends’ Talkies. Giving a phone to a young child is completely unnecessary with a Talkie.

More: The 5 best walkie-talkies you can buy

“I have three small kids and when I hear them say things like, ‘Mommy, please don’t go!’ or ‘Promise you will come home in a few minutes,’ it breaks my heart, said Toymail cofounder Audry Hill. “I wanted to stay connected to my kids throughout the day, and I knew I wasn’t alone. Families are separated more than ever because of the demands of work, geography, and life situations such as divorce. So our technology comes at a time where this kind of connection is needed more than ever.”

Sending messages through a Talkie is simple. By connecting the toy over Wi-Fi to the Toymail app on Android, iOS, or Kindle, friends and family members can be invited to the contact list. Talkies use a three-button interface to make it easy to learn. Pressing the cloud button cycles through the approved contacts. A button with a speech bubble allows children to record their message and send it. When a Talkie has received a reply, children press the mouth to hear it speak. This simplicity allows children as young as three to use it.

Beyond its role as a messenger, Talkies react to physical play. They snore, laugh, and squeal in excitement based on the interaction. Additionally, a $3 monthly subscription can expand the features to include reminders, sleep scheduling, voice filters, and play upgrades.

At this time, Talkies come in three different character options: Gory the Shark, Hank the Dino, and Bitsy the Bat. Two other variations, Nunu the Unicorn and Boonut the Bunny, will be available in May. Each Talkie retails for $59 and can be found on Amazon.

Apple patents avatar creation app that looks like its version of Bitmoji

Apple could soon start developing an avatar creation app that would allow you to make an animated version of yourself to use across its software and online games.

The tech giant has been granted a patent for a product listed as “avatar editing environment” that looks like its version of Snap’s popular Bitmoji app or the Nintendo Mii.

The patent, which was filed in 2011, describes a mobile app, web page, or application programming interface (API) that offers the ability to craft a 2D or 3D avatar, reports MacRumors. The tool would allow users to manually or automatically craft their digital likeness by editing facial and fashion characteristics. In the vein of Bitmoji, the avatars look cartoonish rather than “real” in the illustrations Apple has provided.

Users will be able to apply their digital version to Apple’s applications, such as iMessage, FaceTime, and Mail, among others. Additionally, the API could allow developers to implement the avatars into social networks and online games.

The granting of the patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office comes at a time when Bitmoji is witnessing a surge in popularity. The Snap-owned app is currently sitting atop the iOS App Store chart and in seventh place on the Google Play Store, likely due to its parent company’s efforts to further integrate it with its flagship platform: Snapchat.

More: Lego Life is a kid-friendly social network that helps kids get out and play

Earlier this month, Snap had us scratching our heads when it cited Apple as a competitor in its S-1 filing for its initial public offering. In light of this patent, the similarities are beginning to become much clearer, especially in regards to iMessage.

Reports of Snap’s quiet acquisition of Bitmoji-maker Bitstrips first appeared in March 2016. Since then the app has gradually become a bigger part of the Snapchat experience, particularly in regards to user profiles and chat interactions.

However, there are some major differences between Apple’s concept and the current version of Bitmoji. Firstly, the Apple avatar editor would boast actual animated creations that can be set to perform actions on certain platforms. Apple uses an example pertaining to iMessage to describe this function, claiming that when a user is waiting for a response to a text the avatar can be animated to tap its foot or fall asleep.

Even more impressive are Apple’s plans for avatars in FaceTime, where they could represent each user on a video call. The respective characters can then be controlled to track each other’s movements using their eyes, head, and body.

Whether the patent ever makes the leap to fully-formed product is hard to predict, seeing as many concepts never see the light of day. But with Apple CEO Tim Cook recently touting the potential of augmented reality as tech that could one day rival the appeal of the smartphone, it’s easy to see how avatars could fit in to that future. If Apple ever does end up releasing an AR hardware device (like rumors suggest), the avatar could be one way for users to socially interact with one another — a bit like what Facebook has in store for Oculus VR. But there’s a reason why AR is still referred to as emerging tech, and Cook has admitted there’s a lot of work to be done before its ready to go mainstream.

Everything you need to know about Snapchat Spectacles

Tired of staring at your phone and ignoring your surroundings in order to stay connected? Well, Snapchat (now Snap Inc., technically) has the answer. The company’s Spectacles sunglasses have lit up the internet, a result of both the product’s unique nature and its initial limited availability.

More: Get a pair of Snapchat’s Spectacles from an actual NYC shop for a limited time

Now that Spectacles can be purchased online, avid snappers will no doubt have lots of questions about the fashion-forward eye candy, so let’s not waste time. Scroll down to learn more about Spectacles.

How to find a pair

Snap Inc.

Although Spectacles (available in black, coral, or teal) went on sale in late 2016, the limited availability means they aren’t widespread (and, for now, it’s U.S. only), giving them that cool factor first-adopters love. Snap also made Spectacles incredibly difficult to find, so even if you have the $130 to buy one, Snap wants you to jump through a few hoops. The Spectacles were distributed via Snapbots, which are special vending machines that accept credit or debit cards only. However, Snapbots were nomadic, as they never stayed in any location for more than a day. And, you would never find Snapbots in more than one location at a time. This “game” made Spectacles rare.

But on February 20, Snap began selling Spectacles on the Spectacles website, making the gadget available to any customer who wants them. Like at the Snapbots, a pair of Spectacles costs $130, plus taxes and shipping. As for the bots themselves, Snap has put them on hiatus, making a return sometime in the future, according to the company.

Snap’s pop-up Snapbot location in New York City. The store closed on February 19.

EU still unhappy with Windows 10 data collection, despite changes

Why it matters to you

If the EU has its way, Microsoft will do more to tell you what data Windows 10 is collecting, and how the company is using it.

Microsoft recently announced some changes to its Windows 10 privacy policies and configuration, making it easier to see at least some of the user information that’s being gathered and giving users some ability to change privacy settings. While those changes — some of which are coming in the impending Creators Update — were welcome, they’ve also been met with some skepticism.

Apparently, the changes aren’t enough to placate at least one major governmental body. The European Union (EU) has let Microsoft know that it’s not completely satisfied with the company’s work so far in managing Windows 10 privacy and that more remains to be done, as PCWorld reports.

More: Microsoft is giving users more control over the private data Windows 10 collects

Privacy issues in the EU are managed by the Article 29 Working Party, which represents all of the privacy regulators for each EU country. The working party wrote a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Chief Privacy Officer Brendon Lynch, in which it outlined its remaining concerns with how the company gathers data in Windows 10 and what should be done to address them.

The body’s main concerns revolve around the extent to which Microsoft informs users of what data is being passed along, and how the company plans to use the data:

“The Working Party would like to recall that user consent can only be valid if fully informed, freely given, and specific. While it is clear that the proposed new express installation screen will present users with five options to limit or switch off certain kinds of data processing, it is not clear to what extent both new and existing users will be informed about the specific data that are being collected and processed under each of the functionalities.”

Specifically, the new change to offer “full” and “basic” data gathering isn’t enough of a change to meet the EU’s requirements, because saying that Microsoft will collect “less data” isn’t specific enough for users to fully understand what’s being collected. Also, telling users what data is collected in general isn’t enough — the company should also tell users clearly and specifically how the data will be used.

While the working party doesn’t have the authority to levy any fines or otherwise dictate Microsoft’s actions, it does influence policy throughout the EU. So far, a number of European countries are conducting investigations into how Windows 10 gathers data, and so the working party’s continued displeasure with Microsoft’s policies could indicate the company is in for a bumpy road.

Verizon’s Moto G5 Plus breaks cover in new leak

The Moto G5 Plus is heading to Verizon.

Verizon has shunned the Moto G series for a few generations, but it looks like that won’t be the case this year. According to noted leaker Evan Blass, the Moto G5 Plus will be available on Verizon.

Moto G5 Plus for Verizon. pic.twitter.com/XfmzLMc8zn

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 22, 2017

The render ties up with the recently-leaked photos of the Moto G5, showing off the metal chassis, round camera housing, and large bezels up front. Rumors suggest that the Moto G5 Plus will be powered by a Snapdragon 625, the same SoC in the Moto Z Play, with the handset also offering 2GB of RAM, 64GB storage, 12MP camera, 5MP shooter at the front, and a 3000mAh battery.

Motorola will unveil the Moto G5 and G5 Plus on February 26 at Mobile World Congress, but the date on the render suggests that the Verizon version could be releasing on April 3. India and Brazil are the two main markets for the Moto G series, and the phone is likely to make its debut in these countries before arriving in the U.S.

Boeing plans to build 3D-printed modular satellites

Boeing is known for building huge, high-end satellites that cost roughly $150 million each, but that could change in the future. The aerospace corporation plans to adopt new production practices that involve the use of modular 3D-printed parts and far fewer workers than it’s used to, according to The Wall Street Journal. Its current procedures that require customized manual assembly cost too much and take far too long — apparently, you can count the number of satellites it builds in a year on two hands. Boeing’s satellite business chief Paul Rusnock told the WSJ that the company can’t continue what it’s been doing and remain competitive.

Companies that maker smaller, cheaper satellites are already using modular components to save costs and pump out as many as possible. Airbus and a startup called OneWeb (a venture founded by Richard Branson’s Virgin and Qualcomm), for instance, are in the midst of building an automated assembly line in Florida. It’ll be capable of cranking out hundreds of small satellites a year that cost roughly $500,000 each.

Boeing likely won’t be able to achieve the same level of productivity since it’s working on bigger satellites, but it’ll be able to build a lot more units in a year. Rusnock says there’s nothing stopping the company from “realizing huge reductions in production schedules.” Its ultimate goal is to find a way for its spacecraft business to replicate its aircraft division’s speed: it only takes the company 11 days to build a whole 737.

The private space corporation has already begun implementing 3D printing and some of its other new manufacturing processes in its Los Angeles facility. It’s now looking for ways to use them for select commercial projects, and it’s also working on adapting them for its different models. The downside to modular satellites is that they can only last around 7 to 8 years, half the 15-year lifespan of their highly customized hand-assembled counterparts. However, that might not exactly be a bad thing: Boeing’s clients are already talking about launching new satellites with upgraded technologies more regularly. The cheaper, modular versions will give them the opportunity to reach that goal.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

What’s on TV: ‘Ultimate Beastmaster,’ Oscars

This week we’ve got the second episode of Planet Earth II, focusing on Mountains this time. It’s also time for Netflix to kick off its worldwide reality TV show, Ultimate Beastmaster. Taking more than a few hints from American Ninja Warrior and predecessors like American Gladiators, it tests contestants with a physically challenging obstacle course. Unique wrinkles include that it will have six customized versions for different countries: Brazil, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the U.S.

Of course, the Academy Awards are also queued up for the weekend, and anime fans can grab Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex on Blu-ray — although you may want to check the reviews first — while gamers have some new Watch Dogs 2 DLC to play along with the wide release of Halo Wars 2. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Manchester by the Sea
• Bad Santa 2
• Hacksaw Ridge (4K)
• Beauty and the Beast
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig
• Halo Wars 2 (Xbox One, PC)
• Night in the Woods (PC, PS4)
• Vaccine (Xbox One, PC)
• Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (PS4)
• Watch_Dogs 2: Human Conditions DLC (PS4)
• A Pixel Story (Xbox One, PS4)
• Bokosuka Wars II (Xbox One)
• Riptide GPL Renegade (Xbox One)

Tuesday

• Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark, Netflix, 3AM
• The Mindy Project, Hulu, 3AM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• The Wall (season finale), NBC, 8PM
• The Fosters, Freeform, 8PM
• New Girl, Fox, 8PM
• The Game of Dating, TV One, 8PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
• 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 8PM
• American Housewife, ABC, 8:30PM
• The Mick, Fox, 8:30PM
• The Challenge, MTV, 9PM
• Switched at Birth, Freeform, 9PM
• Face Off, Syfy, 9PM
• D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow, CW, 9PM
• Outsiders, WGN, 9PM
• This is Us, NBC, 9PM
• Fresh Off the Boat, ABC, 9PM
• Bones, Fox, 9PM
• The Real O’neals, ABC, 9:30PM
• The Detour (season premiere), TBS, 10PM
• Stranded with a Million Dollars (series premiere), MTV, 10PM
• Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Imposters, Bravo, 10PM
• Teachers, TV Land, 10PM
• Chicago Fire, NBC, 10PM
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 10PM
• Taboo, FX, 10PM
• Killing Fields Discovery, 10PM
• Noisey (season finale), Viceland, 10PM
• Detroiters, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Throwing Shade, TV Land, 10:30PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Wednesday

• The Path, Hulu, 3AM
• Blindspot, NBC, 8PM
• Arrow, CW, 8PM
• Hunted, CBS, 8PM
• Lethal Weapon, Fox, 8PM
• Unsung: James Brown (season finale), TV One, 8PM
• Speechless, ABC, 8:30PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• Are You the One?, MTV, 9PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9PM
• Nova, PBS, 9PM
• Star, Fox, 9PM
• Major Crimes (winter premiere), TNT, 9PM
• Doubt, CBS, 10PM
• The Expanse, Syfy, 10PM
• Legion, FX, 10PM
• The Quad, BET, 10PM
• Suits, USA, 10PM
• Workaholics, Comedy Central, 10PM
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FXX, 10PM
• Match Game, ABC, 10PM
• Man Seeking Woman, FXX, 10:30PM
• Jeff & Some Aliens, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Thursday

• Supernatural, CW, 8PM
• Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8PM
• The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
• Superstore, NBC, 8PM
• The Great Indoors, CBS, 8:30PM
• Powerless, NBC, 8:30PM
• Riverdale, CW, 9PM
• How to Get Away with Murder (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• Chicago Med, NBC, 9PM
• Mom, CBS, 9PM
• My Kitchen Rules, Fox, 9PM
• Life in Pieces, CBS, 9:30PM
• The Blacklist: Redemption (series premiere), NBC, 10PM
• Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 10PM
• Baskets, FX, 10PM
• Colony, USA, 10PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 10PM
• Portlandia, IFC, 10PM
• Nirvanna the Band the Show, Viceland, 10PM
• Training Day, CBS, 10PM
• Nightwatch, A&E, 10PM
• People Just Do Nothing, Viceland, 10:30PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Friday

• Ultimate Beastmaster (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Legend Quest (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Patriot (S1), Amazon Prime, 3AM
• The Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
• Grimm, NBC, 8PM
• Macgyver, CBS, 8PM
• Last Man Standing, ABC, 8PM
• Rosewood, Fox, 8PM
• Dr. Ken, ABC, 8:30PM
• Reign, CW, 9PM
• Rise, Viceland, 9PM
• Shark Tank, ABC, 9PM
• Emerald City, NBC, 9PM
• Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 9PM
• Sleepy Hollow, Fox, 9PM
• Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds to Freedom, Showtime, 8:30PM
• Vice (season premiere), HBO, 11PM
• The Wheel, Discovery, 10PM

Saturday

• Infidelity in Suburbia, Lifetime, 8PM
• Media, TV One, 8PM
• Flyers/Penguins, NBC, 8PM
• Premier Boxing Champions, Fox, 8PM
• Ransom, CBS, 8PM
• Planet Earth II: Mountains, BBC America, 9PM

Sunday

• The 89th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 8:30PM
• The Good Fight, CBS All Access, 8PM
• The Missing, Starz, 8PM
• Big Little Lies, HBO, 9PM
• NCIS: LA, CBS, 9PM
• The Good Fight, CBS All Access, 9PM
• The Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
• Black Sails, Starz, 9PM
• Homeland, Showtime, 9PM
• Billions, Showtime, 10PM
• Trapped, Viceland, 10PM
• Girls, HBO, 10PM
• Talking Dead, AMC, 10PM
• Crashing, HBO, 10:30PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

Meitu’s new T8 phone can beautify your selfies and videos in real time

Remember Meitu, the Chinese app that can beautify your selfies? Well, it just put that same technology into a smartphone.Meitu is not only a software developer but also also a smartphone maker. And its newest flagship, the T8, has a front-facing camera with optical image stabilisation and dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF) — the sort of camera stuff you’d find in pricey flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom. It also has a feature, called Magical AI Beautification, that enhances your selfies.

• READ: What is Meitu and why is everyone using it?

Like the Meitu app, it can detect your skin tone, age, and gender, and then it applies a few adjustments. It even works on group photos, detecting and enhancing every face automatically. It smooths out wrinkles, fixes your teeth, adds glow to your skin, brightens your dark circles, and applies filters. This magic also happens in videos, in real-time no less. In other words, T8 is perfect for all the mirror-obsessed Kim Kardashians out there.

Meitu

Keep in mind other Chinese phones from the likes of LeEco and Lenovo and Oppo also offer selfie tricks like these, but Meitu is positioning the fully metallic-bodied T8 as the first smartphone to offer DSLR-level quality thanks to its dual pixel technology. Other features include a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2.3GHz processor, a 5.2-inch AMOLED display, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of onboard storage.

It also has a headphone jack. You can buy it from Meitu’s website, but it’s only for China right now. It costs 3299 RMB ($479 USD) and will be available to buy from other online retailers from 22 February. We’ll let you know if the T8 will make it to the US and UK.

Watch UPS test its new delivery van that spits out parcel-carrying drones

OK, so this isn’t your typical drone delivery service-type story.

We’ve heard that every company, from Amazon to 7-Eleven, is developing drones for delivering their goods, all in effort to wipe-out the middle man (aka delivery man) and related costs, but UPS, one of the largest delivery services in the world, is testing a new type of system that involves a drone-releasing van. Essentially, a drone leaves the UPS van, then directly drops off a package, and returns to the van, which has already moved.

• READ: 7-Eleven of all places is first to trial US commercial drone deliveries

The idea is that while the drone is doing its thing, the UPS driver can continue on down the road to the next house and deliver a package. They’re hypothetically delivering twice the amount of packages and covering double the area — but in the same amount of time. UPS estimated that if it can cut just one mile from the 66,000 routes it covers every day, the company could save roughly $50 million annually.

UPS designed a special diesel-electric delivery van that houses the UAVs. The driver only needs to hops in the back of the van, then drop a package in a delivery drone’s carrying cage, and launch it through the van’s retractable roof. The drone can autonomously do the route and return without the driver. UPS said the University of Cincinnati developed this system with Ohio-based Workhouse Group in 2014.

As for the drones, which weigh just under 10 pounds, they can fly for up to 30 minutes at a time. UPS began testing its drone system on 20 February on a sparsely populated piece of land outside Tampa, Florida. It would still need to FAA approval before a public rollout, though.

MIT researchers built an energy-sipping power converter

Researchers from MIT’s Microsystems Technologies Laboratories have built a new power supply system designed specifically for powering electronic sensors, wireless radios and other small devices that will eventually connect the Internet of Things. While most power converters deliver a constant stream of voltage to a device, MIT’s new scheme allows low-power devices to cut their resting power consumption by up to 50 percent.

The MIT system was announced at International Solid-State Circuits Conference earlier this month and maintains its efficiency at a very broad range of currents from 500 picoamps to 1 milliamp.

“Typically, converters have a quiescent power, which is the power that they consume even when they’re not providing any current to the load,” Arun Paidimarri, one of the postdocs who worked on the project said. “So, for example, if the quiescent power is a microamp, then even if the load pulls only a nanoamp, it’s still going to consume a microamp of current. My converter is something that can maintain efficiency over a wide range of currents.”

Rather than providing a continuous flow of power, the MIT step-down converter works with “packets” of energy. “You have these switches, and an inductor, and a capacitor in the power converter,” Paidimarri said, “and you basically turn on and off these switches.” The switches themselves have a circuit that release a packet of energy when the output voltage is below a specific level. If the device is using a low-power circuit — say it’s a sensor waking up to take a measurement — then the device only releases a few packets of energy. If the device needs a high-power circuit — to send a wireless signal, for example — then it can release up to a million packets per second.

What’s more, the resulting 50 percent drop in quiescent power means the researchers can start exploring other, lower-power energy sources like body-powered electronics.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: MIT News