Tell Alexa you’re hungry and she can help you order from Grubhub

Why it matters to you

Ordering food just keeps getting easier, and the latest simplification comes from a new Grubhub skill for Amazon Alexa.

First, you stopped leaving your house to get food. Now, you can stop lifting a finger to get food. We’re talking, of course, about a new Amazon Alexa skill from Grubhub, which has made it easier still for you to get your favorite meal from your favorite restaurant delivered straight to your door. Because why type when you can just talk?

With the latest Alexa skill, you’ll be able to access Grubhub’s impressive network of more than 50,000 restaurants using nothing but your voice. The skill, which is available for all Grubhub users who own an Alexa-compatible device, will allow diners to check out their last three orders, and reorder from a preferred vendor.

“We’re always looking for new ways to evolve the ordering process so that our diners can order the food they want from their favorite local restaurants, however they would want to order it,” said Sudev Balakrishnan, senior vice president of product for Grubhub. “With the new Alexa skill, we’re thrilled to offer added convenience to our diners, allowing them to quickly reorder using their voice.”

More: Alexa, vacuum the rug, and make it snappy — Roomba now responds to your voice

Using the skill is about as easy as can be. Simply enable the Grubhub skill and link your account using the Alexa app. Then, open the Grubhub skill using prompts like, “Alexa, open Grubhub,” or “Alexa, tell Grubhub I’m hungry.” From there, Alexa will respond, “Welcome to Grubhub! Here are the latest orders available for reorder.” Then, you can choose what you’d like to order, and Alexa will let you know when your food ought to be arriving.

“Ordering meals with only your voice is one of the more popular capabilities on Alexa. Customers love how convenient it is to simply ask Alexa to place an order for delivery,” said Rob Pulciani, director of Amazon Alexa. “I’m excited that customers can now reorder from Grubhub’s network of 50,000-plus restaurants, giving them even more choices as to where their next breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack will come from.”

Spring is coming, and HTC is teasing a mysterious new product launch

Why it matters to you

Could the new launch be an awesome new VR headset? Or a great new phone? Or maybe something much more subtle. We’ll have to wait and see.

Hot on the heels of its recently release flagship phones, the U Ultra and U play, HTC is prepping a new product launch. The Taiwanese company has begun teasing a new reveal titled “Spring is coming,” and it’s coming up soon — in fact, it’s scheduled for March 20.

So what will be released? Excellent questions — and we really don’t know the answer(s). HTC is remaining coy about the unveiling, and to our knowledge the phrase “Spring is coming” doesn’t directly relate to any of its products.

More: HTC wants U! Everything you need to know about the HTC U Ultra and U Play

Of course, there are a few obvious options, the first being a new smartphone. The company has been rumored to be working on a device called the HTC Ocean for some time now, but we have yet to see any official details about the phone. The upcoming HTC 11 also has yet to be launched. Despite the fact that there are a ton of rumors about new phones, we think it’s a little too soon after the launch of the HTC U Ultra for a new flagship device.

The event could also be to reveal a new HTC VR headset. HTC has been a major player in the virtual reality space for some time now, ever since it first launched the HTC Vive — a headset built in partnership with Steam-owner Valve. The Vive fast became one of the more popular virtual reality headsets, and it would make sense for HTC to want to launch a follow-up.

It’s also entirely possible that it’s a much smaller reveal. The teaser itself is very green, so perhaps the company will show off a new green color for the HTC U Ultra, or perhaps it will officially launch the sapphire screen 128GB HTC U Ultra.

Whatever is unveiled on the 20th, Digital Trends will keep you posted.

Spring is coming, and HTC is teasing a mysterious new product launch

Why it matters to you

Could the new launch be an awesome new VR headset? Or a great new phone? Or maybe something much more subtle. We’ll have to wait and see.

Hot on the heels of its recently release flagship phones, the U Ultra and U play, HTC is prepping a new product launch. The Taiwanese company has begun teasing a new reveal titled “Spring is coming,” and it’s coming up soon — in fact, it’s scheduled for March 20.

So what will be released? Excellent questions — and we really don’t know the answer(s). HTC is remaining coy about the unveiling, and to our knowledge the phrase “Spring is coming” doesn’t directly relate to any of its products.

More: HTC wants U! Everything you need to know about the HTC U Ultra and U Play

Of course, there are a few obvious options, the first being a new smartphone. The company has been rumored to be working on a device called the HTC Ocean for some time now, but we have yet to see any official details about the phone. The upcoming HTC 11 also has yet to be launched. Despite the fact that there are a ton of rumors about new phones, we think it’s a little too soon after the launch of the HTC U Ultra for a new flagship device.

The event could also be to reveal a new HTC VR headset. HTC has been a major player in the virtual reality space for some time now, ever since it first launched the HTC Vive — a headset built in partnership with Steam-owner Valve. The Vive fast became one of the more popular virtual reality headsets, and it would make sense for HTC to want to launch a follow-up.

It’s also entirely possible that it’s a much smaller reveal. The teaser itself is very green, so perhaps the company will show off a new green color for the HTC U Ultra, or perhaps it will officially launch the sapphire screen 128GB HTC U Ultra.

Whatever is unveiled on the 20th, Digital Trends will keep you posted.

Osiris is a smart water monitor that helps save you from leaks and burst pipes

Why it matters to you

Want to save money and the planet, too? The Osiris, a new smart water monitor, may be able to help.

It’s our planet’s most precious resource and you can monitor its use in your home with Osiris, the new smart water monitor. This handy little device promises to protect your home from water leaks and freezing pipes, lower your water bills, and help you better understand how you use water in your daily life. And who knows what you might do when you’re armed with that kind of knowledge?

For $65, Osiris claims to give homeowners the gift of protection — that is, protection from water waste, money waste, and, oh yeah, water damage. To install the monitor, simply tie-wrap the device onto a water pipe in your home, plug it in, and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. It ought to take just seconds to start working, and shouldn’t require any tools.

More: Here’s what dolphins do underwater when people aren’t watching

From there, Osiris will start working. The device monitors water flow and alerts homeowners should there be a leak. This will allow you to turn off your water supply, and hopefully, prevent any major damage. The Osiris will also keep an eye on freezing pipes by monitoring pipe pressure, alerting you to any potentially hazardous situations and prompting you to turn on the heater to prevent a disaster.

Similarly, Osiris will notice if you’ve accidentally left the water running, whether it’s from a hose in your backyard or the toilet in your bathroom. The smart water monitor is capable not only of finding the leak but letting you know that it’s happening so you can spring into action.

If you’re curious to see how much water you’re using, Osiris can help with that too. You can check out your daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly water usage stats, set water conservation goals, and generally feel good about doing your part to reduce water waste.

You can pre-order an Osiris for $65 from Kickstarter, with an anticipated delivery date in August.

Google’s Family Link app lets parents manage their kids’ devices

Why it matters to you

Google’s Family Link makes managing kids’ phone usage easier for parents.

Worried about what your kids are up to on the internet? Google’s made an app for that. Family Link, a new, free service for Android, lets parents manage the content of their kids’ devices.

Family Link, which is launching in limited beta on March 15 ahead of a broader launch this year, lets kids access Google services like Gmail, Maps, Chrome, and Photos. But it ties their devices to their parents’ devices, and parents get notifications about virtually everything their kids do.

More: Access denied: Our favorite, free parental control software

If they try to download an app or visit a site, parents receive a notification that they can approve or deny. They get detailed analytics of what apps their kids are using, and even a rundown of which services they spend time with.

Once parents download the Family Link app to the child’s phone and their respective smartphones, they can allow or block access to any app on the child’s device, or limit the amount of time they can spend with a specific service. Ratings and information from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and Google’s own internal review board help to indicate the age-appropriateness of apps’ content (Maps is rated “G,” for example).

Family Link includes broader device controls, too, like a feature that limits kids to a certain amount of screen time each day. Parents can set “blackout periods” during which kids won’t be able to access their devices (think dinner or bedtime), and a Lock Devices Now option instantly locks a child’s device.

More: Kids: Your illicit Chrome and Chromebook use may soon come to an end

Some Google apps offer more granular controls than others. Chrome, for example, allows three different levels of access: Unfiltered, SafeSearch (which filters websites and pages Google’s filters deem “inappropriate”), and restricted (where the child is only allowed to visit a list of sites the parent specifies). And most of Google services are available to kids.

YouTube is the exception to the rule. Family Link directs kids to YouTube Kids, Google’s child-friendly version of YouTube with built-in age controls and restrictions.

Family Link isn’t Google’s first attempt at kid-friendly controls in Android. In Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, it introduced Restricted Profiles, which locked down potentially harmful features. But it was largely an all-or-nothing affair — kids were prevented from using Gmail, for instance, and couldn’t back up photos to Google’s cloud services.

More: Facebook users in France posting photos of their kids could face fines, jail time

Targeting services at the 13-and-under crowd is a difficult business. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act restricts the kinds of information companies can collect from users 12 and under, and requires parental consent before children can share personal information such as their location, gender, or image of themselves.

Google thinks Family Link could be part of the solution.

“There’s always a concern if [kids] are going to stumble into some dark alley on the internet,” Amar Gandhi, Google’s director of product management told Mashable. “This is a problem we think Google can solve. A lot of the people who worked on this project are parents. We never think tech is a substitute for parenting, but we do think technology can help.”

U.S. will charge two Russian spies and two hackers in 2014 Yahoo breach

Why it matters to you

The U.S. is trying to hold those responsible for the Yahoo hack accountable, but it’s likely only one of the four charged will see court time here.

The U.S. Department of Justice will charge two Russian spies  and two hackers with targeting Yahoo and breaching more than 500 million users’ accounts, The Washington Post reports. Yahoo had previously accused “state-sponsored” hackers of carrying out the attack.

A source within the department said the charges will amount to the largest hacking case ever brought by the U.S. government. These charges include hacking, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and economic espionage.

The two spies have been named by The Washington Post as Igor Sushchin and Dmitry Dokuchaev, who both work for FSB, the Russian equivalent of the FBI’s Cyber Division investigating cybercrimes.

Dokuchaev, who used the pseudonym “Forb”, was actually arrested by Russian authorities in December for treason over reportedly handing information to the CIA. He allegedly agreed to carry out work for the FSB to avoid prosecution. Sushchin is believed to be his senior in the FSB.

More: Yahoo knew about its huge email hack two years ago

As for the two other hackers, one is named as Alexsey Belan, who is on the FBI’s most-wanted list for cybercrime. He remains in Russia and has been charged twice before by the U.S. The second hacker is Karim Baratov, who was arrested on Tuesday in Canada.

While the U.S. may decide to charge the four Russians, it’s unlikely that all four would ever be brought to court here with the exception of Baratov. The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Russia. The charges are intended as a deterrent.

This lack of agreement has protected many alleged Russian hackers in various cases from being prosecuted but there have been cases of Russians traveling to other countries where there is indeed an extradition treaty with the U.S.

The Yahoo hack was disclosed late in 2016 but it took place in 2014. It was considered one of the largest breaches in history until the company was forced to disclose yet another breach from 2013 where 1 billion accounts were compromised. The blunders ultimately led to Yahoo’s sale price to Verizon being slashed.

It’s unknown if the 2013 and 2014 hacks are related or were carried out by the same culprits.

Human, all too human: Study shows that lifelike, emotional AI seems to creep people out

Why it matters to you

The uncanny valley poses a big challenge for roboticists and AI developers who want to make lifelike machines.

In 1970, roboticist Masahiro Mori coined the term “uncanny valley” to explain how machines will suddenly and drastically creep a lot of people out as they become more humanlike. Eventually, as the robots are refined, they’ll emerge from the valley and be met with more positive responses, but the valley has nonetheless been established as an obstacle for developers who want to create lifelike androids.

Though Mori’s uncanny valley is concerned with a replica’s physical form, new research suggests that there’s also a valley to be overcome when it comes to a bot’s intellect.

In a paper published this month in the journal Cognition, researchers Jan-Phillip Stein and Peter Ohler present what they’ve termed the “uncanny valley of the mind,” in which participants reported being feelings of unease when faced with relatively intelligent avatars.

In their study, Stein and Ohler asked 92 participants to wear a virtual reality headset and watch the same scene of avatars making small talk. However, the participants were given one of four different scenarios. One group was told the avatars were human-controlled and that the conversations were scripted. Another group was told the avatars were human-controlled and that the conversations were created by an artificial intelligence. A third group was told the avatars were computer-controlled and that the conversation was scripted. The final group was told the avatars were computer-controlled and that the conversations were created by AI.

J.-P.Stein, P. Ohler., Cognition 160 (March 2017) © Elsevier B.V.

The last group reported an eerier response from watching the scene than the other participants. Even though the characters and the scenes were the same, the thought that a natural-sounding dialogue was created by a computer seemed to creep people out.

“You would think that after the friendly and chatty dialogue, there couldn’t be such a strong sense of unease towards these virtual entities, and yet some of our students reported strong discomfort as the characters moved closer to them,” Stein told Digital Trends.

More: Oxford scientists are building robots that ‘wear’ artificial skin before it’s transplanted

Stein suggested that the reason for such unease could come from the participants feeling challenged about what makes us unique as humans.

“You could call it ethical taboo or an injury to narcissism,” he said. “People regard some concepts as distinctively human…and dislike it when other beings conquer these domains. It makes them feel that they’ve lost part of their superiority, and I believe that this basically means a loss of control. ‘What if the machine doesn’t feel like obeying me?’

“Something that we regard as intrinsically human is taken away,” he added, “and at the same time, we might have to worry about the immediate consequences to our safety. Hard not to feel a little tingly about that.”

To avoid the classical (physical) uncanny valley, roboticists sometimes develop replicas that are obviously not human, such as by making them look overly cute, cartoonish, or by revealing their inner wires and mechanics. Stein suggested developers could also create emotionally aware technology to seem distinctively robotic.

Windows 10 customers can reserve a seat in the upcoming Creators Update rollout

Why it matters to you

Microsoft’s new scheme enables customers to reserve their spot in the Creators Update rollout so they’re not still waiting two months later.

Microsoft is eagerly anticipated Creators Update for Windows 10 is coming soon, and the company is now providing customers with a chance to grab a reserved spot in the rollout. To find out how, users simply head into the Settings app and click on the Windows Update option. If the latest patches are installed, users will see a message about Creators Update.

Keep in mind that as of this publication, Creators Update isn’t immediately available to install. Instead, the company provides a “Yes, show me how” link leading to a web page thanking the user for taking an interest in Creators Update. When the upgrade will actually be made available is unknown, but it isn’t slated to be finalized until the end of March, so don’t expect a notification anytime soon.

More: Windows 10 Creators Update is getting close, if the just-released build is any indication

“We’re finalizing the update and will be ready to share it with you soon,” Microsoft states. “When the update is ready for your device, you’ll receive a notification asking you to review your privacy settings before downloading the update.”

Windows 10 Creators Update will likely arrive sometime during April. This release is significant in that it brings Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform (formerly known as Windows Holographic) to the masses. It will enable virtual reality and augmented reality experiences through the use of third-party mixed reality headsets. Microsoft is essentially pushing the desktop to be more of an interactive experience.

Of course, interested customers can choose to jump into the Windows Insiders club to get an early taste of what’s to come in Windows 10. Members began receiving Creators Update bits late last year, such as immediate access to the Paint 3D Preview app that moves beyond the flat 2D creation tools found in the original Paint program. Users can create and/or incorporate 3D objects into their scene, and upload/download 3D objects from Microsoft’s dedicated online portal.

Creators Update also beefs up the PC gaming experience on Windows 10. A new Gaming section will be added to the Settings app for modifying the Game Bar, GameDVR, and Broadcasting features. It will also sport a new Game Mode setting that supposedly turns off unnecessary services in the background to boost performance. Some of the supported PC games include Battlefield 3, Paragon, Rocket League, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Sims 4, and more.

Microsoft’s new Creators Update ploy in the Settings app may be the company’s way of seating eager customers in the front lines when the update finally begins to roll out next month. Microsoft’s Anniversary Update officially went live on August 2, 2016, but many customers didn’t see the upgrade until November. Thus, the new Settings teaser may be a way of getting users who actually want the update immediately to reserve their spot in the initial wave.

There’s definitely lots to be excited about in Creators Update. Microsoft may make an even bolder push in the coming weeks using notifications and other means to get customers excited enough to reserve their spot in the rollout.

Turn (almost) any bike into an electric bike with the UrbanX wheel

Why it matters to you

UrbanX lets you own an electric bike without compromising on design.

If you’re in the mood — but not the market — for a conventional electric bicycle, a new Kickstarter campaign might have you covered with UrbanX, a wheel that converts almost any standard bike into an ebike.

“During my years in the e-bike trading business, I learned that customers have their own unique idea of the perfect ebike design, and most cyclists have their own favorite bikes lying at home,” Eric Chow, UrbanX founder and CTO, told Digital Trends. “So I thought, ‘Why not make a kit that is easy enough for anyone to install without any skills needed, that would help customers save their money, help the planet saves resources, and help the customer get their very special ebike to their own best taste?’”

More: Carvon’s next-gen electric skateboards boast all-wheel drive, can hit 35 mph

UrbanX boasts 350 watts of power, a 20 MPH top speed, and 30-mile range on a single battery, according to the company. They’ve packed that into just 15 pounds. Perhaps most impressive of all is the company’s claim that it takes just 60 seconds to attach the UrbanX. “Simplicity is one of the key features that we emphasize from the beginning,” Chow said.

To be sure, you’ll need to detach your original wheel, attach the UrbanX in its place, secure the throttle to the handlebar, and then connect the wheel to the throttle cable — so one minute might be a bit optimistic, but the transition should still be quick.

With UrbanX attached, the bike can function in three modes: full-electric, hybrid pedal assist, and as a traditional bike. An UrbanX app also offers distance, speed, and battery life tracking.

Chow said the UrbanX doesn’t yet fit fatbikes.

A limited number of UrbanX Booster Throttle versions (350w motor, 20 MPH top speed) are available on Kickstarter for $399. The cheaper models (240w motor, 15 MPH top speed) are available for $299. At the time of publishing this article just over 100 backers have pledged over $48,250 with 40 days to go.

Fossil’s Android Wear 2.0 updates now arriving for 3 models

Getting the latest software can help you love your smartwatch again.

Fossil hasn’t made too many splashes since it first had attention around its original Q Founder smartwatch release, but now it’s rolling out Android Wear 2.0 to its 3 compatible models. The second-gen Q Founder is getting the update, as are the Q Marshal and Q Wander.

Once updated, the three Fossil watches will work identically to the LG Watch Sport (minus the hardware differences, of course), including the Google Assistant, new navigation system, standalone apps, notifications and Google Fit fitness tracking. The one difference here will be Fossil’s exclusive watch faces, which will carry over to add a bit more style to your wrist.

More: Android Wear 2.0 review

If you’re using an Android Wear watch that isn’t a Fossil and haven’t yet received the 2.0 update, you can see a complete list of what models will be updated right here. Over 20 different smartwatches will be getting the update.

Android Wear

• Everything you need to know about Android Wear 2.0
• LG Watch Sport review
• LG Watch Style review
• These watches will get Android Wear 2.0
• Discuss Android Wear in the forums!

Press release:

Fossil +Android Wear 2.0

Android Wear 2.0 is coming to Fossil touchscreen display smartwatches. Android Wear 2.0, the biggest update since its launch in 2014, expands your smartwatch experience through customizable dials, user-friendly notifications and messaging, downloadable third-party apps, and help from your Google Assistant*. This launch will start rolling out onto Fossil Q Wander, Q Marshal, and Q Founder 2.0 today.

“We know our customers want innovative ways to stay connected and to be able to customize the exact features that mean something to their lives,” says Jill Elliott, Chief Creative Officer of Fossil Brand. ” The Android 2.0 update offers both iOS and Android users alike limitless new options for their touchscreen smartwatches: the ability to customize their watch face with applications that fit their personal life, a more conversational notification experience and intuitive, real-time activity tracking.”

We entered the market because, as creatives, we felt there was a void of beautifully designed smartwatches where users could customize the technology to their unique lifestyle. With the features outlined below, this update ultimately reinforces our efforts to allow users to stay connected to the information that’s most important to them.

STANDALONE APPS

• Both iOS and Android users can now benefit from third-party standalone apps with enhanced functionality.
• Information at a glance is given a whole new meaning: users can customize their watch faces with the information they use the most and create app shortcuts to play music, call a car, or check their latest fitness goals.
• Apps can now quickly be downloaded through the on-watch Google Play Store.
• Android Wear 2.0 brings the Google Assistant* to your watch. Simply hold the power button on your watch or say “Ok Google”. Users can ask about the weather, play music, or ask for directions.

USER NAVIGATION & DESIGN

• Android Wear 2.0 features a new design from top to bottom including a more user-friendly navigation experience.
• The user interface is now darker which makes it easier for the user to read and improves battery life.
• Now, regardless of whether you have iOS or Android phone, users can customize the style (including exclusive Fossil Q watch faces) and information on their watch, and updates make it easier than ever for users to swipe from one watch face to another.
• There are three new ways to respond to text messages. This update allows the user to be more conversational—you can see the whole text and respond with a variety of choices including a watch keyboard, handwriting, or Smart Reply.

FITNESS

• Android Wear 2.0 comes with an improved workout experience through Google Fit.
• Track runs, bike rides, strength training (i.e pull-ups, push-ups), and more.
• Users can now measure calories, pace, distance, and additional exercises based on settings.
• As long as connection to cellular activity or Wifi-users can stay motivated while working out by streaming music right from your watch.