SmartDuvet Breeze adds temperature control to the self-making bed cover

Why it matters to you

Everyone sleeps at a different temperature and no one really likes making the bed when they wake up. Smartduvet Breeze takes care of it.

Smartduvet impressed us when it tfirst announced its self-making bed. Now, with the launch of the Smartduvet Breeze, the company added the ability for dual-zone climate control.

When it comes to falling asleep, everyone feels comfortable at a different temperature. Some like to be warm and toasty. Others like to be more on the cold side. Smartduvet Breeze allows users to individually set the temperature on either side of the bed, all without losing the tech that the company has become known for.

Just like the original Smartduvet, the updated model uses a seamless, ultra-light inflatable sheet that sits between the duvet and the duvet cover. When the bed-making feature is activated, a small device beneath the bed inflates the main air chamber, lifting the duvet back to its original position. A smaller network of air channels takes care of delivering conditioned air, allowing the duvet to keep cool without inflating the main chamber.

According to Smartduvet, Breeze could significantly lower energy consumption during the hot summer months. Instead of cooling down the entire home for a good night’s sleep, users could cool their body directly. Alternatively, the control box can provide warm, dry air to keep users warm in the winter months. Couples that prefer different temperatures could also take advantage of the dual zone climate control. No longer will users need to compromise with their loved one when it comes to sleeping.

As we said with the previous Smartduvet, the bed-making feature appeals to anyone that hates making beds or simply doesn’t have the time. Elderly people or those with disabilities may also benefit greatly from the ease of a self-making bed. Each day can be programmed for when to make the bed, great for users who would like to sleep in on the weekends.

Currently, the Smartduvet Breeze is available in various bed sizes on IndieGoGo. Prices start at $199, with bigger discounts given to families who might buy multiple units. Shipments are expected to go out this September.

Check out Digital Trends for more of the latest sleeping technology, like how your sleep tracker may actually be disturbing your sleep.

Disney may let guests throw Captain America’s shield in VR

Detailed within a new patent application filed by Disney, a new attraction at Disney theme parks may put guests into the shoes of Marvel’s Captain America. The patent details a physical rail that would attach to the guest’s forearm as well as a physical shield that slides along the rail.

When a guest attempts to throw the shield like Captain America, the physical shield will slide to the end of the rail. Utilizing a motion sensor on the rail, a virtual reality shield would appear in front of the guest and travel in the direction of the throw.

The patent application specifically states “In one embodiment, the throwing apparatus is a toy device that permits the user to play the role of a superhero who uses the projectile to attack virtual or physical targets (e.g., toys) or defend against attacks from the targets or other players in an immersive storytelling environment.”

Similar to the Marvel movies, the VR shield would appear to “boomerang” back to the user if the target was hit. This would likely reset the physical shield on the rail for the next throw or for a defensive position to block attacks. Some targets within the attraction will be more difficult to hit. For instance, a super-villain like Red Skull would likely be more difficult to take down than a simple Hydra agent.

It’s possible this attraction will be similar to Disney’s Toy Story Mania, a ride that lets users shoot virtual reality darts and rings while wearing 3D glasses. Guests would simply board the Marvel themed ride and throw the shield at enemies when stopped at each storytelling event.

It’s not surprising that Disney is taking advantage of more Marvel characters within the theme parks. Starting during late May 2017, the “Avengers Training Initiative” at the Disney California Adventure park puts on a live, interactive stage event for young kids.

In addition, Disney has incorporated the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise into the park already with the opening of the Mission Breakout attraction; previously known at the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The new theme includes an original story directed by James Gunn as well as appearances from Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benicio del Toro, and Bradley Cooper (the voice of Rocket Raccoon) in the filmed segments.

ZTE Axon 7 Mini gets surprising Android 7.1.1 update, support for T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling

The ZTE Axon 7 Mini is one of the best phones under $200, and it’s got software likely newer than your phone.

ZTE’s Axon 7 flagship got an update to Android 7.1.1 in March, and it looks like the company is following through with its promise to do the same for its smaller, less powerful (but just as well-designed) Axon 7 Mini.

The phone, which sports a 5.2-inch Full HD display, shipped with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and is making the jump right past 7.0 to Android 7.1.1. A Nougat preview for the phone was advertised on the company’s forums back in March, and it seems like everything went well, since it’s being released to the public.

The update reportedly improves performance and fixes bugs, and adds all of Nougat’s existing features, including multi-window and support for in-line notification replies and more. Android 7.1.1, if you recall, added new emojis and support for round icons and app shortcuts, among other things. All of those are here, plus a few ZTE-specific additions, including support for T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling.

Earlier this year, we called the ZTE Axon 7 Mini the best phone you can buy for under $300, thanks to its combination of design, performance, camera quality and software. And while, with the Moto G5 Plus, that crown may be close to being relinquished, it’s still a great device, especially at its newly-discounted price of $199.

See at Amazon

If you currently have a ZTE Axon 7 Mini, grab the update now by going to Settings —> System Update. Just remember that the phone needs to be charged up to 30%, and it may restart a number of times during the procedure.

Do you have a ZTE Axon 7 Mini? How’s it holding up after all these months? Let us know in the comments!

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick steps down

The New York Times reports that, under heavy pressure from a large group of company shareholders, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is stepping down. Despite a reputation for scandals that appeared to be accelerating — sexual assaults by drivers, “greyballing” regulators, disputes over driver pay and a corporate culture teeming with sexual harassment — Kalanick had remained the company’s leader, and announced a week ago that he would take a leave of absence.

Developing…

Source: New York Times

Tesla reshuffles its Autopilot self-driving team

Earlier this year Tesla announced engineer Chris Lattner would leave Apple and lead its Autopilot engineering team, but just five months later he is departing. Lattner, the designer of Apple’s Swift programming language, tweeted “Turns out that Tesla isn’t a good fit for me after all,” while Tesla announced it has hired Andrej Karpathy, “one of the world’s leading experts in computer vision and deep learning.” He will become the company’s Director of AI and Autopilot Vision, reporting directly to CEO Elon Musk, who he may know well from his previous job as a research scientist at the Musk-backed OpenAI.

Tesla spokesperson:

Andrej Karpathy, one of the world’s leading experts in computer vision and deep learning, is joining Tesla as Director of AI and Autopilot Vision, reporting directly to Elon Musk. Andrej has worked to give computers vision through his work on ImageNet, as well as imagination through the development of generative models, and the ability to navigate the internet with reinforcement learning. He was most recently a Research Scientist at OpenAI.

Andrej completed his computer vision PhD at Stanford University, where he demonstrated the ability to derive complex descriptions of images using a deep neural net. For example, identifying not simply that there is a cat in a given picture, but that it is an orange, spotted cat, riding on a skateboard with red wheels on brown hardwood flooring (http://cs.stanford.edu/people/karpathy/main.pdf). He also created and taught “Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Recognition,” the first and still leading deep learning course at Stanford.

Andrej will work closely with Jim Keller, who now has overall responsibility for Autopilot hardware and software

Re: Chris Lattner

Chris just wasn’t the right fit for Tesla, and we’ve decided to make a change. We wish him the best.

Source: Chris Lattner (Twitter)

IBM supercomputers will power global weather forecasts

IBM’s supercomputers might soon power the weather-predicting systems of tomorrow. Through its subsidiary The Weather Company, the computing titan has partnered with the University Corporation for Academic Research (UCAR) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to move beyond today’s regional-scale forecasting to anticipate weather at the local level…and aspire to introduce the first model that covers the whole globe.

Current tech forecasts massively-sized meteorological systems that influence regional weather, like snowstorms and hurricanes. The model this IBM collaboration wants to build would account for the influence smaller events (like thunderstorms) have on local weather. IBM will join with UCAR to co-design a computational solution that runs on the former’s POWER9-based systems, which are set to launch at the end of the year. The Weather Company will use this computing powerhouse to adapt NCAR’s community-weather model to a global scale and refine the longer-term predictions to make more accurate forecasts weeks or months out.

Source: IBM

Former Epix exec pleads guilty over $7 million fraud

In 2009, Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM joined forces to launch a premium movie channel called Epix, with Emil Rensing as its Chief Digital Officer. Turns out hiring Rensing was a bad move: according to the Justice Department, he has just pleaded guilty to defrauding the network $7 million over his five-year employment with the company. The former exec apparently used his position to forge contracts between the network and vendor companies he himself owned and controlled. He then used the names of business associates and acquaintances as vendor personnel, setting up fake email accounts for each one of them to make them look legit.

Rensing would apparently use those dummy accounts to pose as the people whose identities he stole in order to communicate with the network about payment. The vendors never performed the services they promised, though, and the real people behind the names had no idea what the exec was doing. Acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a statement:

“Emil Rensing, an executive at a premium cable network, defrauded his employer out of more than $7 million by causing the network to pay companies Rensing controlled for services that were never rendered. To conceal his role in the payments, Rensing used false and stolen identities and dummy email accounts. I want to thank the FBI for their work to hold Rensing accountable for his crimes.”

A few months ago, Rensing pleaded not guilty to embezzling $8.5 million — people familiar with the matter said part of that amount is likely made up of legitimate expenses. He has changed his plea now that the amount is down to $7 million, admitting guilt to one count of wire fraud, which could lead to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release. It was probably the best course of action for him, since his deal with prosecutors didn’t require him to plead guilty to aggravated identity theft, as well.

According to Variety, Rensing is far from the only entertainment executive who got tempted by all the millions thrown around in the industry. The publication says the industry is “ripe for thievery” since media companies have grown so big in recent years, overwhelming their financial departments. As a result, questionable transactions take years to discover, if they’re even discovered at all.

Source: Reuters, US Department of Justice

Windows Store receives an important addition with Spotify Windows 10 app

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Windows 10 S user, you’re no longer quite so limited in which streaming music apps you can run.

With the recent introduction of Windows 10 S, which limits app installations to the Windows Store, Microsoft needs more developers to make apps that work within that limitation. The most important developers are those supporting major services and the Windows Store just got a major infusion with the addition of Spotify.

Spotify created a Windows 10 app and made it available for installation via the Windows Store. The means that Windows 10 S users — and everyone else running Windows 10 Anniversary Edition or later — can now install the client for possibly the most popular music streaming service available.

As of June, Spotify has more than 140 million active users, ranking it among the largest in terms of number of users of any music service. And, perhaps even more important, as of March, more than 50 million of them were paid subscribers. That dwarfs the next largest paid service, Apple Music, which sat at 27 million subscribers as of last week.

Spotify’s success makes it a particularly important addition to the Windows Store. Now, users of Microsoft’s first traditional notebook, the Surface Laptop that ships by default with Windows 10 S, have access to a client for another paid streaming music service other than Microsoft’s own Groove Music.

As mentioned earlier, you need to be running Windows 10 Anniversary Edition or later if you want to install the Spotify app from the Windows Store. Once you do, then you will have access to all of its most popular features, including full search capabilities and music discovery, access to all of the service’s curated playlists, and more.

Furthermore, the Windows 10 Spotify app works with both free and premium accounts and you can access your music offline as well. The app is available in all 60 countries where Spotify is supported and it works similarly to the Win32, or Windows desktop, app that was already available for download.

Microsoft has been pushing developers to publish their apps on the Windows Store for years, arguing that doing so improves security and performance and provides for a more seamless experience for users. Apple surprised the industry at Microsoft’s Build 2017 conference by announcing that iTunes will be coming to the Windows Store, meaning that even Apple fans will be able to more easily manage their music on Windows 10.

There are still people in parts of the world who use Android Market on Android 2.1

Google is officially ceasing support for Android’s archaic app store on Eclair at the end of the month.

Do you remember using the Android Market to download apps for your smartphone? Google announced that it will cease support for the relic app on Eclair devices at the end of June.

In the Android Developers Blog, Google’s Maximilian Ruppaner writes:

On June 30, 2017, Google will be ending support for the Android Market app on Android 2.1 Eclair and older devices. When this change happens, users on these devices will no longer be able to access, or install other apps from, the Android Market. The change will happen without a notification on the device, due to technical restrictions in the original Android Market app.

The news is hardly revelatory. Developers don’t support Eclair, anyway, since it’s so old. Many other third-party app makers have also ceased support in the last few years, focusing instead on maintaining support for Android 2.3 Gingerbread and up. But there are still people out there using smartphones from that era, either because they can’t afford to purchase a new device or because that’s all they’ve had access to. Granted, the Android Platform Version numbers don’t include the tally of users still on Eclair — or Froyo, for that matter — but the heavily worded blog post seems to suggest that it was published as a warning to the stray few.

Anyway, consider the rest of the month your chance to mourn the past and look ahead to new beginnings.

Android O

• Everything new in Android O
• Should you put Android O on your phone?
• How to get the Android O Beta on your Pixel or Nexus
• Join the Discussion

We’ve reached peak fidget spinner, thanks to Google

If you’ve managed to avoid fidget spinners thus far – whatever you do, don’t Google the word “spinner”.

The fidget spinner craze, which swept the world this spring, may finally seem like its on the way out, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for Google to jump on board. Redditors recently discovered that Google made an easter egg out of fidget spinners. It basically hid a virtual spinner inside Google search. In order to find the simulation, you have to search the right word: spinner.

You can’t search “fidget spinner” or “spinners”. It only works for “spinner”. Once you type in the correct variation, you should see a fidget spinner appear, whether you’re on mobile or desktop, as long as you use Chrome or Firefox. To get the toy spinning, do a rotating motion with your mouse, or just click the designated spin button. You can even swap out the spinner for a wheel.

• Google may only release two Pixel phones, one possibly made by LG
• Waymo killed its adorable self-driving cars to focus on minivans
• Google Pixel 2 could come with an 18:9 display

Fidget spinners are marketed as a toy you can use to relieve stress. They’re now considered one of the must-have gadgets of 2017. They’re like the Tamagotchi or Beanie Babies of the late 1990s; they emerged out of nowhere and became an overnight sensation.

Now, courtesy of Google, we may have reached peak fidget spinner.