They’re not just self-lacing, these Smartshoes warm your toes, too

Why it matters to you

This Smartshoe won’t just keep your feet warm with special heating pads, it will track your health and offer insights, too.

There have been numerous attempts to bring a version of Marty McFly’s iconic self-lacing sneakers from 1989’s Back to the Future Part II to life over the years — including a pretty dope do-it-yourself effort.

However, French shoe startup Digitsole’s new Smartshoe stands as one of the most intriguing efforts yet.

Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, it’s a pair of kicks that do nit just look like they come from the future but boast a plethora of smart features, ranging from auto-lacing functionality and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity for activity tracking to movement sensor-based health analytics and built-in heating pads.

“We don’t want to gadgetize footwear, we want to make the most of it,” Malik Issolah, the marketing manager for Digitsole, told Digital Trends. “We started by developing connected insoles, heating and tracking. Then our passion for footwear pushed us to create the craziest shoes. And what’s crazier than a shoe that works by itself? It started as a fun experiment, but then we realized this innovation could make a real change for people who struggle to put shoes on for various reasons. We thought it was high time we came up with a shoe that could meet most any people’s needs in terms of health monitoring. That’s why we included an auto-regulated heating system for comfort and blood circulation issues, a tracker to keep an eye on your activity, and finally a 3D analyzer to give you a full report of your health.”

As Issolah says, the idea of a shoe that can analyze the way and warn of possible injury risks, or even chronic disease, sounds crazy. However, if the team has pulled it off as well as they claim, this could be a real game-changer.

Right now, you can pre-order the Smartshoe on Kickstarter, with prices starting at $199 for a pair of shoes, premium shoebox, micro-USB cable, and user manual. Shipping is set to take place in December.

You may finally get the chance to talk to Samsung’s Bixby by the end of June

Why it matters to you

If you purchased a Galaxy S8 on the promise of Bixby, you’re likely disappointed. Hopefully, that disappointment shouldn’t last much longer.

It was billed by Samsung as the Galaxy S8’s defining feature — one that would put it on equal footing with the iPhone and Google’s Pixel in terms of artificial intelligence. But well over a month since the launch of Samsung’s flagship smartphone, owners outside South Korea are still waiting for Bixby to make its full debut. According to the latest from The Wall Street Journal, that day is getting closer — and not a moment too soon.

Sources told the publication that Samsung is eyeing a late June release for Bixby’s voice features. That could exceed the phone maker’s initial target of the spring, but it is the excuse for the delay that makes the situation considerably less encouraging. Samsung is reportedly still having trouble getting Bixby to comprehend English grammar and syntax.

Although Samsung did not provide a concrete answer for its tardiness at the time, the very same reason was rumored back in April, weeks before the Galaxy S8’s launch. The company has had better success in its own market and released Bixby Voice for South Korean users in early May.

“Bixby Voice benefits from time to further enhance natural language understanding, and we are currently growing our user testing in the U.S. to prepare for launch,” a Samsung representative told Digital Trends. “Key features of Bixby, including Vision, Home and Reminder, are available now.”

The Galaxy S8 launched with a dedicated hardware key for the new virtual assistant, which is planned to arrive in many other devices from tablets to kitchen appliances down the line. Bixby could prove its worth as a utility for your smart home — but until then, it is merely a stand-in for Apple’s Siri and the Google Assistant, with a noticeable lack of differentiating features.

As Bixby’s launch appears to still be weeks away, users will have to continue inquiring Google Assistant before that button on the left side of the Galaxy S8 is given any real purpose. Pressing it now merely leads to Hello Bixby, a feed of Google Now-like cards that consists of weather updates, reminders, calendar notifications and links to news stories that might interest you.

Waze Carpool to go live across California, so take a break from driving

Why it matters to you

Waze’s Carpool could serve as a more cost-effective option that gets cars off the road instead of onto them.

In some good news for the environment, it would appear that carpooling is gaining in popularity. Or at the very least, Waze’s Carpool option is gaining in popularity. The Google-owned map app first introduced its ridesharing program last fall, and following successful trials in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Monterey, is expanding the service to all of California. Starting June 6, any and all California residents will be able to hitch a ride to work, back home, or to the beach with other Waze drivers, saving the environment (and some gas money to boot).

While Waze is still first and foremost a navigation app, one of its most defining characteristics is its dependence upon its community. Waze users report everything from bad weather to traffic jams to police presences, sharing this veritable treasure trove of information with other users. And now, they can also share their cars.

The concept is simple. As Waze explains on its website, you simply need to tell Carpool where you live and work, and you’ll be matched with a fellow Wazer headed in your direction. “When it’s time, one Wazer picks up the other and off they go,” Waze explains. And as for payment, it’s set in advance based on distance. You’ll share the cost of the ride (gas, mileage, etc.) with your driver, and you’ll be charged when you’re dropped off. It’s certainly a cost-effective alternative to Uber or Lyft, as Waze drivers won’t make any more than 54 cents a mile. So suffice it to say that you shouldn’t quit your day job if you’re looking to drive Carpool to actually make money. But the point of Carpool is more about getting cars off the road and ensuring a more efficient manner of travel than it is about turning a profit.

In any case, if you’re a Californian looking for a day off of driving, you might look into Waze Carpool.

Switzerland’s new ‘air-scrubbing’ plant sucks CO2 out of the atmosphere

Why it matters to you

This new facility may change the way nations combat climate change.

A company in Switzerland recently unveiled the world’s first commercial so-called “air-scrubbing” plant designed to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide. At the 2015 Paris climate conference, 195 countries adopted the legally binding global climate deal aimed at limiting the rise in temperature to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit and air-scrubbing technologies are pivotal to this overall objective.

The first of its kind direct air capture (DAC) unit utilizes 18 Climeworks carbon dioxide collectors on top of a waste utilization plant, KEZO, to filter CO2 from the atmosphere. This concentrated CO2 is then supplied to a greenhouse — located just a quarter mile down the road — where it is used as fertilizer to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. The DAC itself is powered by low-grade waste heat generated by the KEZO complex.

Over the course of a year, the facility can filter an estimated 900 tonnes of CO2 or the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gases created by nearly 200 passenger vehicles, according to Bloomberg. As part of the “scrubbing” process, CO2 is deposited on the surface of a series of filters. Once each is fully saturated, the CO2 is then isolated where it can then be sold to markets ranging from the energy sector to the automotive industry. While this DAC facility may have a rather limited capacity at its current scale, Climeworks has much loftier objectives moving forward.

“It’s our ambition to capture one percent of global CO2 emissions in 2025,” Climeworks co-Chief Executive Officer and founder Jan Wurzbacher told Bloomberg.

Right now, the company can manufacture about 150 air capture units per year and Climeworks hopes partnerships like the one underway at the KEZO facility will foster further growth and commercialization in the years to come. Climeworks plans to use this pioneering project to start pilot programs in other markets and potentially implement an underground storage component to the process.

JetBlue wants the selfie to be the new standard for airline access

Why it matters to you

Airlines are looking for ways to make boarding quicker and biometrics might be the answer.

JetBlue will test a new paperless and deviceless boarding system in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection starting in June at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The system uses biometrics — specifically facial recognition — to match passengers with their passport photos.

The airline is the first to integrate with CBP and passengers have to do nothing other than opt-in to the program. The test is only for flights to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport and JetBlue did not specify whether it has any immediate plans to expand the test, if successful.

The process is fairly simple: Passengers step up to a camera to have their picture taken. The picture is then compared with passport photos in the CBP database and to verify flight details. If successful, the passenger is notified that they are cleared to board by an on-screen message at the camera terminal. JetBlue says it will have employees nearby to monitor the process and assist in the event of any issues.

“We hope to learn how we can further reduce friction points in the airport experience, with the boarding process being one of the hardest to solve,” JetBlue Customer Experience Vice President Joanna Geraghty said of the test.

This isn’t JetBlue’s first foray into self-service. The company launched a new lobby design at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport last year, which allowed customers to check in and drop their own bags in an effort to reduce waiting times for available counter attendants. That design was expanded to its Boston; Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Newark, New Jersey, and Atlanta terminals earlier in 2017.

Other airlines are looking to self-service and biometrics to make air travel less frustrating. In May, Delta announced plans to use facial-recognition technologies for bag drops, while Sita, a airline IT company jointly owned by several airlines and air transport companies, is working on new self-service kiosks that can intelligently move through an airport to assist in alleviating congestion.

Google bolsters Gmail security with anti-spam and early phishing detection

Why it matters to you

Gmail is ubiquitous and unavoidable, so when Google releases updates to make it safer, the whole internet benefits.

Gmail is already really, really good at identifying spam, but it’s about to get even better. Google announced a series of new security features today that aim to make businesses that rely on Gmail even more secure, though the enhancements will no doubt benefit ordinary users, too.

First, to get a sense of how intelligent the company’s machine learning models have become at flagging malicious communications, Google claims Gmail now identifies spam and phishing attempts with 99.9 percent accuracy. That’s a stunning statistic, but the search giant still isn’t satisfied — which is why it has bolstered its efforts with a new technology called early phishing detection.

Early phishing detection withholds some messages from delivery for a brief time — less than 0.05 percent, Google says — to perform deeper analysis. The service checks these messages against other similarly suspicious examples to generate a more accurate model, strengthening Gmail’s detection abilities. If you happen to click on an email and stumble upon a warning of suspected phishing, this is the process that’s keeping you at arm’s length from the sketchy stuff.

But, of course, Gmail users are human (mostly), and occasionally make human mistakes — like accidentally divulging company secrets. Google is aware of this, which explains another critical update it is rolling out to business users. If you attempt to send an email to someone outside your employer’s domain that you don’t have a history of contacting, Gmail will now warn you before you click the send button.

In addition to early phishing detection and unintended reply warnings, Gmail has also gotten better at sniffing out malicious attachments by tapping into sender heuristics and common spam signals. Google also blocks certain file types, like .exe, that pose greater security risks. For more information on all of Gmail’s security updates, Google’s Andy Wen dove into the finer details in a recent blog entry.

Robot priest dispenses digital blessings, automating yet another job

Why it matters to you

This robot priest is an interesting experiment in what kind of tasks people are happy for machines to take on.

According to the website “Will Robots Take My Job?,” there is roughly a 0.81-percent chance of a member of the clergy being automated at some point in the near future. This makes it one of the least likely job types to suffer the effects of a robot takeover.

Try telling that to the creators of a new robotic priest that’s currently offering robo-blessings to a human congregation in Germany!

The robot in question is part of an exhibition at the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau in the town of Wittenberg. That’s the same German city where Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago. The robot’s name is BlessU-2, and boasts two arms, a head with electronic eyes and mouth, and a touchscreen for users to interact with it.

Users first select the language they wish to receive their blessing in, choose a male or female voice for it to be spoken in, and then choose the type of blessing they wish to receive. When they have chosen their options, the robot makes a noise and raises its arms skyward, with an accompanying light show. It then says, “God bless and protect you” and recites a verse from the Bible — which the blessing recipient has the option of printing.

A spokesperson for the church told the Daily Mail newspaper that it is, “an experiment that is supposed to inspire discussion.” So far, reactions have reportedly been mixed — with half the responses being very positive, and the other half from people who, “cannot imagine a blessing from a machine.” However, it has had the effect of increasing the number of people visiting the church throughout the day.

Whether this turns out to be a sign of things to come remains to be seen. You’ve got to give the church props for its willingness to experiment and move with the times, though.

Religion? It turns out there’s an app for that!

How to fix a squealing dryer

A squeaky dryer can be a real nuisance. Thankfully there are a few easy ways to fix this headache. The dryer is a rather simple device with minimal moving parts inside, which makes isolating the squeaky part a rather deductive process. The main culprits are normally the belt, the idler pulley, the drum bearing, or the motor itself.

If your appliance is still under warranty, the manufacturer will be liable to fix these issues. If your warranty has expired, however, you’ll have to fix the faulty part(s) yourself — or invest in a new appliance altogether (we’ve got some recommendations for you!). Here’s our comprehensive guide to fixing a squeaky dryer.

Note: First and foremost, unplug the dryer, disconnect the utilities, and move the unit away from the wall. You might also consider wearing a pair of gloves as a precaution as well.

The dryer belt

If the dryer belt develops wear or has simply become slack with age, loose or poor fit with the drum itself may cause slippage and squeaking. If this is the case, you’ll need to replace this part. Fortunately, this is a pretty easy fix.

First, remove the lint trap insert and unscrew the the two screws connecting the lid to the dryer frame. Using a putty knife along the bottom lip of the dryer top, you should now be able to flip open the top of the dryer. Next, prop up the lid and use a screwdriver to remove the locking tab on the wire harness plug. You’ll need to remove the mounting screws along the front panel next; you will probably need a nut driver for this task. You should now be able to remove the front panel of the unit.

Note: all of these basic repairs will start with this exact same process.

Simply slide off the old belt at this point and wrap the new belt around the drum. Next, thread the remaining belt slack through the idler pulley and around the motor pulley. It’s as simple as that. Now replace the front panel and connect the wire harness plug. Lower the lid, apply the screws to the lint catch housing, and reinsert the lint catch.

The idler pulley

If the idler pulley is faulty, the component will squeak while the appliance is running. This process starts the exact same way as the previous replacement method: Remove the lid and front panel and disconnect the wire harness plug. Now, unthread the drive belt from the idler pulley. The pulley itself sits in a small bracket in the base of the dryer; you’ll need to detach the part from this bracket housing. Next, simply place the new idler pulley in the same bracket and thread the belt through the wheel and around the motor pulley.

Drum glide bearings

Once inside of the unit, remove the the belt from the drum and lift the drum itself out of the dryer housing. The drum glide bearings are located along the edge of the drum. Release the two-pronged locking tabs along the edge of the bearings and discard these worn components. It is important to note that you may need a pair of pliers to pinch these locking tabs together before removing them.

Now align the locking tabs on the glide bearings with the openings along the drum itself and insert the prongs. You will now need to replace the felt seal along the front panel. Remove the retaining clips around the seal with a pair of pliers. Simply remove the old seal and push the new one into place inside the channel housing and reinsert the retaining clips. Now place the drum back inside of the dryer and connect the belt. Voila.

The motor

If the problem is in fact the dryer motor, you may need to have a long conversation with yourself about your relationship with your current dryer. Dryer motors can be expensive and it might be worth it, at this point, to just invest in a new appliance — might we suggest one of these? You’ll always have the memories.

This process starts the same as the others. You will also need to remove the belt and the drum from the unit. Now, using a screwdriver, release the motor mounting clips and remove the motor. Behind the dryer motor is the blower wheel, use a wrench to slightly loosen this component. Turn the drive shaft with the wrench while holding the blower wheel in place.

With this task you will also need to remove the back panel of the dryer. To do so, you’ll need to unscrew the outward-facing screws along the edge of the panel. Now the air duct will be accessible; a series of mounting screws holds this duct in place. Simply unscrew these and remove the air duct. Once removed, the blower wheel will be visible. Set the blower wheel to the side for the time being.

Once all of the locking tabs along the motor bracket have been released, disconnect the wire harness connected to the motor and remove the faulty component. You can now install the new motor. Reconnect the wire harness to the new motor, reinsert the blower wheel, and clamp the motor in place. Then insert the air duct and back panel, position the drum and apply the drum belt, threading the belt through the idler pulley and around the motor pulley.

You can now buy an unlocked Galaxy S8 in the U.S.

Get an unlocked Galaxy S8 … for a considerable amount of money.

After a few weeks of pre-orders, Samsung has fully opened sales for the U.S. unlocked versions of the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Samsung had previously confirmed around the time of the S8’s launch in April that it would eventually offer an unlocked model in the U.S., and now we have specific details.

• Prices are $724.99 and $824.99 for the S8 and S8+, respectively.
• They’re only available in Midnight Black.
• They will work on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular and most prepaid carriers.
• They’re available with 0% 24-month financing from Samsung.
• Samsung is offering up to $350 off when trading in an old Samsung phone.
• The proper U.S. unlocked model numbers are G950UZKAXAA (GS8) and G955UZKAXAA (GS8+).

Galaxy S8 unlocked

See at Best BuySee at Samsung

Galaxy S8+ unlocked

See at Best BuySee at Samsung

While Samsung doesn’t have a great track record for keeping its unlocked phones up-to-date, the company has said that it will do better this time around. It’s unlikely the carrier and unlocked versions will receive updates at the same time, or the latter with as much frequency, but at least there’s hope. And buying the unlocked model does ensure there’s no carrier bloatware, which is nice.

Are you planning to pick up an unlocked Galaxy S8? Let us know in the comments below!

TweetDeck for your browser now lets you verify images via Google

Knowing where Twitter’s images come from is a good thing.

With the rampant and almost revolutionary spread of fake things across the internet, TweetDeck has announced it’s added a feature that lets you verify the source behind an image before you react.

New! Click the 🔍 icon in the top right corner of an image in detail view to verify the source via Google. pic.twitter.com/w2gLXKuegC

— TweetDeck (@TweetDeck) May 31, 2017

It’s easy to use: hover your mouse pointer over the image in the TweetDeck web app and then click the little magnifying glass icon to jump to a Google Search in another window. Google will fetch results related to that image and verify whether it’s an original photo or a copied one.

This is what the search icon looks like on top of a photo when you hover over it with your mouse pointer.

This is what the Google Search page looks like after you ask for verification from TweetDeck.

The feature is not available for your smartphone yet, but it should be since you can view images through the Twitter app, too. It’s possible that since the ability was originally announced by Twitter’s own account feed, perhaps this is an indication that it’s someday meant to be a part of the Twitter mobile app. This sort of feature could be greatly beneficial to those who only view Twitter through an app, or even through Twitter Lite.