Google secretly axed its NFC Smart Unlock — and Android users are fuming

Why it matters to you

NFC Smart Unlock was a quick, easy, and foolproof way to unlock your Android device.

Google has discontinued its NFC (near-field communication) Smart Unlock for Android, a cool little feature that allowed users to easily unlock their nearby Android phone. NFC devices can interact wirelessly with each other if they’re within a few inches, letting you easily unlock your smartphone or tablet with an item such as a stylish NFC ring.

But not anymore. The feature was killed without any official explanation or warning, and even Google doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. After several users complained that they were unable to use the feature, a Google spokesman finally clarified that that “Smart Unlock NFC Feature has been deprecated for new users. If you are not existing NFC users, the option will be hidden.”

Although the NFC Smart Unlock is not a major feature of Android devices, many users were unhappy with the news and how the situation had been handled, and some took to Reddit to voice their displeasure. Apparently, anyone who set up a new Google account after July or August will not be able to access the feature. In addition, anyone who still has access to it should avoid updating their device or signing out, or it will disappear for good.

In a post flagged by BetaNews, Google finally responded with an explanation of sorts: “In the case of NFC unlock, we’ve seen extremely low usage. At the same time, there are alternatives available now that are easy to use, are secure and have much wider adoption. Given this, we decided to disable NFC unlock.”

Google goes on to recommend that Android customers “use a different unlock method in Smart Lock, such as Trusted Bluetooth devices, Trusted Places, or On-body detection.” Many Android users (especially those who’ve had subdermal chips implanted in their bodies) are unsatisfied with the explanation, to say the least.

As Mashable notes, Google’s stealth elimination of the NFC feature is rather remarkable, considering that the technology is expanding to a number of different industries including transportation, banking, medicine, and jewelry.

Regardless of the outcry, it seems like we’ve seen the end of the NFC Smart Unlock feature for Android, as Google has said it will have no further comment on the matter.

Google secretly axed its NFC Smart Unlock and Android users are fuming

Why it matters to you

NFC Smart Unlock was a quick, easy, and foolproof way to unlock your Android device.

Google has discontinued its NFC (near-field communication) Smart Unlock for Android, a cool little feature that allowed users to easily unlock their nearby Android phone. NFC devices can interact wirelessly with each other if they’re within a few inches, letting you easily unlock your smartphone or tablet with an item such as a stylish NFC ring.

But not anymore. The feature was killed without any official explanation or warning, and even Google doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. After several users complained that they were unable to use the feature, a Google spokesman finally clarified that that “Smart Unlock NFC Feature has been deprecated for new users. If you are not existing NFC users, the option will be hidden.”

Although the NFC Smart Unlock is not a major feature of Android devices, many users were unhappy with the news and how the situation had been handled, and some took to Reddit to voice their displeasure. Apparently, anyone who set up a new Google account after July or August will not be able to access the feature. In addition, anyone who still has access to it should avoid updating their device or signing out, or it will disappear for good.

In a post flagged by BetaNews, Google finally responded with an explanation of sorts: “In the case of NFC unlock, we’ve seen extremely low usage. At the same time, there are alternatives available now that are easy to use, are secure and have much wider adoption. Given this, we decided to disable NFC unlock.”

Google goes on to recommend that Android customers “use a different unlock method in Smart Lock, such as Trusted Bluetooth devices, Trusted Places, or On-body detection.” Many Android users (especially those who’ve had subdermal chips implanted in their bodies) are unsatisfied with the explanation, to say the least.

As Mashable notes, Google’s stealth elimination of the NFC feature is rather remarkable, considering that the technology is expanding to a number of different industries including transportation, banking, medicine, and jewelry.

Regardless of the outcry, it seems like we’ve seen the end of the NFC Smart Unlock feature for Android, as Google has said it will have no further comment on the matter.

Is Apple planning its own ARM-based modem chips for future Macbooks?

Why it matters to you

Apple’s move to produce its own modem chips could weaken Intel’s grip on the industry.

Nikkei Asian Review has reported that Apple is looking into developing ARM modem chips for future versions of its MacBook line of notebook computers potentially cutting Intel and Qualcomm out of the process entirely.

Currently, chips produced by Intel and Qualcomm are used in the vast majority of desktop and notebook computers while ARM chips are used for about 95 percent of the mobile market. While the ARM architecture is owned by Arm Holdings, the technology is usually licensed to other companies who then develop chips for use in their devices.

Industry experts told Nikkei Asian Review that they believed that ARM chips could see an uptick in popularity due to smaller laptops becoming more and more popular.

“Notebooks are becoming thinner, while consumers are demanding better mobility and longer battery life,” an unnamed chip industry executive said. “That gives ARM’s architecture, which is known for its power efficiency, a very good opportunity.”

Apple has made no announcements regarding these rumors, but it does make sense, considering the company recently acquried one of Qualcomm’s top engineers, Esin Terzioglu. Beyond that, Apple is well-known for the in-house development of most of the hardware and software, so this fits in from that point of view as well.

Regardless, it is unlikely that Apple will have these chips ready for at least two more years. Modern chips take a lot of time and resources to develop, and Apple would need to ensure that they are compatible with all upcoming variants of the MacBook.

In terms of resources, most analysts believe that Apple would need to devote more than a thousand engineers to this project in order to develop the chips in a reasonable timeframe.

In the short-term, Intel and Qualcomm are probably safe, but some believe that this could be the beginning of an industry-wide trend towards in-house development of modem chips and other key components.

“We believe that more system houses will design their own chips,” Samuel Wang of the Gartner research firm told Nikkei. “The purposes are to develop and protect their proprietary technology information, to make more efficient chips for their unique need, to lower [costs] and to do inventory control better and keep all logistic operation confidentially.”

From the Editor’s Desk: Late-breaking Pixel predictions

Hunches, predictions and gut feelings about what’s next from Google.

Pixel season is upon us, as Google prepares to show off next-gen hardware across several categories this coming Wednesday, October 4. It’ll also be the sixth Google fall hardware launch I’ve covered (either in person or remotely), the first being the venerable Samsung Galaxy Nexus back in 2011.

Usually that’d give you a fair bit of perspective — background knowledge to help you see what’s coming next from the company. But Google is also notoriously unpredictable when it comes to hardware, as evidenced by the sudden pivot towards Pixel and the “made by Google” brand in 2016.

Nevertheless, as we approach launch day, there’s just enough time for me to dedicate a Sunday column to what I’m expecting.

So here goes…

New Pixel phones and a new Android version

Because of course.

We’ll get an HTC-made miniature Pixel and an LG-built biggie Pixel, and you can read all about what’s rumoured for both over here. The short version: This year the Pixel 2 XL will be the more interesting of the two, as Google moves away from the design and internal hardware symmetry of the previous generation. The baby Pixel will be a second-class citizen, with a 16:9 screen and chunky bezels.

Google should also push out a new version of Android for the Pixels, and who this may even be exclusive to the new phones until sometime later in the year, a la Android 7.1 last year. A good predictor of future Android versions is traffic to Android Central and our forums, and right now in our analytics we’re seeing small spikes from Android 8.1.0, and nothing from 8.0.1.

In the Android world, a .1 version bump usually means a new API level, which means new stuff for developers to get to grips with. (Though last year the additions in 7.1 weren’t exactly groundbreaking compared to 7.0.)

The new phones will be kinda boring

Last year, there was ample novelty value associated with the new Google phones, the new Pixel UI, Google Assistant, and their surprisingly excellent cameras.

To put further wind in Google’s sales, the competition was relatively weak. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were pretty dull, Samsung had just shipped the smartphone equivalent of Dr. Zoidberg’s slinky, and the LG V20 — which didn’t even get a proper European launch — would fall flat.

This year, the competition is far stronger. Google’s going up against the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30, all of which are formidable. That’s to say nothing of the few unannounced surprises from other manufacturers coming in the months ahead.

Google needs something amazing and unique, and from the leaks we’ve seen so far (and let’s be clear, an awful lot has leaked) the only truly different feature looks set to be Google Lens. Lens has the potential to be amazing, and there’s an above average chance it’ll be Pixel-exclusive for a while, as Assistant as in 2016. But is it a reason to buy a single-camera, headphone-jack-less, wireless-charging-less Pixel? I’m not so sure.

Google can always make up for this lack of pizazz with a huge marketing campaign, as it did in 2016. But it’ll need to follow up with solid retail availability of the kind that was sorely lacking for the first-gen Pixels.

There’ll be a new Pixel tablet

Nope, I’m not talking about the already-leaked Pixelbook laptop, which looks to be running Chrome OS (likely with Android app support working out of the box.) Google needs a reference tablet for Android, and the Pixel C is about to reach the end of its life cycle.

Google either stops developing Android for tablets, or releases an up-to-date Pixel slate.

If we don’t get a new Pixel tablet on October 4 (and it doesn’t arrive within the following six months), then maybe that means Google sees this category as being better served by Chrome OS or (eventually) whatever spawns out of the Fuchsia project.

If we do, you have to wonder who’ll be the ODM this time around, given the relatively few manufacturers currently selling high-end Android tablets.

Assistant is the new Chromecast

We’ve already seen the beginnings of this with the second-gen Bose QC35 cans, but expect one of the underlying themes of Google’s presentation on to be the growth of Assistant across a multitude of product categories. Just as Chromecast grew from a single TV dongle to a range of connected products, Google will want Assistant to be in anything with a speaker and microphone.

Another major theme will be AI, and I’ll be watching with interest to see how Google’s hardware division can implement some of the things Sundar Pichai introduced back at the Google I/O keynote in May.

Google Lens will surely exist as its own app. But imagine having some of the AI-based photo features, like the ability to remove an unwanted chain link fence grid from a sports photo, build right into the camera app.

The Google Search bar will be back

This one’s mostly just a gut feeling. RIP Pixel pill.

(Hello, new rounded Google search bar.)

That’s it for this weekend. As always, you can catch all our Pixel coverage right here this Wednesday morning PDT.

Amazon Fire TV can now show live video feeds, but the lag remains

Live video from your connected cameras works on the Fire TV, but the experience still needs a lot of work.

Tucked amid all the new hardware announcements from Amazon this week was a little nugget about Amazon Fire TV. Specifically, that you can now view live video feeds from Alexa-enabled cameras. That’s the same sort of functionality we have on the Echo Show, of course. And as it turns out, it’s exactly the same functionality. Just on a much larger display.

Here’s how it works: You’ll need a second-generation Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. (The new Amazon Fire TV won’t be available until Oct. 25.) And you’ll need to be in either the United States, UK or Germany. And you’ll need to have a security camera that’s got an Alexa Video Skill enabled. In my case, that’s the Ring Pro Doorbell.

Just like with the Echo Show, all you have to do is say “Alexa, show me my front-door camera” to get things rolling. (Or whatever your camera’s named, I guess.)

Here’s the @ring doorbell on the @amazonfiretv update. … Still kinda slow, and still not push. (Needs push for motion/rings!) pic.twitter.com/6to0UsvLY6

— Phil Nickinson (@mdrndad) September 28, 2017

And this is where things start to fall apart. There’s still a ton of lag in the process. It takes a few seconds for the Skill to fire up on the Fire TV. Then it takes a few more seconds for feed to start streaming. (In the example above, I’m running out of the bedroom to the front door in real time — and it actually took me maybe half as long as it seems, because of the lag in the feed.)

Then there’s also the issue of showing mediocre 1080p footage on a 55-inch 4K display, but that’s another gripe for another time.

Just like with the Echo Show, this is a cool feature that works. It just needs to much work better before it’s something you’d actually want to use.

Amazon Fire TV

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It took six months for my Nintendo Switch to run out of space

When Nintendo announced that its next game console was going to come with just 32GB of internal storage, my heart sank. I’d been planning to go all digital for the Nintendo Switch — making it a portable console that always had my favorite games on tap at a moment’s notice. Instead, I found myself pre-ordering the console with a physical copy of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild. The compromise didn’t last long. Between the tedium of swapping game cards and my fear of losing them, I wound up going all digital anyway. Within six months, my Nintendo Switch ran out of space.

It’s my own fault, really. If I hadn’t insisted on playing every major release Nintendo put out since launch, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Still, can you blame me? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a masterful reissue of one of the Wii U’s best games, and Splatoon 2 was a strong follow up to multiplayer shooter that ruled my summer in 2015. On top of that, we had a brand new Nintendo IP in the guise of ARMS, a wacky telescoping boxing game, the delightful absurdity of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and plenty of great download-only titles like Sonic Mania, Blaster Master Zero and Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment. Nintendo’s hybrid portable console has had a good first year.

When this steady stream of games filled my switch to capacity, however, I didn’t run out and buy a microSD card as I originally planned. Instead, I’ve spent the last few months using Nintendo’s built in data management tool — a pop-up menu prompt that helps you clear out space for a new game by automatically culling your unplayed library.

If you try to download a title you don’t have enough space for, a broken progress bar will appear on the bottom of the game’s icon. Click it, and the Switch will immediately tell you how much space you need to clear to install the game and recommended software to archive. Don’t like what the Switch chooses? No problem — the pop up window will happily take you to the console’s data management screen to sort through your unplayed game library yourself.

It’s a small feature, but it makes managing the Nintendo Switch’s lack of storage space ridiculously easy. When my PlayStation 4 runs out of space, it only notifies me passively — leaving me to drag myself to the system’s storage management menu and stumble through four different categories of data — but the Switch identifies a problem and immediately offers a solution. It takes the work out of juggling data and opens a path to just playing the game I want to launch. That’s nice.

This data management screen doesn’t forgive the Nintendo Switch’s lack of storage — 32GB is still far too little for any modern game console — but it made one of the console’s biggest flaws bearable. I’m still going to buy expanded storage for the Switch eventually, but I don’t feel like I need to right away. That’s a nice quality of life feature, and a small indication that Nintendo is getting better at designing console user interfaces that can rival the competition.

Ben Heck’s ‘The Number Games’

Ben and Felix mourn the loss of the logic gate board game, but they’ve decided that its demise won’t stop them from putting their own spin on electronic number games. Felix begins with digitizing an abacus — sure, there are calculators these days, but that doesn’t satisfy the primitive counting necessities. Here, Ben challenges your binary arithmetic with hex and decimal numbers. What games have you made from electronics or what would you have done differently here? Can you beat Ben’s high score? Let the team know over on the element14 Community.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Eskates, snow bikes, a better measuring cup

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Embr Wave — Wearable heater/cooler

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Developed by a team of MIT grads over the last four years, the Wave is essentially a wearable heater/cooler that leverages quirks in human physiology to “hack” the way your body perceives temperature.

“It’s a product for people that are too hot or too cold, that offers thermal relief,” Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames explains. “What it does is it heats and cools one spot on your body and helps you improve your comfort, without changing your core temp.”

Note that last part. It’s important to know that Embr Wave doesn’t actually change how hot or cold your body is overall. Instead, it essentially convinces your body and brain into perceiving a slightly different temperature.

“It’s kind of similar to cupping your hands around a hot mug of coffee in the winter after you’ve come in from being outside in the cold, or dipping your toes in the ocean on a hot summer day,” says Shames. “So it doesn’t change your core temperature. It does change temperature of your wrist while you wear it, but it’s not so much ‘tricking your senses’ as it is your brain and body naturally responding to temperature change.”

Fluent Forever — Language learning app

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Language learning apps are a dime a dozen these days, but if systems like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Memrise aren’t doing the trick, then you might want to check out Fluent Forever — an innovative new platform that aims to improve the speed at which you learn languages by ensuring the things you learn stick in your head.

“Fluent Forever has always focused on memory as the primary barrier to language learning,” ceator Gabriel Wyner told Digital Trends in an interview. “Not grammar, not listening comprehension, but memory.

“When I say ‘camera,’ your brain lights up with thousands of associated images, sounds and words,” Wyner continues. “‘Camera’ connects with iPhone and DSLR and shutter and lens. It connects with photographs you’ve seen throughout your life and the ‘shutter’ sound on your cellphone. It has grammatical associations: You might use a camera to shoot a photograph. You might see a cameraman on the news. You are never going to forget the English word ‘camera,’ because you have so many associations with that word.”

According to Wyner, however, when we learn other languages, we don’t do this — which is why it’s easy to forget the words we pick up. It’s here that the new app aims to change things, with the assistance of some nifty flashcards and “ear-training” techniques. Through these, you’ll learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all in a way its creator says is far more effective than other apps.

Swaky — snowboard conversion kit

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Can’t quite get the hang of skiing or snowboarding, but still want to hit the slopes and charge through waist-deep powder? Do you have an injury or a disability holding you back from standing upright? Then Swaky might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s essentially a kit that transforms your existing snowboard into something of a snow bike. There’s a seat, a suspension system, handlebars, and even a leash to keep it from running away when you inevitably fall off.

The kit was designed by Japanese inventor and snow sport enthusiast Toshiyuki Sueki. Prior to designing and creating Swaky, Sueki was a professional snowboarder, until an injury in 2009 led to permanent immobilization of his ankle joints, thereby forcing him to retire from the traditional form of the sport. He invented Swaky as a way to return to shredding the slopes, working through a variety of bicycle seats, handlebars, and suspensions until he found the perfect ride. It’s also worth noting that Kickstarter just recently launched in Japan, and this project is one of the first from the country.

Euclid — volumetric measuring cup

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Ever tried to accurately measure a small amount of liquid in a normal measuring cup? It’s damn near impossible to get it right. Why? Because due to the design of most traditional measuring cups, the smaller the amount, the harder it is to measure accurately. The main culprit is the shape — straight sides magnify errors when measuring lower down in the cup. But not to worry —  a nifty new kitchen tool called Euclid solves this problem with a mathematically optimal, tapered design that measures small and large amounts with equal accuracy.

“Euclid benefits all kinds of cooks,” creator and ex-Google employee Joshua Redstone says. “If you’re super careful about your measurements, your diligence is rewarded with even better results. If your style is more pour-and-go, your results will still be much better, and more consistent across different amounts, than with a traditional measuring cup. Since recipes are all about ratios, that consistency is essential. Consistency also improves repeatability – key to refining recipes over time.”

Blizwheel — electronic skates

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have become considerably more power dense and affordable — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a sort of renaissance in personal mobility devices. Nowadays, there are almost too many rideables to keep track of, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month.

Case in point? These strange new electric skates called Blizwheels. Conceptually, they’re a lot like Acton’s popular Rocket Skates, but with a slightly different design. Instead of pushing you along with motorized wheels positioned on both sides of each individual foot, Blizwheel skates push you along with a single (and fairly large) powered wheel on each foot. These wheels are flanked by a series of smaller, unpowered wheels that sit under your foot, which makes it easier to balance and maintain stability. Acceleration is controlled with a unique actuator that increases power when you squeeze your index finger.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Eskates, snow bikes, a better measuring cup

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Embr Wave — Wearable heater/cooler

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Developed by a team of MIT grads over the last four years, the Wave is essentially a wearable heater/cooler that leverages quirks in human physiology to “hack” the way your body perceives temperature.

“It’s a product for people that are too hot or too cold, that offers thermal relief,” Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames explains. “What it does is it heats and cools one spot on your body and helps you improve your comfort, without changing your core temp.”

Note that last part. It’s important to know that Embr Wave doesn’t actually change how hot or cold your body is overall. Instead, it essentially convinces your body and brain into perceiving a slightly different temperature.

“It’s kind of similar to cupping your hands around a hot mug of coffee in the winter after you’ve come in from being outside in the cold, or dipping your toes in the ocean on a hot summer day,” says Shames. “So it doesn’t change your core temperature. It does change temperature of your wrist while you wear it, but it’s not so much ‘tricking your senses’ as it is your brain and body naturally responding to temperature change.”

Fluent Forever — Language learning app

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Language learning apps are a dime a dozen these days, but if systems like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Memrise aren’t doing the trick, then you might want to check out Fluent Forever — an innovative new platform that aims to improve the speed at which you learn languages by ensuring the things you learn stick in your head.

“Fluent Forever has always focused on memory as the primary barrier to language learning,” ceator Gabriel Wyner told Digital Trends in an interview. “Not grammar, not listening comprehension, but memory.

“When I say ‘camera,’ your brain lights up with thousands of associated images, sounds and words,” Wyner continues. “‘Camera’ connects with iPhone and DSLR and shutter and lens. It connects with photographs you’ve seen throughout your life and the ‘shutter’ sound on your cellphone. It has grammatical associations: You might use a camera to shoot a photograph. You might see a cameraman on the news. You are never going to forget the English word ‘camera,’ because you have so many associations with that word.”

According to Wyner, however, when we learn other languages, we don’t do this — which is why it’s easy to forget the words we pick up. It’s here that the new app aims to change things, with the assistance of some nifty flashcards and “ear-training” techniques. Through these, you’ll learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all in a way its creator says is far more effective than other apps.

Swaky — snowboard conversion kit

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Can’t quite get the hang of skiing or snowboarding, but still want to hit the slopes and charge through waist-deep powder? Do you have an injury or a disability holding you back from standing upright? Then Swaky might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s essentially a kit that transforms your existing snowboard into something of a snow bike. There’s a seat, a suspension system, handlebars, and even a leash to keep it from running away when you inevitably fall off.

The kit was designed by Japanese inventor and snow sport enthusiast Toshiyuki Sueki. Prior to designing and creating Swaky, Sueki was a professional snowboarder, until an injury in 2009 led to permanent immobilization of his ankle joints, thereby forcing him to retire from the traditional form of the sport. He invented Swaky as a way to return to shredding the slopes, working through a variety of bicycle seats, handlebars, and suspensions until he found the perfect ride. It’s also worth noting that Kickstarter just recently launched in Japan, and this project is one of the first from the country.

Euclid — volumetric measuring cup

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Ever tried to accurately measure a small amount of liquid in a normal measuring cup? It’s damn near impossible to get it right. Why? Because due to the design of most traditional measuring cups, the smaller the amount, the harder it is to measure accurately. The main culprit is the shape — straight sides magnify errors when measuring lower down in the cup. But not to worry —  a nifty new kitchen tool called Euclid solves this problem with a mathematically optimal, tapered design that measures small and large amounts with equal accuracy.

“Euclid benefits all kinds of cooks,” creator and ex-Google employee Joshua Redstone says. “If you’re super careful about your measurements, your diligence is rewarded with even better results. If your style is more pour-and-go, your results will still be much better, and more consistent across different amounts, than with a traditional measuring cup. Since recipes are all about ratios, that consistency is essential. Consistency also improves repeatability – key to refining recipes over time.”

Blizwheel — electronic skates

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have become considerably more power dense and affordable — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a sort of renaissance in personal mobility devices. Nowadays, there are almost too many rideables to keep track of, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month.

Case in point? These strange new electric skates called Blizwheels. Conceptually, they’re a lot like Acton’s popular Rocket Skates, but with a slightly different design. Instead of pushing you along with motorized wheels positioned on both sides of each individual foot, Blizwheel skates push you along with a single (and fairly large) powered wheel on each foot. These wheels are flanked by a series of smaller, unpowered wheels that sit under your foot, which makes it easier to balance and maintain stability. Acceleration is controlled with a unique actuator that increases power when you squeeze your index finger.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Eskates, snow bikes, a better measuring cup

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Embr Wave — Wearable heater/cooler

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Developed by a team of MIT grads over the last four years, the Wave is essentially a wearable heater/cooler that leverages quirks in human physiology to “hack” the way your body perceives temperature.

“It’s a product for people that are too hot or too cold, that offers thermal relief,” Embr Labs co-founder Sam Shames explains. “What it does is it heats and cools one spot on your body and helps you improve your comfort, without changing your core temp.”

Note that last part. It’s important to know that Embr Wave doesn’t actually change how hot or cold your body is overall. Instead, it essentially convinces your body and brain into perceiving a slightly different temperature.

“It’s kind of similar to cupping your hands around a hot mug of coffee in the winter after you’ve come in from being outside in the cold, or dipping your toes in the ocean on a hot summer day,” says Shames. “So it doesn’t change your core temperature. It does change temperature of your wrist while you wear it, but it’s not so much ‘tricking your senses’ as it is your brain and body naturally responding to temperature change.”

Fluent Forever — Language learning app

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Language learning apps are a dime a dozen these days, but if systems like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Memrise aren’t doing the trick, then you might want to check out Fluent Forever — an innovative new platform that aims to improve the speed at which you learn languages by ensuring the things you learn stick in your head.

“Fluent Forever has always focused on memory as the primary barrier to language learning,” ceator Gabriel Wyner told Digital Trends in an interview. “Not grammar, not listening comprehension, but memory.

“When I say ‘camera,’ your brain lights up with thousands of associated images, sounds and words,” Wyner continues. “‘Camera’ connects with iPhone and DSLR and shutter and lens. It connects with photographs you’ve seen throughout your life and the ‘shutter’ sound on your cellphone. It has grammatical associations: You might use a camera to shoot a photograph. You might see a cameraman on the news. You are never going to forget the English word ‘camera,’ because you have so many associations with that word.”

According to Wyner, however, when we learn other languages, we don’t do this — which is why it’s easy to forget the words we pick up. It’s here that the new app aims to change things, with the assistance of some nifty flashcards and “ear-training” techniques. Through these, you’ll learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all in a way its creator says is far more effective than other apps.

Swaky — snowboard conversion kit

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Can’t quite get the hang of skiing or snowboarding, but still want to hit the slopes and charge through waist-deep powder? Do you have an injury or a disability holding you back from standing upright? Then Swaky might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s essentially a kit that transforms your existing snowboard into something of a snow bike. There’s a seat, a suspension system, handlebars, and even a leash to keep it from running away when you inevitably fall off.

The kit was designed by Japanese inventor and snow sport enthusiast Toshiyuki Sueki. Prior to designing and creating Swaky, Sueki was a professional snowboarder, until an injury in 2009 led to permanent immobilization of his ankle joints, thereby forcing him to retire from the traditional form of the sport. He invented Swaky as a way to return to shredding the slopes, working through a variety of bicycle seats, handlebars, and suspensions until he found the perfect ride. It’s also worth noting that Kickstarter just recently launched in Japan, and this project is one of the first from the country.

Euclid — volumetric measuring cup

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Ever tried to accurately measure a small amount of liquid in a normal measuring cup? It’s damn near impossible to get it right. Why? Because due to the design of most traditional measuring cups, the smaller the amount, the harder it is to measure accurately. The main culprit is the shape — straight sides magnify errors when measuring lower down in the cup. But not to worry —  a nifty new kitchen tool called Euclid solves this problem with a mathematically optimal, tapered design that measures small and large amounts with equal accuracy.

“Euclid benefits all kinds of cooks,” creator and ex-Google employee Joshua Redstone says. “If you’re super careful about your measurements, your diligence is rewarded with even better results. If your style is more pour-and-go, your results will still be much better, and more consistent across different amounts, than with a traditional measuring cup. Since recipes are all about ratios, that consistency is essential. Consistency also improves repeatability – key to refining recipes over time.”

Blizwheel — electronic skates

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We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: humanity is living in the golden age of rideable technology right now. In the past few years, electric motors have become smaller and more powerful, and batteries have become considerably more power dense and affordable — two trends that have coalesced and kicked off a sort of renaissance in personal mobility devices. Nowadays, there are almost too many rideables to keep track of, and they seem to get crazier and more advanced with each passing month.

Case in point? These strange new electric skates called Blizwheels. Conceptually, they’re a lot like Acton’s popular Rocket Skates, but with a slightly different design. Instead of pushing you along with motorized wheels positioned on both sides of each individual foot, Blizwheel skates push you along with a single (and fairly large) powered wheel on each foot. These wheels are flanked by a series of smaller, unpowered wheels that sit under your foot, which makes it easier to balance and maintain stability. Acceleration is controlled with a unique actuator that increases power when you squeeze your index finger.