Smart cities are all the hype these days. Everyone from urban planners to private companies have been throwing the two words around lately, as a common aspiration for metropolitan cities in the coming years. It comes tied with a bunch of other complicated concepts, from the Internet of Things (IoT), to 5G, autonomous transportation and information and communication technology (ICT).
Hong Kong's Correctional Services has revealed plans to test various surveillance technologies with the intention of creating 'smart prisons,' according to a local news report. The technologies are intended to monitor for unusual behavior among prisoners, Correctional Services Commissioner Danny Woo Ying-ming revealed this week. The systems will include AI cameras, robots, and real-time heart rate monitoring.
Ford Europe is back with another interesting innovation, this one designed to solve the age-old problem of people who hog the bed. Tired of your significant other crowding your side of the mattress? This Ford smart bed can automatically roll them back onto their own side, helping each person get restful sleep without resorting to separate beds. The new smart bed joins the smart dog house Ford Europe introduced last year.
Panasonic is seeking funding for HomeHawk, a new floor lamp that features a built-in camera. The product is billed as an alternative to existing indoor home security cameras, one that blends in with the decor and doesn't require mounting. The lamp offers the same array of security features as many competing models, but with the added benefit of being essentially invisible.
Caper has revealed an alternative to the smart grocery store: a smart shopping cart with all of the technology for checking out built in. Rather than installing an intelligent checkout system within the building itself, grocery chains could deploy these smart shopping carts as an alternative to traditional checkout lines, enabling customers to scan and pay for their goods at the shopping cart.
If you're serious about fishing as a sport, Cyberfishing has a new product that'll help keep track of your success over time. Called Smart Rod Sensor, the device is exactly what it sounds like: a smart sensor that attaches to fishing poles, where it tracks the number of fish the user has caught, shuttling the data off to a companion smartphone app.
These days we are turning more and more to our smartphones for things we’d often use separate devices or instruments for. That’s true even for modern cars where a simple tap on a smartphone’s screen could start an engine, turn up the heat, or lock the doors. Some owners, however, may still prefer having a separate key for their vehicle but do want more than what a simple fob can give. Enter the smart key fob, a concept that brings the best of both worlds together in one advanced key that does all but drive the car for you.
Sprint and HTC have teamed up to launch a 5G mobile smart hub, the companies have announced. The device won't be available until next year, but the companies have already teased some details, explaining that the device will be available to customers in the United States. The smart hub will be portable and will work with Sprint's upcoming 5G network.
Amazon Alexa is the latest on a list of smart home and smart assistant services that work with NVIDIA's Android TV device, NVIDIA SHIELD. Today we're going to take a peek at the steps required to connect an NVIDIA SHIELD to Amazon's Alexa system - starting with the Amazon Echo Dot. This system works with a variety of Amazon Echo devices (with Alexa inside), but NVIDIA's just released a bit of a combo on Amazon and Best Buy with the SHIELD TV and Echo Dot - for a limited bit of time.
When it comes to tiny cars meant for running around a city, the Smart car line is about as small as it gets. At the Paris Motor Show, Smart is showing off a new concept car called the smart forease that is a very small, cartoon-like, two-seat convertible. The concept car is an EV.
The Google Pixel 3 event on October 9th will likely bring a new Google Home Hub smart screen as well. Today a leak revealed the new device, "Google Home Hub," complete with a touchscreen and Google Assistant interface. This device will apparently allow the user to "see your life in one view, and get things done hands-free." The description of the device suggests that you'll be able to "make the most of moments at home."
Appliance brand Haier has taken the wraps off a new smart appliance called InstaSwitch, a freezer that can transform into a refrigerator when necessary. The company showcased its new offering at IFA 2018 this week, introducing a single-door freezer model with multiple divided storage compartments that can be individually controlled based on need.