New “Metallic Wood” Is as Strong as Titanium But Much Lighter - Dwell.com

A newly invented material has the strength of titanium, however it's light enough to float on water.

Titanium has long been touted as the metal of the future, due to its strength, rust resistance, and amazing lightness. But it's not as strong as it could be, due to random defects in the way its atoms are stacked during the manufacturing process.

Read the full article here.

Smart home companies are turning us all into crime fighters - will it actually work? - The Ambinet

Why turning to social media might not make us safer

In 2015 Ring installed video doorbells in 10% of homes in the Wilshire Park neighborhood as part of a pilot program with the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the company, the LAPD saw a 55% decrease in home break-ins over the following six months. It made for a nice flashy number for Ring to point at, and undoubtedly helped it in its journey to getting snapped up by Amazon, even if there's some debate over the evidence. 

It gave Ring a reason to hone in on the community angle, and now it's venturing into a new crime fighting space – social media. Will sharing what our smart home sees with our neighbors make us safer? Or will it redefine the term nosey neighbor?

Read the full article here.

How Your Guests Can Take (& Share) Amazing Wedding Photos with Their Phones - MyRegistry.com

wedding

As you plan your wedding, you might be wondering whether you need to hire a professional photographer. Yes, you probably should, but even one extremely capable professional can’t be everywhere at once. Harnessing your friends and family—who now have highly advanced cameras in their pockets and purses—means you can capture even more angles and unique memories of the fun.

These tips can help you get the wedding photos of your dreams, all from a smartphone.

Read the full article here.

Casper’s New $89 Lamp Promises to Help You Get a Better Night's Sleep - Dwell.com

Smart Home

Mattress startup Casper introduces a smart lamp designed to promote healthier sleep.

Casper, the company that reinvented how we buy mattresses, now wants to transform our sleep habits with Casper Glow—a new connected bedtime light. The small, cord-free lamp is designed to address a common culprit that can get in the way of a good night’s rest: light.

Read the full story here.

10 Home Gadgets at CES 2019: Talking Toilets, Beer-Ordering Fridges, and More - Dwell.com

LaMetric

Sleek design meets smart technology. Innovative solutions produce stylish results. And of course, there are robots and talking toilets.

Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, every January, the annual consumer electronics show CES is where we get a sneak peek at the latest tech gadgets we'll be buying in the next few years, and a glimpse into the future of technology.

Read the full article here.

Tech Talk: 4 Smart Devices to Make Pet Care a Breeze (Video) - Dwell.com

Smart Home

Connect your pets to the Internet to help you monitor, feed, and care for them when you can’t be there.

Smart home devices let you check in on your home when you’re not there, giving you peace of mind that everything is okay. But did you know they can help you look after your pets? 

Read the full article and watch the video here.

Tech Talk: Start Your Smart Home For Under $200 (Video) - Dwell.com

Smart Home

A smart home doesn’t have to be an expensive home. Here are three ways you can add some cool, connected capabilities for under $200.

The idea of a fully automated smart home can be a little overwhelming, both in concept and cost. But you don’t need to go all-in on connected tech to benefit from it. Instead, install a few devices that address specific needs, provide some neat modern conveniences, and cost a lot less. 

Read the full article and watch the video here.

3 smart solutions that will help make bedtime better for everyone - Omaha.com

Smart Home

Since my first child was born, bedtime has been the bane of my existence. From the early days through to elementary school, I really struggled to crack the nighttime routine.

Until I made my home smart.

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6 Predictions about the Future of Smartphones - EEWeb.com

Smartphones

From yesterday’s flip phones to today’s bezel-less glass screens, cellphones have evolved at a breakneck pace. A “phone” today bears almost no resemblance to the devices that we used for phone calls in the last century. And with cutting-edge features and futuristic technology, tomorrow’s smartphones are set to break conventions even further. The future of the smartphone may be bendable, embeddable, and entirely ambient.

Read the full article here.

Going Green: What Should You Do with Your Old Phone? - Mother Earth News

Recycle

When it comes to today’s smartphones, there’s always a shiny, newer device out there to tempt you. Most phones should last at least four to six years, but with technology moving so fast, it’s not uncommon to feel like your two-year-old device is obsolete. 

Thankfully, smartphones are one of the easiest electronics to recycle, and there are many ways to put your old phone to good use. If you’re looking to upgrade, keep the “three Rs” in mind when disposing of your old device.

Read the full article here.

3 Safety Tips to Combat Distracted Driving - Care2.com

Smartphone

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) most recent available data, nearly 3,500 people were killed in 2016, and close to 400,000 were injured in 2015 due to distracted driving. While distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts attention from driving, cell phone use, particularly texting, is identified as one of the most alarming distractions. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds,” says the NHTSA. “At 55 miles per hour, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”

Read the full article here.