One word: Encryption
When your laptop is stolen, your personal information is accessible to anyone, even if you have a password, reports the New York Times. But you can protect your data with encryption. And it’s pretty easy, even for techno-Neanderthals. Some Windows 10 devices come with encryption turned on by default. If your Windows laptop doesn’t support Device Encryption, use Windows’ other built-in encryption tool, BitLocker. All modern Macs (since about 2003) have a feature called FileVault, which encrypts your entire system drive. But don’t lose the key you create. If bad guys can’t get into your computer without the key, you can’t either.
Controlling hand tremors
For people with hand tremors and irregular hand movements caused by Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, spinal cord injuries, or just old age, using utensils can turn an enjoyable meal into a frustrating experience, reports Medgadget. Liftware (part of Alphabet’s life sciences research division) hopes to resolve that frustration. The company’s two products – Liftware Steady and Liftware Level – are both specialized eating utensils consisting of a handle and a detachable utensil head (available in soup spoon, normal spoon, fork, or spork options). Liftware Steady’s handle has an on-board computer that detects tremors and then adjusts the utensil head to move in the opposite direction, while Liftware Level has internal motors that can adjust its position to accommodate larger movements such as hand or arm twists. As a result, both devices keep their utensil heads level in the face of unintentional movements. Liftware was founded in 2010 and was acquired by Verily, Alphabet Inc.’s life sciences research division, in 2014.
Hands-free camera
This could get creepy, but if you’re a parent with young kids or grandkids, you might really go for it. Google introduced Google Clips ($250), a pretty tiny, hands-free camera designed to help you capture more spontaneous moments of kids, pets and others around you. That’s because the camera takes pictures on its own. That’s right, you don’t have to click a button (though you can if you want). Rather, you set the camera down; point it at, say, your two kids putting together Legos; and the camera decides when the scene gets interesting enough – or adorable enough – to capture in a short clip. Clips syncs wirelessly and in seconds from the camera to the Google Clips app for Android or iOS. Swipe to save or delete your clips, or choose an individual frame to save as a high-resolution still photo. Clips is said work best at home with family and friends, as the camera learns to recognize the faces of people that matter to you and snaps accordingly.
A suitable smartphone
You can spend $700 or $1000 on an Apple or Samsung smartphone, and you’ll get a great camera, vibrant display, frequent updates, maybe even facial recognition. But if you’re cheap, you can get a good phone for as low as $200, according to Wirecutter, a product review website owned by the New York Times. Wirecutter’s top budget phone is Motorola’s Moto G5 Plus ($230), which has a high-quality camera, a good 5.2-inch screen, a fast fingerprint sensor and plenty of storage. Huawei’s $200 Honor 7X has a better camera and bigger screen than the Moto G5 Plus, but it runs on an older version of the Android operating system, called Nougat. And if you’ve just gotta have an iPhone, Apple still sells the iPhone 6, which it introduced in 2015, for $450 (if through Apple).
Smart deadbolts
Door hardware maker Schlage® said that its Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt was expected to work with Google Assistant this spring. With the Google Assistant on Google Home, users will be able to lock the door or check if the door is locked by saying, “OK Google, lock my door,” or “OK Google, is my door locked?” Beyond Google Home, users can also ask Google Assistant on an iOS or Android™ smartphone. This integration will come as an addition to the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt’s existing compatibility with Amazon Alexa®. Alternatively, users may choose to set up the Schlage Sense deadbolt with Apple HomeKit™ and use Siri® to command the deadbolt on their iPhone®, iPad®or iPod touch®.
The smallest, slimmest charger
WAFR – said to be the world’s smallest and slimmest wireless power bank and AC charger – uses Nano SD technology and interchangeable AC plug modules to charge users phones anywhere in the world. Compatible with all iPhones and Android devices, the device was expected to be sold at most major retail box stores and carriers this spring, including Apple, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. The device is said to be ultra-slim (7mm) and can fit in a user’s shirt pocket.
What’s the weather?
AccuWeather for the Google Assistant is a new app said to make it easy to access weather forecasts as well as warnings using natural language commands. The app allows people to ask simple weather- and forecast-related questions, such as “Do I need an umbrella?” or “When will the snow stop?” It is available on all Google Assistant-enabled devices, including speakers like Google Home, Android phones, through the Google Assistant iPhone app, Apple TV, headphones, and more.
Custom athletes
Medical technology firm Hologic is teaming up with the University of Minnesota to help coaches and professional trainers tailor athletes’ bodies to their specific sport or position, reports the Worcester Business Journal. The agreement has Hologic as the exclusive provider of Dexalytics, a Minnesota company borne out of research from the University of Minnesota, which offers cloud-based software to provide measurements beyond traditional data of body fat. Together with Hologic’s Horizon DXA system, the companies hope to be able to compare the body composition of athletes against predetermined sport and position-specific standards, helping trainers and medical professionals target their work and identify baseline body types when returning from injuries and understand how the human body changes over the course of a sports season.