Expand your desktop
Kensington’s SD7000 Surface Pro Docking Station is said to enable users to expand their desktop setup to include two 4K external monitors, connect to a wired network, and sync up their favorite USB accessories. Built on Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect technology, the docking station ensures seamless syncing and charging. The SD7000’s articulating hinge is designed to allow the Surface Pro to be comfortably positioned upright as a display or at a drafting table angle. A magnetic connection for Surface Pen keeps it handy and ready for use. The optional Lock Module for SD7000 Dual 4K Surface Pro Docking Station secures the Surface Pro when docked to deter theft.
Alexa at mealtime
Parents can now ask Amazon Alexa for songs and sounds designed to make mealtime engaging and exciting for babies and toddlers. Sprout Foods says its Alexa skill works with Amazon’s Echo and Dot, and features three different modes: songs (each featuring a different musical style and healthy food focus), mealtime adventures (fun sound effects) and “Eat & Sing with Sophie Sprout,” which encourages kids to take sips of their Sprout organic food pouches.
Say again?
Speaking of Alexa, or rather, speaking to Alexa: The Washington Post teamed up with two research groups to study the accent imbalance of Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant. People with Southern accents were 3 percent less likely to get accurate responses from a Google Home device than those with Western accents. And Alexa understood Midwest accents 2 percent less than those from along the East Coast. People with nonnative accents fared even worse. People who spoke Spanish as a first language were understood 6 percent less often than people who grew up in California or Washington.
Power watch
Joseph Fahys & Co. says its soon-to-be-released In-Touch will be the most advanced smartwatch in the world. The self-charging watch features the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Wear 2100 processor with 1 GB RAM and 8GB of storage, 9-Axis, optical heart rate monitor, Bluetooth 4.2, WLAN and GPS.
Bluetooth earrings
Bluetooth earrings for pierced ears are part of a recently launched Kickstarter campaign by Scandi Electronics. Swings Bluetooth Earrings are simple to wear, provide stability and combine function with fashion, says creator Melissa Eldridge. Users wear Swings as earrings and then can “swing” them into the ear when they want to listen to audio. Swings come in three versions: Swings, Swings Sport, and Swings “Bling” Swarovski Crystal. The earrings have dual microphones with calibrated noise cancellation technology for superior call quality. Battery life is five hours; 15 minutes of charging gets three hours.
That’s fast
It’s the fastest oven in the world, says Brava, a San Francisco-based company of its new oven. Its Pure Light Cooking™ technology is said to enable its lamps to reach full power – the equivalent of an oven reaching 500 degrees – in under one second, virtually eliminating the need to preheat. Brava can cook an entire meal with less energy than it takes to preheat a traditional oven, with multi-zone capabilities to cook different food groups at distinct temperatures simultaneously, according to the company. A heat-resistant internal camera allows you to monitor cooking progress, with the ability for a remote view into the oven on smartphones. The $995 oven is available for pre-order, with ovens expected to ship in November.
When coffee spills
If you flood your laptop with a latte or other beverage, turn it off immediately and unplug the power cord – and any other hardware attached to it, such as external drives, advise the technology editors at the New York Times. If your model has a removable battery, take it out. Tilt the computer to drain any excess liquid. Mop up as much of the spill as you can with a towel or other absorbent material, preferably by blotting instead of wiping (and potentially pushing liquid deeper into the machine). You may be able to revive the laptop by letting it drain and dry upside down overnight if water or small amounts of non-sugary liquids were spilled onto it. If significant amounts of a complex coffee creation, juice, soda, cocktails or other alcohol were the culprit, consider taking the machine to a computer repair shop as soon as possible for a professional cleaning and consultation. Good luck.