From Robots to E-Scooters, All the Things We Loved This Month
Sony; Jibo; Mayfield Robotics; Bocco; ZoeticThe Second Coming of the Robot Pet
Your next BFF might bleep, bloop, and roll around on wheels. Robotics startups are rolling out more and more companion bots, designed for the sole purpose of friendship. As these machines increasingly become part of domestic life, those relationships usher in an array of ethical questions: Are those bonds healthy? Should we raise our children alongside robots? And how will we feel when they break down and die? Read the story.
PinterestFeeling Stressed Out? Pinterest Wants to Help
Pinterest sees millions of queries every year about coping with stress or sadness: People come to the site for advice on how to deal with difficult emotions, or simply to find something nice to look at when they're feeling anxious. So Pinterest decided to do something about it. Now, when you search for something like "stress quotes," you'll find a series of mindfulness exercises modeled after clinical research from Stanford. Read the story.
DELONGHI; SAECOAre Super Automatic Espresso Machines Worth It?
Espresso is great at a bakery or coffee shop, but at home it's a hassle. Making a good shot takes a lot of learning—and a lot of love for good espresso. A super-automatic espresso machine is designed to do most of the work for you. (It's like a Nespresso, just one that pumps out superior results.) The trouble is that making coffee is a dirty process. These machines do their best, but they aren’t able to eliminate that mess. They make great espresso, but beneath all that automation there’s a fair amount of maintenance work that has to get done. Read the story.
Elena Lacey; Getty ImagesThe Terrible Anxiety of Location Sharing Apps
The central promise of location sharing is peace of mind. Just tap an icon and an app pops up to issue welcome assurance that someone you love isn’t dead at the bottom of a river. But the ability to know another person's whereabouts at all times doesn't jibe well with a penchant for anxiety. The same service that aims to stop us from worrying about others often supercharges that worry instead. Read the story.
Elena Lacey; Getty ImagesEscape Crappy News Recommendation Algorithms With the Gem App
The internet is a revolving door of algorithmic recommendations. Social media and search aggregators show you the stories and content they think you want to see, rather than what you're actually interested in. Forget all of that and try the Gem app instead. It delivers the news with a nifty rating system, and it spotlights a single story each day that you're most likely to enjoy. That way, you can focus on what's important and leave the junk recommendations behind. Read the story.
Samantha CooperThe Inside Story of Twitter's New Redesign
Twitter’s recent web redesign isn't just a visual refresh. Yes, it looks different: The navigation icons have migrated to the left and the compose box—forever prompting “What’s happening?”—is now front and center. There are new features too, like the ability to bookmark tweets or turn on dark mode. But the big redesign is more about refining Twitter's identity in an era when no one really knows what the platform is for. Read the story.
Jeff Chiu/APWhat to Look Forward to in MacOS Catalina
MacOS Catalina has been available since late last month as a public beta. As part of this new initiative, Apple has been bringing some of its native iOS apps over to Mac, including Apple News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home. Catalina also introduces a suite of features that emphasize accessibility and security. Also: At long last, Apple is killing iTunes. Read the story.
Tempur-PedicTo Compete With Startups, Old-School Mattress Makers Plug Into Data
Mattresses aren't the simple sleeping pads they used to be. A “luxury” mattress now refers to one that dynamically adjusts the temperature overnight, to prolong various sleep stages; or a mattress infused with “AI” to “optimize” your sleeping patterns over time. Even less expensive mattress options are starting to incorporate high-tech sleep-monitoring tools. But the research on whether these so-called systems improve sleep is thin, when it exists at all. Read the story.
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