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The HomePod can now alert you if a smoke alarm goes off while you’re out
Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini can now alert you if an alarm goes off at home while you’re away. Sound Recognition, a feature announced alongside the latest full-sized version of Apple’s speaker, is finally available beginning today.
Tinder is working on a panic button for dangerous situations
Tinder is taking more steps to beef up user safety, rolling out features that give daters the option to receive check-ins, hit a panic alarm and even call authorities to their location. Its parent company, Match, has taken a stake in a location tracking and personal safety app called Noonlight, Wall Street Journal reports, and plans to test the features in the US from the end of January.
Ring's new home security gear includes its first indoor camera
Amazon's deluge of hardware launches isn't limited to Echo devices -- it's showing Ring some attention as well. To start, it's introducing its first indoor-focused camera, the (aptly-named) Ring Indoor Cam. As you can see above, it's considerably more compact than Ring's existing options and can tuck into just about any place in the home. It's also the most affordable Ring camera to date, going on sale today at a not-too-unreasonable $60.
Dark-alley defense: Tech tools to keep you safe
"One of the best gadgets you can have is a doorstop." Douglas White has been in the personal security business for nearly 30 years. He started training in martial arts 24 years ago, and he's been a bail enforcement agent -- a bounty hunter -- for 13 years. He's done international security tours with Linkin Park and the Stone Temple Pilots, but he's currently prioritizing fatherhood and capturing fugitives from his home base in Connecticut. White can handily navigate a dark alley filled with foes, even when his only weapons are his hands. However, in an ideal scenario, White will always have a tool at his disposal. Not necessarily a weapon -- then again, anything can be weaponized if you try hard enough.
You don't have to say 'Hey, Google' to shut off your alarm anymore
Sometimes, the smallest changes are the most welcome ones. Google has removed the requirement to say "Hey, Google" before turning off an alarm or timer, streamlining the Assistant process while simultaneously making millions of mornings just a little better. Instead of mumbling, "Hey, Google, stop," three times into your pillow, at increasing levels of sleep-deprived frustration, you're now able to simply shout, "Stop," as many times as necessary. Assistant head Scott Huffman capped his presentation about a suite of new features with the news about alarms and timers, to a ringing round of applause. Apparently, there are a lot of snoozers in Silicon Valley.
Tesla's Sentry Mode has already caught a suspected thief
At the start of the year Tesla teased Sentry Mode, a security feature for its EVs that leverages a 360 dash cam to record damage and attempted break-ins. It rolled out in February, and it's already earning its keep. According to ABC 7 news, the feature has resulted in the arrest of a would-be thief.
Google Clock can now wake you up with YouTube Music and Pandora
Last year Google made the business of getting out of bed in the morning an altogether more pleasant affair when it introduced Spotify integration to the Google Clock app. The feature let Android users set a song or playlist as an alarm, rather than the usual odious beeping, and it was so well received that users were quick to ask when there would be similar support for other music services. That's finally arrived, and Google Clock 6.1 will now also let you pick music from Pandora and YouTube Music.
Kangaroo expands its line of affordable smart home security sensors
Smart home security is gaining traction, but it generally still comes at a price. Last year, however, startup company Kangaroo entered the market with its system of $30 peel-and-stick motion sensors and low-cost monitoring plans, designed to make security simple, accessible and affordable. Now, it's launching five new equally-affordable products to expand its repertoire and help its users take advantage of even beefier security.
Command Nest's security system with Google Assistant
You'd think Nest's Secure alarm system would have worked with Google Assistant out of the box, but no -- you've had to arm it the old-fashioned way. Now, however, it's decidedly more convenient. Nest has quietly introduced Google Assistant support that allows voice control over Secure from a supporting device. You can arm the system whether you're home or away, check its status, or cancel it within seconds of making a mistake.
Your next home security system could deploy patrol drones
Security cameras are great, but only when they're actually pointed at whatever is going on. With Alarm.com's forthcoming smart security system, however, unexpected events will always be in focus, thanks to a veritable swarm of drone investigators.
Sonos alarms are waking users a day early (updated)
Waking up to your favorite music is always nice, but it becomes rather annoying when you can't turn off said alarm. That's exactly what Sonos users are experiencing and one editor on our staff dealt with the headache first hand. In fact, the alarms are also going off a day early, meaning Saturday wake-up calls were playing this morning. The company posted in its forums this morning that it's looking into the issue and recommends users delete all alarms from the Sonos app for right now.
Kello trains your sleeping habits without using sensors
While there are already a handful of devices that claim to improve our sleep quality, one little startup from Hong Kong's Brinc IoT accelerator thinks that it can do a better job. Kello is a sleep trainer that comes in the form of an internet radio alarm slash Bluetooth speaker slash home automation hub, and unlike some of the competition, it doesn't use any bed sensor, clip-on device nor wearable to track the user's sleep activity. Instead, it's all about leveraging "simple, effective and scientifically proven techniques" from specialists to help us sleep faster, wake up better and ultimately change our lifestyle.
Beddi smartphone alarm dock hooks up to Uber, Spotify and Nest
We've seen plenty of smartphone -- well, mostly iPhone -- alarm docks in our lifetime, but there's been little development on that end in recent years. OK, there was that one bacon scent alarm from Oscar Mayer, but not much else. That's why we were pretty stoked when we came across Witti's neat and affordable solution dubbed Beddi. This $100 minimalistic dock houses an iOS or Android phone in landscape mode on the top, and recharging is done via your own USB cable -- you get a 2.1A port and a 1A port on the back. But it's really all about the companion app: Once paired up over Bluetooth, you can preset Beddi's three physical buttons to either call an Uber taxi, toggle a Spotify playlist, control the temperature on your Nest or switch on a Philips Hue light. Some of these can even be automated according to your desired schedule.
GM adds real-time theft alerts to OnStar
Ring! "Hello?" Car: "It's your car." You: "My what?" Car: "I've just been stolen and have alerted the authorities." Okay, that's a call nobody wants, but GM has just added a feature to its OnStar security system that does exactly that, called "theft alarm notification." It works with appropriately equipped OnStar vehicles to contact you via text, email or phone if a bad guy activates the alarm on your GM vehicle. The feature is an add-on to GM's existing security system, which already lets OnStar advisers contact the police, track your vehicle and even slow it down or shut it off if it's safe to do so.
Belkin's WeMo home sensors track everything and the kitchen sink
Do you want to know every little nuance of what's going on in your home? You'll want to give Belkin's new WeMo home sensors a look, then. The surprisingly wide range of household trackers includes a door-and-window sensor, a keychain tracker, a motion detector and a water efficiency monitor -- there's even an alarm sensor that listens for sounds from other sensors, like smoke detectors. All of the devices will alert you if something's amiss, whether you're worried about intruders or tend to run the kitchen faucet for too long. And like the rest of Belkin's highly modular WeMo hardware, they'll frequently work in tandem with other gadgets on the platform. They can turn on the lights when you step into a room, or ramp up the air conditioning only when your window is closed. Most of the sensors will arrive in the second half of 2015, with pricing coming later. The water sensor is still in field testing, however, so it won't be ready to analyze your plumbing until the tail end of the year.
Smiley Alarm Clock is how the selfie generation wakes up
Capitalizing on the selfie craze, the Smiley Alarm Clock aims to start your morning off with a smile. Unfortunately, the app, which requires iOS 7.1 and works on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, leads to frustration and general annoyance. The concept is simple. When the alarm goes off you grab your phone and pose for a morning selfie. In theory, the app snaps a photo and the alarm turns off when it detects your smile. Once Smiley Alarm Clock takes your photo you can share the picture on Instagram or Facebook. Undoubtedly you'll include the hashtag #iwokeuplike this, or something similar. But who wants to take a picture of their morning face, let alone share it with the world? Not me. You couldn't even pay me to do it, as is evident by the loads of makeup I'm wearing in these pictures. I'm sure there are people who do this under the safety of Instagram filters, but Smiley Alarm Clock has zero filters to hide the bags under your eyes. Beyond the problematic concept, there are two major flaws with the app itself. You'll notice that I used the phrase "in theory" earlier and that's because the app doesn't do what it says it does. I spent a full 60 seconds smiling my face off and the app never took a photo and never shut off the alarm. You can manually shut off the alarm, but then what's the point of the app? This happened more than once, leaving me extremely frustrated. I tested this out in the afternoon; pretty sure it would've left me enraged had this happened at 7am. The second flaw is somewhat amusing but mostly annoying. You would think that the app would take your photo when your face is positioned nicely in the center of the screen and you look awesome. Nope. I took about 15 test shots and all but two of them turned out decently. A few of them only captured my forehead and eyes because the app didn't wait for me to position my phone correctly. Considering the camera is supposed to be triggered by a smile, those were pretty odd photos for it to take. Most of the time, I had to move my phone around randomly until it took a picture. These were the most unflattering pictures ever and were taken from very weird angles. They will never see the light of day. I wouldn't be surprised if the developer is deliberately trolling us here. Oh, and you don't even have to smile for it to work. Incidentally, this image sums up exactly how I feel about this app. When you're already not a morning person, the last thing you want is to fake a smile and pretend you don't hate how you look when you haven't had your first cup of coffee. However, if you are really into how you look in the morning, Smiley Alarm Clock is available for free in the App Store with an in-app purchase for extra alarm sounds.
Panik is an assault alert app with social integration
Currently free, with in-app purchases, the Panik assault alarm app goes beyond the standard alerts and offers layers of security to keep you safe. Panik works on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch running iOS 7.0 or later. It would be great if we lived in a world where we could walk home at 2 AM and not worry about anything, but we don't. Everyone needs an assault alarm app on their phone, especially if you live in a city and frequently travel by foot or public transportation. You may already have an alarm app, but it likely has limited options. Most apps blare a loud noise and maybe send a few SMS messages, like Attack Alarm SMS. Panik is different. When you open the app, the first thing that you see is an alarm button. You have three options here, flashing lights, a loud siren or both. For added protection, you can set a pin lock to prevent your attacker from shutting off the alarm. I can't say enough about this feature. Most people in cities will ignore a loud alarm if it only lasts a few seconds. The pin lock makes sure that people pay attention. Smartly, Panik has a shake to activate feature, because who has time to swipe an alarm on when they're being attacked? The key here is to have the app open on your phone and have your phone accessible. As someone who's lived in both New York and New Orleans, you should always keep your phone within reach when you are out. You need to draw attention to your situation quickly, you can't be fumbling with your phone. There's also a flashlight, and most importantly, an S.O.S. button. When you push it, your phone will automatically dial the number of your choice. Panik defaults this number to 911. You can change it, but your best bet is to leave it. None of the above are particularly revolutionary, so here's what Panik has that other alarm apps don't - social integration. Connect the app with your Facebook and Twitter accounts, type in a distress message (or use the default message) and Panik will post that message plus your current location when you activate the app. Like I mentioned above, there are apps that send SMS alerts to a few individuals, but Panik widens that reach to hundreds of people. This app does have an SMS feature, but there is a drawback. With iOS you can't automatically send SMS messages. You have to manually hit send. This can cost you precious time and be downright impossible to do if you are being attacked. Given this restriction, the social aspect of Panik is invaluable. The social integration feature, including SMS, is a US$0.99 purchase. A very small price to pay for your personal safety.
Daylight saving public service announcement: Don't count on your iPhone alarm this weekend
You never know, this year the Daylight Saving Time switch might work out differently -- but why take the chance? Over the years, Apple's iOS platform has run into a few hurdles when it comes to handling the semiannual clock shift forwards (in springtime) or backwards an hour (in the autumn). From wakeup alarms that triggered an hour early or late, to ones that simply never went off at all... you get the drift. The most recent hiccup for iPhone and iPad users with Daylight Saving Time handling was merely cosmetic, with the Calendar app misidentifying the correct time back in October of 2013. That was nothing compared to the Great Late Date of 2010, where people missed appointments or were late for work due to wonky alarm triggers. To be clear, we've yet to see any signs of similar problems for the iPhone with the switch this year, which triggers at 2 AM local time tomorrow (Sunday) morning in most of the United States. Nevertheless, prudence and painful experience suggests that a backup alarm clock (or using the timer function of the clock app, to count down the actual number of hours you need to sleep) may be a good plan for Sunday and Monday morning. If you want an app that can wake you selectively at the "right" part of your sleep pattern, I personally use and recommend Northcube AB's $0.99 Sleep Cycle app.
Oscar Mayer launches scent-enabled bacon alarm clock for iPhone
Oscar Mayer has come up with a way to tease iPhone users in the worst possible way: By waking up with the smell of bacon in the air. The strange little device is called Wake Up And Smell The Bacon, and once paired with an iPhone and the companion app, it can be set like an alarm to wake you up with the sound of sizzling bacon and a few puffs of pork-scented perfume. You can't buy the gadget though, no, you'll have to actually win one by entering on the official website. Let us know if you score one yourself, and you get bonus points if you trick your spouse or roommate into thinking you've made them breakfast.
Pandora's Android app gets an alarm clock function, right on time
There's no denying it -- many people will need extra motivation to get up at a reasonable hour after sleeping in during the holidays. It's a good thing, then, that Pandora has just given its Android app the alarm clock and sleep functions that reached iOS nearly a month ago. Most of the functions are the same. You can still tell Pandora to wake you up to your favorite streaming station, and you can hit the snooze button if you're not quite ready to greet the new day. Android users do get a few OS-specific perks, including support for recurring alarms and the luxury of switching apps once the alarm has been set. If you need some tunes to make the early morning a little more bearable, you'll want to swing by Google Play to grab Pandora's update.
