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Tech wants to solve our tech-related sleep problems
Technology is bad for sleep. It keeps us constantly exposed to an endless cycle of bad news, and the blue light emitted by smartphone and tablet displays suppresses our ability to produce melatonin. Combine that with the feelings of inadequacy generated by watching other people's picture-perfect lives on social media, and it's no surprise that we're all restless. Sleep technology exists to solve this issue, and there were plenty of companies exhibiting new devices here at CES 2018. Many of them intend to tell you how well, or poorly, you have slept each night, in the hope you'll make better decisions the following day. But, as well as becoming more commonplace, sleep gadgets are going to become far more diverse, at least according to what we saw at the show.
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.
Notti smart light does notifications and wake-up calls with style
There are already a good handful of options in the smart bulb market, but if you're after something more of a portable mood light with notification feature, then Hong Kong startup Witti may have something for you. The Notti, a project just launched on Kickstarter, is a 'polygonic' smart LED box that hooks up to your iPhone or Android phone over Bluetooth. This cool-looking device comes with a companion app that lets you set the color theme for the mood light mode, and you can do the same for specific types of notifications -- be it from e-mails, social networks, calls, messages and more. Better yet, the device also serves as a music visualizer as well as a wake-up light -- as shown in the video after the break. As for battery life, a single charge will last up to a month.
Dotti is a cute LED block that does notifications using pixel art
Let's face it: There's always a part of us that can't resist a good bit of pixel art -- be it on bank notes, in games or even in the form of sculptures. For those who are seeking something more interactive, you may want to check out the Dotti by Hong Kong startup Witti. What we have here is a little eight-by-eight LED block with Bluetooth radio and a battery -- up to 720 hours on standby or 5 hours of continuous display. When paired with its iOS or Android app, Dotti serves as a pixel art canvas (you'll be able to upload your own work), a clock, an icon-based notification display (for calls, e-mails, text, calendar, popular social networks and more), a music visualizer and even a virtual dice. Simply swipe along the top side of Dotti to toggle between these modes, as shown in our video after the break. Want one? It'll arrive just before the holidays for $99.
