Welcome to the BYTE, where we serve up the latest home and tech news from the last week for you to sink your teeth into.
This week we’re taking a BYTE out of a smart fitness device mirror, flying taxis, a smart bed, lab-created meat, and AI musicians. Dig in!
Generally
Mirror Mirror On the Wall
Why go to the gym when you can work out at home? Mirror, a type of fitness equipment that is part mirror and part LCD, is no stranger to the health and fitness world. However, Mirror just got smart. Now, this device offers one-on-one personal training from the comfort of your home. How? Mirror’s built-in microphone, speaker, and video camera allows your personal trainer to be by your side every step of the way with real-time feedback. And the best part? The personal training platform is less expensive than seeing a personal trainer at an on-site gym.
Back to the Future… In Real Life
Why drive when you can fly? Automaker, Porsche, has partnered with Boeing to develop a way to create a vehicle for the air. Their idea? Flying taxis! The prototype will take the form of a VTOL and operate like a helicopter as it does not require a runway. Although flying cars are a foreign concept to most people, Porsche cited a recent study that showed urban air travel becoming a popular option after the year 2025.
Take Notes
Rock-a-Bye… Adult?
If you’re having a difficult time falling asleep, Adiva might have a solution for you – a smart bed. By adding a set of modular bed legs to your existing bed frame, you can be gently rocked to sleep each night. In addition to the modular legs, the Adiva One includes motion sensors that can track your sleep patterns and the device itself consumes minimal power.
Lab-Created Meat
Is it possible to grow your own meat? Israeli startup, Aleph Farms, is doing just that. By partnering with 3D Bioprinting Solutions and two US companies, Aleph Farms experimented with creating meat in space. How? By using a 3D bioprinter to assemble cells harvested from live animals into a small piece of muscle tissue. In other words, space beef steak. Their goal? According to Aleph Farms spokesperson Yoav Reisler, “We are showing that we can produce food without the reliance on local land and water resources.”
AI is Taking Over the Music Space
AI is taking over the world… not really, but could it? We’ve seen how AI works – think Alexa and ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. But what if AI took over your music playlist? Auxuman, an artificial intelligence startup company, releases AI-generated albums every month to platforms we all know and use – YouTube, SoundCloud, and more. So what does that mean for actual musicians? Will there be a need for them in the future? Yes! One thing AI lacks is creativity as creativity involves imagination – a concept foreign to computers.
Totally Unrelated
The Top Treat for Halloween
… It’s not what you think – black licorice. The telephone poll also cited that 36 percent of Americans liked Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and 18 percent liked Snickers. And yes, Candy Corn is still one of the top-selling Halloween candies in the country.
