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 super app, drone deliveries, muse blocks, UV-sensitive yarn, and an AI-powered toothbrush. Dig in!
Generally
Uber Has a New App – A Super App
What’s not to love about Uber? You can hail a ride to any place around town, order food to be delivered pretty much anywhere, and in the future, Uber plans to launch flying cars. Imagine that! But, Uber’s not on the radar now for introducing all these cool services. In fact, Uber is actually launching one app to rule them all. When you open this app, you will be promoted to click a button that lets you choose between rides or eats. Gone are the days of shuffling between apps! And according to the company’s Chief Product Officer, Manik Gupta, Uber’s goal is to use technology to make its services more efficient.
UPS and CVS Want to Deliver Items Via Drones
Are drone deliveries the next big thing? UPS and CVS sure think so. Recently, a Matternet M2 drone completed two short deliveries from a nearby CVS. However, UPS confirmed that this was only a test and not the beginning of an ongoing service. Although only in the pilot phase, these types of deliveries point towards a future where drone deliveries become the norm for e-commerce stores.
Take Notes
A New Way to Interact with Your Streaming Services
Move over CD’s and make way for Muse Blocks. Sure, streaming music from an app on your phone is cool, but what if you could play digital music from a 7 cm by 7 cm block? Senic, the company that brought you ways to interact with smart speakers and smart lights is now bringing you a way to interact with music streaming services such YouTube. The catch? Your phone needs to support NFC reading or writing.
This Yarn Can Keep You Warm – Literally
Cold-natured people rejoice! American yarn company, Red Heart, has created a new way to keep you warm – through fibers that get warm when exposed to UV rays. Imagine walking outside on a cold, sunny day and instead of feeling like an ice cube, you feel like you’re next to a fireplace. The yarn itself is 100% acrylic and has heating properties directly woven into the fibers. A perfect way to brace the cold!
Hate Brushing Your Teeth? Try this AI-Powered Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth is like second nature to most people. However, studies have shown that many people don’t brush properly and end up missing certain areas in their mouth. Which is why Oral B came up with a solution to combat this problem – Genius X electric toothbrush. Not only is this toothbrush electric, but it’s also AI-powered. The toothbrush itself connects to your phone via Bluetooth and starts a timer when you start brushing. It also reminds you to change positions and signals you if you’re using too much pressure. A great toothbrush for kids!
Totally Unrelated
Remains of Sea Monster Found in Poland
Dubbed the Pliosaur, this creature makes the T-Rex look small. The fossil found shows that the Pliosaur was 33 feet long with a jaw length of 8 feet. Talk about a huge predator!
