Kalakshar US

Volkswagen’s ID family of electric vehicles, which already includes the highly-anticipated ID.Buzz and more sedate ID.4, grew by one on Tuesday. The German automaker unveiled its ID.7 electric sedan ahead of CES 2023, in a eye-crossing orange and black camo scheme that hides an illuminating surprise. Yes, it lights up. 

That camo is is not randomly generated, each aspect is specifically designed to “create light effects on parts of the vehicle,” VW stated in a recent press release. “This is an interactive feature and symbolizes the next step in the digitalization of the future flagship model of Volkswagen’s EV family.” In all, some 22 sections of paint, all of which are comprised of more than 40 individual layers of paint and electronics, will light up at the driver’s command, or in time to the sound system’s beats. The QR codes painted on the hood and doors will allow authorized users to control the paint job (that’s so weird to write) through their smartphones.

The ID.7 is based on the Aero3 concept sedan that we first saw revealed earlier this year and is expected to achieve an all-electric range of 700 km. “With the new ID.7, we are extending our electric model range into the upper segments. The sedan will offer top-class technology and quality. The ID.7 is one of 10 new electric models that we are planning to launch by 2026,” Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said in a statement.

Details are still scarce regarding hard performance numbers but the company plans to release the ID.7 with an augmented reality head-up display, 15-inch central infotainment screen, digitally controlled air vents — which can be personalized to each passenger and which respond to voice commands — and illuminated touch sliders. The company has not stated when production will begin but did confirm that when the ID.7 does go on sale, it will do so in the Chinese, European and North American markets. 

 

Moen thinks it can take the hassle out of watering your lawn — and possibly save you some money in the process. It’s introducing a Smart Sprinkler Controller (shown below) that, in tandem with matching soil sensors, can automatically tweak watering schedules on a zone-by-zone basis. Your yard should only get the water it really needs — Moen claims it can reduce the water use of a typical home by 30 percent. Whether or not that’s true, you’ll probably appreciate the season- and weather-based adjustments that can save you from watering in the middle of a rainstorm.

You also won’t have to rip up your lawn to get started. You only have to stick the sensors in the soil, where they can stay flush with the ground. You don’t have to bury cables or watch where you’re mowing. The Sprinkler Controller attaches to your existing irrigation system within half an hour, and the sensors can be ready to go in less than five minutes.

Not surprisingly, Moen is using this as a chance to reel you into its broader smart home system. If you have the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff, you can watch out for leaks around the house without worrying that your sprinklers will shut off the home’s water supply.

The initial outlay may be pricey. Moen will release the devices in early February, starting at $180 for an eight-zone controller and $235 for its 16-zone counterpart. Sensors will be available for $70 each, or $180 for a three-pack. However, the company is clearly betting that its system will cut your water bill enough to justify the expense, not to mention spare you constant manual adjustments to watering schedules. The sprinkler tech could also reduce your home’s impact on the environment. That’s particularly helpful in California and other regions where water conservation is frequently important.

 

Most smart home products promise to save you time by allowing you to create schedules to automate tasks like turning on your lights, but taking advantage of that functionality requires first creating those schedules. Nanoleaf’s newest product line promises to do that work for you. Announced at CES 2023, the Sense+ Control family consists of three products: the Sense+ Smart Light Switch, Sense+ Wireless Light Switch and Nala Learning Bridge. All three are Matter and Thread enabled. They also feature built-in motion and ambient light sensors. The Nala Learning Bridge (pictured above) acts as a Thread Border Router so that you can use it as the hub of your smart home network. You can also use the Nala Learning Bridge as a night light to add a bit of ambiance to a room.

Nala is also the name of Nanoleaf’s new Automations Learning Assistant and what makes the Sense+ Control line interesting. The company claims Nala can learn your routines and eventually know when to turn your lights on or off and adjust their brightness and color to your liking. “Over time, users will be able to have a truly intelligent and hands-free experience with the smart lighting in their home,” says Nanoleaf. The Sense+ Control line will arrive in the second half of the year. Nanoleaf also plans to update its existing Thread Border Routers to support Nala.

Alongside the Sense+ Control line, the company announced several other new products. First, there’s the Nanoleaf 4D, a system for synchronizing your Nanoleaf lights with your TV. Set to arrive before the second half of the year, the 4D Starter Kit will ship with Nanoleaf’s new Screen Mirror Camera and a Matter-compatible Lightstrip that features 50 addressable LED zones and four mirroring modes. With the help of the company’s Sync+ technology, you can synchronize the Lightstrip and all your Nanoleaf lights with the action on your TV. If you want more consistent lighting, the Sync+ platform also supports the usual assortment of pre-made scenes, including Nanoleaf favorites like “Aurora Borealis” and “Vibrant Sunrise.”

When installing the Nanoleaf 4D, you can mount the camera on top of your TV or just below it. You’ll find adhesive and snap-on brackets inside the box for attaching the Lightstrip. At launch, Nanoleaf will offer the 4D TV Starter Kit in two sizes: one for 55- to 65-inch TVs and another for 70- to 80-inch sets. No word yet on pricing.

Nanoleaf is also adding a ceiling light to its line of modular wall panels. The aptly named Skylight consists of a set of square RGBW LED panels you can freely arrange to create different patterns on your ceiling. Skylight comes with all the features you expect from a Nanoleaf product, including the company’s screen mirroring technology, music visualizer and support for group scenes. You can use the Nanoleaf app to adjust the brightness, color and color temperature of Skylight’s built-in LEDs. Like the Nala Learning Bridge, Skylight also doubles as a Thread Border router. Nanoleaf says it will launch its latest modular lighting system in the second half of the year. Expect pricing details to arrive around then too.

Last but not least, Nanoleaf is updating its Essentials line to add BR30 and GU10 models. The company is also refreshing existing Essentials models, including its original A19 lightbulb, to make them Matter compatible. Owners of existing Nanoleaf products won’t be left out either. The company says it will roll out a software update for its Shapes, Elements, Canvas and Lines lighting products later this year to make them Matter-compatible.

 

Valencell, best known around these parts for making optical heart rate sensors for fitness tech, has turned up to CES with something new. The company is showing off a new fingertip monitor that, it says, will offer “cuffless” blood pressure monitoring. Rather than inflating a sleeve around the top of your arm, you’ll be able to monitor your blood pressure with a fingertip clip. That’s currently commonly used to measure your heart rate both at home, and in medical settings.

The as-yet unnamed device is pending FDA clearance, but Valencell has explained that it uses PPG sensors to measure blood flow patterns. This information is then run through an algorithm which calculates the movement against both a dataset containing 7,000 patient records. That’s then run up against the user’s age, weight, gender and height to produce a blood pressure measurement. And you’ll get both Diastolic and Systolic results presented on the device’s built-in screen, and pushed to the companion mobile app.

Much as Valencell say its work is unique, we’ve seen at least one other system that uses PPG and algorithms in place of a cuff. At the start of 2022, the University of Missouri showed off its own finger clip that harnesses a pair of PPG sensors, one on either side of the finger. That system was, by its creators own admission, far less accurate for diastolic measures, given the need to control for a person’s age, gender and weight.

Valencell seems to suggest that it has solved those issues with more data, to the point where you won’t need to calibrate its monitor with an initial cuff reading. That’s either some staggering bravado, or a sign that we’re getting better at the nitty-gritty of healthcare monitoring. The company says that it could offer a new weapon in the war against hypertension, and it hopes to offer it for use in clinical settings for remote patient monitoring or chronic care management.

But that’ll all have to wait until the FDA has run its cautious eye over the hardware — which could take much of the year — but if it offers its blessing, Valencell says it’ll sell the product for $99.

 

L’Oréal has returned to CES to unveil two makeup devices. HAPTA is a handheld, motorized applicator that the company created for people with limited hand and arm mobility. L’Oréal’s Lancôme brand will pilot the system this year with a lipstick applicator. Support for more makeup applications is in the works.

HAPTA is based on tech from Alphabet-owned Verily that levels utensils and keeps them stable to help people with limited hand and arm mobility eat independently. The system has smart motion controls and customizable attachments to enable precise application with the help of 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion, L’Oréal says.

The attachments are connected magnetically, with users being able to click them into place. The company added that HAPTA allows for “increased ease of use for difficult-to-open packaging.” Users will get an hour of use out of a single charge, which should be good for 10 or more applications, according to L’Oréal. It’ll take three hours to fully recharge the battery.

“For years, Lancôme has sought to provide every woman with beauty solutions adapted to their needs. Beauty tech has enabled us to fulfill this mission in an even more powerful way, revolutionizing the way we develop beauty products and services and enabling greater personalization,” Françoise Lehmann, global brand president of Lancôme, said in a statement. “With HAPTA we are going one step further by making beauty more accessible to use, because everyone should have equal access to it.”

L’Oréal had another makeup applicator to show off as well. It says that L’Oréal Brow Magic can help folks to achieve a personalized eyebrow look based on their facial features and natural brow.

To create the handheld device, L’Oréal worked with a company called Prinker, which offers printed, temporary tattoos. L’Oréal Brow Magic has 2,400 small nozzles and a printing resolution of up to 1,200 drops per inch. It can seemingly apply a precise brow shape in seconds. Standard remover will take the makeup off.

L’Oréal says the system is based on its Modiface AR technology. Users will need to scan their face using an app and choose their desired shape, thickness and effect — the app will offer microblading, micro-shading and filler recommendations. After the user applies a primer, they’ll need to sweep the device across their eyebrow in a single motion, then add a topcoat. L’Oréal Brow Magic should be available later this year.

 

CookingPal has revealed what it claims is the smartest and safest pressure cooker on the planet. Pronto is an eight-in-one device and, according to CookingPal, it’s the first pressure cooker with a fixed, hinged lid, an auto pressure release system and an air fryer attachment.

Pronto has a six-quart bowl with handles. There are safety sensors and an automatic pressure release with a steam diverter to help protect users. Along with pressure cooking, Pronto can be used for sauteing, slow cooking, steaming, fermenting, sanitizing, keeping food warm and, thanks to its integrated scale, weighing. The air fryer attachment, which is sold separately, adds air frying, roasting, baking and grilling to the list of cooking methods.

You’ll be able to monitor the cooking status and control Pronto using CookingPal’s companion app. Alternatively, you can keep an eye on things and adjust settings with the help of the device’s 4.3-inch color screen. A dedicated tablet called the Smart Kitchen Hub (which comes with CookingPal’s Multo cooking system) provides access to hundreds of recipes with step-by-step instructions and nutritional information, as well as the option to book cooking classes with the company’s chefs.

Pronto is hardly the first pressure cooker that offers remote control via an app — Instant Pot has introduced several such models over the last few years. Still, the auto pressure release system and Smart Kitchen Hub integration could make Pronto a more appealing option.

CookingPal says that Pronto will be available in Q3 this year, which is sometime between July and September. It will cost $279. The air fryer attachment will run you $119.

 

Withings has already made a name for itself as a maker of smart scales and ultra-stylish activity trackers. Now, the French health-tech company is making a foray into the world of medical analysis, building a device to scan people’s urine. It’s initially intended as a way of supporting decentralized clinical trials, the company hopes to offer it as a consumer health-tech device in the future. Say hello to U-Scan.

U-Scan is a pebble-shaped device that hangs from a plastic tab on the side of your toilet bowl, much like a deodorizer block. The hardware, 90mm in diameter, is intended to sit on the porcelain where most people’s pee streams would land. There’s a collection inlet at the lowest point, and a sensor will detect the presence of urine and trigger a pump you pull a small quantity into its body. From there, the sample is pumped into a microfluidic system which triggers a chemical reaction.

Sitting underneath the U-Scan itself will be a cartridge, which contains the specific test that you’re looking for. The company has, so far, partnered with two medical centers in Europe to explore ways of discovering renal lithiasis and bladder cancer. It’s hoped that the system will eventually be used to mass-screen for cancer markers and support medical studies.

In terms of the consumer units, the company has developed U-Scan Cycle Sync, designed to be used for period tracking. The idea is to provide detailed, regular testing to enable fine-grain cycle tracking without the need for calendar apps. As well as predicting your menstrual cycle, the system says it’ll predict your ovulation window, hydration levels and nutrient levels.

The other is U-Scan Nutri Balance, which offers a “detailed metabolic guide to hydration and nutrition.” This will look at your water balance, nutrient levels, fat metabolism and quantities of vitamin C found in your pee. Most crucially, you’ll be able to monitor your ketone levels, as well as the pH of your urine, good for determining if you’re eating a healthy enough diet.

When processed, the results of the tests are shared to a server over WiFi or Bluetooth, and then the cartridge will reset with a fresh test pod. The company says that U-Scan is sufficiently smart to distinguish different users, such as various family members in a home, and separate tests accordingly.

Withings has also said that its system conforms to the highest security standards, and that its data will always be held in France, in a GDPR-compliant setup. It says that U-Scan will run for three months before needing a recharge (over USB-C) and a replacement cartridge.

In terms of pricing, and availability, you’ll expect that whatever date Withings says, it may be delayed due to regulatory approvals. The company says that U-Scan will be first made available in Europe at some point in Q2, 2023, with the Nutri Balance and Cycle Sync cartridges. A starter kit, with one reader and cartridge, will be priced at €499.95 ($530), while replacement cartridges are expected to cost €30 ($31). A US release will take place at some point afterward, whenever the FDA decides to clear the product for consumer use.

 

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder and former CEO of crypto exchange FTX, has pleaded not guilty to federal wire fraud charges and other crimes. Per The New York Times, Bankman-Fried appeared before a Manhattan court on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after he was granted bail on a $250 million bond, and said he was innocent of charges laid against him by US prosecutors. 

In addition to a civil suit from the Securities and Exchange Commission, SBF faces a criminal indictment from the Justice Department. Prosecutors have accused Bankman-Fried of leading a multiyear scheme to defraud investors and customers of FTX. SBF faces a total of eight criminal charges, including multiple counts of wire fraud. He is also accused of attempting to commit commodities fraud, as well as breaking federal election laws by donating more than is legally allowed. 

It’s worth emphasizing the changes against SBF are serious. For context, a federal judge recently sentenced former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes to 11 years in prison for defrauding investors and patients. Prosecutors have accused Bankman-Fried of defrauding investors of almost $2 billion, or about twice the amount of money involved in the Theranos case. SBF has previously said that he “didn’t ever try to commit fraud,” and doesn’t believe he’s criminally liable for the fall of FTX.

According to The Times, Bankman-Fried did not speak during the hearing. One of SBF’s lawyers entered a not-guilty plea on his client’s behalf. The trial is tentatively scheduled to start on October 2nd. Bahamian authorities arrested Bankman-Fried on December 12th. He originally planned to fight extradition, but later returned to the US to face federal prosecutors. 

 

Verizon has announced the latest model in its kids’ line of cellular-connected smartwatches. The Gizmo Watch 3 is a $150 children’s wearable that gives them basic smart features while allowing their parents or caregivers to keep tabs on their location.

The newest Verizon watch for tikes continues the company’s goal of “providing a safe smartwatch experience for children that aren’t quite ready for a smartphone.” The new version has a front-facing camera, allowing children to take photos, make video calls and record messages with approved contacts. (Although smartwatch cameras can sound privacy alarms, I see the value for children who don’t already have a smartphone camera.) The new model also lets parents add more safe zones, designated areas that the children can’t leave without the watch notifying their parents. The new model also doubles the number of trusted contacts parents can set up — from 10 to 20.

The Gizmo Watch 3 gets a new processor in the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform. Verizon says the chip helps it add 80 percent more talk time and 20 percent more standby time than its predecessor. It also includes Bluetooth for the first time so that kids can pair the wearable with wireless earbuds or headphones. Additionally, it has new watch faces (including ones that change with the seasons and time of day) and three new games: Tic Tac Toe, Gizmo Says and Puzzle.

The Gizmo Watch 3 will be available through Verizon on Thursday in Blue Clay and Mint colors. Of course, if you don’t want to pay the full $150 upfront, the carrier will let qualified customers pay it off over 36 months. For a limited time, it’s also running a deal where buying one will get you $100 off a second.

 

Five-year-old pool cleaning company Aiper is launching the Seagull Pro, which the company says is the world’s first quad-motor pool-cleaning robot. The flagship vacuum is a CES 2023 Innovation Award Honoree.

The Seagull Pro’s quad-motor system moves the robot around your pool by sucking and quickly exhausting water. Aiper says it can “suck in dirt, sand, leaves, hairs and other particles on the pool’s floor more efficiently than other models.” It can clean in- or above-ground pools (up to 3,200 sq. ft.) for up to three hours per charge and offers three modes: floor cleaning, wall cleaning and auto, which cleans both. Aiper says the device’s WavePath Navigation follows “a unique wave shape” while cleaning to increase its coverage compared to vacuums that wander randomly. The Seagull Pro will cost $900 when it launches in March.

Additionally, Aiper has new cheaper models, including the $400 Seagull Plus. It’s made for pools up to 1,300 sq. ft. and helps reduce its cost by trading the quad motor for a dual-motor system. It lasts an estimated 110 minutes while recharging in two and a half hours. Meanwhile, the Aiper Elite Pro skips the Seagull branding while offering high-end features at a slightly lower price than the Seagull Pro (although one big tradeoff is that the Elite Pro only covers 1,300 sq. ft.) It has a lightweight design, wall-cleaning capabilities and a dual-motor system. It can clean for two hours, the same time it takes to recharge. The Elite Pro arrives this Thursday for $800.

Aiper also highlights the Seagull SE, a budget water vacuum released in November. Although it only supports pools up to 850 sq. ft., it has dual drive motors and can run for 90 minutes (recharging in two and a half hours). The Seagull SE costs $300.