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Getting up from the toilet after a satisfying bowel movement, you walk right over to the sink and start washing your hands. "Alexa, flush my toilet," you say while reaching for your toothbrush. Your mirror starts displaying your schedule for the day, the weather update and latest news. Suddenly, there's a ping -- your toilet has detected an anomaly in your stool and recommends you increase your fiber intake. A dispenser built into your medicine cabinet whirs and spits out a fiber supplement. The futuristic bathroom I just described isn't that far away from becoming reality. In fact, at CES 2018, Kohler unveiled a new addition to its toilets and shower devices that let you ask Amazon's Alexa to assist you. Moen also added Alexa support to its smart shower line , promising Siri compatibility is on its way. Smart mirrors that tell you your daily agenda while assessing your complexion have already been available for months, too. It's a little strange to te...

Mere days since Huawei lost a deal with AT&T to sell its flagship phones in the US due to security concerns , the Chinese tech company faces a new challenge to its US expansion plans. Congress has just proposed a bill that prohibits any government agency from working with Huawei (and another Chinese tech firm, ZTE). The bill , titled H. R. 4747: "Defending U.S. Government Communications Act," cites several intelligence reports that these telecommunications companies are "subject to state influence." The bill references a 2011 report from the United States China Commission alleging Chinese governmental influence upon Huawei and other companies, a 2013 statement by General Michael Hayden of the CIA and NSA that the telecom company had shared sensitive information with the Chinese state and a 2015 FBI report that reiterated a concern that the Chinese government would be able to access US business communications via Huawei technology. In 2017, says the bill, ZTE...

Say what you will about its heart-stoppingly tasty chicken -- KFC is willing to get weird. Whether it's a zany VR cooking experience , suggesting orders based on your face or chicken-flavored nail polish , the chain has pulled its share of stunts over the years. Now it's letting customers in Canada pay with bitcoin for a limited time...so long as they only order a new crypto-themed meal bucket. The Bitcoin Bucket, which includes 10 tenders, waffle fries, a side, some gravy and a pair of dips, costs however much of the cryptocurrency you can get for $20 Canadian. As the joke goes, that's equivalent to 0.001167 bitcoin at the time I type this, but that could swing wildly by the time this post is published -- and again by the time you read it. Given bitcoin's meteoric rise, however, buying chicken with that fraction of currency now could mean forfeiting value if the cryptocurrency's value skyrockets higher. The point might be moot since the Bitcoin Bucket is sold...

British company Earth-i confirmed the successful launch of a prototype satellite earlier today. Called the CARBONITE-2, it's an early test version of a planned constellation (the Vivid-i) that will be the first network bringing full color, full motion video from Earth's orbit. The prototype satellite has a UHD camera aboard, which will be able to capture high-res images of locations anywhere on Earth, as well as record up to two minutes of video similar to Urthecast . It's just the first step for Earth-i, though; the company plans to use CARBONITE-2 to prove that its tech is viable, as well as demonstrate what the eventual group of satellites can do. The company has already ordered its next five satellites in the Vivid-i constellation. "The launch of VividX2 is a significant next development of Earth-i's constellation, and welcomed by ESA," said Josef Aschbacher, the director of Earth observation programmes at the European Space Agency. "The Vivid-i ...

If you still haven't made it a habit to inspect Google Play applications before installing them, then maybe this will make you rethink your ways. Security firm Check Point has discovered a new malicious code hiding inside 63 games and apps on Google Play -- a malicious code the company dubbed "AdultSwine" that served porn ads, to be exact. Check Point said the rogue applications were targeted towards kids, but a Google spokesperson told Engadget that they were more for the general audience. Google also clarified that they weren't part of its vetted list under the Designed for Families Program, but it's not that hard to imagine children downloading random games they find on the Play store. Based on a user's review on one of the apps, AdultSwine has been around since November, and a closer look revealed that it can do more than show inappropriate advertisements. When you launch one of its host apps -- you can see the full list here -- the code sends info ...

There's a new eSports organization in town. In partnership with EA Sports, Major League Soccer is launching eMLS -- an eSports league in which 19 of the 23 MLS clubs will select a competitor to represent them. Those gamers will compete in the eMLS Cup, which will take place during PAX East in April, and the winner will then go on to the FIFA 18 Global Series and have a chance to play in the FIFA eWorld Cup. Introducing #eMLS . See #FIFA18 competitors representing @MLS clubs compete to win the #eMLSCup 🏆 on the road to the #FIFAeWorldCup . Learn more ➡️ https://t.co/akT972Fhwf http://pic.twitter.com/wIWo17WXne — EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) January 12, 2018 MLS clubs will only be able to send one gamer to represent them in eMLS events and, as Polygon reports, it's not yet clear if they will receive the same benefits and salaries that NBA 2K League or Overwatch League players do. The future of eMLS is also not set in stone just yet as eMLS is currently only set...

Environment “A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” The Monetico mudslide is another chapter in a long history of American soil conservation. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2CWDnoz"

As a woman whose long, thick hair has undergone several chemical treatments, I've always been concerned about the health and quality of my tresses. When I heard about Schwarzkopf Professional's new hair analyzer , I was naturally intrigued by its potential uses. The company is bringing its SalonLab Analyzer system to Schwarzkopf salons across the US and Europe in 2018, so you can get a better understanding of how damaged your hair is. Not only that, salons can also use the information learned to better cater their treatments to your needs, as well as create personalized shampoos on the spot. I went for a quick consultation at CES 2018 , and am so far impressed by what it offers. To be clear, this system isn't meant to replace hairstylists. In fact, it requires the input of an experienced professional to fill out a brief questionnaire about your hair, based on her observations and expertise. At Schwarzkopf's suite in Las Vegas, I was attended to by the company's ...

DIY Grab your coat and your camera, then head out under the stars. Winter is a fantastic time to capture night sky photos. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2AUocu8"

Before the start of CES 2018, the only real smart speakers with a display were the Amazon Echo Show and the Echo Spot . But now that Google has partnered with several manufacturers to make a whole line of Echo Show rivals, a bona fide new device category has been born: the smart display. And based on the devices revealed this week, I believe the smart display will slowly start to outnumber smart speakers and will likely be the norm going forward. The simple reason for this argument is that the display makes such devices much more useful. Sure, you could have Alexa or Google Assistant tell you there's a Starbucks 1.5 miles away from you. But wouldn't it be nice to actually see where it is on a map? Or if you wanted to know the time, you could just, you know, look at the screen. Or if you wanted to know who the artist of the song is but couldn't be bothered to interrupt the track, you could do the same. That extra visual layer is really useful, especially for quick, gla...

Starting this month, Pokémon Go players will be able to participate in monthly events that will bring out special Pokémon with exclusive moves. Community Days will be worldwide events and to take part, you'll just have to head outside to your local park. Each Community Day will feature a special Pokémon that will pop up more frequently for a few hours. Other event perks could include increased XP or Stardust, and Lure Modules activated on Community Days will last for three hours. The first Community Day is scheduled for January 20th and the special Pokémon will be Pikachu, which will boast the exclusive event move Surf. As an added bonus, players will also dearn double XP during the Community Day event. You can see what time your region's event will take place here . Source: Pokémon Go via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2r3pjrS"

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. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have tracked sleep for years, using the principles of actigraphy: Monitoring how you move as you sleep with algorithms used to calculate your cycles. The less you move, the t...

The Verge crew is on our way back home after a week at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018. This week, we did a ton of reporting , a ton of videos , and four live Circuit Breaker shows , so we did not have a lot of time to sit down and tape a full-length Vergecast . But what we did do was collect a bunch of audio recorded throughout the show — including clips from Circuit Breaker Live — to give you an idea of what it’s like to be at CES, and what kinds of things we saw this year. Enjoy, and we’ll see you next week. 00:44 - Day -1 03:14 - Day 0 24:54 - Day 1 45:30 - Day 2 1:05:02 - Day 3 If you enjoyed this podcast and want to hear more audio from The Verge , well you’re in luck. There’s a new show Why’d You Push That Button , hosted by... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CVTgeO"

Technology The two new scary silicon security issues, explained. There is bad news and good news about Meltdown and Spectre, the two new computer vulnerabilities. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2D8bddj"