LG’s SnowWhite is like a Keurig for ice cream

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Or at least it might be.

SXSW 2019 isn’t just about films, politicians, designers and social media founders. There are also gadgets here to check out. Enter LG’s SnowWhite, a concept machine designed to let you easily make ice cream at home. The SnowWhite is basically like a Keurig, featuring a pod-based system that allows you to choose the base and flavor for a variety of frozen desserts. That means it isn’t just limited to ice cream: You might also be able to make gelato, granita, sorbet, yogurt and more. I say “might” because LG is adamant that the SnowWhite is only a prototype right now — this is more about showing off what the company thinks it can create for your home.

That said, LG did just introduce its automated HomeBrew machine at CES 2019, so the SnowWhite could eventually become a reality. If it does, LG says you’ll be able to make ice cream, gelato or any of the other desserts listed above in two to five minutes. In addition to that, the system can clean itself and may offer both a touchscreen and physical dial for controlling its settings. Unfortunately, the SnowWhite at SXSW wasn’t a working model, which is disappointing because it would’ve been great to have a scoop in this Texas heat. But, considering the popularity of Keurigs, the SnowWhite isn’t a bad idea.

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The home of the future isn’t smart — It’s ‘Living’ and green

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The varied universes of science fiction often offer inspiration for emerging technologies, or at least fitting leads for articles to describe them. Take the spaceship Moya from a sci-fi series called “Farscape,” which follows the adventures of a ragtag team of aliens very much in the spirit of “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Moya is a biomechanical ship, part of an alien race called Leviathans that’s been described as a cross between a stingray and a horseshoe crab. She comes equipped with her own version of the warp drive and repair drones, but is also capable of producing offspring, giving a whole new meaning to the term “mothership.”

This hybrid of biology and technology is a fantastical spin on real-world concepts that come with labels like organicism, biotecture, or living architecture. The basic idea of these theories is simple: Integrating biological systems into our living spaces, whether it’s the home, the office, or the first rocket carrying humans to Mars, is imperative for creating more sustainable and healthier environments.

“To develop a more sustainable relationship with the natural world, we need to allow chemical exchanges that take place within our living spaces, and between the inside and the outside,” wrote Dr. Rachel Armstrong, a professor of experimental architecture at Newcastle University who also holds a medical degree.

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iRobot unveils Terra, a Roomba lawn mower

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iRobot is best known for making vacuum cleaner robots: the infamous Roomba lineup. But the company also makes mopping robots (Braava lineup), pool cleaning robots (Mirra lineup), a bot to help clean gutters, and even programmable robots (Create lineup). So, what’s next for your home? A lawn mower robot.

Queue the “get off my lawn” jokes.

iRobot today introduced the Terra robot lawn mower, which features “state-of-the-art mapping and navigation technologies, high-performance, high-quality mowing, and easy installation.” It is arguably easier for a robot to mow a lawn than clean a house, but the company is still starting off cautiously — the iRobot Terra robot mower will be available for sale in Germany and as part of a beta program in the U.S. sometime later this year. iRobot said it would share more specific availability and pricing at a later date.

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Ford’s noise-cancelling doghouse keeps pups calm during fireworks

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Rover can stay relaxed during the holidays.

Many dogs and other pets are terrified of fireworks, and for good reason — their more sensitive hearing makes that pleasant popping turn into a cacophony of sounds. Ford, however, might provide some relief. The company (which is no stranger to high-tech beds) has built a doghouse that uses noise cancelling to minimize canine agony during fireworks shows. Like the technology in some headphones and Ford’s own Edge SUV, the kennel detects explosions with microphones and counteracts them by pumping out frequencies that mitigate the sounds or eliminate them altogether. The body includes soundproofing cork panels, anti-vibration risers and even soundproofed ventilation, while an automatic door helps your pooch quickly take shelter.

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More than 100 million Alexa devices have been sold

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More than 100 million devices with Amazon’s Alexa assistant pre-installed have been sold, the company said Friday.

The new metric, revealed by Amazon devices SVP Dave Limp in an interview with The Verge, showcases just how quickly the company has crammed the voice assistant into disparate hardware devices and shoved them out the door. The company did not distinguish further how many of these items were Amazon-built Echo devices and how many were designed by third-party OEMs.

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Weird CES: The bizarre things we didn’t expect to see

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The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the biggest technology events of the year where brand new devices and products are shown off to the world, sometimes for the very first time. As such, you’ll see some of the coolest and most exciting things at CES.

However, at CES 2019 we saw some things that were a little…strange. Some of them were cool, some of them were useful, and some of them could even make the world a better, safer place. But they were all a little weird and inevitably caused many CES 2019 attendees pause and scratch their heads.

We know not everyone can attend CES, so we’ve rounded up some of the weirdest things we saw as we wandered the show floor. Check out our strange CES 2019 roundup below.

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Japan’s latest home robot isn’t useful — it’s designed to be loved

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A pair of Lovot robots at their unveiling this week. Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

It’s not been a great year for home robots, with two high-profile projects — Jibo and Kuri — shuttering operations. But a new competitor from Japan is entering the market with a different approach. Lovot, created by Kaname Hayashi, a former developer of the humanoid robot Pepper, is a furry, foot-and-a-half-high creation that’s designed only to be loved.

“This robot won’t do any of your work. In fact, it might just get in the way,” Hayashi told Bloomberg. “Everything about this robot is designed to create attachment.”

Lovot looks a lot like an upgraded Furby. It has minimal motor function (it can’t fetch you a beer or hoover your kitchen) but interacts with users with a pair of lively eyes and wordless chirping noises. It has a trio of wheels for scooting around your home, and a pair of flippers that it can use to show surprise, affection, or even beg to be picked up.

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This $1,500 mirror streams live fitness classes to compete with Peloton and ClassPass

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Another at-home fitness company is making its debut today. Mirror is coming out of stealth mode with the introduction of its eponymous device. It’s a mirror atop a 40-inch, 1080p vertical display that plays live or prerecorded fitness classes. The idea is that you can stand in front of the mirror, follow a trainer’s instructions that are displayed behind your reflection, and still see yourself working out. It’s in stark contrast to people having to prop their phones up to watch a class or working out in their living rooms because it’s where their TV is. The device costs $1,495. Yes, that’s right. It’s very expensive. With it, you get a heart rate monitor that straps across your chest and resistance bands. A monthly content subscription costs $39.

The device includes built-in speakers, so there’s no need to hook up external audio, although you can over Bluetooth. You can play your own music through Spotify Premium or rely on Mirror’s own music. The class will automatically load a playlist, but users can swap those out as they want. It also features a 5-megapixel built-in camera at the top with a privacy cover. This is only used if users pay for personal training sessions.

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Natural gas firms have a proposal to convert home heating to hydrogen

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Three companies want to test out a pilot project in Northern England by 2028.

Three natural gas distributors issued a report this week detailing plans to convert the UK’s residential gas system to a hydrogen delivery system. UK firms Northern Gas Networks and Cadent, as well as Norwegian gas firm Equinor, wrote that the proposal (PDF) was technically feasible. They also suggested an initial roll-out of the program to 3.7 million homes and 400,000 businesses in Northern England could commence as soon as 2028.

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Naked 3d body scanner is like a wellness center at home

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The full-body scanner helps you keep tabs on your body’s fat composition without visiting a wellness coach.

In recent years, health and wellness has become increasingly connected to technology, with a bevy of health-forward products entering the market. These devices include everything from smart watches that do double duty as fitness and heart rate monitors to a smart mirror that transforms your wall into a home gym instructor to entire smart home automation systems. So it may come as no surprise that the home is increasingly the beneficiary of technology that formerly was only available at doctor’s offices, high-end spas, and wellness retreats.

Now, the next step in the convergence of technology and wellness is the Naked 3D Fitness Tracker, the world’s first 3D body scanner designed for the home. Gone are the days when health-conscious individuals had to settle for counting calories, pounds, and steps. The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-enabled mirror, designed by Naked Labs, allows users to receive up-to-the-minute information about their bodies—including body fat and fat mass—that enable them to make better choices about their health. Moreover, the data isn’t a single number; because it’s scanning your entire body, the system lets you see exactly how your body’s mass is distributed.

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This LED faucet light changes color based on water temperature and it’s my new favorite thing

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Sometimes the simplest little gadgets can be so cool, and that’s exactly the case with the DLAND RC-F03 Colorful LED Water Faucet Attachment. This little device screws into any standard tap in your sink and water flows through it normally. But here’s the cool part: it has different color LEDs inside that automatically turn on when water flows through it! Red means hot, blue means cold, and green means just right. 2-packs are only $9.99 right now on Amazon, so definitely check it out.

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