Smart everything: Behind Hive's plans to automate your entire home

Smart everything: Behind Hive's plans to automate your entire home

Matt Brian

Engadget

When British Gas' Hive entered the connected home space a year ago, smart thermostats were still an emergent technology. The energy provider joined a small number of manufacturers, promising to change the way you heated your home with a mix of complex automation algorithms and slick mobile apps. Fast forward to today: while Brits have embraced smart thermostats from Nest, Tado, Climote, Netatmo and Honeywell, it's Hive that has enjoyed more of a significant uptake than most. Today, the subsidiary is claiming that its controller is now the most popular smart heating solution in the UK, having been installed in over 100,000 homes.

To celebrate the first Hive Active Heating installation exactly twelve months ago, the company feels now is the time to reveal what is has planned for the future. Kassir Hussain, Director of Connected Homes at British Gas, tells me that while work has already begun on the second-generation of Active Heating, Hive is looking beyond the thermostat, and will soon branch out to bring smart features to the rest of your home.

"Infrared presence sensors and little keyfobs you put on your bag that tell you when people in and out are on our radar," says Hussain. "We're also looking at geolocation but we're being very careful with that due to privacy issues. Knowing that you've stepped through the front door is a good first step, but whether we'll go beyond that remains to be seen."

Hive is already testing smart sensors that alert homeowners when a family member returns home or when someone tries to gain unauthorised entry to a home. However, the company is aware of where its strengths lie and is very open to partnering with established brands to provide additional hardware. While we'll see products that it will curate and own, that come directly through Hive (like Active Heating), the company admits it doesn't have the necessary experience with door locks and other home security products. Hive intends to join up with other major players that not only have years of expertise in these areas, but meet strict European security standards too.

"We don't believe in closed ecosystems. Customers are going to want to choose a variety of different products, which could be from other manufacturers or they could be from us. The key for us is to create an open ecosystem and platform that allows people to collect the products they choose, not the ones we curate. We're excited about Apple HomeKit and Google's recent home automation announcements, and are actively looking into Bluetooth LE, ZigBee and Z-Wave standards to ensure we remain open."

With all this talk of new hardware, it's easy to think that Hive will dedicate fewer resources to Active Heating. Luckily, that's not the case. While some of the very first smart thermostat owners had to get used to scheduling only two events on their Hive, before expanding to four, an update coming later this month will increase that limit to six events. Other smart features will come to existing boxes, but Hive remains quiet on when we'll get them. Developers will also be invited to incorporate Hive controls into their apps, which could usher in a new wave of innovative product features in the process.

So when can you expect to see Hive's new products? "You'll see a new Active Heating product arrive in the summer next year," teases Hussain. "We'll start talking about the new family of Hive products in the first quarter of next year, and they'll be available in the second."

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Next Big Trend: Robots That Follow You Around

Next Big Trend: Robots That Follow You Around

Tim Moynihan

Wired

Dozens of robots will descend upon the Back Bay for the RoboBusiness conference in Boston this week. A few of them may even try following you home.
Within the world of robots and drones, there is a growing trend toward tailing you—with your permission in this case. It’s great for recreational use, where unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with GoPro cameras, create mesmerizing video selfies for far less than the cost of renting a helicopter and hiring a film crew.
3D Robotics’ Iris+ drone and its DroidPlanner 2.0 software have a “Follow Me” mode for just these kinds of shots, as do models from Hexo+ and AirDog . And this being the mobile era, the Iris+ and Hexo+ work their magic by connecting to your smartphone and using its GPS data as a flight plan. The AirDog system requires wearing or carrying a little wireless module called an AirLeash.

Follow the leader

Such tech makes sense in a drone, but more and more terrestrial machines are adopting “follow the leader” functions. For example, the CaddyTrek schleps your clubs around the golf course by tracking a belt-mounted module that doubles as a remote control. Yes, it’s been out for a few years, but a new wave of loyal ‘bots that shadow you is right around the corner.
The use cases extend beyond entertainment. Five Elements Robotics’ Budgee , a “friendly robot assistant” designed for the elderly and handicapped, is a lightweight pack mule with a top speed of 2.4 mph. If you’re walking too fast for it to keep up, it’ll say so, with an app that lets you tailor the message. You can also program the color of its eyes, which have different sizes “inspired by my daughter’s sock puppets,” says Five Elements CEO Wendy Roberts.
Budgee is easily folded and weighs just 20 pounds, yet it lugs up to 50 pounds of stuff. The robot runs up to 10 hours on a charge, and although it’s rain-resistant, don’t take it swimming. Not that it would follow you into the pool anyway. Sensors help keep it from falling down stairs, running into obstacles or going off a cliff.
The follow function works through sonar sensors embedded in Budgee’s “ears.” To make it work, owners clip a small module onto the back of his their belt and use the app to set the distance at which their little friend follows. Roberts says the company is working on a joystick interface that will make the robot more easily controlled for those who use wheelchairs.
The robotic assistant should be available in January of next year for $1,400.

Follow the seeder

There’s a more complex tracking system within Harvest Automation’s industrial robots, which are designed for agricultural and manufacturing environments. The plant-shuttling HV-100 , nicknamed Harvey, is already in use. Harvest Automation co-founder and COO Charles Grinnell says there are 100 zipping around in plant nurseries nationwide. LED sensors housed in orange cases allow it to follow patterns taped out on the floor; a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor allows it to to detect obstacles to avoid and humans to follow.
LIDAR is what makes these robots very precise and—at $30,000 apiece—much more expensive.
“We use a LIDAR for Follow Me, [because] we already have it onboard for more complex object detection tasks the robot must perform,” says Grinnell. “Our robot needs to very accurately position plants in the fields at our customers, and that requires very accurate and long-distance sensing. LIDARs that meet our requirements—accuracy, all weather, full sun—are $2,000 to $3,000 at this point.”
The sensor technology uses sweeping lasers to sense and calculate 3-D objects in front of it, and it is incredibly hard to shake once it’s following you. Despite being 20 inches tall, it’d be a nightmare playing hoops against the HV-100. It sticks to your every move like gum on hair. If you get freaked out or, more appropriately, there’s an emergency, there’s a big orange pull-stop on top. Yank it and the robot shuts down immediately.
According to Grinnell, the HV-100’s follow mode has a very practical use-case behind it. Plant nurseries use it to lead their teams of plant bots on and off the work area; it’s much easier to have a group of them follow a person rather than having to remote-control the robots individually. The LIDAR technology is also essential for the robots to detect the plants in front of them.
The company’s new robot, currently a prototype, is designed for warehouses and manufacturing plants. It’s expected to be cheaper: Harvest Automation has ditched the line-following LED sensors in favor of LIDAR alone. Grinnell says factory-friendly bots don’t need the same taped-off guide lines.

Follow the robots

Budgee and Harvey will be on display alongside robots and related tech from 80 other companies at the 10th annual RoboBusiness 2014 conference. As robotic development has evolved and become more affordable, that show has grown quickly. According to Rich Erb, general manager of show-organizer Robotics Trends Media Group, attendance has grown more than threefold in the past three years. In 2011, there were 300 attendees of the show. This year, more than 1,000 people from 22 countries are registered.
The conference takes place in Boston’s Hynes Convention Center from Wednesday, October 15 through Friday, October 17. It’s not open to the public, but if you hang around outside the convention center, you may be able to catch one of the robots following someone out.

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Snapsaved Takes Responsibility For Latest Snapchat Leak

Snapsaved Takes Responsibility For Latest Snapchat Leak

Jordan Crook

TechCrunch

Last week, news spread that some 200,000 Snapchat photos had leaked after a third-party app (used to save people’s snaps) was hacked. It was referred to as the Snappening.
Snapchat was quick to respond to the situation by saying that the photos had been stolen from a third-party application, but that Snapchat’s servers were never compromised. Turns out, Snapsaved.com is stepping forward and taking responsibility for the leak.

In an update posted to the company’s Facebook page, Snapsaved claims full responsibility and also gives a bit more clarity about what was hacked and what information was made available.
According to the statement, the hackers never had access to any personal information such as usernames, though they did access 500MB of images, “as far as [Snapsaved] can tell.”
The company also responded to accusations that it might have purposefully provided hackers with access to the image database, saying that it immediately shut down the entire Snapsaved website and database as soon as they detected the breach.

The majority of affected users are Swedish, Norwegian and American, says the statement.
You can read the full explanation below:

I would like to elaborate on the recent events regarding Snapsaved.com
Snapsaved.com Was a website used to save SnapChat’s, precisely as the app snapsave.
In response to recent media events and the statement made by http://pastebin.com/cJcTbNz8, I would like to inform the public that snapsaved.com was hacked, the dictionary index the poster is referring to, was never publicly available. We had a misconfiguration in our Apache server.
SnapChat has not been hacked, and these images do not originate from their database.
Snapsaved has always tried to fight child pornography, we have even gone as far, as to reporting some of our
Users to the Swedish and Norwegian authorities.
As soon as we discovered the breach in our systems, we immediately deleted the entire website and the database
Associated with it. As far as we can tell, the breach has effected 500MB of images, and 0 personal information
From the database.
The recent rumors about the snappening are a hoax. The hacker does not have sufficient information to live up to his claims
Of creating a searchable Database.
Our users had to consent to all the content they received via SnapSaved.com, as we mentioned, we tried to cleanse the database of inappropriate images as often as possible.
The majority of our users are Swedish, Norwegian and American.
I sincerely apologize on the behalf of snapsaved.com we never wished for this to happen. We did not wish to cause SnapChat or their users any harm, we only wished to provide a unique service.

We’ve reached out to Snapsaved for more information and will update if/when we hear back.
[via The Guardian]

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Flickr wants to turn your photos into wall-worthy art

Flickr wants to turn your photos into wall-worthy art

Jon Fingas

Engadget

You've probably seen websites that turn your digital photos into posters and other real-world art, but they're typically separate from the photo sites you use. Wouldn't it be nice if you could order those large prints on a whim while you're browsing your albums? Flickr clearly thinks so, as it just launched a new Wall Art service that converts any of your photos into board-mounted decor that should be worthy of your living room. You can change the size to match the space you want to fill (up to 20 inches by 30 inches), and there's a wrap-around canvas option if you're aiming for a slightly more dramatic effect. Just choose those pics carefully -- your house guests might not see the artistic merit behind immortalizing your latest selfie.
Source: Flickr Blog, Flickr Wall Art

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AT&T's new travel plans let you text as much as you want

AT&T's new travel plans let you text as much as you want

Jon Fingas

Engadget

AT&T's international cellphone plans have become more affordable over time, but they've still been wildly expensive in some cases -- besides the low data caps, even frequent texting can cost a lot of money. Things just got a little more reasonable with the carrier's new Passport plans, however. The smartphone add-ons still ask you to pay between $30 to $120 per month for a paltry 120MB to 800MB of data, but they now include unlimited SMS messaging and WiFi service (on Android and iOS) in the bargain. In short, you won't run into any nasty overage fees simply because you got into a deep text conversation or uploaded too many vacation photos through one of AT&T's hotspot partners. These new one-time tiers are available now, and regular Global plans have received a matching upgrade if you routinely venture abroad.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Source: AT&T

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Dropbox account passwords posted online and millions more might follow

Dropbox account passwords posted online and millions more might follow

Mariella Moon

Engadget 

If you haven't activated two-factor authentication on Dropbox yet, you may want to do so now, just in case you end up finding your credentials posted on the internet. A document posted on pastebin earlier contains 400 Dropbox usernames and passwords, which the poster claims are just a tiny fraction of a massive hack that compromises up to 7 million accounts. The poster has been asking for Bitcoin donations in exchange for more accounts, and by the looks of it, he got enough money, at least, to post another batch of log-in credentials within the same day. At the moment, it's still unclear how the hacker(s) got a hold of the usernames and passwords, but the cloud service told Engadget that Dropbox itself has not been hacked.
"These usernames and passwords were unfortunately stolen from other services and used in attempts to log in to Dropbox accounts," a spokesperson told us. "We'd previously detected these attacks and the vast majority of the passwords posted have been expired for some time now. All other remaining passwords have been expired as well." Still want to ensure your account's safety anyway? Head over to the Dropbox's detailed explanation on how to turn on two-step authentication. Hopefully, when you log in to do so, the service has also restored any file a recent bug might have deleted from your folder.
Source: Pastebin

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Brace yourselves: Facebook stickers are coming to comments

Brace yourselves: Facebook stickers are coming to comments

Billy Steele

Engadget 

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, but even when it's not, you can still use 'em. After popping up in chat and Messenger windows in the past, Facebook is employing stickers in comments for both mobile and the web. Use the small pictures to visualize your reaction to Timeline, Group and Event posts when you'd rather keep things succinct. Unfortunately, if you want to express your feelings with an image for a regular post, you'll still have to upload one the old fashioned way.

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1 million people are helping Microsoft test Windows 10

1 million people are helping Microsoft test Windows 10

Tom Warren

The Verge 

Microsoft released its first Windows 10 Technical Preview at the beginning of October, and the company is now revealing that 1 million people are helping test the upcoming operating system through the Windows Insider Program. "That equates to a lot of people using the Windows 10 Technical Preview and sending us feedback," says Microsoft's Joe Belfiore. The software maker has received over 200,000 pieces of feedback on the early version of Windows 10, with top requests that include options to remove the new search and task view buttons, as well as requests for a Start Menu animation or transition.

A lot of Windows 10 users are running the OS on day-to-day machines
According to Belfiore, 64 percent of all Windows 10 Technical preview installs are on actual PCs rather than virtual machines. "This makes us confident that a lot of the feedback is based on 'medium-term' use and not just a few minutes of experimentation," explains Belfiore. 68 percent of all Windows 10 users are launching more than 7 apps per day, and 25 percent of all users are launching more than 26 apps per day so it's clear people are using this Technical Preview on their regular devices.

It's not yet clear when Microsoft plans to release a new Windows 10 Technical Preview build, but the company is clearly working towards acting on some of the early feedback. "Even though we’re just two weeks into this huge collaborative project, we’re learning a lot and we’re working hard to keep up with your enthusiasm and passion," says Belfiore. Those 200,000 pieces of feedback will undoubtedly shape Windows 10 in interesting ways, and Microsoft is planning to release regular updates as the company moves towards a final version next year.

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Apple and retail partners prepare for launch of Apple Pay

Apple and retail partners prepare for launch of Apple Pay

Chris Welch
The Verge 

It's almost time to start paying for things with your iPhone 6 instead of plastic. Last month, Apple said its Apple Pay mobile payments service would launch in October, and new information suggests that the anticipated debut is fast approaching.  9to5Mac reports that Apple is preparing its retail staff ahead of Apple Pay's arrival with mandatory one-hour training sessions. Leaked training materials reveal some new details on just how Apple Pay will work; Apple Pay is bundled in with the Passbook app — which we already knew — and you'll be able to store up to 8 credit cards with Apple. You can use any card Apple already has on file for your iTunes account, or scan in new payment methods using the iPhone's camera.

Since Apple Pay and mobile payments in general will mark unfamiliar territory for many consumers, the company is making it extremely simple to review recent transactions made with an iPhone over NFC. And if you spot anything wrong, getting in touch with your bank takes just a tap, according to the screenshots. (Progressing through your bank's awful customer support phone line will likely be the harder part.) Another perk of Apple's close business relationship with finance partners: when your credit card expires, your replacement card's information will be automatically be pushed to Passbook without any need to re-enter numbers or take another picture to keep things up to date

When using Apple Pay at Apple's own retail stores, personal details like your name, phone number, and email address will no longer appear on receipts. (Employees will likely stop pestering you for those same details when checking out, as well.) That's due to the privacy and security aspects of Apple Pay. Apple has repeatedly emphasized that it's not interested in spying on your shopping habits; the company is unable to trace specific transaction details back to consumers, according to its Apple Pay website.

But Apple will be able to run tests on your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus at its stores to make sure Apple Pay is working smoothly. 

9to5Mac says employees will have access to a utility that can check for problems with the iPhone's NFC hardware. If the hardware checks out, customers will be directed to discuss any payment problems directly with their bank. Apple is reportedly already running early Apple Pay transactions at its Cupertino campus, and we expect to hear final details on the rollout (which will be US-only to start) at Thursday's iPad event. McDonald's is also readying its own employees for launch; when placing orders through the drive-thru, customers will be presented with an NFC reader that accepts Apple Pay. Employees will need to hold that device out the window, so presumably McDonald's is exploring options for a longer-term solution in the months ahead.

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Selena Gomez Opens Up About Her Health Struggles

GETTY IMAGES
Selena Gomez has been experiencing major health issues in the last few years, and it's sadly been slowing down her music career. During an interview on Ellen Degeneres, the "Come and Get It" singer opened up about her health, revealing that she's trying to take care of herself, even if she's not feeling 100% better.

When asked about her health on a scale of one to ten, she said that she was a seven. While we hoped she was doing better, it looks like she's at least on the mend!

“I feel like I have been doing this for so long that people are like, ‘Be yourself, be yourself,’ and I’m still trying to figure out who that is," she said. "I know I’m not perfect, but I know that I have a lot of people that support me and love me. I don’t want to let anyone down so I just try to be the best I can be."

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Ed Sheeran Reveals He Was Homeless

Ed Sheeran's career is so successful that he's even taking a break from singing, but he didn't used to have the luxury. The singer-songwriter recently revealed how much he struggled before his debut album was released in 2011 in his new book A Visual Journey, revealing that he was homeless before he hit it big.

When the "Thinking Out Loud" singer was 16, he moved to London to study music. But after his course ended, he didn't have enough money to pay for rent, so he sometimes slept under an archway outside.

"There was an arch outside Buckingham Palace that has a heating duct and I spent a couple of nights there," he said. "I didn't have anywhere to live for much of 2008 and the whole of 2009 and 2010, but somehow I made it work. I spent a week catching up on sleep on Circle Line trains."

He tried to play it down by saying that it "wasn't that bad," but it still sounds like a pretty intense situation to us.

"I'd go out and play a gig, wait until 5am when the Underground opened, sleep on the Circle Line until 12, go to a session — and then repeat," he said.

Of course, things are totally different for him now. He's even performed for the Queen, when he used to sleep outside her palace.

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Taylor Swift Spills on Her Relationship With Harry Styles in "Out of the Woods" Teaser

We can't wait until Taylor Swift releases "Out of the Woods" (otherwise known as her song about Harry Styles), but the singer just dropped a preview of her second 1989 track, explaining what it means to her — and giving tons of details about her relationship with the One Direction singer.

She told Good Morning America that the song is about “fragility” and the “breakable nature” of certain relationships, especially one that caused “extreme anxiety and, kind of, a frantic feeling of wondering, endless questions" for her.

“This was a relationship where I was kind of, living day to day, wondering where it was going, if it was going to go anywhere, if it was going to end the next day,” she said. “It was a relationship where you, kind of, never feel like you’re standing on solid ground."

Wow, we had no clue she felt this way! This is definitely shocking, even though Taylor did diss Harry at the 2013 MTV VMAs.

She says that the song is supposed to sound "exactly like that frantic feeling of anxiety and questioning," but is also about how those types of relationships can be "worthwhile, exciting, beautiful, and all the things that we look for."

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