Electronics gadgets: Amazon and Planet Fitness Team Up

November 8, 2022

November 8, 2022. On this day in 1895, Physics Professor Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X-rays while messing around with electrical discharge tubes. The world of medicine would never be the same.

⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds

Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to):

221 articles, 6 podcasts, 17 press releases, 367 tweets, and 6 YouTube videos

1. Amazon, Planet Fitness Team up to Help You Get More Active

Get a free Halo View fitness tracker from Amazon when you sign up for a "qualifying" gym membership at Planet Fitness, and you'll be tracking your workouts in no time. What you do with that tracking info is up to you, of course, but this seems like a no brainer if you're already thinking of joining a gym, right?

2. Nanoleaf Launches Matter and Thread-Enabled Modular Light Bars

We've chatted about Matter, the multi-device protocol for all the smart devices in your home, right? Well, Nanoleaf just launched modular LED light bars that work with Matter and, better yet, can function as a Thread border router, sending signals along to other Thread-enabled gadgets, too.

3. Apple to Put a Little Pep in Siri's Step With New Wake Phrase

Saying "Hey Siri" just takes too long, says Apple, so they're potentially working on creating a way to wake the assistant up with a simple "Siri," saving milliseconds per command. Bloomberg says Apple is testing internally, but don't expect to get all those milliseconds back until next year or later.

🦑 Go Deeper

As if VR wasn't nausea-inducing enough, holoride has put the immersive technology into cars. Will your road trip suddenly turn into a barfy ride through the metaverse? Maybe not, but some experts think it could boost your productivity while on the road. Let Sascha Brodsky tell you all about it.

🎱 By the Numbers

They don't give away Apple Watches

Data: IDC

It's a tough year for wearables, as you can see above. Unless you're Apple, or, uhhh, Imagine Marketing, you're not selling too many this year as compared to last. Maybe that's why Amazon (not even on the chart above by name) is willing to give some of theirs away for free.

🔥 Today's Hot Deal

Here's a heck of a deal on the venerable Sure SM57, a mic that's been used on a ton of the albums and songs you listen to today. It's a whopping 48% off today, making the total a lovely $89. Got an album in you? Give this one a purchase.

Don't Miss This Deal

🤓 Nerd Out

"SETI got nothin' on James Webb." —Rob LeFebvre, Associate Editorial Director, News

The James Webb space telescope takes amazing photos of the universe, but a new framework based on the discovery of Earth-like planet TRAPPIST-1e has astronomers looking for even more habitable planets. Nice! (Share on Twitter)

💎 You Know You Want It

Turn it up!

Image: Sonos

Looking for that ultra-portable smart speaker with amazing sound? Sonos' Roam speaker automatically connects to Wi-Fi at home and with your phone when not near a Wi-Fi source, making it super easy to use. Add the magic of Sonos acoustics and three lovely colors, and you'll want to grab one of these today.

🌎 Doin' It Right

Clean water for all

One of the toughest things for many places in the world, including a few here at home, is having access to clean water. New tech from Flinders University's Professor Colin Raston (called the Vortex Fluidic Device) is set to maybe change that a bit with an easier, better way to purify water when you need it.