automation

CNET's Next Big Thing: The connected revolution

It's been called the Internet of Things, the connected future, the post-PC and even, in our minds, the post-mobile world: however you want to refer to it, the trend toward ubiquitously connected devices and people is inescapable and poised to change everything about the consumer electronics world.

At CNET, we're calling it the post-mobile future: mapping the next frontier of consumer electronics. Because let's be blunt: consumer electronics has been kind of a boring world for the past couple of years. It seems like all we talk about is smartphones and tablets, tablets and smartphones. Last year'… Read more

SkyTender puts automation in airplane aisles

Don't you hate waiting for the drinks cart to slowly make its way through economy class to your seat? This gadget might speed things up a bit.

SkyTender isn't quite the robot bartender that some are making it out to be, but as an automated drinks dispenser it could make flying slightly less hellish than it nearly always is.

This beverage trolley can whip up more than 30 different drinks, including soft drinks, coffee, wine, and cocktails, at the touch of a button or two.

Regular trolleys can be upgraded to SkyTenders with the installation of modular drinks … Read more

Automatically dial extensions for Android contacts

A lot of companies have an automated service that answers their incoming phone calls. However, it's a bit of a pain when you're trying to dial a company and have to wait to enter the extension number each time for the department or person you're trying to reach. This is especially true when you don't remember the extension and you have to check out the contact information to find it.

Luckily Android dialer apps allow you to program the extension into the contact information. There are two different styles you can use: pause or wait. Read … Read more

Home automation

Still in its nascent stages, the trend toward home automation is slowly being realized with new products and services that allow people to control their lights, locks, music, TV, and heating systems with the touch of a button -- whether they're home or not.

The flagship product in the home automation field is still the Nest thermostat, the second generation of which was released this year. But it's hardly the only way consumers are able to monitor and control some of their homes' systems digitally.

Lowe's and AT&T both announced home-monitoring services. Sony and Control4 … Read more

The F-bomb: A fine way to skip the AppleCare line?

There is nothing good about automated phone systems.

Really. Nothing. They only exist to save companies money. Oh, and, of course, to annoy customers.

Sometimes, you know that if you keep pressing "0" you'll get through to a human being. However, it seems that, when it comes to Apple's phone system, cursing down the phone might be of help too.

The Next Web seems to swear by it. It reports that once it hears you cursing or sounding angry, Apple's phone system ceases to offer you any more (often useless) options.

A contributor to Reddit, … Read more

Sony and Control4 bring home automation to the masses (hands-on)

Most "smart home" automation systems require a significant investment in additional equipment in order to smarten up your otherwise not-so-smart gear.

Sony and Control4 want to simplify the buying process, and bring home automation to a much wider audience, by integrating a full Control4 "brain" into Sony's new ES line of receivers. … Read more

Change volume and screen timeout settings for individual Android apps with PerApp

I use Google Reader and Listen quite a bit on my Android devices, and for quite a while, I had to manually change the screen timeout and volume settings every time I opened one or the other. It was a pain, but now I use PerApp to do it for me automatically. Here's how it works:

If you haven't already allowed your device to accept non-Google Play apps, you need to do that first. On newer devices, just tap the menu key, then select "Settings," then "Security," then check the box next to &… Read more

Use your phone to talk to your house

Lowe's has teamed up with U.K.-based monitoring-tech company AlertMe for some home improvement designed to take your house into the future (or at least help you save on your energy bill).

The companies unveiled today the Iris, a new cloud-based home-monitoring and security system. Iris, which won't be in stores until the end of August, is meant to let homeowners monitor and control devices in the home -- including heating and cooling, home alarm systems, security cameras, or appliances -- using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe, said the system is an … Read more

Sync photos from your Android device to iCloud's Photo Stream

Over the last two weeks I have been thinking about switching to Android for a few months in order to gain a better perspective of the differences between Android 4.1 and iOS 6. I can tinker and mess around with Android all I want, but unless I force myself to use it all the time, I won't truly learn the operating system. At least, that's my theory.

So, I made a list of all the things I use on iOS/OS X and started looking for a way to replicate it on Android. One of the items … Read more

Robot cranks out 2,500 sushi pieces per hour

From a nearby shrine here in Tokyo, I can hear the jingling of a bell being rung by devotees of Inari, a Shinto harvest god. They're praying for prosperity, which may or may not come in the form of lots of rice.

Doubtless the deity would drool over the latest rice-packing machine from automation firm Suzumo. It's a sushi robot that specializes in inarizushi, a fishless sushi variety consisting of rice wrapped in pouches of fried tofu, which the god and his fox messengers crave big-time. … Read more