sleep

Believe or not, the plurality of men in the U.K. rank Internet access as valuable as sex and even more important than food and shelter.

That's right, 42 percent of male respondents in a new survey by broadband provider TP-Link throw food, shelter, and sleep to the wind, while saluting Internet access as one of life's most cherished needs. In fact, 50 percent of people say they dedicate more time to the Internet than sleep.

"As our recent research shows, in the current increasingly digital world, quick and easy connectivity is one of the main concerns … Read more

Who wears short-shorts...with gadget-charging capabilities? Attendees to the U.K.'s Isle of Wight music fest, that's who.

At the outdoor festival in Glastonbury, England, this weekend, mobile carrier Vodafone will try on its new Power Shorts, which harvest movement to boost the battery life of mobile devices. Need more power out there in the open field? Start dancing!

The shorts -- created with help from scientists at the University of Southampton -- incorporate a Power Pocket that contains foam-like ferroelectret materials with pockets of permanently charged surfaces. When the material gets squashed or deformed through movement, kinetic energy gets produced. Vodafone says a full day's walking and dancing will charge a smartphone for more than four hours (not much, but way more than campers can expect from those hawthorn-tree outlets). … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Let's talk about Modafinil, the sleep-aid "smart drug" that inspired the movie "Limitless."

- Daylight saving time may cost America $434 million from lost sleep.

- Study: Women more affected by sleep deprivation.

- Sleeping stoned, the debate rolls on.

- We didn't answer your question? Sorry, there's only so much time in an episode, but why not follow Dr. Breus on Twitter and ask him yourself?

- Check out more information on Dr. Breus's exclusive line of signature mattresses on his Web site. Don't forget to sign up for his newsletter too!… Read more

If you have an iPad and one of Apple's laptops (a not too uncommon pairing), then be aware that, depending on how you arrange them, your iPad may put your Mac to sleep.

Apple has made some creative use of magnets in its systems over the years, with lid latches, MagSafe power connections, and other accessory attachments for its systems.

One notable area where Apple has made use of this technology is in its MacBook laptops, where magnets and magnetic sensors in the chassis and lid bezel activate when in close contact, so the system will automatically go to … Read more

We could all use a little rest and relaxation, even if it means catching a little shut-eye in your car on your lunch break. Start Your Sleep offers soothing sounds and a timer to help you sleep. We can't make any promises, but it's worth a try if you need something to block out noise.

Start Your Sleep is pretty easy to navigate. A simple menu walks you through the steps of turning your phone into a white noise machine. First, select a sound. The list is small, unless you want to pay to unlock more options. But, … Read more

Judging by the number of weird sleep aid devices on the market, people must be desperate to catch a few quality winks. Getting in a decent nap is even harder when you're on the go. So far, we've seen a pillow that swallows your head and a neck contraption that holds your chin up. Now, meet the Relax Ally.

The Relax Alley on Indiegogo is described as a "travel restband." At first glance, it looks like a sporty headband you might wear to participate in a tennis tournament. Look closer and you see it has another band attached at the back. That second band hooks over the headrest of your seat. Tighten it up and your head is held in place.… Read more

While setting your Mac to automatically sleep after a period of inactivity has its energy-saving benefits, you may find that the system will go to sleep even when it is churning through data (e.g., applying a lengthy filter routine to groups of images).

This issue happens because Apple has implemented some changes to the latest versions of OS X that result in different requirements for the system to determine if it can go to sleep, and one of these is a new dependence on applications to invoke a "power assertion" to keep the system from going to … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As their name suggests, SleepPhones (tagline: "pajamas for your ears") are designed for those who want to lie down while listening to music with a pair of headphones. Traditional headphones or earphones tend to get in the way or feel uncomfortable, especially when you rest on your side.

The current version of the SleepPhones, released in 2007, is essentially a pair of earphones hidden within a soft fleece headband. Most people will probably wear it like a hairband, though I can see the product being used as an eye mask for sleeping on a plane. Over the years, the material and speakers have been improved, but the cord remains. This limitation somehow doesn't give as much freedom in terms of head movement, and you have to keep the player close by. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Analyst: Instagram will be big moneymaker for Facebook.

- NY Senator drafts bill to make ticket scalping at benefit concerts illegal.

- The most expensive, useless, awesome 3D-printed object ever.

- Home invasion plot foiled by Xbox 360.… Read more