Google, Ford want to use small radar for more touch-free control, health-tracking

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Radar might play a more significant part in more personal tech soon. Google, Ford, and four other partners have published specs for a Ripple standard to bring small radar to more devices in a "privacy-respecting" fashion. The framework, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association, theoretically lets any device maker use small-scale radar for tasks like touch-free gesture control, occupancy detection, health monitoring, and more.

You can check out the early details through GitHub, focusing on interoperability between radar types. Developers can initially add special use cases through extensions, but the Ripple team hopes to build those add-ons into later versions of the standard. As Engadget pointed out, Google and Ford's involvement makes sense given they ship products with radar in them (Nest Hub for Google and Ford's Co-Pilot 360).

Nanoleaf plans to support all Thread over HomeKit products

Source: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf plans to release an update in the first quarter of this year to allow its Thread Border Routers to work with all Thread over HomeKit devices, allowing you to have improved responsiveness and connectivity between devices. This update will enable the Nanoleaf Shapes, Elements, and Lines to work with Thread over HomeKit devices, including Nanoleaf's Essentials Bulb and Lightstrip, the Apple TV 4K, and different Thread-enabled Eve products. As more devices support Thread in a smart home, that strengthens the ecosystem.

This update also allows Nanoleaf to prepare for the Matter over Thread devices it plans to launch later this year. Matter is another connectivity standard designed to boost smart home device interoperability. Companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung support this standard. Nanoleaf says it is working with the Connectivity Standards Alliance to integrate Matter into current and future products. The company plans to launch its first Matter-compatible devices in late 2022. 

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ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is a new folding laptop/tablet hybrid

Source: ASUS

ASUS is also one of those computer manufacturers that like to experiment with unusual form factors. So, its new attempt with a foldable isn't too surprising. The company unveils its first stab at a foldable display with the new ZenBook 17 Fold OLED. It's a 17.3-inch laptop with a foldable OLED screen, making it much easier to fit into smaller bags. 

There are numerous ways to use the laptop, similar to how the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold works. You can use it as a giant tablet and prop it up with a kickstand or fold it sideways at a 90-degree angle to create a small clamshell. When unfolded, its dimensions are around 4:3 for the 17.3-inch screen, and when folded, it's around a 3:2 12.3-inch device. You can also think about it as two 12.5-inch 1,920 x 1,280 screens side by side or one 2,560 x 1,920 display.

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Daan Tech's Bob mini dishwasher can clean dishes, zap bacteria

A mini dishwasher might not make the biggest splash at CES (pun unintended), but it does prove to be a useful addition to a rental apartment, on the road in an RV, or at sea in a boat. The applications are broader than expected for Daan Tech's Bob mini dishwasher. The French company first showcased Bob as a prototype at CES. But now, Daan Tech plans to ship Bob in most countries this year. It's available for pre-order at a discounted price over at the company's site. It retails for US$299 and has a late Summer 2022 estimated delivery schedule. 

What makes Bob so unique? It has an integrated water tank that doesn't require any hookups. You just pour water from a bottle, jug, faucet, etc., and it's ready to clean. At 22 pounds, it's easy to move around, and he uses around a gallon of water, at least depending per cycle. It has enough room to wash dishes for a complete dinner set of two people. 

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