Category: Technologies

Amazon and Disney on Thursday launched a new voice assistant in the US called Hey Disney! that brings Disney games, stories and more to most Echo devices. You can subscribe to the voice assistant for $6 a year, but it’s also included in an Amazon Plus Kids subscription.

To subscribe and set up the voice assistant, you can say, “Hey Alexa, introduce me to Hey Disney.” Once the voice assistant is enabled, characters such as Mickey Mouse, Rocket and Groot, C-3PO and others can give you the weather, set timers and more on your device. You can also play games with, and hear stories from, different Disney characters.

Another unique Hey Disney feature, which CNET demoed at CES 2023, is Soundscapes. These combine ambient music and sound effects to make it feel like you’re in a Disney-themed location, such as sitting on the forest moon Endor from Star Wars or walking about the Magic Kingdom.

Watch this: ‘Hey Disney’ Comes to Amazon Echo Devices

06:53

The new voice assistant doesn’t entirely replace Alexa, but operates as its own voice assistant. So if Hey Disney can’t give you an answer, Alexa can still help out.

Hey Disney works on most Echo devices, but it won’t work on the Echo Show 15, first-generation Amazon Echo, Echo Auto, Fire Tablets, Fire TV and Echo on-the-go devices.

Amazon and Disney’s launch of Hey Disney comes as anticipation builds for Amazon Prime Day 2023. While Prime Day’s exact date is still unknown, we suspect it will be on July 11 and 12.

Dish Network’s long road to becoming a fourth major wireless carrier hit a notable milestone on Thursday, with the company announcing that it now covers 70% of the US population, or over 240 million Americans, with its new 5G network. The news comes as Dish was facing a June 14 deadline by the Federal Communications Commission.

Per a press release, the company says it has “satisfied” all of its June 14 FCC obligations “including launching over 15,000 5G sites.”

Dish offers access to its network in a few ways. It owns a number of wireless brands including prepaid option Boost Mobile as well as its postpaid sibling Boost Infinite. It also has Project Genesis, another postpaid brand aimed towards early adopters that allows users to give feedback on Dish’s network.

Postpaid plans, where users pay their phone bill at the end of the month, are the common format of wireless plans offered by larger networks AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

In addition to being able to connect to Dish’s own 5G network, the Boost brands also are capable of tapping into AT&T and T-Mobile’s respective coverage when Dish’s service isn’t available or if a user’s device doesn’t have the right network support. The Genesis brand can also roam on AT&T’s network in areas where Dish’s network isn’t available.

For now, Project Genesis users will be able to connect to the new network whenever they are in the coverage area. Boost users are able to tap into Dish’s network in “over 50 markets,” with the company promising additional markets coming “throughout the year.”

While the network milestone is noteworthy, it is just another step in what remains a long road for the satellite TV provider. Dish still needs to get device manufacturers to include the proper bands that would allow phones, tablets and other devices to connect to its 5G offering.

As of today, only a handful of phones have proper support for Dish’s spectrum (with the primary band known as Band 70) including the 2022 and 2023 Moto Edge Plus, Samsung’s A23 and Boost’s own Celero 5G Plus. The iPhone 14 line technically has the hardware support for Dish’s 5G spectrum, but Band 70 has yet to be activated inside Apple’s phones.

Dish says in its press release that more devices with proper network support are also coming this year.

With this milestone reached Dish now faces its next FCC deadline of covering 75% of the US population with 5G service by June 2025. As Light Reading has reported, this may require another 15,000 cell sites to expand its network with the outlet saying that analysts expect Dish to also need to spend another $2 billion or $3 billion. The money could become a challenge for the company, which has seen its share price fall over 55% this year.

Whether you’re training for a major marathon or just looking to finally get off the couch, fitness apps can give you some great insights into how your training is going and how your body is responding to it.

The trade-off is that, in a lot of cases, everything from your heart rate data to where and when you run, bike and hike, won’t be private anymore. Apps including Strava, Nike Training Club and My Fitness Pal all collect your data and have varying practices as to who they share it with or sell it to.

As I explain in this deep dive, if your data ends up in the wrong hands, experts say that could put both your digital and physical security and privacy at risk. But there are a few simple things that you can do to protect yourself.

Whatever you do, don’t let the fear of being followed either online or on the street keep you from running. The “runner’s high” is real and so are the physical- and mental-health benefits that come with pounding the pavement on a regular basis.

Here are some tips to get you started.

How to stay safe online

For those too addicted to data crunching and kudos to say goodbye to Strava and other run-tracking apps, here are some ways to protect your data and for keeping online predators from crossing over into the physical world.

Think before you hand over personal info. There’s no reason you have to use your real name, birthday and other personal details, said Jeff Sizemore, chief governance office for the data security company Egnyte. Read your privacy policies. If an app or a piece of fitness hardware says it’s going to share your data with outside companies, don’t give them a way to connect it to you.

Lock down your account. Treat apps like Strava the same way you do your mainstream social media accounts. Don’t let people you don’t know follow you. These apps track and often post your activity and location, which could reveal where you live, work and run to potential attackers. Instead, require fellow runners to ask for permission to follow you, so you can pick and choose who has access to your information. In Strava, you can restrict who can see your profile page and your activities in the “privacy controls” section of your settings.

Hide the starts and ends of your runs. Strava maps can make it painfully obvious where you live. Protect your privacy through the “map visibility” section of your settings. It’ll let you hide the starts and stops of your runs, as well as give you the option of hiding your maps completely.

Disable “Flybys.” This is a Strava feature that lets you play back your run and see what other users, including complete strangers, you passed along the way and where you crossed paths with them. If that feels more than a little creepy, you can make yourself invisible to those using this feature by setting your privacy controls for flybys at “no one.”

Opt out of info sharing. Strava charges subscription fees, but it still wants to share your personal data with outside companies so they can send you targeted ads. If that irks you, turn it off. Strava’s “personal information sharing” setting is buried at the very bottom of your “privacy controls,” but it includes a toggle switch that will let you revoke permission.

How to stay safe on the streets

Here are a few tips from the New York Road Runners, organizers of the famed New York City Marathon, and others along with some product recommendations from my running team and me for staying safe.

Vary your routes. Running the same routes, the same days at the same times will make it less likely that you’ll sleep in and skip a day or fail to meet your mileage goals. But routines can also make it easier for bad people to find and follow you. Instead, change it up and make yourself harder to track.

Running is better with friends. There’s more fun and safety in numbers. Lone runners are far more likely to be attacked than any size group. In addition, accidents do happen. If you get hit by a car, run into some aggressive wildlife or just twist your ankle by stepping in a pothole, you’ll have someone with you to call for help.

Bring your phone. Yes, they are heavy, but you never know when you’re going to need to call for help, said Gene Fay, CEO of the cybersecurity company ThreatX and a 59-time marathoner. Cash and ID are musts too. That said, keep all of it concealed to avoid making yourself a target. Somehow I manage to cram all of that, plus my keys, gels and other running snacks, and a tiny water flask into this stretchy belt.

Leave the headphones at home. A great playlist may help you keep up the pace, but you’re also less likely to hear an approaching car or attacker. Opt instead for a clip-on bluetooth speaker that will let you hear everything going on around you.

Lights are a must. If you’re running at night, make sure you take along lights and reflective gear. Fay notes that lights that flash are more likely to be noticed. My favorite rechargeable vest features multicolored LED lights and reflective straps that will make it easy for cars to spot you, as well as a super-bright, flashing chest lamp that will make sure you see everything from cracks in the sidewalk to piles of dog poop, icy patches and yes, here in NYC, the occasional rat. Some of my teammates also like these rechargeable shoe lights, though you’re going to need reflective gear and body lights to go with them.

Tracking isn’t always a bad thing. If you do run alone, stick to well-light, populated areas. Tell someone where you’re going, so they know where to look if you go missing. Apps and devices that let friends and family track you, without sharing that data with the world, can be good ideas, Fay said. Be extra aware of your surroundings.

As a pet parent, you may know that classical music isn’t the only sound that can soothe a savage beast. Settling a new puppy can be a challenge, and some pets don’t do great with being left home alone. Fireworks, car rides, thunderstorms, trips to the vet or grooming sessions may cause your pet to feel uneasy. Relaxing sounds from a musical playlist can help.

A 2017 study conducted by the University of Glasgow and Scottish SPCA highlighted how kenneled dogs’ stress levels drop when they listen to reggae or soft rock. Over the years, other studies have examined how music affects boredom, stress and emotional responses in felines, dogs, pigs and other animals.

Whether you have a dog, kitten, lizard or bird, you can set them up with their own music streaming playlist. Use these apps to help put your pawed or feathered friends in chill — or party — mode.

Read more: The Best Dog Toys, According to the Experts (Our Dogs)

Spotify

Multiple options for pet music streaming

See at Spotify

Spotify’s Pet Playlists launched in 2020, but have you taken advantage of this feature yet? The lists are curated based on your pet’s personality and your personal music tastes. Choose your animal type, then share your pet’s name and Spotify walks you through a series of questions so its algorithm can tailor a custom listening experience with music pulled from your own streaming habits.

You can also stream its This is Pets Music playlist — which has 50 tracks — or press play on Pets Music Radio. Each song is geared toward helping animals relax. Additionally, there are full albums devoted to the genre, and all you need to do is search for something like “puppy music” or “bird music” under albums and add them to your library. Of course, you can always handpick songs for your pet according to their temperament, needs or species. We’re not sure if your pet snake would appreciate Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda, however.

See at Spotify

YouTube

Stream free playlists as live feeds or extended loops

See at YouTube

YouTube is home to millions of hours of free content, and when it comes to streaming music for your cat or dog, there are plenty of options. Tune in for a 24-hour livestream from a channel like Relax My Dog, which plays music along with a video to help your pup calm down — or stay entertained. If you prefer to skip the livestream, this channel also features soothing music videos that run anywhere from eight to 15 hours, or you can choose one of its themed playlists. And there’s a sister channel called Relax My Cat, not to be confused with the uber-popular video game, Stray.

You’ll also find other YouTube pet music channels such as PetTunes or Calm Your Cat, and a few that cater to rabbits, hamsters and even ferrets. But you can also go the classical music route and play hours of songs from Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin or Bach. After you dig around YouTube to find your selections, you can always create special playlists for your pets, or stream music on your TV, iPhone, iPad or Android.

See at YouTube

Amazon Music

Choose from premade or DIY playlists

See at Amazon Music

Amazon Music offers curated playlists with music that eases your dog or cat into a chill state. You can check out the Calming Music for Dogs playlist, a nearly three-hour session that’s compiled by Amazon staff. The company’s music division prepared a seven-hour collection titled “Classical for Pets” for its playlist lineup.

Outside of Amazon Music’s own roster, there are also songs, albums and artists that fall squarely into the pet music category. Shape your own playlist. Comb through tunes from Pet Care Club or Pet Music Academy that feature bells, pianos and sounds of nature for pooches, kitties, birds and more. Or tap into white noise or pink noise if it works better for your dog or cat. If you search Amazon Music by typing in terms like “dog anxiety” or “pet relaxation,” an abundance of songs and albums will pop up for you to draw from for a special playlist. You can also take a shortcut by using voice commands with an Alexa-enabled device like Echo to tee up playlists for your pet.

See at Amazon Music

Apple Music

Variety of pet-friendly sounds

See at Apple Music

Like Spotify and Amazon Music, Apple Music has full albums that you can add to your playlists from artists such as Pet Music World and Pet Therapy. Most of the pet-centric music on the service is geared toward either cats or dogs, but if you want to lean toward genres like classical, ambient music, Hz frequency or jazz, it’s all available on the platform.

Apple Music also has white noise and animal reiki selections to choose from to help your pet feel blissed out. Make your playlists stand apart by naming them after your furbaby or according to your pet’s mood, character or need (like sleep).

See at Apple Music

Services such as Tidal and Pandora also allow you to create playlists or stream pet-themed albums on repeat. They each give you the ability to collate music based on genre or artist, with the latter enabling you to stream a pet relaxation radio station. No matter where you stream, you could certainly play Beethoven or Beyoncé on a loop. But puppy lullabies, jazz and sounds of nature like falling rain seem to be among the most popular types of playlist music for our fur-bearing or feathered family members.