Techin' Geek – Page 28

Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides to and from San Francisco International Airport

January 29, 2026sparta

After years of negotiations and false starts, Waymo is now allowed to operate a robotaxi service to and from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The Alphabet-owned company said in a blog post Thursday it will begin offering access to SFO to a select number of riders before offering it to all customers in the coming months.

Pickups and drop-offs will occur at the SFO Rental Car Center, which is accessible via AirTrain. Waymo said it plans to serve additional airport locations in the future.

Waymo’s SFO win comes as the company faces criticism and concerns about safety in some of the cities it operates. Waymo revealed Thursday that one of its robotaxis struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the January 23 incident, in which the child sustained minor injuries. Waymo is also being investigated by the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board over the illegal behavior of its robotaxis around school buses.

Access to airports, and particularly SFO, is critical to Waymo’s business model, which hinges on geographic scale and a high volume of riders.

“Serving rides to and from San Francisco International Airport delivers one of the most requested features for our riders and further deepens our relationship with the city,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a statement.

The company has accelerated its plans over the past year, launching into new cities, increasing its fleet size, and adding freeways to where it operates. Waymo robotaxis now service most of the San Francisco Bay Area and down into Silicon Valley, where it has access to the San Jose Airport. It also operates in parts of Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, and most of Phoenix, including curbside service to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Waymo’s push to operate at SFO has taken years. It tried and failed to secure a permit in 2023 to map SFO, a first step to bringing its robotaxis there. Waymo then rebooted negotiations with the city and airport authority and was granted a permit in March 2025 that would allow it to map SFO with some data-sharing strings attached, according to language in the agreement viewed by TechCrunch at the time.

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By September, SFO and Waymo signed a testing and operations pilot permit, pushing the company closer to commercial operations at the airport.

4 Best Smart Scales of 2026: Evaluated and Assessed

January 2, 2026sparta

Extra Intelligent Scales

**[Renpho MorphoScan at $150](https://renpho.com/products/morphoscan-scale):** The Renpho MorphoScan full-body scanner bears a strong resemblance to the Runstar FG2015 with nearly the same display and handlebars. Both scales use the same application for data gathering, even permitting concurrent usage. Nonetheless, this scale is not our top choice due to its $15 higher cost. Anticipate some price rivalry soon.

**[Arboleaf Body Fat Scale CS20W at $40](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJBT9XGK):** This economical Bluetooth scale may not be aesthetically pleasing, featuring large silver electrodes and a sizable display. While weight readings are clear, the other six metrics are less easy to interpret, all displayed simultaneously. The Arboleaf app is more intuitive and offers five additional metrics with detailed explanations. While it is worth the cost, the $40/year upsell for an “intelligent interpretation report” is unnecessary.

**[Hume Health Body Pod for $183](https://humehealth.com/pages/hume-body-pod):** The Body Pod from Hume Health is heavily promoted and touted as the Next Big Thing in body management. Even though the app is attractive, the hardware feels fragile, lacks Wi-Fi, and some functions are accessible only through a $100/year Hume Plus subscription. Comparable results can be achieved with more affordable alternatives.

**[Garmin Index S2 at $191](https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Wireless-Connectivity-Measure-010-02294-02/dp/B08KC5V33R?th=1):** After five years, the Index S2 still stands as Garmin’s flagship model. Its notable characteristic is a beautiful color display that assists users in tracking six body metrics for up to 16 participants with each weigh-in. It features weight trend charts and can show the weather. With direct Wi-Fi connectivity and Garmin’s cloud storage, there’s no need for a phone to track progress. However, the Garmin Connect app is complex, with a steep learning curve if users want to adjust scale settings. Although visually appealing, the color display ultimately contributes little to the overall offering.

**[Omron BCM-500 at $92](https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Composition-Monitor-Bluetooth-Connectivity/dp/B07WHMBH8K):** Sporting a large LCD, multiple buttons, and big silver electrodes, the Omron BCM-500 is distinguished by its brutalist style. It fits well in bathrooms decorated with concrete and wrought iron, syncing with Omron’s HeartAdvisor app. It presents six body metrics directly, cycling through each during weigh-ins for up to four users. While interpreting each data point can be challenging due to the non-backlit LCD, the app delivers easier-to-understand front-page graphs for weight, muscle, and body fat. However, the app is slow to synchronize, and the scale is quite expensive for its lack of Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Best Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids (2025): Evaluated and Analyzed

January 1, 2026sparta

Our Leading Choices

Additional Products Assessed

These alternatives demonstrated some degree of effectiveness, although not as consistently as our leading choices. Others may find them beneficial, as individual responses to the active components in non-prescription sleep aids vary.

Rebalance Dream Sleep Mints (Melatonin-Free; 31-Pack) priced at $46: These five-time-melting mints without melatonin encompass natural soothing ingredients such as L-theanine, L-tryptophan, GABA, and a slow-releasing Reishi mushroom extract. Up to three lozenges can be consumed each night, and I needed all three to feel relaxed. I appreciate the concept of a mint that melts gradually, though I am also testing the melatonin variant for comparison.

Container with blue labeling next to round tablets on the countertop

Olly Sleep Gummy for $17: Olly’s popular gummy supplements are trending on social platforms and tend to sell out quickly. The blackberry-mint-flavored treats include 3 mg of melatonin, L-theanine, and various botanicals like chamomile. Although melatonin is generally deemed safe during pregnancy, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare provider. While my initial experience helped me fall asleep swiftly, the results were inconsistent, leading to a desire to raise my dosage repeatedly.

Kona Sea Salt Deep Ocean Magnesium Water Drops priced at $12: Kona’s offerings feature magnesium sourced from the deep ocean waters of Hawai’i, promoting sleep and muscle relaxation. From the range of products, I discovered the water drops to be the most effective. Only a drop per ounce of water is sufficient. While its advantages include the regulation of sleep patterns, it did not provide consistently robust results compared to others.

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TechRadar | Dein Berater für Technik-Käufe

December 31, 2025sparta

Bundesnetzagentur gestattet den Betreibern von Stromnetzen Drosselungen – Was bedeutet das für die Verbraucher

TechRadar Deutschland

veröffentlicht 12. Dezember 23

Deutschland strebt eine Energiewende an, weg von fossilen Brennstoffen hin zu erneuerbaren Energien. Allerdings bringt der Ausbau dieser Energiequellen einige Herausforderungen mit sich, insbesondere wenn es um die Strombereitstellung zu jeder Tageszeit geht. Die Bundesnetzagentur hat daher beschlossen, dass Netzbetreiber künftig den Bezug von Strom zeitweise begrenzen dürfen. Doch was bedeutet das konkret und wie kam es zu dieser Entscheidung?

Factor Meal Delivery Promotion: Complimentary $200 Withings Body-Scan Scale

December 31, 2025sparta

I admit to having an aversion to scales—the type that measures weight. My first reaction upon receiving a complimentary body-scanning scale with a Factor meal kit subscription was “Oh dear!”

I expected unpleasant or awkward news, possibly verifying things I was already aware of. However, I was incorrect on both fronts.

Factor, a meal service by HelloFresh, is recognized for delivering fresh, never-frozen prepared meals that are perfect for microwave cooking. I discovered from my review of Factor last year that air-frying them, ideally with a Ninja Crispi, enhances their flavor.

Factor is especially good for low-carb, protein-dense diets favored by those looking to shed pounds or gain muscle. Therefore, they provide a scale to monitor muscle increase, fat reduction, or both, promoting ongoing use of their service for fitness or wellness aspirations.

At present, Factor is providing a discount for the first week. Regular meals range from $14 to $15 each, accompanied by an $11 shipping fee per box—less expensive than most restaurant deliveries but pricier than homemade meals.

Subscribers who enroll before the end of March will receive a complimentary Withings Body Comp scale with their third meal box. This scale, valued at over $200, assesses fat, muscle, and bone composition, as well as stress and blood vessel elasticity. It’s regarded as WIRED’s premier smart scale, comparable to a fitness tracker for your feet.

To take advantage of this offer, use the code CONWITHINGS on Factor’s website or through the promotional link.

The scale that comes with the subscription is the advanced Body Comp scale from Withings, a pioneer in fitness tracking. It uses bioelectrical impedance analysis to gauge weight, body fat percentage, lean muscle, visceral fat, bone and water mass, heart rate, and arterial stiffness.

Collecting this data only requires standing on the scale for a few moments. The scale identifies you based on weight according to your profile description, cycling through metrics before delivering a cheerful weather update.

Your electrodermal activity, measured by skin response through foot sweat gland stimulation, indicates either stress or excitement. The Withings scale also assesses arterial age or stiffness based on blood velocity during heartbeats, supported by some scientific research.

Many doctors caution against treating body composition metrics as absolute. Others contend that previous “gold standard” measurements were not entirely accurate. This remains a topic of debate. Personally, I consider smart-scale readings as a means for tracking progress and pinpointing potential health concerns that may require medical attention.

Naturally, I was anxious. So much bad news all at once! I thought.