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Shark has been making some intriguing devices lately, and its newest offering is one Im personally very excited about. The company has just announced the ChillPill a gadget its describing as a 3-in-1 personal cooling system. Its a modular system that offers a fan, mister and cold plate in one portable accessory, and is available today (March 10) for $150. Just in time for the summer, I guess. Ive had a ChillPill to test for a few days and while I think its a bit pricey, Im impressed by the sophistication and versatility you get for the money.The ChillPill looks kind of like a strange, modern pair of binoculars. It is made up of two tubes connected via an inch-long silver rotating hinge. Unlike a pair of binoculars, though, one of the halves of the ChillPill can swivel on its hinge to about 100 degrees in either direction, so you can twist it to your hearts desire. The hinge clicks firmly into place, and feels solid, so it can hold steady in whatever position youve chosen.The smaller of the two tubes is where the controls and the USB-C charging port sit. There is a switch near the bottom here that locks the controls so the ChillPill doesnt accidentally turn on when its in your cluttered purse. This is important, since turning on the device and adjusting the intensity levels is a matter of pressing the other end of this tube and rotating the dial. Theres a screen that takes up the top surface and itll show your battery level and what speed or mode youve selected.The matte, slightly larger tube is where the attachments go, and the other end of this is an air inlet. Shark calls the attachments caps, and like mentioned earlier, these are the High-speed fan cap, a Dry Touch Mist cap and the InstaChill Cooling Plate. The fan is basically an inch-thick disc, while the other two are a bit taller (or deeper), and the misting pod has a tank with a wick in it. You have to fill this with potable water (and the instruction manual repeatedly warns against using oils, fragrances or other additives) before turning the device on. Swapping the caps out is a fairly easy affair thanks to the self-explanatory symbols on the edge. Twist the parts till the circle or lock icons are on top of the solid white dot on the other side, and youre all set. The Shark ChillPill in use in various scenarios.SharkOf the three attachments, I was most excited for the cold plate, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the mister. I was initially skeptical when Sharks reps told me it was a dry mist, and I assumed it was probably much wetter than they promised. But when I filled the container with cold tap water and turned the ChillPill on, I found the resulting cool air and mist very refreshing. And though my chin, which got the most of the water vapor, did get a bit wet, it all dried off very quickly. Plus, if I didnt want to risk any moisture on my face at all, I could just hold the device a bit further away. I also think it would be thoroughly enjoyable when aimed at other areas, like my neck or back, for a quick cooldown.Same goes for the cooling plate attachment. It uses basically the same technology as the under-eye plates on the Shark CryoGlow LED face mask and the Shark DePuffi device. The companys InstaChill technology essentially gives you a super cold surface that you can press to your skin (or, in theory, any surface that needs to chill) to quickly cool things off. Not only can this be great after, say, a hot yoga session or running to the subway in the middle of summer, but it can also be quite calming. I set the plate to the lower of the two chill settings and rubbed it all over my face before a call with my boss. I cant say I was completely relaxed during the chat, but I was certainly a lot less strung out than I might have been without the ChillPill. Finally, though the fan is the least exciting, it does work as promised and gets so powerful at the top level of 10 that I was genuinely shocked. It was like a mini cyclone in my hand, and if all you want is for moving air (that doesnt have to be cooled), the ChillPill offers plenty of oomph and a wide range of intensity options. For the money, I wish that Shark included some ChillPill accessories like the wrist strap, clamp, belt clip, crossbody strap or travel case. I also would love for the company to find a way to keep all the attachments on the device so I dont have to carry loose caps with my ChillPill or buy a carrying case. I also found the half of the device with the power button on it to be a bit prone to becoming slick or greasy, making it a bit slippery at times. Ultimately, I really enjoyed using the ChillPill to keep me cool. I can see this being a popular device in a hot, humid country like Singapore (where Im from), and you best believe Ill be ordering a few as gifts for my family members. Well, maybe just one or two. Im not rich, after all, and these arent that affordable. Update, March 10 2026, 3:42 PM ET: This story has been updated to edit the degree at which the two tubes can rotate on the hinge.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/sharks-chillpill-puts-a-mister-fan-and-cold-plate-in-one-portable-package-123000848.html?src=rss
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Shazam is now available within ChatGPT, if you dont want to launch the music discovery app on your phone for, well, reasons. You will have to link the Shazam app with the chatbot first from its Apps page, after which you can summon it in-chat to identify whatever song is playing. To summon Shazam in-chat, you can use prompts like Shazam, whats playing? or Shazam, what is this song? A box will pop up that you can tap on to launch the music discovery service, which will then listen to the tune playing. ChatGPT will display the songs name, artist and artwork, along with the option to save the song to Shazam. Take note that the feature will work within ChatGPT even if you dont have the music discovery app downloaded on your device, which does make it useful if youre using a phone with full memory. The Shazam integration has started rolling out globally within ChatGPT on iOS, Android and the web. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-use-chatgpt-to-open-shazam-instead-of-just-opening-shazam-114000363.html?src=rss
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US regulators have approved eight pilot programs across 26 states that will allow Archer, Joby and other eVTOL companies to finally start testing aircraft this summer, according to a US Department of Transportation (DoT) press release. That will allow those manufacturers to run trials for use cases like urban air taxi services, regional passenger transportation, cargo, emergency medical operations and autonomous flight technology. The new projects were made possible by the White House's Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP) approved last year to allow certification for such aircraft to progress after being stuck in the mud for years. "By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move," US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time. Other FAA aircraft partners include Beta, Electra, Elroy Air, Wisk, Ampaire and Reliable Robotics. Key pilot programs were approved for the Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and North Carolina Departments of Transportation, along with New York and New Jersey Port Authority and the City of Albuquerque. We've already glimpsed some of the ideas, like Archer's plan to use air taxis between New York's major airports and city heliports. A number of eVTOL startups have launched in recent years, but so far none of the aircraft have received "type certificates" for carrying passengers or other commercial purposes. Archer and Joby are the farthest along in that process, having been granted the FAA's final airworthiness criteria the final step before full approval. The delays are mostly about safety and working eVTOL planes into existing aviation flows. "The gap isn't technical capability anymore. It's regulatory synchronization," the FAA's Kalea Texeira said last year on LinkedIn. "[That includes factors like] vertiports. Energy supply chains. Part 135 [commercial] integration. Pilot training frameworks that match the aircraft timeline." In the same post, Texeira added that Joby wouldn't certify until mid-2027 at the earliest, with Archer following in 2028. The new program could help accelerate plane-makers' plans. In a YouTube video, Beta CEO Kyle Clark said selection for the program will help his company start operations a year earlier than it previously expected. Archer, meanwhile, compared the program to robotaxi testing and said it will help build trust with the public for its Midnight aircraft. "This is the clearest sign yet... that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority," said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/faa-opens-up-real-world-testing-for-air-taxi-startups-112219316.html?src=rss
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