1. Halo is Amazon's New AI-Powered Wearable

To claim a slice of the global wearable pie, Amazon just announced a new screen-free wrist gadget called the Halo. Weirdly, it uses AI to measure your voice tone and help you manage your emotional state. Way to up the "listening to you all the time" ante, Amazon.

2. Gamescom Takes its Big Gaming Show Virtual

Gamescom is the world's biggest video games conference. This year, it's online (as so many of these big events are). Celebrity game journo Geoff Keighley will host the three-day event packed full of world premieres, upcoming console releases (PS5, anyone?), and gaming announcements.

3. Walmart Teams Up with Microsoft in TikTok Bid

File this one under "odd things that make sense under the surface." Walmart wants to compete with Amazon, right? Which means TikTok user data is important to the mega-corp. Add Walmart's financial muscle to the Microsoft plan to buy TikTok, and you've got a perfect storm... for shareholders.

🦑 Go Deeper

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a boon to projects that require a lot of data. Lifewire's Sascha Brodsky has a deep dive on how researchers are using AI to inform their own search for a Coronavirus cure.

We rely more and more on the smart things we wear on (or in) our bodies these days. Gartner predicts the global market will hit $52 billion this year alone. Now, if we could just stop calling it "earwear." Shudder.

🤓 Nerd Out

"Shake whatcha universe gave ya. Or don't" - Kyree Leary, Assistant News Editor

An international team of researchers has found that seismic vibrations caused by humans have dropped by roughly 50 percent. This is, of course, due to quarantine keeping a lot of people home. Good job not walking a lot, everyone. (Share on Twitter)

💎 You Know You Want It

The 6-day battery doesn't hurt, either

Image: Fitbit

We're super excited about the new Fitbit Sense, a full-featured smartwatch from the fitness tracker company. This gadget has it all: It'll tell you if you're in AFib (pending FDA approval, of course) and will even measure your sweaty wrist to see if you're stressed out. All for a friendly $330 price? Yes, please.

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Who needs the real thing?

Could this be the first legitimate use of Deepfake technology? Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard wasn't available to star in a commercial thanks to the pandemic, so the team just put his head on a stunt double body for the spot. Sports are back, indeed.

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