This App Claims It Can Detect 'Trustworthiness.' It Can't.

Plus, Google acquires FitBit and a new cutting-edge OCD treatment The Futurist uncovers unique and inspiring topics that feed your curiosity. Curated articles on technology, science, and culture delivered to your inbox. Not for you? Unsubscribe anytime below. /tech [Google Completes The Purchase Of Fitbit | The Verge]( [GOOGLE COMPLETES PURCHASE OF FITBIT]( Google has completed its $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit, the company announced today. The news follows the EU’s announcement late last year that it had approved the deal, after Google made a series of commitments about its planned operation of Fitbit and use of its health data. [The Verge]( /innovation [This App Turns PDFs, Emails, And More Into A Curated Podcast | Mashable]( [THIS APP TURNS PDFS, EMAILS, AND MORE INTO A CURATED PODCAST]( Whether you're a bonafide businessperson or just someone who subscribes to a lot of emails, you can seriously save time — and your eyes — from reading and scrolling on your phone. Elocance is an audio reading app that turns any type of content on your phone into a podcast. You can even tailor the way the audio recording sounds, adjust HD levels, change the type of accent you hear, and more. Some popular newsletters you're subscribed to may already be housed in the app. [Mashable]( /science [This App Claims It Can Detect Trustworthiness. It Can't. | Vice]( [THIS APP CLAIMS IT CAN DETECT 'TRUSTWORTHINESS.' IT CAN'T.]( “Determine how trustworthy a person is in just one minute.” That’s the pitch from DeepScore, a Tokyo-based company that spent last week marketing its facial and voice recognition app to potential customers and investors at CES 2021. Here's how it works: A person—seeking a business loan or coverage for health insurance, perhaps—looks into their phone camera and answers a short series of questions. Where do you live? How do you intend to use the money? Do you have a history of cancer? DeepScore analyzes the muscular twitches in their face and the changes in their voice and delivers a verdict to the lender or insurer. This person is trustworthy, this person is probably not. [Vice]( /money [Aiming To Get Your Finances In Order In 2021? - Truebill | [Partner]]( [AIMING TO GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER IN 2021? YOU NEED THIS TOOL]( When you make a New Year’s resolution to get in shape, you likely get a gym membership or trainer. So when you make a resolution to stick to a budget in 2021, you should enlist a tool to hold you accountable for your finances. Enter: [Truebill](. This tool will help you do everything from identifying subscriptions you forgot about to lowering everyday bills. The average member saves up to $720 a year, so don’t wait to give it a try. [Partner] /interior [@zekeruelas on Instagram]( [@zekeruelas]( /health [Personalized Brain Stimulation Could Relieve A Common Mental Health Disorder | Inverse]( [PERSONALIZED BRAIN STIMULATION COULD RELIEVE A COMMON MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER]( A new approach to the treatment of OCD proposes taking [treatment for OCD]( directly to the brain. In a new paper, a team of neuroscientists show how directly stimulating the brain's reward processing center could help curb obsessive compulsive behaviors. Taking a personalized approach, the researchers show just 30 minutes of stimulation for five days could have lasting effects up to 3 months after treatment. In some study participants, the approach reduced their OCD-related behaviors by 30 percent. [Inverse]( /gadget [This Eco-Friendly Fireplace Warms Your Home | StackSocial]( [THIS ECO-FRIENDLY FIREPLACE WARMS YOUR HOME WITHOUT THE SMOKE]( No built-in fireplace? No problem! This stunning portable tabletop fireplace lets you fan the flames anywhere your heart desires — and the best part? It uses ethanol to create a smoke-free, totally environmentally friendly fire that’ll keep you warm and take your aesthetic to a whole new level of cozy. Plus, it’s 30% off right now. [StackSocial]( /story [Betty White Is Celebrating 99 By Quarantining With A Pair Of Ducks | Mic]( [BETTY WHITE IS CELEBRATING 99 BY QUARANTINING WITH A PAIR OF DUCKS]( When legendary actor and comedian Betty White turned 99 on January 17, she chose to celebrate her quarantine birthday with a pair of unconventional party guests. “What am I doing for my birthday? Feeding the two ducks who come to visit me every day,” she told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published on Thursday. [Mic]( /posted [@eyeofshe on Instagram]( [@eyeofshe]( /bites - Instantly suck the moisture out of any shoe with this weird but super convenient [electric shoe & boot dryer]( - Start making bank in 2021 with this intro to [stock trading & cryptocurrency course]( - The [world’s thinnest bone conduction speaker]( lets you turn anything hollow into an amplification device THE FUTURIST [Advertise]( [Talk to Us](mailto:letschat@getthefuturist.com) | [Shop]( | [Subscribe]( Powered by StackCommerce 21 market street venice, ca 90291 [unsubscribe](