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Plus: Daylight saving time poll results | Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios What's Next By Jennifer A. Kingson and Joann Muller ·Mar 23, 2022 So many of you wrote to tell us what you think about the idea of permanent daylight saving time! Your thoughts — and the result of this informal poll — are at the bottom. Did you know? Customers of the California utility PG&E will be able to use the batteries in their General Motors electric vehicles to power their homes under a pilot program. Today's Smart Brevity count: 1,181 words ... 4.5 minutes.     1 big thing: Smart technology is amping up home entertainment Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Internet-connected devices are reshaping the way we recreate and entertain ourselves at home, enhancing everything from movie-watching to gaming to working out, Jennifer A. Kingson writes. Why it matters: The pandemic has acclimated us to living more of our lives in our houses and apartments. Now, manufacturers of everything from televisions and sound systems to treadmills are trying to bring the sophisticated experience of a professional movie theater or gym into our living rooms. What's happening: Of all the predictions for how the Internet of Things (IoT) will enhance our lives, the one that experts make with the most confidence is that in-home entertainment will grow more satisfying and immersive. Now, or in the not-so-distant future: Smart lighting systems may automatically adjust to provide mood lighting for whatever you're doing at home — watching a scary show on Netflix, having a boisterous dance party, gathering round the table for a relaxing family dinner. Home gyms suffused with smart equipment will guide you through your best full-body workout, connect you to a virtual trainer or group exercise class, and transmit real-time data about your progress to a health app. Holographic TVs, which display images in 3D, may transform in-home gaming as well as everyday television-watching — enhancing the way we watch sports, movies and beyond. Smart music systems and soundbars will not only let you play different songs from one room to the next, but also offer even more personalization and recommendations. "This is a pivotal moment, actually right now this year," for smart home technology, says Mark Benson, head of Samsung's SmartThings U.S. division, which makes IoT systems for "connected living." The rollout of Matter, an industry connectivity standard for smart home devices, is expected to ensure that the gadgets we buy are interoperable, starting as early as next year. Read the rest     2. Summer forecast: Fewer airport weather delays FAA data shows the effect of weather on flight arrivals (pink) and departures (yellow) in Chicago. Photo courtesy of FAA   National Weather Service meteorologists can now predict minute-by-minute weather conditions for individual arrival and departure routes at the nation's 30 busiest airports — which should translate to fewer delays for travelers, Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: Better weather data synced with actual flight routes will help air traffic controllers as they direct planes to dodge potentially dangerous storms. The big picture: When bad weather is approaching an airport, air traffic controllers often hold or reroute flights in the name of safety. That's inconvenient for passengers and can quickly snowball into systemwide delays across the country. How it works: Each of the Federal Aviation Administration's 22 air traffic control centers has a weather unit on site, with meteorologists providing weather information to air traffic controllers making decisions about takeoffs, landings and routing. The forecast system is accurate, but until now it wasn't synced to show the departure and arrival routes at each airport. Now, says the FAA, the datasets are combined in one place, providing a more comprehensive and detailed view of thunderstorms, wind shifts, precipitation, icing conditions and turbulent airspace. Share this story     3. EV charging at home isn't so easy for many Data: Morning Consult; Chart: Baidi Wang/Axios Potential electric vehicle buyers are told not to worry so much about access to public charging stations because most people will charge their EVs at home, Joann writes. But many people say they don't have EV charging available at home. Driving the news: 78% of U.S. adults surveyed by Morning Consult said there is no EV charging access at home where their vehicles are parked. Worth noting: 48% said they park their cars in the driveway, and 36% said they park in a garage. Yes, but: Respondents weren't asked whether they have an ordinary electrical outlet in their garage or near their driveway, which is all that's needed to plug in an EV. (A dedicated charger is faster, but isn't necessary.) That was by design, explains mobility analyst Lisa Whalen, who authored Morning Consult's State of Automotive and Mobility report. "It just shows the disconnect in the education of the public" about charging, she said. What they found: Only 11% of adults report that charging access is always available at home. Read the rest     A message from Axios 5 ways to sharpen your employee comms strategy     Lyft and UPS leaders talked to Axios HQ about their tactics to keep hybrid staff engaged, including: Ways to end inbox overload. Ideas to give Slack, email and other platforms a purpose. How to test and evolve your 2022 communication strategy. Get the exec summary for free     4. The rise of fake beauty Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   An ominous part of social media apps like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram is the proliferation of beauty filters, which subtly and realistically make you look more attractive, Erica Pandey writes for Axios Finish Line. Think fuller lips, thinner faces, lighter eyes and even the appearance of makeup. Why it matters: These filters promote a certain beauty standard — and can quickly erode someone's sense of self-worth and confidence, especially when it comes to young people. Case in point: Beauty filters are usually a choice — users can switch them on and off. But a recent bug on TikTok left users stuck on a beautifying effect, MIT Tech Review senior editor Abby Ohlheiser reports. The filter, which couldn't be switched off for some days, was forcibly altering people's appearances when they made videos. TikTok eventually addressed the bug. But, as Ohlheiser notes, even a temporary glitch can cause great psychological harm when an app has 1 billion users. The big picture: If someone looks even a few percentage points better, they can get hooked on apps and filters, experts say. Share this story     5. Readers weigh in: Daylight Saving Time Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   We heard from more than 100 What's Next readers in response to our question: What do you think of the proposal — which passed the Senate this month — to make daylight saving time permanent, starting in 2023? Your responses fell into four categories, and one was the clear winner: By far, the largest number of people who responded said they'd like to stop changing the clocks back and forth — but they'd prefer to keep them permanently set on standard time, not daylight saving time. The second-largest number of responses came from people who said, "No to permanent daylight saving time." Nearly the same number of respondents — though just slightly fewer — said they'd vote "yes" to permanent daylight saving time. A fourth category of reader said, in essence: "Pick one or the other and stick with it." A handful of readers suggested splitting the difference and changing the clocks back and forth half an hour once or twice a year. What you're saying: "Standard time should be permanent. Let's fall back now and stay there." — Mike Head "Let's make daylight savings permanent and get rid of this annoying and anachronistic clock change twice a year!" — Alex Kemp "Permanent daylight savings time was tried during the Nixon administration. It sounded like a great idea, but in the end, was a miserable flop. The simple reason was that parents voiced concerns about their children standing more and more in the dark waiting for the school bus." — Jon F. Gasper "I live in Texas. The sun doesn't come up until 8 a.m. now. Kids are going to school in the dark now. Permanent DST would be particularly horrible in the winter months for us. I understand the East coast has the opposite problem." — Myrna Grigsby "As a kid, I loved Daylight Savings because it meant spring was around the corner, and another sign that my beloved Phillies would be in first place (until they actually started playing real games)." — Mark Israel Keep reading     A message from Axios 5 ways to sharpen your employee comms strategy     Lyft and UPS leaders talked to Axios HQ about their tactics to keep hybrid staff engaged, including: Ways to end inbox overload. Ideas to give Slack, email and other platforms a purpose. How to test and evolve your 2022 communication strategy. Get the exec summary for free   Was this email forwarded to you? Get your daily dose of What's Next magic by signing up for our free newsletter here. Like this email style and format? It's called Smart Brevity®. 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