These 10 companies using tech for a better night's sleep are competing in Houston this weekend

You snooze you don't lose

Ever thought about using tech for a better night's sleep? The Sleep Show might be for you. Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Tech has affected every aspect of our lives, from the way we get our groceries or order food to how we meet a mate. So, it only makes sense that there is developing technology focused on improving the way we sleep.

This weekend, the Sleep Show is taking over George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, and 28 sleep tech products are competing on Saturday, March 9, for the National Sleep Foundation's SleepTech Award. Here are 10 of the award's semi-finalists that aren't snoozing on innovation.

TimeShifter 

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Jetlag is a thing of the past if you use TimeShifter before, during, and after your trip. You program your plans in the app, and it offers you advice and recommendations for overcoming jetlag.

SleepScore

Photo via sleepscore.com

Another free app, SleepScore delivers advice and analytics for your regular night's sleep. the program is backed by science and doesn't require the user to wear anything or put anything in their bed. A bedside monitor us also used to detect light or sound in the bedroom for better analytics.

Embr

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Everybody has their own optimized sleeping temperature, and it's difficult to control it from a larger scale heating and cooling system. The Embr Wave, developed by MIT scientists, is a personal thermostat you wear on your wrist. There's no bright screen either, and users simply press and hold the device if they are too hot or too cold.

Biostrap

Photo via biostrap.com

Another wearable, Biostrap is a sleep and fitness tracker that can provide precise vitals — such as heartbeat — using a clinical-quality PPG sensor, which runs on light-based technology. The data can be used for sleep analysis, heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

Kryo Inc.'s ChiliPad

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

The ChiliPad is for sleepers who need to chill out. The blanket, which is the size of half of a queen bed — perfect for couples with different temperature needs — can regulate temperatures between 55 and 110 degrees.

Somnox

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

​Touted as the world's first sleep robot, the Somnox Sleep Robot is your high-tech cuddle buddy and little spoon. It syncs your breathing to that of the machine's and puts you straight into a relaxed state with soothing sounds. You can program your robot for a night's sleep, a quick nap, or just a relaxation period. You also tell the robot how long you want the sleep synchronization for, before it automatically shuts off.

BreatheSimple

Photo via breathesimple.com

Another breathing technology is BreatheSimple, a free app that helps train you to optimize your breathing. The app is currently available on iOS, and will soon be an option for Android users.

Nanit

Photo via nanit.com

Babies need sleep tech too, and Nanit as an over-the-crib monitor made to record, track, and offer guidance for parents on their baby's sleeping. The device was actually named by TIME Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of 2018".

URGONight

Photo via urgonight.com

You can train yourself to be a better sleeper with URGONight. The headpiece syncs with a mobile app and, in about three months, you'll be a professional sleeper.

SonicTonic

Photo via sonictonic.io

Sounds are so important to humans' ability to relax. SonicTonic aims to help users truly relax their minds for a good night's rest and treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and more.


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Houston falls from top 50 in global ranking of 'World's Best Cities'

Rankings & Reports

Houston is no longer one of the top 50 best cities in the world, according to a prestigious annual report by Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy.

The newest "World's Best Cities" list dropped Houston from No. 40 last year to No. 58 for 2026.

The experts at Resonance Consultancy annually compare the world's top 100 cities with metropolitan populations of at least 1 million residents or more based on the relative qualities of livability, "lovability," and prosperity. The firm additionally collaborated with AI software company AlphaGeo to determine each city's "exposure to risk, adaptation capacity," and resilience to change.

The No. 1 best city in the world is London, with New York (No. 2), Paris (No. 3), Tokyo (No. 4), and Madrid (No. 5) rounding out the top five in 2026.

Houston at least didn't rank as poorly as it did in 2023, when the city surprisingly plummeted as the 66th best city in the world. In 2022, Houston ranked 42nd on the list.

Despite dropping 18 places, Resonance Consultancy maintains that Houston "keeps defying gravity" and is a "coveted hometown for the best and brightest on earth."

The report cited the Houston metro's ever-growing population, its relatively low median home values ($265,000 in 2024), and its expanding job market as top reasons for why the city shouldn't be overlooked.

"Chevron’s shift of its headquarters from California to Houston, backed by $100 million in renovations, crowns relocations drawn by record 2024 Port Houston throughput of more than four million containers and a projected 71,000 new jobs in 2025," the report said.

The report also draws attention to the city's diversity, spanning from the upcoming grand opening of the long-awaited Ismaili Center, to the transformation of several industrial buildings near Memorial City Mall into a mixed-use development called Greenside.

"West Houston’s Greenside will convert 35,000 square feet of warehouses into a retail, restaurant and community hub around a one-acre park by 2026, while America’s inaugural Ismaili Center remains on schedule for later this year," the report said. "The gathering place for the community and home for programs promoting understanding of Islam and the Ismaili community is another cultural jewel for the country’s most proudly diverse major city."

In Resonance Consultancy's separate list ranking "America's Best Cities," Houston fell out of the top 10 and currently ranks as the 13th best U.S. city.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin and Dallas also saw major declines in their standings for 2026. Austin plummeted from No. 53 last year to No. 87 for 2026, and Dallas fell from No. 53 to No. 78.

"In this decade of rapid transformation, the world’s cities are confronting challenges head‑on, from climate resilience and aging infrastructure to equitable growth," the report said. "The pandemic, long forgotten but still a sage oracle, exposed foundational weaknesses – from health‑care capacity to housing affordability. Yet, true to their dynamic nature, the leading cities are not merely recovering, but setting the pace, defining new paradigms of innovation, sustainability and everyday livability."

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Waymo self-driving robotaxis will launch in Houston in 2026

Coming Soon

Houston just cleared a major lane to the future. Waymo has announced the official launch of its self-driving robotaxi service in the Bayou City, beginning with employee-only operations this fall ahead of a public launch in early 2026.

The full rollout will include three Texas cities, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, along with Miami and Orlando, Florida. Currently, the company operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with service available in Austin and Atlanta through Uber.

Before letting its technology loose on a city, Waymo first tests the routes with human drivers. Once each locale is mapped, the cars can begin driving independently. Unique situations are flagged by specialists, and engineers evaluate performance in virtual replicas of each city.

“Waymo’s quickly entering a number of new cities in the U.S. and around the world, and our approach to every new city is consistent,” explained the announcement. “We compare our driving performance against a proven baseline to validate the performance of the Waymo Driver and identify any unique local characteristics.”

The launch puts Waymo ahead of Tesla. Elon Musk’s Austin-based carmaker has made a lot of hullabaloo about autonomy being the future of the company, but has yet to launch its service on a wide scale.

Waymo started testing San Antonio’s roadways in May as part of a multi-city “road trip,” which also included Houston. The company says its measured approach to launches helps alleviate local concern over safety and other issues.

“The future of transportation is accelerating, and we are driving it forward with a commitment to quality and safety,” Waymo wrote. “Our rigorous process of continuous iteration, validation, and local engagement ensures that we put communities first as we expand.”

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Shipley Donuts launches AI-powered ordering assistant

fresh tech

Popular Houston-born doughnut chain Shipley Donuts has added a first-of-its-kind AI-powered assistant to its online ordering platform.

The new assistant can create personalized order recommendations based on individual or group preferences, according to a news release from the company. Unlike standard chatbox features, the new assistant makes custom recommendations based on multiple customer factors, including budgetary habits, individual flavor preferences and order size.

"We're not just adding AI for the sake of innovation — we're solving real customer pain points by making ordering more intuitive, personalized and efficient," Kerry Leo, Shipley Vice President of Technology, said in the release.

The system also works for larger events, as it can make individual orders and catering recommendations for corporate events and meetings by suggesting quantities and assortments based on group size, event type and budget.

According to Shipley, nearly 1 in 4 guests have completed orders with the new AI technology since it launched on its website.

“The integration of the AI ordering assistant into our refreshed website represents a significant leap forward in how restaurant brands can leverage technology to enhance the customer experience,” Leo added in the release.

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