Fully Charged: Smart luggage weighs and tracks itself, Gmail for Android will support external accounts, and new Doctor Who game teaches coding

Bluesmart luggage offers smartphone-connected features

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One of the most intriguing crowdfunding campaigns we’ve seen in a while is for the Bluesmart, a smartphone-paired carry-on suitcase that comes with several intelligent features. Automatic locking with your phone as the key? Indeed. GPS tracking for when it’s lost or stolen? Sure. How about the ability for the suitcase to weigh itself with a tug of the handle? Incredibly, yes.

And the Bluesmart even has a hefty built-in battery that is advertised to recharge phones, tablets, and more up to six times over before it needs to be plugged back in. The makers claim that the suitcase will be compliant with all travel regulations, which is the one red flag we had coming into the campaign.

A US$235 (£145) investment now can get you one Bluesmart for yourself come next August, says the Indiegogo page, and the campaign has already caught fire, raising more than US$135,000 (about £83,000) so far on a goal of just US$50,000 (about £31,000) – and that’s in just the first day. Barring unforeseen issues, this project is ready to follow through on its bold ambitions for next year.

[Source: Indiegogo]

READ MORE: These suitcase speakers pack bags of sound

Gmail 5.0 for Android adds Outlook, Yahoo support

According to a report from Android Police, Google’s next big revision of the Gmail app – which will be available in time for Lollipop’s release and use the material design aesthetic – will expand its capabilities to allow Outlook, Yahoo, and other mail service users to access their accounts.

It’s a big shift for the service, but it makes sense for Google, as the company derives a significant portion of its income from advertising – the more users, the better, regardless of which mail provider they prefer. You can catch a leaked marketing video through the source link below.

[Source: Android Police]

READ MORE: 8 things you need to know about Android Lollipop

Doctor Who game teaches coding

Headlining an effort by the BBC to get younger folks interested in coding and digital tech, The Doctor and the Dalek is a new Doctor Who web game that will be available as of tomorrow, 22 October. The game uses puzzles to teach programming mechanics, and comes with supplemental materials for teachers and parents to use.

The Doctor and the Dalek features the likeness and voice acting from current actor Peter Capaldi, and was penned by a writer from the show, Phil Ford. Curiously, the game sees the Time Lord helping his robotic nemesis return to full strength to collectively battle a greater threat. (Let us guess: coding illiteracy?)

[Sources: BBC, Engadget]

READ MORE: Google’s Made with Code initiative encourages young girls to learn coding