Month: November 2015

Categories
Displays Imaging Music Smart Home

The Selfiemirror lets you capture who’s the fairest of them all

From the looks of it, the selfie trend is here to stay. Everything from pop culture to technological trends have responded to the rapidly increasing demand for photos that are way too close to the face. A perpetual kissie face to humanity, the humble selfie will continue on.

The Selfiemirror is a next step in the natural evolution of the selfie, combining a mirrored display and HD camera to facilitate selfies with armless ease. The Selfiemirror photo app lets users select a number of frames and time delay and then snaps a picture, with the option of using the included physical Bluetooth Button instead. But that’s just the beginning.

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Categories
Input Music Smartwatches/Bands

Skin wearable music controller needs appeal that’s more than skin deep

Not many people would enjoy the idea of having to take out their smartphone while working out to change music. There’s a level of focus necessary to really get the most out of a workout, and doing that will definitely make sure it’s never achieved.

Swiss inventor Yves Steinmann’s Skin wearable hopes to make that small but annoying situation an afterthought. It’s a simple black wristband that uses Bluetooth to connect to a device in order to control music without an app.

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Categories
Connected Objects Television

Klikr lets you replace all your electronic clickers with a smartphone

With the popularity of the Chromecast, many consumers are already controlling their TVs with their smartphones. But Klikr is a small Bluetooth LE device that takes the trend one step further.

By sticking Klikr on a TV, speaker, air conditioner or just about any other electronic device that uses an infrared remote control, a user can use an accompanying Android or iOS app to control any of those devices from their mobile device. Klikr gets stuck to a device next to that device’s infrared receiver using two sticky, reusable gel pads, and works as long as the user is within about 10 meters away. ,

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Categories
Maker/Development Sensors/IoT

MATRIX’s sensor platform seeks to be The One for the Internet of Things

editors-choiceSmartphones are so ubiquitous because just one replaces a wide variety of real-world objects. This has yet to happen to in the world of Internet of Things. Instead, more and more companies create more hardware that do different things, and therefore, introduce more fragmentation. This makes things difficult for the developers and end-users who would have been clamoring for a standard that could simplify the entire IoT experience.

By applying the lessons learned from what the smartphone did for the real world, the folks at AdMobilize have designed MATRIX. Just as a smartphone combined a number of capabilities into one, slim package, MATRIX’s 15 different, embedded sensors do the same — just for the home or business.

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Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

The PowerUp FPV is the greatest flight simulation ever played with a paper airplane

No one asked for a smartphone controlled paper airplane, but that’s exactly what was delivered when inventor Shai Goitein created the original PowerUp 3.0 module and shepherded it to Kickstarter success.

Now, he’s back with the PowerUp FPV, an upgrade to the original that adds live streaming capabilities through an onboard, rotating camera that records up to 30 frames per second. A head-mounted display is packaged with the PowerUp FPV, letting users enjoy a first-person view on the high-flying action by tilting the smartphone used inside. Or, if that’s too dizzying, users have the option to use a smartphone as a manual gamepad or just enable PowerUp FPV’s full auto-pilot mode.’

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Categories
Connected Objects Sports

Ti.ttle golf swing analyzer could help you shave some strokes

An increasing number of devices are being introduced to help golfers practice their swings while away from a golf course.

Ti.ttle is a small device that clips onto a golf club and serves as a swing analyzer calculating the distance and direction a golf ball would have traveled if it was hit with that swing. It works in conjunction with apps for Android and iOS mobile devices, and can be used with all types of golf clubs, including drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters, according to its Kickstarter campaign. After each practice swing, ti.ttle provides real-time feedback by displaying the calculated carry distance on its OLED display.

Ti.ttle ships in December. Retail pricing isn’t provided by its Kickstarter campaign. But early bird backers can get one as low as $49. Its makers are looking to raise $60,000 by Dec. 3.

Many devoted golfers may want to give ti.ttle a try, although it’s difficult to tell from the campaign video just how accurate it is. There have been other devices introduced that allow golfers to practice their swings without being anywhere near a golf course. One example is the Smart Golf connected golf club. One major advantage of ti.ttle is that it allows golfers to practice using the clubs they are already familiar with.

 

Categories
Imaging

ViDi action cam’s goal in crowded field: veni, vidi, vici

There are many action cameras competing for consumer dollars now, although none of have been able to eclipse sales of the GoPro product line yet.

The third-generation ViDi is billed in its Kickstarter campaign as a quality waterproof action camera that was created “for the people” thanks to its design, multiple features and relatively low price in comparison to rival products. The 1080p HD LCD camera can shoot video and still images. It has fully waterproof housing and is waterproof up to 40 feet, according to the campaign.

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Categories
Accents Connected Objects Maker/Development

With The Light Clock, it’s always time to light up

LEDs are everywhere these days, including inside our TVs and the Sunn smart light fixture.

The Light Clock finds another usage for them, featuring colored LEDs instead of normal clock hands to tell the time. The lights, which are placed around the clock’s perimeter, create a neon-like underlighting effect. Colors on the wall clock can be customized using Wi-Fi and a mobile/Web app available for computers, iOS and Android to match the user’s room décor or their mood. The device uses 120 LEDs to tell the time and each of those LEDs is able to display more than 16 million colors, according to its Kickstarter campaign.

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Categories
Connected Objects Travel

AirBolt will help prevent your luggage from disappearing into thin air

Luggage security is an ongoing concern for travelers. But traditional luggage locks are problematic for several reasons, whether they require keys or combinations. The keys are easy to lose, while combinations are easy to forget.

AirBolt is a smartphone-controlled travel lock that doesn’t require a key or users to remember combinations. The device is relatively small and features a die-cast zinc body, along with a rugged stainless steel rope that allows users to attach AirBolt to places that include a bag’s zipper. It operates on Bluetooth 4.2 and features a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that lasts for one year, according to AirBolt’s Kickstarter campaign.

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Categories
Augmented Reality Displays Music

ORA-X raises the Glass bar for a twist on augmented reality

Augmented reality is one of the hottest emerging technologies right now. But it remains to be seen if the category will attract mass consumer appeal because AR devices tend to be bulky headsets that are specifically designed to exploit the technology.

patent-claimedORA-X, on the other hand, are over-the-ear audio headphones equipped with a Google Glass-like retractable, see-through projection display. Virtual video content is overlaid on the display, but doesn’t block out the outside world like AR devices such as the Oculus Rift or SEER.

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