Month: November 2016

Categories
Networking

Hose down your digital connections with the Hosen network security hub

As the world is inundated more and more with connected objects, more and more personal information is at risk. The worst part about it: most don’t have a clue what information of theirs is actually at risk!

The Hosen is a virtual castle moat for your information, effectively filtering all the connections being made to and from every single device on your network for malware, advertising, viruses and hacking attempts. Hosen gives users a dashboard to make keeping track of every single connection easy using just a few taps, with the ability for users to block or authorize any of them as they see fit.

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Categories
Imaging Smart Home

The Mercu smart home orb falls short of groundbreaking

On any given day, another product promising to be the center of the connected home experience makes its way to the crowdfunding world. Most of the time, they suffer from lack of connectivity and features, forcing users to combine them with accessories to truly get the most out of them.

With the Mercu, Taiwan-based GalaThings promises an all-in-one product combining surveillance capabilities, sound and motion detection for intruders (and a siren to scare them off), and environmental detection keeping tabs on humidity, temperature, luminance, and smoke. In addition to these features, three other aspects of the Mercu make it particularly useful: Wi-Fi, ZigBee and BLE support, the option to save pertinent video locally with its SD card slot or on cloud storage with Dropbox integration, and an IFTTT interface on its companion smartphone to create custom events.

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Categories
Connected Objects

Bixi relies on gestures, lets you nix standard remote control

editors-choice-300x96The main problem with controlling music and GPS navigation in one’s car through traditional remote control devices is that it can be a dangerous distraction.

Bixi is a smart home and mobile device that allows users to control connected objects via simple hand gestures. The small smart controller can be placed on top of any surface in the home or car, or mounted just about anywhere as well. Bixi connects via Bluetooth Low Energy to smartphones, tablets and computers. The device is based around next-generation time-of-flight optical sensors, and works well in complete darkness.

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Categories
Toys

The Trickstick tricks the eye into seeing colorful treats

POV technology, otherwise known as persistence of vision technology, exploits the eyes penchant for completing images even without all the necessary information. Movies were built on that principle, having allowed generations of people to experience a new form of entertainment that is still dominant today.

The Trickstick by Electricks takes the idea of POV and applies it to an unassuming wand. Wave it quickly enough, though, and 128 LEDs work together to produce 60fps images that can be uploaded to it with the use of a companion iOS/Android app.

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Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Any canvas can be a masterpiece with the SprayPrinter

editors-choice-300x96As much as people would like to change it, artistic merit evades most. And while it’s is easy to grab some supplies and a canvas and get to work, lack of ability ends up discouraging people rather quickly. What if a tool existed that could allow anyone to be creative, easily? That’s what the SprayPrinter is.

The SprayPrinter is an accessory that attaches to a spray can and wirelessly interfaces with a smartphone or tablet to allow users to spray any image onto any surface. A user simply sets up the smart device on a tripod or other stand facing the canvas to guide the SprayPrinter and then gets to work. The SprayPrinter then understands exactly where to paint, barring users from ever making mistakes. In the end, a beautiful pre-selected or custom image is printed, making the SprayPrinter perfect for gift-giving, decorating or just having some fun. 

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Categories
Connected Objects

The Time Key Money Box helps keep your paws off your cash

Saving money is something everyone needs to do but most find difficult to actually put into practice. And while there are numerous strategies to better do so, they all have one thing in common: willpower. Without it, none of them work and that rainy day fund is never properly set up.

Born out of the common difficulties that stem from saving money, the Time Key Money Box is a connected jar that allows users to set a financial goal and a length of time. In that period of time, the Time Key cannot be opened, forcing savers to actually save money irregardless of whatever whim might tempt them to open it up. The jar is big enough to hold at 500 two-pound coins, so the rewards are indeed worth the wait, especially since the product’s companion app allows users to set savings reminders to better keep on track.

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Categories
Connected Objects Tools

The 01 is number one at measuring the world around you

Despite the action of measuring being vital to pretty much every industry, the tools used to do so are woefully outdates. Now, with the 01, the tape measure gets a 21st-century makeover.

The 01 is a combination laser-guided measuring tool, pen, pencil and stylus all wrapped in an elegant and slim aliminum housing. Created with designers, engineers, architects and even the average joe in mind, the 01 can be used to accurately capture the dimensions of any surface or object. For example, at work it can be used to quickly log the length, width and height of an object in any metric (millimeters, inches, etc.), measure complex contours and even be used with a scale to read drawings better. And at home, it cames in handy when dimensioning spaces for furniture, setting up a grid for posters, or even measuring material for installation.

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Categories
Imaging Input

Loupedeck lets you edit photos without going loopy

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software makes it easier for photographers to organize their images. But computers aren’t exactly the most user-friendly devices to use that software with.

Loupedeck is a photo editing console for Lightroom complete with knobs and sliders that makes photo editing faster, improving efficiency and allowing users to be more creative with their images. It replaces the mouse and keyboard, and works seamlessly with Macintosh and Windows operating systems.

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Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

The Sence illuminates the mystery behind your emotions

Having greater awareness of emotions and their effect on the body, as well as what can be done in order to emphasize more positive emotions, can help us do away with the triggers, habits, and situations that can exacerbate the bad ones.

The Sence wearable is aiming to help in this regard, with the capability of understanding when and where a user experiences 64 distinct emotions, physical exertion and recovery, vitality, and stress. It does by recognizing the minute variations between the heart’s contractions — called R-peak signals — with ECG tracking technology, something other wearables don’t do but that makes the Sence far more precise.

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Categories
Connected Objects

The Vue smart specs are the cure for the uncommon glasshole

editors-choice-300x96No one can deny that the idea of smart glasses is pretty cool. Unfortunately, their design is usually awkward, painfully obvious, and kind of creepy, making what is an interesting look anything but.

This is why the Vue everyday smart glasses are so intriguing. The team behind it crammed some of the more desired features of something like a Google Glass into a pair of frames that look, well, normal. In a pair of Vue glasses, users will find an impressive feature set. Working through Bluetooth with its companion smartphone app, the Vue’s bone conductive design allows for hands-free calling (in conjunction with its built-in mic), turn-by-turn navigation, and the option to listen to music no matter where — all with a few taps to its rim.

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