Author: Jeff Berman

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Cell Phone Accessories Music

Cobble cobbles together improved audio for iPhones

Smartphones have become the main portable device that many people rely on to listen to music on the go. However, just like most smartphone cameras lack the high-end functionality of good standalone cameras, smartphones also tend to not offer the best audio quality either.

Cobble is a battery-free, plug-and-play device for iPhones that combines a headphone amplifier with a digital-to-analog (DAC) converter to significantly improve smartphone music quality. It also works with iPods and iPads, although its compatibility is limited to only those iOS devices with Lightning connectors, from which it draws power.

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Cell Phone Accessories Imaging

Smart Shoot shows your smartphone around a scene for picture-perfect control

Smartphones have become the go-to device for many people to take photos and shoot video with. But they tend to lack several of the high-end features that are typically featured in standalone digital cameras and camcorders, including facial recognition.

Smart Shoot is a pan and tilt, motorized mount for smartphones that provides face recognition, intelligent tracking and free-hand shooting. It uses Bluetooth and works in conjunction with Android and iOS smartphones The product starts shipping in June. Future pricing isn’t provided via its Kickstarter campaign. But early bird backers can get one for a pledge starting at $88. Its maker hopes to raise $80,000 by April 3.

The device has some things in common with Galileo and Swivl, two earlier Kickstarter-funded projects. However, Galileo is designed to work with iOS mobile devices and GoPro cameras, while Swivl can be used with Android and iOS devices, as well as DSLR cameras. The largest potential obstacle for Smart Shoot is that –- from its campaign video, anyway — it doesn’t seem to move as smoothly as the earlier devices.

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Connected Objects Imaging Maker/Development Sensors/IoT

Sweep eyes an opportunity for affordable LIDAR sensors

LIDAR sensor technology is being used in a growing number of products. For example, these sensors serve as the eyes of self-driving car, enabling them to detect other objects on the road. LIDAR scanners are sold on their own, but they tend to be too pricey for the average consumer, sometimes coming in at more than $1,000.

Sweep is an inexpensive scanning LIDAR sensor for consumer applications including high school robotics projects. digital art and drones. It can also be used to get the dimensions of a room much faster than it would take when using a tape measure. It can also be used to detect when somebody walks through a doorway or tries to touch something they shouldn’t. Sweep uses sensing technology that differs from most other LIDAR sensors on the market –- a technique that enables it to use lower power components to perform long-range measurements.

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Connected Objects Music

Aset and Pharaoh smart headphones turn Android on its ear

Wireless headphones provided a major boost to the headphone market. One reason why is that doing away with the cord made it much easier –- and safer — to use headphones while exercising.

patent-claimedThe patent-pending, over-the-ear Smart Listening Device (SLD) headphones take Bluetooth headphones one step further by adding the Android operating system, enabling users to download music and other media files directly to the headset. Other features include a built-in pedometer to track fitness accomplishments, USB connectivity, built-in GPS, and built-in internal microphones for phone calls and Skype conversations. Each set of headphones can play 8 hours after less than an hour of charging its lithium battery.

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Connected Objects Imaging

SnapCam360 captures immersive images while lying down on the job

The ability to shoot still photos and video in 360 degrees is a feature that’s become increasingly popular with people beyond professionals. That only increased after Facebook and YouTube started supporting 360-degree video at their websites last year.

SnapCam360 is a 360-degree camera resembling the HTC Re that can shoot in a circle and dome style just while resting with its back on any table or other surface. It can also be used to take panoramic stills and video with a single click and without any need for stitching software to combine images.

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Connected Objects

Vaulteq remembers your passwords better than you do

Remembering passwords continues to be one of the most irritating requirements of modern technology. Several password management systems already address this issue, but they tend to be cloud-based, which at least some consumers don’t trust.

Vaulteq is a password managing device that functions as a digital vault that the user has total control over. It is stored in the home or office, but can be accessed from anywhere the user goes with a digital device. It is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows mobile devices, and uses two-factor authentication, a technology that provides identification of users via two different components. To log into Vaulteq, the user needs a password and a virtual token that is sent to the user’s mobile app when registering. An unlimited number of accounts can use one device.

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Connected Objects Displays

JmGO View smart projector is a personal you-tube for video

editors-choiceThe portable LED projector market continues to grow, with smart functionality among the features becoming especially popular.

JmGO View is a tube-like portable projector that offers that and several other high-end features, including stereoscopic 3D, Texas Instruments DLP, full metal casing made of aluminum alloy, and surround sound audio with built-in Dolby Digital Plus speakers. It works in conjunction with an Android app, and can be used anywhere to project movies, videogames and other video content in widescreen 1280 x 720 pixel HD resolution onto any white, flat surface.

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Connected Objects Music

MoodBox speaker senses your mood to play blues, show hues

editors-choiceMany people select music that’s based on their mood at any given time. MoodBox is a device designed to take full advantage of that.

It’s a 360-degree omnidirectional speaker with LEDs that responds to mood-matching music requests via voice command. MoodBox uses artificial intelligence and predictive modeling to help it learn different genres and moods of music and ambient lighting that the user likes. Music can be streamed from services including iTunes and Spotify via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

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Cooking

Turn your home into a mini-Benihana with Partyaki

One of the nice things about Teppanyaki-style Japanese restaurants is that they allow diners to watch their food being cooked together as a group, whether it’s with friends or family.

patent-claimedPartyaki is a patent-pending, teppanyaki-style grill that allows consumers to duplicate the experience of a hibachi grill in their own homes. It’s modeled after the same professional grills typically seen in Japanese steakhouses, and is designed to help the user prepare the same kind of meals associated with such restaurants.

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Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries

Soso beats the so-so option of separate cases and chargers

Cases and chargers are must-have accessories for smartphones and tablets. Having one product that performs both functions, therefore, would be convenient for many consumers. In addition to eliminating the need to buy two separate products, it would eliminate the need to schlep around two separate products.

patent-claimedSoso provides exactly that solution. It’s both a patented device case and charger for mobile devices. Soso comes in multiple form factors to fit Apple devices, and looks like a standard case. But built into the back of the cover is a charging cable that easily peels off when needed and quickly folds back in place when not needed.

Soso ships in July at future pricing of $30 for a version that works with the iPhone 6 and 6 S, $35 for the 6 Plus and 6 S Plus, $39 for iPad mini, $49 for iPad Air, and $59 for iPad Pro. But early bird Indiegogo backers can get them for pledges of $15, $20, $25, $30 and $35, respectively. The cases for iPads also serve as tablet stands. Soso’s makers hope to raise $25,000 by April 8.

This is a handy device for iOS device owners. Support for Android devices would obviously open it up to a much wider audience.