Author: Jeff Berman

Categories
Networking

REDS.box gives the blues to would-be data invaders

Most computer users want an effective way to protect their data, especially while online. Cloud-based applications and services, however, tend to be open to the public and leave data stored there at least somewhat vulnerable to invaders.

REDS.box is an easy-to-use home server designed for Internet users who work in the cloud a lot and want to protect their data in a simple way that doesn’t require advanced knowledge or frequent updating. The REDS.box stores data safely while users are at home and can be used in conjunction with various applications, including file sharing and note-taking. REDS-compatible applications stay in the public cloud, but data is processed and stored on the user’s side instead of in the cloud. Users decide who can access their data.

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Networking

EBlocker lets you block online ads, tracker software

Online ads and digital trackers continue to be an annoying -– and potentially costly or even dangerous –- part of using the Internet, especially when it’s kids who are the ones surfing the Web.

patent-claimedEBlocker is a small, white plug-and-play smart device. It automatically blocks online services that are secretly collecting information about computer users while they’re using any devices in the home to access the Internet. EBlocker can also cloak the device that is being used to access the Internet –- whether it’s a computer, mobile device or game system –- and make it appear that a different device is being used to access the Internet to fool dynamic pricing engines. Once connected, all online traffic is routed through eBlocker for analysis.

The patent-pending eBlocker ships in June at about $217, although early bird Kickstarter backers can get one at pledges starting at about $108. Its makers are looking to raise $81,700 by Feb. 17.

eBlocker must address whether its protection of all home Internet devices justifies buying it instead of just relying on filtering programs and services that perform some of the same blocking functions. One advantage it has is that there is no software to install, a feature that will likely be appealing to many consumers. But buyers will have to cough up more money –- at least $59 — to continue using eBlocker after the first year or they will not get automatic  updates anymore. Future pricing of eBlocker Pro automatic updates start at $59.

 

Categories
Connected Objects

Oronote offers a smart alternative to sticky note

Post-it and other sticky notes are handy tools for leaving messages. But too many of them can create a mess on the refrigerator or other surfaces, and they tend to fall off all too easily. They are also not so great for the environment.

Oronote is a smart version of the sticky note that can be placed on any firm magnetic surface. An included wall plate enables the small white device to also be used on surfaces including bricks and tiles. Oronote lights up and announces when there is a message. It works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices that enables the user to store and manage dozens of messages with different trigger actions and control Oronote’s settings.

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Automotive Connected Objects

Carloudy guides your car’s way with a heads-up display

The advantage that heads-up displays (HUDs) have over tradiitional GPS devices is that, with HUDs, drivers can keep their eyes on the road while getting navigation and other useful information. But, unfortunately, it’s often just as difficult to see the information on a HUD as it is to make out the directions on a GPS device while driving in bright sunlight.

patent-claimedCarloudy resolves that issue by using E-Ink display technology –- the same technology that makes it easier to read on a traditional e-reader than it is to read on a tablet. Carloudy features a patent-pending design that makes it work fine whether it’s bright or dark out. When it’s night, the device’s ambient light sensor activates LED backlighting for the display. It connects automatically to Android and iOS mobile devices via Bluetooth.

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Kids/Babies Nutrition/Hydration

Proacmom smart baby bottle delivers push-button heating

The problem with baby bottles is that it can be really hard to get the milk inside them to reach the perfect temperature for babies and to then stay at that perfect temperature for very long. That’s especially the case while traveling.

Proacmom is a smart, rechargeable baby bottle designed to solve that problem. It heats milk in the bottle with just the push of a button, then warms and promises to hold the milk temperature for hours. Proacmom features an LCD thermometer strip that gauges the milk’s temperature, enabling feeding to be done at an optimum temperature. Its double wall insulating layer reduces thermal loss and retains heat, so frequent reheating isn’t needed. Included are a detachable lithium-ion battery and control unit, and Proacmom can be charged using a Micro USB mobile charger, car charger or PC.

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Categories
Television

Blipcast lets you cast any headphones as your TV audio player

Trying to watch TV at night can be a major hassle when there are other people in the house trying to sleep. A pair of wireless headphones can sometimes solve the problem, but not if more than one person is watching a TV at the same time.

Blipcast is a solution to the late night TV blues, enabling transmission of audio from a TV, home theater receiver or other source to smartphones and tablets via an accompanying app. The audio can then be heard using just about any headphones or earbuds. The small, black device hooks up to TVs and other sources via USB. The device ships in November at future pricing of $99, although early bird Kickstarter backers have been able to get one at pricing that starts at $49. Its makers are hoping to raise $100,000 by Feb. 1.

Blipcast seems to offer a pretty good solution for at least some late night TV watchers. But, as with all audio products, it’s hard to tell from a Kickstarter campaign just how good the sound quality is. Users must also have Android or iOS mobile devices to use the app, so those with other operating systems need not apply.

 

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

ViKC projects a simpler way to text on your smartphone

Typing on a smartphone is notoriously difficult -– and also uncomfortable — for many people. Whether somebody is texting, emailing or filling out an online registration form, the phone’s buttons tend to be too darn small to type anything –- especially complete sentences -– without making at least a few mistakes.

The Virtual Keyboard Cover (ViKC) is designed to address that issue. It attaches to a smartphone like any other cover, but features a red laser diode on top that aims down onto a flat surface and can be powered on to project a virtual LED keyboard onto a table or any other flat, non-reflective work surface.

It works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app that recognizes what the user is typing and transfers it to the screen. ViKC ships in July at the expected price of about $107. Its makers are hoping to raise $162,634 by Jan. 17.

Some consumers –- especially middle-aged ones — may want to give ViKC a try. Younger smartphone users tend to have little problem typing on their mobile devices for some reason, while many older consumers are too technophobic to use a smartphone to begin with. This is a variation on the projection keyboards that have been around for a long time and have tended to not work very well. A further negative is that, for now anyway, ViKC only works with an iPhone 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 6 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S5 or S6.

Categories
Displays

360Mini projector shows your vistas wherever you look

An increasing number of cameras, including PanoCam3D, enable 360-degree shooting. But there are only a limited number of display devices that allow such still photos and videos to be seen the way they were shot.

360Mini is a media projector that can display 360-degree images and videos the same way they were shot: as a seamless 360-degree panorama. The three-foot-tall projector can be accessed via Wi-Fi to edit and upload data, and mobile devices can be used to navigate through the uploaded content or to control the projector, according to its Kickstarter campaign.

The projector ships in July. Future pricing isn’t provided by the campaign, but early bird backers can get one at pricing that starts at about $978. Its makers are hoping to raise $92,356 by Jan. 24.

360Mini is a clever concept and it’s likely going to be appealing to many people who have shot 360-degree photos or video. But it remains to be seen how popular 360-degree imaging is going to be and how often even fans of the technology are going to want to view such images.

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Pinout decks out your camera with enhanced features

Camera accessories are among the most popular devices on crowdfunding sites, but many of them are focused on enhancing a single bit of functionality.

patent-claimedPinout is a small device that connects to DSLR cameras and provides them with enhancements including remote shutter release, geotagging, time lapse, high dynamic range (HDR) and loss prevention. It uses Bluetooth LE technology and works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices.

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Automotive Sensors/IoT

GStop’s out to stop rear-end collisions

Car safety has become one of the most common goals of crowdfunding projects.

GStop is a connected brake safety light for cars that’s designed to prevent rear-end collisions. The device gets connected to a consumer’s third brake light and, when its sensor detects heavy breaking, it immediately causes rapid flashing to the high-level rear brake light to inform drivers behind the user’s car that they should slow down or stop. GStop also works for bikes, motorcycles and vans.

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