Author: Jeff Berman

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Wearables

Pilot smart earpiece soars with easy language translation

editors-choiceOne main challenge while traveling abroad is the ability to understand people speaking in different languages. Directions and other important information can easily be lost in translation.

Pilot is a smart earpiece that provides real-time language translation. It enables wearers to speak different languages, but still clearly understand each other because the language heard through the earpiece is each wearer’s own language. If someone does not have an earpiece, they can still use the smartphone app to translate. A nice extra feature is that the app can be used as a loudspeaker when in conference mode. Initial languages being supported are English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Additional languages will follow.

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Connected Objects

Remo lets you connects your air conditioner to the internet no sweat

Anybody who owns a home knows that one of the costliest expenses is running an air conditioner, especially during the hottest months of the year.

Remo is a universal smart controller that transforms any window-mounted or through-the-wall air conditioner into a smart AC. Users can remotely turn it on via a smartphone, pre-set different temperatures for different times of the day, or set the unit to automatically turn off based on the motion sensor. Remo ships in August at future pricing of $119. But Kickstarter backers can get one with a pledge as low as $49 for super early birds. Its makers are out to raise $50,000 by June 22.

Remo joins several similar products have already done much the same thing, including tado. For now, Remo supports any AC with a remote control, its makers say. But support for ACs without remotes is planned for Remo units that ship after December.

 

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Cell Phone Accessories Displays

NexDock looks like a laptop, but it’s powered by your smartphone

Manufacturers keep trying to make laptop computers that are more affordable for consumers.

NexDock is a new twist on that concept –- a docking station made up of a 14-inch monitor with a built-in battery and a full-size, Bluetooth keyboard that works with Microsoft’s Windows 10 Continuum feature for mobile phones and tablets. The result is basically a laptop that’s powered by a smartphone or a tablet at a fraction of the price of a traditional laptop.

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Connected Objects

Smart Scribe smart pen is smart enough to write on a whiteboard

The ability of smart pens to automatically sync everything written with one to a mobile device or computer in easy-to-read text can be very handy –- especially if the paper something is written on becomes lost.

Smart Scribe is another entry in the growing product category: an e-pen that can record handwriting and drawings. One thing that separates it from some rival products is that it can work on a whiteboard. Smart Scribe recognizes what users write by their handwriting and automatically converts it into digital information, sending what’s written to a computer or mobile device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

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Networking

Screen lets parents curb their kids’ screen addiction

Many parents would love to monitor the amount of time their kids spend using various devices –- especially when homework needs to be done.

patent-claimedScreen is a small set-top box that lets parents limit the screen time their kids are spending across devices including computers, smartphones, tablets, streaming set-top boxes, TVs and video game consoles. The device controls up to three TV-connected devices. But it works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app for parents that lets them monitor the use of any devices wherever they or their kids are.

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Connected Objects

Spendwallet wants to be all your credit cards

Electronic payment has become a popular way for consumers to shop without having to schlep around a wallet full of credit cards to be used in multiple stores. But mobile payment via a smartphone doesn’t quite solve the problem because Apple Pay and Android Pay require NFC technology that can only be used in a relatively small number of U.S. retail stores. Phones can also ring while trying to pay for something with it or be damaged if the cashier drops it.

Spendwallet is a new alternative -– a slim, pocket-sized electronic payment device that consolidates up to 20 credit, debit and gift cards. It uses magnetic vibration technology like Samsung Pay. Spendwallet’s version of that tech is its self-developed Magnetic Flux Emulation (MFE). The device generates a magnetic field that makes a card reader respond as if a physical credit card is actually being swiped.

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Technology

Gole1 PC scores goals with small size, dual operating systems

There are many PCs and tablets on the market with Intel processors. But few of them can fit in one’s pocket or come with Windows and Android operating system compatibility out of the box.

Gole1 is being marketed as the smallest and cheapest all in-one Intel PC available. But it more closely resembles a tablet. It comes with a 5-inch, HD touchscreen display and the dual operating systems. Users can switch from Windows 10 to Android 5.1 by using the “Switch to Android” app icon on the Windows desktop. Gole1 is powered by the Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 processor and runs Windows 10 Home.

Other features include Bluetooth 4.0, four USB ports and a microSD card reader that supports up to 64 GB of storage. It can also be connected to a TV or projector via HDMI. The device offers two hours of power with the built-in 2600mAh battery, but its power can be extended by any 5V/3A Micro-USB power bank.

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Connected Objects Imaging

YME-D1 puts you in the action for panoramic imaging

As virtual reality (VR) continues to be one of the most talked about technologies, the number of cameras on the market that can capture VR-capable, 360-degree video is growing as well.

YME-D1 is a connected panoramic imaging action camera that features an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and a Sunplus 6350 chipset that can capture VR-capable 360-degree video at 1440p (30 frames per second) and 1080p (also 30 fps). Standard recording options include loop recording and time lapse.

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Categories
Music Networking

TurnUp lets you turn up your with the flip of a switch

Wireless, multi-room speakers are becoming increasingly popular. But they don’t come cheap –- especially if customers want to install them on the wall instead of on a table or shelf.

patent-claimedTurnUp is a multi-room, wireless speaker that fits in a light switch or wall power outlet and can be used to control not only music, but a room’s lights. The speaker uses Bluetooth 4.0 and is easy to install. It can be controlled by voice from any computer, as well as from any smartphone or tablet.

Up to eight speakers can be connected. The device also answers phone calls. It works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app. TurnUp ships in December at future pricing of $129.99. But Kickstarter backers can get one for a pledge that starts at $89 for early birds. Its makers hope to raise $77,000 by June 10.

 

 

Categories
Music Networking

Nativ networked music system boasts high fidelity, large capacity

There are so many streaming music systems on the market that it’s hard to tell many of them apart outside of the industry-leading Sonos products.

Nativ, however, is a high-resolution music system with a distinctive design that adds video streaming to the mix. It’s made up of two separate devices with audiophile components: Nativ Vita, an 11.6-inch, touchscreen music player that provides a whopping 4 TB of music storage, access to a streaming service and whole home audio; and Nativ Wave, a digital-to-analog converter that connects Vita or any other digital device to an amplifier or AV receiver. Wave comes with a headphone amp for connection to a set of headphones (not included).

Vita resembles a tablet and can also be used without Wave to stream music directly to wireless speakers and headphones. It can also be attached to a TV via HDMI or wirelessly via Google Cast to view music videos. The built-in multi-directional microphone enables voice control to tell Vita what music to play, adjust the volume or skip to the next song.

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