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.
It would be nice to use that TV or projection screen one already owns to make interactive presentations without running out to spend money on a whiteboard.
GoTouch is a small, portable device that instantly turns any TV or projector into an interactive whiteboard using an infrared tracking pointer. The device connects to smartphones, tablets or PCs via Bluetooth. If using an iPhone or iPad, it can be connected wirelessly using Apple TV’s AirPlay, or via a Lightning to HDMI cable. If using an Android device, GoTouch can be connected via a Micro-USB to HDMI cable or by using Chromecast or similar screencasting devices.
While the leaps made with the virtual reality experiences provided by the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are impressive, true virtual reality won’t be accomplished without the ability to feel what’s in these worlds. For this, a lot of work will need to be done, but luckily the first tentative steps are being taken now with the help of crowdfunding campaigns.
One of these campaigns is currently going on now and is called the PowerClaw, a device that promises to add a tactile experience to the currently flat VR out now. Strapping it on lets users feel everything from the heat to cold to textures such as roughness, topping it all off with vibrations fro that extra sense of touch. The PowerClaw does all this through actuators located on the fingertips that simulate exactly what the skin is feeling.
Smartphones have become the one device that people don’t leave their homes without. But smartphones aren’t so hot when it comes to word processing and other productivity functions.
The Superbook is a laptop-like shell from Andromium that provides keyboard input and an 11.6-inch display for Android smartphones and tablets, basically transforming the small mobile device into a complete laptop with a larger screen at a low price. Superbook promises more than 8 hours of battery life. Other features include a multi-touch trackpad and phone-charging capabilities. When plugged into an Android device, it launches Andromium’s app that offers Microsoft Office suite compatibility.
Superbook ships in February 2017 at future pricing of $129-$139 for a basic version. But Kickstarter backers can order one at pricing that starts at $99. Early bird backers were able to order one at $85 for January 2017 delivery. Andromium hopes to raise $50,000 by Aug. 20.
There have been several hybrid products that combine smartphone and PC functionality, including Hybrx. But Superbook provides one of the best value and feature propositions, thanks to its low pricing and Office software compatibility. However, one’s Android device must be running Android 5.0 or later with at least 1.5 GB of RAM and USB-OTG support for it to work with Superbook, limiting the number of compatible devices. And, obviously, consumers using iOS or any other mobile operating system besides Android are out of luck, at least for now.
Like it or not, this is the age of mass surveillance. While companies and governments love that the public’s most sensitive information is up for grabs, it makes for an increasingly compromised world, one in which beliefs and actions can be used against us. For those much malicious entities, that can mean social and financial ruin if not properly protected.
The revelations of the NSA’s mass surveillance program prompted many in the world to change the way they lived online. Preevio believes that having nothing to hide doesn’t mean having to show it all, and built the SilentKeys keyboard to help people secure their online actions no matter where they are. The all-in-one privacy keyboard connects to any PC or Mac and boots into a completely fresh, anonymous, and protected instance of the Satya desktop.
Just because a keyboard folds up doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy to drag around with us while traveling. If it can’t fit in a pocket, one can make a case that a keyboard still isn’t much more portable than a traditional keyboard that doesn’t fold up.
Wekey Pocket is a wireless, foldable keyboard with a QWERTY keyboard and a thickness of just under .24 inches, allowing it to easily slip inside a pocket. Its makers claim Wekey is the world’s thinnest and lightest keyboard, pointing out that existing foldable keyboards are more than .39 inches thick when folded.
The world of professional gaming is a behemoth, with games of League of Legends and Starcraft II routinely ponying up ever increasing prize pools and attendance rates in its biggest annual tournaments. Its growth is a testament to the widespread appeal these games and the act of watching them have, and pushes more and more to try their luck in competing. As in any sport, though, any edge is a benefit to be taken advantage of and as a result, professionals are always looking for another.
While it has a small but loyal following now, Cinch Gaming has taken its flagship product — the Cinch Tech intelligent gaming controller — to Kickstarter in hopes of garnering an entire new audience. On the outside, it may look like a standard Xbox One controller, but that’s where the similarities end.
It’s sadly inevitable: cognitive resources dwindle as people age, making it harder to recall information, get around, and make decisions. Fortunately, neuroscience has proven that those who routinely work out their cognitive abilities slow the rate of loss for a more alert and vibrant later into life.
The NEEURO brain training wearable is positioned as an aid. The device combines an EEG-based headband with an iOS or Android smartphone companion app filled with games that focus on maintaining and improving memory, spatial awareness, and attention amongst others. NEEURO features six sensors for accuracy when tracking progress in these game over time.
Movement is the biggest obstacle yet to be solved for true virtual reality experiences. While there are locomotion setups on the market that attempt to address the issue, not many people have the money nor the space to install and maintain them as they’re usually larger.
Inventor Joe Ryan’s VRGO is a VR controller in the form of a self-righting, egg-shaped seat. Made of aircraft composite for strength and weighing at only four kilograms, the wireless motion controller seat connects with the touch of a button using Bluetooth to PCs, Macs and headsets like Oculus Rift to facilitate more involved VR experiences.
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.