Category: Technology

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Technology

Ockel Sirius A shrinks a PC into your palm, adds a 6-inch touchscreen

editors-choice-300x96Some desktop computer users would carry around their desktop computer with them to get the same level of performance they’re used to while traveling … if only that desktop PC wasn’t so large and heavy, that is.

Ockel Sirius A is a tiny PC with a 6-inch touchscreen, Intel Atom x7-Z8750 processor, and battery that provides a full Windows 10 experience at any time. It’s small enough to fit in a pocket or the palm of the user’s hand, and it comes equipped with a full version of Microsoft’s Windows 10 Home or Pro operating system. The display offers full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution and also supports 4K.

Sirius A ships in May at future pricing of $699 for the standard A with 64 GB of flash storage or $799 for the A Pro with 128 GB of flash storage. But Indiegogo backers have been able to reserve them with a pledge starting at early-bird pricing of $549 for the A and $659 for the A Pro. Its makers are out to raise $100,000 by Nov. 9.

Its creator, Ockel Computers, already successfully crowdfunded the similar Sirius B that didn’t come with a display and was designed to be attached to a separate monitor. So, an even more portable version with a display seems to be a sensible option that could appeal to many potential buyers.

 

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Technology

Ockel Sirius B shrinks a PC into your palm

Some folks would just love to take their computer with them wherever they go, especially if they need it for work. But they just hate having to schlep such a large device around with them, even if it’s just a laptop.

Ockel Sirius B is an updated version of the Sirius B pocket PC from Ockel Computers. It’s a Windows PC with the power of a desktop computer, but the lightness and size of a smartphone that allows it to fit in one’s pocket. It comes in a choice of white or black housing with aluminum edges. The computer features a fan-free design, allowing it to operate silently. Other features include HDMI 1.4 output, an Intel processor, 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a microSD memory card slot and up to 4 GB of RAM.

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Connected Objects Technology

LaserDock lets you beam your own laser light music show

The high of any music event is addictive simply because it’s so difficult to experience that same sort of joy outside of it. On one hand, this makes sense: a true venue built to properly express music is unique. Still, it doesn’t mean some of that feeling can’t be taken home.

The LaserDock is a low-cost laser projector designed to bring the trippy visuals of music clubs and festivals home. It comes with hundreds of built-in visualizers and laser shows that react to music in real-time, creating different patterns each and every time.

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Technology

Hybrx hybrid PC combines Android functionality, PC productivity

Smartphones and tablets have stolen a lot of the thunder from PCs in recent years. But many consumers still feel the need to have a computer in addition to their mobile device, in large part because productivity functions including word processing are much easier to do on PCs. Convertibles offer a good hybrid solution, but can be a little costly.

Hybrx is a sub-$100 Remix OS 2.0 laptop made by Azpen Innovation that uses an Allwinner A64 Cortex A53 64-bit quad core processor running the Android Lollipop 5.1 operating system. The slim laptop has an 11.6-inch screen with a 1,366 x 768 HD LCD display. It’s been optimized to run multiple programs and files at the same time without slowing down the laptop. In addition to promising high energy efficiency, it also offers system boot-up within seconds, according to Azpen. Hybrx also supports H.265/H.264 4K video decoding with 4K HDMI output. Hybrx starts shipping in September at about $140 for a 1-GB RAM version with 16 GB of flash memory and about $180 for a 2-GB RAM version with 32 GB of flash. Azpen hopes to raise $75,000 by Aug. 4.

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Technology Video Games

The PGS portable gaming system goes way beyond catching Pokemon

Hardcore PC gamers are in a tough spot. They can either choose to stay indoors and play the most popular AAA titles on powerful, custom-built rigs designed to bring for the very best performance, or relegate themselves to handhelds and tablets that offer comparatively sub-par gaming experiences. For the PC master race, that’s not much of an option.

Despite its uninspired name, the team behind the PGS — short for Portable Gaming System — is looking give PC gamers an actual choice when it comes to moving and gaming. Luckily, it sports a sleek, 1.4cm thick design that looks like a PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS had a child — a scarily intelligent, capable child. The dual-screen, foldable device comes in two variants. The PGS Hardcore has a QHD IPS 2560×1440 display, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Both use the Intel Atom Z8750 designed for high-performance portable devices, allowing both to run games like Dark Souls II and Batman: Arkham City on medium settings, satisfying the most ardent gamer’s urges to take on that next boss no matter where they may be.

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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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Technology

Kphob tracks door locking on the cheap with a turn of the key

It’s a common problem. After leaving the house, it’s often hard to remember if the door was locked and it’s just too time-consuming a lot of the time to return home and check.

patent-claimedKphob is a key fob that records whenever the user locks a door with an attached key. It uses several sensors, including a magnetometer and accelerometer, to track every motion of the key. The device also tracks the time and date of each entry and exit. It features a small display that shows the date and time.

Kphob ships in December. Future pricing is expected to be about $18. Early bird Kickstarter backers can get one first with a pledge starting at about $21. Its makers hope to raise $18,242 by May 5.

Alas, the fob only works only with physical keys, so consumers who have only a remote-controlled lock need not apply. Users must physically rotate the key inside the keyhole for at least one full rotation/revolution. But its makers are working on the algorithm to make it possible for 180-degree rotation detection.

 

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Music Technology

The Lumen electronic handpan lets percussionists jam affordably

It’s not unusual to see handpans, a relatively newer form of percussion instrument, sell from the $2,000 range to over $10,000. Their rarity and handmade nature contributes to this price tag, with the result being a beautiful sound unlike any other. Unfortunately, that price tag prevents many from enjoying its unique nature.

In order to make the experience of playing a handpan more accessible, Guy Jackson created the Lumen, an electro-acoustic percussion instrument in the form of a traditional handpan. It combines the same basic form of a handpan with velocity sensitivity, a high-quality built-in speaker, the ability to store a wide variety of sound samples, and the ability to change scales and keys while playing.

All this together offers a diverse musical experience at a more cost effective price of $699. The Lumen is slated to ship in February 2017 should its Indiegogo campaign raise $70,000 by May 13th, 2016.

The previously covered Oval is everything the Lumen is and much more, with the ability to upload custom sounds and a companion app, for example, that opens up the handpan playing experience — and does so at a more affordable price.

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Health and Wellness Technology

Nervana earbuds makes any tune feel-good music

As the old saying goes, music can soothe the savage beast. Certainly, at the very least, the right music can relax listeners and make them happy.

Nervana takes that concept a step further. It’s a nerve stimulator with patent-pending earbuds that syncs to music and releases natural chemicals in the human body that generate pleasure. Nervana generates a gentle electrical signal that is transmitted to the surface of the left earbud on what looks like a standard earbud assembly.

When the left earbud is placed in the left ear and the Nervana generator is turned on, the electrical signal beats to whatever music is being experienced by the user, whether supplied to the generator through a user’s phone or through the environment, such as in a concert hall.  The electrical signal stimulates the body’s vagus nerve, which could result in the release of neurotransmitters, the body’s natural feel-good messengers.

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Music Technology

Loopa looping microphone lets you beatbox or harmonize with yourself

While beatboxing is an amazing skill, it takes years to really perfect due to the difficulty involved in creating complex rhythms. Likewise, singing a capella is beautiful expression of vocal skill but performing harmonies on your own is impossible (unless you have some particular skills, that is). The Loopa gives amateurs in both the chance to practice while letting already talented performers shine.

Questionably labelled the world’s first, the Loopa is a high-quality microphone with integrated looping technology. It sports the options to record, playback and overdub existing sounds along with undoing and redoing sounds, with an ARM Cortex M4 processing handling all the technical work inside. With it, beatboxers, singers, and musicians can use single button recording to build up layers of sound until a catchy beat is made. About $172 gets interested backers a chance to spittle the illest beats until their hearts are content. Loopa is slated to ship July 2016 should its Kickstarter campaign raise about $52,000 by April 23rd, 2016.

Put plainly, Loopa looks like A lot of fun. Putting everything together in one familiar interface, it makes beatboxing or singing much more approachable for newbies while giving already talented performers another tool to express themselves as opposed to a product like the Ditto Mic Looper.