Category: Technology

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Kids/Babies Technology

This mechanical canine is a CHiP off Aibo’s shoulder

As devoted owners of the  Sony Aibo face the mortality of their precocious robo-pups, the rest of the world realizes how close a mechanical companion and their human caretakers can really be. Aibo isn’t the only case of digital attachment: everything from the Tamagotchi to, a certain extent, the AI we interact with every day in the form of Siri and other virtual assistants all kindle this unlikely connection.

WowWee, an established company that specializes in creating intelligent robots, is looking to assuage fears of post-Aibo loneliness with its CHiP robot dog. Instantly, the charming four-wheeled, dual stereo-ed computerized canine barks, whimpers, and growls its way to the heart by showing affection to whoever is sporting the included smart band. With it, the user can have CHiP follow him/her around, control it directly or issue it a ‘sic ’em’ command. Crucially, the band contains a like button to reinforce behaviors and change its personality over time.

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Lifestyle Technology

TableTalk lets you hear others talking no matter the noise level

It’s often annoying when the noise is so loud in a restaurant or other public gathering spot that it’s hard to hear what companions are saying.

patent-claimedTableTalk is a patented assisted listening system made up of a base station and headsets. The digital signal processor (DSP)-equipped system uses Bluetooth and advanced noise cancellation technology to make conversations clearer regardless of how noisy it is, according to its Kickstarter campaign. TableTalk connects up to five people.

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Technology

TableTalk assistive listening device helps you hear through the chatter

Even for younger people, conversations in crowded, noisy environments can be difficult. So imagine how older members of the family must feel in a bustling restaurant or even sitting in the backseat of a car? Assisted listening devices on the market now are limited, mainly dealing with single two-way conversations or a broadcast from one person to many.

Kilteron’s TableTalk advances the concept of an assistive listening device by making it more of a conference call. A single TableTalk device acts as a hub for up to 6 Bluetooth headsets, normalizing volume and cancelling out all extraneous sound from them all. The result is a conversational experience that’s better for everyone involved.

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Maker/Development Technology

Alpha 2 robotic companion aims to be part of your family, doesn’t need a car seat

Previous campaigns JIBO and Buddy have shown how crowdfunding platforms are perfect vehicles to bring the dream of helpful robot companions to life. This time, company UBTech is hoping its bipedal Alpha 2 will not only catch backers’ attentions but also be an integral part of their lives too.

Boasting 20 joints that replicate human motion, Alpha 2 is an humanoid robot created by UBTech that’s all charm. Standing 17″ tall and weighing in at five pounds, Alpha 2’s programming offers the entire family a wide array of features to make daily living a little easier.

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Technology

Sirius B makes a pocketable PC the star of you mobile world

As powerful as smartphones and tablets have become, they’re still nowhere near desktop class. So for all the situations where desktops are necessary, the smartphone is a decent stopgap, although it  inexplicably can’t perform many of the same functions as well are they desk-bound counterparts.

The Sirius B combines some pretty decent technical specifications— an Intel Atom Bay Trail quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM, 2 USB ports, HDMI 1.4 out, 32GB of flash storage, dual band Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm audio jack, and Bluetooth connectivity—all in a slim, smartphone-esque design that comes in at just 4.2oz.

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Cycling Technology

Awaken your cycling force with SpeedForce all-in-one cycling device

Cyclists use many assistive devices to make their rides better and easier. Devices like ride trackers and GPS navigation dot the handlebars of cyclists all across the world and while useful, make them extremely cluttered and ungainly to use effectively. How can they be so helpful when there are so many to fiddle around with?

LeMore Lab’s SpeedForce aims to be the one device that brings all of these disparate devices together. It’s all-in-one design makes it so that everything from an integrated 150-lumen headlight works alongside professional grade ride tracking technology that keeps tabs on calories burned, distance travelled and speed, among other stats.
Its battery lasts 40 hours and allows for long stretches of use without the fear of a dead SpeedForce since the battery is removable as well. And that will certainly happen since cyclists will use it often: SpeedForce offers turn-by-turn navigation with its embedded GPS technology, using subtle cues of light on the device itself to direct riders through a connected smartphone or user uploaded directions

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Reading Technology

Illumina XL seeks to light up the e-reader market with greater variety

Amazon’s pioneering Kindle leads among several popular e-readers on the market. But most of them require users to buy e-books from the device manufacturer’s own online store.

Illumina XL is an 8-inch Android-based e-reader that uses e-ink technology just like the Kindle Paperwhite and a few other premium e-readers. But Illumina XL allows its users to select from a wide range of apps, including Kindle, to buy e-books. Unlike most other current e-readers, Illumina XL also supports the MP3 audio format, so users can listen to audio books and music. It’s equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack.

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Fashion Technology

SizeGenie grants shoppers’ wishes when their clothing sizes are needed

It would be great to have a device on hand that could tell a consumer what their correct clothing size is – especially when ordering products online and there’s no tailor around to take measurements.

patent-claimedSizeGenie is a low-cost 3D body scanner that does exactly that and aims to put an end to buying ill-fitting clothes that must be returned. The device uses patent-pending scanning technology that combines infrared sensors and cameras to obtain a 3D form of the person using it. That form is then further refined to arrive at a series of precise measurements that are shown in inches and centimeters.

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Reviews Technology

Remix Ultratablet review

Review Score: 4 out of 5

Microsoft’s Surface has has seen a number of twists and turns in its young life, but two constants have been the presence of add-on magnetically attached keyboard covers and the unsurprising presence of Windows (and now, proper Windows in the Surface 3). Indeed, the Surface was always intended to be a showcase for Windows. But what if there was a Surface that didn’t run Windows?

That seems to be much of the idea behind the Remix Ultatablet, an Android tablet that has a strong resemblance to the Surface 2, such as an integrated multi-position kickstand (complete with microSD slot underneath) and a magnetically attaching keyboard cover. It’s missing a few niceties of the Surface 3. These include the ability for the top of the keyboard to magnetically attach to the base of the tablet, providing better stability and a kickstand that has a fluid range of angles. And while the Surface devices have a full-size USB port, the Ultratablet’s is a USB-on-the-Go connector requiring an adapter. On the other hand, Jide Tech includes the keyboard, which is a $129 add-on for the Surface. The tablet’s 11.6″ display lies between the current Surface 3 and Surface 3 Pro.

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Technology

ProSounds X-Pro earplugs give noise the silent treatment

Earplugs can come in handy whenever people are faced with loud, irritating noise for extended periods of time –- such as on an airplane or at an especially loud concert that a heavy metal fan friend has dragged them to. But there are several problems with earplugs –- among them, that they can sometimes block out too much sound and they can also often be very uncomfortable.

ProSounds X-Pro solves both of those particular issues. They are manually switchable earplugs that have been designed to fit comfortably in any ear. After the X-Pro is placed in the ear, the user can activate its hearing protection with the push of a button. Its closed valve will protect the user’s hearing by providing 30 decibels (dB) of noise reduction with its foam tips (24 dB noise reduction with silicon tips).  When the user needs to hear again, instead of completely removing the earplugs, the user can simply press the button again to open the patent-pending acoustic valve, allowing sound to pass through naturally.

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