Category: Technology

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Technology

Neutron lets you tote around a PC in your pocket

Part of what made the switch to mobile technology so natural for people is the way that existing technology is always pushing itself to be smaller, more efficient, and more convenient. Somewhere along the way, desktop computers got lost, choosing to stay large, boxy, and cumbersome.

The Neutron is an impressive palm-sized x64 PC that is deceptively powerful for its size. More than just a proof-of-concept novelty, the Neutron can run a full, modern Windows OS(8.1), uses Intel Haswell i3 and i5 processors, and is extremely energy efficient. With a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid state storage, the Neutron is no slouch computer, especially when being stacked up in a pound-for-pound comparison. With a mini displayport, mini HDMI port, and four USB 3.0 ports, the Neutron supports any USB accessories and up to three displays at once.

Available in seven different acrylic case colors, the Neutron is an eye-catching device sure to start a conversation wherever it gets set down and used. The onboard Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11AC Wi-Fi make it a snap to connect with at any location as well. For those that want a little more performance, the Neutron Pro comes in the same size case, but offers a Core i5 Processor, an Intel Iris 5000 graphics card, 16GB of DDR3 memory, and 480GB of solid state storage. If Atom Computer can raise $30,000, backers will get theirs in time for the 2014 holiday season starting at $750.

This isn’t just a neat idea being made available to people just because. This is a legitimate computer that fits inside a cargo pant pocket. For people who don’t mind latching onto displays wherever they can find them, that means having a fully-featured personal computer everywhere and anywhere. And that seems like the next evolutionary step for desktops.

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Tech Accessories Technology

Mooltipass builds on Arduino to store your passwords

Digital security is a double-edged sword. Making passwords and credentials more complicated and harder to crack means that it becomes more difficult to gain unauthorized access. On the other hand, it also makes those same credentials harder to remember. As a result, too many people use simple passwords or reuse the same passwords across multiple sites and programs.

The Mooltipass goes a step further, preventing the possibility of passwords and credentials being breached using a software-based solution. With three-step authentication, the Mooltipass protects passwords and logins like almost no other solution. First, the physical Mooltipass needs to be connected to the device being used. Second, a smart card with that user’s information needs to be inserted, and, finally, a PIN needs to be entered to authenticate access for that specific card.

The smart card method allows for multiple users to use the same Mooltipass without gaining access to each other’s accounts, and also keeps data and access secure even if the Mooltipass itself is taken. Additionally, the Mooltipass can be customized and used to create a number of different functions using the Arduino platform that can be easily accessed by more advanced users. Mooltipass has a very specific goal to reach of $109,112, mostly to fund production. A Mooltipass with two smartcards will be shipped in March to backers who pledge $140.

The Mooltipass may seem like a lot of extra technology to lug around just to login to email and social media, but those who insist on proper security measures will love the three-step secure hardware-based authentication. Businesses who require strict confidentiality and security will want to get on the ground floor of this product for its security and its flexibility.

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Technology

MotionSavvy UNI translates sign language to voice

The holy grail of technology is the facilitation of communication across any and all languages. While we’re a far, far away from some magical device capable of that, there are some companies trying their best to attempt a solution. MotionSavvy presents one such attempt in their debut product, the UNI.

UNI is a communication tool for deaf people that allows them transform their signing to speech in real time. Others will be able to respond and the tablet can transform speech to text for the deaf party to read; speech directly to sign language is a feature they’re working on but is still not yet available. The device itself is comprised of a case that houses a Leap Motion to enable accurate sign recognition, but unfortunately only supports the Dell Venue Pro 8 for now, although MotionSavvy is working on iOS and Android versions.

The UNI’s additional features really make the platform shine. Users can describe and record new signs that are saved in a dictionary, periodically updating for all users — a crowd created dictionary of sorts. In addition, the product can also teach sign language, too. The company’s most impressive accomplishment, though, is having access to all of the signing and recognition capabilities without an Internet connection; anything otherwise would have pretty much killed this product. MotionSavvy is looking for $40,000 to continue testing and refining the product to have in hands by the end of 2015. Interested backers can pay $99 now and $99 at the time of shipping in order to get a hold of one.

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Maker/Development Technology

Pi Top is a chunky open source laptop to teach you about coding

The increasing proliferation of technology in every part of our lives has led to a similar increase in demand for those who understand it all. With hardware, electronics, and code all at the heart of today’s most used technology, it’s an incredible challenge for those interested to even start. Outside of teaching yourself or attending costly college-level courses, there aren’t too many resources for those starting from scratch.

The mission behind Pi-Top is simple: focus on teaching people how to create and code great hardware. Initially, the open source laptop is shipped in pieces: a 13.3″ HD LCD monitor, various PCBs, keyboard, trackpad, Wi-Fi adapter, wiring, battery, and a Raspberry Pi to control it all. Instructions are included to lead users in the Pi-Top’s construction, and serve as an introductory lesson to everything the Pi-Top does. Afterwards, it functions as a laptop dedicated to teaching the skills necessary to transform a pure novice into someone who can design printed circuit boards, 3D print, and code anything they’d want using free online lessons direct from the company. In addition, the Raspberry Pi’s HAT specification allows small add-on boards to add functionality, a consideration Pi-Top was built with. This allows users to program robots or have access to a variety of sensors for home automation, and with more HATs being released, there are a wealth of options for the curious tinkerer. All in all, the Pi-Top is truly an accessible product priced at $285 and many agree: the company’s $80,000 has been funded.

The Pi-Top does a great job in streamlining the process of learning a topic that has incredible depth. The free online courses demonstrate immediate, physical results and will be great at drawing users in and keeping them there, a leg up on what the Novena does. Even if it may contain beefier internals (and a similarly beefy price), the makers behind the Novena do nothing to at least expand your knowledge. The Pi-Top is very user friendly, and will prove to be a hit with those who take the plunge.

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Music Technology

Prizm teaches speakers to be in tune with your mood and your friends

The world of streaming music over the past decade has exploded, with dozens of companies offering competing services that all want to be your one and only source for tunes. But with the increase in all this choice, the process of figuring out what to listen to can be an unnecessary obstacle to our enjoyment.

A Parisian company created Prizm to facilitate the process of personalized music curation. The slick product connects to existing speakers through Bluetooth, optical, or a 3.5mm wire, and provides an interface to not only discover new music, but instantly sync your favorites to your playlists with a simple press of a button.

Prizm is clever, too: its contextual approach adapts to not only who is in the room, but the kind of atmosphere as well. If there are just two people present, it combines their tastes and plays a song they both enjoy. If there are 15 people present, the acoustic sensor will recognize the ambient noise and play something more suitable. Compatibility with Spotify, Deezer, and Soundcloud will ensure all users are represented with more services on the way. Interested backers can grab their very own device $129. These ideas have pushed the company towards their $70,000 goal.

The product that most closely resembles Prizm is the Aether Cone, but upon comparison the differences are stark. While the $399 Cone boasts a decent speaker to directly play the music you want, it is more of a streaming radio device. On the other hand, Prizm contains many more features allowing users a lot of personalization– even a friend’s Prizm will recognize who you are and adapt to your taste! This level of personalization and interconnectedness is impressive, even if it may tread very closely to the many privacy concerns up in the air these days.

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Technology

SteriShoe 2.0 zaps the noisome from your Nikes

Shoes are rarely cleaned, even though we spend all day in them. There’s no real way to disinfect them. Most will either wash their insoles, risk ruining the shoes in the wash or simply throw them away when they become too smelly. There’s a ton of gross bacteria that can build up in our shoes and we pretty much have no way of fight them. Introducing the SteriShoe 2.0. This updated version of the SteriShoe uses UVC lights to disinfect shoes. The product is shoe, shaped, obviously, and has two metal prongs that sit in the shoe. It also features a fan to dry the shoes since lots fungi thrives in dark wet environments. One of these sterilizing footwear products will cost backers a $99 donation or only $89 if they’re early enough. Estimated delivery is set for December 2014. SteriShoe 2.0 has a campaign goal of $60,000 on Kickstarter.

The new SteriShoe 2.0 improves upon the old model’s controller and prong shape. SteriShoe 2.0 is a great solution for shoe ickiness problems. It would be nice if the campaign provided a little more data on the product’s effectiveness in fighting germs. Still if it at least eliminates odor then it’s a worthy investment, especially since it’s not a disposable product like most shoe fixes seem to be. Going off of the first SteriShoe model’s Amazon reviews, it looks like the one complaint was that the shape was not ideal for high heels, but still works great for loafers and sneakers. All in all, a good way to fight smell and bacteria in a simple way.

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Technology

Fusion Writer concept fuses together laptop and e-reader

It was a dark and stormy night. And that being the case, writers or professionals working on a document were taking big risks using their laptops and saving more frequently than ever before.

Using the same principles behind e-readers and other products that use electronic ink, the Fusion Writer is a slim word processor that is waterproof and can stay powered for two months. With a 13” LCD backlit display, solar power charging, Wi-fi and Bluetooth compatibility, and an Android OS, the Fusion Writer may only do one thing, but it aims to do that thing better than any other product on the market. Fusion Writer creator Ivan Samokish has set a funding goal of $50,000 CAD to buy quality components and finish development and production on the device. Getting in on the Fusion Writer’s prototype stage takes a $600 CAD pledge and will be ready by April 2016.

Some may scoff at the idea of a dedicated word processor in this day and age, but the amount of foresight that’s gone into making the Fusion Writer a hands-down leader at handling this task will make it a tool of the trade for journalists, authors, and writers around the globe. The only thing missing is some hands-on demonstration to give backers peace of mind that this project will see completion.

 

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Technology

Skully’s AR-1 protects your noggin while leading you home

The Premise. Motorcycle helmets are necessary for the safety of riders all over the world, but most don’t add much to the experience itself. Of utmost importance is keeping a rider’s eyes on the road, but not much has been done to satisfactorily address this issue outside of rear view cameras. Still, some feature lightweights carbon fiber construction where others feature Bluetooth integration, but there isn’t one complete package that tries to change the act of riding a motorcycle itself.

The Product. Skully’s AR-1 is the company’s inaugural attempt at creating the future of motorcycle helmets. Sporting ultra-modern, slim stylings, the aerodynamic polycarbonate shell houses some serious technology built atop the Android platform. This allows for a transparent heads-up display, a wide-angle rearview camera, and both online/offline turn-by-turn GPS navigation, along with future application support thanks to an open SDK. The helmet also includes a variety of connectivity options, including Bluetooth and smartphone-enabled Internet connection, both allowing for over-the-air updates.

Even with so much technology, safety is Skully’s number one aim. The heads-up display has been created so that it’s always in focus, meaning a rider won’t have to take their eyes off the road. Most importantly, the entire product is DOT/ECE certified, meaning it passes the Department of Transportation design requirements for helmets.

The Pitch. Skully’s entire campaign is one of the better ones you’ll come across, featuring top-notch production in each one of the videos. The first goes over what the Skully offers while the second video impresses with endorsements from prominent professional motorcycle riders and Amazon CTO Werner Vogel, amongst others. The campaign leaves you with no doubt as the FAQ answers all of the doubts that you may still have by its end.

The Perks. The introductory price for the Skully AR-1 is $1,399. If that’s too much to swallow, interested backers can reserve one for $499 while paying $949 later. Whatever you do, you can expect the helmet in July 2015 the latest.

The Potential. Each of Skully AR-1’s features have been offered before in helmets, like Reevu’s use of a 180° rear-view camera or BiLT’s super connected offerings featuring smartphone connection and GPS navigation, so in and of themselves they aren’t revolutionary. What Skully succeeds in doing is packaging it all up effectively while still surprising. As with any boundary-pushing product with lots of hype behind it, only time will tell if every component will indeed will work as advertised, especially that HUD they’re touting as so safe.

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Technology

Pixxio home network drive lets you store, share all your digital stuff

The Premise. Media professionals in all sorts of industries are routinely inundated with tons of files from their many projects. This overwhelms either their desk with a mountain of unorganized hard drives, or their wallets with crazy expensive computers or storage solutions that are more complicated than they’re worth.

The Product. The team at pixx.io is presenting their product, the aptly named pixx.io box, as the solution to these woes. The relatively pint-sized box packs a serious punch, housing a quad core Intel Celeron J1900 processing running two mirrored 1TB HDDs at 2.42GHz. What exactly is that power for? It’s so that you won’t ever have to worry about processing large batches of media files at once using their proprietary media management software, which directly converts high resolution files into small JPG copies for you to work on. Optimized for images and graphic files, you can quickly share those files with others, adding watermarks, adjusting resolution, or setting restrictions or expiration dates before you do. It’s also possible to integrate galleries onto a website and even collect files via e-mail or Web upload — all need to do is connect it to your network and it’s able to be used with any device.

The Pitch. The campaign’s two videos are slickly made and cover the product’s general use and more specific capabilities, respectively. The campaign’s textual information clearly informs you of each of the features the pixx.io box has, is accompanied by a massive FAQ section that leaves you with no doubts, and even comes translated in German.

The Perks. The early bird special for €449 EUR for a single unit saves backers some moola, while the opportunity to nab a pixx.io box for the slightly higher premium of €569 EUR. If that too passes you by, drink away the regret with a trip to Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest with the pixx.io team and save all the pictures to your brand new pixx.io box for a cool €2,999 EUR.

The Potential. The pixx.io box is a very full featured product with a user-friendly bent that will attract all manner of interested parties. A standard user’s vacation photos, family events, and everyday happenings will all find their way onto the product easily, while professionals will applaud the ease in which the pixx.io automates many common necessities. Although devices like the MBLOK offer a level of portability along with the capabilities of wireless transfer offered by the pixx.io box, the product’s biggest differentiator is the way in which it handles its files — even some of the best prosumer NAS units don’t offer this level of specification towards files. If potential backers can look past the pixx.io box’s lack of customization options, true memory expansion, or more enterprise-level features, then this might be their cup of tea.

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Technology

Tablet PC builds in projector to show the big picture

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Note: Our friend Brad Linder at Lilliputing has tipped us off that this product actually launched in 2012 and so the campaign is likely a fraud. Brad further notes that if you’re interested in this product, you can obtain it for less.-Ed.

Recently, projectors have enjoyed an existence outside of the movie theater and occasional home or two. Set to keychains or guest starring as iPhone accessories, there have been more than a few attempts to make them more mainstream. Enter the Projection Tablet PC from creator Dominic Li. Billed as a revolutionary product, but with a lack of video proof or information in general, all we’re going off is an idea. The only thing that sets apart this otherwise ho-hum tablet is that it’s a projector, so it better work well. Potential backers can grab an early bird version for $499 and start talking to walls in October 2014.