Category: Television

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Smart Home Television

ZaZaRemote may have you going gaga with its multifunctions

It would be really convenient if one’s universal remote control could not only control the TV, but also every other electric appliance in the room.

ZaZaRemote is a hybrid touchscreen/button remote control that uses infrared (IR), 2.4G-radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It can remotely control all IR electric appliances, including TVs, set-top boxes, projectors, DVD players, audio devices and air conditioners. The programmable remote also serves as a home security assistant, reporting its sensor’s data to the user’s mobile phone.

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Television

The Remix IO remixes Android into a TV superstar

For the past few years, Jide Technology out of Beijing, China has taken Android and ran with it, first creating its Remix Ultratablet and then its Remix Mini. Both offered interesting Android experiences tailored to certain demands in the market, something that the company is continuing to do today with its currently funding Remix IO.

The Remix IO is a natural evolution in Jide’s mission of developing new Android experiences that solve problems in the market. With the IO, the television is the goal. As a combination 4K Android set-top box, gaming console and Android PC, users can enjoy the wide range of versatility it offers. As a set-top box, its Android TV mode can pump out 4K resolution at 60fps, which makes its bigger app icons, recommended Android apps and all types of visual media look that much prettier.

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Input Television

GoTouch transforms your TV into interactive whiteboard

editors-choice-300x96It 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.

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Connected Objects Imaging Television

Hello camera makes it easy to say chat with people on your TV

Videoconferencing is a pretty good way to communicate with fellow workers and business clients without having to be in the same room together. But existing solutions can be more complicated to use than the average person would like.

Hello is a voice-controlled videoconferencing camera that easily connects to a TV via HDMI. It offers wireless screen sharing and live broadcasting capabilities, as well as security surveillance with motion detection.

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Television

AccuVoice speaker makes TV dialogue rise above the noise

Soundbars have become popular in recent years in part due to the declining quality of speakers that come with TVs. After all, today’s flat-panel TVs tend to be so thin that there is nowhere to put good-quality speakers anymore. That’s especially a problem for older TV viewers and others with hearing difficulties.

patent-claimedAccuVoice is a TV speaker from audio device manufacturer Zvox that goes a step further than one of its soundbars. That’s because AccuVoice has been specifically designed to help people with hearing loss hear dialogue from whatever show or movie they’re watching on TV. The aluminum speaker is only 17 inches wide and about 2.5 inches high and is simple to hook up because it only has one connecting cord.

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Connected Objects Television

Lightpack 2 lets your TV bask in the afterglow of ambient lighting

Ambient backlighting can add another level of immersion to one’s experience while watching a movie or playing a video game on the TV.

patent-claimedLightpack 2 is an HDMI pass through kit that provides ambient backlighting for TVs. It follows the Lightpack lighting system that the same manufacturer, Wooden Shark, successfully received funding for on Kickstarter in 2013. The big difference between the two products is that the earlier device was designed for computer monitors.

The new product has four HDMI inputs to connect all of one’s media devices, including game consoles, to the TV. Lightpack 2 controls an LED strip that contours to the back of a TV and can also include a Pixel accessory, a wireless LED-based lighting module that is placed on the wall or elsewhere. Lightpack 2 uses patented algorithms to process the input video signal. All that is required for setup are a power source and an HDMI connection. Lightpack 2 can also be used as an intelligent lighting system even when the TV is off. Mood lighting can be set with the companion Lightpack app for Android and iOS devices.

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Connected Objects Television

IRMimic provides simple way to control all your AV devices

It can sometimes be frustrating to need several remote controls to power all the different AV devices in the living room. That’s especially the case when one or more of those remotes gets lost or stuck under the couch.

IRMimic is an infrared learning remote that’s built into a set- top box. It knows the status of the TV and cable or satellite box and sends out IR commands when the TV turns on or off. It can be programmed to perform specific functions. For example, it can be set so that when the TV turns on, the iRMimic automatically sends commands to turn on all of the AV devices, change the TV to the correct input, select the correct audio settings on the AV receiver and change the TV to the user’s favorite channel. IRMimic ships in November. Future pricing isn’t provided. But early bird Kickstarter backers can order one for a pledge of $119. Its maker hopes to raise $75,000 by July 31.

The device is something that may come in handy for some consumers. But it solves a problem that, for some consumers, is already solved by a high-end universal remote. Setting IRMimic may also be too complicated for at least some of the consumers it’s targeting.

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Cell Phone Accessories Television

WeKast streaming stick lets all devices stream to your TV

Streaming content from a computer, smartphone or tablet to a large screen is a common way to make presentations now in the worlds of business and education. However, there is all too often a technical problem, such as the inability to get a wireless connection, that gets in the way.

WeKast is a pocket-sized dongle that plugs into any HDMI or VGA port and makes it simple to stream a presentation from a mobile device to a TV, projector screen or other display.

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Television

Drive offers the warm glow of achievement by removing the warm glow of TV

Whether it’s being used for playing videogames or the binge watching of TV shows, the television continues to help adults and kids procrastinate.

patent-claimedDrive is an outlet adapter that connects to a home Wi-Fi network and receives instructions from its owner on when to enable or disable the use of a TV. It works in conjunction with an Android, iOS and Windows app. If parents don’t want their kids to watch TV or play games until they are done with their homework or household chores, Drive can be used to bar those children from using the TV for a set period of time. If adults make a New Year’s resolution to exercise and lose weight, but can’t manage to bring themselves to turn off the TV, Drive can be set to automatically block the TV from being used until they burn some calories.

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Television

Blipcast lets you cast any headphones as your TV audio player

Trying to watch TV at night can be a major hassle when there are other people in the house trying to sleep. A pair of wireless headphones can sometimes solve the problem, but not if more than one person is watching a TV at the same time.

Blipcast is a solution to the late night TV blues, enabling transmission of audio from a TV, home theater receiver or other source to smartphones and tablets via an accompanying app. The audio can then be heard using just about any headphones or earbuds. The small, black device hooks up to TVs and other sources via USB. The device ships in November at future pricing of $99, although early bird Kickstarter backers have been able to get one at pricing that starts at $49. Its makers are hoping to raise $100,000 by Feb. 1.

Blipcast seems to offer a pretty good solution for at least some late night TV watchers. But, as with all audio products, it’s hard to tell from a Kickstarter campaign just how good the sound quality is. Users must also have Android or iOS mobile devices to use the app, so those with other operating systems need not apply.