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Cell Phone Accessories Virtual Reality

Pinć VR smartphone case offers portable virtual reality, Minority Report-like gestures

True, accessible virtual reality seems so tantalizingly close yet so very far at the same time. Big names like Oculus Rift are mentioned in the news every day but are never actually seen outside of events like trade shows, limiting the kind of effect VR is supposed to have on technology and culture.

The Pinć VR is a virtual reality kit folded into a 15mm smartphone case that, when unfolded, can be worn around the head. The system is really a marvel, managing to tuck away a pair of glasses and the necessary optics to allow users to manipulate virtual elements with the help of Pinć Rings. These small input devices are worn on the finger and allow gestures like scroll and rotate while in the virtual world. With help of the introductory Pinć apps like Browser, Video, and Mall, the grander possibilities of the true portable virtual reality system are getting closer and closer.

Pinć VR is already an engineering marvel, but the company behind it has a lot of work going up against the cultural rejection Google faced in their bid to introduce a similar, wearable, augmented reality in Glass. As impressive as it is, it isn’t sure to be a hit, although curiosity is at an all-time high. The $99 CAD (~$85) case can be purchased for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and an array of popular Android devices. A successful $50,000 CAD (~$21,500) campaign will see Pinć VR shipped in July 2015.

Categories
Tech Accessories

Flight Entertainer tablet, smartphone holder keeps you distracted from charley horses

Ahhh, yes. Flying in economy class and being cramped up like a sardine in a can is always a good time (not!). But when one has the benefit of a good movie or two on their tablet or smartphone, it helps take one’s mind off of the charley horses that develop in one’s legs. And Flight Entertainer can even possibly prevent any from developing in arms because of having to hold a smartphone or tablet.

Flight Entertainer attaches to the back of the seat or table on the chair in front of the user, and then the smartphone or tablet hangs from the holder. It’s also compatible with some road vehicles. The product allows for either portrait or landscape positioning, and can offer a place to stash earbuds when not in use.

While it seems to be a quality product, it doesn’t seem any better than anything else already pushing its way out there. Backers might also be interested to check out Clamp Hero, Dutchman, and Must. This campaign seeks to raise $1,500. For $39, backers get their choice of a tablet or smartphone holder with an expected delivery of May 2015.

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Tech Accessories

Glare be gone with the Loplin Hood MacBook screen protector

There isn’t much more of a first world problem than trying to use a MacBook outdoors, or anywhere with lots of light for that matter. The screen’s sheer inability to cope with it turns what should be a portable device into a device that can only really be used indoors, unfortunately limiting its utility. The anti-glare option is available for the MacBook line, but its exorbitant price renders it optional for wanting to buy one.

WN Products Limited has figured out an effective, easy way to address the issue of extreme glare and created the Loplin Hood as a result. The product is a snap-on hood for the 13″ MacBook Air or the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pro that uses the screen’s own magnets to stay connected. Weighing in at an airy 35 grams, the custom-made hood blocks aggressive light and prevents nosy types from getting a glance at the screen.

The £33 (~$52) Loplin Hood promises the possibility of outdoor usage for MacBook users while still being extremely portable, all the while not leaving any pesky air bubbles, an enticing prospect. Still, newer Mac models do offer Retina Display which really cuts down on glare anyway. Loplin Hood has an expected ship date of April 2015 should it reach its £30,000 (~$47,200) goal.

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Home

Free Standing Clothesline caters to those with dryer aversion

On those rare occasions when one might actually have some extra time on their hands, hanging clothes on a clothesline can be a nice fair weather treat for those who enjoy that sun-dried, windblown smell and feel.

Free Standing Clothesline is a clothesline that can offer users a large load capacity, perfect for drying blankets, comforters and other bedding. It’s not entirely clear what the posts for this product are made of, but the line extends up to 10 feet. Since there are wheels on the base, it is mobile and can be used either indoors or outdoors.

This is the second go-around for the Free Standing Clothesline and its annoying video. This product isn’t one of a kind nor does it really offer anything new, making its price unjustified.Interested backers may also want to check out the Clothes Tree campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $160,000. For $75, backers get one product with an expected delivery of June 2015.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries Connected Objects Tech Accessories Technology

PowerLite provides more powerful smartphone camera performance

The multi-functional PowerLite from Australia serves as a power charger, as well as a light accessory for iPhones and Android smartphones. As a charger, the PowerLite provides six extra hours of battery life, while the thinner PowerLite Slim version adds three hours of battery life. The device uses 14 light emitting diodes (LEDs) to generate up to 630 lumens of brightness, about equal to a typical 40-watt light bulb. The light is controlled through an app for iPhones and Android phones. Users can opt to keep the device in flash mode or have the LEDs stay on constantly to record a video or illuminate a shot. PowerLite also serves as a remote selfie camera shutter. The device can also be used to find a misplaced smartphone. Pressing a button on it sets off an alert for the phone to make a sound.

Backers who provide $19 for the Kickstarter campaign will get either SKU of the device when it ships in June. That’s 58% less than PowerLite’s maker expects it to cost at retail. Its maker is looking to raise $60,000 Kickstarter.

PowerLite’s multi-functionality and slim design gives it a clear advantage over rival devices including the Lume Cube. The relatively low pricing is also a plus.

Categories
Technology

Get mic’d up with the Mikme wireless recording microphone

Inspiration can strike anywhere and at any moment for anyone, but what good is inspiration if it can’t be taken advantage of? Authors, journalists, and musicians all experience bursts of inspiration but don’t necessarily have the tools at their disposal to easily record their thoughts and melodies in high-quality.

Mikme is a wireless recording microphone designed to streamline the usually multi-step process of setting up an environment to record quality audio by reducing it a single button tap. As current processes are hobbled by poor smartphone quality or lots of inputs and equipment to set up with laptops, a portable device that enables users to quickly record up to 180 hours of studio-grade quality audio will ensure that inspiration will never go to waste. Mikme utilizes a Bluetooth connection to stream audio in real-back to its iOS and Android companion app where users can save, mix, edit, and share their creations. The $179 Mikme wireless recording microphone can be expected in May 2015 should its campaign reach its high goal of $217,000.

The team behind the Mikme claims their device captures 24bit audio at a 96kHz frequency. When being streamed, though, audio is compressed while transferred through Bluetooth but saved in its raw form within the device’s 8GB internal memory. When dealing with audio, wireless is usually a bad call and at some point, the Mikme’s audio will eventually be exported and quality affected. All in all, the Mikme is probably a much better call than other wireless solutions, but ultimately won’t be superior to hard-wired microphones.

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Technology

Baseload Buster uses PV panels to lower electric bills

Who doesn’t want to reduce their electric bills? But shifting one’s house entirely over to a solar panel energy system from a fossil fuel-based energy system can be costly.

The Baseload Buster from Amsterdam company Sun Invention offers a third solution that uses photovoltaics (PV) to convert solar energy into direct current electricity. The system includes four solar PV panels of 250 watts each that collect sun during the day to create a maximum of 1,000 watts of pure energy during daytime harvesting. Excess energy is then stored in Lithium batteries to deliver energy during the night or during especially cloudy weather. The PV panels run with an extra cell optimizer to avoid large losses during energy production.

Users can adjust the storage setting on their own based on factors including the region it is being used in, what season it is, and personal consumption level. Sun Invention is looking to raise €20,000 (~$24,200). Backers who spend €2,950 (~$3,600) will get the four panels including a new solar cell optimizer, and a 20-meter connection cable that connects the Baseload Buster connection box to the user’s existing home grid energy system. Country-specific AC connectors are ready to order also and versions for both 50 Hz and 60 Hz grids can be offered by the company.

The system sounds promising. But while the Baseload Buster is clearly less expensive than switching over entirely to a solar energy system, it is still too costly to attract mass consumer adoption. It is also hard to gauge just how much savings the user can expect to see each month.

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Home

The Shield prevents cuts, puts them away for life

It would be nice to have a knife that cuts well, but can’t possibly slice your finger or hand open if a mistake is made. The four teenagers from Missisuaga, Ontario, who developed The Shield are trying to solve that legitimate issue.

But the inventors offer no details on what material the knife is made out of on their Indiegogo campaign page. Nor do they say how much the knife will cost or when it will ship. None of the perks they’re offering as part of the campaign include a knife either. The campaign video at the Web site shows that the knife they have come up with can indeed cut carrots and peppers, but clearly not as well as a standard knife. The teens are attempting to raise $6,000 to provide them with the tools and materials needed to advance the product. They want to create a “cleaner and more precise” knife for production.

It is impossible to gauge what chance the knife will have of success without having any idea how much it will cost. If it is reasonable, there’s no reason such a product wouldn’t enjoy some success in the kitchen accessory market.

Categories
Lighting

AURA ornaments spruce up your spruce wirelessly

The setting up of a Christmas tree should be a delightful activity in which everyone can pitch in to do and enjoy. Unfortunately, it usually grinds to a halt when the messy coil of Christmas lights is revealed to be tangled with broken bulbs and missing fixtures. Along with being a general pain, the wire itself can be dangerous as it can spark or overheat which can lead to fires.

The team behind AURA has created a set of wireless Christmas ornaments powered by a charging ring that can be placed underneath or within a tree to address these rather un-festive problems. The ornaments themselves come in either clear, frosted, or crackled varieties, and work by distance. When the ornament is near the ring, it lights up. When it’s moved away it turns off, no wires or batteries.

Another attractive feature is the AURA’s ability to be connected to Wi-Fi. This, along with the companion iOS, Android, or Windows Phone app, lets users set timers, schedules, and remotely control lights. Incredibly, the ornaments are rated to last 20 years and so their components are encased in glass to ensure they aren’t damaged. Without wires, AURA makes setting up a Christmas tree so much easier. A set of $69 lights can be expected by October 2015, just in time for next Christmas, provided the campaign reaches its $50,000 goal.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Pi Watch open source smartwatch makes room for teeny Arduino board, microSD slot

As many cool and exciting things the smartwatches on the market allow users to do, at the end of the day they’re locked into their own hardware and software. This ultimately limits their use to only what the company behind it intends, and limits the imagination of those who buy it. As a result, consumers may have some of the most advanced tech on their wrist, but they basically have no clue how it works.

A big problem lies in the motivation to learn, something the Pi Watch does a good job of creating. The star of the show is the onboard, Arduino-ready Teensy 3.1, a powerful platform that supports a wide array of programming initiatives with the help of integrated Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer, magnometer, microphone, buzzer, and infrared transmitter. A bright and round 220 pixel TFT LCD brings it all together, offering users 160 pixels per inch and a 10-point touch ring surrounding it for both pre-programmed and custom gestures.

So far, the Pi Watch has demonstrated light video playback, the ability to be a password keeper, the control of televisions with the infrared transmitter, and the ability to play custom games. A lot more content can be created and added to the watch with the help of the microSD card slot, even if the 480mAh rechargeable battery may not last as long as users may hope. The $119 Pi Watch is expected to ship in March of 2015 should its campaign successfully reach its $50,000 goal.

For the most part, the Pi Watch is being presented as a learning tool, evident in its less than stellar aesthetics. But it serves the purpose of engaging in the technology hands-on and follows the lead of other open source platforms like the RaspiTab, Pi-Top, and Novena, this time with a wearable, an exciting opportunity for many tinkerers.