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Connected Objects Kids/Babies

Miraffe connected playmate puts a digital portal in the hands of kids

For little ones, the world is full of mystery, prompting their torrent of questions from the moment they can start forming them. For parents, this is a wonderful moment. Knowing that they’re responsible for educating their children is a huge responsibility made easier with the internet. For the most part, it’s better if a child discovers everything on their own. The Miraffe is a clever compromise between the two.

Since a child can’t just log on to Google or Wikipedia and seek out the information they need, the Miraffe acts as an intermediary. It can recognize objects in the world and give children information on it along with simply being a toy with which to entertain with. It’s essentially a Wi-Fi enabled, 4″ HD screen with a quad-core 1.3GHz processors, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 5 MP camera.

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Categories
Music Networking

TurnUp lets you turn up your with the flip of a switch

Wireless, multi-room speakers are becoming increasingly popular. But they don’t come cheap –- especially if customers want to install them on the wall instead of on a table or shelf.

patent-claimedTurnUp is a multi-room, wireless speaker that fits in a light switch or wall power outlet and can be used to control not only music, but a room’s lights. The speaker uses Bluetooth 4.0 and is easy to install. It can be controlled by voice from any computer, as well as from any smartphone or tablet.

Up to eight speakers can be connected. The device also answers phone calls. It works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app. TurnUp ships in December at future pricing of $129.99. But Kickstarter backers can get one for a pledge that starts at $89 for early birds. Its makers hope to raise $77,000 by June 10.

 

 

Categories
Personal Transportation

MovPak hybrid backpack/skateboard takes on the daily grind

Despite its novel premise that combined a bookbag with a skateboard, the original MovPak Kickstarter campaign failed to secure enough funding for production, halting the dream of a more mobile commute for its team. Two years, a few tweaks, improvements, and a move to Indiegogo later, the improved MovPak is back for a second round.

In terms of the basic idea, the MovPak hasn’t changed drastically. The sizable, 17-pound book bag still hides a retractable electric skateboard within that uses a brushless motor powered by a lithium-ion battery for movement. Together, users can remotely control MovPak to achieve speeds of up to 20mph for a 10-mile range per charge.

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Categories
Music Networking

Nativ networked music system boasts high fidelity, large capacity

There are so many streaming music systems on the market that it’s hard to tell many of them apart outside of the industry-leading Sonos products.

Nativ, however, is a high-resolution music system with a distinctive design that adds video streaming to the mix. It’s made up of two separate devices with audiophile components: Nativ Vita, an 11.6-inch, touchscreen music player that provides a whopping 4 TB of music storage, access to a streaming service and whole home audio; and Nativ Wave, a digital-to-analog converter that connects Vita or any other digital device to an amplifier or AV receiver. Wave comes with a headphone amp for connection to a set of headphones (not included).

Vita resembles a tablet and can also be used without Wave to stream music directly to wireless speakers and headphones. It can also be attached to a TV via HDMI or wirelessly via Google Cast to view music videos. The built-in multi-directional microphone enables voice control to tell Vita what music to play, adjust the volume or skip to the next song.

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Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Sybrillo brings smarts, stability to GoPro

The small size of the GoPro has made it the perfect video camera to use for capturing action sports and other fast-moving activities. But its tiny size also makes it somewhat difficult to hold the camera steady and control it to perform professional-type actions including panning and tilting.

Sybrillo is a versatile, waterproof GoPro mount that makes it easier for users of the action camera to program it to pan, tilt and perform other functions typical of pro video cameras. Its gimbal provides the GoPro with gyroscopic stability. A Sybrillo app for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets enables users to control the camera remotely via Bluetooth. Sybrillo also provides recording capabilities for virtual reality (VR). Users can put their smartphone in a VR headset or Google cardboard and Sybrillo will follow the user’s every move.

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Categories
Health and Wellness

Breathe portable air purifier keeps an ion irritants

Those with allergies live their entire lives constantly fighting off the torrent of discomfort that comes with being sensitive to everything from pet dander to dust to pollen. It can be so devastating as to interfere with the enjoyment of daily activities, something people without allergies wouldn’t understand.

Their suffering just goes to show how essential clean air is living an enjoyable, healthy life. With more and more of the world’s air becoming increasingly polluted, everyone, no matter if they’re allergic or otherwise, is affected. The state of the world air’s quality makes products like Breathe so much more important, a wearable air purifier designed it to eliminate odors, pet dander, dust, pollen, and PM 2.5 particles from a 32-foot radius space from its location — a tall claim considering the product’s minuscule size.

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Categories
Imaging Robots/Drones

The UFO Drone abducts a clever design and 360° video

Most drones on the market now feature designs that use large, unprotected propellers in order to generate the kind of force necessary for flight. This is supplemented by a camera or two along with what usually is a hefty price tag. The UFO Drone flips this standard on its head.

The UFO Drone is a lightweight, three-pound drone that reverses the usual design of a drone by housing its six propellers directly within its strong, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic body. This provides the appearance of an old film reel and the potential to resist more damage in the long run. The addition of a parachute that can be deployed in the case of a particularly rough landing extends its longevity further. But this is not simply a more rugged drone. The UFO Drone is equipped with a pair of 15MP dual cameras that together can record 360° 4K video, perfect for sporting events, outdoor parties, or just a good time at the park. With a 23 minute hover time, pilots will have to make every minute count.

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Categories
Connected Objects

Whether indoors or out, the Globio security system has your back

Despite the smart home segment’s myriad of options — and the many standards that come from them — companies still continue to churn out proprietary smart home hubs that don’t play nice with other connected devices. This ultimately adds to the issue of fragmentation, something the team behind the Globio wants to address.

Put simply, the Globio is an all-purpose, modular security system. Its main difference is making a smart home hub out of a user’s smartphone. With it, Globio uses the camera as a motion detector, its microphone as a noise detector, along with most smartphone’s proximity and light sensors. Presented by itself, Globio would be limited, so a set of pill-shaped modules expand the system’s functionality. Some, like the #Pia, is a motion sensor to be installed on doors and windows, while other, like #Shane, monitor temperature, pressure, and humidity.

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Categories
Connected Objects Toys

Leka smart toy appeals to parents of developmentally-challenged kids

Not every toy can meet the unique needs of autistic and other special needs children.

Leka is a ball-like, robotic smart toy with a display that has been designed for kids with developmental challenges. The customizable toy is equipped with sensors that enable users to play fun and educational games that motivate social interactions, increase motor, cognitive, and emotional skills, and also stimulate autonomy. Leka can detect and respond to a child’s interaction through autonomous behavior.

For example, if Leka is mistreated and thrown on the ground, it appears to become sad and turns red. An interactive response like this aims to help users better understand social cues and improve their social skills.

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Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness Smart Home

Fixo is a well-rounded smart home disc

Those who’ve made the leap to outfitting their apartments or homes with smart home devices can quickly recall the horrors of trying to figure out how make everything work together. The tired Internet of Things trope of disparate standards is anything but, still making things difficult years into the IoT craze. And to add insult to injury, each of these products can look so wildly different that choosing to put them all in a single space can result in a serious decorative crisis.

Some smart home systems, like the Oomi and Kasia, present potential backers with an all-in-one system that avoids these issues. Fixo, however, takes it up a notch with a stylish design that looks great presented on a table or on the wall anywhere in the home. The HD-camera equipped multi-face smart clock features a dedicated suite of apps along with a wide variety of integrations so that users can do everything from check weather forecasts, remind themselves of their next Google Calendar appointment, consult recipes in the kitchen, refer to the bountiful knowledge of Wikipedia, or just snap some selfies or video call loved ones and friends.

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