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Connected Objects Music

Aalberg Audio’s Moon and Aero offer wireless stage presence

Performing on stage is a delicate interplay of musicians, the instruments they play and the equipment amplifying the soundscapes being explored. Oh, and the people enjoying it all, of course. But with more versatility and options comes a more crowded — and wired — stage, making the act of playing good music a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

No one is a fan of wires, especially the Aalberg Audio team based in Norway. Its selection of controllers to wirelessly control musical equipment proves that. In its MOON Switcher campaign, three products are on offer: the Aero, the Moon, and the Remote app. The AERO is a wireless remote controller that enables real-time control of up to eight Aalberg FX pedals and MOON-connected devices. It can store up to three presets across all connected devices which can be recalled from the controller.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Imaging

Eye-Plug plugs into Android phones to shoot 3D video

Despite the increasing quality of smartphone cameras, one thing they don’t typically do is record in 3D.

Eye-Plug is a small plug-in device for Android smartphones that shoots 3D video. It features a rotatable head and is tiny enough to fit in one’s pocket. It works in conjunction with a companion Google app that allows users to easily edit images from one’s smartphone. Eye-Plug is also compatible with existing Google virtual reality viewers. It’s shipping now at $44.99 and is available from its maker’s website, http://www.weeview.co/.

There have been other devices that have done pretty much the same thing as Eye-Plug, including Vitrima for GoPro cameras and Bevel for iPhones. Eye-Plug’s focus on the huge Android smartphone market, combined with its small size and useful app helps it stand out from at least some rival products. But some consumers will no doubt prefer a device that would work with multiple types of cameras and smartphone operating systems.

 

Categories
Robots/Drones

The Xpider robot houses a neural network in its tiny shell

Day after day, robots increasingly become part of the everyday fabric of connected society. They can be found in the factories manufacturing goods shipped around the world to the internet connected homes across the country. As such, it’s never been more crucial to educate people on all the ways robots can be used so that breakthroughs can be made in the field.

While the Xpider itself isn’t a revolution in robotics, the diminutive, camera-equipped robot offers those interested a very capable canvas with which to play around and discover more. It comes in two flavors, one equipped with an Arduino processor and the other sporting Intel’s Curie processor.

Categories
Camping

The Sunda tent offers four ways to soak in the wild

For Kammok, a team of eight based in Austin , Texas, its mission is two-fold. First, it believes people should experience the big wide world as much as possible. Secondly, it believes in creating the most versatile camping equipment to better introduce the wilds to outdoor newbies and facilitate better exploration for enthusiasts. A company born out of Kickstarter, it has successfully brought to life three of its creations all focused on this mission. Now, the Sunda two person tent/all-in-one hammock is a culmination of all this experience.

The Sunda is a distinctive product in the camping world. While most tents prioritize cutting weight at the cost of durability, Kammok went the opposite route and made sure to design the Sunda to be as versatile as possible with four separate configurations. In tent mode, two or more people can sleep comfortably because of the Sunda’s 8’4″ long x 4’2″ wide construction that boasts 35 square feet of space within. Large crawl through doors, four corner pockets and nine gear loops for lights add plenty of options for everyone inside.

Categories
Health and Wellness Smartwatches/Bands

IBeat smartwatch monitors every beat of your heart

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and every minute that passes without defibrillation and life support intervention reduces the possibility of survival.

patent-claimedIBeat is a 24-hour, heart-monitoring smartwatch that can immediately notify the user, as well as his or her family and 911 in case of a heart-related emergency. Its medical-grade sensors constantly monitor heart activity and detect emergencies.

IBeat ships in July at future pricing of $459. But Indiegogo backers have been able to reserve one for a pledge starting at $99 for early birds. Its makers hope to raise $50,000 by Oct. 30.

There are many other smartwatches on the market already, many of them that feature heart monitoring, including Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2. But few rival products continuously monitor heart rate around the clock like iBeat does. Not all rival products include GPS and some that do, unlike iBeat, charge extra for that feature. Unlike most rival products, iBeat users also don’t have to use it in conjunction with a smartphone.

There are, however, potential negatives for some consumers. First, after a free year of monitoring service, the iBeat watch monthly monitoring fee becomes $17. It is, meanwhile, a single-profile device that’s not designed to be used by more than one person. It is also only being targeted at the U.S. market for now, but its makers say that, in the near future, they plan to offer an international version of iBeat with multi-language support.

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Smove smartphone stabilizer lets you move while shooting video

Shooting video on smartphones can be tricky, largely because they tend to lack the same quality image stabilization capabilities as the best traditional standalone cameras. That’s if they even have any image stabilization functionality at all.

Smove is an intelligent smartphone stabilizer with a built-in charger and an Auto Face Follow feature that recognizes faces and automatically rotates to follow them. It supports all iPhones 5 through 7 Plus, and all Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Smove ships in December at future pricing of $249. But Indiegogo backers have been able to order one for a pledge starting at $119 for early birds. Its makers are out to raise $20,000 by Oct. 26.

There have been many smartphone stabilizers before Smove, including Elephant Steady. But Smove stands out from the pack thanks in large part to extra features that include its ability to be used as a phone charger and Auto Face Follow. It also touts advanced features including automated 360-degree panorama shots.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags Robots/Drones Travel

Travelmate robotic suitcase follows wherever you go while traveling

Frequent problems that travelers face, especially while on their own, include not having enough hands to carry everything and suitcases hitting other travelers’ legs while being wheeled around. And then there’s the universal problem all travelers face when trying to figure out how much a valise weighs to avoid airline charges.

Travelmate is a robotic suitcase that responds to the user’s gestures and will follow him or her around without being carried or pulled, making traveling easier. The autonomous robot companion is also smart enough to avoid any obstacles in its way thanks to its Follow Me system’s built-in sensors that detect and avoid obstacles including people and furniture. Its GPS chip helps orient the suitcase and allows users to know the location of the suitcase at all times, in conjunction with a companion app for unspecified mobile devices. Travelmate uses artificial learning and machine learning to optimize its movements, while its omni wheels allow for increased stability and range of motion.

Travelmate also has a touch-enabled lock system that scans the user’s fingerprint to open the suitcase, while a built-in scale that will accurately measure the weight of a suitcase’s contents. It touts a battery life of four hours when in full autonomous mode and up to 100 hours in stand-by mode when it’s used just like a normal suitcase. Multi- colored LED lighting is featured on all Travelmate models and informs the user of the suitcase’s battery level.

Categories
Connected Objects Displays

H1 strives to be the #1 smart projector with 4K, Android support

A good home theater system can be costly when you factor in the TV and stereo system including speakers and an amplifier.

H1 is a portable, 3D full HD smart projector that features Harman Kardon 45mm dual unit stereo sound. The projector uses Texas Instruments DLP technology and its brightness is rated at 900 ANSI lumens for daytime or bright-light viewing. H1 is the latest LED projector from Chinese manufacturer XGIMI, and transforms any surface into a 300-inch screen.

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Astro Core adds motion to your time-lapse videos

Motion control isn’t always so easy to achieve with cameras. Camera motion control accessories, after all, tend to be clunky and costly as well.

Astro Core is a motion control and time-lapse trigger for cameras that allows users to easily add motion to time-lapse videos. It can be programmed via an Android and iOS smartphone app using gestures. The Astro App can be used to record the user’s desired motion in mid-air, then send the recorded program to Astro Core and it will precisely mimic that person’s moves. It works with one Astro to create panning or tilting programs, or with two Astros to create simultaneous two-axis motion. It’s small enough to take anywhere, and runs on AA batteries.

Categories
Smart Home

Netro relies on the cloud and the sun to water your garden

Many homeowners rely on lawn sprinkler systems to water their gardens and lawns. However, traditional lawn sprinkler systems tend to waste a lot of water and don’t always do a great job supplying water exactly where it’s needed.

Netro is a watering system designed for easy use in residential irrigation and is made up of the Sprite cloud-based watering controller and Whisperer, a solar-powered plant sensor. It works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Netro helps to reduce unnecessary water usage and keeps gardens healthy.