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Smart Home

Domus home automation system regulates your domicile’s energy

Smart home systems are all the rage these days. People love the ability to control and keep and eye on their homes when they’re away.

Domus is another smart home automation solution that monitors electronic devices in the home via an app for Android and iPhones. But the product goes one step further, allowing the user to also save energy by monitoring power consumption and calculating what the energy bill will be. It notifies the user if a space heater or other appliance has been on too long, which not only conservers energy, but also could prevent an accident.

The black remote control unit that serves as the system’s hub has a built-in Wi-Fi repeater module that enables the product to also extend the user’s Wi-Fi range. The user plugs a smart iPlug into any standard power outlet, then connects a device to the iPlug and downloads the app to control that device. Backers who pledge $39 CAD (~$33 USD) will get one smart plug, while those who pledge $49 CAD (~$41 USD) will get one remote control unit when Domus ships in June. The Vancouver company, Domus Living, is looking to raise $100,000 CAD (~$83,600 USD) on Kickstarter.

Domus Living’s combined focus on home automation and energy consumption regulation, along with the added Wi-Fi extender function add value to the product. But, as is the case with similar products, including Linkio, one drawback is that the more devices the user wants to incorporate into the system, the larger the cost because each one needs a separate smart plug.

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Maker/Development Smart Home

Personal Robot combines home automation with facial recognition, other technologies

editors-choiceHaving a device in the house that can function as a personal assistant, while also serving as a home automation system would come in handy. Especially when it combines far-field voice recognition with emotion, facial and object recognition. Introducing the Personal Robot, one such device, from the New York-based company Robotbase.

Personal Robot features a 3D depth camera and noise canceling microphone array technology, and it can communicate with the user’s connected devices via wireless Z-Wave Plus, Zigbee, BLE and Wi-Fi. The far-field voice recognition enables the device to hear the user’s commands all the way from the other side of the room. The user can ask Personal Robot for information including the local weather, news, sports scores and recipes, as the video on its Kickstarter campaign shows. The device can also be used to play music, schedule meetings, set alarms, and control the temperature in a home to save energy and money. Backers who pledge $995 will get one when it ships in December. Its maker set a goal of raising $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Other devices on the market have attempted some of the same functionality. But Personal Robot’s advanced software, which incorporates deep learning algorithms, give it an advantage over some competing products. Some consumers might find the computer-animated female character that is featured on the device’s screen a bit creepy, although the device’s maker says the user can change how she looks.

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Music

Sugr Cube wireless speaker plays music, offers sweet touch functionality

There are many Wi-Fi speakers on the market, but other than doing away with wires, they tend to work very much like old-fashioned wired speakers.

The China-based creators of the Sugr Cube Wi-Fi speaker have designed their product to directly stream online music, while also offering intuitive touch control functionality. The user just has to tap the speaker to play or pause a song, tilt it left or right for the next or prior song, double tap it to share the current song with those who have paired their own Sugr Cubes, and touch it and leave the hand there to share the current song with Facebook friends

The companion iOS app enables easy Wi-Fi setup, multi-room control, sleeping mode and alarm, and the ability to keep updating the speaker with new features. Android and other unspecified devices will be supported soon. Sugr Cube, which comes in wooden housing, currently supports iTunes music, Pandora and BBC radio. Other services may be added later. Backers who pledge $119 will get the speaker when it ships in June as part of an early bird Kickstarter discount. Its maker is looking to raise $50,000.

The speaker has a lot of promise. Although there are other Wi-Fi speakers that offer some degree of touch control, like the Aether Cone, Sugr Cube uses the feature more extensively. But it faces the same problem as any other speaker sold online by a new company: There is no way to gauge how good it sounds without hearing it in person.

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Smart Home

Neeo thinking remote is the one system that can control all devices in your home

editors-choiceHaving a smart automation system that can control all the devices in a home is something that a growing number of consumers are looking for. Neeo from the Cupertino, California, company of the same name combines some of the best features of a mobile app-based smart home automation system with those of a universal remote control. It also adds a few features that rival devices just don’t have, such as four antennas that integrate Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Z-Wave protocol functionality.

There are two main parts of the Neeo system: the “Brain,” a small hockey puck-shaped device made of solid aluminum and acrylic glass, that will command all of the user’s devices, including TVs and Blu-ray players; and the remote, which provides instant control of all those devices. Sensors in the attractive remote detect the user’s palm and matches it with that person’s profile. It then displays that person’s personal playlists, movies and favorites from connected devices instantly, the company claims. Also attractive is the remote’s 291 pixels per inch touch display.

If the user can’t find the remote, an SOS alarm function that is activated via an iOS or Android smartphone will help track it down. Neeo has a database of more than 30,000 devices that it can connect to and control, and is compatible with all major AV products made in the last 10 years. Kickstarter backers who pledge $148 will get one Brain in April and the free app. Those who pledge $219 will, in May, get the Brain and the remote in either the standard aluminum version or one of two limited edition SKUs, in black or white. The system’s maker is looking to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

As long as the Neeo remote is indeed compatible with as many devices as the company claims and the set-up process is as simple as it says, the system is among the most promising products to come along in the home automation and universal remote categories lately. It surpasses most similar devices including last year’s Droplit. As a universal remote, it also stands to be a major challenger to the popular Harmony remotes from Logitech.

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Imaging

CamsFormer triggering system offers DSLRs more options, sensors, settings, everything

A DSLR in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing is a powerful tool that produces high quality shots. But no matter how talented a photographer is, there are just some things that are either incredibly difficult or just plain impossible to capture, such as high-speed events. A photographer’s creative impulses can be tempered by these drawbacks.

The CamsFormer triggering system addresses these weaknesses by attaching to a DSLR’s USB and cable release port and providing a combination camera remote, high-speed trigger, and motorized tilt and zoom. All this alongside CamsFormer’s variety of sensors allows photographers to set sound, light, or infra-red triggers that sets off up to two cameras and flashes from anywhere between microseconds to 32 seconds. A companion iOS app allows for wireless camera control, photo curation and upload. It even enables things like Infinity Mode where a camera can shoot infinitely despite whatever memory limitations it might have. This product offers options available anywhere since it generates its own Wi-Fi network as well.

For the CamsFormer, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It can even add video capability to cameras that don’t have it. The $189 early bird price is a steal, but the eventual retail price of $249 isn’t bad considering everything this product does. The $7,000 campaign is looking to ship the product by July 2015.

The CamsFormer is extremely impressive in that radically expands any camera’s capabilities, adding a dizzying array of customizable settings any amateur or serious photographer would love. The product is another in a long line in creative imaging solutions like the Panlight and MaxStone that do so much to make serious photography more approachable, fun, and wallet-friendly.

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Music

Jack offers live guitarists option of Wi-Fi rather than cables

Every musician that enjoys doing live gigs dreams of one day having roadies for setup and teardown. In the meantime, affordable Wi-Fi options are often much coveted.

Jack is one such possibility. It allows for real time streaming over a secure Wi-Fi connection, eliminating the need for cables. In order to work, the Jack requires both guitar and amp. The Jack app is supposed to allow the user to connect the Jacks through any Wi-Fi enabled device. The app also allows users to record on their instrument, edit their music, and/or upload it to their Web site or social media profiles.

One downside here is that trying to run this through a phone or tablet is really going to put a drain on the battery. And normal use for your average laptop only offers about two –four hours of life without being plugged into an outlet. Nevertheless, as much of a pain in the butt as cords can be to lug to live gigs, this is actually a pretty exciting invention and seems worth checking into further. This project seeks to raise £20,000 (~$30,300) by early February. Early bird backers get one Jack for £95 (~$144).

Categories
Pets Video

Submersible Wi-Fi Camera keeps finned friends in check

The fragile ecosystem of a tended aquarium is one that requires constant attention and care, lest users come home to dead fish every day. When the eco-system is thrown off, it’s important to know why in order to fix the problem.

This is the issue Chris Rusnak is proposing to solve with his Submersible Wi-Fi Aquarium Camera. As this wasn’t a job suitable for a side-mounted GoPro camera, he instead wants to start from scratch developing something that will allow him to check in using his smartphone or other device over Wi-Fi. Each camera comes equipped with pan and tilt capabilities for a full view of the tank.

It’s bad to say, but fish are quite inexpensive and the thought of maintaining an eco-system might seem like a lot of work for some. Still, once this product is designed, a list of instructions and components will cost backers $25, and is expected March 2015 with a successfully funded campaign of $620. Combine this with the AquaSprouts to put those fish to work, too.

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Technology

VPEx is a new solution to combat Wi-Fi hackers

Wi-Fi attacks can compromise a computer user’s most valuable personal data. To fight them, is the VPEx, the Virtual Private Exonetwork: a relatively inexpensive twist on a VPN.

The two-part, easy-to-use solution includes the ExoKey, a small USB device that plugs into a laptop and encrypts its network interface. The ExoNet, its second component, is a gateway connected to the home or office network and provides a trusted connection to the Internet from wherever the user is. ExoKey will soon support mobile phones and tablets too.

Backers who donate $139 will get an ExoNet and two ExoKeys that will allow two people to use open hotspots without fear of their data being compromised. The product is promising if it indeed does what its creator claims it can do. Anyway to protect one’s data at a reasonable price is always welcome on the market.

The current estimated delivery date is in March. Once the Kickstarter campaign is over, the company will field the ExoKey at $39.95 each and ExoNet at $65 each. Exonetwork will only be successful upon reaching its $50,000 goal on Kickstarter.

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Smart Home

RoomBox smart home hub uses everything but the kitchen sink to control the home

Home automation is in a touch position, particularly in its adoption. Many of those who use such systems are usually more tech-savvy than others. Those who don’t are perfectly content manually flicking on a light, messing around with the AC settings, or fumbling with different remotes to turn on their TVs or DVD players.

The problem is that most of a person’s home isn’t equipped to become smart, but now the RoomBox changes all of that. Anything with a remote control is fair game for the product’s help, and allows any iOS, Android, or Windows device to remotely control them with a companion app. Anything without a remote control requires a Smart Plug that interacts wirelessly with the RoomBox, giving lamps and coffee makers a boost of IQ.

The RoomBox is loaded with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and motion sensor. Each of these parts work together to do things like automatically turn on an AC when a user is nearing home, for example, or turn off all the active devices and lights in a room when they leave. The $20,000 campaign isn’t clear about when it would like to have RoomBoxes in people’s homes.

All the aforementioned functionality is only really possible with multiple RoomBoxes, forcing people to invest in a more than one $47 unit. Add onto that $27 for each Smart Plug to truly get the most out of a home, and the costs can add up quickly. The Droplit system employs some of the same tricks as RoomBox, but with the addition of scenes and more of a reliance of Bluetooth. Both suffer from similar drawbacks in having to use multiples of either units or remotes, taking a lot of the utility out of it. RoomBox is a solid choice though. It interacts with so much more of the home when compared to other similar solutions.

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Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries Connected Objects

PERI Duo case is a combination battery case, wireless speaker, style statement

Bluetooth speakers have exploded on the scene and readjusted just what consumers expect from their audio companions. Although features like weight and long-lasting battery for maximum portability are on the top of the list, a dead iPhone battery will render any speaker completely useless. Luckily, the PERI Duo case solves both problems with a single, compact solution.

The case is a combination battery charger and wireless speaker that works over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. When attached, its 2500mAh battery ensures the iPod Touch or iPhone 5, 5C, or 6 is always full of juice and that the three and four watt speakers amplify any tunes a user might want to hear. When not attached, a user can stream music from the iPhone to the PERI Duo using Bluetooth, or multi-cast their audio to multiple, other speakers using the case from up to 100 feet away.

It’s slim profile is pretty attractive even if there is no iPhone 6+ nor any Android compatibility at the moment. Backers can take advantage of an early bird special of $79, a price that will rise to $99 after initial supply is sold. A successful $100,000 campaign will see the case expected to shipped in April 2015.