All posts by geek news

StickyPassword Helps Manage Your Passwords at CES



StickyPasswordOne of the great frustrations of modern life is the need to remember a multitude  of passwords and it’s getting worse as hackers get more sophisticated and passwords need to get longer and more complex. The ex-AVG team at StickyPassword have put together a comprehensive cross-platform password management solution. Todd sits down with Thomas to learn more.

StickyPassword Premium is available on most platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Amazon devices, and can synchronise between those platforms either via direct wifi or through the Amazon cloud. Security is covered with AES256 encryption and the data file is encrypted before transmission minimising the risk of interception. Where available, i.e. the iPhone, fingerprints can be used to secure the app and data: for everyone else it’s a single master password.

If you want to try it out, there’s a free version that has everything except the sync. For that it’s $19.99 a year.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.


Laser-light Radar LiDARShown Off at CES



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Lidar is a version of radar that uses laser light instead of radio waves to measure distance and although it may seem like a new technology, it’s been around since the 1960s. It’s come to greater prominence recently as it’s been used as one of the sensing technologies both for 3D mapping and driverless cars. Jamie and Todd find out more about lidar from Wolfgang Juchmann, Director of Sales and Marketing at Velodyne LiDAR.

Velodyne LiDAR has been a leader in developing lidar technology, bringing down both the size and price of the lidar units over the past ten years. What previously was the size of a trash can, costing $80,000, is now the size of a large food tin and costs $8,000. As sizes and prices continue to drop, the cost and practicality of autonomous vehicles becomes more feasible, with lidar building high resolution 3D maps of the world around the car. The on-board computer can use the 3D information to tell the difference between cyclists and buildings, and control the car on the road avoiding other road users.

Interview by Jamie Davies of Health Tech Weekly and Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.


Intel Energy Brings Hydrogen Fuel Cell to CES



Beupp LogoWhile USB battery packs are ubiquitous, they’re only any good if there’s somewhere to charge the battery pack in the first place. If there’s no electrical supply, options can be limited but with Intelligent Energy‘s new hydrogen fuel cell, Upp, there’s one more option available. Todd and Jamie get enthused with Julian Hughes of Intelligent Energy.

The Upp call uses a hydrogen micro generator and reusable fuel cartridge. One cartridge can provide up to five full smartphone charges and is approved for carriage in aircraft. Each cartridge has a shelf-life of nine years, making it perfect to store for emergencies. As it’s a fuel cell, not a battery, it doesn’t need to be recharged by the electricity. Once powered up, the Upp will power devices at 1A via a full size USB port.

When spent the cartridges can be recharged with hydrogen and extra cartridges can prolong time off grid. It’s perfect for those on hiking trips or for those involved in emergency disaster relief.

The Upp is available in the UK for £149 including one cartridge. Additional cartridges are £49 and recharges costs £5.95. The Upp is expected to come to the US in late 2015.

Interview by Jamie Davies of Health Tech Weekly and Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.


ShotTracker Measures Your Basketball Performance at CES



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Sports such as running and cycling have been well supplied for several years with monitoring and tracking devices to record and improve performance. At CES 2015, several other sports have become connected, including tennis with the Babolat Play racket as well as basketball with the ShotTracker. Jamie and Todd chat to Davyeon Ross, Co-Founder of ShotTracker.

ShotTracker consists of 3 components: a wrist sensor, a net sensor and the ShotTracker App. The wrist sensor and net sensor work together to track shots: when a player shoots, the wrist sensor sends a signal that a shot was attempted and the net sensor sends a signal indicating if the ball made it into the basket. Both signals are sent to the mobile device via Bluetooth where the ShotTracker app keeps track of the player’s activity.

The app shows statistics (shots, makes and misses), gives workouts and helps identify on-court weaknesses. Data from multiple ShotTrackers can be aggregated into a coaching version of the app, providing an overall team view. ShotTracker is available for both iOS and Android.

The ShotTracker starter kit is on sale now for $149 from the store.

Interview by Jamie Davies of Health Tech Weekly and Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.