All posts by Andy McCaskey

Nesting Earbuds – Safety and Convenience

CES 2013, Mobile, ,

DigInnoLogoIf you have earbud style headphones, it’s a sure thing that they spend a lot of time tangled up in gym bag, briefcase or purse. Digital Innovations introduced us to a patented earbud winder / carry case that protects the headphones and keeps them available and untangled for immediate retrieval.  The holder is made out of soft and pliable silicone material with a rubbery feel that makes it easy to wind the headphone cords and stow the actual earbuds in the interior. Extracting them tangle free is available with a single pull. Price class $10 from Digital Innovations, Inc. TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Daniel J. Lewis, The Audacity To Podcast.

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More Mileage From Your Old iPad

CES 2013, Home, ,

d-red logoMounting an older iPad in a customized frame is a great way to extend the life of the device and at the same time provide a toddler with a unique toy that builds all sorts of skills. Building skills in numbers and letters, learning to draw, or just having fun, this is a sure fire way to keep little kids engaged for hours of constructive play. d-Redshop has developed an entire family of custom apps for the iPad that can be built into the frame, and then connected via Bluetooth. The company has a number of iOS based products. The toy applications are found at MyLearnToys.com.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Daniel J. Lewis, The Audacity To Podcast.

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Energenie Power Packs for Smartphones

CES 2013, Mobile,

Energenie logoIf your smartphone is not an Apple product, you may be in luck to be able to use the standard micro-USB connector for your power. This ergonomic adapter from Energenie combines a 1400 mAh or 2000 mAh power pack with a stick on surface and a holder that’s ideal for use on a train or during a flight to watch a video or play games. If oil and fingerprints accumulate on the surface, a quick clean with soap and water will restore the tackiness of the surface. The company also has portable power packs up to 40,000 mAh.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .

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StickNFind Bluetooth ID Tag System : TPN Best of CES2013

CES 2013, Gadgets, ,

SticknFInd logoIt’s almost unheard of for an IndyGoGo project to raise TEN TIMES the goal – but StickNFind has set the record with thousands of excited people waiting to get their hands on the product. It’s easy to see why. The system is built on a smartphone app that takes a “James Bond” style radar view for any object that has a Stick N Find tag affixed to it, and beeps as you get closer and closer to the object. The system is Bluetooth based, giving a range of a few hundred feet – but the smart phone app can adapt to a number of use scenarios. For example if a pet or child goes out of the range, it can immediately set an alarm. If an object comes into range (for example, luggage on an airline carousel) an alarm can sound. Plus, multiple tags can be observed by the same system. We were so impressed with this product that we gave it the highest honor – the TPN Best of Show for CES2013.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .
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Art – Fashion – Style : In Bluetooth Form

CES 2013, Mobile,

Earloomz logoEarloomz is at the front of the pack when it comes to combining art, fashion and style with Bluetooth headsets . The target market is females under the age of thirty, and the main idea is to position the Bluetooth headset as a fashion accessory. That means that licensing and market research is a main focus of the company.  The retail price is $34.99 ,and it can be found online or at various big box retailers.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .
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A “NetFlix” Like Service for News Papers Around the World

CES 2013, Mobile, ,

PressreaderMoving the Newspaper industry into the digital world is a challenge around the world. The tablet reader is probably the best thing that has happened to newspapers – and this new service called PressReader allows you to aggregate over 2300 newspapers from around the world – replicas of  thousands of newspapers for a low fee of $30 per month. The traditional business model is no longer sustainable – but online versions of newspapers in web page form is not kept pace. The form factor of the tablet and availability of WiFi has changed the physical delivery of content as well as the mode of consumption. With a natural-feeling reading process, the tablet makes it much more newspaper-like and opens up a whole new group of consumers.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .
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Market Leader – Market Disruptor

CES 2013, Gadgets, ,

Monoprice LogoMonoprice CEO Ajay Kumar joined the Tech Podcast Crew at CES to provide insight into the company that has made a major contribution to podcasting by providing quality cables, hardware and accessories at extremely affordable prices. The enthusiastic response from CES attendees demonstrates how important Monoprice value can be to startup and established companies alike.  The company has over 250 employees and $125million in sales and is growing very rapidly. Feedback from customers helps them with the decision to add categories and products. Their goal is to insure a good experience, and to that end their employees are continually testing their new product additions.  Professional Audio products have just been added, sure to be extremely attractive to podcasters and other new media producers. New product areas in home automation, action cams and monitoring are also in the works.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .

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Smartphone Screenguards With Glass

CES 2013, Mobile

Bodyguardz LogoBodyguardz (formerly Next Level Up -NLU Products) was recognized in 2011 by the as one of the INC Magazine  Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. At CES, they also received a CEA Innovation Award. One of their premier products is made from a special chemically-tempered glass, ScreenGuardz® Pure™ Premium Glass , offering a smudge-resistant coating and high touch sensitivity ensure performance. This is glass 15 mils in thickness – providing shock resistance and protection but a feel that is almost identical to the original smartphone surface.

One of the biggest complaints in the screen protector world is the adhesive application that traps bubbles. During the interview, our Philip Chipping demos the installation process and gives some tips on how to remove dust from the air and install the shield.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Jaime Davis, .
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Increase Signal Reliability with Indoor Cellphone Repeater

CES 2013, Gadgets, , ,

WiEx LogoThe introduction of LTE technology and high speed data can’t eliminate dead spots within homes or buildings. Both 3G and 4G technology is still reliant upon basic radio transmission, and so there are still situations where the signal from the local cell tower will not be sufficient. The unit can handle a number of phones in a small business warehouse or in homes Wi-Ex has a variety of amplifier systems that can be used in commercial applications in challenging interior layouts, connecting units with coaxial cable.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
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Optimized Phones for Assisted Living Seniors

CES 2013, Health, ,

VTECH logoPhones are an essential part of keeping connected with family and friends. As people age and are struggling to stay in their homes or assisted living, this new phone from VTech can help maintain this psychological lifeline.

The phones are hearing aid compliant, and it is possible to boost the volume of a single call for clarity and level. The unit that we examined featured a clear black and white high contrast display, and enabled adult children to attach photos to speed dial numbers. The company also provides a pendant system that directs phone calls to a number that you have assigned. Using DECT technology, it has a range of 600 ft and provides a speakerphone system and speed dial. Incoming calls can also be answered by the device, and features audio caller ID, allowing screening of calls.
TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
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