All posts by Andy McCaskey

Pinball for Home Rec Room

CES 2013, Home,

Stern logoYou’d think that a professional pinball machine would be out of the budget for home entertainment. The founder of Stern Pinball, who claims sixty five years of experience in the industry, says that is no longer true – their new unit is within reach of many consumer’s budgets. Plus there are themes such as AC/DC, X-Men, Avengers, and Avatar that have approached instant classic status.The same actuators, flippers and electronics used in their commercial business- but the coin collection system has been left out. The machine disassembles easily so it can be carried into a home basement rec room and set up.

Stern is the only manufacturer of arcade quality pinball machines in the world, located near Chicago.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
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Solid Mount for iDevices

CES 2013, Mobile, ,

Rockform logoSturdy mounting systems for smartphones and tablets are sometimes hard to come by. If you have a Hummer or similar rugged off-road vehicle, this might be the smartphone mount for you. Integrated anti-slip backing keeps it on track when not installed and locked in to it’s mount.

Their original product was a CNC-machined base for iPhone charging. Since their manufacturing background includes high performance muffler and exhaust systems for motorcycle racing, it was a natural extension of the capabilities of their shop. The newer systems build on this same rugged approach to design, with the Roc-Form continuing the tradition, being milled from a single block of metal.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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New Generation of OLPC: One Laptop Per Child

CES 2013, Computers,

OLPC logo

The One Laptop Per Child Foundation has been pursuing dreams on behalf of millions of children around the world, while keeping pace with the changes in technology and wireless connectivity. This new UI is built around the idea that children’s dreams and hero’s are a good way to group applications and opportunity. The UI is built with full parental controls, with up to three profiles available for age appropriate access to internet assets.

The built in camera is designed for experimentation and applications encourage the child to get out and explore their world with the camera and creativity.

This is the fifth generation of  technology that OLPC has implemented. It is an Android based system, with many apps programmed in Python. The first US based retailer to get the unit will be Walmart, but the price point has not yet been set.  More info at XOLearning.org and Laptop.org

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
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Wireless Charging for Multiple Smartphones

CES 2013, Mobile,

CES-2013-LIVE-AM-KIRKHJ

Kirk H&J offers an entire range of Inpofi devices and models that enable wireless charging using a proprietary transfer system called “Electric Transfer” to charge devices by placing them on the charging surface.

For the Samsung S3 – you remove the back to install the system.  For the iPhone there are a variety of cases , currently for the iPhone 4 – with the iPhone 5 due in the first quarter of 2013.  Charging times are similar to wired systems, and offer over 90% efficiency. You can mix and match iPhone and Galaxy devices.

The units are available presently at OhmTopia.com , and should soon be found in regular big box stores.

Estimated price points are $50-$70.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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Wearable Body Monitors get Smaller

CES 2013, Health,

bodyMediaLogoBody Media is a lifestyle management company tracking activities and calories – having been in the business since 1999.

Their new multi-sensor technology is patented, and stores data for up to ten days. The unit has accelerometer, galvanic response skin conductivity monitor, skin temperature and heat flow.  It provides Bluetooth download of information through smartphone to log and report your activity online. The report helps you set goals on weightloss, activity, or health goals.

In conjunction with IBM, Body Media is initiating recommendations based on the data to help subscribers become more active. There are commercially oriented applications as well.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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Virtual Projection Keyboard

CES 2013, Computers,

Shrinking Down to Keyfob Size

CTX logoTiny screen keyboard on your smartphone got you down ?  Here’s a way to use any flat surface for a full sized equivalent, with this laser projection keyboard from CTX Virtual Technologies connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. You will be able to type on any flat surface on a projected full-sized keyboard ready to go. A second model includes a secondary battery, enabling you to get the benefit of a protective case, virtual keyboard, and battery all in one unit.

 

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TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews

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Combat Creatures – Your Own Battlebot

CES 2013, Gadgets, ,

Affordable Play With Robot Warriors

Combat Creatures Logo

Combat Creatures introduced WiFi controllable remote toys  called Attacknids . Introduced in 2012, the toys have been a big hit and have been featured on the David Letterman show, Fox News, and many gadget shows.

The units can be armed with Nerf missiles, Ping Pong ball cannon, flying disk ammo and roving crab-walk shields, and  provide some of the thrills of the old Comedy Central Battlebot series at an affordable price.

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TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews

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Put That Cupholder to Good Use: Secure Your Smartphone

CES 2013, Gadgets

Flexible Solution to Holding Your Phone

HerculesNot all CES is bleeding edge tech. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to hold your phone, GPS, or music player in a wide variety of vehicles – or keep the kids in the backseat a bit more organized, here’s the Cup Holder phone mount. Especially designed for over the road use – it can be found at various truckstops and RV destinations throughout the US, or available on the web at HerculesHolder.com.

CorrysCoolStuff.com also has a variety of specialized novelties that might be of interest to you as well. And the price is right – less than $15.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews

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Pro Backgound for YouTube Productions

CES 2013, Gadgets, ,

Use Pro-grade Equipment to Amp Up Business Videos

Darim logoYouTube has a large consumer presence, but it is also used by many businesses to communicate messages about their products and services. A professional set can deliver the impression of a formal studio setting and deliver a much more professional appearance.

Virtual studios are an extension of green screen technology – permitting the talent to appear to be sitting in an ultra modern studio costing millions of dollars. This system from DarimVision, called V-Studio  allows corporate or podcaster video producers to produce videos for YouTube that rival commercial productions – in either prosumer or professional models.

 

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TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDRNews.com

 

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3D Printing With Fine Detail

CES 2013, Gadgets,

A New Form of Stereo-Lithography for Consumer Use

Formlabs1Formlabs, Inc combines software and a different chemical process and feedstock to create  a novel 3D printer. Targeted at professional end of the market, it is still within range of the serious hobbyist or tech enthusiast, and offers unprecedented resolution for detailed work.

Most 3D printers are based upon a thermoplastic technique – essentially a precision position X-Y-Z glue gun. The layer resolution is typically around a millimeter. This system uses a photopolymer-based process, where a high precision system directs a laser across a tray of liquid resin and causes a thin layer to solidify. This process creates layers that are much thinner, on the order of 25 microns (.025 millimeters) The build platform then rises in preparation for the next layer. After thousands of repetitions, your part is complete with exquisite detail.

 

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TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDRNews.com

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