All posts by Todd Cochrane

Switch Lighting

Accessories, CES 2014, Gadgets, Home

Switchlighting Switch Lighting was the winner of CES Innovation Award for Design and Engineering Award a CES 2013 for their latest LED three-way bulb,

What makes the Switch bulbs special is that they are filled with liquid silicon. This helps to keep them cooler than most LED bulbs. Because they are cooler the Switch lighting bulbs can be used in places that other LED bulbs can not like enclosed areas. Switch bulbs work like an incandescent light bulb, they are dimmable and spread the light out broadly. The newest bulb that won the award is the first three-way LED bulb.

Switch is based in California.

Their bulbs range from $40.00-$60.00 and are available through speciality retail store. Their bulbs should last up to twenty-five years and are recyclable. At this time Switch Lighting mainly sells to businesses and government organizations.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and by Scott Ertz of F5 Live.

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Omnimount Ergonomic TV Mounts

Accessories, CES 2014, Home, Video

Omnimount Omnimount the maker of ergonomic furniture is now making ergonomic TV mounts. The Omnimount mount for TVs allows a television to be moved easily up, down, forward and backward. If you are sitting on the floor you can lower the TV so that you are not craning your neck to watch it. The mount is also extendable so you can bring the TV closer to you. The mount can be extended out up to 28 inches. These mounts would be perfect for people who want to mount their television sets over their fireplace. The problem with this idea is that it leads to the viewer having to look up to watch it which is uncomfortable and unhealthy. With the Omnimount mount you can still place the TV over the fire-place and then bring it down when you want to watch it.

The mounts can handle monitors up to seventy pounds and come in various sizes. Mounts that handle smaller TV monitors are available now and those that can handle bigger monitors should be available soon at an MSRP of $449.00.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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Griffin Technology Introduces the PowerMate Bluetooth and the Merchant Square Case

Accessories, CES 2014, Video

Griffin Technology showed off two items at CES 2014. The PowerMate Bluetooth and the Merchant Square Case .

The PowerMate Bluetooth is a programmable device which connects to your Mac through Bluetooth. It can be programmed to control various applications. You can use it to control volume, scrub through video, play and stop music and much more. You can program up to six different functions or key commands. It will be available sometime this summer for $59.99.

Merchant Square Case

The Merchant Square Case is a joint effort with Square. It is a case made specifically to work with the Square Card Reader. When in use the Square Card Reader fits snugly into the case. This prevents Square Card reader from moving when you go to swipe a card. It also has a grove to guide the card into the reader. Once you are done using the reader, you can store it in the back of the case, so you never lose it. The Merchant Square Case is available now for $19.99.

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

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Luiqipel discusses its latest smartphone protection

Accessories, CES 2014, Gadgets

luiqipelLuiqipel, as the name implies, is the company who waterproofs your phone. But now it has taken things a bit further, attempting to prevent other damage as well.

Impacts? Screen scratches? Those are two areas the company is focusing upon. The latest technology is a think film that may look like it’s close to nothing, but actually provides the damage control that customers are looking for, both from drops and encounters with keys in pocket or purse. The company claims that a screen can survive a four foot drop of a steel ball upon it. There’s a demo of the latest product, and you’ll need to watch the video below to get a look. You can visit Liquipel to learn more.

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

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Kiwi Wearable Technology

Accessories, Cameras, CES 2014, Mobile, Video

kiwiwearableKiwi Wearables is wearable technology that can be clipped on or worn on the wrist. It works with both bluetooth and wi-fi. The device can interact with both your phone and connected devices within your home network. It has motion, temperature, magnetic and barometer sensors. The Kiwi Wearable also includes a microphone which listens to the environment around the users. The users can also use the microphone to issue commands. You can also issue commands using custom designed gestures. In the video on the website, the user writes an S in mid-air and brings up her Shazam app to identify the song playing over the loud-speaker. The device is not waterproof, but it is something that they are working on. The API is open to developers. The Kiwi Wearable will come in white, silver and black and should be shipping in July. It will be $125 plus shipping. I have to say I am really curious about this device and I am thinking about preordering one. I only hope that it works as advertise

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

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Elmo USA Introduces Qbic-MS1 and the BOXi-T200

Accessories, Cameras, CES 2014, Gadgets, Video

Elmo USA Elmo USA which has been around in the United States since 1973 and in Japan since 1921, offered two new products at CES 2014. The Qbic-MS1 a wearable action camera and the Elmo BOXi T-200 Projector.

The Qbic-MS1 is a wearable camera which can be used to take both videos and photos. It has a standard mount and can use most action camera tripods on the market. It has a wide-angle lens and can take pictures at 120, 145 and 170 degrees. It is WiFi enabled and connects to a free app which will be available in the iTunes app store upon release. An Android app is currently being worked on . You can watch live videos from the camera through the app. You can also control the camera using the app. The Qbic-MS1 will last two hours on a fully charged battery. It uses a micro SD card to store the content. It should be available in spring 2014 for between $200-$300, price is yet to be established.

The Elmo BOXi T200 is a light and compact mobile projector. It is 3.7 inches x 6.0 inches by 1.4 inches and weights only 0.6 lb.. It produces 1080 resolution. You can project a 50 inch image with only three feet of room. The Elmo BOXi T200 has HDMI input, and audio output. You can also listen to audio directly from the device. The device is available on the website for $429.

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

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Garmin VIRB Action Camera

Accessories, Cameras, CES 2014, Gadgets, Mobile, Video

Garmin VIRBGarmin are well known for their satnavs and GPS-based devices but a new range of wearable action cameras were announced at this year’s CES. Todd chats to Maddy about the new cams.

Garmin’s range of action cameras are 1080p HD video cameras in a ruggedised and waterproof (IPX7) case, with a built-in 1.4″ display and around 3 hours of recording time. There’s full range of accessories and the VIRB camera comes with an industry mounts compatible adaptor so existing gear can be potentially re-used.

The basic VIRB is $299 and the VIRB Elite is $399. Available now.

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

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Ford Electric Concept Car

Auto, CES 2014

Ford LogoTodd takes a look at Ford’s C-Max Solar Energi concept car, which amongst other things, features a solar panel roof that uses a special light concentrator lens similar to a magnifying glass to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. Ford reckons that a day’s worth of sunshine is enough to charge the hybrid’s battery, which is good for 21 electric-only miles.

This is good news for the environment as it would reduce yearly carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions from the average US car by as much as four metric tons – the equivalent of what a American house produces in four months. This probably assumes a perfect sunshine record and maximum electric mileage each day, but, hey, every little bit helps.

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

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Brinno – Looking through the Peephole

Accessories, CES 2014, Gadgets, Home, Video, Wireless

Brinno LogoDon looks through the peephole with Chris Adams from Brinno at their latest home security cameras. Brinno are known for their time-lapse and motion detecting digital cameras and this is the latest addition to their PeepHole Viewer range.

The PeepHole Viewer digital camera is designed to fit over standard door peepholes to record activity on the outside of the door, either as short videos or else as still photos on a micro SD card. Connecting the camera to the peephole is very straightforward and a new peephole is included with the camera just in case the existing peephole is damaged or dirty. Footage can be reviewed on the camera itself or else transferred to a laptop or PC using the memory card to look at visitors in more detail.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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Beam introduces video chat robot

Cameras, CES 2014, Health, Video

beamVideo chat has become common in today’s world, especially in the workplace. Robotics, though, still has a tendency to sound a bit futuristic. Beam, however, has found a way to combine the two, with a robot that sports a video display, allowing for both face-to-face chat and mobility.

All of this functionality is controlled by the person seen on the screen, who controls the robot from a desktop or laptop computer. This is done by an app the company provides to the buyer for installation on any computer. The Beam, which comes from Suitable Technologies, is available right now. It’s geared towards corporate use, as the price comes in at $16,000, but that includes setup and support.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor

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