Category Archives: Gadgets

SmartSafe Brings Security to Your Wrist

CES 2015, Gadgets

Digital and physical security has become quite a major topic, especially with issues like the Sony Pictures and iCloud hacks. So, how do you ensure security in a time when the rest of the world wants in?

SmartSafe believes they can help with their combination physical and biometric security watch. The watch is activated via biometric scan and can then be used to unlock computers, doors or any other system capable of accepting the watch’s commands.

One of the big problems with physical password keys, such as USB managers, is that once they leave the possession of the owner, the security is breached. With SmartSafe, however, once the watchband is broken, the authorization is broken as well and has to be reauthenticated via biometrics. The watch also ensures that the watch is being worn and the wearer is alive, meaning that you can’t steal the watch through other means.

The watch will hopefully hit the market this year, with a varying pricepoint based on number purchased, as it is not intended directly to consumer.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Phonotonic – A Strangely Shaped Digital Musical Instrument

CES 2015, Gadgets

PhonotonicAt CES, there are a few categories that products fall into, like productivity or wearables. One of my personal favorites, however, is the truly odd and wonderful, which describes Phonotonic. This product is a honeycomb-shaped object that, when paired with a phone, allows you to create music.

With a single item, you are able to create lead. By adding a second item, you can add rhythm. It is all accomplished through motion sensors, like accelerometers, paired with an app that is able to translate those motions into sounds. Softer motions produce softer sounds; harder motions create more intense sounds.

After seeing the product from a distance, I was skeptical. Nicolas Rasamimanana, founder and CEO demonstrated their usage, however, and completely changed my mind. The product is currently available only in France for 80 euros, but will be coming to the rest of the world soon.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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HearNotes are Wireless Earbuds at CES

CES 2015, Gadgets, Wireless, , , , ,

HearNotes“Audiophile,” “wireless” and “earbuds” you often see together. There are a couple of reasons for this but the main one is that Bluetooth isn’t really very good for music streaming, even with modern codecs like AptX. HearNotes believes they have solved this problem. Patrick Donohue explains what HearNotes can offer to audiophiles.

HearNotes wirefree earbuds are special for three reasons. First the earbuds are genuinely wireless with no wires even between the earbuds. Second the earbuds charge wirelessly in a matching case – there’s no plugging in to charge up – giving about 4 hours of listening between charges. Finally the wireless transmission uses a high quality wireless audio technology called Kleer. And of course, HearNotes uses top notch audio components in its design.

A small transmitter plugs into the 3.5mm audio port to support the Kleer technology so the HearNotes can be used in most situations, with most devices. This is undoubtedly a benefit but the audio output from most DACs in portable equipment leaves a great deal to be desired.

The HearNotes will be available in Q1 for a fairly pricey $349 from retailers nationwide.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Todd Aune of The Elder Divide for the TechPodcast Network.
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Plastc Is One Card to Rule Them All at CES

CES 2015, Gadgets, Video, , ,

Plastc CardWe’re all burdened by many of these plastic rectangles otherwise known as credit, debit, bank, membership and loyalty cards are high up the agenda. Many of these cards are infrequently used but you don’t want to leave them behind “just in case”. Plastc looks to replace all those cards with just one. Todd finds out more about his new flexible friend from Ryan.

The Plastc card incorporates a programmable magnetic strip, EMV chip and an eInk touch-screen display. The stripe and the chip make the Plastc very flexible and future-proofed for “Chip’n’PIN” which is widespread in Europe and soon to come to the U.S. The eInk touch-screen selects and displays the card currently being cloned. The screen can also show barcodes for laser-scanned loyalty cards.

The Plastc card works with an app for iOS and Android to upload the details of the card via bluetooth and there are several security systems in place to ensure that the Plastc card is unusable if lost. The Plastc card is currently on pre-order for $155 with delivery expected in summer 2015.

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

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Unleash the AirDog (at CES)

CES 2015, Gadgets, Toys & Gaming, Video, Wireless

AirDogWith the advances in drone technology, it’s easy to fly most drones these days. To fly a drone well and record video at the same time still takes a great deal of skill. It’s especially difficult if you are the pilot, cinematographer and star all at the same time. If this is your problem, then the AirDog is the solution. Todd cries, “Havoc” and lets slip the AirDogs of war.

The AirDog drone has two unique selling points. First, it folds up to fit into a backpack and second, it can follow its owner from the air, filming the action. The owner wears a wristband somewhat reminiscent of Jack Harkness which lets the drone track the owner’s position. Various parameters can be set to adjust how the AirDog positions itself relative to the owner, such as height and distance. Seriously cool.

The AirDog will be available later in the year for $1,500 but are open for a little under $1,300. You’ll also need to get yourself a GoPro camera.

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

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Kelvin Wireless Wine Thermometer at CES

Accessories, CES 2015, Gadgets, Home

Kelvin LogoWatching the video for the Kelvin Duo wireless wine thermometer put me in mind for a glass, so as I write this, I’ve a tasty little Sicilian red to hand. But how do I know that I’m getting the best from the wine? Let the wine breathe – check. Wide glass – check. Temperature….hmm, not so sure about that…and that’s where the Kelvin thermometer comes to the rescue.

The Kelvin Duo consists of a thermometer band that goes round the bottle, transmitting the temperature to a receiver which in turn shows the temp on a small screen. The screen’s backlight is colour-coded to red, green and blue for too warm, just right and too cold.  The Kelvin is straightforward to use: first choose your wine, second select the category of wine from a choice of ten (four for white, three for red, two for sparkling and one for rosé), next put the band on the bottle and the bottle in the fridge. Finally, wait for the receiver screen to get into the green (or just flick into the blue) then pour and enjoy!

The Kelvin Duo is already on sale in the UK for £39.99 and will be coming to the US in the coming months with a price somewhere around $70-$80.

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

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Liquid Image Ego LS at CES Unveiled

Accessories, Cameras, CES 2015, Gadgets, Video, Wireless

Liquid Image LogoLiquid Image weren’t a company with which I was familiar but having looked at their website, they have an impressive range of action cameras, with some interesting models where the camera is integrated into a scuba mask or ski goggles. At CES Unveiled, Todd interviews Melanie about Liquid Image’s new streaming wireless camera.

The Ego LS is hand-sized wearable and mountable camera not unlike others on the market but its key feature is that it can stream video over the Verizon 4G LTE network including XLTE allowing for fast live streaming. In addition to 4G LTE, the wireless features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Low Frequency RF, which keeps the camera in standby mode for over a day without draining the battery. This makes the camera very flexible with a range of wireless coverage options and the Ego can simply record to memory if there’s no wireless at all. Neat.

The Ego LS model 800 is expected to retail at $399 and will be available in Q1 2015 for the US, with availability in other territories including Europe, Russia, Japan and Canada in Q2 and Q3.

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

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Peri Duo Speaker Case for iPhone

Accessories, CES 2015, Entertainment, Gadgets, Mobile

Peri Logo

When it comes to smartphones and tablets, there are few mobile devices that produce anything like a decent volume and as for stereo separation, forget it. Fortunately Peri can come to the aid of iPhone owners with the Peri Duo, a high-power wireless speaker and phone charger case. Todd and Jamie find out more from Cedric Sumimoto, co-founder of Peri.

The Peri Duo is a standalone wi-fi and bluetooth-enabled speaker and iPhone charger case all in one. As expected, music can be streamed via AirPlay but the iPhone doesn’t have to be in the case when playing the music, so the Duo speaker can be on the opposite side of the room while the iPhone is safely in a pocket. Even better, more than one Duo can be connected to a phone so one Duo can be assigned as the left speaker and one as the right. Alternatively, one phone can multicast to dozens of Peri Duos, which really gets the party going.

The battery is 2500 mAh which will fully recharge an iPhone once with a bit over, or else the Duo will play music for around 4 hours.

The Peri Duo will be available for the iPhone 5, 5s, 6 and iPod Touch. The MSRP will be $139 though it’s currently on pre-order at $99 via Indigogo. Deliveries are expected from April onwards.

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

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Audio-Technica Gets SonicSporty At CES

Accessories, CES 2015, Entertainment, Gadgets, Mobile

Audio-Technica LogoJapanese audio specialists Audio-Technica have a long pedigree in sound going back to the 60s with an impressive client list include a number of successive Summer and Winter Olympics. Todd and Crystal Griffith take a look at the latest headphones from Audio-Technica.

First up are new additions to the SonicSport line of in-ear headphones, each of which has a different mechanism for retaining the earbud in the ear. Some hang over the ear, others lock into the inner part of the pinna. The idea is that Audio-Technica has headphones that suit you and your activities. The USP of these in-ear phones is that in addition to the standard ear-tips, ridged ear-tips are provided which allow a small amount of external sound through. This makes the SonicSport headphone range a good choice for those who need to be a little more aware of their surroundings. Prices start at $35.

Next are a new pair of high-end audiophile over-ear headphones. Aimed at the lossless music market, these headphones are technically designed to get the best from the music source while providing comfortable extended listening. US availability is March at an RRP of $249.

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

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Link, the Wireless Wearable Hardrive

CES 2015, Gadgets

info4The Link is a small, solid state, wireless hard drive that you wear on your wrist. It uses a multitude of wireless technologies to connect to your computer or mobile device, such as bluetooth, wifi, wifi direct, and even NFC. The best part is that it will always default to the fastest available technology. It even charges wirelessly.

The Link’s battery life is another great selling point. It has two weeks of standby time, and it can stream hd video for 12 hours on one charge. Yes, you read that correctly, 12 hours. It should last longer than the device you are viewing the video on. 20 devices can be connected to the Link at once, and it can stream data to up to seven at a time. It is compatible with Android and iOS (with the use of the Link app), Mac, PC, and Linux. It can have up to 1TB of storage, is UV resistant, water resistant, and shock proof.

The Link has 38 days left on its Indiegogo campaign, but the project will still be funded even if it doesn’t make the goal. You can preorder it through the campaign for $199, $279, $449, and $799 for the 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models respectively. If you want more information about the Link, check out their website LinkBand.io.

Interview by Chris Davis for the Tech Podcast Network.

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