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Griffin PowerDock Pro at CES

Accessories, CES 2015, Gadgets, Home

Griffin LogoIf your house is like my home, there’s a plethora of gadgets to be recharged overnight and a quick tally gives five devices to be plugged in on a regular basis, from phones to tablets to mi-fis. The good news is that Griffin might have the answer with new PowerDock Pro which both charges and organises devices at the same time. Todd finds out more from Heather at the Griffin booth.

The PowerDock Pro can charge five devices at once while neatly racking the smartphones and tablets in bays to keep them tidy with cable management hidden in the base. Smart electronics charge the devices without overcharging and because it charges via USB, it’s device agnostic. Regrettably the PowerDock Pro won’t be available until Q3 with an anticipated price of $130. (If you can’t wait that long, the PowerDock 5 is available now).

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

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Antelope Goes Atomic at CES

CES 2015, Home

Antelope LogoAntelope Audio are manufacturers of professional and high-end home audio products. Well known in the industry, Antelope counts Stevie Wonder, Rhianna and Justin Timberlake as customers. At CES, Marlo chats with Georgi Lazarov from Antelope Audio about their Zodiac Platinum DSD DAC.

The Zodiac Platinum has three key components with the DSD DAC at the heart of the system. Antelope pursue the goal of keeping the music reproduction as close as possible to the original recorded by the artist and the DAC supports up to DSD128 (Double-DSD) and 384 kHz, 24-bit streaming. In addition, the DSD features include a unique 256x upsampling mode where DSD64 and DSD128 are upsampled to DSD256, knocking the standard CD into the proverbial cocked hat.

To complement the DAC, there is Voltikus audiophile grade power supply, and to keep everything in sync, an atomic clock. Driven by a 10M Rubidium oscillator, the atomic clock provides the most accurate and stable clocking reference keeping the digital to analogue conversion as close to perfect as possible.

Available now from audio dealers worldwide.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.

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Perfect Bake with Connected Scales at CES

Accessories, CES 2015, Gadgets, Home

Perfect BakeAlthough the Internet of Things is very much of the moment, sometimes all you need is a connected device. In this case, the device being connected is a set of kitchen scales. Todd and Todd start cooking with Darin Barri and Perfect Bake Scale and App.

Targetted at cooks and bakers, Perfect Bake combines digital scales with a tablet app to make sure that the weight (or more correctly mass) is just right. Connected via the audio jack, scales can weigh in real-time, showing the quantity on the tablet screen. The app has hundreds of recipes and can walk the baker through the steps with mixing times and instructional videos. The scales come with colour-coded preparation bowls to help too and the app can adjust quantities to suit appetite.

There’s an even an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature is right, so whatever’s baked, it’s baked perfectly every single time.

The app available for both Android and Apple devices, the Perfect Bake Scale and App is available now for $69.99 from Brookstone. A Bluetooth wireless version will be available later in 2015.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Todd Aune of The Elder Divide for the TechPodcast Network.

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OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock at CES

Accessories, CES 2015, Computers, Gadgets, Home

OWC logo (OWC) always turns up at CES with new toys and this year Todd looks on with desire as founder Larry O’Connor shows off the latest accessories from the Mac shop.

First up is a 240 GB SSD with USB3 crammed into a memory stick form factor. Made to match most Apple products with a brushed aluminium finish, it’ll set you back a cool $199. A 480 GB version will be coming soon!

Next is OWC’s which brings five USB 3.0, two Thunderbolt 2, FireWire 800, HDMI, gigabit ethernet and audio in/out ports into a single unit. On order for delivery in February, this will set you back $249 as a CES limited-time special ($299 normally). Very handy if you have legacy FireWire gear that you want to use with newer Apple computers.

Other products mentioned but not shown include SSDs for Mac Pro upgrades, and portable backup drives.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Todd Aune of The Elder Divide for the TechPodcast Network.

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TPN Picks Awards

Accessories, Auto, Cameras, CES 2015, Computers, Gadgets, Health, Home, Mobile, Toys & Gaming, TVs, Video, Wireless

Each year the TPN team picks 10 companies that our team feels are deserving of a TPN pick. The awards are for what we feel is cool at CES and excites us the most. This years 10 picks are exceptional.

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CES 2015 Brilens LS1280 LED Projector

CES 2015, Entertainment, Gadgets, Home, TVs, Video

The Worlds First Portable Laser Projector.  It features an Osram Laser Lamp with over 50,000 hours life and Texas Instrument DLP display technology, as well as a rich multimedia interface, mobile wireless screen mirroring and passive shutter 3D. It comes with a an external battery pack that can power the projector for two hours as well as run on regular power. The Projector is capable of 3800 lumens and was stunning in the studio. The color clarity was simply incredible. The unit retails for $999 and comes with multiple language support.

The projector has almost no heat due to the LED projection and was tested extensively running for up to a week continuously. It comes with a 2 year warranty.  It has nearly every possible media connection while the projector is capable of 720p the image quality was incredible.

In the coming weeks we will be taking a much deeper look at this projector with a separate review by Geek News Central.

 

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CES 2015 – Preshow Commentary

Accessories, Auto, Back Channel, Cameras, CES 2015, Computers, Entertainment, Gadgets, Health, Home, Live Show, Mobile, Partner, Photography, Special Events, Toys & Gaming, TVs, Video, Wireless

Todd Cochrane the host of the Geek News Central Podcast a 10 year veteran of CES discusses how the team coverage is going to shape up this year.

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Audio Technica shows off new headset lineup

Accessories, CES 2014, Home, Wireless

audio-technicaAudio Technica, as the name implies, is in the business of, well, audio products. Now the company is showing off its latest range of headphones, beginning with the standard ear-buds that most of us use daily. The new model is designed to conform to the user, and also includes an in-line microphone to handle those pesky telephone calls as well. It even utilizes a unique volume control that makes it cross-platform compatible — a concession to Apple’s proprietary controls.

The company also trots out its new gaming headset. This is an over-ear style, with a microphone built into it. That new model, the first gaming headset from Audio Technica, is based on the AudioPhile line, and that name alone should explain the quality here. You can find out more by visiting the site, and also watching the video below.

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

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ThingCharger Eliminates Cable Clutter

Accessories, CES 2014, Gadgets, Home

ThingChargerDevice chargers are the bane of modern life with a complete rat’s nest of cables and connectors behind the average desk. Todd chats to Seymour Segnit from ThingCharger about their Indiegogo campaign for a cord-free charger.

The ThingCharger plugs directly into a power socket, with the device’s charging connector on the top of the unit, and pass-thru power outlets meaning that you don’t lose the socket but even more cunningly, you can stack the ThingCharger to charge multiple devices at the same time.

A range of interchangeable charging connectors – Apple 30-pin, Micro-USB, Mini-USB, Apple Lightning – will be available so that different devices can be charged from the same charger and cleverly, the connectors can be stored in the ThingCharger so they’re much harder to lose. It’s brilliant all round, so much so that ThingCharger raised nearly $650,000 against a £25,000 target.

ThingCharger is expected to be available in Q3 of 2014 and you can now for $29.95.

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

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