Tag Archives: ces

Nortek Brings Water Saving Solutions to CES

February 18, 2016CES 2016ces, CES 2016, Nortek, Z-WaveTodd Cochrane

Home irrigation and water monitoring might not seem like the most exciting technologies being represented at CES. But if you’ve ever had to manage an irrigation system or fallen victim to a hidden water leak, you may find these products from Nortek to be greater than any other gadget the convention had to offer.

Avi Rosenthal, VP of Security & Control at Nortek, stopped by the TPN booth to meet with Todd and Daniel. Avi brought two products. The first is a smart irrigation controller. This controller uses Z-Wave technology to connect to the Internet and other devices. It gets regular weather updates so it knows which days to water the lawn and which days not to. It can be set up with different zones so your lawn and vegetable garden can have different watering schedules. Another Nortek product is the smart flow detector that attaches via velcro to the copper water main that comes into a home from the water company. This device also uses Z-Wave to transmit data to a user’s smartphone. The flow detector can be used to find potential water leaks in the home, down to as small as five ounces of water per hour.

Daniel J. Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

odd Cochrane is the host of the twice weekly Geek News Central Podcast which can be found at GeekNewsCentral.com

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Aurai Helps Fight Eye Fatigue at CES

February 18, 2016CES 2016, HealthAurai, ces, CES 2016Todd Cochrane

Eye strain and eye fatigue are real problems faced by most modern people. All day long, we’re staring at computer screens, tablets, smartphones, and other displays that can be stressful to our eyes. And while we have a number of options available for treating fatigued muscles and joints, there aren’t a lot of choices when it comes to treating eye problems. Aurai is a new “eye massager” that is hoping to change that.

Eric Chu of Taiwanese manufacturer In Trust Technologies stopped by the booth to meet with Daniel and Todd. Eric came armed with a working prototype Aurai. Todd was volunteered to test out the device. Todd compared the Aurai experience to a massage chair but with much lower pressure. He said the sensation of the Aurai is cool and that he could feel it “walking back and forth” over his eyes. Aurai consists of two parts: A silicon mask that’s placed over the eyes and an external controller. Aurai’s massaging action is created with water and its temperature is controlled by a smart-chip enhanced thermal-electric cooler. In Trust Technologies will be launching a Kickstarter campaign soon to further development of its Aurai massager. The company is hoping to offer an early bird special of $119 to its Kickstarter backers. When the product goes full retail, it’s expected to sell for $239. You can register to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign goes live if you’re interested in purchasing an Aurai eye massager.

Daniel J. Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

odd Cochrane is the host of the twice weekly Geek News Central Podcast which can be found at GeekNewsCentral.com

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Kwikset’s Z-Wave Protocol Locks Provide Peace of Mind

February 10, 2016CES 2016, Homeces, CES 2016, KwiksetTodd Cochrane

Everyone wants to keep their homes safe and secure. Kwikset is the largest lock manufacturer in the world. They make a whole series of products that can replace the door locks in your home with an updated, IoT version.

Todd and Marlo spoke with Director of North American Sales and Business Development for Kwikset, Larry Goldman, at CES 2016. He discussed Kwikset’s new line of door locks that operate in the Z-Wave protocol. Z-Wave is a wireless technology that is similar to Bluetooth. The difference is that Z-Wave has been designed specifically for security and is part of the IoT platform.

Kwikset offers a series of products that replace the door locks in your home. It ranges from a simple keypad door lock to a touch screen door lock. These door locks operate wirelessly and run on 4 AA batteries (which can easily last for a year). You can connect these door locks to an app on your phone that will let you see which doors are locked or unlocked, to lock the door remotely, or to let someone in while you are not at home. This technology brings homeowners peace of mind.

Marlo Anderson is rounding up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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Velodyne LiDar Leads the Way for Autonomous Vehicles

February 10, 2016Auto, CES 2016ces, CES 2016, LiDAR, VelodyneTodd Cochrane

Google cars are autonomous vehicles that drive themselves. If you look at the top of a Google car, you will see technology from Velodyne LiDar. Those little devices use LiDar technology (which is a 3D viewing mechanism). They are key sensors for autonomous driving.

Daniel spoke with President of New Business Development for Velodyne LiDar, Marta Hall, at CES 2016. Marta talked about the new generation of LiDar technology. The devices are a key sensor for not only autonomous driving but also for autonomous intelligence. Marta Hall explained that if you want to be very safe in an autonomous moving vehicle you need a system of safety that has autonomous intelligence. This technology can save lives.

Daniel J. Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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CentraLite Smart Switch Talks to Smart LED Bulbs

February 10, 2016CES 2016, HomeCentraLite, ces, CES 2016Todd Cochrane

The Internet of Things is made up of several smart devices and appliances. The trick is to figure out what to do with this technology to make it work best for you in your home. CentraLite is “the man behind the curtain” that makes the IoT devices for a lot of companies that you have heard of.

Daniel spoke with Director of Marketing for CentraLite, Jason Whatley at CES 2016. CentraLite is an IoT device manufacturer. They make things like smart sensors, thermostats, in-wall switches, and more for companies you’ve heard of like Samsung’s SmartThings and Lowe’s Iris system. CentraLite has been making IoT devices since before there was an “internet of things”.

One of the devices CentraLite makes is a Smart Switch. It solves two problems that home owners who use Smart LED bulbs have. One problem is that turning off the Smart LED bulbs kills the power to those bulbs. The other problem is that there isn’t a convenient way to turn a Smart LED bulb on or off without pulling out your smartphone. The Smart Switch is a device that goes over an existing light switch in your home. It locks out the switch and provides dimming buttons that talk to the LED Smart bulbs.

Daniel J. Lewis dares you to get started in podcasting with The Audacity to Podcast.

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Meet SunPort, the World’s First Smart Grid Solar Delivery Device

February 9, 2016CES 2016, Gadgetsces, CES2016, f5 live, gadgets, power, solar, sunport, techPLUGHITZ Live

Amid the bright lights of Las Vegas, SunPort offers a way for consumers to be much more energy conscience with how they use their devices.

SunPort is a tiny box that plugs into your outlet and measures the amount of energy that goes through it. That information is then tracked and matched with solar energy purchased from solar farms by usage. This allows for the application of solar energy without the need for installing panels or having sufficient land. SunPort director of information systems Nick Williams compared the method to depositing money into a bank and then withdrawing it from an ATM.

The device is portable, of course, meaning it can be used in any outlet so you can use your solar energy on the go. It can be preordered now and is expected to cost $80 per year for both the plug-in and the energy.

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Your Pan Now Knows What It’s Cooking with SmartyPans

February 9, 2016CES 2016, Gadgetsces, CES2016, cooking, f5 live, gadgets, home, kitchen, smartypans, techPLUGHITZ Live

The evolving smart household has reached the stove-top with the introduction of SmartyPans. The app-enhanced cookware offers both nutritional information as well as assists users in the cooking of their food.

SmartyPans uses built-in temperature and weight sensors to help compute nutrition as you cook. Use the app to tell the pan the ingredient you are adding to efficiently track information about your meal in real time. Users can either add ingredients on the fly or pull recipes from the app, which also can assist you in properly preparing the food. The pan is dishwasher safe and detaches to also serve as a serving dish.

Co-founder and CEO Prachi Baxi said at CES that the product should be available for mass retail by the end of the year and is expected to be priced at $289. More information can be found on the company’s website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

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Immerse Yourself in a Complete 3D Sound Experience with 3D Sound One Headphones

February 9, 2016CES 2016, Gadgets3d sound labs, audio, ces, CES2016, f5 live, gadgets, headphones, techPLUGHITZ Live

3D Sound Labs is looking to combine state-of-the-art 3D audio sound with the comfort and style of the other name-brand headphones on the market.

The company showed off its 3D Sound One headphones at CES as it tries to reproduce real-life audio into a personal and portable home theater. The headphones combine surround-sound quality with 9 axis motion sensors that lock the audio into position — centered sound stays centered regardless of movement. 3D Sound Labs is hoping this provides the ultimate real-life audio experience to media ranging from movies to gaming to virtual reality. The headphones are bluetooth smart and charge through a USB port.

3D Sound One headphones are available for purchase at their website and retail for $299.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

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Stay Plugged Into Your Car with Akolyt

February 9, 2016CES 2016, Gadgetsakolyte, car, ces, CES2016, drust, f5 live, gadgets, tech, vehiclePLUGHITZ Live

Everybody could use a little help maintaining their car and that is a role that Drust’s Akolyt is looking to fill.

The Akolyt is a device that plugs directly into a car’s dashboard and provides real-time information and support to one’s smart phone via a free app. The device assists in several areas of maintaining a vehicle, from feedback on how you drive the car to upcoming maintenance alerts. That includes such things as wear on tires, breaks and oil. The Akolyt can also help to get a driver assistance should a breakdown or accident occur and CEO Michael Fernandez said at CES that the device provides performance tips that could lead to up to 20-to-30 percent in gas savings.

Of course, in an increasingly social world, users can also measure their performance against other drivers and accrue points to level up and earn badges.

The Akolyt has started to become available in Europe and Fernandez said the company has an eye towards a release in the United States at a later time.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

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Spun Puts a New Spin on the Way You Eat, with Food-Tracking Utensils

February 7, 2016CES 2016, Gadgetsces, CES2016, gadgets, Health, spun, techPLUGHITZ Live

Fitness and healthy eating are on the mind of many people around the globe, with technology a major player in helping those to reach personal goals. Spun utensils are just the latest tool aiming to assist consumers in tracking what they are putting into their bodies.

Spun utensils are designed to take calorie-counting apps to the next level. After taking a picture and identifying the food on your plate, the smart utensil tracks calories and nutrients with each bite rather than just calculating the whole meal. This means you can cut your portion short should you reach your calorie limit before the plate is cleared. The app also allows for things such as monitoring seconds between bites and you can even select profiles that will offer tailored recommendations towards reaching your personal goals.

For an expected retail of $74.99, a Spun starter pack will come with the intelligence handle along with two different spoon size plug-ins as well as a fork attachment. A stylish carrying case is also included with the product. Founder Umar Bakhsh said the utensils will launch in beta form in March of this year with a hopeful release in June.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

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