Tag Archives: CES

Skifta by Qualcomm

CES 2012, Mobile, ,

Skifta Qualcomm which is known for its silicon and wi-fi technology for handsets and tablets is spreading into software and service. One of the consumer products they are currently developing is called Skifta. It is a media shifting platform which works through DLNA-certified and UPnP -compatible devices. DLNA protocol has been around for about eight years. Most TVs today which are over 36 inches and Internet enable are DLNA capable. The Web site of your TV’s manufacture should let you know if your TV is DLNA capable. DLNA is a nonprofit trade organization which enables the sharing of digital media between various consumer devices by defining interoperability guidelines. Because DLNA is a nonprofit organization they don’t have the money to spend on advertising and promotion, so its adoption has been slow but steady. The growth of the Smart or Connected TV market has help to increase its popularity over the last 12-18 months. Its biggest rival is Apple’s Air Play.

Qualcomm was showing off its software platform Skifta at CES 2012, which works with the DLNA platform. Think of Skifta as Airplay for Android. Once Skifta is installed on your Android device, it will go out and find any DLNA enabled device including TV’s, computers and the Playstation. You can then sending any media that is available on your network to that device. Skifta also gives you access to various Internet providers including Revision3, Ted Talks, Facebook and others.

Qualcomm is also developing a Skifta audio adapter which you attach to a receiver that is not DLNA enable and enable it. They are also making a DLNA platform that can be installed easily by the manufacture into a receiver. I installed the Skifta application on my Android phone and it almost immediately connected and found the media on my network. Once I set up an account it also let me pick up media from Revision3 and Ted Talks among others. Unfortunately I don’t have a connected TV, so for me its use is limited, but I love its possibilities.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee Wave of Tech

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Yale Locks Brings High Tech to the Common Door

CES 2012, Home, ,

Yale has new home door locks that bring a high-tech flare to your house. These aren’t your average doorsets – they have touch-screens and smartphone apps. You can buy the locks alone from many retailers, like Amazon, however, they are big with custom installers of home security systems. Now they have introduced NFC (near field communication) to their locks. That means you don’t need a key or a code. Your phone alone can unlock the door just by being close to it. If you are worried about your phone being lost or stolen then you can set up a secondary line of security such as a pass code. You can also revoke a mobile key via the web site if a phone gets lost. In addition, you can assign a separate code to each person in your home and even have the lock send you a text when someone passes through the door. Yale Locks are available on the market today, and the ones with NFC technology will be arriving soon. Prices and availability have not yet been determined.

You can find out more at Yale. Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Duracell is Bringing Wireless Charging Everywhere

CES 2012, Wireless, ,

Duracell is starting in one the mecca’s of sports, Madison Square Garden, in their pursuit to build a network of wireless charging everywhere you go. They will be partnered with some 2013 cars and envision a future of airports, coffee shops, and more where your devices will just charge wirelessly simply by being there in that location.

Partnered with Proctor and Gamble, Duracell is perhaps the first to tackle this market, and they are in it in a big way with lots of expansion plans. Your phone won’t just magically charge by being present in a location, though. There will be Powermat stations available in locations where you will likely spend an extended period of time, like coffee shops, bars, and the like. They also plan a Google Maps app that will show you charging locations in your area. In fact, eventually they envision the Powermat technology built right into new devices with no case necessary.

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

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Mastercard 1 time use Credit Card Numbers on your iPhone

CES 2012, Home, ,


Todd and Steve talk with Heather Stone, VP at Mastercard, about their new app that allows you to bring up a one time use credit card number on the fly. The GlobalVCard app by Mastercard will allow you to also send 1 time use credit card number by email, text or photo to an employee or family member with restrictions in under a minute. The app is available now for iPhone,iPad, Android and Blackberry.

You can read more about it at globalvcard.com

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Waterproof Your Gear With Liquipel

Accessories, CES 2012,

Liquipel LogoNanotech waterproof coatings have been quite the fashion at CES this year but Liquipel‘s offering is a little bit different. Todd and Steve learn more from Kevin Bacon of Liquipel.

Liquipel have developed a nanotechnology-based liquid-repelling coating for electronic devices that makes the device waterproof for short periods of immersion. This sounds pretty much like ever other waterproofing technology on the market…except Liquipel can waterproof gadgets you already own. Woah!

For only $59, you can send Liquipel a phone or mp3 player and they will waterproof it for you. At the moment there’s a restricted list of devices that Liquipel will coat but the list includes some Apple, Motorola, Samsung and HTC devices. The list of approved devices will expand over time and if you have a particular need, you can get in touch with them.

Watch the video if you want to see an Apple iPhone get dunked in water!

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network and Steve Lee of Waves of Tech.

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Mobile Content Venture: Live TV on the Go with Dyle

CES 2012, Mobile, TVs, ,

Mobile Content Venture Somewhere in the back of a closet in a box, I have a portable TV. I use to carry it with me when I went camping or to a ball game. If I wanted to watch TV would simply turn it on and pull out the antenna and I was ready to go. Unfortunately when everything went digital, the TV became useless. Mobile Content Venture has joined with Samsung and Metro PCS, the 5th largest wireless carrier to bring mobile live TV back to the US consumer. The handset is made by Samsung and has an embedded mobile E. DTV tuner. Mobile Content Venture created the software application called Dyle which allows you to watch live TV over the device. Once the device is released in the US it will be available in 14 cities. They hope to expand to up to 32 cities. Depending on your location you can receive up to 6 channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and ION. You can also use Twitter, Facebook on the device.

If you already have a iOS device, then you might want to consider a Belkin accessory. This is a small dongle which connects to your iOS device using the 30 pin connector. Normally you would need an antenna to watch live TV however Belkin and Mobile Content Venture have developed a way around that problem by making the headphones the antenna. When you are ready to watch TV, just hit the Dyle application and you are ready to go.

At this time there is no pricing or availability date for the US for either of these two devices. The Dyle application will be free and available from the iOS store.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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Qubeey

CES Countdown,

Qubeey It happens to all of us, we follow so many people and companies on various social media sites that we miss the things we are really interested in. Let’s face it most of us have a handful of people or business that we are truly interested in, our family and close friends, maybe a company we are interested in or a favorite band. In the flood of social media, those are the things that are so easy to miss. That is the problem that Qubeey is trying to solve.

It is a cube that sits on your desk top. It captures the information from those you are really interested in and saves them for you to view when it’s convenient. Qubeey also has more visual cues, videos and images than other methods have. It allows you to stay connected with out having a web page open. When you get home at the end of the day you can see that your favorite band has released a new album and has one of their songs on YouTube. Click on it and watch it. Maybe you get a kick out of the crazy things your best friend says on Twitter, but you miss half of them because you are at work, well no more. It also allows business to target people who are truly interested in them. You can also use Skype or GoToMeeting with out ever leaving Qubeey. No more having to have an extra window or tab open in a browser and then having to click on it everytime you want to check your updates. Qubeey sits on your desktop and notifies you when something important to you is posted. Qubeey is currently free and still in beta and unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, Have you used Qubeey what do you think of it

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee Wave of Tech

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Nothing But Nets – A surprising visit to our booth

CES 2012, Health,

Todd and Steve get a surprise visit from a funny bug with a serious message. Even though it was Friday afternoon, and everyone was a bit punchy (including the tricaster operator in the studio) they managed to get the word out on this very important issue.

Nothing but Nets is a charity that sends mosquito nets to people in Africa. In Africa 1000’s of people die of mosquito-born illness. Nothing but nets will send a long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed net, distribute it, and educate communities on its use, all for $10. 100 percent of every $10 contribution to cover the costs.

You can donate by going to www.nothingbutnets.net

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IEEE Gives a Look Behind Today’s Tech

CES 2012, Computers,

IEEE, the commonly used abbreviation for the Institute for Electronics and Electrical Engineers, dropped by the TPN booth last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to chat a bit about what is going on with the organization right now.

IEEE.org looks at all aspects of today’s technology, but also helps to set standards for some of it. You may have seen their logo on some products, but they have their hands on a lot more than you may realize, like 3D for instance. They also offer a lot of conferences on a broad range of topics and a large digital library that is open to the public. In addition, they also work with people to ensure the technical accuracy of papers and documentation before publication.

The video below is a fascinating, but technical, look behind the scenes. If you are interested by how this industry works, though, it’s worth checking out.

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

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Fitness Technology Underwater Mini Cameras, Lights at 3,000 Lumens

CES 2012, Gadgets, , , ,

Fitness Technologies has been making waterproof MP3 players since 1996. This year, Fitness Technologies introduced a new line of waterproof video cameras designed for rugged outdoor use.

The first is a helmet-mountable cameras and lamps – up to 3,000 lumens. That is a bright light, no different than a headlight. The light has an interesting look, because they contain a heat-sink to keep the light’s heat down.

Fitness Technologies have mini cameras that fit into a waterproof case.

FitnesstechUSA cameras retail for $200 to $250 and are available now.

You can see all three cameras in the video below, plus you can get a look at a pair of tiny waterproof MP3 player and a new line of diving flashlights.  You can find more about these and other products by visiting Fitness Tech USA.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Andy Smith of Geocaching World

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