Geek News Central Special Media Feed

Smart watches have become popular. There are several brands and styles that you can purchase, based on your personal style and preferences. One61 Studio makes superhero smart watches that geeks will find appealing. Todd spoke with Anand from Know Things at CES 2018. Know Things builds development tools that accelerate IoT and connected devices development. They partnered with One61 Studio to help them solve problems that developers face while creating a smart product. One61 Studio has created a superhero smart watch line. They started with the Batman smart watch, which is based on the Batman played by Adam West in the ’60s. The Batman smart watch can be used to take calls, get text messages, and everything else you expect from a smart watch. Know Things managed the Bluetooth layer to extend battery life, so you get 18 to 24 hours of battery even while actually using it. In addition, they added some gamification. They call the Step Counter “Crime Fighting”. Take a certain number of steps, and the first villain Batman catches is The Joker. The Batman smart watch is available now on the One61 Studio website for $124.99 A smart watch based on The Flash is also available now at $124.99. The Wonder Woman smart watch will become available in April for $149.99. It is a round smart watch that includes heartbeat detection (which is not a feature of the square smart watches.) Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!

There are plenty of smart home devices on the market to choose from. The difficult part is getting everything to work together in your smart home. U-Finder provides a solution to this problem. They have a professional smart home system. Todd spoke with Mark from U-Finder at CES 2018. U-Finder Technology Limited focuses on smart home automation. Their smart home product is called the U-Finder System. It can be used by hotels, offices, nursing homes, and in the homes of individuals and families. U-Finder helps you create a smart new life. The U-Finder smart home solution is completely modular and easy to set up. It is ready for plug and play not only in new environments but also in existing buildings. In addition to the professional smart home system, U-Finder has over 200 products that can become part of that system. U-Finder’s newest smart home solution makes use of 3D and VR technology. Use their app to turn on your lights by touching the light in the app. You can also turn products off or on by voice command. Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!

The nature of work today is often one of multi-tasking. An hour on this project, a teleconference with some clients, a few hours on a proposal and by the time it gets to the end of the day, it’s tricky to get the billable time down. TimeFlip have a simple and effective answer to this in the shape of a large gaming dice. Todd and Ilya spend some time understanding the solution. The TimeFlip is a dodecahedron* about the size of a coffee mug. The shape is hollow and has a Bluetooth-enabled circuit board inside that’s really good at figuring out which way up it is. On the sides of the dice are symbols or words representing work activities. To accurately record time spent on a project, it’s simply a case of making sure that the particular activity is uppermost. At the end of the day, sync via Bluetooth to the TimeFlip app for a complete record of work activities and durations. Aiming at both B2C and B2B, the TimeFlip can come in a couple of different polyhedrons, and there are versions available for download and 3D printing. The consumer version retails for US$49.99 and can be ordered from TimeFlip. * Of course, a dodecahedron has 12 sides. Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!

The gaming experience has steadily improved since Pong. Each generation of console and processor brings more detailed graphics, faster framerates, improved sound, force feedback vibration, VR, AR…. They’re all designed to make games more immersive and realistic without actually injuring the player. The latest addition to the gaming word is Vortx from Whirlwind FX: Todd takes the heat with Timothy, Founder and CEO. The Vortx brings greater realism to the player by blowing hot and cold air in reponse to on-screen action. Imagine a demon throwing fireballs. As the player dodges a fireball, the Vortx blasts hot breath at the player as the ball slips past. Or imagine an adventure game, climbing through frozen mountains. The Vortx chills the air as the player climbs higher. It’s impressive. About the size of a desktop speaker (9″ tall), the Vortx connects to a PC via USB and works with the Whirlwind FX engine. It uses object recognition and analysis to automatically trigger heat or cold, so Vortx can be used with any PC game without modification. The Vortx is available for pre-order now at US$119, with shipping expected soon. Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!

There are a variety of hubs on the market for people who have Smart Homes. Those hubs are specialized to coordinate with the products that make up your IoT. You need another device if you want to make use of a digital assistant, a smartphone for calls, and a computer for games and music. SmartBeings puts all this together – and more – in WooHoo. Don spoke with Joe from SmartBeings at CES 2018. WooHoo is the first truly artificial intelligence smart home hub. It is the next generation of AI assistants. The device can identify users by facial recognitions through its HD cameras, and through voice authentication based on voice print. This allows WooHoo to differentiate between users. The camera has motion sensors that will allow it to turn 360° to face a user that is behind it. It also has an infrared camera inside it for low light situations. The devices knows who you are based on information stored within the device. WooHoo also has a smart hub inside it what has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigby, and Z-Wave. It also has 4G LTE. You can hook up your HDMI TV to WooHoo. It is also possible to surf the internet on Woohoo. You can communicate with WooHoo verbally (like you would with other digital assistants), through its dashboard, or with a gesture. WooHoo will be on the market in April of 2018. You will be able to purchase it through a telco. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

Up to now, drones have been little more than toys and camera platforms, promising much but delivering little. Working with Directorate General for Civil Aviation, Azure Drones‘ Skeyetech provides “100% autonomous and 24/7 operational drones” as a “security drone solution“. Antoine and Todd talk about the new security guard. A market leader in France, Azur Drones has developed an airborne surveillance system for the remote monitoring of industrial properties. The system, called Skeyetech, is composed of a smart drone equipped with HD and thermal cameras, and a smart (weather) station which recharges the drones, monitors the weather and provides protection for the craft. Skeyetech drones can be programmed and undertake automated flights, before accurately landing on their docking stations to be recharged. The docking stations aren’t just power outlets but relay instructions and information from the drones. Consequently, the drones can be controlled remotely making them capable of operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without any human intervention. It comes at a fraction of a cost of traditional video surveillance. Technically, the drones can fly for 35 minutes before needing recharged for 30 minutes. Top speed is 50 mph and they’re waterproof to IP56. The drones can be configured to patrol premises on a regular basis, or respond to alerts generated by motion sensors. This isn’t the kind of drone found on the shelves of Best Buy or Fry’s. Interested parties will need upwards of US$100,000. Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!  

There are massage chairs and then there are BodyFriend massage chairs. With these chairs, it’s not so much getting a gentle pummelling from a recliner as putting on Iron Man’s exoskeleton with Jarvis as your masseur. Todd gets a sensational experience with Roy. The premium BodyFriend chairs provide full body massage including shoulders, arms, waist, legs and feet, with more than a dozen massage modes (depending on model) including brain concentration and digestive massage. The brain massage uses sound waves to soothe the grey matter. There’s built-in heating, stereo speakers and Bluetooth. Most recently, BodyFriend has partnered with Lamborghini for a new chair which is expected to ship in spring 2018. Other BodyFriend chairs are on sale now in the US with prices from US$5000 to $9000. BodyFriend have partnered with Marvel for themed hugchairs including Spiderman and Captain America. Priced at US$1580, these are aimed at children and grown-up kids while providing a massage experience in a smaller, friendlier chair. Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com. Become a GNC Insider today!  

People want to protect their privacy online, but some are not certain about how to do that. Other might know how to do it, but the process can be tedious and time consuming. InvizBox makes a variety of products to help people keep their privacy online. Don spoke with Paul from InvizBox at CES 2018. InvizBox makes products that are easy to use for cyber security and privacy protection. Connect your phone, laptop or other device to any InvizBox product over Wi-Fi and all your internet traffic is encrypted before it is sent across the internet. InvizBox will take care of the rest. InvizBox Go can be used at home, abroad, or on public Wi-Fi anywhere in the world. In addition to functioning as a VPN, an ad blocker, and a Wi-Fi hotspot extender, it also functions as a power bank so you can charge your phone. The InvizBox 2 and InvizBox Pro connect to your home router. Simply connect your laptop, phone, smart TV and other devices over Wi-Fi or a wired connection. All of your internet traffic will be encrypted. InvizBox Go is available now. The price ranges from $199 to $279 depending on how many months of VPN you want to purchase. InvizBox 2 is priced at $149, and InvizBox 2 Pro is priced art $219. Each comes with 12 months of VPN. It is estimated that those products will start shipping in April of 2018. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

People who want to have a healthy lifestyle might change their diet or increase the amount of time they spend exercising. Romy Paris helps you extend your health awareness to your skin with a cosmetic formulator called Figure. Don spoke with Ann from Romy Paris at CES 2018. The Romy Paris Figure is a personal cosmetics lab that creates your own healthy, fresh, and personalized skin care. You can place it in your bathroom. It connects to the Romy App, which analyzes data relating to your environment and recommends the care that best meets your skins needs in real time. The Romy App can be downloaded for free. The Romy App identifies the best Romy Paris capsules to add to your formulator for a fresh, tailor-made, healthy skincare product in just a few seconds. The Figure formulator can be used by women or men. Figure is priced at €890,00. It comes with primary face care, washing solution, and each of the ten active ingredients. Each package of capsules costs between €12,00 and €15,00 and includes ten capsules. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

The IoT devices you have in your home are designed to make your life easier. Connecting them all together can be very complex. Products from one company might not work well with products from another. Otodo simplifies your IoT with their smart home solution. Don spoke with Eric from Otodo at CES 2018. The Otodo smart home solution uses two products: the Otodo One, and the Ugo. The Otodo One is a hub that allows you to manage many commercial connected objects, and also older remote controlled devices (such as lamps and thermostats) from different brands. It functions as the bridge between your internet provider and all your home IoT objects. The Ugo is an astethically pleasing smart pebble remote that helps you to interact with all your connected devices at home. The Ugo stays in your house. You may want to put near your door. Use the app to pre-program a specific location and associate it with one IoT device (for example, a light). Pick up the Ugo pebble and tap it twice on that location. The light will come on. The Ugo pebble can only be used by the people in your family. The Ugo will not function if an unidentified person picks it up. It is very specific, so you won’t have to worry about accidentally turning off your neighbor’s lights. Otodo is expecting to have these products in the United States later this year. Otodo One will be priced at approximately $30 to $40. Ugo will be priced at $69. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

When a person becomes injured, or gets very sick, they need to see a doctor. This might involve an expensive ride in an ambulance and a big bill to pay. A person who lives in a rural area might not have a local doctor. Telemedicine is a way for a remote patient to be assessed by a physician. Nomadeec has created a solution that is the future of telemedicine. Don spoke with John from Nomadeec at CES 2018. Nomadeec is the first integrated, connected and mobile solution for clinical examination for all field practitioners. They are based in France, where their system is already being used. Nomadeec will arrive in the United States in the beginning of 2019. John explained how the Nomadic solution works. A person requires medical attention. An EMT is sent out. The EMT is wearing a specialized headset that has holographic functionalities and video conferencing. The headset is hands free, which allows the EMT to keep their eyes on the patient. Everything that the EMT sees is sent to a physician – who is not at the scene. The patient receives an expert opinion on their medical situation. Nomadeec works in a business to business capacity. Their entire platform is $15,000. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

What’s on your USB drive? You might have a mixture of work related information, personal photos, and other things that you wouldn’t want to get into the wrong hands. USB drives are small, and that makes them easy to lose. Kingston Technologies has encrypted USB drives that can keep your data secure. Don spoke with Ruben from Kingston Technologies at CES 2018. Ruben brought several encrypted USB drives that showcase Kingston’s latest technology. Some are designed for individuals to use. Others provide the enhanced security that is needed by the government, corporations and financial institutions. Kingston’s encrypted USB drives require the user to put in a password before they can access the data that is on the drive. The DataTraveler 200 has buttons on the USB drive that you use to enter your password. Put the DataTraveler Vault Privacy 3.0 encrypted USB drive into a computer, and it will immediately put up a window and ask for the password. All of Kingston’s USB drives have hardware based encryption. The board is dipped in epoxy before it is put in the case. The higher end USB drives also have the case filled with epoxy. All of Kingston’s products have brute force protection. If you enter the password more than 10 times incorrectly, it is going to wipe the drive clean. The retail price of encrypted USB drives range between $40 and up to $600. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

Cameras offer a level of home protection that many people find comforting. Outdoor cameras can show you who is at your door, who has been in your yard, and if your package has arrived. Panasonic has a HomeHawk line of smart home monitoring cameras. They provide safety and peace of mind. Don spoke with Etsuko from Panasonic at CES 2018. They discussed Panasonic’s HomeHawk line of outdoor cameras. One is a dedicated front door camera with a very wide view. Another is a small outdoor camera which you can place wherever you need to. The cameras are powered by batteries that last three to four months (if you record two minutes per day.) These HD cameras are weather resistant and have LED lighting. They offer a super wide view in full color during the day and in color night vision when it is dark outside. The front door camera allows for 2-way talk, which means you can speak with delivery person – or dissuade a thief from stealing your package. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

Ozobot is on a mission to prepare kids for the future with the ability to collaborate with and control robots. They believe robots will be a huge part of almost every profession. Ozobot has created a fun way to teach kids how to write code that will make a pocket-sized robot do something. Creativity is encouraged. Don spoke with Joby from Ozobot at CES 2018. Joby demonstrated some of the things that the Evo robot can do. Each Evo has optical sensors. Right out of the box, without being app connected, a child can start playing with Evo. First, a child draws a line on a regular piece of paper with a marker. Evo will follow any line a child draws. Kids can learn some simple programming skills by creating a line that includes colored dot sequences that tell Evo how to move. In addition, Evo can be used to make music or to play games. The little robot can follow your finger around, and can play an “Escape” game where it tries to avoid your hands. In addition to the robot, Ozobot gives kids the codes for all of Evos tricks and encourages them to hack it. They can earn points by making Evo do different things. The points can be used to buy avatars. Evo is available now from Amazon and the Ozobot website. It costs $89.99 and comes in Crystal White or Titanium Black. Evo comes with instruction cards, markers, a free iOS/Android app, and access to OzoBlockly Programming. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com

Skincare is very personalized. We all have different skin problems, and each requires an individualized solution. Lululabs created LUMINI, an AI skincare assistant, that can scan your skin and identify your skincare needs. Don spoke with Yougjoon from Lululab at CES 2018. Lululab is one of the Samsung Electric spin off companies. The signature product of Lululab is the LUMINI AI skincare system. It is composed of two things: hardware, and software. There is a three step process: scanning, analyzing, and recommendations. The hardware can scan a person’s entire face in five seconds. After the scanning, it will analyze up to the inner skin. It examines a person’s skin and focuses on pores, wrinkles, acne, sebum, melasma, and redness. Based on the analysis, it will recommend the best possible skin solution for each user. All of this information, including detailed images of a person’s skin problems, can be viewed on an app. Lululab licenses its LUMINI AI skincare assistant to businesses (such as cosmetic companies and dermatologists) at a monthly payment of $150. Don Baine is the Gadget Professor and gives lectures at TheGadgetProfessor.com