Category Archives: CES 2015

Brinno Time-Lapse Cameras at CES

Cameras, CES 2015, , , ,

Brinno LogoAmongst other things, Brinno specialise in time-lapse cameras, recording life one frame at a time. Their products have proved very popular with the construction industry who often want to record the rise of a new building. The Gadget Professor, Don Blaine, chats with long time friend Chris Adams, Brinno President.

In a TPN world premiere, Brinno show off the TLC120, an update of the TLC200 Pro into a smaller package. The addition of wifi and a complementary app lets the user see what the camera sees on their smartphone. The TLC120 will go into a production in about a month.

To bring an extra dimension to time-lapse movies, Brinno are bringing out a rotating camera platform that can be controlled by wifi from an app too. The direction and rate of turn can be adjust by the owner and when combined with a relative rapid frame capture rate, creates great panoramic shots.

There are some cool time-lapse videos on Brinno’s site, from flowers blooming to an aircraft landing and moving a bridge, and there’s more on YouTube.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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Marshall Electronics Targets Pro Portable Audio

Accessories, CES 2015, , , ,

Marshall Electronics LogoSmartphones, and in particular the iPhone, are beginning to replace the video camera for on-the-spot interviews especially when it’s a one person gig. While the video side of the recording is well covered by the iPhone, the audio isn’t, mainly because the camera has to be six feet away from the subject rather than the the six inches preferred by a microphone. Marshall Electronics have been thinking about this problem and Don gets a world exclusive on their newest product from Perry Golstein.

Marshall have been working on a set of portable accessories for the iPhone which connects pro gear for high quality audio recordings. Brand new is a battery-powered pocket-mixer with four audio inputs, headphone monitor and an analogue output. In addition, the mixer has a digital out over USB: connect the mixer to the iPhone via Apple’s camera connector and the audio can be recorded digitally. The mixer will be available later in the year with a target price of $249. Very neat.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer

CES 2015, , , ,

New Matter logoPersonally I’m not convinced by the vision of a 3D printer in every home though I’m constantly reminded of IBM’s Thomas Watson and his alleged statement regarding the need for only five computers in the world. New Matter don’t have my doubts and are working hard to produce an affordable 3D printer for the home. Steve Schell brings in some printed objects for Don to admire.

New Matter are building an ecosystem around their new 3D printer, the MOD-t, to make life as easier as possible for owners. No experience of 3D modelling is required, with pre-made models in their online store. Some are free of charge, others cost a fee; it’s up to the designer. All the major 3D model formats are supported so keen owners can create their own designs if desired. It’s a single head printer so only one colour of plastic polymer can be used at a time, though the material can be changed during a print run. If I’m wrong and you want one in your home, the New Matter’s MOD-t 3D printer will be available in the summer for less than $400.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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OmniMount Takes A Lifestyle View at CES

Accessories, CES 2015, , , ,

OmniMount LogoCES regulars OmniMount decided to approach the show a little differently this year, setting out their products in lifestyle vignettes, with visitors to seeing the products in real and relevant scenarios. Don chats with Bill Ennis, veteran of 31 shows, to hear about a few of OmniMounts latest products.

The first of OmniMount’s new products is the WorkSpace Wall Organiser, a stylish wall-mounted height-adjustable fold-away desk which conveniently creates a mini-office when folded down and hidden away when not needed. $399.95.

Also new and entered for a CES award is an in-wall TV mount that holds up to an 80″ screen almost flush with the wall surface. With the flush mount, the slim bezels of the stylish TVs are emphasised, enhancing the picture frame qualities of the TV. Snappily titled OE120IW, it’s $349.95.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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Oort SmartHub Integrates With Bluetooth

CES 2015, Home, , , , ,

Oort Logo

Smart homes and the Internet of Things are very much in vogue at CES this year with vendors offering a wide range of products, some of which hardly deserve the name “smart” and others that are genuinely innovative. In the latter camp, there is Oort which tries to “make your world smarter”. Don learns more from Radek Tadajewski, Wizard of Oort.

The difference between Oort and many of its competitors is that Oort has been designed to work openly with Bluetooth devices from the start. By using Bluetooth profiles as the integration mechanism, Oort can use any Bluetooth device that has the necessary profile. To get you started, there’s a $350 starter kit which includes the Oort hub, light bulbs, sockets and a tracker beacon though other devices can be added as needed. As you’d expect there’s a smartphone app for Android and iOS which communicates with the hub and the connected  devices. You can view the status of devices and sensors through the smartphone app, whether you are inside the house or sitting in the office, and you can turn devices on and off as needed.

There’s more in the interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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Wi-Fi Alliance Looks To The Future at CES

CES 2015, Wireless, , , ,

WiFi Alliance Logo

The 10 billionth Wi-Fi-certified device will be shipping around now. That’s impressive considering that Wi-Fi is still young, going back only 15 years. I remember 802.11b and my first Wi-Fi PCI card which had an antenna the size of a pack of playing cards. Those were the days. Anyway, Don Blaine, the Gadget Professor, gets a little more up-to-date with Edgar Figueroa, President and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Expected this year is new feature called Wi-Fi Aware which gathers information from the surrounding environment and pushes it to the user (subject to preferences). For example, when in a supermarket, a message might pop up to show the shortest check-out queue or special offers. If combined with the Internet of Things, other clever things can happen such as a garage door sending a message indicating that it’s been open for two hours, or turning the water off if a leak is detected. Sounds like a great technology to make life easier and safer for everyone.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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Wireless Charging From the Inside Out

CES 2015, Mobile, Wireless

NxpAs you probably already know, we are big fans of the Qi wireless power standard. One of the biggest Qi partners is NXP Semiconductors, a company that makes devices connectable.

The company demoed a set of custom Qi-powered devices, and talked about their involvement in the industry. The demo included custom chargers, built directly into a table. They pulsed when nothing was on them and went solid to indicate they were charging a device.

While the demoed charging plates are not for sale, they do show that a plate can be a lot more interesting than what Nokia and others have built. They can compliment, or even enhance, furnishings instead of being generic black plates that sit on top of a desk or table.

In addition, we got to see some retrofitted phones; devices that were not shipped with Qi support, but had it added aftermarket. Some can be done simply, with small adhesive plates that stick to the back, or under a battery cover or case, and plug into the USB port. Others had been opened up, and the insides altered to add native support to the device. This is a hobbyist’s dream come true.

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

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NFC Helps Automate Your Cooking Routine

CES 2015, Home, Mobile

NxpWhen you think of NFC technology, you might not immediately think of usages for an oven. That is why NXP Semiconductors employs some smart people to think about new usages for their technology. In an oven, it turns out there are some great usages, both for consumers and repair.

As a consumer, the idea of being able to use a recipe app on your phone, like MSN Food & Drink, you could not only plan your meal, but program your oven. In fact, you could program various levels, and automate temperature variances all with the tap of a phone.

As for maintaining your appliance, think of the possibilities of an oven that could tell you what was wrong. With NFC, the chip receives power from the receiver, not from the device that programs it. That means, even if the oven’s power supply has failed, the NFC chip could still pass along its final readings. That could prevent a lot of guess work for technicians, and end up costing you a lot less.

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

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From laptops and Lumia to Surface and Xbox, get it at the Microsoft Store.
Welcome to the Eureka! Factory, where great programs, projects, events and creative spaces and places happen!
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A Near Field for Your Car Lock

Auto, CES 2015, Mobile

NxpNXP Semiconductors might not be a brand you’re familiar with, but in a day of connectivity, they are a company you’ve likely interacted with. Formerly part of Philips, the company makes a lot of the connectivity technology that makes your gadgets work.

In a demo, the company showed us a Near Field Communication prototype that allows you to open your car with your phone. The phone communicates with the car via NFC, and can have various activities at various distances. In the demo, we saw the dome lights turn on as the phone approached the car, and the doors unlock closer.

The technology is not limited to vehicles, either. It could be used on a home door, or as part of a unified system, like Nexia Home Intelligence. You could even use it within the home to turn on lights as you enter a room. The technology is in the world today, and could make it into vehicles in the near future.

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

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From laptops and Lumia to Surface and Xbox, get it at the Microsoft Store.
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Gibson Brands + Blue Microphones = Some Neat Products

CES 2015, Entertainment

NeatMicsPeople the world over know the brand Blue Microphones. From recording studios to radio, podcasters and even videogame streamers use their line of cost effective products every day. When their founder, Skipper Wise, left the company to retire, Gibson approached him to create a new for them.

Enter Neat Microphones, designed by Skipper Wise and his microphone dream team, they aim to create a line of microphones to make recordings sound better. Currently offering the King Bee and Worker Bee, the line will be 6 strong by year’s end.

All of the products in the line, as well as their accessories, are named after and colored to resemble bees. The distinctive yellow and black markings, as well as the accompanying bee figurines, make this line visually distinctive. Even the knobs fit into the branding, designed after a bee’s stringer, and known as “stinger knobs.”

The line, in addition to the microphones and headphone amp, has a small collection of accessories. Included in the accessories is a pop shield, shock mount and XLR cables. All are priced to be more than competitive, and could feel right at home in any studio.

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

Sponsored by:
From laptops and Lumia to Surface and Xbox, get it at the Microsoft Store.
Welcome to the Eureka! Factory, where great programs, projects, events and creative spaces and places happen!
Follow F5 Live: Refreshing Technology on Twitter: PLuGHiTzLive; Facebook: F5 Live; Google+: PLuGHiTz Live

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