Category Archives: CES 2019

SELFLY allows you to take the perfect selfie without a stick

CES 2019, Mobile, Photography

SELFLY camera droneThe biggest trend in technology in the past decade might just be selfies. Encouraged by services like Instagram and Snapchat, and glamorized by celebrities, almost everyone has at least one. The problem is often that the angle of a camera held by the photographer prevents great framing. It’s even worse when there is a group. In fact, even on our team we only have a couple of people who can get a good group selfie. For the rest of us, we now have the SELFLY drone.

This tiny multicopter is actually designed to be part of a phone case, meaning that it is always with you. That means that the drone is always with you when you’re ready to take the perfect selfie or record the perfect video. How does the drone help with that, you might ask. Well, the answer is actually quite simple. Using your phone, you can control the drone like a standard multicopter, allowing you to aim the camera and frame your photo or video exactly as you want.

None of that makes the device a drone, however. The drone capabilities come when you use the copter’s ability to lock onto a target. Once the SELFLY is in the air, it has the ability to choose a person and follow them as they move around. This is a perfect feature for filming a video without a camera person. You can lock the camera onto yourself and move around, having the camera act as your camera person.

One of the best features, and certainly one of the things that set it apart from other drones, is the ability to use gestures. Rather than having to carry your phone to take a photo, you can actually trigger the shutter with a hand movement. That will keep your photos clear of the clutter of your phone.

The SELFLY drone is available now for $99.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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OV Loop makes texting with your voice easier and more usable

CES 2019, Mobile

OV LoopAs we all know, texting and driving is a huge problem. Every tech company has seemingly worked to help solve this problem in various ways. The most obvious way to tackle the problem is via voice commands and messaging, but for anyone who has tried to use a service like Siri or Google Assistant for text message transcription knows just how poorly it can work. The team at OV Loop have a new and novel take on the problem: the OV App.

While using your device’s native voice service for messaging, the recipient receives a computer-powered transcription of what it thinks you said; the inaccuracies of which are well-known. With the OV App, OV Loop’s messaging system, not only does the recipient receive a transcription, but they also receive the original recording. This means that when you inevitably receive a message that makes no sense, you can still decipher the intent by listening to the original voice. The best part of all of this is that it can be accomplished with minimal interaction with your device. In addition to text and voice, the app can also do what you expect from a messaging system, like photos and videos.

The real standout feature of the platform, however, is the OV Pro headphones. While they look like standard in-ear Bluetooth headphones, they feature voice control capabilities on-board. When pairing the OV Pro with the OV App you can now send and receive messages completely hands-free. You don’t even need to press a button to summon the voice commands like a standard Bluetooth device. This makes using them in the wild a far safer experience. You can even use the OV Pro to trigger your device’s native assistant to perform all of the tasks you would expect.

The OV App is available now for free for Android and iOs and the OV Pro is available for $179.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Soundbrenner modernizes the metronome with a wearable device

CES 2019, Entertainment

Soundbrenner Pulse and Soundbrenner CoreWhen you think of products that are ripe for innovation, your short list probably does not include the metronome, the traditionally pyramid-shaped device that musicians use while practicing to keep their rhythm. Luckily, the team at Soundbrenner felt differently. This team of musicians saw that there were some obvious pitfalls to the traditional metronome device and set out to solve them with the Soundbrenner Pulse.

The first, most obvious problem is that the sound of the metronome can easily get drowned out by music, especially if you’re practicing as a band. There have been some solutions, but none of them are great, like having multiple devices or trying to mic the timer. With Pulse, however, loud music isn’t a problem. This device is worn on your wrist like a watch, or can be attached to a guitar strap, or however you feel comfortable, and uses light and vibration to overcome the limitations of audible timing. All you have to do is tap the face of the Pulse to the rhythm you want to set, and the Pulse will keep the rhythm until you tell it to stop.

Another problem with band practice is keeping the whole band in sync. The Pulse allows you to sync up to 5 devices together, so everyone is on the same beat. This is done via Bluetooth, using one device as an active and the rest are set as passive recipients. This gives a band the ability to stay together as they learn a new song, or even during a performance, where acoustics in a venue can throw off the group’s rhythm.

This year, the company is introducing the Soundbrenner Core, a new take on its established product. In addition to all of the features of the Pulse, Core brings some cool new capabilities. For example, Core has the ability to assist in tuning. Using a contact microphone and a removable faceplate, the device can help any musician get their instrument into proper tune. It can also be used to measure the decibel level in the room you are in. In addition, the Core can be used as a smartwatch, receiving notifications from your phone, making it a perfect companion for any musician.

The Pulse is availabe now for $99, and the Core is available for pre-order on Indiegogo InDemand.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Polaroid Mint brings instant photos to the smartphone generation

Cameras, CES 2019, Photography

Polaroid Mint camera and printerPolaroid instant print photos were once so culturally significant that they were referenced in pop music, art, and more. With digital cameras, the instant gratification of seeing a photo immediately was satisfied by the screen on the camera, leaving Polaroid in a difficult position. However, the last few years has returned the desire to hold a physical photograph, and the company that made that easy has focused on bringing that ability to the smartphone generation with a couple of different options in the Mint line.

First is the new Polaroid Mint Instant Digital Camera & Printer, an all-in-one 16-megapixel camera and printer that allows you to instantly print any photo you take. And, unlike most portable photo printers, this device requires no ink or toner. This is accomplished by following in the long Polaroid tradition of including everything into the paper. The special Zink zero ink paper gets inserted into the camera and contains everything needed to produce a printed photo. If you’re a fan of the classic Polaroid look, you can even include the classic white border around the photo, making the print look exactly like a Polaroid photo of old. The Mint camera can print 40 photos per charge.

If using a special camera is not your thing, then you can grab the Polaroid Mint Instant Digital Pocket Printer instead. Just like the Mint camera, the printer uses the specialty Zink paper, meaning you don’t have to maintain ink or toner in the printer. With this device, however, you can use the camera on your Android or iOS device and, using the Polaroid app and Bluetooth, print directly from your phone or tablet. Like the camera, you can include the classic border, making the photos look like a traditional Polaroid photo.

The camera is available for $99 and the printer is available for $129 now.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Canon introduces the EOS R, their first full-frame mirrorless camera

Cameras, CES 2019, Photography

Canon EOS RSince consumers discovered smartphones, the photography industry has changed significantly. The photos that can be taken with a phone camera today are far better than the photos that could be taken with a standalone consumer digital camera 5 years ago. However, there are some things that just can’t be accomplished with a consumer camera, which is where a DSLR camera comes in. And when it comes to DSLRs, no one knows those cameras quite like Canon. The company has been making professional grade photography equipment for decades and has made quite a name for themselves in the market.

While advancements come to professional level cameras every year, they don’t often come at a level so great that it requires a reconsideration of the hardware itself. That is exactly what has happened this year, however, as Canon introduces the EOS R, the company’s first ever full-frame mirrorless camera. Traditionally, DSLR cameras use mirrors to reflect light to project the image onto the sensor, which works well but is not a perfect solution to retain full image quality. By eliminating the mirrors, Canon has taken their already top-of-the-line cameras and made them better.

Because of the major change in technology and setup, Canon has also reconsidered their lens mount. The new setup allows for significantly higher quality lenses to be produced for the cameras, as well as adding capabilities that would not have been possible previously. For example, on display in the booth and featured in the interview, the company showed off one of their news lens arrays, where you could see just how many individual lenses are packed into the array. The good news is, the company also took into consideration that many photographers already have a large collection of Canon lenses for previous EOS cameras and has designed a lens adapter to allow you to continue to use those existing pieces of equipment.

The Canon EOS R is available now in various packages.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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The Canon Rayo projector packs a large image into a very small package

CES 2019, Entertainment, Home, Mobile

Canon Rayo S1 projectorWhen most people think of Canon, their first thoughts tend to be of cameras, and for good reason: the company has been making cameras and lenses since at least 1940. But soon, some people might think of projectors first thanks to the Rayo S1 mini projector. While Canon is no newcomer to projectors, the S1 takes on a whole new market in a big way. This little device is able to produce an 84-inch image with only about 3 meters of throw distance while being only about the size of a portable CD player.

This projector is the perfect companion for any salesperson, as they can easily carry it in their laptop bag or briefcase and, since it has an internal battery, they won’t even need to find a power supply in the room where they are giving their presentation. Imagine being able to easily set up in a coffee shop without having to sit in just the right booth.

In addition, the S1 itself runs a version of Android right on the projector. Because of that, you can install apps directly onto the device and use it without any external device plugged in. A member of the Canon team discovered that if he strapped the projector to the side of his bed, he could use Netflix on his ceiling without any setup.

At $259, this mini projector can even be part of anyone’s travel bag. Rather than carrying every possible cable that a hotel television might have so that you can watch Hulu at night only to be disappointed because the hotel TV doesn’t have working HDMI ports, you can bring the S1 projector with you and know that it is going to work without any problems.

The Rayo S1 mini projector should be available this May from Canon.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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A blast from the past combined with robotic futurism at Crosley Brands

CES 2019, Entertainment, Home

Crosley turntablesTo so many of us, Music is Life. And Crosley Brands is right there with us. There is always so much fun stuff to explore and we have an absolute blast when we visit their booth at CES. Honestly, this year may just have been the most fun yet. The retro feel and cool vibes come second only to the hospitality of the Crosley crew. They always share our excitement while giving us a tour of their new products.

First up was Jason Menard, Director of Marketing, to show off their new cassette players. That’s right, radios with cassette tape players. These sweet little players were brought back by popular demand as many customers have been asking for them. And as cute as they are, don’t let the retro look fool you. They are chocked full of every modern technical convenience that you want. You can make bae a rad mixtape easier than ever before thanks to the ability to use a flash drive, sd card, and four different radio bands. And you won’t need to dig out your Mr. Mike to sing along with the recordings of your favorite tunes because there’s a mic built right in. And the upgraded model boasts a functional VU meter. You’ll be able to ramp the volume up to the max and adjust the bass and treble to your own specs with the adjustment knobs on top. If you’re ready to start a new mixtape collection of your own, you can grab yours from Amazon with the following links, CT100, CT200.

Next up was the most impressive and fascinating new product in their line. It provided almost as much entertainment as the Bellagio fountains for our PLuGHiTz Live crew, as it was equally hard to pull ourselves away from the musical theatrics. Chris White from Sound Leisure demonstrated the full-sized LP Jukebox that he designed. Everybody knows that we love all things robots and this masterpiece is integrated with lights and music. So basically, all of our favorite things. We were mesmerized! In the past, they’ve done the 7-inch singles, CD’s and Digital in past jukeboxes but this is the first one that’s playing full-size records. It holds ten LP’s and it’s mechanical so it will change them automatically. You can play each side. It also has Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs and outputs that allow you to run extension speakers off of it, as well. There’s a fully functioning remote control so you can even change the color of the lights with the flick of a button. You’ve got 10 hours of music really without leaving your chair. And really, you won’t want to because it’s truly music and a show.

Lastly, we had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Bingaman, President of Deer Park Distributors and Carrie Colliton, Co-Founder of Record Store Day. In recent years, Crosley has celebrated Record Store Day with a special new product. This year it’s the adorable RSD 3 Mini Turntable. It uses 3-inch vinyl records, which were popular in Japan in the early 2000s. They are bringing them back for a launch with the mini turntable on Record Store Day, which is April 14th. It will be available in hundreds of record stores on that date, along with an assortment of vinyls for playing. Titles from artists like the Foo Fighters and Jack White will be among the first released. This cute little guy is small in size but large in sound. It has a built-in speaker but also a USB power headphone jack and can be hooked up to any external speaker. Carrie pointed out that this is a perfect way to celebrate the day. Record enthusiasts will have a cute, portable little turntable that will play one song and bring happiness. The vinyls can be played and shared like playing cards as people listen together. The price point is still to be determined, but they expect it to be in the $70 range. I know that we’ll be looking out for one of our own. If you purchase one as well, don’t forget to come back and leave comments about how you like it and which tunes you have.

To get more information about these and their entire product line, check out their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Amazing and affordable sound to fit all of your needs from TCL

CES 2019, Entertainment, Mobile

TCL HeadphonesNo tour of the TCL booth at CES would be complete without checking out the sound systems. We already know that they make amazing TV’s that get better every year. However, as the sets get thinner, the more difficult it gets to deliver good sound. Bruce Walker gave us the skinny on their new sound tech.

In the next couple of months, TCL will be introducing a family of sound bars that are designed to deliver a great audio experience. The line up will contain two families of sound bars called the Alto 5 and the Alto 7. Both will be available with or without a wireless subwoofer. The Alto 7 improves the audio of the Alto five by having separate woofers and tweeters in the main sound bar for better clarity. The 7 has a slightly bigger subwoofer and also has the ability to have HDMI connectivity. This allows for one cable connection to the TV for automatic communication between the two for easy control. The best part is that these sound bars that are under $200 but deliver very good and robust sound quality. There are also three preset sound modes including movie , music, and news to tailor the sound to what you’re watching and offer a great home theater experience on a budget.

Also in the sound section, this year is a new family of headphones that aim to appeal to a wider and younger audience. The lineup includes the SOCL for the inspired lifestyle, the MTRO for a bold sound, the ACTV that are perfect for any workout and their ELIT headphones that will deliver premium performance. And we have to say, the prices can’t be beaten. Prices range from $10 to $99 but don’t think that you will have to skimp on features. From 18-hour battery life to an integrated remote and everything in between, you will be able to match the perfect set of headphones to every aspect of your life.

To learn more about the entire TCL line, click here to visit their website after you watch the full interview.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Powerful performance and superior picture quality in these TCL TVs

CES 2019, Entertainment, Home, TVs

TCL TelevisionsCES is so much fun! There are seemingly endless venues and halls with everything from record players to autonomous vehicles. There’s so much to take in, everywhere you look. For a truly unique experience, I have to say that walking through Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is simply amazing. It is absolutely mesmerizing to see the grand displays of technology that encompass this most exciting hall of the show. Whether it’s your first time through the hall or your hundredth, a true tech junkie can’t help but almost feel giddy when surrounded by all of the lights, sounds, and displays.

Once some of the initial shock and awe start to settle in, it’s always so nice to visit those friendly faces at the booths in which we have developed a relationship with over the years. One of these companies for us is, without a doubt, TCL. From their press conference that kicks off the week on Monday at Mandalay Bay, to their booth at LVCC, we thoroughly enjoy our experience with them, every single year. We were fortunate to meet up again this year with our friend, product evangelist, Bruce Walker.

While we were perusing through their array of television sets, Bruce spent some time with us to discuss some of the newer technology that will be coming out soon. As was a common theme with most of the larger television vendors here on the show floor, 8K technology is ramping up for what appears will be a huge explosion into the market and our media rooms. And it probably goes without saying that the demos on the floor were quite impressive. TCL is leading the way with bringing this new tech to us in a responsible manner. They are not trying to merely hit the market with these new sets, they want to make sure that their customers get the quality that they deserve from the number two retailer of television sets in the US in 2018. As we all know, just throwing together an 8K set is not enough because when they hit the retail stores, there will be extremely limited content actually available in 8K. That’s why they are including an up-conversion technology that will be able to handle the existing, lower resolution content and give you the best picture possible.

Also coming up will be an enhancement to their Roku sets. Not only will they continue with this feature built right in, but it will be Smart Roku, connecting to other smart devices in the home and with voice recognition that will know your voice and interact with you conversationally with its four built in, directional microphones. It will be simple and easy to use. You’ll have a hard time deciding if that is your favorite feature or the 33 million pixels that offer up to a 300% improvement in picture quality.

You can learn more about their existing line, and keep an eye out for these new releases, by visiting their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Intel helps Resolve a big problem for animal preserves: poaching

CES 2019, Video

Intel TrailGuard AIOne of the things that Intel is known for is custom designing unique solutions for clients with unusual needs. One such organization that Intel has worked with is Resolve, a group partnering with the National Geographic Society and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to prevent animal poaching. This nonprofit group installs cameras throughout habitats, in particular, elephant habitats, to track potential poachers and alert on potential dangers.

Before Intel’s participation, Resolve had been installing standard cameras which would send alerts based on activity. These cameras used a fairly standard amount of power for a camera, but it did require that the batteries be charged or replaced on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this solution could only help to catch poachers after an incident had occurred. With Intel’s help, Resolve has been able to begin implementing a new version of their TrailGuard cameras that solves both of these problems. The battery issue is solved by making the cameras passive, meaning that a charge can last up to a year and a half.

The biggest upgrade, however, comes in the inclusion of Intel’s artificial intelligence technology. With the addition of the AI, combined with Movidius Vision Processing Units, Intel was able to predict a poaching event before it happens. This means that the technology can send alerts before an animal dies, giving Resolve the ability to intervene and save the life of the animal, not just identify and prosecute the poachers afterward.

All of this technology is made available in a device that is far smaller than the hardware used previously. In fact, the entire array, with the camera and AI onboard, is only about the size of a pencil. The size helps to make it easier to make the device covert, so it is harder for a poacher to detect and disable the device.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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