Tag Archives: gadgets

Typewise brings intuitive typing to your fingertips @ CES 2021

February 3, 2021CES 2021, Mobileandroid, ces2021, gadgets, ios, mobilePLUGHITZ Live

Typewise mobile keyboard David Eberle, CEO and Co-Founder of Typewise, joined us at CES 2021 from Switzerland to talk about his company’s unique take on the mobile keyboard.

Typewise is a smartphone keyboard that works on iPhone or Android devices, promises up to five times fewer typos, and safeguards your privacy in the process. The keyboard system, developed in partnership with is ETH Zurich, is AI-powered and completely customizable.

Typewise was developed to help improve productivity by overcoming the slow and cumbersome traditional keyboard system, that’s over 140 years old. The keyboard consists of a honeycomb interface with hexagonal keys that are 70% larger than standard mobile device keyboard keys. Space keys are in the center, conveniently situated for thumbs. While it lacks shift and backspace keys, those functions are replaced with more intuitive gestures that complement the capabilities of touch screens. The result is 80% fewer typos, a number the company arrived at by replicating a 2018 Cambridge University study that analyzed the behavior of over 30,000 users across a variety of keyboards.

Where typically every fifth word typed using a standard keyboard contains a typo, the Typewise system drops that number down to one in every 20 words, on average. Future releases will integrate autocorrect technology with voice-to-text, so the keyboard knows how the user spells certain words when typed, and the voice-to-text engine will be able to type spoken words as the user would. The keyboard will eventually work on desktops, VR and wearables, and any device where you have to input information.

The app is completely free, with no advertising, and is available in 40 languages. A premium version is available as an in-app purchase for those who type in multiple languages at the same time, enabling the keyboard to switch easily between the languages.

Visit the company’s website to learn more or download the free app at the Google Play Store or the App Store.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Alango’s Wear and Hear products improve hearing and health @ CES 2021

February 3, 2021Accessories, CES 2021, Entertainment, Mobileaging, audio, ces2021, gadgets, hearingPLUGHITZ Live

Alango Wear and Hear Dr. Alexander Goldin is the founder and CEO of Alango Technologies, a 20-year-old Israeli company that specializes in personalized digital hearing amplification systems. If you use hands-free technology in your vehicle, wireless earbuds, or a speakerphone for business meetings, there’s a good chance, says Dr. Goldin, that you are using Alango technology. At CES 2021, Dr. Goldin joined us to talk about Alango’s own line of products called Wear & Hear.

Millions of communication products worldwide utilize Alango’s digital signal processing software, which aim to improve the quality of voice communication and audio experience in a variety of environments by providing high-quality noise cancellation, enhancing speech, and dynamically equalizing signal volume and spectrum in real-time response to dynamic acoustic conditions. Their devices can also improve health, by improving hearing, says Dr. Goldin.

Recent studies show that untreated hearing loss is the surprising leading cause of dementia in adults, increasing the chances of dementia by 8%, well above other risk factors. With 15% of the population suffering some degree of hearing loss, which also contributes to a number of other health and social problems, Alango’s Wear and Hear line of personalized hearing amplifiers hopes to improve health and well-being while bringing clarity of sound to the user.

Wear and Hear devices are disguised as Bluetooth communications headsets, stereo headsets, and other similar consumer electronics products. The first product they introduced at CES this year is an upgraded version of their CES 2020 Innovation Technology winner, the BeHear Access . The latest iteration of this device has several new features including Improved directivity and own-voice reduction that reduces the volume of the user’s voice in the headset.

Alango also has a new multifunctional Neck Speaker that can be used to perform personal hearing evaluations, includes attached earbuds to function as a personal sound amplification device, and can work as a speaker phone in conferencing situations.

The BeHear Access retails for $349 – 10x less than the cost of traditional hearing aids – and the neck speaker $189.

To learn more, visit the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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CleanAirZone makes your indoor air quality better @ CES 2021

February 1, 2021CES 2021, Health, Homeair, ces2021, gadgets, HealthPLUGHITZ Live

CleanAirZone There are a lot of reasons why people are interested in clean air. Between allergens and viruses, pet dander, and more, many people decide to add cleaning technology to their homes and offices. This is in large part because indoor spaces have more air contaminants than outdoor spaces. In fact, Todd Cochrane has two devices in his offices and studios for this reason. Many of the standard devices available have a major flaw – they use the same technology, so they tend to miss the same materials. That was the challenge that CleanAirZone set out to solve.

Traditional air purification systems fail to remove the ultrafine particles. Many of those particles are the most hazardous to health, and yet they are the ones that are skipped. The CleanAirZone, or CAZ, devices are capable of capturing and digesting 99.99% of contamination in the air. This is because, unlike standard filters, the CAZ uses the electrical charge of airborne particles to capture them as they move through the system. Then, the system literally digests these pollutants using the company’s water-soluble BioCAZ Solution.

The change in technology also leads to a change in behavior. There are no filters or bulbs to purchase and dispose of. There’s no UV light or ozone in the process. Rather than being a piece of technology, it is a living ecosystem designed to help keep you and your family healthy. Essentially, CAZ aims to bring the environment of the outdoors inside. Important for many people, the CAZ device is not very loud. In fact, in the video, you cannot hear the device running in the room. That is a huge benefit, as noise pollution can lead to stress and anxiety.

The CleanAirZone device should be available in Q2 of 2021, and will retail for $1499. For more information, head over to the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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fash\on turns your closet on with a digital closet system @ CES 2021

February 1, 2021CES 2021, Gadgets, Homeces2021, fashion, gadgets, internet, shoppingPLUGHITZ Live

$fash\on digital closet system$ Jong-Hyun Ko is the founder of fash\on, a Korean company that has developed a Digital Closet tool to make fashion clothing shopping fast and efficient. It’s a brand new company debuting its product at CES for the first time.

The fash\on Digital Closet is designed for the customer who wants fast fashion products and regularly updates their wardrobe with the latest styles. fash\on aims to remove the obstacles that currently make both online and off-line clothing shopping slow and tedious, by separating how customers get product information from their purchasing behavior. In the case of clothing shopping, fash\on believes there’s too much information for shoppers, who can spend nearly an hour trying to find just what they’re looking for as they sort through product descriptions. Their smart Digital Closet solution aims to take the guesswork and the extra time out of the clothing shopping experience.

Company surveys show that people wear 10-20 sets of clothing per season, so what they really want, Jong-Hyun believes, is to buy clothes in their style to mix and match what they already have in their closet. Therefore, the best way to get good fashion recommendations and purchase options are to show clothing stores what’s actually in your closet.

fash\on is a digital tool that does just that, making your closet “smart” and channeling your personal styling into a subscription service. With the tag line, “Turn your Closet On”, the device and companion app help you get personalized and fast styling service, allowing you to shop online or off at your favorite retailers. You register your size with your favorite shops, then take photos of your current clothing collection, and add them to the app to find complementary clothing by color or style at your favorite clothing stores quickly and easily.

To learn more, visit the company’s website.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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Lasso Loop closes the recycling loop for homeowners @ CES 2021

February 1, 2021Accessories, CES 2021, Homeces2021, gadgets, home, recyclePLUGHITZ Live

Lasso Loop home recycling Stuart Chater, communications manager for Lasso Loop Recycling, joined us from Sydney, Australia for CES 2020.

Lasso Loop is a two-year-old company that aims to make the recycling process more elegant and efficient for homeowners, right at the source. Traditional recycling involves transporting recyclables from residences to a sorting facility, where a small percentage of material is closed-loop recycled. Lasso Loop aims for 100% of residential recyclables to enter into the closed-loop cycle, where they can be transformed into products of the same quality as the original.

The biggest issue with the current system, says Chater, is contamination, which renders material unusable in a high-quality product. Lasso Loop overcomes that problem by sensing at the source, whether in a home or office, to detect the type of material an item is composed of so it can be kept in the right stream. For example, if an item is made of PET plastic it stays in the PET plastic stream, if it’s clear glass, it stays in the glass stream, and so forth.

After material detection, the item is washed and cleaned, a critical step many people skip. After that, the material is ground – plastic is flaked, metal is shredded, and glass is crushed – and then the ground material is stored inside the Lasso Loop container as a pure industry-standard product, ready for high-quality reuse.

The company aims to have its first full prototype completed this year, and the first retail model available in 2022. The appliance will be about the size of a dishwasher, weigh around 260 lbs, use no more than 2 liters of water daily, and will process materials in about 15 minutes.

Visit the company website for more information, and to reserve your own Lasso Loop appliance when the final version is released.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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Autoslide makes any sliding glass door autonomous @ CES 2021

January 31, 2021CES 2021, Gadgets, Homeces2021, connected home, gadgets, home automation, home improvement, roboticsPLUGHITZ Live

Autoslide autonomous sliding glass door If you have a pet dog and a sliding door, you likely have to stop what you’re doing and go open that door a dozen times a day to let the dog in and out. If you have a multi-level home, it can be even more of an inconvenience, especially now that many of us are working from home. This, and a number of other issues, is what Autoslide is designed to solve.

This system is a retrofit device that makes any sliding door into an autonomous sliding door. Using motion sensors, the door can be set to open when someone comes near it. This could be good for opening when you’re carrying supplies out to the grill or just when you’re entertaining. It could even be used at restaurants and bars to keep air conditioning inside while maintaining the feel of an outside experience. By using NFC tags, it could be great for letting the dog out.

Another great use case for the Autoslide is for people in wheelchairs or walkers. Obviously, the weight and length of a sliding glass door can make it difficult to open or close in this situation. Being able to automate the door, either by motion-sensing or by button, could be a life-changer in one of these homes.

Truly, the aspect that makes this system unique is that it does not require you to replace your door. Instead, it fits onto the existing door and track. This retrofit capability reduces the cost significantly, as you don’t have to have a contractor knock out the existing door and install a new one. It also means that you might be able to install it yourself.

The Autoslide system, in various configurations for motion, NFC, manual button, etc., are all available from the company. To learn more or make a purchase, head over to what the website.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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RoadPrintz makes roadwork safer and less expensive @ CES 2021

January 31, 2021Auto, CES 2021ces2021, gadgets, robotics, transportationPLUGHITZ Live

RoadPrintz robotic road painter There are some aspects of daily life that very few people actually know how they work. One area that we know very little about is roadways. People are often shocked to see just how big traffic lights and road signs actually are. They would also be amazed to learn just how the painting of symbols on the road actually happens. These giant symbols, such as “right turn only” or “school zone,” are hand-painted, or painted using giant stencils. This realization was so surprising for Sam Bell that he founded RoadPrintz.

RoadPrintz is a company that is dedicated to automating the process of printing on the road. Bell was involved in a multi-million dollar project and was shocked to discover that certain road printing projects would not be undertaken because of the cost. The cost was not just in the initial implementation but in upkeep. It turns out that these have to be repainted annually, making it an eternal cost.

Once he began to investigate, he discovered that a large portion of the price was because at least five people are involved in the painting process, including those who control traffic, drop stencils, and paint. The process takes time, leaving these people in the middle of the street. This could be dangerous for them as well as motorists. Since lines are painted autonomously, why not symbols, as well?

That was the question that was answered by RoadPrintz – it absolutely can be. Using and training a robotic arm, the company was able to completely print road symbols quicker, cheaper, and safer than normal. This new process is a win for everyone involved. The intention is for cities to be able to purchase these robotic arms and use them to create and maintain their roads.

The product is currently in a testing phase, with hopes to bring it to market for cities and municipalities in the near future. For more information on the company, check out their website.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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GoSun is bringing the solar revolution to your home @ CES 2021

January 31, 2021CES 2021, Mobileces2021, gadgets, kitchen, portable power, solarPLUGHITZ Live

GoSun Solar Revolution products At CES 2016, we met Patrick Sherwin, the founder of GoSun. The company was announcing a fascinating new solar stove that was built through inspiration from Patrick’s experience working with roofing. It uses solar directly to cook food in a tube, and can be used with 12-volt power for use at night or in bad weather. Since 2016, Patrick and GoSun have expanded their product line, staying focused on solar-powered products and the camping community.

This year, we are introduced to the current GoSun product lineup. It now includes nearly everything that regular campers could possibly want. The core of the product line is the power solutions. You can get small, portable solar panels in 10-watt and 30-watt options. You can use these solar panels to power many devices, but the most obvious is a power bank. Charging one of the GoSun banks, like the Power 144, allows you then power your devices and charge the bank at the same time.

One of the really intriguing product categories on offer was focused on water. These newer products have won a CES Innovation Award for 2021, which indicates a unique and useful product. In this case, you can get a solar-powered water purifier and pump, and a portable sink and shower that connect to the pump. The purifier is small enough to fit into a backpack, runs on solar, and can filter up to 99% of pathogens from water.

While the obvious target here is camping, it was hard for us to also focus on the usefulness in the event of natural disasters. This comes from much of the team living on the Gulf Coast and knowing what happens after a hurricane. The water filter would mean being able to trust the water we hoard in our bathtubs ahead of the storm, and possibly other water we receive after a storm.

The GoSun product line, which is wider than we have covered here, is available from the company’s website or on Amazon.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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DFree is an early warning system for your bladder @ CES 2021

January 30, 2021CES 2021, Gadgets, Healthaging, ces2021, gadgets, Health, wearablePLUGHITZ Live

DFree bladder sensor There are a lot of things that happen as you age, one of which is something very personal that most people don’t like to or won’t talk about. Probably the most common one is the concern of bladder control. There are 500 million people worldwide that truly suffer from this issue. DFree was developed to help target those people with this problem. This is mainly the senior population or anyone who has a bladder incontinence condition.

DFree is a small wearable device that has an ultra-sound sensor. Being totally non-invasive, it is placed on the lower abdomen after applying ultra-sound gel and secured with medical tape. Using four ultra-sound probes, it is paired with your phone and tells you how full your bladder is so you can be prepared to find a bathroom if necessary. Through the app, there is a range of 1-10, with 1 being empty and 10 being full. We typically fall between 1 and 10. There is a notification threshold that can be set to a number to let you know how full the bladder is, say 80. When it reaches 50, it will notify you so you can plan on finding a bathroom. It has an analysis function that shows you several things. Some of these are how much urine is accumulated, how often you go to the bathroom, and how much time passes between bathroom visits. Much of this information seems unnecessary to some people, but if you live with this condition, any and all information can be very helpful in coping with the issue.

DFree has a USB port and is easy to charge. The charge lasts for 24 hours, allowing the user to wear it all day. This is available now for $399.99 but that is just for the hardware. There is also a minimal cost for the ultra-sound gel and the medical tape. For more info go to their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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iWONDERCOOK takes the hassle out of preparing a fresh meal @ CES 2021

January 30, 2021Accessories, CES 2021, Gadgets, Homeces2021, connected home, gadgets, kitchen, robot, roboticsPLUGHITZ Live

After a long day at work, whether you’re working from the office or working from home, sometimes the energy or interest to cook dinner can be limited. For some, it means going and getting fast food. For others, it means jumping on an app and ordering delivery. But, if you are lucky enough to have an iWONDERCOOK, you don’t have to have fast food or order out, and you don’t have to expend the energy to cook.

iWONDERCOOK is a small robotic chef that is designed for your personal kitchen. It is about the size of a consumer 3D printer and even follows similar principles. The design of the meal is done beforehand, and the required materials are prepared and shipped to your house. To cook the pre-packed but not prepared meal, you scan the barcode on the package and place the ingredients in the machine. Then, in about 15 minutes, return to the machine and plate your food. That’s all there is to it. In fact, during the conversation, Michael Lemberg cooked and plated a meal on camera.

The way it works behind the scenes is similar to some of the meal kits, but with an easy and robotic twist. The company sources the ingredients to support the recipes in its system. They then clean, cut, and pack those ingredients into containers, split by meal. They ship those packets to you, which contains the general ingredients, sauces, and spices. So far, a tried and true model. The difference, of course, is that you don’t need a printed recipe with preparation and cooking processes. Instead, just scan, cook, and walk away. You don’t even have to deal with cleanup, as the machine takes care of that (except for your plate and silverware).

Because of delivery requirements, iWONDERCOOK is currently limited to the New York area. If you are interested in learning more about the product, check out the website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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