Tag Archives: video

iSmartAlarm Intelligent Home Security

CES 2015, Home, , , ,

iSmartAlarm Logo

When it comes to making a house a “smart home”, there’s no shortage of products on the market. Many are piling into the space in an unfocussed way, without clearly thinking through what problem needs to be solved. Contrary to this scattergun approach, iSmartAlarm identified a problem, solved that and then expanded out to make a home smarter. Don discusses iSmartAlarm’s approach with Zac Sutton.

While home security systems with external monitoring can provide reassurance, the reality is that there’s a costly monthly fee, alerts are often triggered by false alarms and by the time the monitoring company has gone through the list of keyholders, any housebreaker will be long gone. The iSmartAlarm is an expandable home security system, built around a central hub (“CubeOne”) which can be expanded with cameras, motion detectors, magnetic sensors and smart power switches. It’s all wireless and it’s very easy to setup.

Alerts are sent to the home owner via several different methods, including email, push notification and texts. If present, the camera can be reviewed remotely to see if it’s the dog, a child arriving home from school or a ne’er-do-well taking off with their belongings.

The iSmartAlarm can be purchased now with second generation products becoming available soon, including smoke alarms and multi-sensor units. The “Preferred Package” costs $199, which includes the central hub, motion sensor and door/window sensors.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor for the TechPodcast Network.

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FreeWavz Wirefree Wearable Earphones

CES 2015, Gadgets, , , , ,

FreeWavz LogoBluetooth headphone are commonplace these days but usually there’s a connector between the two earphones, either as a wire or a band. The FreeWavz wirefree earphones are different, using Bluetooth to transmit the music to both earphones, so there’s no physical connection between the earphones. The earphones are smart too, as the blend between sound from the smartphone and the surrounding environment can be adjusted to match the wearer’s preferences.

That’s the “wirefree” part taken care of. What about the “wearable” bit? Aimed at the fitness enthusiast, FreeWavz aren’t only earphones, they’re fitness bands for the ears, measuring the wearer’s heart rate. As you’d expect, the data is reported back to the connected smartphone but the wearer also hears about his heart rate, calories burned, distance and steps in his ears via the FreeWavz. It’s all clever stuff and there’s more revealed in the interview.

The FreeWavz earphones are expected in the summer and are on pre-order for $219 (RRP is $249).

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor for the TechPodcast Network.

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iStabilizer Selfie Stick at CES

Cameras, CES 2015, , , , ,

iStabilizer LogoThe OED named “selfie” as the word of the year for 2013 and since then it’s been embedded in the zeitgeist. In turn, the selfie stick became one of Time’s inventions of 2014 providing greater depth and spatial awareness for the inclusive snapper. In short, they’re great fun and you get more in the picture. Marlo talks with Noah Rasheta from iStabilizer about their new monopod aka selfie stick.

iStabilizer have a range of gadgets to mount, hold or otherwise position smartphones, tablets and action cams. The new version of their selfie stick makes life especially easy for selfie takers with a universal smartphone mount at one end and a Bluetooth button at the other end of the stick to press the shutter in the camera app. The stick works with both Apple and Android smartphones – there’s another button on the handle to switch between the different types. Overall, it couldn’t get any easier: put smartphone in mount, hold stick to get the best picture, smile and snap.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch for the TechPodcast Network.

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Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Headphones

CES 2015, Wireless, , , , ,

Sennheiser LogoSennheiser have always been one of my preferred headphone brands and I previously reviewed the Momentum On-Ears for GNC. Consequently, I was very interested to hear that a second generation of Momentum headphones were on their way with both Bluetooth wireless and noise-cancellation features. Marlo chats to Scott Houston from Sennheiser about the Momentum Wireless.

The new Sennheiser Momentum Wireless takes the original Momentum and updates it for listening on the move. No tangled wires with Bluetooth wireless; environmental sound kept to a minimum with active noise cancellation; integrated microphone to take calls without removing the headphones, improved padding for extended listening and folding arms to pack the headphones away neatly. Overall, it looks like a tidy package.

Of course, this doesn’t come cheap with the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless costing US$499 or GB£379 from Sennheiser’s web store.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch for the TechPodcast Network.

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Babolat Play Connected Racket Raises The Game

CES 2015, Health, , , , ,

Babolat PlayBabolat‘s pedigree in tennis is hard to beat, going right the way back to the 19th Century, when the company helped create the first racket strings. Today, it’s pushing forwards into the 21st Century with a new connected racket based on their AeroPro Drive to help both tennis professionals and keen amateurs improve their game. Don chats with Jean-Marc Zimmermann, Babolat CIO.

The Babolat Play racket looks like an ordinary racket on the outside but with sensors integrated into the handle, players now have access to a wealth of information – power level, impact position on the racket head, type and number of strokes (forehand, backhand, serve, overhead smash), top spin or back spin, all provided through a smartphone app for both Apple and Android. Incredibly, there are no sensors outside of the handle, so the racket can be treated like any other racket when it comes to match preparation and re-stringing. The racket can be taken on court for six hours between charges, which is plenty for a couple of matches, and holds over 150 hours of performance information.

The Babolat Play racket will be on sale in mid-January for $349. Two further models will be on sale; one lighter for junior players ($299) and one with a larger head (if I understand correctly), also at $349.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor.

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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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