Smart Home Need helps you identify needs and solutions @ CES 2021

February 5, 2021CES 2021, Gadgets, Homeces2021, connected device, connected home, gadgets, smarthomePLUGHITZ Live

Smart Home Need The concept of the smart home is getting pretty popular. A recent study shows that 13% of homes have a smart bulb and 9% of homes have a smart outlet. With acceptance like that, it is no surprise that some concern over the way these devices work together is beginning to creep into the public consciousness. Unless you buy into a multi-brand system, the chances of two brands working together are pretty small. Even Todd Cochrane says that few of the items in his own home are compatible. This is one of the ways in which Smart Home Need is helping consumers on their smart home journeys.

The Smart Home Need system is designed to help you identify your needs by asking questions. Once your needs are identified, it helps you understand what those needs are why any they are important. Not all of these needs are easily solvable via technology, so an assessment is made as to which make sense to apply tech to solve. Then, you have the ability to act with meaningful habits and smart home technology to help address those needs.

Clearly, the intention is to improve your overall well-being without adding additional stress to your life. By designing and implementing a technology solution that can address your needs without adding a large collection of unrelated devices into your life, they can help with that goal. Even with all of these benefits, the service is offered to customers to try without charge. This is because of relationships with manufacturers and donations.

Smart Home Need is available now to the public. To learn more about the service, to learn what products are currently in the system, or to give it a try for free, you can head to the company’s website. Try tier is offered for free. Learn and Flourish tiers are charged yearly.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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DialogueTrainer’s avatars teach corporate communication @ CES 2021

February 5, 2021CES 2021ces2021, communications, gadgets, trainingPLUGHITZ Live

DialogueTrainer corporate communications At CES 2021, Todd Cochrane interviewed Michiel Hulsbergen, CEO of DialogueTrainer, a professional development company that teaches better corporate communications skills through virtual simulations.

Based out of The Netherlands, DialogueTrainer has been developing interactive online educational scenarios since 2013. Built on a solid scientific foundation, DialogueTrainer’s online platform was co-developed with Utrecht University. Their innovative conversation simulations allow users to practice tricky conversational situations online with virtual training actors. Virtual avatars provide the basis of the DialogueTrainer approach, followed by in classroom exercises. They believe this blended approach to training is what is needed to penetrate the difficulty inherent to some of these tough professional conversations.

Communication is the most important soft skill needed to improve services and increase job satisfaction. Companies that provide professional development training to their employees notice an increase in retention. Employees stick around longer because they are being enriched. People are interested in working for a company they can grow with. Classes on professional communication can help build confidence, improve efficiency and re-energize your staff.

All types of businesses can benefit from this training. DialogueTrainer has interactive online communication training in the following subjects:
*Customer Relations (Telephone sales, Sales conversations, Negotiating, Dealing with complaints, Consultative selling)
*Collaborative Working and Team Building (Giving feedback, Motivating, Coaching, Addressing certain behaviors)
*Leadership and Management (Inspiring, Coaching, Development interview, Giving bad news, Delegation, Communication)

DialogueTrainer provides conversation simulations and learning environments to help build professional communication skills. When working with DialogueTrainer, first they connect with you to determine which situation your company’s simulation should focus on, what the agreed upon best-practices will be, and the learning objectives of your team. Then they develop interactive online scenarios in which difficult discussions from the workplace can be practiced with virtual training actors. You experience virtual situations that are recognizable and realistic.

For the best interactive training on how to have difficult professional conversations, contact the company.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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BOON Spotlight provides private and personalized shopping @ CES 2021

February 4, 2021CES 2021, Entertainmentai, artificial intelligence, ces2021, shoppingPLUGHITZ Live

BOON Spotlight AI shopping At CES 2021, Todd Cochrane sits down to talk to Dylan Grey, founder of BOON, an award-winning startup from the UK that is revolutionizing online shopping with psychological research and AI technology.

The company has built the technology to create a personalized shopping experience using a unique combination of psychology and AI. The startup works with online retailers to deliver engaging experiences and increase their conversion rates, while also guaranteeing complete data control and privacy to the user.

BOON Spotlight leads consumers through a set of fun, image-based questions that use filtering and a psychology-backed AI to give meaningful product recommendations. The service uses groundbreaking AI and powerful filtering to shortlist the best products for each shopper, helping them discover their next purchase. BOON’s technology can be used as a personal shopping assistant or a gift finder. Shoppers can instantly replace any of their recommendations to curate a list of top picks. BOON’s AI continuously learns and improves from feedback like this, so each subsequent shopper gets a better experience and better recommendations.

The majority of consumers say they want better control of their data, but that can be a challenge for conventional tracking-based product recommendation technology. One of the benefits of BOON’s technology is that every consumer controls what data they provide and remains anonymous throughout. They took a new approach when designing their AI, building with privacy-in-mind from the ground up. Through the survey questions, users control what data they provide, and all responses are forgotten as soon as the window is closed – no cookies to track you for months on end.

Research shows that BOON’s technology will increase conversions by up to 85%. BOON has found that consumers love the experience: 96% participants complete all the questions once they start, they are up to 85% more likely to checkout, and they have a 35% larger basket size.

Improve your customers’ experience now by connecting with BOON via their website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Essence USA introduces healthcare and security products @ CES 2021

February 4, 2021CES 2021, Health, Homeaging, ces2021, connected device, connected home, gadgets, HealthPLUGHITZ Live

Essence MDSense Israel-based security manufacturer Essence introduced various new 5G forward-compatible security products at CES 2021.

In our interview, Todd Cochrane talks to Josh Locke, Director of Sales for Essence USA. Essence provides smart connected-living solutions for security, communication, and healthcare service providers. Backed by 20 years of experience and over 15 million devices installed worldwide, Essence takes pride in the full ownership of our end-to-end solutions; from concept development and design, through the manufacturing of hardware and software to the day to day operations.

Essence’s PERS 5G, introduced at CES, is, according to a press release, “a highly advanced gateway that provides activity monitoring, fall detection, and voice capabilities anywhere in the home. The 5G technology enables service providers and users to enjoy the highest levels of dependability and accuracy.”

As for a non-5G wellness application, Essence also touted its MDSense fall detection system, which leverages another cutting-edge technology – radar – to cover a full room using a wireless device that looks much like a traditional PIR motion detector. The product is ideal for people who might not be wearing an emergency pendant and/or cannot reach a panic button.

Beyond the wellness monitoring area, Essence also introduced an intrusion detection system aimed at homes and small businesses. The company calls its Integrated FogShield product “the world’s first 5G standalone solution for intruder prevention.” Connected via 5G CAT-M networks, it includes motion detection, video recording, two-way voice capabilities, and a smoke diffuser that fills a room with a harmless but disorienting smoke that forces intruders out of the premises. Suitable for both residential and commercial buildings, the company says the system can be integrated with existing security systems or used as a standalone solution.
Essence believes in building a future where technology is a seamless extension of people’s lives. Enriching, enabling, and shaping life’s possibilities.

Learn more about these and all of Essence’s products on their blog.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Biohacking ORB is a new age professional wellness multitool @ CES 2021

February 4, 2021CES 2021, Gadgets, Healthces2021, gadgets, HealthPLUGHITZ Live

Biohacking ORB wellness bed One of the latest trends in medicine is called biohacking. The idea is to use science and technology in order to make the body function better and more efficiently. The ultimate goal is to enable people to control their own journeys in order to achieve their personal wellness outcomes. Because these tools and processes enable people to achieve their goals with fewer time requirements, it has the promise of being more accessible. Biohacking ORB is building these techniques tech technologies into a single, multifunctional device.

The Biohacking ORB is a combination of a number of different processes and technologies into a device that looks a little like Tom’s “chair with a roof” on Parks and Rec, or a tanning bed from the future. But it is way more interesting than either of these items. It combines aromatherapy inhalation therapy, neuroacoustic sound therapy, mandala chakra chromotherapy, and mandala chakra vibroacoustic therapy. Additional techniques that can be added are oxygen therapy, mandala chakra near-infrared, air compression massage, halotherapy (salt therapy), and a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) mattress.

The Biohacking ORB itself is not an inexpensive purchase. But, it is also not intended for home use. Instead, it is intended to be introduced into existing areas, such as in spas or your work wellness center. It can also be used to set up a unique wellness center, dedicated to these devices. The company is currently in talks to create a few of these centers, while also looking to help implement them into corporate campuses.

If you are a spa or wellness center looking to include a touchless option in your facility or looking to reduce operational costs, or are a corporate campus looking to add a unique benefit for your employees, or if you have a new concept, you can learn more and get in contact at the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Rendever is allowing seniors to get back into the world @ CES 2021

February 3, 2021CES 2021, Entertainmentaging, ces2021, gadgets, virtual reality, VRPLUGHITZ Live

Rendever senior virtual reality Social isolation has been a growing problem in modern life and has grown worse in the past year. It’s a particular problem for the older population, many of whom have had major life changes, moving out of their homes and into various versions of eldercare. While in younger days, they may have been used to going out for a day of fun or traveling the world, in older life, these abilities may have been lost. This is the problem that Rendever is looking to solve.

Rendever merges two surprising things into one – seniors and virtual reality equipment. Now, we have all seen prank videos where kids introduce their grandparents to virtual reality through shocking environments, but this is certainly not that. In fact, the company is using virtual reality equipment to create environments to reduce the social isolation that seniors feel. These seniors can explore the world, whether it be new places that they always wanted to see, or even revisit locations that hold special meaning.

The best part of this technology is the ability to go on these experiences together. Other residents of a facility or family members can come by, wear their own headsets, and virtually travel together. Imagine being able to have another family vacation or a recreation of a honeymoon, all without having to leave your facility or bringing staff with you.

The technology is already being used in some high-profile senior living facilities, through healthcare systems like UCHealth and Cleveland Clinic, and has commercial partnerships with AARP and Verizon. While the system was designed to be used in facilities, the oddity of 2020 has led the company to explore the future possibility of remote group experiences, as well.

To learn more about Rendever and its VR technology, check out the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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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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