Geeni has the products to give you the smart home you’ve been wanting



Geeni smarthomeThere are smart home products just about everywhere you look at CES. When walking around, you start to get the feeling that if you’ve seen one smart light bulb, you’ve seen them all. All of the platforms and apps can get really overwhelming. And if it even gets a bit confusing for us techie folks, we can only guess how the average consumer feels about it all.

That’s why it was so refreshing to step into the Geeni booth and have a chat with Sol Hedaya, head of their Smart Home division. Sol explained how they, too, know that it can get exhausting trying to get the features that you want in an easy to use format. That’s why they have really tried to take away the pain points of the smarthome. Nobody wants to go through so many different apps, hubs, and ecosystems. So they’ve worked really hard to make it all less complicated and at price points that are affordable. Their philosophy from day one has been to make Wi-Fi-based products that are really inexpensive and are easy to get connected and running off of one app so that all you need to do is buy one product and it connects directly to your home Wi-Fi network. They’ve rolled this philosophy out into a really wide range of smart lighting and power products, including smart plugs, surge protectors and power strips. In addition, they are now moving into switches and even a smart nightlight and smart block combinations.

We loved how their entire line works together. You can set your nightlight to come on at dusk and include a fan or appliance in the same plug. They have also expanded heavily into cameras and security. There are indoor and outdoor and doorbell cameras. Also, new for this year is their smart baby camera that comes in three different colors: blue, pink and white. But most impressive are its features. You are able to adjust where the camera view right from the app. It also has a humidity and temperature sensors built right in. It will even sing a lullaby .

All of the products are compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Microsoft Cortana and they work really really closely with those teams to ensure superior compatibility. Pricing starts at around $15 and there is something for everyone. After you check out the interview, take a look at a couple of our favorites on Amazon, like this Surge 6-Outlet, and this 2 Pack 1080p Security Camera System. And for more information, visit the Geeni website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Opal Digital has a brand new way to interact with 360 videos and games



Opal DigitalHave you ever put on a VR headset and experienced something you wish you could share with the people around you? That’s pretty difficult when you’re fully immersed inside of an enclosed headset. There is a way to share a 360 video with a group of people, however, thanks to Opal Digital. Their very unique screens create a full 360-degree image to be enjoyed by a group instead of an individual.

One of the intents of the hardware is education. By including one of these screens in a museum or art gallery, the facility could present a new type of experience. For example, you could get an immersive view of the artist’s studio, making a stronger connection between the viewer and the artist. With the 360-degree screen, that presentation can not only be viewed by a group but could be experienced as a group.

The most obvious use for the technology, however, is entertainment. In fact, the company is working with Keith Arem, a well-known videogame insider, who has worked as talent director on titles such as Call of Duty. His expertise has led the company to consider various new entertainment experiences. What he really likes about the idea is being able to create multiplayer capabilities without isolating the players from the audience, or even from one another.

The idea is to partner with companies to sponsor installations in places where people will congregate naturally, such as movie theaters. Imagine a multiplayer game based around an upcoming film available in the lobby of your local theater. What about games in shopping malls or airports, where you’re always waiting around for someone or something to happen. These screens can make those experiences more interesting and, with partnerships, not cost the player anything.

Opal screens are available from the company with a range of prices depending on included options.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Vuze makes creating VR and 360 videos and photos incredibly easy



Vuze CameraVirtual reality headsets and environments are becoming more and more popular. Nintendo has even thrown its hat back into the ring over 20 years after the first attempt at the technology. The problem is, there is not nearly as much content available for the hardware as there should be. There are some still cameras that have made their way into the market, and most phones can take a panoramic-style 360 photo. Video content, however, is still not as popular as it could, and should, be. Vuze cameras might just change that.

The VUZE+ looks a lot like a small Wi-Fi router but has 8 lenses around the outside ring. Using those lenses, the camera is able to create video content in full 360 degrees, which is perfect for virtual reality headset. It also features spatial audio, meaning that, by moving your perspective, you can change the sound that you can hear. It is almost like being there. The camera has a standard camera mount on the bottom, allowing you to set it up somewhere, maybe at a concert or conference, and record.

The VUZE XR is the smaller version of the VUZE+ and features only 2 lenses facing forward. Rather than a full 360-degree video, the XR produces a 180-degree frame. This is perfect for portability, as holding the camera in your hand will put your body as half of the frame anyway. Luckily, the camera is designed exactly for portability, with a handle and collapsible lenses.

Both cameras produce video at 5.7K, which is far above the industry standard. In addition to still photos and video, both cameras are also able to be used for live streaming through YouTube Live using a paired mobile device. The VUZE+ is available for $999 and the VUZE XR is available for $439.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Formlabs brings accuracy and flexibility to the 3D printing market



Formlabs Form23D printers have become a very popular device category, even becoming popular for in-home use. While these printers can accomplish a lot, there are some things that your standard, consumer-grade 3D printer just cannot pull off. There is another category of printers, however, that is far more capable than the ones you’ll find in a retail store. Commercial 3D printers, like the ones from Formlabs can print in more detail, with different materials, and more.

If you’ve ever encountered something printed by one of the consumer printers, you know what it looks like. The surfaces are usually rough and often you can see and feel the individual layers where it was printed. That is because of the overall resolution of the printer. Think of a consumer printer more like a dot-matrix printer, but the commercial printers are like laser printers. In fact, if you look at the Formlabs printer, it actually uses a laser in its setup. This method allows for a smooth finish and an indistinguishable print layer. In fact, these printers print in 50-micron layers, making them essentially indistinguishable.

In addition to resolution, the Formlabs printers also allow for some incredibly unique printing materials. At the event, the company showed off some of these unusual materials. One of the most impressive was a dental grade polymer, which is being used to make dentures. This process allows a dentist to take a scan of your mouth and enter it into a computer, printing a new set of dentures in the office. This is faster, cheaper, and more convenient than taking a physical mold of the mouth and shipping it to a production facility, having to wait for the dentures to be produced and shipped back.

Truly, though, the most impressive material was called Elastic and was a completely flexible material. You can squeeze the printed item in your hand, bend it around, and the item will correct itself. Essentially, it is like being able to print with rubber bands instead of hard plastic. There are many jobs that this material can make possible that were simply out of reach in the past.

The Formlabs printers are available now starting at $3,350.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Humanscale makes the laptop better with the M/Connect docking station



Humanscale M/ConnectMany of us use a laptop for both portable and stationary computing. When we’re at a desk, we tend to want more than a laptop offers naturally. For example, you may want extra monitors, or maybe just a larger screen. You may want a better keyboard, and almost certainly want a real mouse. All of that makes a laptop docking station appealing, but there is a problem with docks: all of the cables on the desk running in and out of the dock. Humanscale has a simple yet elegant solution to the problem with the M/Connect docking station.

While a traditional docking station sits on top of the desk and has all of your standard cables plugged into it, like HDMI, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc., the M/Connect is different. It actually mounts around the edge of the desk and uses a split design. This setup allows for the bottom piece to feature all of the permanent cables, meaning that they are hidden beneath the desk. The top piece features ports for your more transient hardware, like flash drives, portable hard drives, and biometric sensors. Now you have the convenience of a laptop dock without the clutter of cables taking up a large portion of your desk space.

In addition to the clever split design, the M/Connect is designed to be paired with one of the company’s monitor stands. In fact, it can be used with any of the company’s monitor arms, whether it be designed for a single screen or a full 6 screen array. The post of the monitor arm runs through the center of the M/Connect, keeping the dock snugly in place and adding extra stability to the arm’s connection. It is a win-win situation.

The M/Connect is available now in a variety of configurations.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Be proud to tell your stories in amazing video quality with Canon



Canon VixiaIt seems that video recording is more important now than ever. And Canon stays on the cutting edge to bring us the best assortment of video cameras. Whether you are recording all of those special moments with your growing family, capturing your favorite vacation memories or starting your own podcast or vlog, Canon has a camera that will fit your needs.

Drew McCallum, Senior Technical Specialist, indulged our love of Canon Video and showed us their newest additions to the line. New for this year are the VIXIA HF W10 and VIXIA HF W11 camcorders . There’s also a new waterproof VIXIA camcorder. They also have their HF G50 and their brand new 4K camcorder for a little bit higher end user. We were particularly mesmerized by the waterproof camcorder that was swimming behind us. It’s capable of depths up to sixteen and a half feet. It’s ready to go for all of your vacations and adventures. And it’s not just waterproof, it’s also freeze and drought proof. It offers a lot of versatility in a very small, compact design. The four-hour battery is internal and charges via USB

Another product that we at PLuGHiTz Live have a lot of interest in, is the 4K camcorders. As we look to upgrade to higher quality cameras for the crew, these really caught our attention. The VIXIA GX10 is Canon’s first 4K UHD consumer camcorder. The compact and portable design offers a truly outstanding combination of features and functionality. It delivers refined video quality and delivers stunning detail to video enthusiasts and aspiring filmmakers alike. It’s a twenty times optical zoom and a five-axis image stabilization system. You’ve also got a dual card slot so if you are doing long interviews like here at CES you are able to back them up.

We love our Canon video recorders. We use them in our studio and at all of our special events. And we look forward to expanding our own stock. We’d really like to hear what you think about them, too. After you watch the interview, drop us a line in the comments section. For more information, visit their website here.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Women are loving what LUMINI can do for their skincare routine!



LUMINI by lululabFor most women, there are not many things that are more important than good skin care. We visited with lululab and learned about a new way to keep track of your skin and any problems that arise as you age. It is called LUMINI, an AI skin care system for your face. It uses a scanner to detect and help to correct any problems that you may not know are occurring.

The scanner works on three levels. First, LUMINI captures the image of your face. After you use the on-screen guide to line up your face for the photo, it uses auto-face detection and light correction for accurate analysis. Second, it analyzes the facial skin in 6 different categories: wrinkles, pigment, redness, pores, sebum, and acne. It finds out what your particular problems are. The app gives a detailed overview of your analysis including a score for each category. You can then see actual photos highlighting your hotspots for each analysis. You can even see an image of what your skin would look like under perfect conditions.

All of this leads to the third level, recommending the appropriate product for you. They are then able to find and recommend the correct product for your best skincare routine. If you were to use all of the recommended products for your skin, you would be very close to the photo from step 2.

Their current client base is dermatologists, med spas, salons, and high-end department stores. By working with professionals, you will find out your personal needs and you will be informed with the proper recommendations just for you. The company hopes to come out with a consumer version for your daily use in the privacy of your home.

To find out more about this wonderful product, you can go to their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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New system ensures accurate mail delivery through your smart devices



USPSWe are living in a time where there is always a chance of someone invading our personal space or property. We are having to secure our information with many new means of technology. One of the newest things coming our way in the future is from USPS. It is a sensor that is placed in our mailbox to alert us when the mail has been delivered. This works even if your mailbox is at a great distance, up to three miles away. It runs on a battery that has a 2-year lifespan. The company is working with partners to ensure that the battery can be recycled when it is dead.

We spoke to Karan Gera, a strategist working with USPS and Tia Kim, a senior innovation producer who walked us through the way this product works. The sensor is placed inside your mailbox and the bridge goes inside your house. The alerts can be received on all of your smart devices. When you receive mail in your box, you can be alerted on your phone or tablet that there has been a delivery. The bridge can also be paired with Nest, Philips Hue lightbulbs and more.

Hue integration allows lights to flash if the person is hearing impaired. If not, then blinking or flashing lights will get the attention of the owner. The Nest integration helps to alert you to the current problem of porch pirates by showing you who picked up your mail.

This device works with USPS Informed Delivery Service to allow you to compare what was received with what you were expecting to get. Informed Delivery scans all of your mail so you know exactly what you are getting that day. This is extremely helpful if an elderly person is waiting for their medication to be delivered. It also comes in handy for an off-site caregiver to know if that person is receiving their prescription.

This is in prototype phase with no predicted date for availability.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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The VMAXX woofer returns to the Cerwin Vega Mobile speaker lineup



Cerwin Vega Mobile VMAXXWhen it comes to car audio, there are a lot of choices, and so it takes a lot to make a name for yourself. Cerwin Vega Mobile has certainly done just that, making itself the oldest car audio company in the world. Over the past few years, the company has been reaching back to its classic products and reintroducing modernized versions. In the past, we spoke with Larry Frederick about the Stroker, and this year he showed us the VMAXX woofer.

This product, which was previously produced around 15 years ago, was a popular product. In fact, for a while, it was the company’s most popular woof. Unfortunately, because of a problem with the frame, the company decided to discontinue it. Since then, loyal customers have continued to ask on social media that the company bring it back and, thanks to new materials and better manufacturing processes, the frame issue has been solved, and so the VMAXX has returned.

Rather than just bringing back the original design, however, Frederick wanted to design the speaker to be a heavier-duty, more powerful product. He focused on the things that he could easily control, like the size of the magnet, the size of the voice coil, and the amount of travel for the cone. While he recommends that people not get caught up in the trick of a big magnet and theoretical wattage, he does note that the magnet on the VMAXX is fairly large.

It is important for anyone purchasing a high-end speaker system to understand what it is they are buying. A 1000 watt speaker with only a 1-inch voice coil is never going to accomplish the advertised volumes. The same goes for other components on your system, such as the copper wire being used. The last thing you want is for your speaker or wire to get too hot and for glue or shielding to come apart.

The VMAXX woofer from Cerwin Vega Mobile will be available soon for around $249 to $279.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Plott takes the frustration out of hanging pictures on the wall



PLOTT Cubit tapemeasureIf you’re anything like me, you absolutely hate trying to hang things on a wall. It seems like it is nearly impossible for me to get everything to line up. One item is always a little lower than the others, or there is a larger gap between two of the items than the rest. A number of augmented reality apps have come out to help you design what it should look like in a perfect world, but that never helps me get it right in reality. The Plott Cubit is the perfect device to help bring the idea to reality.

The device looks very similar to a standard tape measure, which is an appropriate design. It is designed to take your augmented reality room decoration design and help you get all of the measurements right on your wall. This is accomplished by pairing the Cubit with your smartphone and its accompanying app. First, you map out your wall, using the camera, marking the corners. Then, you photograph the items that you are trying to hang, enter their measurements, and the hanging point is on the item. Then, you place the items on your virtual walls, testing the layout using AR in the room.

Once your wall is all set up, you take the Cubit itself to the wall in question and let it guide you to the right spot. Arrows on the screen will point you in the correct direction, and when you find the spot for a nail it will beep. At that point, just mark the spot on the wall and move on to the next spot. The Cubit is accurate within 3 millimeters, which is far closer than I have ever gotten using traditional measurements.

The Plott Cubit will be available soon from big-box retailers and online.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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