Raven can help protect your vehicle and the people riding in it



Raven Connected CarWhen you’re driving around, there are a host of reasons why you might want to have a recording of what is happening around you. Whether it be to document a car accident or just something interesting happening on the side of the road, being able to capture the moment could be handy. With the help of Raven, that desire becomes a reality. We had the opportunity to speak with Raven last year, but the device has gotten even better since then.

The product started as a great way to keep track of a car and make sure the occupants are safe. With the built-in GPS, data connection, and forward and rear-facing cameras, Raven makes it easy to follow a vehicle’s journey and check in if something seems off. The idea came about when the founder’s daughter was driving through a snowstorm, and he simply wanted the peace of mind that everything was okay. All of these features made doing just that a possibility.

Today, the Raven is much more than that. In fact, it is a complete connected car system. It connects through the car’s diagnostic port and is able to do all of the things that a consumer diagnostic computer can do, such as read trouble codes, manage fuel efficiency, monitor speed, and more. Using the data connection, this information can be watched remotely, so parents can keep a better eye on their kids.

More than just parents can find a lot of value in the Raven, though. In fact, the company has brought out a number of fleet management capabilities. When put into a corporate vehicle, the system can replace the features of a GPS tracker, a “tattler,” and more. The cameras can be used to make sure the right people are in the vehicle. The GPS can be used to ensure that routes are being followed, and if not, follow where the vehicle has gone. The diagnostics capabilities can help a fleet manager predict maintenance issues before they become a problem.

The Raven connected car is available now with a variety of options.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Pillo Health makes managing your medication regiment easier and safer



Pillo Health medication dispenserIf you are one of the millions of people who take multiple pills per day, you know how difficult it can be to maintain your regiment. Between mixing up which days you take which pills, and possibly forgetting entirely, there are a variety of problems that can happen. In fact, for the older population who are trying to age in place, or people with chronic illnesses, the most common result is hospitalization. That’s where Pillo Health comes in.

This happy looking device is a smart pillbox, which is designed to help those who have complicated pill schedules maintain their schedule and, therefore, their health. Using voice activation, the Pillo is able to dispense medications as needed, with reminders built-in to keep you on schedule. If there is more than one device in the house, the Pillo can be set to only respond to a single user, preventing two people from mixing up their medications.

But Pillo is more than just a medication dispenser. In addition to dispensing, it also maintains your compliance through a series of processes. If you are out of compliance with your plan, Pillo can notify your support system, which can include medical professionals, including doctors and in-home specialists, friends, and family. They can then intervene in the case of an emergency.

Outside of medication aspect of the hardware, Pillo is also able to help with other aspects of your daily health program. It can keep track of other medical appointments, with doctor appointment and therapy reminders. You can also use the voice interface or touchscreen to get information about your health and the health impacts of the things in your life. For example, you can get calorie information about your favorite snack. You can also get general information, including local weather.

The Pillo is available now for $499, with a $39 monthly subscription for the extended suite of functionality.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Heatworks is saving electricity by reinventing the way we heat water



Heatworks tankless water heaterYou may not know this, but the way we heat water has not changed in most of our lifetimes. The current process is not energy efficient, has little to no temperature control, and is truthfully a little gross. The coils that are used to heat the water get covered in a buildup and sit right in the water. Luckily, that is all about to change, thanks to Heatworks, which has reconsidered the concept from the basics.

The new technology uses graphite electrodes instead of coils. These electrodes push electricity across the water, using the minerals in the water. This process heats the water nearly instantly and can do it within a degree of a predetermined target. There are many benefits to this technology, not the least of which is no longer needed a hot water tank, where a heater constantly keeps a large supply of water hot. This change is a large portion of what saves electricity.

Another huge benefit is the ability to use hot water in more than one application at once, without the fear of running out of hot water. We’ve all had to make the tough decision as to whether to take a shower or run the washing machine, knowing that doing both will guarantee that the tank runs out of hot water.

While the company is working to license the technology to standard appliance manufacturers, they have produced some products themselves to go along with the standard in-home water heater replacement. The most impressive of which is a small, self-contained dishwasher called Tetra. The appliance is designed to be used on a countertop and requires no water hookup. Instead, you simply pour a gallon of water into a tray and, when the process is complete, empty the water from another tray.

In addition to Tetra is a water pitcher called Duo. This pitcher can pour hot water on-demand from one spout and can be set to a specific temperature while pouring cold water from the other spout. This is perfect for use with coffees and tea that have an ideal temperature for flavor, which most do.

The Heatworks Model 3 water heater is available now for $799, with a regular retail price of $899. The Tetra and Duo are both in final development, and you can get updates on the website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Jammy is a digital guitar that makes travel easier for players



Jammy guitarWhile the guitar is one of the most popular instruments to learn, it is also one of the most difficult to transport. The large size makes it nearly impossible to bring onto a plane, with several well-known incidents of professional players having their guitars damaged during transportation. That is where the Jammy portable guitar comes into play. Unlike a regular guitar, the Jammy can snap apart into 2 pieces, making it small enough to fit into a backpack.

The Jammy is a fully-capable digital guitar featuring real steel strings. Rather than using the strings to create sound directly, the Jammy is a MIDI controller, turning your actions into digital commands. Those commands can, naturally, replicate the acoustics of a guitar, but can be used to produce any number of collections of sounds. The best part of all of this is that all of the signal processing can be done directly on the guitar, meaning you don’t need a phone or tablet in the mix for the Jammy to work. This gives you the power of digital audio without the lag of external processing.

On the device is a collection of audio interfaces. The first is the obvious: a 1/4″ jack, which is the standard for connecting an electric guitar to an amplifier or professional sound system. If you’re not playing in public, you can use the 1/8″ jack, which is the standard jack for headphones. With that, you can play entirely privately, using your own choice of headphones. Finally, it also features a MIDI interface over USB-C, so that you can connect the Jammy to a computer. Jammy can then be used with any number of music programs to create beats and more.

The Jammy can currently be preordered for $399, with a future retail price of $499.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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SELFLY allows you to take the perfect selfie without a stick



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



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



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



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



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.

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



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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