Cor Makes Your Environment Smart and Safe



Cor by CarrierHome security is one of the most important things you can spend your money on. Now, one of the oldest and most trusted names in the business of home products, Carrier, has produced a line of smarthome and security products called Cor. This is a line of professionally installed systems that will alert you as a homeowner of any breach in security such as break-ins or fire. You can use up to 16 cameras and you have total remote access.

But Cor is more than just security; it also provides a wide range of smarthome products as well. From lights to garage doors, Cor can control a lot of the devices in your home. In an example at the booth, they used a wireless button to simulate arriving at home, where the garage door opened, the living room lights came on, and as the person moved through their home, the lights would com on in the new rooms and turn off where they had left. All of this provides a nice convenience for your home, to compliment the security and safety features of the system.

This product is best served as professionally installed because of the technology involved. The starter kit is priced at under $1000 plus installation. However, when you purchase this, you own it and there is no monthly fee because it is self-monitored. In addition to the existing products, Carrier will soon be releasing a doorbell camera. For more information check out their website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.
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Introducing Smart Tech for Your Smart Yard



b•hyve outside water timersWatering your lawn and yard can be a frustrating chore. Not only do unexpected weather conditions play a factor, there is a matter of timing to turn it on or off. Now there is b•hyve, a line of smart timers for your lawn. These timers can be connected to the internet so you truly can “set it and forget it.”

b•hyve knows the weather up to 14 days in the future and, with that knowledge, will save you up to 50% water use. It is also aware of certain restrictions in your area, such as during a drought or flooding. It can check after a rainfall to see how much it has rained so it can adjust accordingly for the next cycle, preventing overwatering. The outside and inside timers are compatible with any brand of irrigation systems, not just with Orbit systems.

Another option is a spigot timer for your outside faucet. Many people water this way, and it’s not unusual to turn on the water and leave home, forgetting it is still on. It features a flow meter inside to let you know how much water you have used, as well as to limit the amount of water used. This is very helpful when you want to fill the swimming pool for your children or even fill a large aquarium.

These products are currently available at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart or Amazon. Pricepoint for this system depends on how large of a system you need or want. Outside mount with 6 stations in a weather-proof box is $100. An indoor mount for a shed or a garage is $60 for 4 stations or $80 for 8 stations. There is also a hose tap timer to be use from the end of your hose available for $40 and if you need the hub to make it Wi-Fi, it’s $70 for the pair. For more information check out their website.

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BenjiLock Experiences A Year of Triumph and Dreams Coming True



BenjiLock by Hampton ProductsOne of the best things about being part of the tech press and conducting these interviews is the friendships that we build along the way. Last January, at CES 2017, we came across Robbie Cabral in the startup section called Eureka Park with his new padlock, BenjiLock, that can be opened both by fingerprint and keys. We loved this idea and made sure to learn more about it.

Obviously we were not the only ones who thought this lock was a great idea with a lot of potential. Later in the year, BenjiLock was featured on the hit show, Shark Tank, and picked up by investor Kevin O’Leary. And it’s been a complete whirlwind since then. O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, has been doing what he does best: marketing royalty deals. Hampton Products International, a hardware and security company out of California, has since purchased the rights to the product in North America.

We were happy to run into Robbie at CES Unveiled this year as he was on his way to meet somebody. He said a quick hello and invited us to come by his booth, which has been upgraded from the startup section to the Smart Home section of the Sands Convention Center. When we visited the booth, we were lucky to get to spend some time with CEO of Hampton Products, Kim Kelley, not long after presenting Robbie with a check for $100,000 live on CNBC. Both gentlemen emphasized the importance of hard work and remaining humble as you pursue your dreams.

BenjiLock is currently working on production of the 1st generation lock, as well as announcing that BenjiLock Mini is also in the works. We will continue to keep an eye out for future innovations and rooting Robbie on as he follows his dreams. Check out their website and click on Preorder to sign up to be notified when BenjiLock becomes available.

Interview by Marissa Schiereck of The New Product Launchpad.
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At Last there is Smart Home Tech for All of Us



Oomi smarthome technologyNot the most techie person on the planet but still want awesome smart home features? Don’t worry, Oomi has got you covered. Their new additions make IoT easy for all of us, and without sacrificing features or safety.

They also wanted to build in entertainment control to the system. In the past, this hasn’t been so easy in a touch screen environment because you’re looking up at the TV when the controls you need to view are down in your hands. So they developed tactile controls that can be programmed to your specifications to control all of your entertainment. Because let’s face it… we all need buttons sometimes.

The best part about this new in-home, whole-home controller is how easy it is to set up. It has a small orange button on the back of it. And each companion product also has a small orange dot. To pair everything together, you simply connect the dots and voila, setup is complete. They use NFC in the pairing process to make it extremely simple and user friendly. The touch screen has also been designed to be easy to use. You just name the rooms and the devices and you’re ready to go. The system is also able to accept some third party smart home devices, such as Amazon Alexa.

All of the new items are available now except the touch switch module which will be coming soon. It’s the only one that will need installation as it is also a scene controller in an elegant design that looks like a traditional wall switch.

To easily get started, kits are available, which come with the Oomi Touch controller, Oomi Cube hub and a set of sensors. The Lighting Kit retails for $499 and comes with 2 Oomi Bulbs and an Oomi Plug. The Automation Kit retails for $499 and comes with an Oomi Bulb, an Oomi Plug and an Oomi Door/Window Sensor. The Security Kit retails for $400 and comes with an Oomi Door/Window Sensor, an Oomi Multisensor and 4 Quick Tags. Other accessories are also available to expand your smarthome.

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The Most Amazing Chess Board… EVER!!



SquareOff electronic chess boardSo, you see a nice wooden chess board while walking around a large tech show. You glance at it, give a little smile and almost walk right by to the thing that has all of the bells and whistles down the row, because it’s just a chess board, right? Luckily our team didn’t just keep walking when they came up to this one. I have to say that with all of the technology out there and after years of coming to CES, it is pretty rare for us to see a new product demo and have our jaws actually drop. But that’s what happened when we saw the sorcery at the Square Off booth in Eureka Park this year at CES 2018.

Square Off is an automated chess board that allows you to play against the built-in artificial intelligence. So, big deal, right? Electronic chess has been around forever. Well this isn’t your grandpa’s electronic chess. This game is played on an actual, physical chess board with real pieces. And after you take your turn, the built in intelligence not only calculates its next move, but it actually moves its piece on the board. It accomplishes this via built in pressure sensors, magnets and an electronic arm built inside. You have to see it to believe it. It even moves around other pieces and removes your captured pieces from the board itself.

There are 20 different levels of difficulty for playing against the computer, and you can also connect with it online and play with anybody across the world. They have connected with Chess.com so you will be able to challenge any of their 16 million users to a game, at any time, whether or not they have the board as well. The accompanying mobile app connects to the board via Bluetooth. The app is where you set the difficulty levels and search for friends. You can also analyze your games, record and share them and check the leader boards, among other features.

Don’t know how to play chess? No problem! There is a training mode that will not only teach you to play but also how to up-skill your game. Go take a look at the two different models they offer on their website. Pricing for the Kingdom Board will be $330, and the Grand Kingdom Board will be $400.

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The Hologram School of the Future is Here!



HoloAnatomy HoloLens SoftwareCase Western Reserve University has been working with Microsoft HoloLens and the Cleveland Clinic to create the first software for HoloLens to be used in the medical field. The school has been developing this software to be used in their new facility that will house the medical, dental and nursing schools.

The software is called HoloAnatomy and helps teach students without the need to use cadavers and plain 2D textbooks. This application teaches in a 3D hologram style of environment. You will actually be able to walk around the image and even be able to stick your head and hands into the holographic body. Sister software is also being used to view artwork and museums of the world. You can try out this groundbreaking software for free for the HoloLens in the Microsoft Store.

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Latest Tech Delivers Important New Brain Test for Athletes



Reflexion EdgeConcussion awareness in athletics has become an important topic of discussion in schools and professional sports teams in recent years. Reflexion Edge is an interactive diagnostic tool that is designed to detect and track the onset of these types of brain injuries as part of an athlete’s normal training.

When used as part of daily/weekly performance training, it offers concussion screening and vestibular rehabilitation. Athletes can also use the system to train their cognitive performance on a weekly basis as part of their practice routines. Reflexion Edge searches for concussions that may occur from smaller hits and also the results of mild impacts over time from repeated tackles and checks that would normally go undiagnosed. It is also to be used after each game when the majority of the hits and tackles occur. Unchecked, these injuries could lead to more serious brain injuries later in life.

This tool also increases the athlete’s performance through neurocognitive training over time. They can then look at the leader boards to see how they stack up to their friends and others in their leagues.

Reflexion is currently partnered with two Pennsylvania high schools while ramping up for a launch in May of this year. For more information, please visit their website.

Interview by Chase Lowery of PLuGHiTz Live Special Events.
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STEM is for Everybody: Brilliant is Absolutely Beautiful!



Beauty and the BoltBeauty and the Bolt is an online education platform with the goal of lowering the barrier of entry for girls and women that are interested in engineering and technologies. It’s a village where anyone can learn physics, math, engineering, making and more. Their goal is to share engineering and the maker movement in a cool new way and, in turn, increase interest for those who wouldn’t normally be exposed to these topics. There shouldn’t be a set demographic for recruiting engineers. The less we stereotype, the more creativity we will gain. So what better way to show that anybody can create than by framing the movement around the princess Belle and subliminally informing the world that femininity and engineering are not mutually exclusive!

It is commonly known that women and minorities are vastly underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Beauty and the Bolt aims to make learning engineering easy, cheap and accessible for anyone – especially teens and young adults – while also encouraging creativity and individuality.

Having realized that current manuals and tutorials were putting off as many people as they were attracting, the founders set out to make a change. They began producing video tutorials that would be entertaining and engaging for a much wider viewer base. The videos take away the intimidation factor by simply showing a girl complete the tasks. The projects are geared to inspire everyone to learn and create. Their goal is to bring as many resources as possible to encourage and inspire whole new groups of people to be interested in STEM by making the topics as approachable, fun, interesting and affordable as possible.

The YouTube videos that they make are free to makerspaces, as they want to get them into the hands of as many people as possible. They also sell kits in bulk to the makerspaces. Each set has a goal in mind, for example a hand drill kit to get users accustom to using the hand drill and make it easier and less intimidating.

Check them out on YouTube Channel as well as on their website.

Interview by Jacob Cannon of FIRST Looks.
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Your Special Herbal Blends to Help You Relax and Enjoy Life More



Oblend botanical extracts and essential oilsSo many of us are trying to live a more pure and healthy lifestyle. Homeopathic cures and remedies can play a big part in this. And although it is very appealing to cure what ails us with an all natural approach, it’s not always easy to find the right blend of ingredients to fit our own individual needs. Oblend allows you to make a variety of health products, right at home, using plant-based materials, such as botanical extracts and essential oils.

Botanical extracts and essential oils have long been touted as being able to help with everything from headaches to sleeplessness to inflammation and everything in between. But everybody is different and getting the right blend for maximum benefits can be quite difficult and expensive. This is where Oblend comes in. With the help of their mobile app, you are able to identify your specific need and get recipe combinations. And you can choose the best way to deliver the results. You can create vapes, tinctures, culinary oils, massage oils, lotions, drinks, aromatherapies and supplements from legal herbal extracts and essential oils. And that’s just the beginning.

Still in the prototype stage, Oblend will go on resale in March and is expected to begin shipping in July. Pricing is expected to be at about $949. They are currently offering a CES special of 50% off of the March preorders when you sign up for their email list on their website.

Interview by Chase Lowery of PLuGHiTz Live Special Events.
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Perfect and Simple Way to Direct Your Smart Home



crea.vision connected devicesThe progression of the smart home went from manually adjusting your lights and thermostat, to being able to make changes on a mobile device, to using voice commands to control these and many other items in your house. How can it get any better than that? Well, if crea.vision has anything to do with it, it can get a lot better.

crea.vision is developing a product that will enhance your intelligent home without the need for a screen controller or even voice command. It will work quietly in the background, yet still be available when you need something. It uses a computer vision sensor that is capable of knowing the identity and location of the people in the home, works with long distances and combines all of this data to automate all of your connected devices.

This new hub will intelligently manage your lighting, climate and entertainment, by learning every user’s preferences and then personalizing each service. So, wherever you walk into the house, the system will make adjustments to your smart devices automatically for you. For example, if your phone is charging and a call comes in, the system will notify you wherever you are in the home and allow you to take it hands free. It will seamlessly follow you as you walk around the house, as will your music or TV shows. So when you are busily getting ready for work, you won’t miss a minute of your media as you move about the house. All connected devices that can be safely connected to the system will be able to autonomously adapt to each individual user.

Creators are designing it around all platforms. It is being built with the user in mind, to be as easy as possible, by integrating in many of the existing third party devices. Current development for consumer use will track as many as 10-15 people within the home. And based upon feedback, they are looking to expand into enterprise solutions as well as enterprise security solutions.

This whole new way of interacting with technology is still in the prototype phase. It should be on the market in about 6 to 8 months. Pricing is still pending, but they will be updating their website throughout the development process. Stay tuned to www.crea.vision for more information.

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