Vibes Audio is Going Modular in a Really Great Way



Vibes Modular smartphone casesVibes Audio presents ROXON… an all new smartphone case system with modular accessories. This innovative system starts with a BASEROX smartphone case ($24.99), which is the shell of the phone case. It comes in either black or white and currently supports Apple iPhone models 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy models S7 Edge, S8, and S8 Plus, with Apple iPhone X coming soon.

To elevate your sound, add the VIBROX Sound Engine ($114.99). This lightweight and powerful little Bluetooth speaker, with a built-in microphone, also lets you set up 2-way calling with ease. Other features include a waterproof IPX7 rating, 10-12 hours of playtime, pause/play and song tracking features.

To back up that power, get the VOLTROX Power Bank (49.99) to provide up to 150% more battery life. Snap it on when you need a quick charge, then snap it off to add a different accessory when you’re done. Specs include a stylish thin form factor, 3000 mAH detachable battery pack, spring loaded button for easy removal, battery ON/OFF switch, removable power cord to plug into phone, LED battery level indicator lights and Micro USB charging port.

There’s also a Sticky Mount Adapter for adventures on the go. Mount your Vibes Modular products practically anywhere. Slap it on the side of your cooler, or in the garage, shower, on your tool box, your tacklebox, kayak, paddleboard, surfboard (it’s waterproof). Anywhere you go, it can go with you.

What we love about ROXON is not just the great accessories, but the fact that they, unlike other brands, will remain with you even if you change phones. If you get a different sized phone, all you have to do is update your BASEROX. The speaker, charger, and future snap on accessories, will still fit perfectly. Making this a green solution that grows with you. Finally, sustainable, swappable accessories for smartphones so you can Vibe Anywhere.

And keep your eye out for future add-ons like Qi Wireless charging and Recharging accessories.

Interview by Marissa Schiereck of The New Product Launchpad.
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Amazing and Budget-Friendly Gadgets for your Peace of Mind



Roost Smart Battery TechnologyWhen the smallest, most affordable gadgets can make such a big impact on daily life, we take notice. And we definitely noticed Roost when we came across them at ShowStoppers at CES 2018.

On display this year is their 9 Volt Smart Battery. This is a Lithium battery that will last 3-5 years, with an imbedded WiFi chip. This Smart Battery will actually change your existing smoke detectors in your home and instantly turn them into smart smoke detectors. How ingenious! By simply replacing your batteries with these smart batteries and connecting to your home WiFi via the mobile app, you will be alerted immediately if your smoke detector goes off. So no matter where you are, you will know, and can react, right way, if there is a fire in your home. The Smart Battery starts at $34.99. You can also order the next generation battery at Amazon.com.

Also currently available is the Smart Leak and Freeze Detector. For only $49, you will never have to worry about leaks or freezing pipes again. Simply place this detector anyplace in which you are worried about leaks to get a notice to your smartphone if one occurs. It also has a temperature and humidity sensor inside so you can set your own parameters to be alerted in time to ensure there isn’t a disaster in the home. It’s great for placement beneath toilets, under the kitchen sink, near the hot water heater, etc.

And a new addition to their lineup this year is the Smart Garage Door Sensor. Talk about a good idea!! We have all had that sinking feeling after driving away from the house where we wonder, “Oh no, did I close the garage door?”. Well, don’t worry about driving back to verify. This wonderful little device that clips onto the top of the garage door is Wi-Fi enabled with a built in accelerometer. It sends notifications to your smartphone to let you know the state of your garage door; open or closed. Place this sensor on the garage door, connect it to the Roost cloud through the free mobile app and become more engaged. Not only can you check on the door’s status at any time, but you can also set up notifications to let you know when there is any activity. The Garage Door Sensor will be available in the second quarter of 2018 at a price of $39.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.
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High Tech Workflow Solutions with OWC



OWC Other World ComputingOh what fun it is to see what’s new at OWC, especially for us here at PLuGHiTz Live.

This year they are showcasing the new version of their Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which was previously mainly for Mac. They have now added the Windows platform and lowered the price. The ports included on this new model: (2) Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C ports (downstream port can support USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices), (1) Mini DisplayPort, (4) USB 3.1 Gen 1 Standard-A ports (rear) – 1 compliant with Battery Charging 1.2 spec, (1) USB 3.1 Gen 1 Standard-A port (front) – compliant with Battery Charging 1.2 spec, (1) Gigabit Ethernet port, (1) S/PDIF digital audio port (output only), (1) SD 3.0 media card reader (front), (1) Hybrid 3.5 mm headphone/mic jack. This new model will be available in February/March of 2018 at a price of $279.

OWC has always been a storage company that is focused on any kind of media production. As more and more content is created, we not only need extended storage but also better transfer speeds. This next upgraded device will make life for us media professionals so much better. The Thunderblade V4 is a solid state, ray to ray, all flash storage (PCIE, MVME), passively cooled untie with no light in a flat black finish that is portable and fast. How fast? It has an almost 3 gig/second read with 2.5 sustained writes. When time is money and performance can’t be beat… this new unit is as good as gold in our book. All this and it is durably designed to be out on the road where the content is being created. It is available immediately post CES 2018. From 1TB to 8 TB with pricing between $1,600 and $4,999, it will honestly pay for itself in production time very quickly.

Take a look at all of OWC’s products, available at Amazon.com.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.
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The Lighter, the Better with Fascinating Nanoleaf



Nanoleaf led lighting panelsWe are no strangers to lighting effects, light boards and light walls here at PLuGHiTz Live. As a matter of fact, we are always in search of better lighting features and design. So when we came across Nanoleaf at ShowStoppers at CES 2018, to say we were excited would be an understatement.

Nanoleaf is not just a light, it’s an experience. It is comprised of lightweight triangular panels that actually enable you to illuminate your life in your own way, and change it up anytime you would like. The panels click together in any configuration you can dream of. Make a unique tower, or wall design and mix it up whenever you feel like it. Program various color schemes. You can awaken in the morning to sunlight and unwind at night with a colorful and soothing display. There’s also an add-on rhythm module that will transform your music and allow you to immerse yourself in a symphony of light. We truly can’t say enough about this incredible design.

Whether for a bedroom, home theater or multimedia studio, Nanoleaf is a green solution for amazing LED lighting design. They offer a 9 piece starter kit for $199, and 3 piece expansion packs for $49 on their website.

Also check out the kits and bundles available at Amazon:
9-piece Aurora Smarter Kit
9-piece Rhythm Smarter Kit
3-piece Aurora Expansion Pack

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Fantastic and Perfect Little Sound System for Your Kids



Jooki kids smart speakerMusic is one of the best things in life. We all have times when we want to kick back and listen to our favorite playlists. And kids are no exception. Any of us with kids, siblings or nieces/nephews most likely have a playlist or two dedicated just to them. But if they are listening to their music from your device, that means that you are not. And most of us don’t necessarily want to devote a phone or mp3 to our little ones and risk the device breaking.

Well, Jooki has the perfect solution. Jooki is a durable, colorful and portable Wi-Fi speaker for kids 3+ that comes with little toy characters. It is designed to allow kids to listen to their music and stories without the need for any kind of screened device. Each character is linked to a separate playlist (song, story, album or internet radio station), so when the child places one on top of the speaker, the music starts automatically.

A great additional feature is the app for parents. With this app, you are able to control the type of content the kids are exposed to, and also giving total control to things like the volume and play times . The app is also used to upload the content, create playlists and link the playlists to characters.

The player and five characters are priced at $199 and are currently shipping to the US. You can get yours here.

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What Happens When You Open Young Minds to an Innovative Idea



Cubetto by Primo ToysNow very young children can learn the basic programming logic with Primo. It is a tactile programming language meant to introduce children from 3+ the basic skills meant to do programming in a manner that they can understand and get excited about without a screen. This is done through the eyes of Cubetto, a little wooden robot whose movements are determined by placement of colorful plastic pieces on a wooden track.

Each color represents a different command: green for go, red for right and yellow for left. The company tried hard to incorporate alliteration into the command colors so that young children will associate with it easily.

The price point for this learning experience is $225.00 for the basic pack including the robot, the command pieces and track and a map. There are additional sets available for $29.00 each and a Color Pack for $45.00. Availability is through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or smaller toy stores around the country or through educational catalogues.

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A Breakthrough Way to Make Freshly Brewed Coffee On the Go!



Cauldryn Fyre travel mugIf you’ve ever been on-the-road and wished there was a way to brew your own coffee, then Cauldryn is for you. This seemingly standard insulated mug hides within it superpowers. Using a series of modular attachments, you can boil water, brew coffee and even sterilize water.

On the LED screen, you can set your target temperate and see how hot the water has gotten. Once it is to your desired temperature, you can make food, brew coffee or tea or even rehydrate dehydrated food. The portable battery pack can also charge your phone in an emergency. On a full charge you can boil water twice and brew coffee 7-8 times. The Cauldryn is a perfect accessory for camping or hiking.

In the control module they have added Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to use with Google Assistant, so when you’re at home, you can simply say, “Hey Google, brew some coffee” and Cauldryn will do all of the work for you. The price point for this is $129.00 for the coffee module and $139.00 for the fixed module. For more information go to cauldryn.com.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.
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Need to Be More Stable in Your Recording? Use the Steadycam VOLT.



Steadicam VOLT Phone StabilizerHave you ever recorded a video and it came out shaky, either because of wind or just holding the phone too long? Now there is a handheld device that enables you to record on your phone without worrying about being steady and balanced. It’s called the Steadicam VOLT. It can be used on any smartphone including smaller phones like the Moto E or larger phones like iPhone 8 Plus or the Note S8.

The VOLT comes with an engine for stabilizing even the shakiest hand. The counterweights allow for non-powered balance during your recording. You can move about and never worry about your picture being distorted or off-balance. It uses a lithium-ion battery with an 8-hour life and the battery charges fairly quickly.

They are available now at Best Buy, Amazon and wherever Tiffen products are sold. The suggested retail price is $79.95. For more information go to steadicam.com.

Interview by Marissa Schiereck of The New Product Launchpad.
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Exciting New Technology for Safer Driving



Hyundai MOBIS Safe Driving TechnologyAll of us have gotten behind the wheel of our cars knowing that we were drowsy. Thanks to Hundai MOBIS, that problem is probably going to be a thing of the past. It is called Departed Driver Rescue and Exit Maneuver or DDREM. This is an intervention system that safely transitions the vehicle from any kind of accident or veering off the road when it detects that the driver is falling asleep.

Since there are over 7000 fatalities from falling asleep at the wheel, this innovation is a wonderful piece of technology to have available for our safety. It places sensors and an infrared camera into the car along with control inputs to help detect that the driver is no longer in control of the car. It then takes over and transitions the vehicle to get back on track and safely pull off the road and come to a safe stop. It will then send an emergency alert to whoever the OEM or the driver has chosen. Hopefully this technology will be available in cars by 2022.

Interview by Marissa Schiereck of The New Product Launchpad.
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Perfect 3D Printing in a Great Design



SprintRay 3D PrintingThe MoonRay Desktop 3D Printer from SprintRay is an all in one, high resolution system with a compact design that can fit into any workspace. It allows you to make a variety of different things from engineering to character design and everything in between. It’s also wireless with incredible accuracy, solid durability, and great print speed at an affordable price. It also includes advanced hardware, software, and materials.

Both of their printers offer 20, 50, or 100 Microns of Z Resolution, up to 1 vertical inch per hour Print Speed and use Standard, Castable, Dental Materials.

With MoonRay D, you are able to print features as small as 75 microns in size. It’s perfect for applications that demand the best in detail, precision, and accuracy. It’s perfect for dental labs producing crowns and bridges, and for jewelers who print pieces for casting.

The MoonRay S has a minimum feature size of 100 microns, combined with a generous build area. It’s ideal for creators and makers who need a larger build area, but still want great detail, accuracy, and surface finish. It is great for character designers, dentists, and engineers.

Interview by Jacob Cannon of FIRST Looks.
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