I wrote about the MOTA Smart Ring (what feels like) ages ago, and I finally got the chance to see one in action and slip it on my finger yesterday. It’s reasonably priced at a pre-order price of $99. What that gets you is notifications from all of your usual apps — messages, email, Facebook, etc.
I am starting to worry my phone is becoming sentient. See, on a typical day, the battery holds up just fine all day. But if it’s a busy day, that’s when my phone drains the battery like a hungry vampire. Luckily, Bracketron is working on their Snap2.0 chargers, an affordable way to snag fast charging with compatible phones!
Wadjet Eye has released some great games recently, creating the Blackwell mystery games and publishing Gemini Rue. So I was intrigued when I heard that they were working on a new game with indie developer Technocrat, which they announced today. The game is Technobabylon, a dystopian cyberpunk adventure coming to PC in spring 2015 and to Mac/Linux after.
MIO Global made a big splash as the first to provide a highly accurate heart-rate monitoring without a chest strap. Now they are back with the MIO Alpha 2, which refines and improves on the original in every way. They also announced the MIO Fuse, which combines their heart rate monitoring technology with an all-day fitness tracker!
Dan and I had a “moment” on the CES floor yesterday when we realized that we had left the camera mount in the cab on our ride over to the LVCC. Obviously, if you are going to need a specialized piece of equipment, there is no better place to find a replacement than CES 2015, and that’s how we discovered iBolt.
I admit, as much as I love my 7 year old Prius, I get a little jealous hearing about the amazing ways smartphones are being integrated with newer cars. Satechi clearly feels my pain, and they’ve come up with a much more cost effective solution than a brand new car in their newly announced BT Button Series.
CES isn’t just about the latest fun gadgets. It’s also a showcase for all sorts of breakthroughs, including incredible medical ones. Dan and Judie caught up with the CEO of ReWalk, a company that is working on exoskeletons to help people with lower limb disabilities walk again! Check out their video interview!
Watching my son deal with audio recording issues as he completed his portfolio film project for film school applications (in at NYU, yay!), I got a new appreciation of the value of a quality microphone for even the most seemingly simple applications. The iPhone is great for capturing video, but the addition of the iRig Mic Field makes it better!
The way we choose to illuminate our spaces has changed dramatically in our lifetime. As a young adult my life seemed divided between the harsh fluorescent office lights and warm incandescent lights of home. The last couple of decades have seen rapid changes in the type, efficiency and flexibility of lighting, getting ‘smart’ lighting solutions such as Bolt light bulb from Misfit.
Gear up gamers for fun, flash and functionality! The Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) is featuring new and upcoming gaming accessories to enhance video game experiences for all ages. Nyko and Mad Catz are familiar names in gaming peripherals and this year brings more great gaming options including a PlayStation 4 data bank, PS4 Type Pad, innovative gaming headset, Xbox One light grip, and XB1 mini charge dock.
The North American International Auto Show is not the only big show in January for automakers anymore. Manufacturers and their industry partners are flocking to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to announce and demonstrate the latest in vehicular technologies both present and future. CES is no longer just for radios and radar detectors in the mobile environment.
We already reported on the new additions to Garmin’s vivo line-up, the vivofit 2 and vivoactive, which round up Garmin‘s consumer wearable line. But they also added to their higher end products with the Epix and Fenix 3. The Fenix 3 is the latest in the company’s multi-sport category, and Epix is intended as a wearable GPS for outdoor enthusiasts.
Let’s be honest – I have been harshly critical of Android as a non-functional platform for making music. And while Android as a whole isn’t suddenly becoming a viable music platform, the programming hooks for low-latency audio are finally being fully exploited by developers! At NAMM later this month IK Multimedia will be demonstrating zero latency audio apps for Android.
AltspaceVr is a Google-backed virtual reality startup who is developing a shared virtual reality platform. This platform will give users a chance to share a virtual space and interact together, much like the real world. Users can play games together, watch movies together, or experience anything on the internet together. Currently, AltspaceVR’s platform is in closed beta.
I’ve always been a fan of Garmin products, considering them the ‘gold standard’ for running GPS watches. Their leap into fitness trackers in 2014 with the vivoFit and more recently the vivoSmart were highly successful and each is on a wrist in my household. Now they are announcing the ViVoActive Smart Fitness Watch that pretty much does it all!
Back in 2010 IK Multimedia introduced the first guitar/bass interface for iOS, iRig. Paired with Amplitube, the first amplifier & effects simulator for iOS, iRig provided a portable solution that turned iOS into a portable solution for all musicians. Since then they released the iRig HD, and now they’re back with the iRig 2, filled with improvements and new capabilities!
Most of us have several cables we carry or use throughout the day be they charging cables, headphone cables or data cables. Unfortunately, they all tend to create a mess in the bag, on your desk and in your car. Griffin aims to change that at CES with a new collection of cable management accessories.
I have professed my unabashed love for the Magellan Echo before, because of how it perfectly melds GPS watch capability while using your smartphone as the engine. I reviewed the Echo almost a year ago, and still use it regularly – because it just plain works. Now Magellan has introduced the follow-up Echo Fit at CES 2015!
Last night Dan and I had the chance to check out Urbanears new Plattan Wireless Headphones, No cord, 8 hour battery life, and they come in 12 different colors. They retail for $100, and you can swipe to adjust music and its volume. These are pretty freaking cool, and they will be out in June; take a look!
Henge Docks has been making Gravitas docks for some time; we’ve reviewed them, and Dan won’t part with his, no matter how much I beg. Today we got an exclusive Pre-CES look at their entire Gravitas line, their Clique Apple keyboard and Magic touchpad holder, as well as their amazing new Horizontal Dock for the 15″ MacBook Pro retina.
Whether your game is golf, tennis, or baseball, how good you are relies upon your swing. Zepp makes products that give you immediate and helpful feedback on how you are doing and how you might improve. Dan and I had a moment to learn more; see what you think — is this the type tool you’ve been waiting on?