|
10 HIDDEN GEMS FROM
CES 2016
As another CES draws to a close, we covered some
prominent products. But there was innovation from
the smaller guys too. Hitesh Raj Bhagat explored
the smaller booths at the smaller venues to bring
you this round-up
BOOGIE BOARD
While
the Boogie Board itself is not new, the company
showcased
a couple of new designs. In case you're unfamiliar,
Boogie
Board makes digital writing pads -you can hang
them
up anywhere (like on a fridge) and writedraw scribble
on
them. The slate is wiped clean at the press of a button
and
they can be re-used hundreds and thousands of times
-drastically reducing paper use in homes and
offices.
These
two new designs (Scribble n' Play & Jot 4.5) are
aimed
at the children in the house. The Scribble n' Play
has,
for the first time, a display that shows colour. It has
four
large, easy-to-grip writingdrawing `pens' clipped onto
the
four corners. The smaller Jot 4.5 has a translucent
screen
and comes with a bunch of flash cards that can
be
inserted in a slot behind the screen -to help kids learn
simple
subjects.
FLAP IT
You
may have heard of split-flap displays or at least seen
one
without knowing what it was called. Before LED
signage
and full colour displays became common, these
`flipping'
displays were often sighted at airports and
train
stations, displaying names, destinations and time
tables.
In essence, the display is mechanical and it
uses
a rolling set of flaps to form letters and numbers.
Flapit
is a split-flap display that is built to better connect
a
small business to its customers. The device itself is solidly
built
yet charmingly retro. It is wireless so you can control
it
using a webapp on a computer or mobile device. It weighs
about 3kg, is 58cm wide, can be placed
anywhere for
maximum
visibility and is the first physical counter that
is
preconnected to all major social media platforms
(Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Instagram etc).You can
use
it to display a live view of how many Facebook likes
your
page have, how many Twitter followers, YouTube
views
and so on. The company suggests using it in brick
and
mortar retailers, hotels, coffee shops, restaurants
and
offices. The flap designs can also be customised to
your
business.
SMARTHALO
Using
a smartphone while on two wheels is a lot riskier
than
while driving. Smarthalo is a device that can convert
any
bicycle into a smartcycle. It clamps into the handlebar
and
can show you useful information like driving directions
or
notify you of incoming callsSMS using a ring of
multicolour
LEDs.It is meant to be left on the bike
permanently
(except while charging) and the company
says
that the military grade locking mechanism prevents
theft.
The SmartHalo app will guide you around and send
the
appropriate signal to the device to show you where to
turn.
It can also remind you where you parked your bike,
track
your fitness distance and export data to third-party
apps
like Strava, Apple Health Kit or Google Fitness. As if
that
wasn't enough, it has motion activated anti-theft and
white
LEDs to light the way ahead..
PETBOT
The
makers of this gadget call it the first smartphone for
pets
and that it has `petificial intelligence'! While that may
be
an exaggeration, it's a pretty cool device nonetheless.
It's
designed for people who regularly leave pets at home
while
they're away at work. Thanks to the built in camera,
speaker
and mic, you can check in on your pets remotely
and
even speak to them.Pets can also send you video
selfies
while you're at work this action is triggered by a
bark
or a meow. It also has a container for little treats that
you
can dispense for training. Finally, if your pet gets
anxious
without you around, you can upload and play
soothing
musicsounds on the PetBot speaker. If you're
afraid
that your pet might destroy PetBot, it can also be
mounted
on a wall. It connects via WiFi and you need
to
get the free iOSAndroid app to start using the device.
3D RUDDER
Virtual
reality and Augmented Reality were buzzwords at
CES
2016. If you've experienced a VR headset (even
something
like Google Cardboard), you'll know that it has
the
potential to digitally transport you away. But what if
you
want more control over your VR experience? One way
is
to use a joystick, mouse or keyboard -but it's not the
most
intuitive. French company 3D Rudder says that in
going
digital, we lost the use of our feet. This circular board
has
sensitive, built in gyroscopes and pressure sensors.
It
is intended to be used while seated and has a USB interface
for maximum compatibility. Place your feet
on it and it
precisely
detects movement (forward, backward, strafe l
eftright,
rotation) or updown if you alternate pressing down
with
heeltoes.Some of the applications include your own
virtual
tours, real estate showcase, gaming, 3D designCAD
and
machine control (while your hands remain free to do
other
things).
360 FLY
There's
a solid reason why action cameras are so popular:
they're
rugged, have a wide field of view and help you
document
share your adventures. GoPro has a majority of
the
premium market in the bag but there's one thing they're
missing:
360 degree video.
Panoramic
video itself is not new and there are also dual
180-degree
lens cameras like the Ricoh Theta that can
capture
panoramic video. 360 Fly is a single camera that
can
capture 360-degree video with a single lens. It can be
used
as a standalone camera (on a tripod, selfie stick or in
your
hand) or mounted on a helmet, handlebar or vehicle.
It's
waterproof without needing a housing and has built in
WiFi
+ Bluetooth. You can use the app on your phone to
preview
live video, edit video and share. It weighs only
138
grams and the built in rechargeable battery is good
for
about 2 hours of use.
CINEMOOD
At
its most basic, CineMood is a portable video projector
designed
for children. After seeing this adorable, palm-sized
device
in action, it's clear that it fills a void when it comes
to
entertainment and parent-child interaction. Firstly,
CineMood
can turn any flat, white surface into a personal
cinema.
It has built in speakers and a battery that can
power
the device for up to 2 hours at a time. It can store
your
own curated list of cartoons or AV storybooks for
your
child to view at leisure. It is also cloud connected
and
wireless -you can get content from CineMood that is
pre-filtered
by age. As a parent, you can get the Ios Android
app
and quickly send a video message directly to the
projector,
even from a remote location. The LED projection
system
is not too bright, doesn't get hot (it uses passive
cooling
rather than fans) and can be used in any orientation.
ONAGOFLY
Drones
don't need to be very large, complicated or expensive.
Take
for example, the Indiegogo-funded Onagofly (which we
have
featured before in a spotlight). This is a lightweight
(140
grams), palm-sized quadcopter with some features
that
you won't find in other drones that cost five times
as
much. For instance, it has an infrared collision avoidance
system
-emitters and receivers on all four sides help it
avoid
obstacles like trees, pillars and wall while it
automatically
follows you around. The built in camera
can
record 1080p HD video or capture 15MP still images.
With
the remote control app on your phone or tablet,
you
can connect to the drone's WiFi signal to see a live
feed
from the camera. You can also control navigation,
switch
onoff the auto follow mode and instantly save
photosvideos
to your mobile device. It has a battery life
of
about 15 minutes.
GLANCE CLOCK
The
smartphone is a major distraction for a lot of people.
You'll
often hear of it being banned on the dinner table or
people
getting into fights over excessive use. The Glance
Clock
is a clever invention that helps you reduce smartphone
use. In a way, you could compare it to a
smartwatch, since
it
delivers notifications (who's calling, SMS, alerts) and fitness
data
except that it's hung on your wall. Since it's publicly
viewable,
it can also connect to smarthome devices and
web
services that can provide info for groups of people.
Inside
the Glance Clock are two banks of multi-colour LEDs:
one
group that encircles the clock face and one group that
forms
a rectangular, scrolling LED display. There's a free
mobile
app that helps you set up all your notifications and
the
beautiful animations (and sound) will catch your eye
and
deliver info to you at a glance.
ILY
The
landline has pretty much disappeared from many
homes.
Many parents also like to limit the time that their
children
have with digital devices. However, communication
between
children and parents (or grandparents) can suffer
as
a result. The solution is the ILY Family phone, made by
US-based
company Insensi. It's an always-on, always
connected
(Ethernet or WiFi) phone with multiple speakers,
a
large colour display and detachable wireless handset.
It
may look like a tablet that's tacked on to a phone but
it
is actually purpose built for AV communication only.
The
parents can get the free app on their mobile phone
to
call the ILY and voicevideo chat with their kids. Or the
device
could be placed with grandparents who may not
be
tech-savvy -using it is as easy as tapping the picture
of
the person on it.
And 5 More
Products
Casio Exilim
EX-FR10
Casio
is bringing multiple usage modes in the camera
segment
with this sports cam. The FR-10 can be used
like
a regular camera, selfie style (thanks to the articulated
display)
or wear able style (detach the display and use it
as
a remote viewfinder for camera). In addition, the 10MP
camera
is rugged (dust proof, waterproof) and can record
videos
in full HD resolution. There is a 3-inch LCD touch
display,
built in WiFi and Bluetooth, interval shooting
(time
lapse) and even support for slow motion video recording.
Technics Ottava
SC-C500
Panasonic
has revived revered audio brand Technics and
one
of our favourites is the Ottava -a premium mini audio
system.
It's a CD player with a gorgeous retro design,
built-in
amplifier, WiFi, Ethernet, USB port, Bluetooth as
well
as Apple AirPlay support. It comes with two wired
speakers
(each has three tweeters and a mid-range driver).
What's
interest ing is that each speaker has different
channels
for the tweeter (high frequencies) and woofer
so
that the signal is `unmuddled'.
VU Iconium
Netflix Ready TV
Soon
after the official Netflix announcement for India,
Vu
Television announced a new range of 4K TVs that are
Netflix-ready.
They are available in 40 to 65inch screen
sizes
and the supplied remote control has a dedicated
button
to launch both Netflix or Youtube. It also has other
smart
TV features plus 4 X HDMI ports, 3 x USB ports,
built-in
WiFi and built in 4K video upscaling.
Panasonic 4K
Blu-Ray Player (DMP-UB900)
This
is amongst the first 4k Blu-Ray players to be launched
now
that the UHD Alliance has finalised on what counts as
UHD
premium. The player is THX certified and is capable of
upscaling
Blu-ray discs to 4k with minimal quality loss.
Ports
include two HDMI and you can also choose to
separate
audio and video signals on separate HDMI
cables
for uncompressed quality.
Polaroid iE090
Dual
screen cameras are not new, but Polaroid's iE090
gives
you duals screens in a rugged (waterproof, shock
proof)
design. It has a 2.7-inch rear display and 1.8-inch
front
display along with a flash and microSD slot.
It
shoots 18MP images, 720p resolution HD video
recording
and uses 3 x AA batteries for power.
|
ET13JAN16
No comments:
Post a Comment