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Cell Phone Accessories Imaging

Eye-Plug plugs into Android phones to shoot 3D video

Despite the increasing quality of smartphone cameras, one thing they don’t typically do is record in 3D.

Eye-Plug is a small plug-in device for Android smartphones that shoots 3D video. It features a rotatable head and is tiny enough to fit in one’s pocket. It works in conjunction with a companion Google app that allows users to easily edit images from one’s smartphone. Eye-Plug is also compatible with existing Google virtual reality viewers. It’s shipping now at $44.99 and is available from its maker’s website, http://www.weeview.co/.

There have been other devices that have done pretty much the same thing as Eye-Plug, including Vitrima for GoPro cameras and Bevel for iPhones. Eye-Plug’s focus on the huge Android smartphone market, combined with its small size and useful app helps it stand out from at least some rival products. But some consumers will no doubt prefer a device that would work with multiple types of cameras and smartphone operating systems.

 

Categories
Health and Wellness Smartwatches/Bands

IBeat smartwatch monitors every beat of your heart

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and every minute that passes without defibrillation and life support intervention reduces the possibility of survival.

patent-claimedIBeat is a 24-hour, heart-monitoring smartwatch that can immediately notify the user, as well as his or her family and 911 in case of a heart-related emergency. Its medical-grade sensors constantly monitor heart activity and detect emergencies.

IBeat ships in July at future pricing of $459. But Indiegogo backers have been able to reserve one for a pledge starting at $99 for early birds. Its makers hope to raise $50,000 by Oct. 30.

There are many other smartwatches on the market already, many of them that feature heart monitoring, including Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2. But few rival products continuously monitor heart rate around the clock like iBeat does. Not all rival products include GPS and some that do, unlike iBeat, charge extra for that feature. Unlike most rival products, iBeat users also don’t have to use it in conjunction with a smartphone.

There are, however, potential negatives for some consumers. First, after a free year of monitoring service, the iBeat watch monthly monitoring fee becomes $17. It is, meanwhile, a single-profile device that’s not designed to be used by more than one person. It is also only being targeted at the U.S. market for now, but its makers say that, in the near future, they plan to offer an international version of iBeat with multi-language support.

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Smove smartphone stabilizer lets you move while shooting video

Shooting video on smartphones can be tricky, largely because they tend to lack the same quality image stabilization capabilities as the best traditional standalone cameras. That’s if they even have any image stabilization functionality at all.

Smove is an intelligent smartphone stabilizer with a built-in charger and an Auto Face Follow feature that recognizes faces and automatically rotates to follow them. It supports all iPhones 5 through 7 Plus, and all Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Smove ships in December at future pricing of $249. But Indiegogo backers have been able to order one for a pledge starting at $119 for early birds. Its makers are out to raise $20,000 by Oct. 26.

There have been many smartphone stabilizers before Smove, including Elephant Steady. But Smove stands out from the pack thanks in large part to extra features that include its ability to be used as a phone charger and Auto Face Follow. It also touts advanced features including automated 360-degree panorama shots.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags Robots/Drones Travel

Travelmate robotic suitcase follows wherever you go while traveling

Frequent problems that travelers face, especially while on their own, include not having enough hands to carry everything and suitcases hitting other travelers’ legs while being wheeled around. And then there’s the universal problem all travelers face when trying to figure out how much a valise weighs to avoid airline charges.

Travelmate is a robotic suitcase that responds to the user’s gestures and will follow him or her around without being carried or pulled, making traveling easier. The autonomous robot companion is also smart enough to avoid any obstacles in its way thanks to its Follow Me system’s built-in sensors that detect and avoid obstacles including people and furniture. Its GPS chip helps orient the suitcase and allows users to know the location of the suitcase at all times, in conjunction with a companion app for unspecified mobile devices. Travelmate uses artificial learning and machine learning to optimize its movements, while its omni wheels allow for increased stability and range of motion.

Travelmate also has a touch-enabled lock system that scans the user’s fingerprint to open the suitcase, while a built-in scale that will accurately measure the weight of a suitcase’s contents. It touts a battery life of four hours when in full autonomous mode and up to 100 hours in stand-by mode when it’s used just like a normal suitcase. Multi- colored LED lighting is featured on all Travelmate models and informs the user of the suitcase’s battery level.

Categories
Connected Objects Displays

H1 strives to be the #1 smart projector with 4K, Android support

A good home theater system can be costly when you factor in the TV and stereo system including speakers and an amplifier.

H1 is a portable, 3D full HD smart projector that features Harman Kardon 45mm dual unit stereo sound. The projector uses Texas Instruments DLP technology and its brightness is rated at 900 ANSI lumens for daytime or bright-light viewing. H1 is the latest LED projector from Chinese manufacturer XGIMI, and transforms any surface into a 300-inch screen.

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Astro Core adds motion to your time-lapse videos

Motion control isn’t always so easy to achieve with cameras. Camera motion control accessories, after all, tend to be clunky and costly as well.

Astro Core is a motion control and time-lapse trigger for cameras that allows users to easily add motion to time-lapse videos. It can be programmed via an Android and iOS smartphone app using gestures. The Astro App can be used to record the user’s desired motion in mid-air, then send the recorded program to Astro Core and it will precisely mimic that person’s moves. It works with one Astro to create panning or tilting programs, or with two Astros to create simultaneous two-axis motion. It’s small enough to take anywhere, and runs on AA batteries.

Categories
Smart Home

Netro relies on the cloud and the sun to water your garden

Many homeowners rely on lawn sprinkler systems to water their gardens and lawns. However, traditional lawn sprinkler systems tend to waste a lot of water and don’t always do a great job supplying water exactly where it’s needed.

Netro is a watering system designed for easy use in residential irrigation and is made up of the Sprite cloud-based watering controller and Whisperer, a solar-powered plant sensor. It works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Netro helps to reduce unnecessary water usage and keeps gardens healthy.

Categories
Input Television

GoTouch transforms your TV into interactive whiteboard

editors-choice-300x96It would be nice to use that TV or projection screen one already owns to make interactive presentations without running out to spend money on a whiteboard.

GoTouch is a small, portable device that instantly turns any TV or projector into an interactive whiteboard using an infrared tracking pointer. The device connects to smartphones, tablets or PCs via Bluetooth. If using an iPhone or iPad, it can be connected wirelessly using Apple TV’s AirPlay, or via a Lightning to HDMI cable. If using an Android device, GoTouch can be connected via a Micro-USB to HDMI cable or by using Chromecast or similar screencasting devices.

Categories
Music

Tiny ONEmicro speaker uses cordless phone tech for a Bluetooth extraction

There is no shortage of small, wireless speakers on the market that use Bluetooth technology. But the sound quality of many of them leave a lot to be desired.

ONEmicro is a small, portable wireless speaker that uses the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard instead of Bluetooth. DECT provides superior sound quality, its manufacturer, ONEaudio, says. The speakers have been tested at over 90 dB and they fill up 120 square feet of space. The battery lasts 20 hours in HQ mode and 25 hours in ECO mode.

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

Snore Circle could end the cycle of endless snoring

Snoring is a problem that many people suffer with for several years — often without realizing how much of a toll it’s taking on both their sleeping and overall health, as well as the sleeping and overall health of their loved ones.

Snore Circle is a device made up of a control unit and earplugs that works in conjunction with a mobile app for Android 4.3 or later smartphones and iPhones (4S and later) to detect snoring. It’s able to precisely identify snoring sounds using bone conduction and sound recognition technologies, and then intervenes physically with micro sounds and micro vibrations at 54 levels to stop snoring and allow the user to sleep better.