Tag Archives: CES2016

Kuai Biometric Headphones at CES

February 23, 2016ces, headphones, Interview, Special Media, sport, videoces, CES2016, earphones, headphones, Interview, sport, videoAndrew

Activity tracking wearables are commonplace but most are bracelet-style devices. Kuai have taken a different approach, incorporating sensors into sport headphones worn during physical activity. Jamie finds out more about the Kuai multisport biometric headphones from Carlos Marco, CEO and founder.

The headphones are earbuds with over-the-ear hooks to keep them in place during sport. The headphones have several sensors, including a heart rate monitor and an accelerator, and transmit the data to a nearby smartphone by Bluetooth. After calibration, training programmes can be loaded and adjusted to suit the individual. The smartphone app shows the usual statistics such as heart rate, calories burned, distance travelled and so on. The app includes a coaching programme which can encourage the wearer “to go further” through the headphones. The headphones are waterproof too and there’s a selection of eartips for different situations, such as outdoors or swimming.

Kuai is taking pre-orders at US$149 for the headphones which will be available in April. The full retail price will be US$199 so get in early for a bargain.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.

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JAQ Fuel Cell Battery from MyFC

February 16, 2016battery, ces, Interview, smartphone, Special Media, travel accessories, videobattery, ces, CES2016, fuel cell, Interview, power, smartphone, travel, videoAndrew

It wouldn’t be CES without a fuel cell-based smartphone charger making an appearance, and as expected Swedish company myFC turns up with the JAQ, the world´s smallest pocket-sized fuel cell charger. CEO Bjorn Westerholm shows Daniel and Todd the colourful charger.

The winner of a 2016 German Design Award, the charger consists of two parts; an inner replaceable PowerCard (orange) and the outer JAQ fuel cell (blue). The PowerCard is made from water and salt and when mixed, hydrogen is produced which is then combined in the fuel cell with oxygen from the atmosphere to generate electricity along with waste water. The card is thrown away once discharged.

A single PowerCard provides 1800 mAh though with additional PowerCards, more power is available. The best use case for the JAQ and the PowerCards is when the owner is far away from an electrical power source, say, camping.

The PowerCards are expected to retail for under US$2 and the fuel cell itself will be rented for around $5 per month as part of a phone contract. JAQ is expected to be available soon.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com.
Daniel J. Lewis is the host of the award-winning podcast about podcasting, The Audacity to Podcast. Daniel helps others launch and improve their own podcasts for sharing their passions and finding success.

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Alpine X110-SLV 10″ Radio Upgrade

February 16, 2016automotive, ces, Interview, Special Media, videoAutomotive, ces, CES2016, Interview, videoAndrew

If you are the owner of a Chevrolet Silverado, then the Alpine X110-SLV 10″ Radio Upgrade is for you, though calling this a radio upgrade is hardly doing it justice. This is a full restyle of the central part of the dash. Todd and Daniel find out more from Javier Vergara of Alpine Electronics.

The X110-SLV is a complete replacement for the manufacturer display and audio head unit. Coming in three parts, the X110-SLV fits neatly into the space, replacing the small display with a large 10″ touchscreen and a DVD player. Manufacturer functions like OnStar, rear view camera and parking sensors are retained and integrated into the X110-SLV so there’s no loss of features with the upgrade. Navigation is provided through Here maps, which takes full advantage of the larger screen.

If you want to upgrade your Silverado, prices go from $1200 to $4,000.

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Randal Kleiser Films “Defrost” in VR

February 15, 20163D, ces, Film, Interview, Special Media, video, VRces, CES2016, cinema, film, Interview, video, VRAndrew

You might not know Randal Kleiser’s name, but you’ve almost certainly seen one of his films – he directed Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. His new production is called Defrost and will be debuting at Sundance.

This is the most significant interview I’ve seen at CES in 2016. Up to this point, I’ve always considered VR to be ‘super 3D’, but when I listened to Randal Kleiser with the authority he brings as a screenwriter, director and producer, I realised that we were seeing the development of a new art form; part cinema, part theatre. Undoubtedly there are challenging technical problems to be overcome, and a good story is still key, but this is a new way to immerse ourselves in the story like never before.

Watch the interview and let me know in the comments if you feel the same way.

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Variowell Offers a Smart Mattress at CES

February 14, 2016ces, health, Interview, Special Media, videoces, CES2016, Health, Interview, sleep, videoAndrew

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the more important things in life, and a good mattress goes a long way in getting that snooze. Variowell have a revolutionary foam for making a comfortable mattress that can dynamically change its firmness. Todd and Daniel find out more from Philipp Kirchoff.

Many of us will have encountered memory foam which softens to body temperature. Variowell have developed a dynamic foam where relatively small changes in temperature can make significant changes in density. By controlling the temperature from below the mattress, Variowell can change the firmness of the mattress during the night in response to the sleeper. As sleep gets deeper, the mattress can be softer, and then get firmer in the hour before the alarm goes off.

The relative density of the mattress can be controlled by the complementary smartphone app which communicates with the mattress via Bluetooth. The responsiveness to sleep phases is enhanced by connecting to wearable sleep trackers such as Fitbit, which can more accurately measure the sleeper’s state.

The first smart mattresses are expected to come onto the market in May with prices from US$1700 depending on size.

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Stream TV Ultra-D Promises Glasses-Free 3D

February 14, 20163D, ces, Interview, Special Media, TV, video3D, ces, CES2016, Interview, TV, videoAndrew

A few years ago 3D TVs were the hottest tech around but these days, most manufacturers don’t even mention it. 3D for the home was the biggest flop in recent years and while it’s been successful in cinema, the need to wear glasses killed 3D at home. Stream TV Networks have a new technology called Ultra-D which promises 3D without the glasses. Daniel and Todd are keen to know more from Zach Lehman of Stream TV.

Stream TV Network’s Ultra-D is a glasses-free 3D 4K TV technology for the home. The Ultra-3D custom glass screen provides a wide 140 degree 3D sweet spot for viewers, and people outside of this will see a standard 2D image without any blurriness. The Ultra-D technology includes a Qualcomm custom chip which converts 2D media into 3D in real-time with user control over the level of depth. If it’s an HDMI source, it can be converted to 3D.

Production of TVs using Ultra-D technology is expected to start this year. Stream TV have partnered with Pegatron for manufacturing capacity and the first models will be a 65″ TV, a 27″ monitor and a 32″ monitor with smaller TV and tablet screens later.

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Best Picks of Day 2 at CES

February 13, 2016ces, Interview, Special Media, videoces, CES2016, Interview, videoAndrew

It’s the end of day 2 at CES 2016 and Jamie Davis, Todd Aune and Todd Cochrane review the sights and sounds of the day. Their picks include:

In&Motion, a smart ski airbag vest for ski racers that detects unavoidable falls and inflates in less that 100 ms to protect the body before impact with the ground.

Seal Shield, for their tablet and smartphone UV sterilizer for hospitals, health centres and other medical environments.

Focalmax and their after-market auto HUD (heads-up display) with GPS navigation and built-in dash cam.

Synology’s new wireless router with advanced parental controls to keep children off the Net when they’re supposed to be asleep!

Note: the prize contests are not valid.

Todd Aune bridges the technology gap with the The Elder Divide, Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com and Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.

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