Wireless Wednesday for 2/10/16 - Home Health Goes High Tech

If you New Year's resolution was to improve your health, hopefully you haven't broken your resolution. If you are holding true to your resolution for 2016, there are a number of new gadgets that can help you monitor your health or keep healthy right in the comfort of your own home.

Rick is here this week with some new gadgets with the theme of "home health"

Have a listen:

1.  QardioArm -  Blood pressure sleeve that works with an app

Did you know?

High blood pressure is an epidemic. Nearly 70 million American adults have high blood pressure and only 52% of those with high blood pressure have it under control. Those stats are from the CDC and they also say that high blood pressure costs the nation $46 million per annum.

With the QardioArm, there are no buttons, displays or wires to worry about. It just works after you downloan an app, pair it with your smartphone or tablet and press the "start" button. What many call "home health" products were all over CES in January, but I think very few will catch on with consumers- QardioArm is sure to catch on and you can use it as much as you want, right in your own home.

www.getqardio.com for $99
 


2.   ReliefBand

ReliefBand has an answer for those feeling the effects of virtual motion sickness from roller coasters, cars and even VR heatsets. It’s an FDA cleared wearable device for the drug-free treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with morning and motion sickness and can provide a welcome relief for those loving the immersive VR content but not loving the sickness it may cause.

It works by sending pulses with highly specific waveform, frequency, and intensity that stimulate the median nerve on the underside of the wrist. This precise activity (technically referred to as “neuromodulation”) uses the body’s natural neural pathways to block the waves of nausea produced by the stomach.

“With 70% of women experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy and more than 60 million people suffering from motion sickness, ReliefBand is fulfilling a very large unmet need,” said Nick Spring, CEO, ReliefBand Technologies. “With wearable technology becoming widely accepted, the time is now right to bring this clinically proven technology that has been developed over decades to a device that people can buy without a prescription.”

For sale soon - over the counter for $89.99
 


3.  MocaHeart -  analyze your blood velocity

MOCAheart is a device that makes the tracking of cardiovascular health super simple by removing the need for bulky cuffs and complicated monitors.

By scanning thumbs, MOCAheart measures blood velocity to determine a number of important indicators of heart health including heartrate, blood oxygen levels as wells as a measurement on a simple 1-5 scale called the MOCA INDEX, which is correlated to blood pressure.  Generally, the faster blood travels through blood vessels, the more pressure the heart is under. Because systolic and diastolic blood pressure figures can be hard for everyday users to understand and remember, the MOCA INDEX is an easy way to understand the current state of your cardiovascular health.

Priced at $149.99, MOCAheart is available online at www.mocacare.com.
 

4.  KallDoc  -  an app that will bring a doctor right to your door.

Silicon Valley’s revolutionary new HealthTech startup, KallDoc, announces plans to launch a new on-demand service for health care practitioners, leveraging the on call economy to bring house calls back to medicine. The app has launched and will soon roll out to 25 more cities across the United States.
KallDoc, which runs across iOS, Android and the web and provides doctors to the home or office on demand, saves patients from hours in a germ-filled waiting room, minimizes time off work, and reduces lost employee hours as a result of seeking medical attention.
“Patients want the best quality doctors in the quickest time for the best results – that’s what we provide at KallDoc,” says Mark Baker, President of KallDoc. “We started KallDoc to ensure patients receive the best quality service in the quickest time frame using the latest cutting-edge technology.”
KallDoc aims to differentiate itself from other doctor services by providing three times more doctors per city and is also putting user experience and the consumers at the forefront.
KallDoc’s platform offers patients the ability to provide service feedback, a scoring system and overview of their doctors so patients know they are getting the most experienced physicians at their door.

The KallDoc pre-call system means that doctors will come equipped for the case in hand and deliver the prescription wherever possible.
www.kalldoc.com


5.  VitalSnap

VitalSnap. This first-of-its-kind mobile technology from Validic enables users to take a picture of the readings on their in-home medical device with their smartphone and have that data automatically sent to their doctor via the patient’s electronic health record. So, just like you can take a picture of a check to deposit in your back account, through VitalSnap, health data will be delivered to doctors in real-time, giving them quick access to meaningful health information and patients an easier way to track and manage their health.
 

App of the Week:

 Xvalues  - new app put out by Wine Spectator

A free, simple wine-finding app catering to Millennials (who are now officially the #1 wine-consuming generation in the US!).
 Upon its launch, the app—which includes in its library a regularly updated selection of Wine Spectator’s latest highly rated, widely available bottles—will feature five categories of wines: extreme values (all $12 and under); reds (all $20 and under); whites (all $20 and under); sparklers (all $40 and under); and Valentine’s Day picks (all $30 and under). The fifth category will update accordingly as holidays and seasons approach.
The app also includes:
·         Each bottle’s name, producer, price, region, year, tasting notes and score on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale.
·         Helpful tools—including photos of wine labels, keywords that sort and simplify the library, and a customizable favorites list—all of which make it easier for you to find your selected bottle while in the wine shop.
Xvalues joins the popular WineRatings+ in Wine Spectator’s family of mobile apps
 

Wireless Wednesday for 1/20/16 - NASCAR Media Days and Audio Products

Rick was at NASCAR Media Day in Charlotte today checking out any new technologies that NASCAR is debuting for 2016. NASCAR has always been on the cutting edge of technology in sports especially when it comes to safety. That is safety for drivers, crew, fans, officials, etc.

What did Rick find out in Charlotte?

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch:

*** Next, as the year begins there is always a ton of new audio devices that debut. Many of them are seen for the first time at CES in Las Vegas.

Rick takes a look at some new products for audiophiles.

1.    United Sciences (Based in Atlanta) and their 3D Scanner which allows an easy turn around to make custom-fit ear pieces.

United Sciences sums it up pretty good on its website, when it comes to what they do. They say, "imaging ear cavity in real-time (is) replacing traditional silicone ear-mold impressions to create custom-fit earn-worn devices in the ear capable of providing activity tracking and biometric sensing data." What they don't say, is they do it at an unbelievable price point that just about everyone can afford.

Using their handheld eFit 3-D scanner, United Sciences was taking in-ear measurements and scans for the media at CES to show how easy and painless this process now is, compared to the past. Professional in-ear headphones are no longer for professional broadcasters and rock stars, thanks to United Sciences technologies. This is a game changing technology that will hopefully soon be coming to a retail location in your neighborhood. It's really that simple and it was amazing lookers on at CES.
www.UnitedSciences.com
 

 

2.  Maroo Audio

Maroo is a globally-inspired new line of products born to address the desires of the burgeoning mobile culture. With a sharp understanding of product features, and customer needs and wants, Maroo sheds all preconceived ideas of manufacturing and design.

What is new is Maroo Audio and Maroo Pro Audio...
ACS Custom Earphone Performance

Now you can own this same level of audio perfection whether you’re on stage, in a recording booth, or at home.

Experience the difference with the new ACS Universal In Ear Monitors by Maroo Pro Audio.
Coming Q2 of 2016
 

 
And more for the typical audiophile...
 

3. Edwin the Bluetooth Ducky  

He’s a learning toy with personality designed to be a child’s best friend. Utilizing a companion app, children control Edwin on the screen with a tap of the rubber duck toy.

Edwin interacts with accompanying mobile apps, streams music and squawks with 180 different sounds. The duck, intended for newborns to 9-year-olds, is meant to go everywhere kids go and recharges with an included Nest and USB wall plug. It serves as a nice Bluetooth speaker that floats.

The duck responds to taps, twists and turns. It's designed to inspire learning through read-along books and interactive games, provide comfort at bedtime as a nightlight and entertain with sing-along adventures.
New is Edwin’s Sleepy Time app, which allows users to enjoy exclusive lullabies and white noise, along with an adjustable night light. Additionally, the team will be showcasing a preview of the temperature gauge, which measures skin surface and water temperature.

$99 for www.edwintheduck.com
 

4.  ElectroBlade AV Soundbar

Soundbars are becoming increasingly more popular for home and home theaters
IN2UIT's ElectroBlade is truly holistic, with a minimal and architectural design form factor. It uses our proprietary Electrostatz Technology, The product is wireless and is both an AV TV sound bar and a digital music player for any wireless devices.

This is the first compact Electrostatic speaker for excellent spatial and natural atmosphere with superior acoustic qualities. The product is completely wireless and is both an AV TV sound bar and a digital music player for any wireless device.
No price given yet...
 


App of the Week:

Australian Open app

Yes the tennis season is underway and in Australia
Australian Open Tennis Championships 2016

What's New for this year

The app has been prepared for the Australian Open Tennis Championships, from 18 – 31 January 2016.
Improved user experience on the app home page and navigation.
New Match Centre: Follow each match before, during and after it takes place with live scores, blogs, previews, stats and video.

Wireless Wednesday for 12/2/15 - Sports Tech for the Holidays

Rick is a sports tech writer, so we talk sports gadgets, products and tech for the sports-minded and active individual.

Have a listen to both parts:

1.   Smart Rope (Smart Jump Rope)

Smart Rope - the next generation of jump rope, equipped with fitness tracking and real-time display capabilities.

Beautifully designed and (most importantly) portable, Smart Rope is the perfect gift for the fitness junkie in your life.

Smart Rope displays your fitness data mid-air, while you jump, through 23 high-quality embedded LED lights and pairs with your smartphone, via the Smart Gym app, for easy tracking and sharing of your jump count and calories burned.

Smart Rope retails for $89.99 and is currently available online at http://store.tangramfactory.com.
 



2.  Harman Kardon JBL speaker line in partnerships with NBA

JBL and the NBA partnered to elevate the NBA basketball experience for fans around the world wherever they enjoy the sounds of the game - at the arena, in their homes, in their cars, or on the go.

This is a partnership that will make the company the official headphone, speaker, and audio partner of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA Development League (NBA D-League), and USA Basketball. This unprecedented partnership is the NBA’s first-ever marketing partner in these categories and HARMAN’s first partnership with a professional sports league.

Products include the Flip 2  NBA, the Clip NBA and S300 NBA

 
 


3.  Tennis Racquets, tennis bags, tennis shoes

Sometimes the holidays and winter is the best time to buy tennis gear.
New racquets from Wilson and Tecnifibre and bags and shoes from other manufacturers.
 



4.   Binoculars (What to Look for and Buy)

Magnification is the degree to which the object is enlarged. With a 7x35 binocular, the object will appear to be seven times closer than without the aid of a binocular. The number immediately following the "x" is the diameter in millimeters of the objective (front) lens. The larger the front lenses the more light that is allowed to enter the binocular. A 10x50 binocular has 10 times magnification with a 50mm objective lens.

One as an example: The black 10x42 Aculon A211 Binocular from Nikon is a handheld fixed-magnification optic with multicoated aspherical lenses and an ergonomically-designed housing. For the redesigned Aculon series, Nikon packages the Aculon A211 binoculars with environmentally-friendly Eco-Glass elements composed of responsibly-sourced arsenic-free material. The Aculon binocular's Porro prism design delivers enhanced depth of field, and its multicoated aspheric optical path delivers the image clarity and flat FOV demanded by nature observers.
 


5.  Bio Mech AccuLock Ace Putter

AccuLock ACE is their latest putter and since it was designed from the body out, the developers say it takes the thinking out of putting and frees up your movement to hit the putt you want. The putter has a PGA Tour professional singing its praises is Heath Slocum as he put it into play and is having success.  “It just feels natural and more athletic. To me it’s just easy and makes sense.”
Dr. Frank Fornari is one of the inventors and co-owners of BioTech, he and BioMech's John Cunningham are traveling around the country hosting clinics and showing golfers what the AccuLock ACE can do for their golf game.
Note: The AccuLock ACE is designed so that the grip rests against the inner portion of the forearm, stabilizing the hands, arms and shoulders (a method that will remain legal after the anchor ban on Jan. 1, 2016)
 



App of the Week:

Master Lock Padlock and App

For Gym Lockers, Storage Units and more...

Master Lock recently announced their new Bluetooth Smart Padlocks, and we’d love to send over samples for you to test and review. These new smart padlocks turn any smart-enabled device into a key, eliminating the worry and hassle that surrounds forgotten combinations or lost keys.  

Master Lock Bluetooth Smart Padlocks Overview:

o   Download free Master Lock Vault eLocks app and sync lock with Activation Code

·         Functions:

o   Invite guests to share digital keys

o   Remove guests who no longer need access

o   Schedule unlimited guest access or restrict access to day and night

o   Receive tampering alerts

o   View padlock’s activity history

·         Indoor and outdoor models are available for purchase online (indoor $49.99, outdoor $59.99)

 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/11/15 - The New Lexus RX Line

Rick attended the Lexus RX Regional Media Preview in Charleston, South Carolina over the weekend.. He got a first look and a preview while test driving the new 2016 Lexus RX  vehicles including the RX 450h.

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch (both parts):

1.  Lexus is top brand in Consumer Reports' reliability survey

The best and most reliable transmissions and the best reputation in the auto industry for performance and cutting edge technology
http://www.lexus-int.com/models/RX/

2.  History of the RX line  and it's the top selling Lexus line in the country

Since the launch in 1998, the Lexus RX has proved immensely popular with those needing the flexibility of a sport-utility vehicle combined with the driving comfort of a luxury sedan, all wrapped in an attractive, elegant package. The all-new RX’s mix of sharp creases and curves represents a bold evolution in the model’s styling, sharing the same design DNA with other recently-launched models in the Lexus lineup.

This perennial best-selling luxury crossover adds advanced new redesigned hybrid and gasoline powertrains, sophisticated safety technologies, driver aids and welcome new convenience and technology features to make this the best Lexus sport-utility vehicle offering to date.


3. Exterior - Safe and Sporty

The RX with all-new sheet metal makes a powerful visual statement right from the start.

The front features a completely new fascia that’s highlighted by an emboldened spindle grille with a chrome-plated border and triple L-shaped LED headlamps. Together with the redesigned fog lamps, this gives the RX an elegant yet futuristic aura. Muscular front fender flares add to the vehicle’s sporty attitude.  The RX has a dynamic profile that minimizes drag and decreases front and rear lift. All this makes the vehicle more stable at high speed with a sharp reduction in wind noise. A truly innovative styling element is the blacked-out C-pillars, which provide the illusion of a floating roofline never before seen on a Lexus.


4. The redesigned instrument cluster offers the driver instantaneous information with a quick glance at its large and easy-to-read gauge faces.

An available color heads-up display (HUD) projects pertinent vehicle information to the driver’s windshield, while the information display area, featuring an available 12.3-in. monitor with full-screen map, is situated atop the center stack.
 
 

5.  Performance and Stability

When it comes to delivering precise, controlled handling, the new RX offers impressive dynamic capability. The entire chassis has been fortified to provide better stability and control through turns. The vehicle’s body structure has been strengthened with added stiffness, helping to drastically improve its handling response while reducing engine and road noise in the cabin. The vehicle also features innovative technology, such as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), each system designed to recognize potentially dangerous situations and make automatic and often transparent adjustments to ensure the car remains in control when entering and exiting corners. Also, All-Wheel Drive improves the RX’s handling performance and stability on both dry and slick surfaces alike.

6.  Cool New Technology (For those in the back seat)

A Rear Seat Entertainment system is available that includes large 11.6-in. flat-panel LCD displays that offer exceptional high quality viewing from a range of angles, screen tilt adjustment from 0 to 50 degrees and a convenient HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input port located on the center console rear end panel.
 

App of the Week:

TrumpMeOver.com

TrumpMeOver.com is a transformative experience from the creators of Grokker. At TrumpMeOver.com, users can upload a photo of themselves into animated Donald Trump GIFs that creates a series of custom experiences, shareable on social channels.

 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/4/15: - Tech News of the Week

With the holiday shopping season and the end of the year upon us, Rick and Mitch take a look at some of the hot topics and the tech news of the week.

Have a listen to both parts this week:

1.  Activision Blizzard Buys 'Candy Crush' Maker King for $5.9 Billion

There must be a lot of people still addicted to Candy Crush. With the mobile device revolution, the video game industry is alive and well.

Who makes more money: Hollywood or the video game industry?

The video game industry made twice as much money in 2013 than did the film industry.
Worldwide box-office revenue for the film industry in 2013 was $35.9 billion (source Theatrical Market Statistics 2013).

Worldwide revenue for the video game industry in 2013 was $70.4 billion (source: 2013 Global Games Market Report).

Video game maker Activision Blizzard has acquired Candy Crush creator King in a $5.9 billion deal.

The combined company will reach more than half a billion monthly active users in 196 countries. Activision CEO

Bobby Kotick says he has "long admired King for consistently creating incredibly fun, deeply engaging free-to-play games that capture the imaginations of players across ages and demographics."

Together, Activision Blizzard and King will have a portfolio with top-grossing mobile games (Candy Crush Saga), as well as successful console (Call of Duty) and PC (World of Warcraft) titles.
 


2.  Samsung Sells More Phones than Apple

Samsung Electronics Co. is selling more smartphones than it was this time last year. But under the hood, there are fewer reasons to celebrate.
Last week, the South Korean smartphone giant celebrated its first quarter of year-on-year mobile profit growth since 2013.

Samsung has been selling more cheaper smartphones, and fewer high-end premium devices, than it did even compared to Samsung’s rocky 2014, according to numbers from data firm Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

Samsung doesn’t separately disclose smartphone sales numbers.

Samsung shipped 84 million smartphones in the third quarter of 2015, 6.3% more than during the same stretch last year and more than the No. 2 and No. 3 players, Apple Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., combined, according to Counterpoint.

But while 55% of its smartphones were priced at $301 per unit or more at this time last year, that high-end segment has fallen to just 40% of Samsung’s overall smartphone sales, Counterpoint said.

Phones priced $200 or below now account for 38% of total units shipped at Samsung, versus 30% this time last year.

So while Samsung is indeed shipping more smartphones, it isn’t charging as much for them — or making as much money from them.
 

3. HP Is Now Two Companies

Hewlett-Packard. The tech giant starts trading Monday as two separate companies: HP Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Enterprises. HP Inc. (HPQ) is responsible for the PC and printer businesses, while HP Enterprises (HPE) will sell hardware like servers to businesses. Hopefully customers get better PCs, better printers and more innovation.

 


4.  NASA Study Shows Net Gains For Antarctic Ice

Apparently, now that we don't send things into space anymore, NASA has time to look at glaciers.

A widely circulated NASA study published in the Journal of Glaciology, and reported by UPI, says that Antarctic ice has measurably thickened in recent decades, a conclusion at odds with earlier findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "which in 2013 suggested gains were not keeping up with losses."
The new tallies reveal an annual net gain of 112 billion tons between 1992 and 2001.
 

5. T-Mobile is Giving Customers a Free Cell Tower

Yea, really.

The cellphone carrier announced Monday that all T-Mobile customers with a "Simple Choice" plan can now receive a free mini cell tower for their home. The 8.5-inch square gadget blasts out T-Mobile's 4G-LTE network to a 3,000-square-foot radius.

T-Mobile has done this kind of thing before. It previously gave out free Wi-Fi routers that allowed customers to make calls and texts over their home Wi-Fi networks.

What T-Mobile announced Monday is different: The mini tower (T-Mobile is calling it a CellSpot), lets customers connect to T-Mobile's cellular network -- not Wi-Fi. That means in places where they received one or no "bars" of service, they'll now get a full, speedy connection.

 
6.  Technology Making Waves in the Sport of Curling

Somewhat like Major League Baseball never allowing metal bats due to fears that advanced equipment could trump human ability, the World Curling Federation, the sport’s governing body, is now being forced to actually address similar concerns about a new broom head.

The Winter Olympic sport where players vigorously sweep brooms to guide heavy stones down the ice – may be having its aluminum bat moment.

At the center of the controversy is the swatch of fabric affixed to the outside of the curling broom. In place of a smooth fabric head that has become the norm in the past two decades, the new technology uses a fabric that feels rough to the touch. Known as “directional fabric,” curlers claim these broom heads are making curling stones do things on the ice that seem so unnatural they could sweep athleticism and other currently necessary skills right out of the game. These new broomheads are very forgiving.
 

App of the Week:

Google Maps - new feature for Android - it gives you advice

Reviews and ratings speak volumes about an establishment, but to help you make quicker decisions, Google Maps for Android now displays at-a-glance details about best times to go, atmosphere, and more.

To gather this information for our community, you might have seen questions like “Is this place family friendly”— now, they’ll appear as notifications on your Android device based on your location history.
Search for any type of business and give it a try