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 1/13/16 - Best of CES

Rick is back from CES and the massive CES Show! What did he see?

Let's look at some of his favorites... as he presents his "Best of CES Picks"

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch: (Both Parts)

1.    A company called Steam CC and their Ripples machine and Ripples Maker app

Steam CC, the inventive company aimed at transforming a simple cup of coffee, debuted their latest innovation, the Coffee Ripples App, at CES last week, which connects users to Ripple-enabled coffee establishments. With the Coffee Ripples App, java aficionados can print any picture or message, let's call it a

“Ripple” onto a foam-topped latte or cappuccino.

Rick brought the logo of the Green Bay Packers and they transformed it onto the coffee.

 
2. ZeroHour Flashlights

ZeroHour flashlights are a new integration of premium tactical gear with portable power. Our products feature USB ports to power mobile devices, making them a must-have emergency device for light and power needs during outages.

Including the:

ZeroHour Relic XR Flashlight 3400mAh (Pre-Order for March 2016)

COMPACT TACTICAL USB RECHARGEABLE BATTERY BACKUP FLASHLIGHT The ZeroHour Relic XR set is our latest flashlight. It is a compact USB rechargeable tactical flashlight with variable control ring, tail-cap switch, and waterproof battery backup all-in-one. Our first flashlight, ZEROHOUR XD, set new standards for flashlights by offering the ultimate integration of light and power. This flashlight is also designed to be bike and weapon mountable and will work with any standard 1" bike or weapon mount. * Featuring an all-new variable control ring that allows maximum flexibility in choosing brightness from 0 to 1000 lumens, plus the option to click into XR's preset modes (10 lumens, 1000 lumens, Strobe, and SOS).
 

3.  Kwikset

Smartlocks are hot and they were all over the CES convention floor.
Kwikset is the leading U.S. lock manufacturer and makers of Kevo, the industry-first Bluetooth™-enabled smart lock.

** New Products from Kwikset

-Kevo 2nd Gen
The smart lock you've been waiting for. The 2nd generation lock features a refined user experience, improved design and the latest version of advanced SmartKey® security.
- Kevo Convert
An easy-to-install smart lock conversion kit that enables smart lock features to your existing deadbolt lock.

- Premis
The first Apple HomeKit-compatible smart door lock from Kwikset. Premis offers homeowners convenience of Siri voice control remote locking, unlocking and monitoring, keyless entry, advanced SmartKey security, and Kwikset patented SecureScreen™ Technology.
 

4. The Boomstick

BoomStick: A $99 device that is basically a clicker to boost your mediocre headphones or earbuds. If you don't feel ready to invest in an expensive pair of cans, this gadget is a great way to improve what you've already got, for less than $100 (which, really nice new headphones will easily out-cost.
It really does work...   at http://www.boomcloud360.com/index.php/

 
5.  Lenovo Wireless N700 Mouse

Lenovo Wireless N700 Mouse: This crazy-looking little Bluetooth mouse doubles as a remote; you can fold it into a clicker to use for presentations or a laser pointer.  You can buy it for under $60 at Amazon or www.shop.lenovo.com

App of the Week:

The Swivel Selfie  (Debuted at CES)


The Swivel Selfie. The Swivel Selfie is a real-time augmented reality mobile app for apparel and accessories that allows users to instantly try-on products using a mobile device by itself or in conjunction with a mirror, receive personalized recommendations, share looks, and make purchases.

Personalized collections or products are accessible at home, on-the-go or activated as shoppers pass displays or walk through departments in-store, enabling them to see how an item looks on their own image without needing to find their size or try it on in the dressing room.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 1/6/16 - Rick at CES

Rick is in Las Vegas this week for the massive CES show, otherwise known as the Consumer Electronics Show.

Rick arrived on Sunday. Monday started with the Storage Visions Conference, a 2-day conference on digital and data storage. Monday night was the CES Unveiled Show, a press only event where some of the new gadgets debut. Tuesday is "Press Day" and it's wall-to-wall press conferences with all the big tech companies. Tuesday night is the Pepcom media event and the actual show begins Wednesday.

Here are some of Rick's finds and observations so far:

1.    This Show is Big

CES takes up most of the Las Vegas Strip.  Last year there  were 176,000 people. This year they say around 160,000.  This is one of the largest trade shows in the world and many of the new products shown here won't debut until later in 2016.
 

2.  Press Events are Important

The show is so large, it would be impossible to see everything. Therefore the press (1000s of them) come in days before for press events and briefings.

Rick attended the Fitbit press conference at 7:30 am on Tues to hear about Fitbits new products which were shown off my former Falcon great, Tony Gonzalez.

 

3.  A "Smart Everything"

Smart watches, smart cars, smart beds, a smart refrigerator an even the debut of a smart spoon this week in Vegas.
New for 2016, Slow Control has a "smart spoon." Of course they do, but the thought here is noble in that a toy makes kids want to try and eat vegetables. It's said this spoon will come out in the first quarter of 2016. Who would've thought that a spoon could be smart?
 

4.  Older Brands Trying to Become New Again

Remember RCA, Panasonic, Pioneer, Casio and more...'
These iconic brands all have a big presence at CES and are reinventing themselves in different ways.
***RCA is introducing some new TVs and accessories, working on info for the others...

5. Andre Agassi partners with Square Panda for a line of educational apps and devices for kids up to the age of 8

Who would've thought tennis great, Andre Agassi would be so involved with learning and educational opportunities for kids. The Andre Agassi foundation has workd for 20 years with Agassi's charter sachool in Las Vegas and now he has a line of apps and learning tools for kids.

This is the first in Square Panda’s line of educational products aimed at promoting literacy among preschool children. Along with its debut, Square Panda is proud to announce the appointment of Andre Agassi as a board member. He is also a founder of the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund which was established to provide investors seeking both financial and societal returns access to the growth of
America’s most innovative educational organizations.

Designed to teach, engage, and entertain early learners (ages three and up), the phonics play-set uses connected letter toys and multi-sensory apps to explore early reading skills.
Drawing from the latest research on phonics and multi-sensory instruction, Square Panda’s adaptive technology combines multi-sensory learning, humor, and exploratory play. Built upon proprietary hardware and software technology, its connected play-set adapts to recognize what a child is ready to learn and presents challenges to stretch growth and language skills.

See more at www.squarepanda.com

 


App of the Week:

Speedify

This is an app that debuted at CES...  Speedify Mobile
With Speedify Mobile, Android and iOS users can seamlessly combine Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth connections for faster and more reliable mobile Internet connectivity.

Speedify Mobile is solving the frustration that most smartphone users encounter daily, weak mobile or Wi-Fi signals that impede streaming media and make web pages fail to load. Speedify promises seamless mobile connectivity by intelligently switching between available Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth networks or bonding them to create the best possible mobile experiences.

Speedify Mobile is also cost aware. It uses free Wi-Fi as long as it is available and will seamlessly move Internet traffic to mobile data only when necessary in order to conserve mobile data usage.

"We are thrilled to begin offering Speedify Mobile at CES 2016," said Chief Executive Officer, Alex Gizis. "We want to empower users all over the world with fast and reliable connectivity while ensuring they are getting the most out of their mobile plan."

The Speedify Mobile app establishes a connection to the company's Speed Servers in the cloud.  The technology works similar to a VPN by acting like a middleman between mobile devices and the rest of the Internet. The app works in tandem with their Speed Servers to intelligently divide Internet traffic at the packet-level taking best possible advantage of Wi-Fi and mobile data to deliver the combined availability and speeds of both connections. In this way, even single applications like streaming video, VPNs, and file transfers are given a speed boost on mobile devices.

To get started, simply download the app from the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android devices. Speedify Mobile is being offered for free with 1 GB of speed-up data at launch with subscriptions for higher data use.   
 

Wireless Wednesday for 12/16/15 - Star Wars Gadgets

The movie theaters are all sold out, anticipation is high as Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens at cineplexes this week.

The movie is going to break records and no movie series sells products and tie ins like the Star Wars movies. Star Wards fans can show their support and take a piece of the movie with them with some of these gadgets.

* Rick and Mitch share their Star Wars memories and talk gadgets

1.    Darth Vader Toaster

Luke, Han and Leia have to toast the Darth Side. Lord Vader rules when it comes to sales. What better gift to give the "Star Wars" newlyweds you know — and we all know them! — than a toaster in the shape of Darth Vader's helmet. For $50, you even get the "Star Wars" logo branded into every slice. It is your destiny to own this.
 

2.  Sphero BB-8  - App enabled droid

- It's a toy, it's areal droid and it's fun!

- www.sphero.com  and Sprint stores in Metro Atlanta $149.99
The BB-8™ App-Enabled Droid by Sphero is the Droid your little (or big) Star Wars fanatic has been looking for, with its adaptive personality that responds to your voice. Connect to a compatible Apple® iOS or Android device to guide BB-8 around your home.It makes noises, it remembers and even try out the hologram feature,
 


3. SMS Audio Street By 50 "Star Wars" Headphones

Choose from Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire, Storm Trooper, Boba Fett or in the second edition, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader. These On-Ear Wired headphones are sleek, ultra-durable and comfortable. The professionally tuned 40mm drivers deliver amazing clarity and richness without distortion, for the same great sound as our other headphones. Pick your favorite character and enjoy great audio.
 

4.  The Millennium Falcon drone

Now you can irritate your neighbors in style! The $199 Millennium Falcon drone from Hammacher Schlemmer can go as high as 250 feet and fly for 10 minutes on a 45-minute charge, "With a subspace hyperdrive." And with a subspace hyperdrive and bow C-beam lamps that glow during flight, its built-in gyro stabilization keeps the drone level, while simple controls on the 2.4 GHz radio remote provide deft handling in any direction Get it? They said "subspace hyperdrive" because we TOTALLY know what that is.

 
5.  Han Solo Fridge

Bringing new meaning to "frozen" in carbonite
Let Han keep your food cool or warm

 Extra large capacity holds up to 18 cans of soda
Retails for about $150 -  Any Star Wars fans would love this

 

App of the Week:

TomTom USA app   - 50% off right now!
 
I've tested all the GPS apps including Google Maps and TomTom is the one I've found to be the most accurate.
Now you can get the TomTom USA app for your mobile device for $24.99  that is half off thr $49.99 price.


Special value deal: get the TomTom app now for only $24.99 instead of $49.99.
TomTom Navigation for iPhone/iPad. World-class navigation that’s trusted by millions of drivers.
Last minute plans? With the TomTom Navigation app, driving somewhere new couldn’t be easier. You’ve always got your iPhone with you, so navigation’s close at hand. And losing signal is not a problem, because the app works not only online, but offline too. This saves you money on data roaming costs, and you’ll have constant access to the same maps, technology and world-class navigation as on our satnavs. It’s the app that drivers can rely on.
Only the TomTom Navigation app offers all this:
›› Voice-guided turn-by-turn car navigation. Find your way the easy way with clear voice instructions and a 2D or 3D view of the route ahead. Including automatic rerouting if you miss your turn.
›› Advanced Lane Guidance. Gives you extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions.
›› TomTom Offline Maps. Maps are stored on your iPhone or iPad – so you don't need a mobile data connection or large mobile data plan. Updated for free with every major release.
›› FREE Daily Map Changes. Benefit from shared daily map corrections from our 20 million strong Map Share community.
›› IQ Routes. The fastest routes, the most accurate and reliable arrival times - at all times of day.
›› Traffic. Drive with world-class traffic information (available via in-app purchase). (1)
›› Spoken Street Names. Helping you to keep your eyes on the road.
›› Powerful search. Search for destinations with TomTom Places, Facebook™
 

Wireless Wednesday for 12/9/15 - Laptops for the Holidays

Millions of Americans will be shopping for and getting new laptops for the 2015 holiday shopping season. Rick gives some laptop shopping tips and some of his favorites - all Windows 10 models.

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch:

Laptop Shopping tips for the holidays
- Apple or Windows
- Go with what you can afford
- Look at processor speed and memory

*  A look at some new laptops

1.   Toshiba Satellite Radius 12

Intel® Core™ i7-6500U Processor
 Windows 10 Home
 8GB LPDDR3 1600MHz (not user upgradeable)
 Intel® Integrated Graphics
 256GB M.2 solid state drive (SSD)
Retails for around $1,399

 
2.   HP Spectre x360

The new HP Spectre x360 limited edition is based on the latest version of the award winning HP Spectre x360, delivering an x360 with unparalleled sound and design.
·         The beautiful 13.3 inch diagonal Ash Silver with Copper accented HP Spectre x360 celebrates Bang & Olufsen’s 90th anniversary.
·         Weighing 3.17 pounds and 15.9 millimeters thin makes this notebook ultra-portable.
●      The CNC aluminum chassis precisely fits a large battery for power and quality in a thin and light design.  
●      Four different modes to enjoy your content: use the notebook mode to get things done, the tent mode for games or presentations, tablet mode to read the news, and stand mode for watching movies.
Hardware
●      13.3” FHD or QHD Display with 72% color gamut.
●      Choice of sixth generation Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 processors for horsepower.
●      A lightning fast SSD up to 512GB for responsiveness to get things done fast.
●      Up to 12 hours of battery life so you can leave your power cord at home.
●      4GB/8GB RAM.
●      Support for a full-size HDMI and mini-DisplayPort 1.2 allowing access to content across multiple screens.

●      Three USB 3.0 ports all with HP USB Sleep and Charge.
 
Experience
●      The HP Spectre x360 is an ultra-thin PC with the versatility to take advantage of Continuum in Windows 10 for fluid transitions from notebook mode for work, stand mode for viewing entertainment, tent mode for a great presentation tool or for touchscreen entertainment, or tablet mode for on the go.
●      Full sized backlit keyboard with 1.5mm travel for a great typing experience and has extra-wide touchpad.
●      Audio by Bang & Olufsen for bold and crisp audio experiences.
 
HP Spectre x360 in Ash Silver and Copper accents is available at www.hp.com/go/spectrex360 and Best Buy  starting at $1,299.99.

 

3. Lenovo Yoga 900 Laptop

Retails for about $1,199

Different from the competition, the Yoga 900 is unbelievably thin and elegant. From the 360° watchband hinge to the eye catching color options, this 2-in-1 will turn heads. Packed with the latest Intel processing power and customizable features of Windows 10.
Drown out distractions with JBL speakers that deliver rich stereo sound and premium Dolby® Home Theater® for an immersive audio experience.
Starting at a mere 2.8 lbs and just 0.59" thick, the Yoga 900 is ultraportable — it's perfect for doers on the go, and is the world’s thinnest Intel® Core™ i convertible.* Bend it, flip it, or fold it to experience your apps in a way you never have before.
 


App of the Week:

ShopSavvy (Android, iOS) - a price shopping comparison app

ShopSavvy is a handy shopping companion, with the ability for shoppers to scan barcodes or search for an item in order to look up the best prices at top retailers and shops nationwide. Tag-based searching and a Sales tab also keep it easy for users to find and keep track of the latest sales relevant to them, with data on promos updated daily. You can even set a "SmartAlert" that notifies you of special deals that fit a particular profile you're looking for.