Geekazine

The folks over at Sphero have debuted a new device that uses color to convert to music. Specdrums is a ring that you connect via Bluetooth to an app. Assign colors to do anything you want. Maybe a bass drum or cowbell sound when the ring sees blue or red. You can use different colors and build a keyboard scale, or simply start a sequence.

Zane at Specdrums tells me a story of how someone connected the rings to Ableton Live, then put different colors on his guitar. When he wanted to change sequence, he simply tapped the ring on the color associated to what he wanted.

You can attach 6 rings to an ipad for poliphonic action. This could do more than just create music as well. These bluetooth triggers could be set up to control lights, trigger shortcuts in various programs, and more.

A 2-ring set costs $64.99, and also comes with a mat you can use to create your first song with. Check out more at Sphero.

OBSBOT is taking camera direction to a new level. Using AI, OBSBOT Tail can follow a specific person just like any PTZ camera would.

This is a 3 axis gimbal that can record up to 4k 60fps, and track the person as they are giving a presentation, moving around on a skateboard, moving around on stage, and much more.

using a Sony 1 / 2.3″ CMOS lens and 3.5x optical zoom, you can get a 12M Pixel shot with smooth action. The 3-axis gimbal also can give a more stable shot using patented Extrasmooth technology.

The device also has some great software options to it. You can do more than video, such as create a 360 photo, panorama, time-lapse, and much more.

The Tail also has a 1850 mAh battery, giving 3 hours of use. It stands at 17 inches, and weights 1.34 lbs.

You can Pre-order the OBSBOT Tail through kickstarter.

Cellular Vehichle to Everything (CV2X) is a level of 5G that lets your car communicate with you. It’s not autonomous driving, but more assist driving. While at CES, Qualcomm shuttled us to an empty parking lot to show what CV2X can do. Three simulations that help vehicles navigate and warn us what’s happening.

First scenario, we approached a 4-way stop. The idea is all four cars at the same time. The system talks with the cars to see which way each is going. Then it makes a plan of who goes when.

Demonstration of CV2X

In the second scenario, a Ducati blows right through the stop sign. This signals the other cars of the upcoming danger.

Finally, the third scenario communicates that someone is in the cross walk. The CV2X can use the cellular signal, along with the sensors to determine the persons direction, so it can plan to stop.

With this technology, a car can not only know where the other cars are going, but also watch the pedestrians, and other moving object it spots. It’s like approaching a stoplight, with the walk light “countdown”. You can determine where you might be when the light turns yellow so you can plan to stop or drive. Except with CV2X, it plans multiple events at one time.

Check out the CES Press Conference Highlights to learn more about the initiative.

The LG Signature OLED TVR Retractable is exactly what it sounds like, a retractable TV that unfurls out of it’s base for watching and rolls itself back up when you are not watching. Forget your old rigid TV. It’s time to get into the 21st century.

Of course, LG has always wowed people at CES. With OLED technology, the flexible screen can do more than just be your TV. Case in point – the enormous LG room they put together for all consumers to walk through, getting into the LG booth.

About the LG Signature Retractable OLED TVR

The TVR starts at 65 inches, and has a built in 100 watt speaker. The screen rolls out vertically, and can also stop halfway, creating a dashboard ticker for weather, music, news, and more. Hit one of the buttons on the dash and it will open up the rest of the way so you can watch a movie or your favorite TV show.

The screen is bright, and beautiful. Alexa and Google add to the experience for hands free control. Outputs are on the back of the base like any other TV so you can add a soundbar and do anything else that a regular set can do.

I asked Martin about TV direction, and although you cannot hang this from the ceiling just yet, I’m sure that future models will have that feature, allowing for a more open flow when the screen is retracted. For now, it’s a great first step in a rollable OLED TV.

No info on pricing yet, but we can expect it in the second half of 2019. Find out more at LG.com

myFC is the world’s leading manufacturer of micro fuel cells and chargers. The company showed off their latest fuel cell power bank at CES 2019. It’s about the size of a deck of playing cards, but the real kicker is that you can use it to charge your phone from water.

About the MyFC JAQ

The card-shaped device is the fuel cell containing water, salt, and other components. When you plug it in, it creates hydrogen gas, which flows through the fuel cells, converting the hydrogen gas into electricity. This charges the internal Lithium-Ion batteries. That’s pretty impressive.

You can already buy it in Japan, where you can buy them in convenience stores. This might sound like a waste, but the company has a recycling plan in place in Sweden. For those countries that don’t have a recycling system in place, customers can send the cards back to the company with a discount or cash back incentive.

It takes 2 cards to charge an iPhone right now, but I’m sure they will improve upon that.

No word on when folks in the USA can look forward to using these fuel cells. It will cost you $59.00 for the power bank and $2 for the power card. More info at MyFC.com

At CES 2019 Huawei (Honor) was all about the Mate 20 Series and the Matebook 13 Laptop. I was able to look at the portfolio, and find out more about these new devices.

Honor View 20, 8X

The Honor View 20 is an Android phone with a
Kirin 980 (7 nm) processor, a 6.3-inch ‘All-View’ display, a 48MP camera, dual frequency precise GPS. You’ll get a 50% charge in about 30 minutes thanks to the 4000 mAh battery.

The Honor 8X is another Android with a 20 MP AI camera, 16 MP selfie cam and a fingerprint sensor, 6.5-inch ‘All-View’ display, 3750 mAh battery, and the processor is an Octa-core Kirin 710 (12 nm).

The Honor View 20 sports a 48 MP 3D camera in back, a Kirin 980 (7 nm) Octa-Core processor, a fingerprint sensor, accelerometer and a 4000 mAh battery that will give you a 50% charge in just 30 minutes. And look at that reflective coating in back.

Huawei Matebook 13

The Matebook 13 laptop is a MacBook Air competitor, with an eye on premium design and powerful performance, at an affordable price. It packs an Intel Core i5-8265U or Intel Core i7-8565U , a slim and light design and very noticeably, a lot of screen, with less bezels. Other features include 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage, Windows 10 Home OS and it comes in Mystic Silver or Space Grey colors. It’s all about powerful performance at a great price. $999 (Core i5), $1,299 (Core i7)

Huawei MediaPad M5

Huawei also has the MediaPad in 3 versions – Light, M5, and M5 Pro. The Pro version has a 10.8 2k display with Harmon Kardon speakers, and a stylus with 4096 points. 7500 mAh battery, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage. 13 MP rear camera, and 8 MP front camera.

The standard Huawei M5 is $299 and available now.

Back in December at MIK in South Korea, I met Pivo – a smartphone face tracking gimbal system that allows for presenters, vloggers, and social media people to do some hands-free photos, GIFs, and video. I awarded it one of the best of MIK that day. Even got a few Pivo-selfies.

Fast forward to CES 2019. Pivo successfully finishes their crowdfund, and shows off the product at CES Unveiled in Las Vegas. They add some new features to the app, and get ready for a major release.

With Pivo MIK award

What is Pivo

Pivo is a device you can attach to your phone, GoPro, or other camera. The mount can be placed on a table or tripod, and give you hands-free use to make videos, photos, and more. The device can turn 360 degrees for a panoramic photo, and with the face tracking ability, can follow you if you’re presenting or talking.

The turntable-style mount also allows you to attach another camera (such as a GoPro) to capture on a larger scale. This can be controlled via remote, or through the Pivo app (face tracking needs the app to be on the Pivo).

This device also can be used as a product turntable – place a smaller item on the device, and record as it spins the product around.

The Pivo mount allows you to tilt your phone to get the shot. The built-in tripod allows you to stabilize the device when it’s moving around (some other devices would move when the phone turned).

The device is plug-and-play and has a 8 hour battery inside. The Pivo connects via Bluetooth, and can be activated by phone, remote, or voice. You can instantly share your Pivo moments with social media.

Accessories like the turntable and lightbox are also available for Pivo.

Pivo just finished a successful crowdfund, and is getting ready to deliver by May. Suggested retail price is $139. Find out more at GetPivo.com

Soundbrenner is making a name for itself in the music industry thanks to their wearable metronomes. They even have some endorsement from highly respected musicians, Now they have a follow-up model. The new Soundbrenner Core adds three functions that musicians are going to love. That’s because it’s a watch, a tuner, and a decibel meter. All on your wrist.

Soundbrenner Pulse ($99)

It can be worn on your wrist, your arm, even your ankle. You set the tempo with a few taps on the surface, and you can make adjustments by twisting the outer ring. That ring will also let you switch between songs. It also has a rhythm coach feature that lets you replicate a beat by tapping, allowing you to practice and improve your score.

It can sync up to 5 devices, which is great if the whole band wants in on the action. To set it up just tap one unit with another to achieve NFC pairing. You can also connect via WiFi if you have a whole orchestra that needs to keep time.

Soundbrenner Core 4-in-1 Smart Music Tool (Pre-Order)

You can expect this smartwatch to be a big hit. It packs in a lot of great features for those who like to jam. starts out at $229. The new device is detachable, and can be placed on a guitar as a tuner. It also integrates with many DAW programs so you can hit the spots in the music at the right time.

The device is on Indiegogo for pre-order.

Controlled via the Soundbrenner App

Soundbrenner’s The Metronome app will let you do a lot more as well. watch mode has two OLED strips that display the time, date, day and other simple notifications. When you starting making music it displays the BPM, time signature, subdivision, and accent.

Metronomes are for More than Just Music

As a podcast coach, I have suggested people use a metronome to get a rhythm in their speaking. Slower talkers are given a brisk pace, where fast talkers use it to slow down.

Metronomes like Soundbrenner pulse also can help with meditation, breathing, and calming down. If you have problems sleeping, try using this at about 75 bpm.

In the old days, if you felt like your vision was going downhill, you had to go see the eye doctor and have them test your vision, which is pretty expensive, then you had to go to a specialized store to buy your glasses.

Well, it’s the 21st century, and I had to go to CES to get my eyes checked.

What is EyeQue VisionCheck

Now you can also test your vision at home thanks to EyQue, which means that you can test your vision, determine what kind of glasses you need and then buy them online. This is made possible by EyeQue’s VisionCheck, which won a CES 2019 innovation award. It’s a device that starts at $29.99. It checks your vision and you will never lose your vision results. All you have to do is use your smartphone and the VisionTracker to measure.

The EyeQue Insight

This feels more like the vision tests at the doctor. You basically swipe on the phone which direction the 3 prongs are facing (E, 3, M, W). Make your best guess until it’s completed. This will then give you an idea of your visual acuity for each eye, then both eyes.

Add in the special glasses that will generate your Eyeglass points. You’ll get the numbers for your eyeglass prescription: sphere, cylinder, and axis. Use that info to order yourself the right pair of glasses online. You can track your vision over time after that.

The Insight will be available later this year.

Keep in mind – this does not replace going to the eye doctor – they can tell you so much more than what these tests do. However, by performing these tests at home, the results improve accuracy as over 90% (from users claims). They are as good or better than their previous prescription glasses.

I Test My Eyes at CES

I use both the VisionCheck, and Insight to test my vision. I found that I need new glasses, as my left eye has degrated a little. But then, I knew that already.

Just download the app and the Personal Vision Tracker can be shared with family and friends, with each user having their own subscription and personal results. This is a game changer for the eyeglasses-industry.

Want to check your vision at home? You can order the Vision Tracker Now. You can also check out the EyeQue website.

Smart lighting company Sengled has announced a new range of smart light bulbs for the home. The lineup includes the brightest smart light that you can buy, the Sengled Smart LED extra-bright 100W replacement bulb. This bulb is a CES 2019 Innovation Award Honoree in the Smart Home category this year.

Sengled Extra White 100 W Bulb

The company is obviously dedicated to pushing the limits of what smart lighting can do. It replaces your typical 100W light bulb. It’s the first 100W replacement that you can buy with 1500 lumens that also has the traditional A19 form factor. So now you can easily swap any 100W light bulb with this smart bulb and not compromise the overall lighting in your space.

You can also set schedules and monitor energy savings with the Sengled Home app. This was a big hit at CES, but that’s not all they have at CES this year.

Sengled Smart Par38 LED Flood Light with Motion Sensor

The Sengled Smart LED with Motion Sensor combines two devices: a floodlight and motion sensor. Great for your home security needs without replacing the whole light receptacle. The Sengled Smart LED with Motion Sensor combines the smarts of the Sengled Smart LED lighting platform with PIR motion sensor technology. It boasts 1200 lumens for bright lighting outdoors around the home. It’s another well-deserved award honoree.

You can create a setting that once the light gets activated, other lights can turn on and off. Perfect for not only thwarting off thieves, but also giving you a light path if you are coming home.

Other announcements include the Smart LED Multicolor Lightstrip and Sengled Smart Wi-Fi Multicolor A19 bulb with 16 million colors.

The 100W LED will be available later this year, but the Par38 flood is available now at $29.99