PLUGHITZ Live Presents (Audio)

When it comes to computers, there are few brands in the same realm as Dell. The company's XPS 13 laptop is one of the top choices for small form laptops by Laptop Magazine and Tom's Hardware. Avram Piltch even featured the newest model on a recent episode of the Piltch Point, in which he showed off the improved design.

At CES this year, the company showed off a lot of new devices, including the Latitude 9510. This sleekly designed laptop has the styling of a consumer device but is intended for the business world. That was part of the company's focus for the show this year - the marriage of business-class capabilities with consumer class styling. This move is important for companies who are trying to attract younger workers, who are used to attractive and high-end technology in their daily lives, and they don't want to sacrifice any of that in their business lives. It features a touch screen with stylus support, as well as a 180-degree rotatable screen, turning it into a tablet.

While the design is important, specs can be king, and this laptop has impressive specs. The Latitude 9510 sports over 30 hours of battery life, meaning you can literally use it all day without fear. It also has 4G and 5G connectivity, in addition to Wi-Fi, so you should be able to use it anywhere you are. They even worked to ensure that the teleconferencing capabilities are enterprise-grade. A few weeks ago, this might have been an important feature, but right now it is essential, with so many people working from home.

They manage to pack all of this into the lightest 15-inch laptop, weighing in at only 3.2 pounds. The Latitude 9510 is coming soon. For more information on this and all of Dell's other laptops, check out their website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch and Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Biometric padlocks have become a popular product category since one brand appeared on Shark Tank. While many companies have done nothing to innovate in the space, the team at Tapplock has found a way to set themselves apart in an increasingly crowded field. Their approach is to focus not just on the individual, but on the enterprise.

Using the company's enterprise software, a company can manage a fleet of padlocks and users. First, the lock is enrolled in the system so that the account can manage the device. This is no different from the normal individual signup process, where you pair the lock to your account. However, enrollment of a user is unique, as it doesn't take place on the lock, but on a more centralized reader. Once the user is enrolled in the system, they can be assigned to any or all of the locks in the collection.

Take, for example, Best Buy - a retailer that has dozens of secure displays throughout the store, as well as a large number of employees. By using the Tapplock enterprise system, the store can easily manage which employees have access to each locked case and, more importantly, when. Steve, who works in housewares, would likely not have access to unlock the case holding laptops, and the system can enforce that. Diane, who works in electronics, does have the ability to unlock the laptops to be able to help her customers. However, she should not have access to the case after 10 pm when the store closes. All of this is possible using the Tapplock enterprise platform.

One feature is missing from the Tapplock padlocks - support for a physical key. The company says that they did this to prevent an obvious point of physical attack, but many prefer to have the traditional key as a backup for when the battery dies and you need immediate access. This is an important piece of information to know before making a buying decision.

The Tapplock products are available ranging from $39 to $99. To find out more about the company, check out their website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch and Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Obviously, the majority of the companies we have on the show are either product companies or research and development firms. One exhibitor type that we don't often get to talk with is consultancies. These companies are often integral to the process of bringing a new product to the market. They can help with early-stage design, funding, marketing, and more. This year, we got the opportunity to speak with Jaquie Finn from Cambridge Consultants about the company's work in the industry.

Consultancies like Cambridge Consultants are the unsung heroes of the product world, often living behind the scenes, creating products for others, or spinning off divisions as they are created. While you may never hear their name, you might very well know their products. In the case of Cambridge Consultants, they have been involved in products ranging from the first wireless pacemaker to the Bluetooth stack in most devices, which became part of Qualcomm, from air traffic control systems to the push-to-talk satellite technology for Iridium, they've done it all.

At CES this year, the company was talking about the evolution of personal sensor technology. Today, most monitoring is done with wearable technologies - from smartwatches to headbands. But, wearable technologies have limitations that prevent proper compliance. There are gaps in the data because of device charging or swapping of hardware. There are communication glitches because of interference and middle technologies, like phones. And, there are inconsistencies between brands and models.

In a design for a hospital of the future, Cambridge Consultants ran a three-month test of a contactless monitoring solution aimed at helping to eliminate some of these issues. The test got data on heart rate, temperature, respiration, and consciousness simply through cameras, with no need for wearable technologies. In a hospital, this would make monitoring easier, with no wearables to clean, no batteries to charge. Nurses could focus on the results as opposed to the technology.

For more information about the projects that Cambridge has done, check out the company's website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch and Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Heejin Eom of lululab was back at CES 2020 to talk about the latest developments in their intelligent skincare analysis products. When we first spoke with the Korean company at CES 2019, they were debuting LUMINI, a facial skincare system utilizing artificial intelligence via a handheld scanner to detect and make recommendations for treating different types of skin conditions.

The LUMINI is a professional level device intended for use by dermatologists, med spas, salons, and high-end department stores, but the company was already planning a more consumer-friendly version. This year, that's just what they have: a smart mirror called LUMINI Home, bringing some of the professional-level skincare analysis in the LUMINI scanner to the home consumer. The mirror solves the challenges of the small scanning device and sophisticated level of knowledge required to use it, by incorporating the technology of the scanner into a more familiar and easily usable mirror.

The mirror works along the same lines as the scanner. It captures an image of the user's face, then analyzes the facial conditions across six categories. It looks at wrinkles, pigment, redness, oiliness, pore conditions and acne, and then provides a recommended course of treatment for current conditions.

The smart mirror can be placed on a table or counter to work as a regular mirror, but utilizes some IoT and artificial intelligence capabilities for an additional level of interaction with the user. The mirror can greet the user, share basic daily information on weather conditions, including UV index and humidity, and then makes skincare recommendations based on those conditions, like advising the use of sunscreen or moisturizers. It will also recommend particular product lines.

The mirror will be available in the summer of 2020, first in Korea before being released worldwide. You can learn more on the company's website. The company was a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Nominee.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch and Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

While most of the house has seen big technological upgrades over the past couple of years, the bedroom has been mostly ignored. Sure, there are smart bulbs and speakers, but those are not bedroom specific. One of the bedroom devices that has been ready for a makeover is the alarm clock. We've seen some companies take a crack at it, but most come across as trying too hard. But the new Sandman Clock 2 from Palo Alto Innovation has found the sweet spot.

The Sandman Clock doesn't look out of place, because it looks like an alarm clock. However, the product features a number of hidden enhancements to make the product better. First, the screen features 1.8" red LED numbers. The red was chosen specifically because it will not negatively affect your night vision in the way that blue light would. The brightness of the screen is adjustable, and can also adjust automatically based on the ambient light in the room. Of course, the most important part of the clock is the alarm, which is configurable through the companion app.

What really makes the Sandman Clock modern is the array of charging capabilities. Across the back are 4 USB charging ports. There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports, so you can plug in any cable you have. Because of the growing interest in Qi wireless charging, the company also offers a compatible Qi charging plate that can be plugged into one of the ports.

This is not the only home enhancing product from Palo Alto Innovation. The Node-ify Axon is a unique product that allows you to build a custom sensor array depending on your needs. The components connect together using magnets and can be used to verify that your fridge is the correct temperature, your garage door is closed, or your clothes are ready for the dryer.

The original Sandman Clock is available now, and the Sandman Clock 2 will be available later in the year. The Node-ify Axon is in active development. To learn more about the company and its products, check out their website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Solar charging has become a hot topic in recent years. As the technology has continued to improve, companies have found new and exciting ways to enhance our daily lives using solar power. At CES 2015, we had the opportunity to speak with Goal Zero about their smaller consumer devices, such as their portable camping chargers and lights. But this year, Goal Zero joined us on the live show to talk about their line of larger solar solutions.

Many people have used a solar-powered calculator, maybe a radio, or even a battery charger, but the idea of whole-home solar power is gaining traction. This growth is thanks in part to creative new implementations of the technology, paired with large capacity battery systems. While most people think of solar as a single piece of technology - the panels on the house - the other essential aspect of the setup is a way to store that power for when the sun is gone.

The newest version of the Goal Zero home product, which was introduced and demoed at CES 2020, allows for 6000 watt-hours. An average home in Louisiana uses 42,000 watt-hours per day, while a home in Hawaii uses about 17,000 watt-hours per day. Depending on your usage, a single unit could power your home for as much as 8 hours, or as little as 3.5 hours, depending on where in the country you live.

But, these units are capable of being installed inline, which means that you can increase your overall capacity. With just a few units, you could power your whole home for days with no external. The most important part of the setup, however, is the solar charging, which allows you to charge the units off the grid. For those who live in places like Florida or Texas, where hurricane season can regularly leave you without power, this system can change your experience.

For more information about Goal Zero and their full line pf solar-based power products, check out the company's website and their products on Amazon.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

As we continue to carry more and more electronic devices with us on a regular basis, from phones and tablets to headphones and watches, power is continually the challenge. Between the amount of time required to charge these devices to the lifespan of their batteries, we all seem to be challenged by our batteries. While some companies, like Samsung, have worked to address some of these charging issues, companies like Apple are known for constant battery problems. Luckily, work on battery science has led to Real Graphene USA, a company with enhanced battery technology.

By using graphene batteries, a user's experience with their devices can be completely changed. When used in a smartphone, a standard lithium-ion battery takes about 90 minutes to charge. In comparison, a battery from Real Graphene USA takes about 20 minutes to charge. While other companies have offered quick charging for phones, the biggest downfall is the heat produced. However, because the graphene batteries are designed for quick charging, they are able to accomplish the goal without producing all of the heat.

Another problem with traditional batteries is their lifespan. Anyone who owns an Apple device knows the struggle of having to carry an external battery charger for the inevitable death of a device. The company's graphene-based batteries, despite their fast charge time, manage to have a longer battery life than lithium-ion batteries in the same device.

While we see new battery technology show up at CES every year, the batteries from Real Graphene USA are different. The technology is far beyond conceptual, as they are already integrated into products. One of those products is a portable charger, which is about the size of a regular portable battery but has the ability to charge up to 105 watts at once.

To learn more about Real Graphene USA or purchase one of their products, check out the company's website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Maciek Goralski, of Vasco Electronics, was at CES sharing their translation devices and took some time to show us the Vasco Mini and talk about some of their other devices.

Vasco is a 10-year-old company specializing in language translators. Their translators, including the Mini, can translate more than 50 languages with an accuracy rate of more than 90%. The devices require no setup and can be used right out of the box. Users simply select their language and the language they want to translate, press the button, and speak. Vasco Mini immediately recognizes what is being said, translates it, and pronounce it out loud, like a native speaker.

A few things set the Vasco Translator apart. Where most translators need to be connected to a phone or wi-fi, the Vasco Translator utilizes a free, lifetime and unlimited sim card. As a result, the device can be be used in 150 countries and includes free updates. Because the devices have a screen that allows users to see the text of what the device hears, they're also able to make any corrections for a listener in real-time. Battery life is about 3-5 days, depending on the frequency of use.

Vasco Mini is the only translator in the world that can connect to five different translation engines and choose the best one depending on the language pair. It connects to servers in five continents to provide immediate translation, with support from Vasco's customer service team in each user's local language and country.

Other Vasco translators allow up to 100 people speaking different languages to connect in a chat room style setting for shared communications or to record a presentation or speech, transfer it to text, translate it to any language and then send the translated document through email.

The Vasco Mini 2 retails for $249. Visit the company's website to learn more.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

Eric Narvette, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of ARWall, was at CES 2020 to showcase the company's spatial imaging technology.

ARWall is the first and only solution that can deliver effectively zero-latency, with prior rigs built for TV broadcast delivering 4-12 frames of latency. With software and solutions built from the ground up for the average filmmaker, the result is a much more affordable solution with less hardware and headache.

ARWall got its start doing augmented reality special effects for film and television. The company created a solution that eliminated the need for greenscreen on productions, by updating rear projections, providing virtual environments that the actors could see, with more reactive lighting to sets, with true parallax.

The challenge that ARWall overcame was the locked camera issue, creating a smart software system providing six degrees of freedom for the camera itself, enabling filmmakers to get in close to the actor, use hand-held equipment, use a camera dolly or anything else, and the image behind the scene remains responsive to the point of view of the camera.

The next step was making the system accessible and interactive for the average consumer. The company addressed the consumer challenge by utilizing camera arrays, computer vision, and a variety of methods to help determine where the user is standing, essentially making the user the camera. Now, wherever the user looks or stands, the system responds as if there's a window that's been cut into the virtual space and allows them to move around inside that tracked volume.

The end goal is to create customer service kiosks at a store threshold, digital showrooms to display a large catalog, social activations with AR photo booths and games, interactive promotional signage, and much more. ARwall Interactive won "Best AR Experience" at CES 2020 DreamlandXR.

Learn more about ARWall at their website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

Claude Dinsmore, General Manager of FANUC America joined us at CES 2020 to share the latest on robotics technology at FANUC. This was their first time exhibiting at CES, where they took the opportunity to bring together achievements in robotics consumer technology with industrial applications. As CES, FANUC found a great environment for participating in the discovery of new solutions for new product development among small manufacturers.

FANUC America Corporation, headquartered in Rochester Hills, MI is the leading supplier of robots, CNC systems and factory automation in the US. Founded in 1982, the company has over 1,500 employees in the Americas and provides customer service, engineering, finance, human resources, IT, logistics, operations, manufacturing, product development, sales & marketing, and training in the industrial robotics field.

At CES, FANUC showcased collaborative robots, or cobots, industrial robots that workers can safely work with or near. FANUC has specialized in machine vision for 35 years and now brings that technology to the forefront of the collaborative robotics movement, including touch sensing, force, higher-level software, integration with web and cloud technologies and more. The company also carries IoT products and Edge-based technologies.

Dinsmore sees fewer home applications than integration with companies and products that touch the home consumer, with companies like Kohler and Google. Specifically, FANUC helps companies like Kohler with the automation that goes into the final product, like bathtubs, where robots apply the porcelain and provide other tedious and potentially dangerous automation solutions. Their goal in attending CES is to help introduce people to what's happening on the industrial side and to hear what's going on in the consumer side. FANUC wants to help participate with new ideas coming out of the industry showcase and to listen and hear what's needed on the consumer side.

Visit their website to learn more about the hardcore industrial technologies available to everyone from FANUC.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.