PLUGHITZ Live Presents (Audio)

Traveling can be expensive, coronavirus panic not included. Various websites have come about to try and make the process less expensive, even offering rewards. However, these rewards tend to be very restricting, both in the way they are earned and how they can be redeemed. For example, the service that we have used for years doesn't allow rewards to be redeemed on all types of rooms. Luckily, there's a new platform, BTU Protocol, which has a new way.

By using the of blockchain and cryptocurrency, BTU Protocol is able to minimize the cost of listings for the retailers, while providing better rewards for users. The company is currently focused on hotel and rental car listings but plans to bring other types of partners onboard in the future. Currently, they offer rentals from every major car company and hotel listings from many brands. In searching for hotels in Las Vegas, we found many of the major brands, as well as some of the Strip brands.

By limiting the cost of listing rooms and cars, the companies are able to maintain a higher margin while offering the same or lower prices as other platforms. In addition, the companies are able to offer rewards on each rental through the platform's cryptocurrency. Searching in Orlando for this weekend, most hotel rooms offer a 5% return in BTU. Those coins can be used to purchase products and services, including gift cards. They can also be traded among wallets.

In time, the company plans to allow you to also use your coins to make purchases within the platform, applying your rewards toward your rental costs. The platform is available now for iOS and Android and is free to use and to collect rewards. To learn more about the platform or to download the app, check out the company's website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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.

Most of us consider hearing loss to be mostly confined to older people, but it affects people of all ages. One of those people is Amy Li, a dedicated member of the hearing industry who personally has hearing loss. She was approached after coming forward about her own hearing issues by others who felt that dealing with their hearing was too expensive. The result was Concha Labs.

The company's goal is to bring affordable hearing devices to people while improving the quality of the technology. The company's main focus is on software, designed to allow the wearer to conform the device to their own hearing profile. But, in addition to a standard profile, the software is able to adjust to various environmental scenarios, such as the noise of a convention center. This is a major change from standard hearing devices, which are tuned for the wearer, but not for the environment.

The tuning process is also very different. The normal process is to go into a doctor's office and perform an audio equivalent of an eye test. When the profile is created, it is usually wrong, causing the wearer to have to go back into the office to have it fine-tuned after a few days. With Concha Labs, you can perform your own test, which is more similar to an audio version of a full eye exam. This test is more detailed than the traditional test and creates a more accurate profile. It also prevents the need for the doctor's visits. And, because the profile is completely your own, you can make adjustments on the fly from your mobile device. So, if you are at a party, the symphony, or a convention center, you can use altered versions of your default profile to enhance your experience in these unique situations.

The Concha Labs technology is currently in beta in the company's Hearing Pods. As part of the beta test, a member can get the Hearing Pods for $800 (as opposed to the average of $5000 for traditional hearing aids), and $25 per month for the service, which includes the tuning, profiles, as well as replacement parts, such as batteries and ear tips. To join the beta or learn more about the company's technology, check out their website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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.

One of the biggest issues with virtual reality experiences is the controllers. Too many of them require knowledge of the controller design, which is difficult when your face is covered with a headset. The ideal scenario is motion controllers, but they usually require additional sensors, like the PlayStation Eye. However, an intriguing new device, The Tactigon, is looking to fix that problem.

The Tactigon is a wearable controller that fits over the hand. Using only internal sensors, like accelerometers and gyroscopes, the device is able to detect motion. Developers and users are then able to build commands based on gestures reported by the device. For example, a developer could build circle, push and pull, etc., into their products and respond to those motions. They could also use direct input, such as for a driving simulator.

But, The Tactigon is more than just a VR controller. The device can be used for a large variety of computer and mobile products. One that was especially intriguing was for robotics. Using the direct input features of the device, you could create direct control of a robotic device. This could be a fascinating new input method for FIRST robotics teams, though likely not legal during competition.

Another interesting robotics application is for programming cobots. These robotic helpers are designed to be programmed to assist in repetitive tasks. Think of the robotic arms you've seen in videos from car factories, but often on a smaller scale. Normally, these robots have to be programmed through a painfully detailed series of steps. However, by using the input from The Tactigon, you could program the cobot simply by moving your arm and the robotic arm would follow your motion. Then, by saving the macro, the arm can replicate the motion unendingly.

To learn more about The Tactigon, check out the company's website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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.

The internet is an increasingly dangerous and overly regulated place. Much of what we originally loved about the internet is quickly disappearing into memory. A lot of the blame is because of the infrastructure of the internet. While it was originally billed as a global network, it does still require a centralized planning committee (ICANN). But, there is another internet - the decentralized internet, which the Blockchain Router aims to make more accessible.

Normally, access to the decentralized internet is a bit complicated. It requires special software, system settings, and more. But, the new Blockchain Router takes away all of the difficulty of accessing the network by placing all of the specialized software and settings into special hardware. The device sits between your modem and computers, where your existing router lives, and gives access to your entire network.

The content on the decentralized web, whose domains end in .eth, are accessible only within the context of this network. While it is easy for governments, schools, and more to block certain domains and content on the web, it is nearly impossible to do the same on the decentralized web. This means that sites that run inside the network aren't subject to censorship and can be used to promote prohibited content, such as democracy.

In addition to accessing content that is not available on the traditional, public internet, the Blockchain Router also helps to obfuscate your browsing of the standard internet. This is important because people are tracking you and collecting your personal information all over the web. Think of the Blockchain Router as your internet bodyguard, protecting your information and browsing.

While the router runs on blockchain technology, it is important to note that it has absolutely nothing to do with cryptocurrency or virtual tokens. The blockchain aspect of the product is about the decentralization of data, not about rewarding the verification of audit logs.

The Blockchain Router is available for pre-order now on the company's website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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.

Our team is always on the lookout for great audio products. While there are a lot of speaker and headphone companies on the market, very few of them actually focus on producing a product that reproduces music the way it was intended. One of those companies is Ausounds, which produces headphones and earphones.

Joined by Marcus Sanchez, the company's marketing director, we were introduced to the AU-Stream Hybrid true wireless earbuds. These earbuds manage to have hybrid noise cancellation, true audio replication care of titanium drivers, and an extremely attractive design, all while keeping their price under $200.

Even more impressively, the AU-Stream Hybrid earbuds pack incredible power capabilities. The earbuds themselves can run for 9 hours, which is nearly unheard of in true wireless earbuds. When combined with the battery capacity built into the case, it is extended to 25 hours worth of use, meaning the case can charge the earbuds nearly 2 full charges. In addition, the charging case supports rapid wireless charging, meaning that you can simply place it on a Qi charging pad and let it go. It also sports a USB-C port for charging when you don't have Qi available.

On top of all of these features, the earbuds are IPX5 waterproof. That means that they will reject water projected from a nozzle, making them more than ideal for working out. That is an aspect that many earbuds, even those in the upper tier of products, miss. True wireless earbuds are so often used for exercise, and they need to be able to handle that activity, as well as sound good.

The AU-Stream Hybrid earbuds are available in four colors: black, dark grey, red, and gold, and retail for $189.95. Their smaller cousin, the AU-Stream, is available in four colors: white, dark grey, red, and gold, and retails for $99.95. More information and purchasing options can be found at the Ausounds website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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 age, a lack of bladder control is something that many people suffer. For years, the only way to deal with it has been with medication or adult diapers. The first only works for a short while for some people, and diapers carry with them a social stigma. For most people, if they could simply know a little earlier when they needed to go, it would make a world of difference. That's where DFree comes in.

DFree is a small wearable device that is able to give the wearer that early warning sign that they need to be able to use the bathroom before an accident happens. This, of course, allows the wearer to maintain a significantly higher level of normal life activity than medication or diapers usually would.

One of the best aspects of the DFree device is that it is non-invasive. That means that the entire device is external to the body, so no expensive medical procedures. It also means that people who are squeamish about medical stuff can use it without having to address their concerns. Instead, the device uses ultrasound to monitor your bladder all day. That data is constantly analyzed to detect when you need to use the bathroom and gives you an alert through your phone or tablet before it is too late.

The product comes in two varieties: one for personal use and one for professional use. The first is designed for those who are aging in place or people who are trying to live a more independent life. The second is designed to be used in hospitals and assisted living facilities where more than just the wearer can get alerts.

The DFree system is available now to rent or own. To learn more about the product, check out the company's website.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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.

We have had the pleasure of following Sensoria Health since our first trip to Collision in 2015. Even then, the company's technology was impressive, and it has come a long way in the past 5 years, certainly outgrowing our catchphrase of the week, "robot socks." Today, the company offers what they refer to as "Internet of Me" technology, with artificial intelligence solutions for health and aging scenarios.

But, it all comes back to the robot socks. In reality, the product is a pair of socks with various sensors built-in to monitor the health of your feet. This is important because your feet are literally the base of your body and often have the ability to detect and predict other health issues throughout the body.

The most obvious thing that can be detected is your gate or the way you walk and run. If your gate changes over time, it can indicate pain somewhere in the body. Often times, you might not even notice the pain consciously, though subconsciously you respond to it by taking pressure off of that part of the body. It ends up reporting as a difference in the way you walk and run.

The device can also be incredibly useful in the rehabilitation process. Rather than having to come into a rehab facility and endure regular testing of your gate, doctors can use the data produced by the Sensoria Health sock. It also gives those doctors the ability to see a true progression, as opposed to just small bits of data out of context. More data means better decisions, which in healthcare can be the difference between finding a rehab issue early and not being able to fully recover.

To learn more about Sensoria Health, the Internet of Me, and the connected sock, check out the company website.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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.

There are millions of Americans that need hearing enhancement but won't get it. For a lot of people, it can be a fact of cost, but for others, it has to do with "feeling old." That's because the look and feel of hearing aids have always looked a certain way, and that look is associated with older people. Luckily, BeHear by Wear & Hear has an advanced hearing device that doesn't look like a standard hearing aid.

The BeHear device looks more like a pair of sports Bluetooth headphones than it does a hearing aid. That will make it attractive to a lot of people, especially younger people. It also has the ability to raise awareness about the wider range of options available to people with hearing difficulties today.

But, looks are only part of the equation. The most important part of a hearing device is its ability to enhance the wearer's hearing. The company that makes the products, Alango Technologies, has a long history in the hearing space. Their software and algorithms are used in millions of devices across the industry. The company's software is focused on more than just strict volume, but also on focus.

As Don Baine mentions, his biggest personal issue with hearing aids is not the volume, but the clarity. Many traditional devices amplify the volume, but that causes problems in a crowded space. In a scenario like CES, he hears more background noise than active conversations. But, the technology built into the BeHear device is able to minimize the impact of noise and enhance the voices of people around you.

The BeHear hearing device is available now starting at $249, far below the general price of a hearing device. To learn more about the product line and purchase a device for yourself, head to the company website.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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.

One of the most common product categories at CES is security cameras. There are so many on the floor, and very few of them stand out in the crowd. However, every once in a while we encounter a camera that is truly different, and that certainly describes Hoop Home. This camera is designed by a company that knows cameras, as parent company C+A Global also owns the Ritz Camera retail chain.

But, what makes Hoop Home special? Let's start with the physical aspects of the product line. The standard camera is designed to be very small and is available in interesting colors. While most security cameras come in white or black, the Hoop Home line is available in red, blue, and green, in addition to grey and white. The Hoop Plus has all of this, plus the ability to pan 350 degrees and tilt 90 degrees. This makes it a very versatile camera that can be used in a lot of places.

However, it is the software that makes the Hoop Home line truly special. Of course, it has all of the features that you would expect from a security camera. However, it also has a number of unique learning capabilities. By using facial recognition, it can identify the people who are regularly in your home and learn their patterns. This makes it so that the device can let you know when something is out of the ordinary.

For example, if your kids are supposed to come home at 3 pm and they don't, you can get a notification. Or, you can also get a notification if they come home with friends when they are not supposed to. It also means that you never have to worry about getting a warning because a cat is in the driveway.

To learn more about the Hoop Home line of cameras and how they work, check out the product website.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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.

If you wear glasses, you know that the process of getting new ones can be a real pain. You can go and get new ones made with your existing prescription, but that isn't necessarily a great idea. What if your vision has changed significantly? You don't want to get stuck with the wrong lenses for the life of your glasses. But, getting your eyes tested requires getting an appointment, going to the doctor, waiting on the prescription. But, there is a better way thanks to EyeQue.

EyeQue is a personal vision tracking system. Using the system, you can track your sight, order glasses, and all with a guarantee. Here's how it works: A small microscope attaches to your smartphone. Using this scope, the accompanying app is able to test your eyesight and determine your vision capabilities. Using those results, you can then order glasses online that match your vision. If you don't like the results of your order, either the quality of your vision or the glasses themselves, you have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The best part of the whole system is that it does not require all of the overhead of the normal process. The device can be purchased for home use, meaning that you can go through the entire process without ever leaving the house. It also means that the entire family can get their eyes tested whenever they feel that something isn't right with just a single scope. And, because it is a personal device, it means that you can track your own vision over time, and see changes for better or worse.

The EyeQue system is available now, with vision monitoring kits starting at $69 and ranging to $159. To learn more about the service and the test kits, check out the company's website.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

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.