PLUGHITZ Live Presents (Video)

Being "in the zone" reflects that total mental focus and clarity that comes to people concentrating hard. For athletes and professionals, it can take years of practice and hard work. For us mere mortals, BrainCo offers a way to learn how to focus. How? Professor Don gets all brainy with Max.

The idea behind BrainCo is to use their Focus One headband with gamification to improve mental concentration. The BrainCo band reads small electrical impulses in the wearer's brain and picks up on changes in the frequency and amplitude of the impulses (EEG). As everyone's brains are different the band establishes a personal baseline and works on changes from that baseline to understand when the person is relaxed, focused or distracted.

While wearing the Focus One headband, the owner plays a smartphone game which takes information from the headband and responds as the wearer mentally focusses. Simply, the person has to focus to do well in the game. Overtime, the person learns how to focus their mind.

The BrainCo Focus One reinforces good mental behavior and this can be especially useful for children who have learning difficulties such as ADHD, but it also has application in ensuring that teachers are engaging with their students. The FocusOne isn't yet available to buy but if you are interested, you can register on the BrianCo website for an early bird discount.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

Many Americans have difficulty falling asleep. The iHome Zenergy line of products can help you take control of your sleep and get some rest. In addition, iHome also created the Reflect Pro, a top of the line vanity mirror that has a Bluetooth speaker.

Don spoke with Jennifer from iHome. She pointed out the important functions of iHome's products that focus on wellness and daily rituals. The Zenergy Candle is a multi-sensory device that can help you sleep. This flameless candle has built-in light therapy and sound therapy. It also has a built-in breathing coach that can guide you through controlling your breathing patterns so you can calm your mind and body and be ready for sleep. The price point for the Zenergy Candle is $69.99.

In addition, iHome has a Zenergy Aromatherapy device that can be used with the Zenergy Candle. The aromatherapy device is unique because it has a tray in the back where you can place some essential oil. You can mix scents if you want to. The Zenergy Aromatherapy device is priced at $99.99, and it comes with a bottle of Lavender oil.

A new product called the Reflect Pro provides crystal clear reflection with no distortion. It is a top of the line lit vanity mirror that has a Bluetooth speaker. It lets you listen to music, or take calls, while you are getting ready. The perimeter of the mirror has LED lighting. It comes with a 10x magnifying puck that attaches to the mirror with a simple stick. The Reflect Pro is priced at $199.

Interview by Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

One of the most popular New Year's Resolutions is to lose weight. People start out with good intentions, but many quit after about four weeks because they cannot see any changes happening. ShapeScale is a 3D body scanning scale that can point out the small changes that you cannot see simply by looking at yourself in a mirror.

Todd visited the ShapeScale booth at CES 2018 and spoke with Martin, who explained how ShapeScale works. Get on the scale, and it will take a full 3D scan of your body in less than 40 seconds. It creates a photo realistic 3D avatar of you. The avatar syncs to your iPhone or Android smartphone via the ShapeScale app. Look at your 3D avatar to see the small changes to your body that have been happening over time.

ShapeScale uses color coding to convey information. It colors portions of your 3D avatar blue to show where body fat loss has taken place. It colors part of your avatar red to show where muscle gain has happened. The app can show you other health and fitness measurements including circumference measurements, body weight, height, body fat, and lean mass.

ShapeScale is set to start shipping later this year. It will retail at $499. However, if you head to their website now, you can preorder your very own ShapeScale for $349.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

Remote controlled garage doors haven't been particularly secure in the past and many people have disabled the feature because of the risk of break-ins to their homes through the garage. Todd and Frank discuss the problem and look at Skylink Nova, a retrofit Wi-Fi door opener.

The Skylink Nova is wired into an existing garage door opener using the standard connections used for the interior open/close button. Once connected up, the Nova can be remotely controlled with the Skylink smartphone app (iOS and Android). Nova is also compatible with If This Then That (IFTTT) platform and Alexa so the garage door can be opened (or closed) by talking to an Echo.

The Nova itself looks like an LED light fixture and works as a smart home hub too, communicating with up to 100 smart devices. In addition, it can detect sirens from smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house. When one of those is heard, Nova will automatically open your garage door to aid in ventilation in the case of an emergency. (I can see how this might help with CO poisoning but surely opening the door during a fire could make things worse?)

Skylink's Nova will be on sale in the spring for under $100.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

Kicking off a range of smart hormone health care products, Mira Fertility helps couples maximize their chances of conceiving by measuring daily hormone levels. Four times dad Todd learns about the product and future plans from Yazan of Miracare.

The Mira Fertility analyzer measures the levels of hormones in urine to provide insights into fertility levels to help couples conceive. Like a pregnancy test, the woman pees on a "fertility wand" which is then placed in the Mira for analysis. The information is transmitted via Bluetooth to the Mira app on a smartphone, which uses machine learning to analyze the data and predict the best opportunities for conception. The app shows graphs and other data that can be useful for a couple wanting to have a baby.

The Mira Fertility Analyzer is expected in Q2 2018, priced under $200.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

According to their website, the Aurasens Lounger is "your trans-sensory vessel to audio-haptic pleasure." That's some claim for a massage chair with headphones. Todd relaxes with Olivier, CEO, to see if the Aurasens Lounger lives up to its promises.

Calling the Aurasens a massage chair is a little like calling the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport a convertible. Technically it's correct, but the Aurasens lounger uses luxury materials and specially augmented pieces that co-ordinates the massage effect with the music. Think of a glissando complemented by waves of motion along the arms, all in sync with the music. Aurasens has a selection of sensations, from pop pieces to new music and ambient sounds.

Currently the Aurasens is being marketed at hotels, airline lounges, events and high-net worth individuals. Usually rented by the day or month, it's EUR10,000 to buy.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

CloviTek is the creator of CloviFi - the world's smartest wireless audio transmitter. It is ideal for consumers, seniors, people who struggle with hearing loss, and businesses in public places.

Todd visited the CloviTek booth at CES 2018 and spoke with Vitaly. He discussed the CloviFi audio distribution device. It is a Wi-Fi transmitter that can transmit audio from your TV to your mobile phone. The device has a Bluetooth transmitter. CloviFi is a great solution for households where someone wants to watch TV while other people are sleeping or studying.

Connect CloviFi to one of the audio inputs on your TV. Power the TV on, then connect CloviFi to your Wi-Fi home network. Launch the mobile app to start transmitting audio. CloviTek estimates that the retail price range will be from $100 to $150. They estimate that it will take about three months before they can start shipping.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

Nuviz has created the first all-in-one motorcycle head-up display with integrated navigation, communication, action camera, and music in a single device. It enables those who ride motorcycles to be less distracted and more able to pay attention to the road ahead.

Todd visited the NUVIZ booth and spoke with Peter at CES 2018. NUVIZ has made the only all-in-one head-up display for motorcycle riders. It attaches to a motorcycle helmet. The device syncs to your phone through an app. It has a small remote control that can be mounted to the handlebar of your motorcycle. The remote control was designed to be used by a person wearing a heavy motorcycle glove.

The device allows for integrated navigation with GPS. It lets you communicate via Bluetooth intercom, so you can easily find out who is calling you, make a call, or reject a call. It has a camera that enables motorcyclists to record while they ride. In addition, the device can be used as a media player. The NUVIZ head-up display has a replaceable and rechargeable battery. The battery life is eight hours for light use. It lasts for three and a half-hours if you are doing heavy video recording. The NUVIZ all-in-one head-up display retails for $699.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.

HELPER is a drone that was designed with lifesaving in mind. It allows lifeguards to drop a self inflating buoy in close proximity to a victim that is in danger. Helper Drone is useful for lifesaving at sea.

Todd visited HELPER at CES 2018 and spoke with Anthony. HELPER is a piece of technology that offers reliable and secure navigation. It is ultra stable, and helps save lives, even in winds of up to 50 km/h. With speeds of up to 55 km/hr, and its precision to the meter, it enables speedy and controlled recovery. HELPER can climb to an altitude of 10 m/s and weighs 3.9 kilograms.

When a lifeguard sees a person in the water who needs help, the lifeguard can use an app to deploy HELPER. The drone will automatically launch and go to the location the lifeguard selected. The camera on HELPER will show what is happening at the scene. The lifeguard can view the video. When the lifeguard clicks on the victim, the HELPER drone will drop a lifejacket in close proximity of the victim. The lifejacket inflates once it hits the water.

HELPER has been used in France, but has not come to the United States yet. In France, a municipality pays $700 USD per year per drone for the HELPER service.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

This episode was originally published on Geek News Central.