PLUGHITZ Live Presents (Video)

When I was a college student, I often found commuting by train versus car much more enjoyable, offering opportunities for studying or a quick nap as opposed to traffic and trips to the gas station. While a nap probably isn't recommended, the idea of self-driving cars is certainly an interesting one and Nvidia shook the landscape of that area at CES.

Announced at the event was Nvidia's Drive PX2 platform, a supercomputer for self-driving automobiles. Senior manager of automotive integration Dave Anderson said at CES the platform has the power of 150 MacBook Pros. That allows for the integration of a number of different sensor types fused into information that can be calculated by the platform. That is overlaid with other information and map data to guide the vehicle.

Even more exciting is that this type of technology isn't too far off. Anderson noted that Nvidia has partnered with Volvo, which will equip 100 vehicles with Drive PX 2 for a trial in 2017.

Interview by Aylee Nielsen of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Denso International America set up shop at the 2016 CES with an eye towards tomorrow. The global automotive supplier was on hand to discuss a smarter city for the future built around connectivity among, for example, automobiles, infrastructure and people.

Denso's booth included displays for a smart city in which the company's core automotive technology would be applied to other industries. There also is a focus on a smarter automated vehicle and Denso had a virtual reality display set up that allowed those in attendance to experience a connected world with 360 degree awareness.

More information on Denso's vision can be found at its North American website.

Interview by Aylee Nielsen of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

One of the biggest questions asked during a majority of events at CES was "when can I get this product?" But at the Toyota booth, the automobile giant hyped up one of its products for the future.

On display was the FCV Plus, Toyota's concept vehicle designed around fuel cell technology. According to product specialist Maggie Clark, the idea for the car is that it will generate enough electricity to wirelessly charge an electric vehicle that is alongside of it, or it could be used to power up to 10 homes on a single block. The FCV is essentially a mobile and stable source of electric power and Clark added that the fuel cell stack can be removed and continued to be put to use even after the life of the vehicle has expired.

Of course, Clark said that this type of product isn't expected to be ready until 2030, but she did add that Toyota does currently have available (in California and Japan) the first fuel celled vehicle on the market in the Mirai. It retails for $57,500.

Interview by Nakia Mann of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Keeping up with sleep wasn't an easy thing to do here at CES, until we found the Sleep Number booth and its new IT bed.

Coupled with Sleep Number's Sleep IQ technology and application, the IT bed has sensors built right into the mattress that track things like heart rate, breathing rate and movement. All that information is compiled and the user is given a sleep score while also being offered recommendations and insight on how your daily activities, tracked through your app profile, affect your sleep. The mattress also comes with active comfort technology, giving each sleep partner their own ideal sleep number.

Expected to launch in the Summer of 2016, the IT bed will retail for around $1000. Senior product manager Kelley Parker said at CES that the mattress can be ordered online, delivered and set up in about 15 minutes. More information can be found at sleepnumber.com.

Interview by Nakia Mann of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

One booth that caught the eye of many observers here at the 2016 CES was Ztylus Innovation's multifunctional smartphone case.

The case offers full body protection with a removable disc in the back. Once removed, a number of function utility attachments can be added to enhance the use of your phone. Among those on display at CES included a vent clip kit that can serve as additional leverage for holding onto the phone, a kickstand to prop up the phone or to clip to the device for easy viewing. A revolver kit was also at the booth and contains a number of different and quickly-accessible camera lenses.

Adding the attachments is as simple as popping it into the disc port and rotating to secure. Some of the parts are already on the market, with more coming by the end of the year.

Interview by Nakia Mann of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

StereoLabs took advantage of the high-profile CES event to show off its ZED camera, a high-definition 3D camera for depth sensing.

Using synchronized left and right video streams, the camera outputs high resolution video on USB 3.0. The image is processed in real time using the ZED SDK and a an external host computer, with StereoLabs partnering with Nvidia for graphics processing units. This particular camera is meant for developers according to product manager Marc Beudet and is ideal in both indoor and outdoor settings. Beudet cited two of the main markets for the ZED being autonomous navigation and augmented reality.

The ZED camera can be purchased at stereolabs.com and retails for $449.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

With over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!

A wide variety of high quality and unique looking microphones were shown off by Neat at CES, with options for both the causal and professional users.

Neat product manager Clayton Harrison had a number of mics on display, including the Bumblebee and Beecaster. The high-end USB mics feature great quality without the need for additional equipment or interfaces. The former is more for the voice and speech user, while the Beecaster has added stereo capability for musicians. Both come with a headphone output and headphone amplifier that allows for the ability to do direct monitoring without having to deal with latency issues.

The Worker Bee and King Bee, meanwhile, are designed for professionals who already have a rig or interface, while the Widget takes the unique look to the next level. The flashy mics are made to be an additional visual piece to a setup, an ideal look for video streams such as Youtubers or Twitchers.

All the microphones are currently available, while Neat's Beehive, a digital audio convertor and headphone amplifier should be out by the end of the current quarter. More information can be found on the company 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.

Even the most advanced handyman has plenty of other things to do than run wire after wire to complete an epic surround sound setup. Philips is presenting a solution to that problem with its upcoming Fidelio E6 wireless speakers.

Designed with the idea of a neat and tidy option for ultimate sound, the Fidelio E6 features the usual set of front speakers, but those also combine to create the center sound. On top of each is a detachable, wireless speaker that can be placed anywhere the user desires to complete the setup. They run on a wi-fi direct and charge while sitting on top of the front speakers, gaining full charge in two hours while supplying 10 hours of life.

And the unit isn't just for watching movies either. Philips added Google Cast and Spotify Connect and the rear units can also become independent to transform into portable speakers to enjoy music on. The Fidelio E6 is expected to be available by the summer and will retail for $799.

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.

Whether you're just learning to play the guitar or you want to be able to record songs on the go, this is a product you won't be able to resist.

Jamstik is a portable, smart enabled digital guitar designed to teach you how to play, using an apps that provide interactive lessons. The built-in sensors track your finger movements with real time feedback to your tablet or computer. It's wireless technology makes learning the guitar portable and intuitive and features a real fret board and strings.

Not only is Jamstik the perfect guitar teacher, but it's great for seasoned players as well. Take it along with you anywhere to practice or record songs. It's lightweight, compact design makes it easily fit into any carry along bag so you always have it with you when inspiration strikes. Using a MIDI output, you can connect via USB, Bluetooth (+ model) and WiFi, the signal is put in the format of CORE-MIDI and is compatible with a variety of MIDI apps on iOS and PC devices.

The Jamstik is available now for $299. A variety of accessories are also available.

Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

With over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!

Let's face it, it's not always easy to take our little one's temperature, especially when they are sick. Trying to keep the thermometer in place for the specified amount of time with all of the squirming and fussiness can certainly be a trick.

Those worries are a thing of the past with Thermo. This smart thermometer not only makes taking their temperature as simple as hovering it over the child's forehead, it also sends the information directly to an app on your smartphone for easy tracking with a detailed chart that can also be sent straight to your doctor.

Of course Thermo is not only for kids. It's great for taking/tracking temperatures for adults as well and it's also perfect for that hopeful soon-to-be mother to track ovulation. And that's not all: Thermo can take the temperature of any object, such as food and water, as well as the ambient temperature in a room.

The phone app also keeps track of local hospitals and pharmacies, and in a pinch, can get you step by step directions via Google Maps. You'll also love the conversion rates, charts and alarm within the app.

Thermo is perfect for any household and will be available in the second quarter of 2016 on their website with an expected price of $59.

Daniele Mendez of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

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.