Jun 28
First-world problems don’t get much bigger than having to pick out a chair in which you can sit comfortably all day while you’re using your computer.
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Jun 27
That’s right Canucks, Kickstarter’s launching in your neck of the woods before the midnight sun sets for the season. The crowdfunding site released a teaser page today, announcing that it’ll open up to Canada-based projects later this summer. It’s not the first site of its kind to accept submissions from north of the border, but if Indiegogo hasn’t been drawing in the results you need, you’ll soon be able to give it a go on another platform. The Kickstarter team is mum on an exact launch date, but with a bit less than three months left in summer, the clock is ticking.
Filed under: Household, Internet
Via: The Verge
Source: Kickstarter
Jun 27
Handibot Smart Tool hits Kickstarter, cuts in 3D with mobile controls (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
While CNC routers are part-digital by their nature, they haven’t really kept up with the times: they’re often fixed in place and don’t easily adapt to unique tasks. ShopBot Tools hopes to modernize these machines by crowdfunding its Handibot Smart Tool. The device is portable and cuts 3D shapes out of many flat surfaces, but its specialty is the accessible, app-driven control that the fundraising will support. Builders can give the Handibot a wide range of instructions through apps on PCs or (eventually) mobile devices, whether they need a few simple holes or large, ornate patterns. Those pledging support will need to spend at least $1,995 to get a Handibot this September, assuming ShopBot reaches its $125,000 goal; still, it may be worth the cost for any workshop enthusiast who feels limited by existing tools.
Filed under: Household
Source: Kickstarter
Jun 25
Intel’s working on DIY programmable home automation, we go eyes-on with its proof-of-concept (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
The internet of things is growing, friends, and Intel knows it. From WiFi lightbulbs to smart thermostats and door locks, it seems that most everything in our homes will have some sort of connectivity in the not-so-distant future. That’s why chipzilla’s research arm has been working on a way to program all of those devices and make it easy enough so that any do-it-yourselfer can get her home working the way she wants it to. The key is getting all of these future devices to work together, and Intel’s plan is to build a platform that’ll talk to most any PCB (Arduino, Beagle Boards, etc.) over any wireless protocol (WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, et al.).
A layer of middleware lets the bits of hardware talk to each other on an ad-hoc basis, so that say, when a baby monitor hears a crying child, it can tell a nearby stereo to tee up some soothing tunes to put him back to sleep automagically. The system actions are crafted using an easy-to-use HTML 5 programming environment, and will be deposited in a software library of modules that can be accessed by end users. Then, home automators can utilize a simple GUI editor to tailor their system to their wishes. We got to see a proof-of-concept system in person today, so head on past the break for a full video explanation and a demo of it in action.
Nicole Lee contributed to this report.
Jun 18
Scanadu clearly knows to tap into our collective Star Trek dreams, as the company just reached $1 million in funding for its Scout tricorder. The backing so far comes from people in 91 countries, including luminaries like Eugene Roddenberry (who else?) and Steve Wozniak. That figure is more than symbolic, we’d add — backers who’ve paid for a Scout can now get theirs in black rather than a clinical-looking white. Should the new color option prove tempting, it’s not necessarily too late; as of this writing, there’s still a few days left to make a pledge.
Filed under: Household, Science
Source: Indiegogo
Jun 18
AT&T and Goal Zero deploy solar-powered Street Charge stations in NYC, we go hands-on (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you’re lucky, your smartphone’s battery can just make it through a full day, with the percentage meter dropping to the single digits as you finally get a chance to plug in. With 10 hours out and about, some handsets can’t even last through dinner, though, and out of reach power outlets make juicing up at the restaurant a tad inconvenient. Beginning this summer, public power will be much more accessible in New York City. AT&T is partnering with Goal Zero to deploy Street Charge stations in a handful of parks and other locations around NYC. They’ll be coming to Fort Green Park on June 18th, and will roll out to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Coney Island, Riverside Park, Rockaways, Summerstage in Central Park, Randall’s Island, Governor’s Island, Union Square, and Hudson River Park over the next few weeks. Each solar-powered pole, designed locally by Pensa, sports six USB connectors: for iPhones and iPads, there’s 30-pin and Lightning plugs, Android and Windows Phone users can hook up to micro-USB, and everyone else can use their own cable with one of three female USB connectors.
There’s three 15-watt solar panels and a 168 watt-hour battery, enabling each Street Charge to power up to six devices for several days without exposure to the sun. Sure, it’s probably impractical to fill your gadget’s cell completely, but if you have a few minutes to spare, you’ll be able to juice up and go. You can plug in phones, tablets, cameras, or even a Pebble watch — each cable can pump out up to two amps of 5V power, providing support for just about any USB-powered device. Each weatherproof unit will have AT&T branding, which seems reasonable, considering the carrier is footing the bill here. You should start seeing these pop up at several TBA locations in New York throughout the summer, with more stations to come if the trial’s a success. Take a closer look in the hands-on video after the break.
Gallery: Street Charge hands-on
Source: Pensa
Jun 16
Home Lohas brings hydroponic gardening into your room, rabbit guard not included
Posted in: Today's Chili
While running between booths at Computex earlier this month, we were momentarily distracted by these vegetable boxes (maybe it was lunch time as well). As it turned out, this product was launched by Taiwan-based Home Lohas around the same time as when the expo started. The company pitches its hydroponic gardening appliance — so the vegetables rely on nutritious water instead of soil — as a hassle-free, low-power solution for growing your own greens, plus it’s apparently the only solution in the market that doesn’t need water circulation. With its full spectrum LED light, air pump and timers, harvest time can apparently be reduced by about 30 percent. It’s simply a matter of filling up the water tank, adding the necessary nutrients and placing the seeded sponge on the tray (the package includes three types of organic fertilizers and some seeds).
The only downside is that this system costs NT$15,800 (about US$530) in Taiwan, and for some reason, it’ll eventually be priced at US$680 in other markets. If that’s too much, then stay tuned for a half-size model that’s due Q4 this year.
Filed under: Household
Source: Home Lohas (Chinese)
Jun 12
Sharp – Home cleaning robot “COCOROBO(RX-V90)” – Features artificial intelligence and voice-recognition capability
Posted in: Today's Chili
Home cleaning robot “COCOROBO (RX-V90)” will be out from Sharp in late June.
“COCOROBO” measures the dimensions of a room with an ultrasonic sensor, and it’s able to boost the suction power up when detecting an area with lots of dust and trash. It can run for a maximum of 100 minutes straight and clean up to a 3LDK sized (3 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 dining area and kitchen) – roughly 43-tatami mat room/62㎡ room.
There are 2 other features that make “COCOROBO” become something more life-like: an artificial intelligence “COCORO Engine” that changes its feeling according to the size of a room or cleaning situation making it change its action, its lights and the words it says, and “Voice-recognition capability” that enables you to control it by voice.
Price: Open price
Model: RX-V90
Size: 304 x 304 x 99mm
Weight: 2.6kg
Charging time: 4 hours
Accessories: Remote control, charging stand, cleaning brush, replacement side brush 1 set (2 brushes), bumper cushion
Jun 10
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this roundup, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.
You may already have your credit card at the ready for the event to come later today, but allow us to entice you with a handful of discounted tech. Today, a 16GB Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ and 42-inch LG LED 3D HDTV grab top billing, but a few other selections are here, too. Jump down past the break to take a gander and the whole lot.
Filed under: Cameras, Home Entertainment, Household, Tablets, Storage
Source: Slickdeals
Jun 07
What do you do if you want to drink a single glass of wine but not throw away the other 4/5 of the bottle? You turn to a wine preservation system.
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