Hasta La Gadget!

If there’s one constant in this world, it’s that the cost of energy continues to climb, be it household electric or good ole petrol. We can’t help you with the latter today, but we have found a pretty slick tool for keeping tabs on electricity consumption. Now, before you head down to the comments section or send your angry emails letting us know, we’re fully aware that power monitoring solutions have been around for some time now. MeterPlug isn’t your run-of-the-mill device, though. This solution is relatively inexpensive (it’ll retail for about $60), very compact (it plays nicely with other plugs in your power strip), and with the included Android and iOS apps, it’s quite powerful as well. The device will be available with US, UK or European plugs, and slips between your existing cord and an ordinary socket. Then, you pair it with your smartphone and you’re good to go.

Once connected, MeterPlug uses your handset’s GPS to find electricity rates for your location, then displays your current usage in watts and cost — during our hands-on in NYC, a connected MacBook Pro pulled about 60 watts of power at a cost of $0.01 per hour. Connect a TV or household appliance though and you might just be surprised about how much you’re spending on each gadget. Naturally, there’s also a few tools to conserve energy. A simple (and responsive) power toggle lets you turn your device on and off using a smartphone, a proximity sensor cuts off power when you leave the room (and pops it back on when you arrive), and a feature called Vampire Power Shield keeps track of your gadget’s typical consumption, then pulls the plug when you flip your television or Xbox to standby mode, potentially saving you a fair amount of money each year. The plug module and app worked very well during our test, as you’ll see in the video after the break. Then, head over to the source link to submit your pre-order on Indiegogo.

Continue reading MeterPlug Bluetooth power monitor tracks usage, sends stats to your smartphone (hands-on video)

Filed under: Household, Peripherals, Mobile

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Source: MeterPlug (Indiegogo)

The curved screens of Samsung’s Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus helped them stand out in the smartphone crowd, but it’s clearer than ever that the company doesn’t have a lock on the idea. Apple is exploring the concept as well: it just received a patent for a technique that molds thin glass into bent or curved shapes without a drawn-out process or using risky chemicals. By having alignment tools shift along with hotter temperatures during a glass slumping process, where the material shapes itself around a mold, Apple can bend glass without any interference — leading to curvy surfaces that are both quicker to make and higher quality. A patent doesn’t mean that we’ll see a curved iPhone in the immediate future, though. Apple leaves its options open and suggests that anything from mice to TVs could be candidates, should the company take action at all. If the patent ever applies to real-world products, however, we’ll have an inkling as to how the bendy shapes came to be.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Peripherals, Apple

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Source: USPTO

We took a look at Mophie’s OutRide ruggedized action-cam case back at IFA in August, but the month of December notoriously brings many more photo ops. Perhaps that’s why the company has chosen to announce availability of the case, which sports a lens capable of 170-degree viewing angles, on the cusp of year-end holidays. The waterproof OutRide is available now for $150 — and that price includes a variety of mounts for handlebars, surfboards and helmets. A companion app is a free download from the App Store and lets users edit and share their recorded footage. The OutRide is currently only compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, so those who are gifted Apple’s latest handset will have to sit this one out.

Continue reading Mophie OutRide action-cam case for iPhone now available: 170 degrees of Xmas footage for $150

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: Mophie

The dedicated car phone may be a thing of the past, but the in-car hotspot is becoming increasingly common. BMW isn’t shy when it comes to in-vehicle tech, so the fact that it’s launching its own solution should come as no surprise. We initially heard about the ConnectedDrive LTE integration back in summer, but now it looks like it’s almost here. The BMW Car Hotspot LTE is essentially a purpose-built WiFi router that houses an LTE SIM (it also supports 3G and EDGE). It’s compatible with any BMW with a telephone docking station and allows connections from up to eight client devices. Authentication can be done via code entry or NFC (or there’s WPS too). Rather than just rebranding an LTE dongle, the system is designed to integrate with the vehicle’s aerial for better signal, while the dock keeps it charged. As you might surmise, this does indeed mean there is an internal battery, making it useful beyond the confines of the automobile too (for about an hour according to the car maker). No official word on price or release, but it’s suggested it’ll be landing in Europe as soon as this week.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Transportation, Mobile

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Via: Telematics news

Source: BMW

Here you are yet another compact Bluetooth Keyboard for portable devices. Designed to be used regardless of the operating system you are running (Windows, OSX, Android and iOS) this new TK-FBP052 Series comes in two colors (Black and White) and features Bluetooth 3.0. Announced at around 4,830 Yen this keyboard weight 169g for 237x127x21mm.