Plott’s extended reality (XR) platform and accompanying hardware bringsreal world elements and dimensions into the LetsPlott app, a design center for conceptualizing and measuring the project in AR. From creative idea, to virtual design, then back to reality with the help of innovative hardware solutions, Plott is the ideal tool for anyone from the beginner to a professional DIYer, that provides actionable, turn-by-turn directions to pinpoint real world coordinates with accuracy.
80% of first time DIYers fail to measure accurately on their first attempt and as a result, decide not to pursue another project. “ Our goal with the LetsPlott Platform is to eliminate the complicated and challenging tasks of DIY projects, such as measuring and calculating, to provide users with the necessary tools to spend more time bringing their virtual designs to life,” says David Xing, Founder of Plott. “As a result, we created the only interactive, AR driven platform that provides DIYers with the tools to imagine their creations in the digital form, then guide them in the actual space to complete their real-life projects. Plott is the ultimate home improvement tool no matter how much experience the user has or how challenging the project is.”
Plott’s integrated hardware includes Cubit, which features a rubber wheel for measuring along any surface, dual lasers for measurement accuracy, and a digital screen that clearly guides users to the coordinates of their physical indoor project. Coming soon is Plott’s Carta, measuring wheel-style tool that virtually maps any outdoor space as you walk in real time.
Within the LetsPlott app, users can see exactly how a project will look, make notes, and even add images and links. The final step is to seamlessly transfer the curated design from the digital concept back into the real world.
The LetsPlott app and Platform is available now on iOS and Android. Cubit (MSRP $99) will be available for purchase in March 2019, while Carta (MSRP ≈ $150) will launch in Q3 2019. For more information on Plott’s award-winning technology and products, visit letsplott.com
Monitors for home and nursery that include Alexa capabilities, facial recognition, smart zoning and even sleep analysis will all be on the launchpad at this year’s CES, from Binatone, official licensee of the Motorola brand.
Binatone, Indianapolis, IN.
Helping parents has always been the driving force for Binatone’s development of new baby products from Motorola. 2019 will see cutting edge devices and services focussed on baby sleep and well-being with first looks at PepCom and CES.
The Motorola Halo is a unique baby monitor that can attach to any cot or crib giving an unparalleled ‘parent’s eye view’ of the baby. At the heart of Halo is a 1080p camera with IR night vision to 10m with two-way audio activated by motion and audio sensors. This feeds crystal clear video and audio to a connected home-viewer or, if parents prefer, they can access the camera on their smart phone via the partner Hubble-for-Baby app from anywhere they choose. The Hubble app has been specifically developed for all Motorola connected products and unlocks many features to help parents of new-borns and young infants.
The unit’s camera also doubles as a portable monitor and can easily be detached from the cot/crib mount and positioned anywhere in the home, making it both a fixed and mobile solution.
In addition to the camera, the cot/crib mount has a choice of ambient soft glow light settings and a night sky ‘virtual mobile’ to project sky scenes onto the nursery ceiling. The two-way audio can also be used to play lullabies and other soothing sounds direct through the speaker from the Hubble-for-Baby services accessed through the partner app.
The Halo sets a new standard in nursery monitoring and coupled with the Hubble-for-Baby partner app, will become the benchmark for new parents looking for more than just a monitor.
The Hubble IoT platform has also undergone an overhaul transformation with some new, exciting services added for 2019. Hubble-for-Baby app will be introducing a number of key features to help parents track and monitor their baby’s development.
Sleep is a critical feature for development and Hubble-for-Baby allows any connected Motorola baby monitor to do much more than just record your baby sleeping. A baby tracking diary, access to expert sleep advice, in-depth sleep analytics and smart zoning are all part of the new Hubble-for Baby app which can be accessed from any connected Motorola baby monitor.
In addition to the new nursery products, Binatone is launching a brand-new home monitoring system. The Motorola Mods for Home uses a state-of-the-art 1080p waterproof camera that can be combined with several stands and cases, making it the ultimate modular system. Choose from outdoor battery packs to night stands to build your own personal home monitoring system. The Mods system can be adapted to fit any user’s needs.
The Mods also connects to Hubble-for-Home app and benefits from the same AI developments at the heart of Motorola nursery products. Smart zoning coupled with person recognition will ensure that users only get notified when people enter or leave the smart zone, no more false alarms from stray dogs or branches swinging in the wind. The Mods also features new facial recognition AI which has increased accuracy and speed enabling positive ID within one second of being detected. Hubble-for-Home is available across a number of new Motorola home products, including the Mods, brand new indoor and outdoor cameras, and a new connected video doorbell.
A Swedish company, Yevo Labs, is building its latest headphones with material from an improbable source: guns.
The headphones themselves are pretty standard Bluetooth earbuds, based on the company’s previously released Yevo 1 design. It’s around the edges that things get interesting. The accent metal is less polished than the mirror-finish chrome-like plating you’d find on its onyx-, ivory- or jet black-colored $249 headphones.
The carrying case, which also doubles as a battery-powered charger, is heavy. Like a power tool. And the metal it’s made from feels rough, industrial. Yevo plans to sell this version for $499 when it’s released in the next few months.
“In a way, this is the most valuable material in the world,” said Andreas Vural, Yevo’s founder and president. “It’s a firearm that may have taken someone’s life.”
This is a statement piece. It’s a visceral reminder that this was made from something substantial. And it’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever seen while covering CES.
And while CES has become home to technological advancements from around the world, smart firearms rarely make an appearance. When it comes to guns more broadly, the annual Shot Show will draw about 65,000 people from across the firearms industry to Vegas when it begins later this month.
Andreas Vural, founder and president of Yevo Labs, wearing his headphones made with metal from recycled guns.Ian Sherr/CNET
Vural, who flashed a smile when we first met, became more serious as I sat opening and closing the gun metal case. Its predecessor, which came out last year, has been a hit, Vural said, with demand consistently outstripping supply. He declined to offer hard sales data. That headphone charging case looks like a supersized lipstick tube or a carrier for a nice pair of reading glasses. The headphones are concealed in a compartment that slides out and then back in, with a satisfying click to indicate it’s closed. It’s pretty lightweight too.
The model made from guns is coarse by comparison. It almost seems unfinished. The bit that holds the headphones slides out feeling like it’s grinding against the metal, which Yevo bought from a Swedish initiative called Humanium. In addition to its weight, the Humanium-metal headphones also cost five times more to make. Yevo is using it to make both the accent metals around the edge of the headphones, as well as for the outside case.
Everything about this gun metal device says it isn’t a piece of tech meant to disappear into the background of my everyday life.
“We want to bring more awareness” to the issue of gun violence, Vural said. And a portion of sales will go back to Humanium as well.
Tech for good
Yevo may be the first company making a product with a recycled gun, but it’s part of a trend in the tech industry. Companies are beginning to build technology with attention paid to more than just the design and price.
Apple, for example, publishes an environmental report card for each of its products, telling customers what type of pollutants are in them. And nearly all the paper used in its product packaging is either recycled or from “responsibly managed” forests.
Apple’s Liam recycling machine holds an iPhone before going to work.Apple
“We put an incredible amount of money into designing the best products in the world,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said when first announcing Liam in 2016. We “put that same amount of energy into thinking about what to do when they can no longer be used.”
PC giant Dell, meanwhile, has begun using recycled plastics, diverted from ending up in the ocean, in packaging for its high-end laptops. Surprisingly, the company says it’s helped drive down costs.
“There’s a broad perception that sustainability costs more,” said Oliver Campbell, who heads up Dell’s packaging team. “We’re proving that when it’s done correctly it actually costs less.”
Dell’s packaging tray for PCs, made in part with ocean plastics.Dell
He added that Michael Dell, the company’s founder and CEO, pushes his teams to be more sustainable, but to do it in a way that either keeps costs the same or better. That way, it’s more likely the company can adopt those efforts across its business.
But there’s more companies could do, said Kyle Wiens, head of the tech repair website iFixit. While it’s good that companies are being more thoughtful about how they can reuse products or divert them from landfills, recycling and reuse needs to take a bigger role.
“It should be factored into the design upfront,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vural said he’s hoping his headphones will get people to think differently about the products they buy, and how much power they have as consumers to push for positive change.
“For us, it’s an amazing feeling taking something that negative and creating something positive out of it,” he said.
It’s a hybrid inside a hybrid. That’s the best way to think about the new XPS 15 two-in-one from Dell. This big-screen laptop has a 360-degree hinge, so it folds all the way back to form a tablet — we’ve seen that plenty of times before, but never in Dell’s high-end XPS 15 line.
Inside, it has a new CPU package that’s part of Intel’s eighth generation of Core i-series chips. But this is also a hybrid part. It’s one of the very first examples we’ve seen of a new Intel-AMD partnership, where these two component rivals are teaming up.
Now playing: Dell’s new XPS 15 is a hybrid inside and out 1:33
You get an Intel CPU paired with AMD Radeon Vega M GPU, giving you some pretty decent graphics muscle for a super-slim hybrid.
With these new parts, plus better cooling and a bigger heat spreader, Dell claims the battery will run for 15 hours.
It’s 16mm thick, which is pretty thin for any kind of 15-inch laptop, and the edge-to-edge Infinity Display has 4K resolution.
Dell’s XPS 15 2-in-1 is thin, sturdy and loaded with power33 PHOTOS
Also new is a redesigned keyboard — Dell calls it a “maglev” keyboard. That’s an idea that’s been talked about for years, but not widely used. Instead of rubber domes under the keys, it uses magnets to push the keycaps back up.
That lets you have an even thinner keyboard. In a brief hands-on demo, it felt very much like Apple’s current super-shallow keyboards, which some people like more than others.
The new XPS 15 two-in-one will be available in the spring, and starts at $1,299 in the US. International details have not been announced yet, but that works out to about £960 or AU$1,650.
A lot more people have had their eyes opened to wireless charging pads thanks to the latest Apple iPhones (and a couple of generations of high-end Android phones before that). PC and accessory maker Razer wants to broaden the definition even more, with a new battery-free wireless gaming mouse that pulls its power from a special mousepad.
The new HyperFlux line consists of the Mamba HyperFlux mouse, a new entry in its longstanding Mamba gaming mouse series, and the Firefly HyperFlux mat. Razer says the new technology “allows the mouse mat to create a magnetic field that efficiently transfers power directly to its companion mouse instead of charging a heavy battery.” The company adds that this is the first time a wireless gaming mouse has been able to shed its internal battery.
Now playing: A hypothetical home for the Razer Phone 1:31
Razer Mamba HyperFlux5 PHOTOS
Without the battery, the Mamba is indeed a few ounces lighter than its predecessors, and felt very responsive in a brief hands-on demo. Even with no internal battery, the mouse can hold enough charge to keep it connected for a few seconds if you lift it off the pad. The same micro-USB plug that connects the mousepad to a powered USB port can also plug directly into the mouse if you want to use it as a wired peripheral (for example, if you’re traveling without the mousepad).
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Razer product if it didn’t light up in a few million colors. Both the mouse and mousepad have Chroma accent lights which can be controlled from your PC, giving you endless customization options.
The HyperFlux series is coming sometime in the first quarter of 2018 for $249 in the US. International details were not yet available, but that works out to £185 or AU$315.
Playable on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows MR, PSVR
Imagine peeking into a tiny dollhouse world where a fairy tale mouse hops around to save the world and solve puzzles. Moss puts the player in the position of helpful spirit, guiding a little mouse hero on a massive journey through a little magic kingdom. Each level feels like a living miniature, and the illusion of being close to a tiny, living world is perfect. This is a beautiful game.
From the elegant and ergonomically-designed custom launcher, to the enhanced functionality that comes from the integrated motion sensor, far-field microphone, and multi-touch display, Savvy takes smart mirrors to a whole new level.
When Savvy is turned off, the display vanishes completely, leaving nothing but a stunning mirror for you to enjoy in your bathroom, entry, or living area. But turn Savvy on, and that same mirror becomes the technological heartbeat of your home, putting your entire house under your control, and the entire world at your fingertips.
Let Savvy become command central for your life.
Say goodbye to tiny screens, single-purpose gadgets, and disconnected devices. Savvy brings your entire digital world together in one large, elegant, intuitive, and easy-to-use 22” display, offering unmatched efficiency and convenience. And because Savvy is compatible with any Android-based app or device, there’s virtually no limit to what you can do.
Savvy speaks to the techie in all of us.
Sure, it looks great. But it performs great too – thanks to its innovative design, sophisticated engineering, and superior quality components.
Integrated Motion Sensor learns the dimensions of the room and recognizes you when you enter.
Vivid 22” Display offers an immersive experience and multi-touch functionality.
Far-Field Microphone provides superior speech recognition and accuracy from anywhere in the room.
HDMI Input lets you connect to a computer, Blu-Ray player, Xbox or virtually any video device.
When it debuted at CES 2018, Acer billed its 14-inch Acer Swift 7 laptop as the thinnest laptop in the world. The device’s profile measured just 8.98mm and it started at $1,699 or £1,599. It hit, more or less exactly as envisioned, this summer. When CNET’s Dan Ackerman reviewed the Acer Swift 7 in August, he said the laptop “feel[s] like the rare high-design ultraportable you can really use all day long.”
You’re not likely to buy a self-driving car anytime soon, but you may end up riding in one. Navya is already deploying its Autonom Shuttle for public transportation in select areas around the world, and showed off its Autonom Cab at CES 2018, a newer vehicle which will see public tests this year.
The Autonom Cab, designed for ride-hailing services, leaves out the driver controls entirely in what is known as a Level 5 autonomous vehicle.
Meeting with Navya President Christophe Sapet in the Autonom Cab, its seating arrangement and spare interior created a comfortable space, making it easy for passengers to converse. Sapet emphasized the small size of the company, at just 180 employees, and how much it has accomplished.
The meeting was supposed to include a ride in the Autonom Cab, but Navya canceled that part of the demonstration due to rain. Sapet said that the car works fine in the rain, but this preproduction version’s body might leak. A production version would be weather-proof.
Self-driving cars, being developed by automakers, startups, automotive equipment suppliers and big tech companies, have the potential to prevent of mitigate accidents that cause over a millions deaths worldwide each year. They could also make a big difference for an increasingly urban populace that becomes less likely to own personal cars.
Navya claims that over 260,000 people have already ridden in its Autonom Shuttle, an earlier self-driving vehicle designed to drive a prescribed route, similar to a municipal bus. The Autonom Cab is designed to be more flexible, taking people where they need to go in an urban area.
The interior of the Autonom Cab is very roomy, and includes two seating rows facing eachother.Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
The interior seats six in two seating rows that face each other. Impressively, the Autonom Cab doesn’t look any bigger than most five-seater SUVs, and is smaller than many. Yet the passenger space feels much roomier. A touchscreen in the Cab lets passengers interact with the vehicle, yet most requests are made through a smartphone.
With 10 lidars, six cameras and four radars, the Autonom Cab carries more sensors than most autonomous cars in development.Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
At CES, Navya Director of Marketing Nicolas de Cremiers demonstrated how a passenger might open up a ride-hailing app, then specify whether he was looking for a shared ride or a private taxi. As in most ride-hailing apps today, the app shows when the Autonom Cab arrives. The Autonom Cab greets the person who summoned it with a colored light matching one on the app, helping to distinguish it from other cars or Cabs that might be on the road.
The Autonom Cab’s electric drivetrain isn’t designed for personal car driving dynamics. Its top speed is 55 mph, and it is designed to travel comfortably at about 35 mph, suitable for most urban and suburban areas. Its 22-kilowatt-hour battery pack lets it operate for about 10 hours as a robo-taxi.
The Autonom Cab senses its surroundings with 10 lidar units, six cameras and four radars, a very robust array. In addition, two GPS units help it understand where it is in the world. As with most self-driving car technologies, the Autonom Cab stores a high-definition map, comparing what its sensors see to that map to get its precise location in relation to lane lines, curbs and traffic infrastructure.
Sapet said the Autonom Cab costs about $250,000. However, as a public transport vehicle, that amount amortizes reasonably well when you consider how many hours a day it will operate and how many passengers it will carry.
GAF678 Digital Air Fryer A powerful, all-in-one 7-quart air fryer that also works as rotisserie and dehydrator. It helps families eat healthy as it air fries, heats, roasts, and dehydrates food without the fat and calories that come when cooking with oil – 100% oil free! This air fryer features 10 preset cooking modes, an extra-large glass viewing window, RadiVection 360° Technology and an express heat system that cooks food up to 30% faster than a standard oven. The GAF668 is proudly used and endorsed by world-renowned chef, television personality, health and fitness expert, and mom Cat Cora.
Over the past year an trend is happening with midrange Android phones: They are becoming more niche targeting consumers with a feature that’s not designed for everyone. That’s the case with the Moviphone a midrange Android device with a built-in projector: No mods needed.
The company Wireless Mobi Solution (WMS) from San Diego introduced the Moviphone at CES 2018.
As the name so rudimentarily suggests, it’s all about movies. And what better way to watch a movie than projecting it onto a wall as big as you can? The 50-lumen projector supports a 720p HD image that can be projected up 100 inches in size.
Watch this: Moviphone looks like a OnePlus 5 with a built-in projector 1:25
The projector simply mirrors whatever is on the screen. If you’re watching Netflix or YouTube on the phone’s display, it’s projected. If you have a PowerPoint presentation or just want to show off some snaps, then they go up on the wall.
The 720p HD projector can project an image up to a 100 inches big.Josh Miller/CNET
What’s exciting about the Moviphone is when the projector is off, you would never know the phone had one. Svelte, with a 5.5-inch display, it looks like a OnePlus 5 had a phone baby with a Motorola Z2 Play.
The Moviphone is unlocked and comes with 128GB of storage. It has a fingerprint reader on the back — conveniently located in the middle like a Google Pixel 2. It runs a stock version of Android Nougat and is available now for $599, which converts to about £445 or AU$765, from the WMS website. Part of the reason WMS is at CES is to connect with carriers and third-party retailers in hopes of having the Moviphone become more widely available.
All the new phones at CES 201833 PHOTOS
We only had a quick look at the Moviphone, but look forward to testing one out more in-depth.
CES 2019 is almost here and Earthquake Sound would like to announce that we are teaming up with SimXperience this year. We will have a SimXperience Stage 4 Motion Racing Simulator Kit equipped with full roll, pitch, yaw, and G-Force simulation. Those who can attend CES this year will have the opportunity to demo some of the latest racing simulation products from SimXperience. In addition, we have our own personal touch with some of our products to further enhance this virtual racing experience such as the MPower 8 and award-winning Supernova MKVI.
Beyond the standard 2.1 setup, Earthquake’s Q10B and MQB-1 tactile transducers will be placed on the simulator to provide you with the most immersive racing experience you will ever have by simulating road noise, impact, RPM and much more. We invite all who can attend to stop by our booth and witness what our technologies can do for virtual reality. Earthquake Sound is shaking things up at CES so come by for one hell of a test drive.
