Month: January 2017

iPhone Power Users know about these secret features – DO YOU?

Dan Uff January 5, 2017 0

“How long have you been an iPhone user? A year? Three years? Five years? Did you buy the original iPhone all the way back in 2007 like we did?” Zach Epstein reports for BGR. “Whatever the case, and however long you’ve been an iPhone user, we can promise you with absolute certainty that there are features buried in your smartphone that you had no idea were there. It’s completely unavoidable; there are so many features baked into iOS 10 these days, that it would be impossible to remember all of them.”

“Some of the lesser-known features in iOS 10 that you’re unaware of are probably useless to you, so it doesn’t matter if they stay hidden forever,” Epstein reports. “But other features you’re currently unaware of could completely change the way you use your iPhone, and that’s why we share hidden iOS features as often as we can here on BGR. Today, we came across a nifty little resource with some secret iPhone features that only power users know about for the most part, and we would be remiss if we didn’t share it with you.”

“Reddit user ‘slidescream2013’ took to the site on Wednesday to ask a simple question of the folks in the Apple subreddit. He or she recently purchased a new iPhone 7 Plus, and while it’s unclear if a jump was made from another platform, the user was looking for good examples of ‘little features or tweaks that aren’t super obvious or featured,'” Epstein reports. “The resulting tips were a good mix of key iPhone features that less savvy users are typically unaware of, and lesser-known features that only power users typically know about.”

More info in the full article here.

Elago W3 Charger makes charging your Apple Watch look very unique

Dan Uff January 5, 2017 0

Elago has announced a very unique charger for charging your Apple Watch. The charger looks like a mini Macintosh 128k computer. When the user inserts the watch into the charger, the screen of the watch looks like the screen of the classic Mac.

To prevent scratching the outside of the watch, the charger is made out of silicone.

For more information, click here.

CES: Fisher-Price announces exercise bike…..For Toddlers

Dan Uff January 4, 2017 0

(CNN): The company announced on Wednesday the Think & Learn Smart Cycle, an exercise bike with a tablet holder tacked onto the handlebar.

The bike, aimed at 3 to 6 year olds, lets kids interact with gaming apps while pedaling. The Smart Cycle ($150) comes with one free app and works with four others, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Shimmer and Shine apps ($4.99 each).

The included app features an age-appropriate curriculum based on math, science and social studies.

"They're learning and mastering content as they peddle, fast or slow, forwards or backwards," Amber Pietrobono, a spokeswoman with Fisher-Price, told CNNMoney. "It's also how they level up in the games."

The system is Bluetooth-enabled so the bike could work with the apps played on platforms such as Apple TV and Android TV. App dashboards tell parents how much time their child has spent peddling and what he or she has learned in that duration.

This is Fisher-Price's second iteration of the Smart Cycle, one of its most successful product launches ever. The company launched the first version in 2007 using basic TV plug-and-play technology.

The toy came with gaming cartridges that connected it to a TV. Kids pedaled through different environments, used a joy stick to learn letters, numbers and colors and were able to race against virtual vehicles. Fisher-Price said some kids used the original Smart Cycle for up to an hour at a time.

Toy industry analyst Jim Silver said its popularity was fueled by a growing trend to encourage kids to be more physical.

"Fitness and childhood obesity were hot topics at the time," Silver said. "This got kids to exercise as they learned."

Considering concern around childhood obesity is greater than it once was, the latest version will likely appeal to parents in a similar way, Silver added.

In the 10 year gap between the two Smart Cycle versions, Fisher Price has also updated the technology to make it relevant for kids.

"It uses apps with powerful and engaging graphics," Pietrobono said. "Kids can also save games and resume them when back on the bike."

The Smart Cycle, which will hit stores in the fall, is part of Fisher-Price's line of activity-based toys. Last year, the company launched the popular Code-A-pillar toy from the same line.

However, it appears the Smart Cycle might have some competition on the horizon. Silver hinted that competitors are already working on a similar product to launch later this year.

CNNMoney (New York) First published January 4, 2017: 2:58 PM ET

CES: LG Reveals ‘Hub Robot’

Dan Uff January 4, 2017 0

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4, 2017 — This week at CES® 2017 in Las Vegas, LG Electronics (LG) will showcase a groundbreaking new lineup of intelligent robots, as part of the company’s innovations in artificial intelligence and developments in the IoT ecosystem. The lineup includes a home robot that doubles as a smart home gateway and intelligent home notification center, enhancing convenience in users’ day-to-day lives. LG is also taking the power of IoT and smart technology outside of the home with advanced robots designed for use in airports and other public spaces.

Hub Robot: Creating a Smarter Home

LG’s eye-catching Hub Robot takes the concept of the smart home to the next level. By connecting to other smart appliances in the home, the Hub Robot uses Amazon Alexa’s voice recognition technology to complete household tasks such as turning on the air conditioner or changing a dryer cycle with simple verbal commands. The Hub Robot is equipped with an interactive display that can showcase a wide variety of information such as images of contents inside of the refrigerator and recipes, complete with step-by-step audio instructions. Additionally, the Hub Robot offers everyday consumer conveniences such as the ability to play music, set alarms, create reminder memos and provide weather and traffic updates.

With its friendly, anthropomorphic design, LG’s Hub Robot can interact with the entire family in a variety of different ways. It can move and swivel in place, as well as express a wide range of emotions by displaying a face on its display. The Hub Robot is designed to respond to consumers using body language, such as nodding its head when answering simple questions, and is always aware of activities inside the home, such as when family members leave, come home and go to bed. And because the Hub Robot is able to distinguish different family members’ faces with its camera, it can be programmed with a different greeting for each family member.

The Hub Robot works best when placed in common areas of the house where family members tend to gather, such as the kitchen or the living room. To complement the Hub Robot, LG will also introduce mini robots that can be placed in other rooms in the house. Also equipped with a sleek visual display, these mini robots are extensions of the Hub Robot and can perform many of the same functions.

Airport Guide Robot: A Traveler’s Best Friend

LG’s expansion of its intelligent services ecosystem reaches far beyond just the home. The Airport Guide Robot – soon to be seen in Seoul’s Incheon International Airport – is an intelligent information assistant for travelers, answering questions in four languages: English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. With a simple scan of a passenger’s ticket, the robot can provide detailed information about a flight’s boarding time and gate location, and even the weather of a traveler’s destination city. The airport robot offers directions to destinations inside the airport, along with estimated distances or walking times, and can even escort lost or late travelers to their gates, or any other airport location.

Airport Cleaning Robot: Offering an Industrial-Size Clean

As one of the industry’s early innovators of robotic vacuum cleaners, LG’s lineup would not be complete without an industrial-sized robot vacuum. LG’s Airport Cleaning Robot is a super-sized robot vacuum equipped with a large-capacity dust canister as well as multiple brushes and motors. Capable of cleaning everything from tiles to carpet floors, this robot is equipped with the latest in smart sensors and multiple cameras to ensure a safe, effective and powerful performance in even the most crowded airports. Multiple sensors using light detection and ranging (LIDAR) as well as sensitive bumpers which detect obstacles are employed throughout. Thanks to the use of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology, the robot is always aware of its location.

Lawn Mowing Robot: For an Impeccably-Cut Yard

LG’s Lawn Mowing Robot rounds out the company’s lineup of advanced robots at CES 2017. Ideal for many types of yards, this robot benefits from years of development of the HOM-BOT vacuum cleaner to trim grass accurately, reliably and most of all, safely. Equipped with many of the advanced sensors and bumpers found in the airport robot, the Lawn Mowing Robot recognizes its own location at every moment, as well as the location of every obstacle in sight, such as trees or hedges. Designed to maximize cutting performance, this robot employs a fast-moving blade that leaves lawns looking impeccable. In addition, the side wire simplifies the ordinarily-complicated installation process, making it user-friendly.

“To build upon LG’s early consumer success with the HOM-BOT robot vacuum cleaner, the company has expanded upon its innovations in smart technology and robotics to unveil the most dramatic lineup of robots yet,” said David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing for LG Electronics USA. “Each robot prioritizes consumer experience and convenience at forefront, both inside and outside the home.”

LG’s new robot collection will be on display at LG’s booth (Central Hall #11100) in the Las Vegas Convention Center from Jan. 5-8.