Here is an interesting concept device that uses sensors to monitor diaper moisture and keeps parents informed via the home network using a dedicated iPhone app. This is a very limited trial in Brazil, bordering on a publicity stunt.
And once again, this will only with with iOS, so if you're an iPhone user, you're in luck.
Like phone numbers, the days of physical keys are numbered in my opinion. It's time to make a bolt for the digital home of the future.
Here's an interesting product from American lock maker Kwikset called "Kevo." Kevo works in partnership with an iPhone via Bluetooth. The lock senses when an authorized iPhone is close by and then allows the lock to be opened with a simple touch. (The lock also works with a conventional key in case of emergency.)
This isn't the first electronic lock on the market, and there are even locks available which become part of the home network with the ability to alert the home owner of possible intrusions. But Kwikset (owned by Black & Decker) is one of many hardware companies which are pushing their wares into this young century with a digital twist. According to Mashable, Kevo will be priced around $250 without installation.
It's worth pointing out here that this is only iPhone-friendly, although there may be an Android app at some point. Once again, other platforms are getting locked out of the latest and maybe greatest products.
KEY TRENDS: Internet of things, home networking, LED, ZigBee
Does anybody else remember when our light bulbs weren't connected to the internet?
There is perhaps a touch of overkill here, but I do like where this is heading. For $280 at Amazon.com, you can buy a kit consisting of three Philips adjustable LED bulbs plus a central control hub which hooks into the home network. An iOS app allows the homeowner to adjust lighting from near and far.
I suspect gadget lovers are throwing caution into the wind with this one as supplies appear to be consistently short despite only fair reviews. Anyway, these are not the only network-enabled bulbs around and the general trend is clear: things are looking bright for the smarter home.
For those looking to network with Chinese mobile players and understand the market: the kind producers of the Global Mobile Internet Conference 2013 and the extended "G-Trip" contacted me to share a 25% discount code with any readers who might wish to attend. You can register your attendance at http://beijing.thegmic.com/register/ and paste in the following code into the "discount code" section: GMIC-VQ9596MT
GWIC 2013. Be there. And see see Tiananmen Square.
There's nothing new or amazing any longer about biometrics. Laptops have had fingerprint readers for years, and they are slowly appearing on some smartphones. In addition, software on phones is enabling voice-based security and facial recognition.
But is Apple about to make one of their amazing discoveries by implementing the better mousetrap? One rumor of the day is that Apple will implement fingerprint reading in their soon-to-be-announced iPhone 5?S. This is backed up by Apple's purchase of a sensor component maker. When Apple buys a company, they do it for a good reason.
The key here is that Apple engineers have supposedly been able to place the fingerprint reader below the device's single hard button. This would allow the phone to keep its minimalist design while offering a touch of WOW. And it's certainly easy to envision Apple's CEO standing on stage and wowing the audience with a single finger gesture.
As its competitors have learned, Apple has the incredible ability to drive new technologies mainstream. If Apple does include a fingerprint sensor —perhaps combined with other biometric methods— in their future generation of phones, it could leave other vendors one feature behind. And if Apple can prove this is a legit security method, it would be an interesting enterprise selling point.
Looking beyond Apple, last week at CES, Samsung demo'd a smartphone secured by a fingerprint scanner that was below the display. If implemented, this could lead to some improved natural user interfaces and great use cases for mobile finance.
For other vendors, please take note that it may soon be time to put your finger on it. I just thought I would point that out.
At CES 2013, Samsung demos a fingerprint reader below the screen:
(Photo from laptopmag.com)
Fingerprint reader on the MOTO Atrix 4G. A touch too geeky?
Fujitsu’s Tegra 3 fingerprint reader below the camera lense.
(Photo from laptopmag.com)
I've been looking for something like this for a long, long time. Oh Stick-n-find, where have you been hiding all my life?
So, are you a loser like me? Do misplaced things cause you to lose your mind? Don't lose heart: technology is here to save the day.
To be honest, this concept is nothing new to me. I once found a great product idea like this being developed in a lab. I found it exciting. And I waited for it to come to market. And I waited some more. But unfortunately that product idea got lost in the shuffle.
Anyway, check out this cool mobile accessory that allows you to mark and track people, pets, and things. And if the company behind "Stick-n-find" is looking for a spokesperson, they need look no further than this blogger: I'm misplacing things all the time -- my phone, my keys, my wallet, even my kids. And of course there's the ultimate paradox, the misplaced eyeglasses. I've been looking for a way to look for things for many years now. And I know I'm not alone.
Yes, Stick-N-Find is exciting for losers like me. For scatterbrains and the disorganized. It allows you to track items using coin-sized, low-power Bluetooth tags with a range of around 30 meters/100 feet. The company says the batteries in the Stick-N-Find tags last around a year. An iOS app assists in locating the tagged items using a radar metaphor giving hot-or-cold indications. And misplaced items can be buzzed and even flash.
Ironically I couldn't find any pricing info for Stick-n-find as the product is still in development. Please don't lose your way Stick-n-find. I do hope you find what you're looking for. (Funding.)
If you’re working with mobile accessories, this is certainly something you should check out.
So, let’s see what’s up today.
Here’s something that could add a touch of wow to an otherwise boring mobile accessories market. It’s “UP,” a bracelet-formed accessory that uses motion technology to keep track of your every movement as well as your inactivity. The device works together with an iPhone app to support "healthy living" and has some useful features.
The vendor claims that UP not only tracks every movement you make, but counts steps, distance, pace, calories burned, and active vs. inactive time. It also tracks details about your sleeping time including hours slept, time to fall asleep, sleep phases, waking moments, and overall sleep quality, and will even wake you at an optimal time during your sleep pattern.
If it works as promised, this is a nice use of sensor technology to passively collect info about us for better living. No price given that I can find.
Here’s a nice video of incredibly, happy healthy people. See what they’re UP to:
