Tag: bluetooth

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Brands That Give Back: Vers Speakers

vers speakers
vers speaker 2q
vers-2-speaker
Photo: Courtesy of ubergizmo.com

 

Although the holiday season has come to an end, the generosity should not stop. Many products and brands are philanthropic nowadays, making the idea of giving back easy! Vers creates speakers that are handcrafted in stylish wood and are as beautiful as they are sustainable. They will fit beautifully in your home serving as a form of both entertainment and decoration. Vers is committed to three basic values: thoughtful design, brilliant sound quality, and a continuous pursuit of environmental sustainability, or as they say “sound sound.”

This product comes in the 1Q model and the 2Q model. The 1Q speakers are wrapped in a 3″ hand-crafted solid wood cube. It is a powerful, small, bluetooth sound system that produces warm and natural sound. The 1Q is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, with the ability to fill relatively large spaces with sound. This speaker in conveniently prices at $129.95.

The 2Q is the bigger version of Vers speakers. This speaker is a full 13 watt stereo sound system with a hand-crafted solid wood cabinet. The sound the 2Q produces is also warm and natural, similar to that of the 1Q. Although it is bigger than the 1Q, it is still considered to be portable enough to follow you wherever you go, as well as fill space in a room. These larger speakers are priced at $199.95.

Vers speakers are designed based on user-experience and the overall function of the product. Not only are these speakers practical, but with a purchase from Vers, you help donate $1 to plant a tree. Vers will then match your donation to benefit the Arbor Day Foundation. With the prime traveling season is upon us, portable, and relatively affordable, speakers are a great gift! Vers works with customers to be practical, to create enjoyable products, and to give back with their philanthropic tendencies.

-by Deirdre McAndrew

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Myo, Hands Free at a Whole New Level

myo

From a basic keyboard to the Xbox Kinect, human-computer interaction is rapidly increasing in order to allow us to do more with technology. Companies are creating more complex devices to make our lives easier and give us more control. Startup company Thalmic Labs has created the Myo armband to give us control of electronics by just using our arms. The one size fits all armband connects to Bluetooth enabled devices and gives you capabilities to control anything from music players and videogames to quadcopters. Each Myo is also sweat proof, just in case you break a sweat waving your arms around all day while conducting commands.

Myo works by recognizing the electrical activities that your muscles produce during certain hand gestures and remembers them. You can even program your Myo to your own custom gestures such as giving a thumbs up or snapping your fingers as a form of command. You can then set each gesture to perform a certain task on compatible applications. The multiplatform Myo is currently compatible with Windows, Macs, iOS and Android devices and software.

Currently, developers are linking the Myo system with the new Oculus system in order to create an even more heightened, controller-less virtual reality. With the Myo and Oculus, you can use weapons, cast spells or fly planes with just hand gestures. One other amazing implementation of the Myo is the new Google Glass, which gives the user the ability to record or take photos, scroll through texts, and even call certain people with just a gesture.

With a Developer Kit being sold, software developers are thinking of new uses for this amazing technology and are uploading their software to the developer’s site to share with everyone. Thalmic Labs will also be constantly creating new software compatibilities for the Myo and increasing the amount of usable technology. The Developer Kit is available online for $149.00, which includes the Myo and access to the SDK. The consumer Myo is set to ship this September for $149.00 and comes in either white or black.

-Kamil Sokolowski

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JIBO To The Rescue

jibo

In today’s fast-paced society, everyone could use an extra pair of hands or a personal assistant. Luckily JIBO Inc. has created a device to provide just that. JIBO, a deemed the “Family Robot,” can help with simple daily tasks like sending messages and controlling home lighting systems. This new interactive robot was conceptualized by Founder and CEO Cynthia Breazeal, who also serves as a Pioneer of Social Robotics, and works as a professor at MIT. Along with her team, Breazeal has created this 11 inch tall, 6 pound aluminum robot, capable of turning a full 360 degrees. JIBO also comes with a High-Definition LCD touchscreen, two cameras, 2 speakers and full body touch sensors.

Once connected to your wifi, JIBO can perform a myriad of tasks: it can jot down reminders, set alarms, Skype with friends and family, and even read stories to your children. And after syncing JIBO with your phone’s Bluetooth, it will be able to read messages and emails from your phone, call your contacts, play voicemails and even send photos, all using voice command. JIBO is so advanced that it can recognize unique faces and greet each user personally.

With its 360 degree turning capabilities as well as microphone, JIBO can hear your command anywhere in the room. It can also assist Skype phone calls while the user is multitasking; it will track your face and turn while you move around a room. JIBO can even use its 360-degree microphone to find you when you say “JIBO take a photo” and will snap a shot once it senses that everyone is smiling.

JIBO is a perfect companion for anyone, from children to seniors. It can entertain kids with stories and games; adults can use JIBO to help alleviate stress by playing reminders and messages.

You can now pre-order the interactive robot, Home Edition for $499. The Developer Edition along with JIBOAlive SDK starts at $599. JIBOs will be shipping out around late 2015, but pre-orders are running out fast so snag yours today.

-Kamil Sokolowski