PetSafe Stay and Play Compact Wireless Fence

Whether your dog is rolling on his back in the grass or playing a game of fetch, the PetSafe® Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence claims to give your best friend freedom to safely enjoy his favorite yard activities without straying out of the wireless boundary. There is no need to bury any wires or build a traditional fence, with the turn of a dial the Stay & Play Wireless Fence lets you create a circular boundary up to 3/4-acre. Before trying this out I had my suspicions that this would work best on small or timid dogs and that my three fearless adult Staffordshire Bull Terriers might just ignore the electric static shock the fence relies on and I was proved correct, however, as part of a training plan for young dogs, this is could be a great system.

PetSafe® Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence claims to give your best friend freedom to safely enjoy his favorite yard activities without straying out of the wireless boundary
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With this wireless fence, place the compact transmitter indoors or in a shed with power then decide how far to extend the boundary to fit your property, set up time is about 1-2 hours but is not fiddly as the boundary is adjustable with a turn of the dial. Temporarily define the pet area with the included boundary flags for a visual aid while training your pet. The transmitter sends a constant radio signal in the area. Your pet receives a warning tone from the collar as he approaches the boundary zone. If he strays further, he receives a safe static “correction” shock reminding him to return to the pet area.

The collar offers 5 levels of static correction, plus a tone-only option, so you are sure to find the right fit for your pet’s temperament. With just a few short training sessions, you’ll create a secure boundary for freedom and fun.

If you enjoy camping or traveling in your RV with your dog you can also take this portable wireless fence with you wherever you go. The fence set comes with one rechargeable PetSafe Stay & Play Wireless Fence Receiver Collar. The collar has two blunt metal contacts that sit inside the collar against your dogs neck and deliver the static shock and comes with a spare, longer set of contacts for dogs with thicker coats. The collars have a tone-only mode plus 5 levels of adjustable static “correction” depending on your dog’s temperament. The collar is recommended for pets who weigh 5 pounds or more and fits neck sizes between 6-28 inches. The interchangeable design of the collar strap lets you customize your pet’s collar using any 3/4-inch non-metallic strap of your choice. If you have more than 1 pet at home, simply pick up as many additional receiver collars as you need so all of your pets can use the same wireless system.

The collar is recommended for pets who weigh 5 pounds or more and fits neck sizes between 6-28 inches
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As I suspected the highest shock setting just annoyed my dogs and scared them but as a fighting breed, they just pushed past the shocks and ran where ever the wanted, as they usually do. For adult dogs with little regard for pain this system is not ideal but for training, it could work very well. The shocks are definitely enough to reinforce the boundary as part of a training plan so bear that in mind.

Features

• 3/4 Acre of Circular Coverage – The adjustable circular range allows up to 3/4-acre of coverage (22-105 ft in all directions) from the placement of the indoor transmitter
• No Wire to Bury – A wireless boundary allows you to create a safe barrier around your yard to protect your pets without spending time burying wires
• 5 Levels of Correction – The system features 5 levels of static correction plus a tone-only mode
• Static-Free Reentry – Allows your pet to return home without being corrected if your pet passes the boundary
• Stay & Play Collar – System comes with 1 waterproof, rechargeable receiver collar that comfortably fits dogs 5 lb and up and adjusts to fit neck sizes 6-28 in
• Simple Set-Up – Set up your new wireless fence in just 1-2 hours to give your dog a secure play area
• Portable – Take this compact, portable fence with you when you and your dog go camping or travel in your RV (outlet required)
• Contain All Your Pets – – With the purchase of additional collars, this wireless fence allows you to safely contain an unlimited number of pets with one fence system

The shocks are definitely enough to reinforce the boundary as part of a training plan so bear that in mind
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The very nature of the wireless base station design means the pet area cannot be changed into a square or any angular shape, a circle is what you get so be ready to fit it to your garden area. PetSafe also warns that a variety of factors including terrain, topography, and metal objects may affect operating range so watch out for metal sheds and possibly play items like swings and trampolines limiting the effectiveness. Overall it is a pretty solid system to help train your furry friend but for those with older stubborn dogs like mine, I advise you don’t’ set it and forget it as if your dog wants to get out it will.

System Includes

• Transmitter with power adaptor
• Waterproof receiver with adjustable collar
• Receiver charger
• PetSafe® rechargeable Li-ion battery; non-replaceable
• 50 training flags
• Test light tool
• Short and long contact points for short or long-haired pets
• Contact point wrench
• Product manual
• 1 year warranty

You can grab one here for $314.99 inc free shipping.

YI 1080p Home Camera

This sleek-looking wide-angle HD camera is designed to sit inconspicuously in your home and allow you to monitor it from afar. It also detects movement and can auto-record video clips when it does so. With 1080p HD resolution, f/2.0 aperture and a 112° wide-angle lens, the camera provides pretty good coverage in low-quality high definition. The sensor is very low on pixels and the picture quality reflects that but it is a step up from good old CCTV. With a simple double-tap, you can zoom up to 4x and focus on the details and through an integrated gyroscope, you can have a complete panoramic view by simply panning your smartphone left and right.

With 1080p HD resolution, f/2.0 aperture and a 112° wide-angle lens, the camera provides pretty good coverage in low-quality high definition
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YI Cloud is an optional cloud back up system for your recordings and offers loop-recording with no storage limit, so even if your YI Home Camera is stolen or damaged, your footage will still be secure and accessible on the cloud. If you don’t want to put a MicroSD in your camera you can try YI Cloud on a one-month free trial. Download the YI Home App PC/Mac client and view up to 4 live camera feeds (additional cameras required) on one screen, wherever you are. Keep track of what’s going on in every room of your house or small business, and feel rest assured that you won’t miss a thing. It is important to point out that the YI Home camera is only compatible on a 2.4GHz band network, 5GHz networks are not supported.

YI Cloud is an optional cloud back up system for your recordings and offers loop-recording with no storage limit, so even if your YI Home Camera is stolen or damaged, your footage will still be secure and accessible on the cloud
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The camera also boasts powerful audio detection and claims that its advanced algorithms can detect your baby’s cry within seconds and automatically sends a notification straight to your smartphone
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The camera also boasts powerful audio detection and claims that its “advanced algorithms” can detect your baby’s cry within seconds and automatically sends a notification straight to your smartphone. Not having a baby or being willing to cry like an infant in order to test this feature I will make no comment. However the night vision features are cool, you can see your rooms quite well at night, without any LED or infrared glare. The system also features an optional 24/7 emergency response service so you can get help when you need it. Powered by Noonlight and apparently trusted by 1.5 million users since 2013 and with 130,000+ emergencies handled across the U.S. you can, with one touch, be connected with Noonlight’s Certified Dispatchers who can dispatch police, fire, or EMS to your home when you are away… whether you are at work or on holiday abroad.

All in all the camera and networked app on my Android phone worked really well and I was excited to see if the two-way audio system worked as advertised
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All in all the camera and networked app on my Android phone worked really well and I was excited to see if the two-way audio system worked as advertised. The built-in microphone allows you to have conversations through the YI Home App, wherever you are, its intercom mode lets you activate the microphone and speaker, so you can send commands to your pet, or scare off unwanted guests. Hands-free mode claims to allow for a flexible two-way conversation with your loved ones. Sadly I couldn’t get this to work at all. I tried to share the app QR code with my family and allow them access to talk to me like a video chat but it did not work. However, the activity alerts worked well and I received real-time notifications whenever motion was detected. YI’s safety hallmark Motion Detection/Tracking Algorithm accurately identifies, tracks, and records movement and optionally sends 6-second Activity Alerts to help you keep up with everything.

SPEC
112° wide-angle
3D Noise Reduction, 4X digital zoom, LDC
1/2.7″ 2MP CMOS sensor
1080p/15 fps
8 x 940nm IR LEDs
Non-invasive, perfect for baby monitor
Motion Detection, 7-days activity alert video storage in YI cloud free of charge
Real-time Activity Alerts/Baby Crying
Two-Way Audio, Dual Modes: Intercom/Hands-free
Local: Class 4 and above, 8-32G Memory Card Cloud: Standard, and Premium plan available
Mobile: Android/iOS (Windows Phone not supported) in 1 integrated app, up to 12 devices PC: Windows XP and above, and Mac OS

The Yi Home 1080p Camera is currently discounted and can be picked up here for $21.49 reduced from $34.99

CBDMedic Topical Pain Relief & Facil Cleanser

I’m a huge convert to CBD pain relief and regularly use it for joint and muscle discomfort. CBDMedic offers a full range of CBD based products but here we are testing their ACTIVE SPORT Pain Relief Ointment which provides ‘advanced pain relief for tired and aching muscles and joints’. Not only does this stuff smell amazing but it can be applied before, during, and after walks, runs, or workouts, so sore muscles won’t slow you down. From strains to joint distress and muscle pulls I can say that ACTIVE SPORT formula does offer highly effective relief and get me back in the game!

Not only does this stuff smell amazing but it can be applied before, during, and after walks, runs, or workouts, so sore muscles won’t slow you down
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• Blended with THC-Free Hemp Extract & Other Natural Moisturizers
• 200mg CBD Hemp Extract per 40g Tube
• Dermatologist Tested – Hypoallergenic
• 100% Naturally Derived
• #1 CBD Muscle Rub

The Active Sport Pain Relief Ointment is available here for $39.99 per tube or subscribe and save 15%.

Next up is CBDMEDIC NATURAL FOAMING Facial Natural Cleanser which uses a proprietary formulation designed to provide natural and effective care for sensitive skin. I passed this test off to my wife as I treasure my wrinkly and rugged visage (yeah right!) but her feedback was very positive and she reported it feeling fresh and grease-free compared to other natural skincare products. She said it was cooling, refreshing and a very pleasant sensation that left her skin feeling soft and balanced (whatever that means).

Our NATURAL FOAMING Facial Cleanser is gentle on the skin and will leave your skin feeling healthy and revitalized! Use our NATURAL FOAMING Facial Cleanser on a daily basis to gently wash your skin without drying or clogging pores
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• Blended with THC-Free Hemp Extract & Other Natural Moisturizers
• 50mg CBD Hemp Extract per 50ml Bottle
• 100% Naturally Derived

The Natural Foaming Facial Natural Cleanser is $19.99 per tube here or subscribe and save 15%.

Vissles 3-in-1 Wireless Charger

Compatibility with most wireless chargers can be a frustration but Vissles 3-in-1 Wireless Charger offers more device options than most and all for a reasonable $45.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post April 2020 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Tech Trends has been watching keenly as mobile phone-based AR experiences have boomed as branded advertising tools across multiple markets, changing the way companies and customers communicate around products. We reported back in 2017 on how the drinks industry has embraced mobile AR marketing and since then I doubt there are more than a few smartphone owners out there who have not tried out a branded AR experience or two.

There are two main types of AR experiences, the first is using your phone screen as a window (a la Pokemon Go) through which you can see an augmented world, but it has been the awesomely shareable, selfie-style AR experiences, such as the 2017 Bud Light NFL, that caught the attention of the social media giants Snapchat and Instagram.

Known as Face AR these easy to use experiences let you augment yourself and the world around you and have been hugely successful, driving social media engagement across platforms
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Known as “Face AR” these easy-to-use experiences let you augment yourself and the world around you, and have been hugely successful, driving social media engagement across multiple platforms. If you have ever browsed dating or hookup apps such as Badoo you will see more augmented faces than unaltered ones. I seem to remember cat ears, noses and whiskers dominating people’s attempts to look less boring.

Face Augmented Reality software – known as Face AR – helps people shape the stories they share and add more emotion to digital communication. Communication, after all, is about people understanding each other and creative video tools help us to express our personality. Dmitry Ogievich, CEO of Banuba.

Mobile AR alone generated more than $3bn in revenue during 2018, mainly from in-app purchases, advertising spending and eCommerce, according to the AR and VR consultancy Digi-Capital. AR analyst publication AR Insider predicts the technology’s installed base (e.g. smartphones) will reach 3.4 billion by 2022, with about 1 billion monthly active users, demonstrating its far-reaching potential.

Changing the game in 2019 Instagram and Snapchat have both released their own user-driven Face AR design apps Spark and Lens Studio respectively, enabling users to design, build and share their own personalised Face AR filters. Tech Trends believes this is a turning point in AR adoption and proof the tech has been embraced by the a new generation for whom blending the real and digital worlds is second nature.

Changing the game in 2019 Instagram and Snapchat have both released their own user-driven Face AR design apps Spark and Lens Studio respectively, enabling users to design, build and share their own personalised Face AR filters
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To find out how the market got here and where it might take us Tech Trends picked the brains of Dmitry Ogievich, CEO at Face AR specialist Banuba.

Face Augmented Reality software – known as Face AR – helps people shape the stories they share and add more emotion to digital communication
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What is the state of Face AR now?

Now dedicated Face AR companies like Banuba are developing apps and tools that focus on the front-facing camera on mobile devices. Among other things, the technology can be used to add filters, masks and digital overlays to the human face and its surroundings. It can also identify emotions such as happiness, anger, joy, sadness and surprise in real-time. The technology is being used to animate day-to-day communication and expression with personalised avatars and emojis, using mapped masks and filters. It provides the tools for users to edit, smarten up and express their personalities in selfies and stories, helping communicate the message they really want.

Retail is utilising the technology, enabling consumers to ‘virtually’ try on items of clothing or accessories to see how the product looks - such as glasses, jewellery, hats and make-up
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Inevitably, the technology is incredibly popular with social media users and is used daily by both brands and individuals. Retail is an industry particularly interested in utilising the technology, enabling consumers to ‘virtually’ try on items of clothing or accessories to see how the product looks – such as glasses, jewellery, hats and make-up.

What is the next step in its evolution?

The next stage in Face AR’s evolution will primarily revolve around companies improving the quality, performance and accuracy of their technology. But there is also pressure to provide the next innovative idea. Neural face transformation filters, as seen with FaceApp, appear to be a direction many will be trying to follow. This technology creates an incredibly detailed filter – based on the individual user’s face – that produces a unique image every single time. The possibilities of this are endless and move far beyond what we have seen in recent years, but the technology requires greater processing power than mobiles can produce without significantly impacting battery life. As smartphones continue to increase in power, the opportunities for this technology will likely increase.

Neural face transformation filters, as seen with FaceApp, appear to be a direction many will be trying to follow
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How are social media companies changing the game?

Spark and Lens Studio have opened up Face AR to a whole new audience and development community, putting tools in their hands to become the next influencers in the space. It’s a great opportunity for the influencer community and small businesses looking to innovate, giving them the tools to create what they want and show even more personality. However, it’s important to remember these tools are platform exclusive and are of no use to those wishing to incorporate Face AR into their own apps. What we’re seeing with Spark and Lens Studio is the widespread availability of tools for users to create and adapt their own Face AR and although basic, these tools democratise the development process which opens up the technology further for mass adoption.

Spark and Lens Studio have opened up Face AR to a whole new audience and development community, putting tools in their hands to become the next influencers in the space
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We can expect to see smaller brands and individuals using the tools for business and innovation purposes. Previously we’ve seen campaigns for major companies, like Apple’s recent [AR]T Walk tours, spread across social media platforms – but now we’re likely to see this dilute to smaller-scale projects with more niche and local focus.

We can expect to see smaller brands and individuals using the Face AR tools for business and innovation purposes
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We’ll also see more innovation as individuals are given a blank canvas to get creative. Now the tools are in everyone’s hands, we’re going to see some real creativity, as a larger pool of people are exposed to what’s possible through filters. As well as this, we’ve begun to see developers setting themselves up as businesses on Spark and Lens Studio, working with brands to create bespoke filters.

What is the future of Face AR?

Face AR will continue to innovate and with the onset of more complex filters, will further establish itself as the go-to digital communications tool for individuals and organisations. As brands’ investment in the technology increases, new possibilities will open for a range of industries.

Further global adoption of the technology is inevitable and with the tools to develop filters more widely available, we’ll see further democratisation. Face AR is still in its infancy and we can expect it to continue to rise in popularity and become an even bigger part of how we all communicate and interact.

Further global adoption of Face AR is inevitable and with the tools to develop filters more widely available, we’ll see further democratisation
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Will Face AR will speed up the popular adoption of AR more broadly?

The popularity of Face AR will play a significant role in accelerating the adoption of broader AR technologies. Face AR is already being embraced by the next generation of consumers and it’s becoming part of their normal communications, which is exciting to see. With people acclimatised to using Face AR technology daily, the widespread adoption of AR becomes completely organic.

The reason Face AR has achieved large scale popularity already is it can provide a unique and immersive experience that can’t be matched by more basic digital communication
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However, for broader AR technologies to gain widespread popularity they must first be seen to enhance the user experience, not just complement it. The reason Face AR has achieved large scale popularity already is it can provide a unique and immersive experience that can’t be matched by more basic digital communication. AR must also give the user a compelling reason to use the technology. Possibly the biggest barrier to this is the limited field of view of a smartphone camera, which often removes the user from the experience. But as we see some workable smart eyewear models begin to hit the market, it will be far easier to provide a seamless and immersive AR experience – catalysing the adoption of the technology.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post Facing Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.

New technology will combine sensors with AI to read subtle signals from the body and analyse context to read emotions

Dolby Laboratory scientist Poppy Crum recently spoke at a TED conference in Vancouver regarding an upcoming technology that will be able to read human emotions. The technology will utilize sensors and AI in order to detect hidden feelings – everything from lies to infatuations. This cutting-edge tech is able to recognize a number of brain and body signals, turning sensor data into an analysis of emotional state.

Humans Broadcast Emotions

The underlying concept behind the new technology is that humans broadcast emotion. It’s something that we do all of the time, knowingly and unknowingly. Subtle signals are sent and received between us to indicate what we are feeling.

Eye dilation is an indicator of brain activity. Heat from the skin can be a sign of stress or even romantic inclination. Chemicals in the breath can reveal feeling; for example, the amount of CO2 exhaled in a breath can indicate aggression. Have you ever had your head in the clouds while pretending you’re listening to someone? Brain waves can show whether you are really paying attention. Even the timing of certain speech patterns can reveal signs that a person has bipolar disorder or dementia.

Subtle signals are sent and received between us to indicate what we are feeling. Eye dilation is an indicator of brain activity. Heat from the skin can be a sign of stress or even romantic inclination
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The End of The Poker Face

The upcoming technology can read these subtle signals from the body while the AI works to analyse patterns and factor in context to make more accurate interpretations of what the signals mean. Crum describes it as “the end of the poker face”. The technology will be able to read the stone cold faces of even the most talented poker players. Anyone planning to hide the subtle signals can think again!

Products are due to be released that include emotion-reading rooms, smart speakers and other accessories. Similar AI technology also exists. Alex Potamianos from Behavioural Signals is involved with a new technology that analyses emotions from speech. The “speech-to-emotion” AI can tell if you are happy, angry or feeling sassy, all by listening to your speech. Existing AI technology like Google Assistant is already quite impressive and is learning all the time.

Poppy Crum describes it as “the end of the poker face”. The technology will be able to read the stone cold faces of even the most talented poker players. Anyone planning to hide the subtle signals can think again!
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Scary and Powerful

Poppy Crum describes the new technology as being both scary and powerful – having the potential to be used for both good and bad. It could be used to understand each other better or to oppress and manipulate. Like all technology, it is a double-edged sword that needs to be wielded extremely wisely.

The world Crum imagines is one in which the emotional divide between people can be bridged. Crum envisions a world where counsellors can understand the emotions of their clients more quickly (and know how to act), police can read signals of aggression, and artists can see the emotional reaction that an audience has to their work. Instead of scanning through dating apps, you could scan people to see if they are interested (okay, it sounds scary again now). Crucially, rules must be set to make sure the technology cannot be misused.

Instead of scanning through dating apps, you could scan people to see if they are interested (okay, it sounds scary again now). Crucially, rules must be set to make sure the technology cannot be misused
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What do you think about the idea of AI scanning for emotion? Can and will it be used for the benefit of understanding and empathy, or are there simply too many possible misuses to trust it? How does it make you feel to know the new ‘data’ this technology will capture will be the data of raw human emotion?

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post New Tech Reads Human Emotions appeared first on Tech Trends.