By Matteo Valles at Grove VR

3 years ago, our good friend Alex passed away suddenly from drowning due to a shallow water blackout. While the loss was unexpected and painful for us, it was even more so for Alex’s twin brother, Leo. After seeing how it affected Leo, we were inspired to start Grove.

Mental health is only one area that we think VR can play a big role in and we are excited to see what may come in the future
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When Alex passed away, Leo had now lost his best friend and there was nobody around him that could fully relate to that situation. While his friends were there to support him in any way they could, he never got much out of it because they couldn’t possibly understand what he was going through. A few months later though, he found a group called The Twinless Twins Support Group. It was an organization brought together by the experience of losing a twin sibling. Naturally, Leo wanted to meet with the other group members and did so at one of the regional meetings. Needless to say, being around others that had lost their own twin and understood his pain was a profound experience for Leo. He continued to go to meetings whenever he could, whether they were smaller regional meetups in Florida or the large national annual meetup. All of them being just as helpful as the last.

When Alex passed away, Leo had now lost his best friend and there was nobody around him that could fully relate to that situation
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The only problem was that losing a twin is not a common occurrence and thus The Twinless Twins meetings are typically held infrequently and far away from many of its members. For example, the regional meetings are only held once every few months and are usually in a different state than many of its members. While members stay in contact with other support group members between meetings, it is typically just through text or group messages which are helpful but perils compared to meeting in person. That led my brother and me to start toying with the idea of creating something that lets people meet in virtual reality to overcome these issues. Thus Grove was born.

Now over a year since the inception of our idea, the platform is almost complete. Grove allows people to make support groups in virtual reality based around any topic they would like. Issues from depression, anxiety, addiction, loss of a loved one, and much more can all have support groups held within Grove. While the initial idea started by focusing on connecting people across wide distances, we soon discovered many other benefits that the platform provides.

Grove allows people to make support groups in virtual reality based around any topic they would like
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When attending a support group there are often many barriers, like distance in the case of Twinless Twins Support Groups. Other barriers though might be the fear of being known, transportation or membership costs, or not knowing where to find a group. Fortunately, using VR helps overcome the fear of being known due to the use of avatars. While avatars provide a feeling of truly being present with each other, you are able to control what your avatar looks like and thus, what others see of you. You can choose different genders, hairstyles, eye colors, or anything else. Your name is also never given out because Grove only requires an email address to sign up.

Another crucial benefit is that there is no cost associated with attending meetings, whether in transportation cost or membership costs. The platform is offered entirely free to ensure that there is no cost barrier for someone seeking a support group. As long as a user has internet and a headset they can attend from anywhere including their home.

There is no cost associated with attending meetings
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As long as a user has internet and a headset they can attend from anywhere including their home
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Lastly, Grove makes it simple to find the support group you need. By bringing a variety of support groups and topics to a central location, it is easy to type in the topic you are looking for (ex. depression, addiction, etc.) and find all the groups related to that topic and when they meet.

Benefits like these and many more have driven us to continue creating Grove so that people like Leo and many others can have consistent and easy access to the best support groups possible. And now with a year of development complete and only a couple months until launching the platform on Oculus headsets, we are launching a Kickstarter campaign to push Grove across the finish line. While Grove is offered entirely free, some money is needed to launch the platform including development, headsets, marketing, and legal fees. Once the Kickstarter is complete, we will be able to finish testing the platform, gathering feedback from early users, and launch in February 2020.

Benefits like these and many more have driven us to continue creating Grove so that people like Leo and many others can have consistent and easy access to the best support groups possible
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By bringing a variety of support groups and topics to a central location, it is easy to type in the topic you are looking for
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Once launched, Grove will be one of the few apps on the Oculus store that are not game- or entertainment-focused. However, we hope that as VR improves and it becomes more widespread, that more and more companies will begin creating more real-world applications for VR. Mental health is only one area that we think VR can play a big role in and we are excited to see what may come in the future.

Once launched, Grove will be one of the few apps on the Oculus store that are not game- or entertainment-focused
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If you have struggled with mental health in the past or know someone who has and would like to support Grove’s Kickstarter campaign, you can do so here.

The post Supporting Mental Health Through VR appeared first on Tech Trends.

A New Year means new toys here at Tech Trends so what has he got in his pocketses, eh precious?

Seedlip Grove 42

Seedlip is the world’s first properly distilled non-alcoholic spirit, solving the ever-growing dilemma of ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking’. Headquartered in London, Seedlip is a company dedicated to changing the way the world drinks by offering sophisticated alternatives to commonly available, overly sweet or fruity options.

“My family’s 300-year farming heritage coupled with a career working on drinks brands laid the foundations to spend two years working with distillers, growers & historians to create adult, complex drinks when, for whatever reason, you’re not drinking alcohol.” Explains Founder Ben Branson

Blended & bottled in England, Seedlip has created a coveted bespoke maceration, copper pot distillation & filtration process for each individual botanical that takes 6 weeks. Seedlip’s spirits boast zero calories, are sugar-free, sweetener-free & artificial flavour-free, making a Seedlip & Tonic the credible adult alternative to alcohol if not drinking. Such unfortunate circumstances might include, a school night, nominated driver, being up the duff or foolishly choosing to be teetotal. All Seedlip spirits are best served with tonic or as the base for martini or sour style non-alcoholic cocktails.

Blended & bottled in England, @SeedlipDrinks has created a coveted bespoke maceration, copper pot distillation & filtration process for each individual botanical that takes 6 weeks
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These delicious tipples are served in over 6000 prestigious cocktail bars, hotels, restaurants & retailers in over 26x international cities, 250 Michelin * restaurants including The Fat Duck & Eleven Madison Park as well as the world’s top cocktail bars including The Dead Rabbit, Dandelyan, Baxter Inn & The Savoy.

These delicious @SeedlipDrinks are served in over 6000 prestigious cocktail bars, hotels, restaurants & retailers in over 26x international cities
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@SeedlipDrinks spirits boast zero calories, are sugar-free, sweetener-free & artificial flavour-free, making a Seedlip & Tonic the credible adult alternative to alcohol if not drinking
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Available in three expressions:

@SeedlipDrinks does not disappoint and has created a wonderful option for drinking while maintaining a clear head
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1. Seedlip Spice 94 is aromatic with strong spice (All Spice Berries & Cardamom) & citrus (lemon & grapefruit peel) top notes & a long bitter from the highest quality barks (Oak & Cascarilla).
2. Seedlip Garden 108 captures the essence of the English countryside with sophisticated top notes of the handpicked peas & hay from the founder’s family farm with a complex herbal base character of spearmint, rosemary & thyme.
3. Seedlip Grove 42 is a celebration of the Orange; an adult, citrus blend of copper-pot distillates including Bitter Orange, Mandarin, Blood Orange, Lemongrass, Ginger & Lemon.

“The response from both the trade & consumers has been overwhelming & we are both proud & humbled to be championed by the world’s food & drink pioneers. Exciting times!” Concluded Branson

Tech Trends tried out the Grove 42 with ice and tonic and was genuinely surprised. Firstly, the spirit is as strong in taste per shot as very strong Gin so you really don’t need a lot in your glass. Secondly, flipping hell it’s lovely! It really is a perfect match for a nice quality tonic water such as Fever Tree and due to the intricate flavours and pungent fragrance, it is as satisfying to sip on a hot day as any traditional alcoholic tipple.

It really is a perfect match for a nice quality tonic water such as Fever Tree and due to the intricate flavours and pungent fragrance @SeedlipDrinks is as satisfying to sip on a hot day as any traditional alcoholic tipple
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You have to try this, I mean it. Seedlip does not disappoint and has created a wonderful option for drinking while maintaining a clear head. Sophisticated is too small a word for this excellent non-alcoholic spirit.

Check out the website here for more info and a bottle of Grove 42 costs £27.99 here.

Alcatel 3V

Another incredible bargain smartphone from Alcatel that ticks all the boxes. Dare I say that full-featured smartphones are nearing the status of stocking fillers or ‘burners’ for those fond of The Wire? If your wallet is light but you like to keep connected & watch content on the go the Spectrum Blue Alcatel 3V is a low budget masterpiece. It costs under £130 but has most of the same features as a £1000 premium phone. Great for those who don’t have a bank balance that would stretch to a premium handset but demand the latest features. Read the full review here.

Popsockets

In 2010, Popsockets founder David Barnett was looking for a way to stop his earbud cord from getting tangled, and he achieved this by glueing two buttons to the back of his phone and wrapping the earbud cord around the buttons. As ugly as the buttons were, they worked. In the course of improving on the idea, he developed about 60 different prototypes, making the buttons expand and collapse via an accordion mechanism so that they could function as both a stand and a grip.

You must have seen these handy little @PopSockets accessories around and if so understand the sheer usefulness of them
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In 2012, Barnett launched a KickStarter campaign for an iPhone case that would have two PopSockets grips integrated into the case. In addition to getting successfully funded, the KickStarter campaign enabled Barnett to show the world his dancing prowess, don’t ask 😉 Two years later, in 2014, Barnett launched the business out of his garage in Boulder, Colorado, and has subsequently sold over 40 million PopSockets grips around the world.

Now you can customise the design on your @PopSockets or order a corporate branded batch and well, they just work
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You must have seen these handy little accessories around and if so understand the sheer usefulness of them. Now you can customise the design on yours or order a corporate branded batch and well, they just work.

Running for the bus, eating and browsing, walking the dog while catching up on social media (my guilty pleasure) or just wanting a firmer grip on a slippery new phone, these thingamabobs are a global sensation because they simply solve a very common problem. They do need to offer a fat fingered version though, sausage-like digits just don’t fit!

Take a look at all the possible options for ordering your new Popsocket here or pick one up for around £11.99 at practically any phone shop!

Smart Peak Flow

Affordable sensors and easy connectivity combined with the supercomputers we all now carry around in our pockets has led some smart people to create low budget, practical and often life-changing products to help us better manage our health. In fact, in this very post, I review a pet health tech device that works incredibly well to help you keep track of the fitness of your dog.

Affordable sensors + easy connectivity combined with the super-computers we all now carry around has led smart people like @SmartPeakFlow to create low budget, life-changing products
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London based Smart Respiratory Products was founded with the mission to revolutionise asthma management with smart, powerful products that are simple to use. SRP started this in 2016 by establishing a Research and Development facility in Budapest, where their regional office currently resides, with the production site located nearby. Their operations centre opened its doors in 2017 at Imperial College London’s Innovation Hub, with state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to innovative life sciences enterprises.

For only £36 the @SmartPeakFlow lets anyone, young or old, monitor and manage their asthma, record and chart their health data and plan ahead
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For only £36 the Smart Peak Flow lets anyone, young or old, monitor and manage their asthma, record and chart their health data and plan ahead. You can even share the data with your Doctor. All you need is the Android or Apple app and a headphone jack, something that is starting to disappear on top end handsets but available generally, and the nifty compact meter and mouthpiece. Just open the app, create an account, pop the mouthpiece onto the meter and plug the meter in your jack socket. Simple instructions help you calibrate the device and then off you go. After that, it is simple to use and easy to read and understand the results.

I have no doubt some hard work went into this but it is an exercise in simplicity to use. Pick one up today for £36 here.

Lovely 2.0 Desire-Sensing Connected Cock Ring

The Lovely 2.0 is a wearable sex toy and app, made from 100% body safe silicone and is super adjustable. Wear Lovely during and after sex then share your feedback and desires in the app. Your Lovely will then use its unique Desire-Sensing technology to put together a highly personalized set of sex-related ideas and suggestions. The app learns what you and your partner enjoy in bed to give you personalized, sex-related inspirations to satisfy your partner and yourself even more.

It's a while since Tech Trends strapped on a rubbery robot that tells you how to do it so the Lovely 2.0 by @OurLovelyToys was welcome in our office, Hem Hem
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The Lovely app lets you explore desires based on your feedback and data from Lovely sensors. It’s available for free for both Android and iOS devices. And as a bonus, it even tells you how many calories you burnt during sex – now that’s a fun way to exercise!

It’s a while since Tech Trends strapped on a rubbery robot that tells you how to do it so the Lovely 2.0 was welcome in our office, Hem Hem. There are similar products out there but this is by far the most interesting and informative. The toy itself is exactly what it looks like and does the job admirably, but the app and Desire-Sensing tech really add value.

Desire-Sensing technology and app that learns what you and your partner enjoy in bed to give you personalized, sex-related inspirations to satisfy both your partner and yourself.

The exciting suggestions really add a bit of spice to the bedroom and challenge both partners to try something new and avoid the well-worn moves, as it were. The app also relieves some of the tension around experimenting as it is not one or other partner asking their mate to give a new trick a try, it is the app, a safe third party.

Features

• Desire-Sensing technology learns what you enjoy in sex and inspires you to enjoy sex even more. (This requires some personal information to work)
• Free app for Android and iOS: receive personalized sex Inspirations to your smartphone after sex
• Discover new and exciting positions, stimulation techniques and more
• Talk more about sex: practice and advance your erotic communication skills
• Control your Lovely 2.0 remotely from anywhere in the world
• 8 rumbly vibration patterns
• Get a stronger and longer lasting erection, heightened sensitivity, and intensified orgasms from cock ring use
• Depending on body type and position, vibrations can stimulate the testicles, perineum, or clitoris of the wearer or their partner
• Learn how many calories you burned during sex
• Body-safe silky smooth silicone; waterproof; wireless charging; 2-hour battery life, 60 days standby time

It really plays the role of an interactive sex coach and therapist, something us stuck up Brits definitely need. It is excellent value for the money and used right should expand your sex life in new and exciting ways. Follow @OurLovelyToys for tips and watch the excellent video on the Lovely 2.0 below from @CouplesToyStore for a lot more info and then just get one, really just get one 😉

Follow @OurLovelyToys for tips on using the Lovely 2.0 and then just get one, really just get one 😉
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The Lovely 2.0 really plays the role of an interactive sex coach and therapist, something us stuck up Brits definitely need
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The Lovely 2.0 is available in two colours – Soft Pink & Wild Green for $139 here and download the app for free here.

Soylent Meal Replacements

Soylent lets you dodge those pesky food cravings. We’ve all been there. As the long months of winter drag on, getting home after another long commute through the cold and the rain. You turn on the news and switch it straight off because Brexit is still not a bad dream after all. It’s ever so tempting to dial for that takeaway or reach for the comfort food, but you’re trying hard to be good. Read the full review here.

PitPat 2 – Dog Activity Monitor & Fitness Tracker

So far this month we have looked at human connected devices for improving our health and sex life but what about the other creatures in our lives, our pets? Well, my not so little puppy Holmes was thrilled to test out the PitPat 2 doggy fitness tracker and gave it his woof of approval… sorry. Anyway, his owner was also relieved as the app connected device confirmed that I was giving him all the exercise he needs with his daily walks.

My not so little puppy Holmes was thrilled to test out the @PitPatPet PitPat 2 doggy fitness tracker and gave it his woof of approval... sorry 😮
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How can it estimate calories burnt? Our proprietary ‘dogorithms’ also take into consideration factors including the age of your dog and whether it has been neutered or not. This handy feature will help you plan feeding and keep your pooch in tip-top shape.

@PitPatPets looks at the different activities over a 5-10 minute period and then classifies the activity as the one which was the most prominent in the period. My favourite class of activity is Pottering, so cute!
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The PitPat judges walking and running by sensing the natural gait motion of your pooch. It judges the difference between walking and running by the intensity/exertion. If your pup is constantly changing from walking, to running, to stopping and changing direction this is characteristic of many dog games and the activity is interpreted as playing. PitPat looks at the different activities over a 5-10 minute period and then classifies the activity as the one which was the most prominent. My favourite class of activity is Pottering, so cute!

See my screen grabs below for an insight into the app and the data it collects. I found it really simple to use and only had a problem the very first time I connected the PitPat to my phone via Bluetooth. My Samsung S9+ would not connect at all but after an Android update last month it started working perfectly so I’m prepared to blame Samsung for that hiccup.

I couldn't believe Holmes got over four miles covered in an afternoon of playing and walking and was glad to see he found time to rest for twelve hours, I wish I could
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I couldn’t believe he got over four miles covered in an afternoon of playing and walking and was glad to see he found time to rest for twelve hours, I wish I could 🙁 After this test I will hand the PitPat over to my Dad who has a rather plump, food-focused dog who needs the kind of attention this wonderful app helps provide. He should be able to get a much better handle on her fitness by using the PitPat to spot patterns and bad habits.

This is the first of what I suspect will be many connected Pet Tech products we review on Tech Trends and is a really valuable tool for those of us who dote on our dogs. Much more info on the site here and pick one up for £39 here.

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

The post January 2019 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.