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.

You’re looking to buy new kitchen appliances. You’ve decided that smart home products are the way to go. But, you just don’t know how to compare the different options.

Don’t worry, it is easier than you think.

The Basics

Smart home devices need the following:

• A Wi-Fi connection with a bandwidth large enough to handle all the traffic that will be taking place.
• The devices need to be able to communicate with each other.

In simpler terms, they need to speak the same “language” in a timely manner.

Take Stock

Before you start browsing, take stock of all your different needs. Then, also take a look at what connectivity solutions you already have in place. Make sure your current internet solution is wireless and also that it will be strong enough to bear the load of traffic to be added.

If you want to buy products from differing brands, you may have to check in to buying a 3rd party solution like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. This will help devices to inter-connect with greater ease. It will also serve as the central hub or platform from which you will access all your smart devices.

For a reliable IoT set-up make sure your current internet solution is wireless and also that it will be strong enough to bear the load of traffic to be added.
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Shopping!

Okay once you have established all these things you’ll be able to narrow down the vast array of available products to the top ones that will actually be worth it.

• Money Talks, so establish your price range and search within it. Stick to the budget you have available.
• Pick A Side. Choose brand names that you already own or are compatible with your current smart home setup.
• Take Extra Consideration and bring all your extra needs and requirements into play. Eliminate the products that won’t fulfil it.

Alright, you’re set. Buy that sucker and hook it up. Follow the simple steps above, read through our helpful infographic and apply the technological wizardry to make your life easier.

If you want to buy products from differing brands, you may have to check in to buying a 3rd party solution like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. This will help devices to inter-connect with greater ease
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The post Infographic: How To Compare Smart Home Products appeared first on Tech Trends.

IoT and the connected home have yet to become a reality for most but at IFA 2018  appliance maker Beko led the way.

IFA this year was much like previous years, hundreds of companies screaming from the rooftops about minimally iterative products. A few more pixels, a bit bigger screen, a bit faster processor and everything a bit thinner, oh and crap Robots. I love tech and love my gadgets and can geek out with the best of them but I attended IFA this time looking for more meaningful innovation than a bit better camera on an $800 smartphone. I am happy to report that I found it, but not where you might expect.

A decade ago the invention of the smartphone changed our lives but truly new products like this are few and far between, so every year companies try to reinvent what we already have through minor upgrades and tweaks. We are stuck in a loop where the market is slowly evolving but no real innovation is going on, and the largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress, so we must start looking off the beaten track for those that are truly working to innovate.

The largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress so we must start looking off the beaten track for companies that are working to innovate in new and meaningful areas
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Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products we @Beko can democratise technology, creative value and play our part in society. Hakan Bulgurlu explained
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IoT and the connected home has been much discussed and I have seen some interesting concepts and even a few eyebrow-raising products but it is not yet in our homes, changing the way we live, and judging from the hundreds of pathetic, unimaginative and almost useless ‘innovative IoT products’ on display at IFA 2018, it’s not going to happen any time soon. But Turkish behemoth Beko, makers of reasonably priced kitchen appliances, held a press conference to announce their technology strategy and issued a white paper on the future of technology in the home and impressed me with their assessment of how new, innovative technologies in our kitchens can improve our lives and can do it affordably and in the not too distant future. These innovations might still be ahead but the way they talked about how their technologically enhanced appliances will improve our lives and address fundamental human problems in the 21st century was far more convincing than most of the pitches I head in Berlin.

“We know that the consumer landscape is transforming and as a business, we are at a pivotal point, we see the coming decades as an opportunity to embrace change and be an agile innovator. Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products we can democratise technology, creative value and play our part in society.” Parent company of Beko, Arcelik CEO Hakan Bulgurlu explained.

By 2030 two thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia and as people’s income increases they buy their first washing machine or refrigerator. These technologies are a game-changer in people’s lives
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The white paper, available here, outlines significant and practical improvements to human lives that affordable home appliances have made. It goes on to make the case for how developing these appliances with new technology will further revolutionise the way people live and improve their family’s health. This is innovation making a real difference to people, not just a few more pixels on a high-end TV that only a few can afford.

“By 2030 two thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia and as people’s income increases they buy their first washing machine or refrigerator. These technologies are a game-changer in people’s lives. Why? because they free up time, especially the time of those traditionally restricted to domestic work, to do more productive work. As product innovation continues and future technologies are developed the impact on peoples lives will be even greater.” Continued Hakan.

Health is a specific area home appliances can help with, and boy do we need to help out people with this issue. According to Deloitte’s Global Health and Wellness report more people are now interested in exercise and healthy living yet UNICEF figures show that 6% of pre-school and 14% of primary school aged children are overweight or obese, and that alarmingly rises to 33% by adolescence. While there are many bodies tackling this issue (mine included!), Beko believes manufacturers can play a key role in addressing the problem through innovation in the home, improving lives through technology.

“Through innovation, home appliance makers can make a valuable contribution by responding with more compact, multi-functional appliances that free up time and aid faster and better food consumption. New tech such as image recognition, AR and AI can also be harnessed to provide practical and fun ways to make healthy living more exciting while keeping cost down.” Author of the report Ian Pearson enthused. “Home appliance makers can use their innovations to enable and encourage healthy eating and lifestyles and especially to empower parents to help their children live healthier lives. Now is the time for brands to take action and show their commitment to supporting the cause.”

UNICEF figures show that 6% of pre-school and 14% of primary school aged children are overweight or obese, rising to 33% by adolescence
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To support their push into healthy living Beko have partnered with FC Barcelona and launched Eat Like a Pro, a global initiative to help parents feed their children nourishing meals. By showing children what their football heroes eat, Beko aims to make healthy eating exciting. So far the initiative has raised 1 million Euros for UNICEF’s work tackling childhood obesity and Beko commits to provide a range of appliances featuring smart tech to better deliver healthy food for families and make cooking fun!

@Beko commits to provide a range of appliances featuring smart tech to better deliver healthy food for families and make cooking fun!
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An appliance such as a cooker will incorporate AR & AI technology and evolve beyond just a white box that provides focused, controlled heat on demand to become a healthy eating advisor and cooking buddy
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So how does Beko see new technology merging with traditional appliances in homes around the globe? Renowned Futurist and lead author of the white paper, Ian Pearson got quite excited when we sat down with Hakan Bulgurlu after the presser. The way Ian describes it, an appliance such as a cooker will incorporate AR & AI technology and evolve beyond just a white box that provides focused, controlled heat on demand to become a healthy eating advisor and cooking buddy, not just a cooker. He describes how companies need to use new technologies to make their products work for the customer in new and actively life-improving ways and this means fundamentally rethinking the function of the product and its role in customers’ lives.

To support their push into healthy living Beko have partnered with FC Barcelona and launched Eat Like a Pro, a global initiative to help parents feed their children nourishing meals
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AR will have a huge impact on family life making it easier to persuade children to eat healthy foods by making them visually exciting allowing them to have their football heroes there, cooking with them
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The kitchen of the future Ian describes has AR overlays and games especially suited to engaging children and young people who will quickly become adept at using AR in every area of their lives. AR is also used for real-time recipes and cooking guidance, even overlaying 3D images of an assistant chef friend, football star or AI.

“AR will have a huge impact on family life, including making it easier to persuade children to eat healthy foods by making them visually exciting, and allowing them to have their football heroes there, cooking and eating with them. AI and IoT will be essential to most families and will be a foundation for making everything else better. Day-to-day life, as we know it, could be unrecognisable as soon as 2050.” Ian explained.

Our role @Beko is to develop products which can bear some of the burdens of increasingly hectic consumers’ lives
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We all know most children respond to targets and rewards and in the future kitchen these can be linked to calorie intake, vitamins, sugars and so on and having a personal hero like Messi praise them or give them awards is a proven and well-founded part of the Eat Like a Pro initiative so expanding this into AR and AI sounds exciting.

“The convergence of technology and science is radically transforming the white goods space and we are witnessing exciting changes. At Beko, we are about bringing these latest innovations to the masses and not the few. This goes to the heart of our business. We’re focused on the new generation of families from across the world who are tech-savvy and health conscious.” Hakan commented. “Our role is to develop products which can bear some of the burdens of increasingly hectic consumers’ lives. Take the Beko AquaTechTM washing machine for example which offers smarter and fast programs with an up to fifty percent faster cycle, giving working families some much needed time back.”

It is so refreshing to see a company like Beko realising that real innovation in their sector is not a scary hindrance to growth but a necessity and an exciting opportunity. In my experience, large companies are often slow to realise that they are actually years behind customer demand and that they need to change and update their products to fulfil their new needs. Chatting to Hakan and Ian it was clear Beko gets it and that keeping technology affordable opens up new markets where innovation has previously been slow.

“The best features have previously been reserved for the high, premium brands, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” Hakan believes. “If I am bringing you a product that improves your quality of life at a price you can afford, that’s great! If we can address those customer’s needs, if we can adapt your product with technologies that are relevant to how they want to use the product, then we win.”

If I am bringing you a product that improves your quality of life at a price you can afford, that’s great! - Hakan Bulgurlu
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It is so refreshing to see a company like @Beko realising that real #innovation in their sector is not a scary hindrance to growth but a necessity and an exciting opportunity
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“Technology is making our lives richer and easier, which will continue to accelerate for a long time yet. If we get it right, it can free up time and give us more control of our lives which in turn will allow us to spend our time in more meaningful ways.” Dr Ian Pearson has concluded.

I for one, can’t wait to see these technologies in my kitchen and will keep you all posted on how companies like Beko are bringing these innovations to market. I would love to see more respected brands grasp the opportunities tech offers because the market is already there and demanding innovation and if you miss that point and fail to evolve you will be left far behind.

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 Innovation is Coming Home! appeared first on Tech Trends.

Spring brought a fresh crop of geeky gadgets for Tech Trends to test and review so sit back and bask in their glory!

Google Home Mini

For those looking to get involved in the whole digital assistant, smart speaker thing the Google Home Mini is probably the most cost-effective first step. With no screen and a small speaker, it is limited but should give you a taste of the future. This cute little gadget came in our Google I/O goodie bag and we couldn’t wait to get it home from Mountain View to put it through its paces. Powered via a USB mini cable the Mini is small and unobtrusive, a bit like a canvas paperweight. Setup and operation is done via the Google Home app on your mobile device and was pretty simple once the home Wi-Fi was connected.

For those looking to get into the whole digital assistant, smart speaker thing the Google Home Mini is the most cost-effective first step
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I had a bit of trouble linking it to my work G Suite account but after some fiddling, Googling and shouting it was set up. This is early-stage technology but sadly the most obvious (at least to me) functions are not yet working so I couldn’t check my Google calendar or Gmails, baffling, surely this is the first step!!!

Anyway, the first test that sprang to mind was Patron Tequila’s Google Home cocktail helper from my recent blog Raising a Glass to Technology where I explored how drinks brands offered product-enhancing smart tech to customers. I visited the Patron page and followed the instructions but…No joy. I contacted Google Home support via chat and they couldn’t help. I worked out that I needed to add a third party ‘action’ to my Google Home app to enable the Patron cocktail service but couldn’t for the life of me get it to work so gave up.

Frustrated and thirsty, I remembered I had installed smart lights by Wiz so visited the Google Home Learn page and clicked on Light Control, Learn More and, Bingo! The instruction quickly got my Mini connected
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Frustrated and thirsty, I remembered I had recently reviewed and installed smart lights by Wiz around the house, so visited the Google Home Learn page and clicked on Light Control, Learn More and Bingo! Quickly got my Mini connected to my Wiz Smart Lights through the app and YEEEEES I can now turn on and off the lights around my house using the Mini.

With this working, I felt I had got a taste of the future but, only a taste
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With this working, I felt I had got a taste of the future but, only a taste. I then managed to play a few specific tracks from Google Play Music and the handy touch features on the Mini worked well for starting & stopping tracks + adjusting the volume. The speaker is small an doesn’t sound great but it’s fine for a bit of background music or radio. The most useful feature of the Mini, however, is the physical ‘Mic Mute’ switch on the back so you can turn it off like Princess Leia turned off C-3PO in Empire!

This new tech is cheap to get on board with and will improve very quickly if we all invest a bit of time in it. I think it really is the future but there is a long way to go
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The functions available now are pretty basic and if you want to do more than just search for answers with Google you will probably be a bit disappointed in what the Mini has to offer. However, this new tech is cheap to get on board with and will improve very quickly if we all invest a bit of time in it. I think it really is the future but there is a long way to go.

Retails at: £49 in the UK

Adonit INK Fine Point Stylus for Windows

Let’s be honest, Windows branded accessories can be a little expensive, not as insultingly so as Apple’s side products but painful nevertheless. The Windows Surface Pen costs £99.99 and as mine is on its last legs I was happy to try out the Adonit Ink Stylus which is a more reasonable £35.25.

Let’s be honest, Windows branded accessories can be a little expensive, not as insultingly so as Apple’s side products but painful nevertheless
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The Ink works with many Microsoft, Asus, HP, and Dell Tablets & 2-in-1 devices but be sure to check their site here for the full list of compatible devices. It worked perfectly with my Surface Book and only the tip felt a bit odd but after using a different pen for a year any change will take a bit of getting used to.

It worked perfectly with my Surface Book and only the tip felt a bit odd but after using a different pen for a year any change takes getting used to.
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The Adonit Ink feels great in the hand with comfortable, low profile buttons and a handy clip
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The Ink feels great in the hand with comfortable, low profile buttons and a handy clip. I haven’t charged it yet but it claims 80 hours of battery life and is easily rechargeable via micro USB. It’s a good looking and cheap replacement and I have no complaints at all!

Retails at: $44.99 in the US or £35.25 on Amazon UK

AUKEY KM-W9 2.4GHz Wireless Ergonomic Mouse

I wouldn’t say this Aukey Wireless Ergonomic Mouse is an RSI reducing mouse but it is definitely more comfortable to use than a standard one. Its large size and ergonomic shape make it really nice to use and it is also grippy meaning you don’t have to squeeze too hard. It is also attractive, with optional flashing LEDs (this is all the rage in the PC market) but there is a switch on the base to limit this.

Its large size and ergonomic shape (of the AUKEY KM-W9 2.4GHz Wireless Ergonomic Mouse) make it really nice to use and it is also grippy meaning you don’t have to squeeze too hard
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On the base, there is also a cunning little slot that holds the USB dongle thingy so you can carry the mouse around with you and not worry about losing the USB. It runs on standard AA batteries and has six buttons, should you need them! All around this is a nice product and as usual for Aukey it is competitively priced.

• Latest-Generation Ergonomic Mouse: Ergonomic design provides greater comfort for your hand, relieving soreness and reducing strain. It’s also a high-precision six-button mouse that’s great for work, casual computer use, and even gaming
• Optimum 30° Angle & Large Palm Rest: Shaped to encourage a more natural hand, wrist, and elbow alignment than traditional mice, it may prevent or relieve the pain of repetitive stress injuries
• Multifunctional Mouse: Features a wide range of DPI levels (3 Polling Rate, 125HZ, 250HZ, 500HZ, set according to computer configuration), to suit graphic design, spreadsheet work, daily web browsing, or gaming. 5 programmable buttons (excludes left button) for customizable use. Automatically enters sleep mode if not used for 8 minutes to conserve battery (press any button to wake)
• Premium Surface: Streamlined design with comfortable, non-slip, anti-sweat finish for lasting comfort and performance
• Package Contents: AUKEY KM-W9 2.4GHz Wireless Mouse, USB Wireless Receiver, User Manual, 45-Day Money Back Guarantee and 24-Month Product Replacement Warranty Card

On the base, there is also a cunning little slot that holds the USB dongle thingy so you can carry the mouse around with you and not worry about losing the USB
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Specifications
Number of Buttons: 6
Sensor Type: Optical Sensor
DPI: 800 / 1200 / 1600 / 2400 / 3200 / 4800
Polling Rate: 125Hz / 250Hz / 500Hz (customizable on Windows systems only)
Battery Type: 1 AA battery (not included)
Frequency Band: 2.4GHz
Power/Light Switch: Yes
System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10, Linux, Mac OS X 10.0 or later, Chrome OS
Dimensions: 121 x 86 x 54mm / 4.76″ x 3.39″ x 2.13″
Weight: 105g / 3.7oz (excluding battery)

Retails at: £22.99 on Amazon UK

Foobot Air Quality Monitor

Living with three dogs and an open fire it is not hard for me to believe that the air in my house is dirtier than the air outside, it is certainly smellier! So I was keen to try out the Foobot air quality monitor and test my home air quality. The Foobot is a sleek looking device that connects via Wi-Fi to an Android or iOS app and after a six-day monitoring period will send out notifications to the app about the quality of your air. The device itself also indicates the air quality by shining blue LEDs when everything is dandy and orange ones when you need to open a window.

The Foobot is a sleek looking device that connects via Wi-Fi to an Android or iOS app and after a six-day monitoring period will send out notifications to the app about the quality of your air
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The device itself also indicates the air quality by shining blue LEDs when everything is dandy and orange ones when you need to open a window
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It supports IFTTT and Nest connections, plus Lux/Geo and Ecobee thermostats or Stringify, and/or Artick Cloud devices and can, in theory, perform functions such as controlling your air conditioner to circulate air if it will improve the situation. How many of us live in houses full of such expensive connected devices? Very few. So if you live in a regular home with a simple boiler the only real function of the Foobot is to let you know when you should crack a window and let some outside air in, it does nothing to clean the air only tell you when it is not fresh.

It supports IFTTT and Nest connections, plus Lux/Geo and Ecobee thermostats or Stringify, and/or Artick Cloud devices
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With this limited functionality in mind, I don’t think the Foobot would have been much use to me even if it had worked, which it didn’t. after six tries to connect the app to the device via my Wi-Fi and the direct connection I gave up and put it back in its box and on a high shelf with all the other uninspired tech products I have accumulated. For the price The Foobot is little more than expensive techy entertainment and solves no real problem unless you are super rich and have a connected home, therefore it feels a bit of a waste of money and I can’t recommend it.

Retailing at a reduced price of $199 via the official site in the US and £179 on Amazon in the UK, with £75 off

Sennheiser CX Sport Bluetooth Headphones

Arriving too late to be included in this month’s Bluetooth Headphone round up these Sennheiser CX Sports offer a six-hour battery life, which can be quick-charged via USB in just ten minutes to offer a further hour of playback, and fully charged in 1.5hrs. You can see below they come with a groovy looking “ear-fin” that keeps them in place while you strain and wobble around the track. They also have a clip so if they do slip from your sweaty ears you won’t lose them.

They come with a groovy looking “ear-fin” that keeps them in place while you strain and wobble around the track. They also have a clip so if they do slip from your sweaty ears you won’t lose them
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They deliver a clear, detailed sound with a satisfying bass response. Multi-connection capability lets you pair the CX SPORT with up to two devices simultaneously, but not sure why you would do that? Bluetooth 4.2, Qualcomm® apt-X and apt-X Low Latency compatibility ensure that you can experience the freedom of cable-free listening with uncompromised true Hi-Fi sound.

Bluetooth 4.2, Qualcomm® apt-X and apt-X Low Latency compatibility ensure that you can experience the freedom of cable-free listening with uncompromised true Hi-Fi sound
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The CX Sports have a simple three-button remote that helps you manage your music and calls, as well as convenient voice prompts to further enhance ease of use. For the money they are a good purchase and they do sound pretty good, only lacking a bit of solidity and bombast but full of detail and fun. Eye of the Tiger anyone?

Retailing at: £119 in the UK

The post May 2018 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Few sectors have embraced technology in their marketing as well as the drinks industry and tequila makers Patrón are leading the way.

As Tech Trends highlighted last year, the drinks industry is at the forefront of new technology and is well aware of the opportunities MR and IoT offer when marketing lifestyle products. One company in particular, has been leading the way, Patrón, makers of excellent Tequila. They have been breaking new ground in beverage marketing for years now, so Tech Trends met up with their VP of Marketing Adrian Parker to find out what role technology plays in their company strategy.

The consumer journey is much more advanced now, so the modern marketer's toolkit has evolved to a plethora of exciting enhancements
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“Patrón prides itself in being a leader in its industry and that includes leveraging digital and mobile marketing.” Adrian explained. “We’re proud to work in the tech space and test new technologies that will enhance the consumer experience. We’re now able to educate our consumers on not just the bottle and the liquid, but the history and authenticity of the brand as well as its versatility. The consumer journey is so much more advanced than it was years ago so the modern marketers tool kit has really evolved to a plethora of so many cool, exciting enhancements as well. We can now leverage AR, AI enabled voice technology, virtual reality and more.”

In fact, they were amongst the first drinks companies to embrace 360 video and VR with The Art of Patrón Virtual Reality Experience in 2015 and continue to showcase this experience at marketing events today. The experience gives users a “bee’s eye view” of the Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico and works in VR and modern browsers.

“Seeing how handcrafted the Patrón tequila-making process still is, it’s the greatest marketing asset we have—it’s also the least scalable,” says Adrian “Since we can’t bring millions of consumers to our working distillery in Mexico, VR created an opportunity for us to bring Mexico to them.”

The handcrafted process behind Patrón tequila-making is our greatest marketing asset. VR created an opportunity to bring Mexico to consumers
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The VR experience was a hefty investment on Patrón’s part. To create it, they hired an airline pilot to fly a drone outfitted with six GoPros through the Hacienda. Live action scenes were combined with computer animation, and, in total, the project took eight months and an onsite-crew of nearly 100 people to complete. Then, the company had to secure over 200 Samsung Gear VR goggles and 30,000 Google Cardboard kits to use at events around the world. But because the experience is also available online, Parker says that hundreds of thousands of consumers have been able to fly throughout the Hacienda—making VR a worthy investment in their eyes. As we discussed in 2017 mobile AR is the hot new tool in drinks marketing so I asked Adrian where Patrón’s AR vision come from and what are the benefits the brand has experienced using this technology?

“When Apple launched AR technology as part of their operating system, it made it accessible to the everyday user and provided an excellent opportunity for us to reach consumers in an innovative way like never before. The technology provides us with a critical platform to touch real people using how they are consuming their information. We are able to educate on our products in an impactful and digestible way that did not exist prior to this technology.”

When Apple launched AR technology as part of their operating system, it made it accessible to the everyday user and provided an excellent opportunity for us to reach consumers like never before
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Not content on resting on their laurels, Patrón have been working on their ARKit App to incorporate social sharing and a futuristic shopping function. Aside from the app’s educational component, teaching users more about the core Patrón line, users will be able to purchase products directly through the app via US site Reserve Bar.

“The new ARKit update features a new direct purchase capability where users can buy Patrón’s core line of tequila directly through the app via ReserveBar.com, which is a first for the technology. Users also now have the addition of a ‘photo booth on-the-go’ with themed frames that can be shared directly on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

The new ARKit update features a new direct purchase capability where users can buy Patrón’s core line of tequila through the app
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Now, users of “The Patrón Experience” ARKit app can also send a virtual holiday card right from the app using holiday-themed frames, giving users the ability to have a photobooth on-the-go. The existing camera function has been enhanced with social media integration and a sharing feature, allowing users to share their images directly on social platforms, or save to their camera roll.

Their latest advance sees Patrón adding an action to Google Home, allowing users to “Ask Patron” and talk to Google Home as they would a bartender for cocktail suggestions and tips, gift recommendations, tequila facts and more from the comfort of their home.

Their latest advance adds an action to Google Home, allowing users to Ask Patron for cocktail suggestions and tips
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Patrón is on a journey powered by technology to reimagine how spirits consumers connect with their drinks and the people who make them
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Patrón also currently has this skill via Amazon Alexa and are launching a new skill on Amazon Echo Show, taking advantage of the new platform’s capabilities and featuring:

• An interactive touch display in ddition to the standard voice interaction
• Graphical elements complementing voice interaction (think Echo with a screen) featuring Patrón’s Limited-Edition 1 Liter Holiday Bottle
• The ability for users to find the perfect holiday gift based on their budget and drinking preference
• Helpful tips on how to perfect holiday cocktail-making skills (ex. How do I muddle?) and get Pro-Tip videos from world-class bartenders
• Users will be able to ask the Amazon Echo Show how to craft 400+ different cocktails using tequila

“Using Amazon Alexa Echo Show’s new interactive touch display and standard voice interaction, you begin using the skill by saying “Alexa, Ask Patrón.” Users can Ask Patrón any number of questions such as what cocktail they’ll enjoy based on type, flavor, occasion and ingredients available. Then, consumers can easily make the drink by watching the recipe and hearing and seeing the instructions. You can also learn about Patrón’s offerings and get cocktail-making tips from bartenders. Similar to our new ARKit app update, users can buy Patrón directly through the Echo Show. With the Google Home technology, Patrón officially added an action allowing users to “Ask Patron:” talk to Google Home just like you would a bartender for cocktail suggestions and tips, gift recommendations, tequila facts and more from the comfort of your own home. Very similar to the Alexa skill, but with another widely used technology.”

Users can Ask Patrón any number of questions such as what cocktail they’ll enjoy based on type, flavor, occasion and ingredients available
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So where does Adrian see tech taking customer engagement next?

“In the near future we’ll be physically interacting with our favorite Patrón bartender (bot-tender) as he scans the kitchen to recommend cocktails based on available ingredients. After he demonstrates how to make, shake and drink the cocktail, he’ll start a party playlist for your guests and order more tequila for next time. Patrón is on a journey to totally reimagine how spirits consumers connect with the products they drink and the people who make them, all powered by various technology.” Adrian concluded.

In future we’ll be interacting with our favorite Patrón bot-tender as it scans the kitchen to recommend cocktails based on available ingredients
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Cheers to that!

To find out how to leverage VR/AR/MR in your enterprise, Tech Trends offers bespoke Virtual Reality Consultancy support

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 Raising a glass to Technology appeared first on Tech Trends.

Tech Trends catches up with the creative minds making the immersive storytelling experiences of the future.

Since Technicolor opened the Technicolor Experience Centre (TEC) in Culver City, California a year ago, their subsidiary companies – including The Mill, MPC, and Mr. X – have worked on dozens of high profile Virtual and Augmented Reality projects that VR fans around the world will be familiar with, such as  Nike’s Turkey 360 (The Mill), 20th Century Fox’s The Martian(MPC), Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad (MPC), MGM-Paramount’s Ben-Hur (Mr. X) and the fantastic Alien: Covenant In Utero, try it out below in 360. The creators enlisted the award-winning artists and creative technologists at Technicolor’s VFX studio MPC and the TEC, which provided the motion capture for the project. Collaborating with Twentieth Century Fox, FoxNext VR Studio, RSA VR, and Mach1 plus technology partners AMD RADEON and DELL, the team created what may be a first: a frightening immersive journey designed to scare viewers into their seats before the movie even opened!

It's been over a year now since Technicolor opened its Experience Centre for immersive technologies in LA
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“The Technicolor Experience Center creates a vibrant ecosystem that enables our teams, partners and customers to advance the state-of-the-art in this new form of storytelling,” Tim Sarnoff, Technicolor Deputy CEO and President of Production Services told us.

TEC‘s ambitions are much bigger than promotional work for brands or the film industry, however. The center was tasked with developing high-concept content, platforms and technology for immersive media such as Virtual and Augmented Reality. To meet those goals, Technicolor’s Research and Innovation labs are developing a range of technologies, including formats and tools that are being applied to enhance the creation and distribution of immersive content which are set to drive the future direction of the industry.

The Technicolor Experience Center aims to advance the state-of-the-art in this new medium
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We particularly enjoyed the creepy IT experience on Littlstar
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Tech Trends spoke to Tony Mugavero, the CEO of the TEC’s official distribution partner Littlstar to find out a bit more about their partnership with Technicolor and the challenges of distributing VR to a broader audience. You can check out Littlstar’s apps which are available for a variety of VR platforms such as Playstation VR, Google Daydream, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and the Gear VR offering content across across Music, Film, Sports, News, Gaming and more. We particularly enjoyed the IT: Float VR experience, “We all float down here Georgie,” is all I’m going to say….  I started by asking Tony about the much anticipated mass consumer adoption of VR, and the role mobile has to play in that equation.

We absolutely are on the brink of mass adoption in VR and AR. In order to push that further, the new computing paradigms need to work across all industries and not just entertainment. When people are using these technologies at home and work, and for entertainment as well as productivity, the shift will be complete. The transition is happening now, and the change is rapid (and exciting!).

Mass adoption is happening now, and the change is rapid
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People have enjoyed content on Littlstar tens of millions of times. We have close to 1000 hours of content across thousands of titles, and some of our VR users are having sessions up to 45 minutes long. Our numbers are growing, and we’re seeing hardware sales grow as well as the introduction of big AR investment by Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Technicolor helps creators monetise their content
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Content is being produced at a much higher rate now as well at the big studios, networks, publisher, and labels, and many of these groups have internal teams with separate P&L’s to run immersive initiatives. There is a ton of development that is happening and under the hood we see no signs of cooling. The opposite, in fact.

Marcie Jastrow, Technicolor’s Senior VP of Immersive Media and Head of the Technicolor Experience Center adds that mobile devices are also going to be hugely important in driving this mass adoption.

“Mobile devices are going to be hugely important because what you create for mobile is not always going to translate on to an Oculus, or on to a Vive,” Jastrow explains. “You need to start like we do today with a master, and that is where the sweet spot for Technicolor will be: helping creators monetise by getting their content out to the masses via every headset, with the best image quality possible.”

I then asked Tony about what they brought to the table in the context of this TEC partnership:

Littlstar sits at the intersection of consumers, creators, and hardware companies. We need to have the highest quality output for everyone involved, and Technicolor couldn’t be a better partner to learn, collaborate, and grow the space with. With our platform, Littlstar sees nearly all aspects of what works and what doesn’t in terms of content. We’re able to cross reference all creators and see how consumers engage with the content as well. We also run up against hardware limitations while pushing the boundaries of distribution. We are able to provide a strong cross section of information, and working with Technicolor on solving these challenges means accelerated adoption and development all around.

We need to have the highest quality output for everyone involved
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So what will we see in the next ten years and what hurdles lie ahead for these new mediums?

VR and AR will co-exist and be used successfully for different reasons. We need continued content development, business use cases, and hardware investment. Devices need to get smaller and more powerful to handle the amount of data and processing required to run immersive initiatives. We need improved network infrastructure to stream 8k or 16k content and better compression for things like volumetric capture. TVs and computer monitors will continue to be replaced, and we’ll see smartphones taking a hit as wearables get better.

VR Devices need to handle larger amounts of data and processing
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Picking up on Tony’s comment that Littlstar is seeing users enjoy VR sessions of around 45 minutes I asked about the possible uptake for longer-format scripted narrative experiences.

Yes, this is already happening. Groups like Felix & Paul just released a 40 minute experience, and we’re regularly seeing content length increase. Dancing with the Stars and Conan O’Brien just released 1 hour long pieces of content.

Technicolor are also aware of the potential for longer format immersive experiences but Jastrow explained some of the challenges involved.

“Depending upon what it is that you are trying to accomplish, the workflows will be completely different. You can think the experience you’ve written on the page is going to translate beautifully into an interactive experience, but when you start working, you might find out that the technology is just not there yet,” she says. “I think the biggest challenge is going to be learning who the new storytellers will be,” she says. “What is often written out for creative is not something that can translate into immersive experiences. If it is a passive, narrative experience where there is no interactivity, content can be created in one way. Where there is interactivity, or where you may be tethered to a headset with controllers and interacting; that needs to be created another way.”

We can put processes in place that will help move immersive experiences
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But Technicolor are committed to continued investment in evolving the processes and developing the workflows needed to advance those possibilities.

“Narrative VR is probably going to play out like post production, but things like images and camera maturity, and techniques like stitching all need to evolve in order for images to be better and workflows to be faster. In the passive, narrative type of VR, we think we can get there pretty quickly by putting processes, standards, workflows and storytelling in place that will help move those immersive experiences along.”

The future looks exciting indeed for storytellers looking to engage their audiences with immersive technologies and the HP Mars Home Planet project is a great example of how Technicolor and partners are innovating and promoting VR content creation, more from Tech Trends on this soon!

HP Inc, NVIDIA, Technicolor, Autodesk, Fusion, Launch Forth, Unreal Engine and VIVE have launched HP Mars Home Planet—a global project using virtual reality to simulate what a human population of one million could look like on Mars. The unique exploration project – uniting engineers, architects, designers, artists, and students from around the globe – is a perfect example of the creative and technological collaborative opportunities presented by immersive media. There are currently 25K people involved in the project’s community. The Technicolor Experience Center is managing the community of collaborators and providing guidance and expertise in the development of the final virtual reality experience.

Technicolor are committed to invest in immersive technologies
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Tech Trends Virtual Reality Consultancy Services offer support for companies looking to get a foothold in the growing Mixed Reality spectrum and enhance their brand strategy with these exciting new technologies. 

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 A Technicolor Treat appeared first on Tech Trends.