Littlebits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit

Littlebits makes all manner of modular STEM kits and solutions for teachers and parents but this one is possibly the coolest educational toy ever! It includes some Lego-like construction, a bit of electronics and some easy-access coding so kids can modify and personalise their super hero glove as they wish. Including the ability to control the colour and strobing of lights, a movement and speed sensor plus an awesome stealth mode ability – I won’t spoil that one for you. Littlebits draws kids into playing with and learning basic STEM while playing at being their favourite Marvel superhero.

Littlebits draw kids into playing with and learning basic STEM while living as their favourite Marvel superhero.
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I can’t recommend this enough and only wish my hands were smaller! You can pick one up for only $105 here thanks to Littlebits’ 30% off Black Friday deals.

BlitzWolf® AmpCore BW-TC4 3A Braided USB Type-C to Type-C Charging Data Cable 3.33ft/1m

These are really lovely cables. Braided cables have long been my favourite but they can often be a bit thicker than is useful, however, these AmpCore cables from BlitzWolf are pleasingly thin and very well made.

Braided cables have long been my favourite but they can often be a bit thicker than is useful, however, these AmpCore cables from BlitzWolf are pleasingly thin and very well made
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Each cable rolls up small and the Gold-plated heads are really slim so should fit in USB sockets hidden in the narrowest crooks and crannies. Under testing, they stood up to their quoted speeds and quickly charged several phones. As you can see in the video below they are also stronger than the Hulk, just in case you need that. More info on each cable below.

Each cable rolls up small and the Gold-plated heads are really slim so should fit in USB sockets hidden in the narrowest crooks and crannies
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These cables have data transfer speeds of up to 480MBps and also support charging during data transfer
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BlitzWolf® AmpCore BW-TC4 3A Braided USB Type-C to Type-C Charging Data Cable 3.33ft/1m

56kΩ Standard Resistor is included to ensure that your device will not drain extra power out of the power source, which may lead to over-heating and serious issues. Supports 3.6-12V fast charging at up to 3A current, compatible with Qualcomm QC2.0, QC3.0, MTK Pump Express Plus and other fast charging technology. Data transfer speeds of up to 480MBps and also supports charging during data transfer. Compatible with most Type-C port digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, PDAs, digital cameras/camcorders, hard drives, e-readers, power banks and portable game players.

Premium Quality Materials: Nickel-plated reversible connector heads and 1m/3.33ft durable braided wire sheath with 22AWG power and 30AWG data tinned copper wire cores can be bent over 5000 times with no change in performance.

Specification:
Brand: BlitzWolf®
Model: AmpCore BW-TC4
Plug: 56kΩ standard resistance USB Type-C Male to USB Type-C Male, Nickel-plated Reversible Connector Heads
Materials: Double Color Injection Molding + TPE Cover & Polyester Fiber Jacket
Wire Core: 30 AWG(Data) + 22 AWG(Power)
Output: 3.6-12V, up to 3A
Data Sync Speed: Up to 480Mbps
Length: 1m/3.33ft
OD: 4.0mm
Color: Red & Grey

BlitzWolf® AmpCore Turbo BW-TC9 3A Braided Durable USB 3.0 to Type-C Charging Data Cable 3ft/0.9m

Fast USB 3.0 Type C: data transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps, more than 10 times faster than USB 2.0. cables. Internal Resistor: Type C cables without an internal resistor can overheat or damage your device. Ampcore Type C cables have a built-in 56kΩ resistor that provides smooth and safe charging. Supports 3.6-12V fast charging at up to 3A, and is compatible with Qualcomm QC2.0, QC3.0, MTK Pump Express Plus and most other fast charging technologies. Compatible with most Type-C digital devices such as smart phones, tablets, MP3 players, digital cameras, camcorders, hard drives, e-readers, power banks and portable game players.

Premium Quality Materials:
-Gold-plated reversible connector heads won’t corrode over time and provide unrivalled long-term conductivity.
-Flexible and strong braided wire sheath can be bent over 5000 times with no change in performance.
-Engineered with 22AWG power and 32AWG data tinned copper wire cores for fast charging and data transfer.

Specification:
Brand: BlitzWolf®
Model: BW-TC9
Material: Protective Tinned Copper Mesh + Aluminum Foil Shielding + Environmental Flexible Braided Jacket
Plug: Standard USB3.0 A Male to USB Type-C Male, Gold-plated Reversible Connector Head
Wire Core: 32 AWG(Data)*3 + 22 AWG(Power)
Output: 3.6-12V, up to 3A
Data Sync Speed: Up to 5Gbps (USB3.1 Gen1)
Length: 0.9m/3ft
OD: 4.0mm
Colour: Red Cable & Black Metal Plug

Take a look at all BlitzWolf’s products here on the wonderfully named banggood.com or pick up the USB-3 to USB-C here for £3.17 and the Type C – Type C here for £4.36

Naked Nutrition Protine Powders & Supplements

We have been looking at wellness products here at Tech Trends and seeing innovation everywhere in this booming market. In September we tried out Soylent Meal Replacements and this month it’s the turn of Naked Nutrition. From Grass-Fed Whey Protein to Pea Protein Powder to Organic Brown Rice Protein Powder, Naked Nutrition provides the “purest supplements”. They claim their powders are loaded with essential amino acids and no artificial sweeteners or colours and commit to offering the best protein powders and supplements including Powdered Peanut Butter, Casein Protein, Creatine Monohydrate and many more.

We are looking at health and wellness products here at Tech Trends and are seeing innovation everywhere in this booming market
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We tested out their Collagen Peptides Powder, the Powdered Peanut Butter and the mindboggling Branched Chain Amino Acids, WTF? Well, this last one claims “the highest pharmaceutical grade, fastest dissolving, and rapidly absorbed Branch Chain Amino Acids available”. OK, so that does what? Naken Nutrition says studies have shown that BCAA supplementation improves strength and muscle development, speeds recovery, and increases endurance for men and women at all fitness levels. I am afraid all I can say is that it tasted OK but as a slothful couch potato I can’t speak to its powers of recovery or muscle boosting powers. I might be the wrong person to review these…? Anyway the Powdered Peanut Butter next!

Naked PB is a vegan peanut butter protein powder made exclusively from peanuts grown on US farms. Our powdered peanut butter is made from slow-roasted, non-GMO peanuts that are mechanically pressed to remove fat and oil. The result is a peanut butter powder that is over 40% protein. Gain the nutritional benefits of powdered peanut butter and enjoy its flavor by using it in recipes from cakes and muffins to smoothies. Naked Nutrition is committed to shortening the steps between our farms and you.

Studies have shown that BCAA supplementation improves strength and muscle development, speeds recovery, and increases endurance for men and women at all fitness levels
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If you love peanuts and crave protein then this is for you, but not me. Now, this next one I can relate to. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body and a major component of connective tissues in tendons, ligaments and having a long-term knee injury I can recommend others with joint problems regularly consume collagen and this supplement is as good a way as any to do that.

Consuming collagen provides health benefits including joint health, youthful skin, healthy hair, protecting cartilage and bones, and workout recovery. Our hydrolyzed collagen powder is sourced from European cows that are pasture raised. Highly soluble and tasteless, use our grass fed collagen peptide powder in hot beverages such as your morning coffee, cold sports drinks, tea before sleep or as an unflavored protein base in pre and post-workout smoothies.

I have taken Glucosamine for a few years and this should provide similar benefits without struggling to swallow those enormous horse pills
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Now, this tub will stay on my counter and I’ll keep myself topped up to ease pain and stiffness in my knee. I have taken Glucosamine for a few years and this should provide similar benefits without struggling to swallow the enormous horse pills I used to take. Check out Naked Nutrition here and sample some of their range of 21st-century health supplements.

BlitzWolf BW-BR4 Bluetooth V5.0 aptX 2 Way HD Music Receiver & Transmitter

I have tested one-way Bluetooth transmitters and receivers but not a two-way device and this BW-BR4 from BlitzWolf is one nifty little gadget for anyone who loves music and fiddling with tech. That’s all of you I hope! Set up is super simple if you have a basic need to transmit both ways between two devices but I took it a bit far and made a mess. However, the BW-BR4 performed exactly as it should and the Bluetooth 5.0 sound quality was excellent.

I wanted to stream music from my phone to my amplifier in receive mode and transmit the audio from my Playstation 4 to my Skullcandy Bluetooth headphones using the transmit mode.
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I wanted to stream music from my phone to my amplifier in receive mode and transmit the audio from my Playstation 4 to my Skullcandy Bluetooth headphones using the transmit mode. That means I was using the BW-BR4 as a hub between four devices! Long story short, the hub worked fine but I got in a terrible pickle when managing the four connected devices. Duuuuh!

I kept switching on the wrong device at the wrong time and then getting confused when pairing the phone or the headphones in the right order.

That means I was using the BW-BR4 as a hub between four devices! Long story short, the hub worked fine but I got in a terrible pickle when managing the four connected devices. Duuuuh!
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The BlitzWolf BW-BR4 performed exactly as it should and the Bluetooth 5.0 sound quality was excellent
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I got it to work after much shouting but decided the hub was smarter than my brain so abandoned that crazy config. It has the ports for this, though, and I think most audiophiles will be happy with the connectivity on hand here.

Features:

• Transmitter and receiver 2 in 1
• Transmitter mode: Turn your TV/Computer/Laptop into a Bluetooth-enabled device. You can listen to the audio from your Bluetooth headset and watch a movie or play a game without interfering with anyone.
• Receiver mode: Connect the BR4 to your home speaker system/car stereo/headphones and turn it into a Bluetooth audio device. You can then connect your smartphone or other Bluetooth device and play music wirelessly.
• CSR BC8675 Bluetooth Chip. The CSR BC8675 chip gives you Bluetooth V5.0 and optical audio output for a truly universal wireless solution.
  328 ft Wireless Connection Range
• Built-in antenna, up to 100 meters (328 ft) long range and stable transmission to share your audio from indoors to outdoors.
• Optical Fiber Transmit
• Gives you the option of digital connection to your playback device for maximum audio quality.
• Long Standby Time
• With a built-in 600mAh battery, you get up to 17 hours working time and 175 hours standby time.

Take a look at all BlitzWolf’s products here on the wonderfully named banggood.com or pick up a BW-BR4 here for £31.79

Piper Educational Computer Kit

So In my honorary role as the eternal child at Tech Trends, I gleefully rolled up my sleeves and got stuck into building my own Piper Raspberry Pi computer. Even for someone used to building awesome toys, this was really something, combining ultra-slick presentation and a very tactile, approachable and play-focused functionality and aesthetics. The Minecraft theme also makes it instantly approachable for kids of all ages, even those in their late 30s.

 

Overall this is an excellent product as it is, but the Piper team are not exactly resting on their laurels, as they’re constantly expanding and evolving their storylines and adding new games and challenges so be sure to keep your Piper Computer updated when it’s connected to the Internet, as the fun certainly doesn’t end when you complete your first mission. In fact, that’s just the start of your adventure.

Get your hands on one for only $249 here with a holiday discount.

Take a look at all BlitzWolf’s products here on the wonderfully named banggood.com or pick up a BW-AS1 here for £63.59 and save with this Holiday 15% off coupon code AS1:15AS1

This mains powered high speed charger is an excellent travel companion
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It provides six fast charging USB outputs from one mains connection and comes in a variety of standard international plug configurations
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Ever wonder why your smartphone charges faster from some charging ports and slower from others? Often, it’s not just the power that your charger can offer. Instead, it comes down to compatibility. Some ports simply don’t speak the right language to open up your device to full speed charging. Try plugging an iPhone into an Android adapter, or vice versa, and your charge time could be double so the BWS4 gives you six standard USB outputs, all connected to the same 50W power supply, all pumping out the same high-speed charge.

Features :

• 50W of Power – Enough to full-charge multiple devices simultaneously.
• 6 Ports Optional – Enough charging ports to handle a family’s worth of gear.
• 3S Power Technology – High-speed charging of up to 2.4A per port. Safe charging and multi-channel protection.
• Portable & Convenient – Creative two-side holder design, provides convenient charging. Compact and light design, ideal for home, work, holidays and wherever else you may go.

Take a look at all BlitzWolf’s products here on the wonderfully named banggood.com or pick up a BWS4 here for £15.89

The post November BLACK FRIDAY 2018 Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

Spring finally arrived but Tech Trends has been closeted indoors testing and reviewing all sorts of cool gadgets and thingamabobs for you lucky readers!

Sphero Mini

The Sphero Mini follows in the line of the original Sphero, Sprk+ and the popular Sphero BB-8. The new Mini takes much of what its previous models so successful and shrinks it down to a smaller – and more economical – package.

Sphero Mini packs tons of fun into a tiny, app-enabled robotic ball. drive, play games, learn to code, and more.

The new Mini takes much of what its previous models so successful and shrinks it down to a smaller - and more economical - package
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Now the size of a snooker ball the Sphero Mini comes in a range of robust-coloured shells which open to reveal its components within (a gyroscope and accelerator). A few fun accessories are also enclosed in the package – including half a dozen colourful mini skittles and some cones so you can layout your own course and steer your Mini through it.

Initially, a little slow to charge -especially if you have children eager to play – the app intel is easy to download and boot up and once launched is quick to get going with a colourful simple interface which is very child-friendly and easy to navigate.

Packed with teeny tiny tech such as a gyroscope, accelerometer, and LED lights and almost an hour of play time, Sphero Mini is the next big thing.

The app intel is easy to download and boot up and once launched is quick to get going with a colourful simple interface which is very child-friendly and easy to navigate
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In the app you can choose between a variety of control methods: standard joystick, tilt control, slingshot and face driving – which although may prove fun for younger players is actually quite a frustrating experience. Apart from the standard tech toy drive modes, there are also a few arcade style games tucked within the app wherein you can use the Sphero as a controller. They’re a fun little distraction but compared to what kids can play on their phones nowadays they won’t amuse them for long.

Drive Mini using different modes with the Sphero Mini app, or just by using your lovely mug. This Ball is also a Video Game controller! Use Mini as a controller to shoot your way through space, race through a tunnel, or to destroy a polygon of bricks.

The app is a great introduction to the basics of programming and with a simple drag and drop approach even younger players can make their own programs or adapt provided templates
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But it’s the Sphero Edu coding app that raises this tech toy above that of your average remote control car. The app is a great introduction to the basics of programming and with a simple drag and drop approach even younger players can make their own programs or adapt provided templates. Once you’ve become familiar with the paths and blocks that represent code you can then write your own JavaScript text programs.

Program the Mini with Javascript. If you’re feeling extra clever, download the Sphero Edu app and program your robot using JavaScript. The SPRK+ robot was built for programming. What’s the difference?

Overall the Sphero Mini is a solid reasonably priced tech toy
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Overall the Sphero Mini is a solid reasonably priced tech toy. In some ways, it suffers from the general failure of many of the interactive educational bots in that you really have to encourage the child to explore its capabilities or they will just become an expensive remote control car and have a very limited replay value. Given proper guidance, however – if you have the patience – they are a great way to encourage a basic grasp of coding.

RRP: $49.00

Review by Ashley Thorpe, Animator & Filmmaker at Carrion Films and Film & Games Correspondent at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @CarrionScreamin

Dell Visor Windows MR Headset

The first thing that hit me when I popped on the Dell Visor was its weightless comfort. It is similar in design to the PS4 VR headset and puts the weight of the device on the top of your head but is just a bit easier to get used to wearing and less front-heavy.

The first thing that hit me when I popped on the Dell Visor was its weightless comfort
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After trying some VR headsets that clamp the screen onto the front of your face with straps I have been left in physical pain (especially around the nose and ears) and so have become a connoisseur of VR comfort (or lack thereof) and the Dell design gets top marks.  Read the full review here.

Carlton AR Children’s Books

Carlton Books are at the forefront of early stage, educational AR books and I can’t think of a better use for mobile AR tech. Visually exciting and interactive technology paired with real-world play and learning should draw kids into new subjects and areas of study in a new and exciting way. It is important to note how early stage this technology is but Carlton have thrown themselves behind AR with exciting results.

Carlton Books are at the forefront of early stage, educational AR books and I can’t think of a better use for mobile AR tech
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It is important to note how early stage this technology is but Carlton have thrown themselves behind AR with exciting results
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Last year I was very impressed with their more adult-focused Alien: Augmented Reality Survival Manual, it had some very engaging AR content and is still my benchmark for this hybrid publishing format, so I was keen to try out this new series of educational AR books Tech Trends picked up at the 2018 London Book Fair. I was particularly keen to see how easy they made the process of linking the technology, the AR content and the physical books as the interaction between paper and digital needs to be seamless, immersing the reader (or user?) in the content with minimal UI friction.

First up was iExplore Bugs, off the bat this should be good as who doesn’t love creepy crawlies! The first page had clear instructions showing you how to download the app and use it. The App icon and the printed AR activation symbols were the same, making it really clear how it worked but there was no printed QR code to take you straight to the app in the iOS or Android app stores, why not? I had to open the app store and search for the app, luckily the printed instruction had the correct app name so this was not too hard but it should have been much easier.

Flying the Dragons around the room was serious fun and the quality or the AR was excellent
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After activating the AR there was a clear prompt on what to do next, look through the phone's camera and point it at the app symbol on each page to bring the bug to life
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The app is pretty large and took a while to download and install but when opened offered a taste of what was to come with a friendly animated cricket, instructions and links to other apps in the publisher series. After activating the AR there was a clear prompt on what to do next, look through the phone’s camera and point it at the app symbol on each page to bring the bug to life. My Galaxy S8 would not focus the camera inside the app and so detecting the symbol was a bit tricky, everything was permanently out of focus so the camera was not quick to activate the AR. However when it popped up the AR quality was great and the in-app bug controller, information and mini test were well designed and fun to use. The only niggle was the juddery bugs, when they were standing on the page they juddered constantly as the app calculated the ground level. This was a bit distracting but when the bugs took off and flew around the room under my control it improved a lot. This was serious fun and the quality or the AR Dragons was excellent.

The flying creatures got even better in Dragons Come to Life (so cool) where the Dragons from Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon leap off the page and let you fly them around the room. The book’s instructions and app were just as clear and the AR dragons and little human characters were really very cool. You could also swat up on the Dragon’s special powers and its Top Trumps style, abilities followed by a little knowledge test. Again the S8 camera would not focus in the app so it failed completely to activate some of the dragons, even in very bright light, quite annoying.

Carlton Books have done a really good job here and the books and apps are fun to use and very reasonably priced considering the background work this AR tech requires
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All in all Carlton Books have done a really good job here and the books and apps are fun to use and very reasonably priced considering the background work this AR tech requires. The books absolutely must have printed QR codes to take you to the right app or Carlton need to issue one app that works across all their books in a series. The friction of looking for the right app to go with the right book is simply unnecessary and easily fixed. The in-app camera failing to focus was a big issue but an app update should fix this and my only other minor niggle is the visuals and text in the books, particularly the covers. They are overselling the concept with too many images and too many mixed up fonts and bold graphics, it all looks too busy and hectic on the page. However, with publishers like Carlton pushing the Print & AR format I can see other publishers getting onboard but for now, none match the quality on show here from Carlton.

RRP: Individual books £9.99 and the Carlton AR range is here.

Aukey Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

If asked to sum up Aukey’s products I would have to say ‘best bang for your buck’ is the phrase that comes to mind. They are invariably much better quality than the price suggests, solidly built, practical and reliable. In the case of this 16W, SK-S1 wireless Bluetooth speaker I can also add, attractive.

The SK-S1 is surprisingly solid for its size. When you first pick it up gives off a feeling of quality and confidence, and the sound is very good
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There are some wacky and expensive looking portable speakers out there but this one just looks smart and modern, blending into my office, kitchen and garden. It is also surprisingly solid for its small size and when you first pick it up gives off a feeling of quality and confidence. The curved metal grills and the brushed steel top ooze a stylish simplicity and the silicone base promises to keep it clinging to any surface. Read the full review here.

ZeroWater Filter and TDS Meter

This 12-cup water filter jug from ZeroWater looks much like every other water filter out there but what makes it a more high-tech drinking solution is its patented, 5-stage Ion Exchange Filtration system, which removes virtually all dissolved solids from your water. These solids may include minerals, salts, metals, chemicals and runoff. Mmmm runoff, my favourite non-specific dissolved solid!

It removes virtually all dissolved solids from your water. These solids may include minerals, salts, metals, chemicals and runoff. Mmmm runoff, my favourite non-specific dissolved solid!
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The ZeroWater filter is also the first in its class to benefit from a sealed lid and reservoir, which allows filtered water to be poured while water, which hasn’t yet been, filtered remains in the reservoir. This adds a further 2 cups of capacity to the 10 cups of filtered water in the jug. It also features a very cool one-handed, pull and pour button spout for easy pouring from the fridge or for filling bottles. Four additional stages of water filtration ensure larger particles and other impurities are removed.

Well, I used the laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter provided on our unfiltered tap water and got a reading of 078. I then filled up the jug and measured the filtered water and… dum dum duuuum! Got a reading of 000. So this seems to do a fine job of removing those unpleasant impurities from your water, and that can only be a good thing. Our water normally tastes fine if a little chloriney and after filtering through the ZeroWater tasted very different. It’s difficult to describe the taste but it is not unpleasant and definitely better than straight out of the tap.

I used the laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter provided on our unfiltered tap water and got a reading of 078. I then filled up the jug and measured the filtered water and got a reading of 000
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• Certified* to reduce Lead, Chromium, & Mercury
• Premium 5-Stage Dual-Ion Exchange filtration system
• Ion-Exchange system that removes virtually all dissolved solids in your water
• The FDA requires the TDS level in PURIFIED bottled water to reach 000-010ppm. ZeroWater is the only filter in its class to achieve this level.

RRP: £39.99

Dell Precision 7720 VR-Ready Mobile Workstation

It was love at first sight when I unpacked the top spec Dell Precision 7720 VR-Ready Mobile Workstation last week. Cupid’s bow twanged and his poison arrow thudded deep into the meat of my heart, I was a gonna. She was over £7k of laptop and I was a drooling geek, palms sweaty at the prospect of an Intel Xeon E3-1535M v6 server processor, Nvidia Quadro P5000 and a Samsung SM961 M.2 SSD. My shaking hands slowly peeled off her cardboard clothes, plugged her straight into the mains and turned myself on So how was it? Well, it was sweet while it lasted but she soon left me and drove away with the same cheeky UPS driver! Read the full review here.

Aukey Powered USB 3.0 Hub

Like Apple, PC motherboard makers seem to be on a crusade to limit external connections. I suspect this might be due to the variety of new superspeed connections users expect every board to have pushing out the more practical and proven connections such as USB 3. I have never had the need for an expansion card or hub like this one from Aukey before but with only six USB 3 ports on my PC (four on the rear and two on the front) and a wealth of USB dongles and devices I was struggling. Sure I tried a few small two or three port extenders that did the job but a mains powered, six-port hub like this provided a much-needed connectivity boost.

I have never had the need for an expansion card or hub like this one from Aukey before but with only six USB 3 ports on my PC and a wealth of USB dongles and devices I was struggling
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The hub adds six SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports to your laptop or desktop computer, plus Aukey threw in one Smart Quick-Charging Aipower port and a Gigabit Ethernet port capable of accessing superfast network speeds of up to 1000Mbps. With the palm-size and lightweight design the CB-H17 Powered USB hub retains high-speed access to all of your devices without overloading your pocket or desktop. With USB data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, you’ll be able to sync files and interact with your Mac or PC more efficiently than ever.

This hub adds six SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports to your computer, plus one Smart Quick-Charging Aipower port and a Gigabit Ethernet port capable of accessing superfast network speeds
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This is a very robust little hub from Aukey and is a worthy addition to your home computer, you won't know how you survived without one
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Powered by a 12V/3A mains adapter you can use your all external USB hard drives and even charge your smartphone or tablet when your computer is turned off (except for the iOS system), that could come in pretty handy! This is a very robust little hub and is a worthy addition to your home computer, you won’t know how you survived without one.

• Compact and slim design effectively saves your desk space and expands your connectivity
• One 2.4A output smart charging port provides full-speed and sufficient powers to charge all Apple and Android Smartphone, tablets and other USB charged devices
• The Ethernet port supports 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet. Support WinXP/ 7/ 8/ 10, Linux, Mac OS
• Package Contents: AUKEY CB-H17 Powered USB Hub, 3.3ft USB Cable, 12V/3A Power Adapter, User Manual, 24 Month Warranty Card

RRP: £19.99 reduced from £24.99 on Amazon UK

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 April 2018 Tech Trends Product Reviews appeared first on Tech Trends.

We hear a lot about the digital skills gap and the need to get more kids interested in STEM  – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics but there’s a missing element in that line of thought, which more people are starting to notice.

We should be encouraging STEAM – in other words adding “Art’ (in its broadest sense) to that list because creativity is an essential ingredient of technological innovation. And like any other skill, it needs to be taught, developed and encouraged from an early age and throughout our lives.

In this Huffington Post article I talk to Creative Director Chris Waind from Canadian start-up Finger Food Studios (the company behind Sphero’s app and collaborative platform) about how designers and other professionals in the technology industry need to develop diverse skil-sets and embrace divergent thinking, and what he looks for when recruiting his own creative tech talent.

Creativity and Technology go together like a horse carriage
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From STEM to STEAM: How Science Needs Creativity to Flourish https://t.co/R4FV42C3SQ via @HuffPostBlog @Sphero… https://t.co/MhlbWBdYoW

— Alice Bonasio (@alicebonasio) January 8, 2017

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Beyond STEM and into STEAM: How We Need Creativity to Power Technology appeared first on Tech Trends.

When I was about ten, I desperately wanted one of the cute alien robots from Batteries Not Included * but in those days, the most you could hope to find under the Christmas tree was a toy that looked a bit like a robot and made some obliging beeping noises.

The best I could hope for under the Christmas tree when I was a child was a toy that looked like a robot
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Fast-forward to last Christmas, however, and my dream of owning a fully-fledged cute robot finally came true. After watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the sixth time I decided to ‘treat my husband’ to a BB-8. And while the dogs were distinctively unimpressed, we sure had a blast spinning the little guy around.

Yet when I got sent a SPRK+ to test (I DO love this job) I didn’t’ immediately realize that it came from the same people as made the BB-8. As it turns out, Sphero has been making little round robots for quite a while, ever since they graduated from the Techstars accelerator in Boulder, CO, back in 2010.

Sphero has been making little round robots for quite a while
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Like BB-8, Sphero’s latest ball-bot is on an important mission: Teaching kids to code. The company sold over a million robots in 80 countries so far, but the SPRK+ is designed to be their most tinker-friendly and hardwearing robot yet, with a scratch-resistant, waterproof outer shell, it can take a good bouncing.

While it’s not exactly cheap – the SPRK+ retails at around $130 – the fact that you can buy and program your own robot for less than it costs to buy a fancy pair of shoes is a testament to how far technology has come since my own childhood.

What I love about it – as someone with admittedly limited technical skills – is that you can casually start playing around straight away. Tap the ball to your phone and the app syncs the devices automatically. The transparent outer shell lets you see what’s going on inside the robot, and you can drag and drop modular puzzle elements in different sequences to make it do simple things like change colour or roll in different directions.

you can casually start playing around straight away. Tap the ball to your phone and the app syncs the devices automatically
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As well as over 150 learning activities, you can tap into a host of programmable features like sound effects, LED lights, sensors, accelerometer and gyroscope
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For those who want to dig deeper though, the sky is the limit. As well as over 150 learning activities, you can tap into a host of programmable features like sound effects, LED lights, sensors, accelerometer and gyroscope. There is a healthy global community of users that collaborate on projects through the Lightning Lab app which works across iOS, Android and Amazon Fire devices. It lets you easily share programs – using Sphero’s own programming language called OVAL – much as you would on GitHub, which is great for building up real-world programming skills.

Users can share their Sphero coding projects much like on GitHub
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SPRK teaches all sorts of valuable 21st century skills, disguised as play
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David Millage, General Manager of Education at Sphero, says that the beauty of SPRK is that it teaches all sorts of valuable 21^st century skills, cleverly disguised as play: “Learning is evolving and we are seeing a transition from consumption to creation in the classroom. Our robots are being used to teach everything from art to physics in a fun and hands-on way that engages students on a new level.”

Who wouldn’t want to build their own Solar System?
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I never tire of preaching the gospel of coding, because as much as not everybody can be good at it, we all should learn as much as possible about the technology that makes the world go around. If nothing else, it’s great exercise for your brain, and with things like Sphero, it’s also fantastic fun. After all, who wouldn’t want to build their own Solar System? And BB-8 also enjoyed meeting his new friend:

Like BB-8, Sphero’s latest ball-bot is on an important mission: Teaching kids to code
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*Classic 80s feel-good film, look it up if somehow you’ve managed to grow up without seeing it.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

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