Although it's pretty easy to hook up a Raspberry Pi to a screen using its HDMI port, it's not exactly the most portable of solutions (especially if there isn't a TV or monitor around). The Raspberry Pi Foundation recognized this, so it set about finding a "simple, embeddable display" capable of giving Pi owners a screen from which to work from, but that also embodies the DIY … [Read more...]
Smart Insole Counts Your Steps and Keeps Your Toes Warm
Everyone is fixated on how far you walk or run and how many steps you've climbed, but who is worried about your feet and if they feel safe or, at least, warm? Digitsole is, apparently. The company unveiled its latest Digitsole at IFA. It not only tracks activity, but actually heats up. … [Read more...]
LG’s Pricey Rolly Keyboard Furls into a Stick, Not Fun for Typing
It seems I have an affinity for trying out keyboards that are hard to type on. I'm a big fan of products that are compact and can transform. So when I heard about LG's collapsible Rolly Keyboard that furls into an easily-transportable stick, I knew I had to try it out. After all, the worst part about typing on my iPad is that it's hard to type fast on the screen's non-haptic … [Read more...]
LG’s 360-degree Bluetooth Speaker Mistaken for a Bottle of Milk?
Bluetooth speakers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but LG's newest one will have you doing a double take. At LG's IFA booth, the company had on display its SoundPop 360, a Bluetooth speaker with 360-degree sound that looks like a glass milk bottle. … [Read more...]
Hands on with the Awesome Star Wars BB-8 by Sphero
I could not stop humming the theme from Star Wars, but then who could blame me? I was playing, for the first time, with a real Star Wars BB-8 droid. As I drove BB-8 about the floor, sending it zipping this way and that, the tiny camera on its cap-like head seemed to follow my gaze. The faster the little robot went, the less the cap that sat impossibly atop its ball body seemed … [Read more...]
TomTom Spark GPS Fitness Watch Integrates Music and BT Connectivity
TomTom has announced their latest fitness watch, this time integrating a music player and Bluetooth connectivity. The TomTom Spark GPS Fitness watch is designed for all fitness enthusiasts of all levels. The Spark allows users to store 500 songs directly on the watch which lets them listen to their favourite playlists while tracking their steps, miles, and calories burned and … [Read more...]
XYZ Printing Puts 3D Scanning in the Palm of your Hand
XYZ Printing has made a name for itself creating 3D printers that can output edible goods, but now the company wants in on the other side of the 3D process: image capture. At IFA 2015, the company introduced a $199 handheld 3D scanner. … [Read more...]
Sony’s Smart Home Vision Is a Sci-fi Nerd’s Dream
What does the smart home look like? Right now, it's mostly smartphone-controlled light bulbs, speakers, cameras and other appliances. It's exciting stuff, but undeniably uninspiring. Sony's Life Space UX, the company's model smart home of the future, if you will, is closer to what a smart home should look like: a harmonious blending of technology and furniture that's … [Read more...]
Samsung’s SmartThings Launches a Powerful, Privacy-friendly Hub
Smart home technology is finally leaving the “Tinker Toy” phase and becoming a viable solution for average consumers. Samsung wants to be a part of that revolution, which is why, last year, it bought SmartThings, a smart home technology startup with a very open view. … [Read more...]
Engineers Refine Protection System for LHC Magnets
This week, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was switched off for its second scheduled technical stop since starting to run at the new high energy of 6.5 teraelectronvolts (TeV) per beam. These regular stops allow engineers and technicians to maintain the machine and ensure that all its components are working well. … [Read more...]