One of the projects leads of the Apple iPod has come up with a novel design for a household thermostat. Tony Fadell’s Nest thermostat has the brains of a smartphone and the looks of a product made by Apple. Instead of complex programming steps, the device learns from every day use. It can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad and through a computer. It will be interesting to see if this product really catches on. Optimal adjustments to the temperature in a home can potentially save a lot of energy. There also seems to be ample R&D and funds behind the product. Just purchasing the domain nest.com was probably quite an investment. The Nest thermostat should be available for sale late this year for $249.
A next generation alarm clock
By now many people are using their smart phones to wake up every morning instead of a traditional alarm clock. In the case of the iPhone, there are numerous applications that enhance this with images, weather updates, and other features. The Lark alarm goes much further by including a wrist band that can softly wake you by slightly vibrating. This is particularly useful because it will typically only wake up the wearer of the wrist band and not the sleeping partner. It also includes a sensor and Continue reading “A next generation alarm clock”
A real docking solution for MacBooks
Some of us remember the Apple PowerBook Duo with a native docking station. Since then, there has not been a nicely designed dock solution. Henge Docks now offers a great option for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The dock accepts a system vertically and it attaches to connectors on the bottom of the enclosure. The dock can be configured to offer only the desired connectors while hiding others. It can be used in combination with an external display or a media system setup. The system also reuses a user supplied MagSafe power adapter Continue reading “A real docking solution for MacBooks”
Social product development
Developing a new product is a costly and time consuming enterprise. It requires countless hours of research, prototype creation, and plenty of funds for materials and legal fees if attempting to patent the idea. Quirky has come up with a different approach. They have a network of over 30,000 volunteers that can help influence to improve and eventually launch a product. The process starts by someone submitting an idea. The concept is then presented to the community for feedback. The best ideas are selected to move on to actual product development, design, and branding. Continue reading “Social product development”
A virtual keyboard and remote control
Computers are more and more forming part of a home entertainment system. An Apple Mac mini for example now comes with an HDMI connector and supports native HDTV resolutions. It is often cumbersome to have to deal with a traditional keyboard and mouse in the family room. A great alternative is the Mobile Mouse Pro application. It allows for wireless remote control of a Windows or Mac computer using an iPhone. The application works in tandem with a program that runs on the computer being controlled. It is a great buy for $1.99 at the iTunes store. Continue reading “A virtual keyboard and remote control”
A multifaceted iPad case
There have been a hundreds of options for iPad cases in the market. Most do a good job protecting the iPad, but fail in increasing usability. Brenthaven 5-in1 case does a great job. The case has three pieces: a top, bottom, and overall cover. The pieces are then customized to achieve five functions: (1) full, hardshell protection of the iPad when not in use, (2) a horizontal viewing stand, (3) a strap system to hang the iPad for viewing videos, (4) a stand to make typing on a flat surface easier, and Continue reading “A multifaceted iPad case”
Plugin enables useful social features in Outlook
Spell “inbox” backwards and you get “xobni”. It is a creative name for a company that develops an increasingly useful Microsoft Outlook plugin. Xobni indexes all the e-mail stored locally within Outlook and remotely in Exchange servers. It then makes connections between recipients and social portals like Facebook and Linkedin.
Lets say John Doe is one of your contacts. You will be able to view John’s Facebook profile picture and additional public information by simply highlighting an e-mail received from him. You will also get a listing of past conversations. Continue reading “Plugin enables useful social features in Outlook”
An easy to carry, ultra small USB drive
Attach this USB drive to you key chain and you will always have a place for data with you. The LaCie MosKeyto is one of the smallest USB drives in the market. It probably cannot get any smaller because of the actual form of the USB connector. The drive is available in 4 GB and 8 GB capacities. LaCie has been making reliable storage devices since 1987. Continue reading “An easy to carry, ultra small USB drive”
Make HD recordings from a DVR portable
Digital video recorders (DVRs) are presently the norm. Many people are able to pause live TV and watch shows hours and even days after the original broadcast date. The problem now is how to extract the programs from proprietary DVRs like the ones from Comcast, AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV and others and view them on the many portable devices now available. The El Gato EyeTV HD can easily accomplish this. The kit contains the award winning EyeTV 3 software and a box with analog component audio and video inputs. These can be connected to any modern DVR and allow for the recording of videos in HD. Component video is mostly limited to 1080i, but this good enough for most portable devices, specially since most HD broadcasts are in 720p. The software can be configured to automatically convert video to a format compatible with an Apple iPad, iPod, and many other mobile devices.
HD videoconferencing for the family room
Cisco recently announced the Umi high definition video conferencing system for the home. The system is composed of an HD camera, control station, and remote control. The camera is designed to mount atop a flat panel display. At almost $600, it is at the high end of the residential conferencing offerings. A close competitor is the Logitech Revue with an accessory camera, which together will cost about $150 less than the Umi. Cisco has a long history of producing great video and teleconferencing products. We will have to wait until it is released to see how the Umi stacks up to the competition.