Beddi smartphone alarm dock hooks up to Uber, Spotify and Nest
We’ve seen plenty of smartphone — well, mostly iPhone — alarm docks in our lifetime, but there’s been little development on that end in recent years. OK, there was that one bacon scent alarm from Oscar Mayer, but not much else. That’s why we were pretty stoked when we came across Witti’s neat and affordable solution dubbed Beddi. This $100 minimalistic dock houses an iOS or Android phone in landscape mode on the top, and recharging is done via your own USB cable — you get a 2.1A port and a 1A port on the back. But it’s really all about the companion app: Once paired up over Bluetooth, you can preset Beddi’s three physical buttons to either call an Uber taxi, toggle a Spotify playlist, control the temperature on your Nest or switch on a Philips Hue light. Some of these can even be automated according to your desired schedule. Slideshow-331960
The dock itself also packs some goodies. You get a pair of 3W speakers that actually sound pretty good for the price, and they’ll go nicely with Beddi’s soothing ambient noise function or just the general music playback — via either Bluetooth 4.0 or line-in at the back. For those who still use the old-school FM radio, Beddi has it as well. Thanks to the Google Maps integration, you can also wake up to voice-based weather plus live traffic information to get to work on time. Beddi also comes with two sets of LED lights: The one along the bottom edge serves as a 16-million color mood light, and the one on the back is a warm-white wake-up light to give you an easier start in the morning.
Not bad for a $100 smartphone dock, right? It’s even cheaper on Kickstarter: You can grab a Beddi for just $75 a piece or from just $115 for two, with delivery expected in June next year.
Source: Kickstarter
Polar announces the new A360 smartwatch to track fitness, incoming calls, and more
Polar (not the company Google acquired), a leading company in heart-rate monitors, has just announced a new product, the A360 fitness tracker. The wristband is aimed at taking industry-level heart rate measurements, tracking activities 24/7, steps, calories, and even sleep.
The Polar A360 isn’t just a fitness tracker, though. The wearable also doubles as a true smartwatch by vibrating for incoming calls, messages, calendar events, and even social media notifications. The tracker will also nudge you when you’ve been at a standstill for too long.
It has a lot of added functionality, such as compatibility with many of the company’s other training products, such as the Polar H7 heart rate monitor.
There’re also a variety of band colours you can choose from, including Powder White, Charcoal Black, Neon Green, Sorbet Pink, and Navy Blue. The Polar A360 retails for $199.95USD (€199.90) and will be available this November, just in time for the holidays! Some of these colours will be available won’t be immediately available, but soon after launch.
Fitness trackers have always been a mystery. You really never know if you’re getting accurate information, and the speculation skyrockets if your activity tracker was fairly cheap. However, Polar has a history for creating leading heart rate monitors and more, so the A360 might just be something to try out this winter.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it stands up against the Moov Now.
Kempele, Finland – October 20, 2015 – Polar, the leader in heart rate sensors, activity trackers, and wearable sports technology, is taking its fitness trackers to the next level by introducing the colorful Polar A360 with wrist-based heart rate monitoring. Polar A360 features industry-leading heart rate measurement-based training guidance, in addition to 24/7 activity tracking, and all this information is displayed on a high-resolution color touchscreen. The A360 is waterproof and tracks daily activity, steps, calories, workouts, and sleep.
Designed to encompass a 360-degree lifestyle and encourage activity, Polar A360 vibrates to inform users of incoming calls, messages, calendar alerts, and social media notifications, and also to provide gentle reminders when they have been sitting still for too long. The Polar A360 is not only stylish, but also comfortable with small, medium, and large sizes available for the perfect fit. Users can match their personal style with interchangeable and vibrantly colored, soft silicone wristbands, which will be available in Powder White, Charcoal Black, Neon Green, Sorbet Pink and Navy Blue for individual purchase. Fully charged, the Polar A360 will track for two weeks with 24/7 activity tracking, including one hour of training per day. It also works with Polar’s H7 heart rate monitor in case users prefer to train with a chest strap. The Polar A360 will be available in November 2015 for $199.95/€199.90.
“The key to achieving Polar’s well-known accuracy relies on how data is recorded by the sensor, and then how it is interpreted. We developed our own algorithm for optical heart rate monitoring and optimized the hardware design to ensure the A360 meets the same accuracy and quality standards that Polar customers have come to expect,” says Marco Suvilaakso, Global Product Director at Polar. “Polar created the first heart rate monitor, and 38 years later we continue to be the trusted industry standard.”
The latest wearable from Polar goes beyond daily activity tracking to also provide personalized training guidance and motivation to help users meet their fitness goals. The A360 offers the company’s unique Smart Coaching features such as Activity Guide and Activity Benefit, which provide practical daily activity target suggestions and explain how activities affect the user’s health.
Daily activity and heart rate training details can be viewed on the Polar Flow mobile app (available for iOS and Android), which offers an in-depth analysis of daily, weekly, and monthly activity. The Polar Flow web service also offers a window into a person’s fitness and training diary. If training with a coach or personal trainer,Polar Flow for Coach offers additional training support, as users can connect and share workout information via the web service and receive feedback from their coaches. The A360 also works with Polar Club, allowing users to train with club instructors and view live heart rate data during fitness classes.
The Polar A360 will be available in Charcoal Black (size: M, L) and Powder White (size: S) in November in retail stores and online globally for $199.95 / €199.90. Additional colors such as Sorbet Pink (S, M) and Navy Blue (M) will be available soon after launch. Changeable wristbands in Powder White, Charcoal Black, Sorbet Pink, Navy Blue and Neon Green will be available in a variety of sizes and sold separately early next year.
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Merge VR Goggles now available for pre-order on Amazon, will ship in time for the holidays
Merge VR today announced that the foam Merge VR Goggles is now available to pre-order on Amazon, and it’ll even arrive in time for this holiday season!
The Merge VR Goggles are made with a soft and flexible foam, making them easy to take on the go. There’s no need to worry about breaking them! The headset has dual input buttons, which allows its users to move around and jump while immersed in the world of virtual reality.
Those interested can pre-order the headset on Amazon for $79.99 with a shipping date of November 15. Merge VR will also soon be launching Merge Start to help you find the best virtual reality content on the market so you have, well, something to use your Merge VR Goggles with.
VR content is still in its infancy, so much of it isn’t that great. But hopefully the Merge Start will help curate some of the best of what’s out there to properly showcase what these Goggles can truly do.
Press release below.
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Merge VR announced today that its soft, foam goggles are available for pre-order through Amazon, and will ship before holidays. The Merge VR Goggles are among the top tech products debuting in the consumer entertainment market this holiday season. Compatible with any iOS or Android smartphone from the last two years, the Merge VR Goggles are available on Amazon.com at a family-friendly consumer pre-order price of $79.
“We’re thrilled to offer our product on Amazon.com to deliver a high-quality, easy to use headset to consumers this year,” said Dan Worden, Executive Vice President. “Virtual reality is here and has a very bright future. There are already so many VR games, 360 videos and other fun experiences available, with more being developed all the time. We are providing consumers with a comfortable, durable and affordable virtual reality headset that works with the mobile phones they’ve already got in their pockets.”
Created with soft, flexible foam, the durable Merge VR Goggles are made to be tossed in a bag, taken on the go, and easily shared among friends. Innovative dual input buttons allow users to explore and interact in ways not possible before; you can run AND jump, or move forward AND backward while fully immersed in virtual reality. Additional features include adjustable custom lenses, anti-fog ventilation channels, audio ports, camera access for augmented reality, and an optional top strap for added comfort.
Merge VR will soon be launching Merge Start, where users can find the latest and greatest in high-quality, curated VR content. The Merge VR Goggles also work with the hundreds of VR apps and 360 videos already available in the iOS App Store and Google Play.
With adjustable lenses, comfortable head straps, and lightweight foam that fits the contours of any phone and any face, Merge VR Goggles makes virtual reality available to anyone, anywhere.
[Amazon]
Come comment on this article: Merge VR Goggles now available for pre-order on Amazon, will ship in time for the holidays
Want to watch HTC’s One A9 event?
If you’ve been tracking the HTC One A9 over the last few months, you know that today is (probably) the day that HTC will officially introduce it. The One A9 event scheduled for today is going to be streamed on YouTube, so everyone can watch as HTC unveils its latest smartphone. The event begins at noon Eastern time (11 a.m. Central), and you can watch the whole thing through the YouTube stream above.
Based on the latest rumors, the One A9 will likely launch with these specs:
- Snapdragon 617 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 5-inch 1920 x 1080 display
- 16GB of internal storage
- 2150 mAh battery
- MicroSD card slot
- Fingerprint sensor
While these specs aren’t going to kill any flagships on the market, they will make for a nice little phone that’s being released just in time for the holiday season. We haven’t heard any official word on the carriers that will be selling the Aero, although some leaked photos last week indicated that the device is at least working on the AT&T network. We expect all these details and more from HTC’s event today.
Source Phandroid
The post Want to watch HTC’s One A9 event? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Uber improves its service for disabled passengers in London
After recently seeing off a challenge from the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) at London’s High Court, Uber is wasting no time in its attempt to broaden its appeal across the capital. The company today announced the launch of uberASSIST, a new service that will offer additional assistance to disabled users. It works like this: when a rider requests a car using the ASSISTUK code, a “top rated” Uber driver, who has passed an equality course developed by Transport for All and Inclusion London, will be told that their passenger may require additional assistance and be invited to contact them ahead of their pick-up.
Vehicles are equipped to store folding wheelchairs, walkers and scooters, but Uber hopes to “add additional fully accessible vehicles to the Uber platform” by early next year. The launch comes as Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London (TfL) look to impose restrictions on the company’s operations in an attempt to level the playing field for traditional taxis and the private hire industry. Uber has been told it should offer more wheelchair accessible vehicles, while other proposals require drivers to complete a Knowledge-like exam and pass an English-language test in order to operate in the capital.
Uber says that the service will be available from 3pm today for no extra cost and more than a hundred drivers are already on board. It’s a small footprint when compared to the 21,000+ London black cabs that are wheelchair accessible by design, but Uber’s finally doing more to support riders who may need extra assistance when travelling across the city.
ICYMI: A cold foam heart, fast oil change invention and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Castrol invented an oil-storing apparatus that lets you change the oil and filter by swapping in a fresh container under two minutes. It’s already inside an Aston Martin racing car but the company’s goal is to get it into mainstream consumer cars within a few years. Meanwhile Cornell scientists invented a polymer that has pores and can pump fluids, allowing it to act as an artificial foam heart. And a Tokyo-based eyewear company will begin selling its smart glasses next month. The classically-styled eyeglasses can track movement and are definitely less nerd-defining than the telltale Google Glass version.
We also included a 3D-printed railgun that makers will enjoy seeing, since some of its parts were 3D-printed. And because you’ll want to send this to someone you grew up with, here’s the video of the adult-sized Little Tikes car.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
3D Robotics’ Solo drone is about to get a lot more useful
When 3D Robotics announced its Solo quadcopter, one of the more intriguing features was an accessory bay. Instead of opening up the Solo and wiring in, or screwing on an accessory (as is common with hobby drones — including the ubiquitous Phantom 2), you would simply “plug and play.” Until now, that’s all we really knew, but today the company is announcing “Made for Solo” — a program that will standardize, and encourage the development of third-party accessories for the self-proclaimed “smart drone.” If you make infrared cameras, for example, you could make a version just for Solo and have it work seamlessly with the drone’s GPS and smart flight modes. Basically, any gadget, sensor or product that could squeeze into, and be lifted by, a quadcopter could be integrated into the Solo as if it were native to the product.
By turning the Solo into a platform that hardware makers can build for, it’s not hard to imagine a new wave of specific peripherals that might not have been viable before. 3D Robotics says that it’s already been working with select partners, including Epson and Kodak. Epson is making tools that will provide Augmented Reality flying to work with its Moverio AR Glasses; Kodak is integrating its PIXPRO SP360 camera for aerial VR video. Anyone joining the program will get access to 3DR’s open hardware bay, but also official 3DR endorsement of compatibility — a la “Made for iPhone” — and, curiously, the Solo warranty.
For businesses and researchers the benefits are practical — concentrate on what you’re good at, let 3D Robotics handle the drone part. In many ways, Made for Solo is a hardware version of 3D Robotic’s DroneKit tools for app developers. For consumers, it’s potentially more exciting. You can start off with a drone that flies with a camera, but over time, add functionality with more accessories — perhaps a carry cradle, quick release mechanism, ground avoidance sensors, or even artistic tools.
Anyone interested in applying to join the program can sign up here. Accessories for Solo will be showcased here once available.
Play PSP games on an Oculus Rift with this VR emulator
While Sony is mulling the PlayStation Vita’s future, someone is giving the last-generation PlayStation Portable a new life — in virtual reality. Oculus developer 2EyeGuy has created an Oculus Rift emulator called PPSSPP VR for PSP games, and it arguably works better than the original. As he puts it, “PPSSPP VR… lets you actually be inside PSP games. You are not playing on a virtual handheld or screen, you are inside the virtual world.” The simulator works perfectly with a large number of PSP games, including Final Fantasy 7 and Wipeout Pure, and good-to-poorly on others, like Gran Turismo and Star Wars Battlefront II.
2EyeGuy has some experience in converting classic games to full VR, as he’s behind the Dolphin VR emulator for the Nintendo GameCube and Wii. The PSP emulator bumps the resolution of the original significantly, and brings stereoscopic 3D, head-tracking and pre-warping to the games. Final Fantasy 7 plays just fine, for instance, judging by the video below from YouTube gamer Hoopermation.
That said, certain features still don’t work, like motion sickness prevention, Direct3D support and button combinations for hotkeys. Also, you’ll need to recompile your games, and it appears that some hardware setups don’t work, judging by a Reddit discussion about it. However, users that did get it running are over the moon to see their beloved PSP games get a new life. As one guy put it, “Wipeout Pure is one of the best racing games of all time… holy f**ing shit!”
Via: RoadToVR
Source: Oculus Developer Forums
Waterfield Debuts New Cases for Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2
San Francisco-based accessory manufacturer Waterfield Designs today unveiled a new line of protective cases for the newly announced Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2. The company promises that the custom-fit cases protect the new Apple accessories from everyday drops and dings, and are thin and light enough to slip into bigger bags.
The Waterfield Magic Keyboard Slip case
The Magic Keyboard has three case options for customers to choose from, the first being the full-featured $59 Magic Keyboard Travel Express, which fits the new keyboard along with power cables, a Magic Mouse and a host of other possibilities in its zippered case. A bit down in price from that is the $29 Magic Keyboard Slip, which takes the housing and look of Waterfield’s MacBook case line and shrinks it down to accommodate the slim new Magic Keyboard. The bare-bones $15 Magic Keyboard Socket promises to protect the new accessory “on a student’s budget.”
“Many laptop and tablet owners use a separate keyboard with their mobile devices to avoid potential Repetitive Strain Injuries (like carpel tunnel syndrome) and other ergonomic problems,” explained founder Gary Waterfield, “But—as too many of us know from experience—one small spill can instantly ruin a Keyboard or TrackPad. We designed the Magic Keyboard and TrackPad 2 cases to protect these devices so that users can take them from workstation to workstation or from work to home with peace of mind.”
The Magic Trackpad 2 is seeing a similar new line of cases from Waterfield today, with a $25 Slip case that provides heavier durability and an extra accessory sleeve and the cheaper $12 Socket option for those wanting protection on the cheaper side. All of the company’s new cases can be ordered from its official website beginning today, with an estimated shipping date of Friday, October 23.
Nexus pricing got you down? At least you’re not living in Japan…
Last month, Google officially unveiled the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P with all kinds of new features and functionality. It also put the pair at a proper price point: competitive with similar products; a good value-for-money proposition. Shortly after news broke about the less fortunate situation overseas, where the darling devices will cost quite a pretty penny. In Japan however, it seems carriers are literally asking for a small fortune.
Two telecoms will sell the Nexus 5X, each only offering the 32GB variant. SoftBank subsidiary, Y!mobile, is charging ¥80,352 (roughly $673):
NTT docomo is charging an even higher fee. The “true” price of the Nexus 5X is ¥93,312, or $781. Those who purchase before November 30th will get a ¥10,800 discount, bringing the total down to $691:
For reference, the Japanese Google Store is selling the 32GB Nexus 5X for ¥63,400, or $531:
Surprised?
For Americans, the 32GB Nexus 5X costs $429. This means that Google Japan is charging $102 over the US retail price, Y!mobile is charging $244 over the US retail price, and NTT docomo – without the campaign – is charging $352 over the US retail price.
The numbers may change slightly depending on which state you live in given that Google’s $429 does not include sales tax; the Japanese prices however, do. Suffice to say the carriers here are charging more than what the Nexus 6P costs in America.
SoftBank’s Nexus 6P preview page.
In Japan, a 32GB Nexus 6P from the Google Store costs ¥74800 ($626). Is it also being sold via SoftBank for ¥78,720 ($659). Carrier-based Nexus 5X units are thus more expensive than the Huawei variant, and even the one carrier selling the 6P has less mark-up to boot.
Why the high prices?
Japanese carriers have operated on a ¥0 down, installment-based payment system for roughly a decade. The pricing detailed in this piece assume the customer pays Full Retail Price at the time of purchase.
Y!mobile provides no discount, thus customers are paying the FRP over 24 months. NTT docomo will provide a ¥46,800 discount over the course of 24 months (¥2,025 per month) thus bringing the cost down to ¥33,912 ($284). Still, this discount is dependant on a specific contract, which typically requires a costly unlimited talking plan, in addition to internet access and the phone installments themselves.
It should be noted that both Y!mobile and NTT docomo are only selling the Nexus 5X, and SoftBank is only selling the Nexus 6P. There is no choice to be had within a specific carrier.
Likewise, the monthly phone installments are interest-free (and ¥0 down) thus carriers might seem a better initial proposition than Google for many customers, especially if they don’t realize Google sells directly.
Wrap up
The Japanese Nexus situation highlights regional differences that can occur even with a single product. It is unclear as to why these two carriers have chosen to inflate the price of the Nexus 5X beyond that which Google Japan already did. One possibility is to make the smartphone seem impressive (as a factor of cost). Still, the Google Store and Softbank (carrier) 32GB Nexus 6P offerings are actually cheaper, despite major hardware and spec advantages. It’s a curious situation indeed.
Perhaps fittingly, the Nexus 6P is sold-out on the Google Store, and SoftBank Mobile has finished accepting reservations. As of this morning NTT docomo was still offering free Google Cardboard to its early Nexus 5X customers, however the promotion now seems to be finished, so clearly the price isn’t a concern for some.
Now that you know Japan’s peculiar pricing predicament, do you still feel like the new Nexus devices are expensive in your country?
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