Koalasafe: Keep an eye on your kids habits. (Review)
As parents, our number one concern is the safety of our children. That’s why we make them wear helmets against their will when riding a bike because we love them. What about the internet? There are lots of things we don’t want them to see yet just lurking around. Just one mistyped word and only God knows what will pop up.
Kids also run the risk of becoming addicted to the internet, which can be bad for social skills. Not knowing how to cope without it is a sign that they might be addicted. Parents can watch them as much as possible, but even we get busy and time could slip by us just like that. We need a bicycle helmet for the internet. That’s where Koalasafe’s $100 modem comes in.
In the box
- Koalasafe modem
- Network cable
- USB Power Adapter
- microUSB cable
- Quickstart guide
Setup/App Features
Getting your new Koalasafe modem connected is so easy they only needed a small card to print the instructions on. Simply attach the ethernet cord to Koalasafe’s WAN ports and the other end into one of your router’s LAN ports.
Once that is finished, download the app and create an account. From there, you will pair your phone with the device, and you’re set to adjust the profiles. There is already one default profile for everyone that has options already set up. You can choose to use that one and alter the settings as you wish, or you can create individual profiles.
If you wish to create individual profiles, click the add button and begin. You will choose the profile name, age, and assign an icon for this profile. First, you will want to set up the schedule for each day of the week, which can be applied in any combination to any day of the week. You can even have multiple schedules in one day.
App screens
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Next, you will go into App and Site Blocking to set your preferences. This includes categories ranging from file sharing, gaming, social media, video and more. They can be blocked, allowed or partially blocked. Partially blocked will automatically filter content based on age.
You then will want to set the devices that should be included in this profile. Koalasafe will pick up all the devices within its range, and you can choose which devices you wish to assign this profile. Once you select them, do a pull down on the device screen for a refresh to make sure they got assigned.
Click the Advanced tab to select your filtering security mode preference. You have the options of high, medium and low with medium being the default. After doing some research, you should know that if you wish for Netflix to run on this modem, low must be checked.
Size in hand
Design and Build
Koalasafe is one tiny little modem for your tiny or big kid. Modem and router devices can take up a lot of valuable real estate. Depending on your setup, you may not have room for another device. Koalasafe measures in at just over two inches by two inches and a thickness of almost one inch. That means space is one less thing to worry about.
Usage Monitoring
This feature is one that could be used as an educational tool for your child. Instead of just snapping at them and telling them they spend too much time on the internet, (because they always think you’re exaggerating) you can show them how much time they are online and what sites they are visiting most.
Ports
What it’s missing
While you can control Netflix and Youtube, it doesn’t seem to have the option for other services such as Hulu and Amazon Video. It even describes the video section in the App and Website blocking section as follows:
Sites and Apps that allow the uploading and sharing of video content such as Vimeo.com or Tv watching sites like Netflix.
Despite Vimeo being listed it in the description, it doesn’t allow you to block it or alter it in any way. I have searched the Koalasafe forums, and I don’t believe I’m missing anything. It should pick up on all apps the device has and allow you to block it.
Another side view
What we love
We love the fact that the things Koalasafe does allow you to do are done well. After making sure Adult content was blocked, I searched the word porn and no bad results popped up. Along with adult content, it blocks VPN’s and proxies, violence, and more.
One nice feature is the big red button. Just click the status tab, click the red button, and the internet is instantly turned off. Also in that same tab, you can see the status of the internet.
The absolute best feature is the internet schedule. Coming home at midnight with my child still streaming while she is fast asleep gets annoying. Now, there is a set schedule, and she know what time it goes off. Of course, there are times when there should be a little give in what time it shuts off. To that end, Koalasafe allows you to extend time by however long you wish, and it will delay the cut off time.
Summary
Koalasafe is an effective tool to help in keeping your child safe on the web. While it is missing somethings that should be there, there is no reason to not buy this product. It will make your life a little bit easier…after everyone gets use to the new normal.
Buy from Koalasafe Website
Buy from Amazon
Download the app from the Play Store
Inateck 4 Port Car Charger: Style and functionality (Review)
I’ve had a long run of car chargers that barely do the one thing they are designed to do, charge my battery. It has become this big ordeal where I have to get the cable just right and pray I don’t bump it. Since all my family has an assortment of devices to charge while on long trips, we all need a slot, but half the time they all don’t work. Inateck has a solution for this, it’s the 4-Port Car Charger that sells for $13.99 on Amazon.
In the box
- 4 port car charger
- 2 microUSB cables
Review
This sleek four port charger is made up of white plastic with an aluminium bottom that gives it a real high-end look. When plugged into your car, the charger will emit a blue light from the USB ports to let you know there is power. I know it’s not a big deal to have a nice looking charger, but given the option wouldn’t you rather it look nice as well?
Inateck’s charger has built in smart chip technology that knows your devices charging capabilities and adjust to that. This ensures the correct current that will not overheat and will deliver the quickest charge possible. It has been certified by RoHS, FCC and CE for the highest safety standards.
Aside from the charger itself, Inateck also provides you with two four foot long microUSB charging cables. Each cable comes with a customized Inateck cable ties made with velcro to help keep your cables neat and tidy when not in use.
Summary
Choosing a car charger can be a frustrating experience. You never know what you are gonna get. It works perfectly today and tomorrow it’s in and out. Inateck is a company that provides products that last and its 4-port car charger is well worth the bargain price.
Buy Inateck’s 4-Port Car Charger
Get out the party streamers, Netflix picture-in-picture has arrived on iPad
Many owners of the iPad rejoiced when the iOS 9 update rolled in baring the gift of picture-in-picture. But that joy was mixed with lament as it didn’t extend to Netflix. Let happiness reign, it’s just arrived.
Netflix has rolled out a new update that allows the iPad’s picture-in-picture feature to work while streaming video. That means owners of iPads with iOS 9.3.2 or newer will be able to pop out a video player and leave it running on top in the corner of the screen while they run other apps.
Want to IM chat with a friend to talk about the latest episode of Orange is the New Black while watching it? Now you can. Need to stay on email while catching up on Better Call Saul? Yup that’s possible too.
While Netflix has only just been updated to work with picture-in-picture on iOS 9, other services like Hulu have had the feature running for a while now. But hopefully it’s worth the wait and means this will be a nice stable build.
Netflix subscribers just need to update the app to the latest version of 8.7.0, and do the same for iOS 9.3.2 and they’re good to go.
READ: Apple iOS 10 release date and everything you need to know
Xbox One Gears of War 4 Elite Controller: The best gamepad just got even better
We’ve always loved the Xbox One Elite Controller and its mad, pricey ways, but during its E3 2016 media briefing Microsoft announced a new version that we want so much more.
Battle-scarred and sexy, the Xbox Elite Controller – Gears of War 4 Limited Edition is available on pre-order now at the princely sum of $200.
It offers similar customisable thumbsticks, D-pad, rear paddles and hair trigger functionality of the original, but is completely styled around the forthcoming shooter from Microsoft and the Coalition.
In addition to the controller, you get an exclusive in-game item for Gears 4 and three Gear Packs for your money, but those dropping that kind of cash are really after the stunning looks and abilities of the device itself.
Pocket-lint
We didn’t get to use it playing a game sadly, so can’t tell you exactly how it feels until we get one in for review in the comings weeks or months. We can say that, in the hand, it feels very similar to the black and silver Elite Controller we currently use to game with.
READ: Xbox E3 2016 highlights: What was launched, Project Scorpio, Xbox One S and much more
As well as the controller itself, you get a Gears-themed red carry case, four metallic red paddles that can be fitted to the rear and assigned for different actions in games, and six interchangeable thumbsticks – two standard, two domed and two taller than usual.
There are also two D-pads included, with a standard one and the faceted version seen in our pictures. That has the weapon selection icons as seen in Gears games, printed in the right places.
The controller takes two AA batteries and is a doddle to set up.
First Impressions
The Xbox One Gears 4 Elite Controller is very pricey, at $50 more than even the mammoth cost for the original Elite device, and that will no doubt be way too much for many.
It’s hugely desirable for Gears fans though, so they might have to start saving now.
An exact release date is yet to be revealed. We’re also not sure if or when it will come to the UK too.
We certainly hope so.
‘Titanfall 2’ doesn’t ditch Microsoft’s cloud; it builds on it
When the original Titanfall launched exclusively on the Xbox One, Windows and Xbox 360 in 2014, it took advantage of Microsoft’s Azure cloud system, which allowed developers at Respawn to add AI teammates and enemies in a low-lag gaming environment. It also meant that some regions, such as South Africa, never saw the game because Microsoft’s dedicated servers simply didn’t exist in the country. This all changes with Titanfall 2.
The sequel is multi-platform, heading to Xbox One, Windows 10 and PlayStation 4, and it takes advantage of multiple cloud systems. In fact, it uses “every cloud,” according to lead programmer Jon Shiring. Through a partnership with UK-based server company Multiplay, Titanfall 2 will use Azure, Google and Amazon cloud services, plus bare metal systems — physical servers that sit on racks in big data centers.
“Since this launch is going to be even bigger than the last game, I really wanted to make sure that we had an insane amount of scalability and reliability,” Shiring says. “What’s really important to me is the game just works. …I want the game to be hosted everywhere, to find places near our players and make sure that we have absolute stability and reliability.”
Respawn founder and CEO Vince Zampella — you may know him as a co-creator of Call of Duty — says that the multi-platform approach gives the team much more flexibility.
“Obviously the partnership with Microsoft was fantastic for us, but now as we’re expanding out, the more flexibility we have, the better service we can offer the players,” he says. “Being on Azure and Google and Amazon, it’s just added benefit.”
With the original Titanfall, Microsoft’s regional cloud servers could max out in terms of player numbers. For instance, 2 million people participated in the game’s trial period across Xbox One and PC, and at one point the European servers were unable to host any more players. At that point, Respawn had to shift the extra European players to US servers on the East Coast, which increased their ping — the amount of time that it takes for data to transfer between separate locations. In online multiplayer games, high ping is a death knell, or at least a serious frustration for competitive players.
At the time, Shiring told Engadget, “We don’t look forward to doing that at all, but if we have a bunch of people sitting unable to play the game, then we’re going to make sure that the experience is good enough -– maybe not ideal -– to get them playing.”
Shiring is confident that the new server infrastructure will be able to handle anything Titanfall 2 players throw its way. But, just to be sure, Respawn is holding a multiplayer technical test before the game launches on October 28th. Developers want to enlist as many players as possible so they can squash the kinds of bugs that only appear when tons of people boot up an online game at the same time.
“It’s a brand-new system and that’s one of the reasons we’re doing that multiplayer tech test, is to prove all this out and show that we’re ready for launch,” Shiring says. “Once we get there, it’s going to give us a really insane level of scalability being on every cloud and on bare metal as well.”
NASA’s recruitment posters are looking for Mars explorers
We wish these NASA recruitment posters for Martian workers were real. Alas, we’ve yet to send humans to the red planet, and these were but part of an art exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex in 2009. While you can’t work as a technician, a teacher, a surveyor or as a farmer on Mars at this point in time, you can at least download high-res copies of these posters today. The space agency has made them all available on its website, in case you want to print them out for your walls or to use them as wallpapers on your phone. If you’re still feeling a bit miffed that you can’t actually go to Mars, well, just think of Mark Watney and be thankful that there’s zero chance you’ll get left behind on an alien planet.
Via: Wired
Source: NASA
How Adidas is using motion capture to reinvent running shoes
When Kanye West isn’t wearing his Yeezys (or Vans, as he describes in a song on The Life of Pablo), he’s often spotted in Adidas Ultra Boosts. Since being introduced last year, the Ultra Boost has quickly transcended its intended purpose as a running shoe, becoming an essential silhouette for sneakerheads everywhere. But despite Ultra Boost finding success in the streetwear community, Adidas continues to create products around a mantra from founder Adi Dassler: “It all starts with the athlete.” That idea, combined with the use of evolving technologies such as motion capture, is what drove the design behind AlphaBounce, the company’s latest running shoe.
Before becoming a reality, AlphaBounce had to be shaped by ARAMIS, a motion-capture system that helps determine the amount of strain and tension caused by different materials. ARAMIS, which NASA has used to inspect the outer hull of space shuttles, combines high-speed cameras with flexion sensors to gather information at up to 500 frames per second. Since the software maps skin, bone and muscle, it can give Adidas engineers insight into how they should go about designing a more comfortable running sneaker. ARAMIS can visualize the level of comfort on every area of an individual’s foot, from the heel to the toes, as well as indicate when the fabric may be getting in the way of performance.
Adidas uses the ARAMIS motion-capture system to assess the tension of different fabrics.
“It’s a really versatile tool,” said George Robusti, senior design director of global running at Adidas, of the ARAMIS system. “The technology enabled us to fine-tune how we approach the functionality of the product. You shouldn’t need to think about the shoe being there.”
In the case of AlphaBounce, Adidas built the sneaker’s upper with a flexible, lightweight material called ForgeMesh. It’s supposed to fit like a glove — but still be less weird looking than those five-finger shoes. While Adidas has relied on ARAMIS to build a product in the past (it used it with Ultra Boost too), Robusti said this is the first time a design was brought to life based on data collected from the motion-capture system. Those learnings, of course, derived from Adidas bringing in athletes to put AlphaBounce through its phases.
As we sat and talked inside Adidas’ headquarters in Portland, Ore., I asked Robusti how AlphaBounce compares to the Ultra Boost and NMD, two of the company’s most popular runner lines. Unlike those highly coveted (and arguably fashion-centric) shoes, the AlphaBounce was designed primarily for performance, said Robusti, though it still needed a modern look. Adidas achieved that last part by mixing black, purple and orange colors, with a limited-edition speckled pattern meant to evoke the shoe used in Adidas’ motion-capture tests.
The AlphaBounce will be available in a limited-edition pattern meant to evoke the motion-capture testing that Adidas used to design the product.
What completes the vision for AlphaBounce, and inspired its name, is the Bounce midsole, which has been redesigned to offer improved comfort and stability. Bounce, which debuted in 2015 with the Energy Bounce and Mana Bounce, is a type of elastic foam that’s been engineered to feel soft and, well, bouncy (get it?). Ideally, Adidas says, the running experience should feel almost elastic.
During a demo of the sneaker, the team behind AlphaBounce compared its blend of materials and design techniques to Apple’s signature approach: seamless integration between hardware and software. “In the past, we’ve always used off-the-shelf materials or processes that have existed,” said Andy Barr, Adidas’ category director of global running. It was important that the company develop all of the AlphaBounce’s components in-house, similar to how Apple owns or designs many of the components used in its own products. In particular, Barr pointed to the new upper materials used for ForgeMesh and the overhauled Bounce midsole.
“We’re always trying to create the new thing in the market,” he added. “It maybe doesn’t feel familiar straight away, but we know in a year, year and a half, it’s going to push the whole market forward.”
Ultimately, Adidas intends to bring AlphaBounce’s core technology to other products, including sports bras, apparel and different versions of the shoe. That said, it might be hard for AlphaBounce to reach the same level of popularity as the Ultra Boost and NDM or even Nike’s Free RN. But at $100 starting today, Adidas has high hopes that its new design will soon become a favorite among avid runners.
Pebble’s Time Round now comes in polished gold and silver
When Pebble unveiled its latest line of watches for 2016, noticeably absent was a successor to the Time Round, a bummer for those who love its thinner and circular design. To appease Round lovers, the company is releasing a couple of new special Kickstarter editions that come in polished gold and silver. It has that same round color e-paper display as before, along with a marine-grade stainless steel chassis. These particular editions have a black bezel with smoked numbers on the three-hour marks and ship with a 20mm black leather band. It’s worth noting that these new Round models do not have optical heart sensors like the recently announced Pebble 2 and Time 2.
You can of course pick one of these watches up later, but if you pre-order it now via Pebble’s current Kickstarter campaign, you’ll get it before anyone else. It’s $199 if you want to get it by itself, but if you fancy having one watch for sporty activities and another for everyday wear, you can get a combo pack with the Pebble 2 for $298. Pebble tells us that current backers can change their pledges to a different reward tier while the campaign is still ongoing. If you decide to add it later, you can simply specify it in a later Reward survey.
Source: Pebble
Monohm’s circular ‘anti-smartphone’ is up for pre-order
Back in 2015, while I was trawling the halls of Mobile World Congress, I stumbled upon a device known as the Runcible. It was a strangle, pebble-like object with limited functionality — its creator, Aubrey Anderson, described it as a “quieter” gadget to help people relax and live slightly more disconnected lives. Since then I’ve heard almost nothing about the project, but that’s all changing today — Anderson and his company, Monohm, have announced that the Runcible is now available for pre-order, starting at $399 for the base model and $499 for the premium “adventure” version.
The biggest change is the software. The Runcible no longer runs on Firefox OS, which is understandable given that Mozilla has abandoned its plans to build a smartphone operating system. (Firefox OS lives on as a platform for TVs and other “connected devices,” however.) Now the little puck runs on BuniOS, a platform built by Monohm using the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It leverages The Crosswalk Project, an open-source web application runtime, as well as a more “traditional” runtime based on Android 5.1, which can be used to install and run native apps.
The Runcible is roughly the size of a coffee coaster. It has a 2.5-inch display with a 640 x 640 resolution, which works out at 256 pixels per inch (ppi). Under the surface you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, a Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Not the most impressive specs, but then the Runcible isn’t a traditional smartphone. Its basic features include an analog clock, a compass and what appears to be a photo viewer. Monohm says it’ll “never beep, alert or otherwise interrupt” you, in order to help you focus on the real world.
That’s not to say you can’t stay connected. The so-called anti-smartphone has a 7-megapixel rear-facing camera and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth out of the box. Anderson says the final version could also come with LTE — if there are enough pre-orders to “sway the operators,” that is.
The $399 model comes with a back made from recycled ocean plastic. A limited number will also be available for $499 with sustainably harvested madrone wood. These prices might sound expensive — they probably are — but Anderson is committed to quality. Like a watch or family memento, he wants the Runcible to last “decades.” That’s why the device is also highly customizable — Monohm wants users to fix and replace the parts.
“When you take your Runcible apart, you’ll find exposed GPIO (general-purpose input/output) you can add components to,” Anderson explains. “You’ll find end points for audio, USB host, SPI (serial peripheral interface) and UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter).”
The Runcible is weirdly wonderful. It’s trying to tackle an emerging problem with smartphones and how people live with technology — increasingly connected, and staring at a screen. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but for those who want a different life balance — one where they’re encouraged to look up at the world a little more often — there’s now the Runcible. Much will depend on its software and the support it receives from both Monohm and the developer community. Regardless, we’re just happy to see a startup trying something different.
Source: Monohm
The old-school approach behind St. Lucia’s ‘Help Me Run Away’
How do you fit a story arc centered around a lovelorn pair of sneakers into a five minute music video? For St. Lucia’s song Help Me Run Away, director Norton relied on a combination of practical effects and CG to animate Converse sneakers on a cross-country road trip to find its matching pair of high heels.
When I spoke to the director, he referenced movies including the original Jurassic Park, where the combination of CGI for longer shots and live-action robots for close up. The behind the scenes video below shows how puppeteering on a custom-built rig or green suited dancers wearing the shoes created movement that’s realistic, without the uncanny valley that overused computer renderings can produce, even in current movies. (Of course, practical effects can have their issues too.) There are some instances of computer generated rendering for close-ups, like when the shoes are waving their shoelaces in the breeze.
As described by St. Lucia’s Jean-Philip Grobler, he and Norton took their cues not just from cheesy 80s movies (note the quick zooms) but also Pixar’s knack for bringing forth a hidden life from everyday objects. The human characters in the video are played by the rest of the band, transforming the song from Grobler’s idea of his own journey from South Africa to the US, to something else entirely. even the journey isn’t just green-screened, as the video was shot on both coasts, before being edited in Adobe Premiere and adding CGI from Stratostorm.
Source: St. Lucia (YouTube)
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