BenjiLock uses a fingerprint to keep your gym locker secure

Fingerprint readers are already a staple feature of many smartphones, and here at CES we found the technology built into what looks like a traditional padlock. The BenjiLock, designed by a startup from Los Angeles, supports up to four different fingerprints and saves them in an encrypted chip for easy access. It doesn’t leave physical keys out altogether, however, since the company says you may need to use the included set at some point. For example, if someone you don’t know makes a few attempts to unlock the device, BenjiLock automatically erases your information and will require the key to open it again.

If you don’t like the white model pictured here, it also comes in a variety of colors, including black, copper, brass and stainless steel. Unfortunately, BenjiLock won’t be up for grabs until the third quarter of this year for $80, which isn’t that high of price to pay for a fancy gym locker to humble-brag about to your bros. Unless you’d rather just stick to using keys or a combination that, somehow, you always tend to forget.

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Meet the VR boots that want to make you feel every step

If 2016 was the year of virtual reality, 2017 might just be the era of VR accessories. Japanese gadget-maker Cerevo has debuted Taclim, a pair of motion controllers and shoes that provide haptic feedback in VR, vibrating in various ways as players walk across different surfaces or kick enemies in the face.

Taclim is still in the prototype stages and Cerevo is using its debut at CES 2017 to gather feedback on the fresh hardware. It’s clear the system is fresh — the boots are clunky, with two chunky straps across the top, and foam soles that separate and slide to allow for size adjustment. It’s difficult to balance on the shoes, let alone kick out with any real force.

Playing an unreleased PlayStation VR game, Headbutt Factory, the boots responded about half of the time as I kicked out at a series of floating enemies. I walked along a pathway composed of various surfaces, including snow and wood. When I could actually feel the vibrations, they were effective in evoking the different textures.

Taclim is slated to hit the market in the fall, but don’t expect to see it in your living room. Cerevo CEO Takuma Iwasa says he envisions Taclim as a product for business owners to use to advertise their products or programs. For example, the owner of an ice skating rink could create a VR experience that uses Taclim to imitate the feeling of sliding along the ice, and set it up in an arcade, convention show floor or other public venue.

The full haptic feedback system will cost $1,000 to $1,500 when it comes out in the fall. The demo game, Headbutt Factory, is due to hit PlayStation VR at the end of January and will eventually be free on Taclim. Whether it actually works, though, is up to Cerevo.

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WooHoo is an Echo with a touchscreen, facial recognition and more

We’re beginning to see a trend here at CES. A ton of companies are either injecting their tech with a dose of Alexa or building their own Amazon Echo competitors from scratch. SmartBeings falls into the later category, but its WooHoo device packs a lot more punch than the online retailer’s smart speaker. WooHoo can do some of the things Echo handles, but it’s also equipped with both facial and voice recognition, Android-powered software and a 7-inch touchscreen. Oh yeah, and it’s a full-on IoT hub for all your smart home tech.

If you can imagine a version of Echo with a rotating camera that helps complete tasks when a specific person walks in a room, you’ll get the idea here. Yes, it also works as a regular old speaker too. That camera also adds a layer of security so you can see when someone enters a room. That’s all great, but SmartBeings’ cloud-based software is perhaps a bigger selling point here. It requires a monthly subscription, but you get access to to software that allows you to manage all of that connected home tech with the ability to keep an eye on your kids or turn on music when you (and only you) enter a room. It also offers the help of AI that learns your habits in order to become more helpful.

Why the name WooHoo? That’s the keyword to activate the device much like “OK, Google” or “Alexa” alerts the virtual assistants for Google and Amazon’s smart speakers. Final retail pricing is still in the works, but if you pre-order now, the gadget will only cost you $49 with five color options. The subscription will set you back an additional $9 a month for the home plan and $19 for the business option. SmartBeings plans to start shipping WooHoo in late summer.

Mona Lalwani contributed to this report.

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The first available smart mirror has a narcissistic sequel

Just a few months after hitting the market, there’s already a new model of the first smart mirror you can actually buy. The HiMirror Plus boasts incremental upgrades that make it a better companion for selfie and beauty lovers. It costs $259 — that’s $70 more than the original — and has a new ambient light to simulate different lighting conditions environments so you can better apply your makeup (and, let’s be real, take fantastic selfies). The company also unveiled an accessory called the HiSkin — handheld scanner with optical sensors that you can place on your face (or any part of your body, really) to get a better read on your complexion. I used a HiMirror Plus for a few days ahead of CES, and then checked out the HiSkin here at the show, and am skeptical that they could really help improve my skin.

You might have seen my hands-on with the original HiMirror, which I saw at a briefing in November. Since then, the company has added a few software updates that integrate playlists of how-to videos on YouTube. But the most obvious difference between the two generations is the addition of what the company calls ambient lights to the long sides of the device. You can press a button to scroll through different scenes, such as daylight, restaurant and sunset, and the lights change color to simulate the selected setting. The idea here is that if you know what your face will look like in the place you’re going to, you’ll be able to better tailor your makeup for the situation.

During my time with the Plus, I never found this tool all that useful for adjusting my makeup, since the different lights in my bathroom, bedroom and living room did a good enough job of giving me an idea of what my face would look like in all my anticipated environments. I did, however, get a huge kick out of taking a ton of selfies in front of the mirror, playing with the lighting until I achieved the most Instagram-worthy effect. Basically, then, there’s no real utility here other than goofing around and growing an Instagram following.

Those who are that dedicated to their social media careers may find it worthwhile to get the Plus over the original mirror. What’s more, someone who’s contemplating between the first HiMirror and the new one is most probably as narcissistic as I am, and just as likely to enjoy this feature.

Aside from the new ambient lights, the HiMirror Plus is basically the same as its predecessor. Its voice control capabilities are still limited, and its well-meaning words of encouragement, such as “You can do better!” continue to be funny. Having had one in my own apartment for a few days this time around, I can more easily see the device’s appeal. I actually wanted to stand in front of the mirror and take a picture every day to see how my skin fared compared to the day before.

Taking a picture for the analysis is fast enough: You hold your hand in front of the infrared sensor that detects your movements, which triggers a three-second countdown before snapping your photo. Getting my results took close to a minute, though, during which I tended to walk away from the mirror to attend to other tasks. It’s a testament to HiMirror’s appeal, though, that I always came back to check out my results and look at how I did in specific areas such as clarity, dark spots, red spots, firmness and fine lines.

HiMirror’s target audience is obvious. Put bluntly, it’s just narcissists like myself, plus the beauty-obsessed. The company’s latest accessory is designed specifically for the latter, who would be more interested in knowing the finer and more accurate data on their skin’s level of hydration and melatonin. The device can be paired with the HiMirror mobile app, so you don’t actually need to get the mirror to get a read on your complexion. Given the stiflingly dry hotel room I’ve been staying in the past few days, I can see why someone would want to track how moist their skin is. But it’s a niche product that doesn’t seem useful on a daily basis.

it’s unlikely that the HiMirror Plus and HiSkin will find their way into every home, although they could appeal to a specific audience. Beauty lovers and the plethora of YouTube vloggers creating makeup tutorials will find the smart mirror a useful tool. Widespread adoption, on the other hand, will be elusive.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Whirlpool brings Alexa to its next generation of appliances

Alexa can already order a pizza and fire up your TV as you lazily bark commands at it, but appliances giant Whirlpool is about to put Amazon’s personal assistant to work with some extra chores around the house. The two companies announced they’ve teamed up to connect Alexa with Whirlpool’s next line of smart home appliances. The future where you can ask your fridge to set the temperature in the veggie drawer has finally arrived.

Amazon and Whirlpool already enjoy a cozy partnership with Amazon Dash’s one-touch ordering, but the new Alexa skills add even more useful features to an integrated smart home. In the laundry room, Alexa will be able to tell you whether your washer or dryer is running and how much time is left on the cycle, plus a few other settings. In the kitchen, Alexa will let users set cooking modes and temperatures, check whether the oven is on and set cooking timers using voice commands alone. Whirlpool’s smart refrigerators will also be able to turn off the ice maker and “maximum cool” settings or check temperatures without having to crack open the fridge itself.

Whirlpool will be showing off the new integration in all its new smart home appliances at this year’s CES, but the Alexa skill is expected to roll out in “early 2017.”

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Source: Whirlpool Newsroom

Sevenhugs made a smart remote that’s truly universal

Those “universal remote controls” that control just your home entertainment center? They might need a new name. Meet the Sevenhugs Smart Remote, which not only controls your TV, but also your Nest thermostat, Philips Hue lights, Sonos speakers and, well, nearly 25,000 different connected devices. Not only that, but thanks to infrared, internal position sensors and an open API, you can even order an Uber by pointing at your front door. Yeah, no kidding.

Sevenhugs launched its Smart Remote on Kickstarter in November last year, and a month later, it had over 6,000 backers and earned over a million dollars in funding. And no wonder: Sevenhugs’ tiny handheld promised to be a smart remote for everything. Its 3.53-inch screen adapts to whatever device it’s pointing at. Aim it at your Samsung Smart TV, for example, and it’ll let you scroll through your subscribed channel list. Point it at your Philips Hue lamp instead, and you can turn it on and off or change its color.

The remote uses WiFi, Bluetooth and Infrared to connect to most home entertainment and IoT gadgets. But the real magic comes with motion tracking and indoor position sensors that you can put throughout your home. Map those sensors to specific functions using the Sevenhugs app, and you can trigger certain actions by pointing the remote at it. So place one at your front door, map it to Uber or Lyft and it will bring up a special car-ordering display thanks to Sevenhugs’ open API. Place a sensor by the window and it can check the weather when you aim the remote at it.

You can even create so-called custom scenes and control different devices at the same time. For example, you could trigger a “date night” scene and have the lights dimmed and the TV switch over to Netflix for a romantic evening in. And if you ever lose the remote, no problem; the app has a “Lost & Found” button so you can easily find it.

The Smart Remote is available for pre-order now for $229, though it will cost $300 when it hits stores later this year. Each order comes with one smart remote, a case, a charging base (it apparently lasts between a couple days and a few weeks depending on use) plus three room sensors.

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Source: Sevenhugs

ReNu is an acoustic kit that sends calming vibes to your brain

Millions of Americans live with chronic or episodic anxiety. While technology has become one of the main contributors of that stress, it also has the potential to provide the solution. The market for stress-reducing technologies has been booming for a few years. NuCalm, from Solace Lifesciences Inc., was first introduced in 2010 as a drug-free, stress intervention system that moderated adrenaline levels in the body. The technology, which was adopted in clinical settings like dental clinics over the last few years, now has a consumer version. At CES today, the company introduced ReNu, a stress management kit that induces a deep slumber through a proprietary software.

While the company claims that ReNu’s strength is a brainwave-tweaking software that rapidly reduces stress, the process starts with a surprising step that feels counterintuitive. Before the user can experience the technology, they are required to use supplements in the form of a cream or chewable nutrients that the company claims are “all-natural amino acids”. Next, a couple of small patches, placed behind each ear, produce microcurrents to rapidly increase the absorption of the nutrients. The stimulation from the patches also prepares the brain for the company’s proprietary software, which is delivered to the brain in the form of binaural audio.

The ReNu kit includes a noise-cancelling JBL Everest Elite headset that enables the listener to hear soothing music. The track uses a mix of algorithms for binaural beats that tweak brainwave frequencies. Through the audio, ReNu oscillates the frequency between alpha and theta zones — essentially producing a state of deep relaxation and recovery to cope with a stressful day.

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Logitech’s new headset brings cinematic sound to your matches

Gaming headsets have gotten a lot more stylish in the past year, with companies like SteelSeries and LucidSound packing cinema-quality sound into catwalk-ready cans. Now, peripheral giant Logitech is taking them on with its newest release, the G533. This $150 headset boasts 7.1 surround sound, a simple-but-classy design and, most important to gamers, wireless capability without lag or interruption.

The G533 deviates from the standard design seen in Logitech’s older models like the G930 while also moving the gaming line forward with features like 15 hours of battery life and DTS Headphone:X audio. But the biggest change is one already seen in the company’s current Artemis Spectrum headsets: Logitech’s Pro-G audio drivers. The Pro-G drivers use a hybrid mesh material that gives them more flexibility than traditional materials like mylar. That means smoother transitioning between frequencies, with less distortion and clearer sound.

In practice, the G533 produces sound that’s a lot like being in a theater. As promised there’s no distortion or popping, but the positional audio is also excellent, granting a sense of location as if sitting in the center of a cavernous hall with perfectly balanced sound. As I closed my eyes during a scene from Interstellar, I could hear the voices of the crew and rumble of the ship’s engine as if I were sitting in the IMAX theater where I saw the film originally. In shooters like Battlefield 1 the surround sound becomes doubly important, and I definitely felt immersed by the gunfire and explosions unfolding around me.

The illusion created by a good audio setup can easily be broken by a set of heavy, sweaty cans, but the Logitech G533 avoids discomfort thanks to sport mesh earcups that are light, breathable and can be removed for washing. The G533 also maintains the plastic build of its siblings but tries a glossy look on the outside of the cups instead for a touch of class, with textured buttons on the left cup to make one-handed control easier. The mic has been slimmed down into a half-inch-diameter tube that flips up into the left cup when not in use.

While the G533 may be a wireless headset, players are still stuck plugging a two-inch-long USB dongle into their machine. However, the connection is strong and clear with no delay — even in environments with a lot of electromagnetic interference. The headset’s range is 15 meters, which meant I could move about our office with rarely a break in the audio, and when I did move in and out of range the G533 reacquired its signal within a few seconds.

If you’d like to take the G533 on your next Overwatch round or Final Fantasy XV road trip, the headset goes on sale later this month for $150.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Lego Boost teaches kids to bring blocks to life with code

If you’ve ever wished your childhood Lego creations could come to life, your dreams are now closer to reality. Lego has just unveiled a new subbrand called Boost which promises to do just that. The base set contains a combination of sensors, motors and a unique companion app that teaches kids how to code so that they can program their new robot friends. Lego’s Mindstorms could let you do this too, but that’s a decidedly more advanced system aimed at young adults. Boost, on the other hand, is designed for kids ages seven and up. The Lego Boost base starter set is priced at $160 and will be available later this year.

The first Lego Boost product is what the company is calling a “creative toolbox,” which contains three Boost bricks plus 840 other Lego blocks. The core unit is the Move Hub, which contains a six-axis tilt sensor, two input and output ports, a power button and a light that changes color. It’s powered by six AAA batteries and is covered in the usual Lego studs so that kids can build on top of it. Other Boost bricks include a combination color and distance sensor and an interactive motor. The motor has a tachometer in it, which tells the software how much it’s turned and at what speed. This, Lego says, allows for finite control and more minute movements.

The set also comes with building instructions for five models: Vernie the Robot, Frankie the Cat, the Guitar 4000, the Multi-Tool Rover 4 (essentially construction-type vehicle), and an Autobuilder, which is a machine that builds tiny Lego creations for you. But before you can build any of those, you have to download the companion Boost app. The app is essential to the process; it has all of the instructions plus it’s the key method of programming and interacting with the Boost creations.

Once you get the app, it will ask you to create a “Getting Started” vehicle, which is really just the three Boost blocks put together. This is basically a tutorial mode that walks the kids through the Bluetooth pairing process and familiarizes them with the app and the hardware. They’ll immediately get into the coding interface — which consists of drag-and-drop modules — and learn how to make their little vehicle move around. Then the kids can choose whichever of the five models they want to build. When they do, the app asks them to build their creation step by step.

With Vernie the Robot, for example, you’ll first create the head, then the upper torso, shoulders and then you’ll be instructed to plug in the Move Hub. Press the green button and the robot comes to life. Because the app knows you’re building the robot instead of the other creations, it immediately assumes the character of Vernie and start talking, asking for your name and introducing itself. It will then suggest going for a drive, but because you haven’t built his tracks yet, it will just vibrate. Vernie will then prompt you to complete his build. Simon Kent, Lego Boost’s lead designer, joked that this is probably the first time a Lego creation has told you to continue building it.

Indeed, Vernie has a lot of built-in charm. Its head moves when it talks to you, and when you shake its hand (thus triggering the tilt sensor), it greets you like a friend. Kent says this is part of what makes the Boost toys feel so personal and alive. “You don’t need to program those aspects in or code from scratch,” he says. “It’s much easier than Mindstorms.”

From there, it’s a matter of coding the robot to do what you want. The app has a freeplay area that lets you code your creation with all kinds of different modules — the green ones indicate movement, the purple is for speech (it uses the tablet’s microphone and speakers for audio) and the blue ones are for action. The code is horizontal, and runs from left to right, so it’s easy for kids to grasp. Plus, the modules are icon-, not text-based, so you don’t have to know how to read.

What I really like about the Boost app are the activities. There’s a Western-style one, for example, where you can outfit Vernie with a handlebar mustache and a little shooter gun. You can also build a target for Vernie to shoot at. The app will then prompt you to compile a code string where Vernie will shoot whenever it hears a clap. Start the activity, and Vernie will pivot around emitting a radar-like sound. Clap, and Vernie will stop and shoot its tiny Lego bullet. I tried this out in a demo, and it worked quite well, though sometimes it would trigger even at the slightest sound. “That could just be because of the app,” said Kent, adding that it was still in beta.

As the child plays through these activities, they’ll learn about new coding functions. So the more activities they do, the more coding modules they’ll accumulate. One particularly funny Vernie activity is to, well, pull its finger. When it does, it’ll emit a farting sound. “It’s immature, but kids love it,” said Kent. There’s another one where Vernie dances to music, and whenever you clap, it’ll spin. The clap will even activate the light on its chest to change like a disco ball.

The other Boost creations are pretty great too. The Guitar 4000 lets you play your own music, the MultiTool Rover is a vehicle that can be any tool you wish and the AutoBuilder uses a grid reference palette to put together Lego bricks for you. I was particularly taken with Frankie the Cat. It starts off as a kitten, which meows and purrs as you cradle it. From there you can program it to instill in it all the various characteristics of a cat.

Feed it from a “milk bottle” and it will purr even more (the milk bottle has an orange tip, which triggers the color sensor in the cat’s “mouth.” Give it too much milk, and it will fart. Lift it by its tail and it will meow angrily. Its eyebrows twitch and its tail wags. You can even leave the program running in the background so you have to figure out what is it that the cat is meowing after — does it want milk, or a rub? “It’s a nurturing, Tamagotchi style of play,” said Kent.

But what makes Lego Boost especially amazing is that you can use it with your existing Lego bricks. That means that if you have a Lego Ninjago set lying around, you can totally use that with Boost too. Boost lets you build three different bases — a walking base to create their own robot animal, a driving base for a vehicle and an entrance base for a castle or a fort. Lego calls this a “creative canvas” that encourages kids to think creatively and use their Boost bricks and coding skills with all manner of different creations.

“We know that children dream of bringing their Lego creations to life,” said Kent in a statement. “Our chief ambition for Lego Boost is to fulfill that wish.”

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Aira uses smart glasses to help blind people navigate the world

Aira is designed to make life a little easier for blind and visually impaired people. Using a pair of smart glasses or a phone camera, the system allows an Aira agent to see what the blind person sees in real-time, and then talk them through whatever situation they’re in. Aira promises to make everything from grocery shopping, calling an Uber or world travel more accessible for blind people across the globe.

Aira doesn’t replace existing assistance systems. Instead, it’s designed to enhance them. A blind person navigates the world using whatever tools they normally do, such as a cane or guide dog, and only calls the Aira agent when needed. When the agent picks up, he or she sees a live video feed and the location of the person calling on Google Maps, alongside general biographical information.

Apparently, the video feed is crisp enough that the Aira agent can read items off of a menu and catch other small details. Aira is available in full now, in three packages: $300 for 750 minutes, $1,000 for 3,000 minutes and $2,500 for 10,000 minutes. That’s three, six and 12 months, respectively.

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