CES 2018 brought loads of interesting products to Las Vegas for us to check out. These are our top picks from everything we got to look at.
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OSX/MaMi Malware, CES 2018 Trends from the Outside - TMO Daily Observations 2018-01-16
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to shed some light on the OSX/MaMi malware threat for the Mac, plus they share their perspective from the outside on CES 2018 trends.
Managing Messages, Voice Assistants, APFS, and Quasi-Mesh - Mac Geek Gab 692
Messages are a huge part of our online life, and they don’t always work the way we expect or prefer. John and Dave start by answering some of those questions. Then it’s on to where you should – and shouldn’t – be using APFS. After that, the questions jump around a bit, including one about mesh vs. quasi-mesh. All this and more on Mac Geek Gab 692 today!
CES - Modpack Is a Battery Pack, But It's Also a Customizable Electronic Utility Device
LAS VEGAS – Moduware demonstrated at CES its Modpack, portable battery pack that lets you build your own electronic utility device with replaceable modules.
CES - The Lovebox Lets Lovers Send Messages in a Very Different Way
CES – The short version is that messages sent to your Lovebox from an app are available only in the Lovebox, which is a physical box.
CES - Valt Visual Password Manager Offers Visual Alternative to a Text Password
LAS VEGAS – Valt believes its visually-oriented approach provides better password security.
CES - Seek Thermal Debuts First High-Resolution Thermal Camera for Autos
John F. Braun checks out Seek Thermal’s thermal imaging system for automotive aftermarket, priced under US$999.
CES - Ovie Demonstrates Smarterware, World's First Smart Food Storage System
LAS VEGAS – John F. Braun learned about the world’s first smart food storage system, Ovie Smarterware.
CES - Polk Intros Command Bar Sound Bar with Alexa, 4K TV Support
LAS VEGAS – Polk is giving Amazon’s Alexa a face lift—er, voice lift—with its Command Bar. The sound bar packs in an array of speakers for sound that nicely filled the large presentation space where we got our fist look, plus it includes a wireless subwoofer and, of course, integrated Alexa support. It also includes Polk Voice Adjust technology that makes it easier to hear dialog. The Command Bar packs in dual 4K HDMI 2.0b HDMI inputs, optical input for TV audio, HDMI (ARC) output, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a USB port for Fire TV, and a far field microphone array for Alexa voice control. You can pre-order one for US$299.95 starting April 1, 2018, in the United States and Canada, and in other countries later in the year.
CES 2018 Apple's Shrinking Presence, Cool Product Finds - TMO Daily Observations 2018-01-12
John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet for their last day at CES 2018 in Las Vegas to talk about Apple’s diminishing presence at the event, plus they share some more cool products they found.
CES - DJI Osmo Mobile 2, a Handheld Video Stabilizers for Smartphones
CES – DJI, best known for drones, announced Osmo Mobile 2 this week at CES. It’s a handheld smartphone gimbal designed to stabilize your videos by keeping it level despite your movements. Or, as DJI put it, Osmo Mobile 2’s, “three-axis gimbal technology cancels out movement in three directions so your video stays steady even if your hands shake or wobble.” It has a built-in rechargeable 2600mAh battery for up to 15 hours of operation, with a charging time of 2 hours. The device is priced at US$129, and will be available exclusively for pre-order at Apple.com on January 23rd, 2018. It will be available more widely starting in early February.
CES - DynaFocals Smart Glasses Give Your Progressive Lenses Auto-focus
LAS VEGAS – The idea of moving your head to see through the different focus areas in progressive lens glasses seems pretty crappy to PH Techical Labs, so they invented Dynafocals: glasses frames that adjust the lenses for you. Dynafocals have a proximity sensor to gauge how far away whatever you’re looking at is, and can subtly move the lenses so you’re looking through the right part. They’ll be available this year for US$149 and the company includes instructions for your optometrist on making the lenses.
CES - Xfinity Bringing Smart Home Automation to the Masses
LAS VEGAS – Xfinity wants to be at the center of your smart home and is using its xFi platform to that—along with voice control—simple for home automation newbies.
CES - Healbe GoBe 2, a Wearable That Tracks Caloric Intake, Calories Burned, Hydration Levels
CES – Healbe demonstrated GoBe 2, the company’s wearable it claims can track caloric intake, calories burned, and hydration levels, all non-invasively. It uses five activity and stress sensors, with all data sent securely to the GoBe 2 app for iOS or Android. The company is also developing a portal that will allow users to send data to “trusted nutritionists/wellness coaches,” though Healbe didn’t elaborate. GoBe 2 is water resistant in fresh water, but not salt water, and it works up to 48 hours on a charge. GoBe 2 is priced at US$199, with additional strap color options available at $19 each. It’s available now.
CES – LG Booth OLED TV Video Tour
LAS VEGAS – Every year at CES I make it a point to pass through the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall at least once just to see the spectacle of new TVs on display. Each year, all the big manufacturers try to out-do one another (including renting booth space under dummy company names and expanding last-minute) just to create the most impressive display. This year, for me, LG’s OLED TV tunnel was a perfect entrance to the mayhem. Thankfully, I got there before the power went out, but that’s another story for another time. For now, just enjoy my tour through the LG tunnel.
Apple's Chinese iCloud Occupation, HomeKit Miss, Apple Parenting, Oak Island - Pop.0 ep.28
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit look at Apple’s Chinese iCloud occupation and what it says about Apple. They also think Apple is just plain missing the smarthome boat, judging by what we’re seeing at CES. John goes off on a tangent rant about parenting and Apple, and for the pop portion of the show, they talk about recent developments in The Curse of Oak Island. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
CES - Two New Kids Robots Offer Fun Coding Education
These fun robots will help teach your kids how to code.
CES - Elgato Releases Second Generation Eve Room Indoor Sensor
The Eve Room is US$99.95 and will be available in March at Elgato, Amazon, and Apple.
CES - Kano is the Most Fun You'll Have building and Coding Your Own Computer
LAS VEGAS – Kano makes computers and coding accessable to all ages with their built-it-yourself computer kits and easy to learn coding platform. They show Jeff Gamet their product lineup at CES 2018.
CES 2018 Xfinity's Smart Home Strategy, Cool Product Finds - TMO Daily Observations 2018-01-11
Dave Hamilton joins Jeff Gamet at CES 2018 in Las Vegas to discuss Xfinity’s plan to make smart home tech more accessible to the average person, plus they share more cool products they’ve found.
CES - Fibaro's 'The Button' Controls HomeKit Scenes with One Touch
The device can be programmed for three separate actions: press once, press twice, and press-and-hold, each with a corresponding buzz to confirm a successful click.
CES - Turn Your Regular Clothes into a Fitness Tracker with Spire Health Tag
LAS VEGAS – The Spire Health Tag attaches to your regular clothes, turning them into your personal health and fitness tracker. Jeff Gamet checks them out at CES 2018.
CES – PopSockets Launches Car Vent Mount
LAS VEGAS – Popular iPhone grip and stand maker, PopSockets, has launched their next accessory: the PopSockets Car Vent Mount. Built to fit into the air vent of your car, this makes it super-simple for any one with a PopSocket on your phone to mount it on your car’s dashboard in one, easy motion. Pricing is US$9.99 and it will be available this week or early next from PopSockets.com or Amazon.
CES - Apple Couldn't Fix its iPhone USB Cable, so Nite Ize Cordcollar Does
LAS VEGAS – Apple’s Lightning to USB cables for the iPhone and iPad are notorious for fraying where the connectors and wires come together. Nite Ize has a fix for that with their Cordcollar, and they show Jeff Gamet how it works in this video interview.