Electronic Products

Royal Caribbean uses 80-inch HDTVs to create virtual balconies

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

80-inch HD displays show close to real-time video from the front and back of a cruise ship

Booked your cruise too late and missed out on a window suite? There’s no reason to be bummed out, because for latecomers who would like the waterside experience, Royal Caribbean is offering what they call “virtual balcony staterooms.”

Royal Caribbean Virtual Balcony HDTV

Made of 80-inch floor-to-ceiling HD displays, the TVs show close to real-time video from the bow and stern of the ship, shot on RED Epic HD cinema cameras, complete with audio. In order to operate correctly in the sun, heat, salt and water, the cameras are marine compliant and weathertight. Fiber-optic cable carries the video to a server, then to a set-top box that decodes and processes the video before it’s displayed on the screen. Read More

Four technologies that don’t realize they’re dead yet

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

A look at some everyday electronics that are nearing extinction

Remember the days when you would patiently wait for the fax machine at the office to send over those important documents? Then you’d go home to pop your favorite VHS into the VCR? Though it may seem like it, that wasn’t too long ago, and now a fresh batch of electronics we use quite often are on their way to joining those devices in retirement. They just don’t want to believe it.

Computer mouse

Computer Mouse

Image via Microsoft.

The idea of not using a mouse to navigate your way through a computer was science fiction 10 years ago. Now, due to the use of tablets and smartphones, the mouse is on its way out. It’s predicted that in about five years, the cost of adding capacitive touch capability to screens will be so inexpensive that displays from large-screens TVs to laptops will have it, eliminating the need for an old fashioned computer mouse.

iPod

iPod

Image via dailytech.com.

The birth of the iPod completely destroyed the CD, and now it looks like the cherished music player may be next in line. In the past few years, the iPod has been seeing dramatic falls in its sales—now making up only 2% of Apple’s income. Most smartphones, including the company’s beloved iPhone, make perfectly good MP3 players, resulting in the iPod’s deadly decline. Read More

Four handy tech gadgets that don’t require electricity

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Feeling powerless? It may not be such a bad thing after all

It’s always those times when you’re nowhere near an outlet when your smartphone or tablet uses its final breaths to flash a red light or slowly power down as it warns you of its nearing death. For the most part, electronics are nothing without power, right? Fortunately, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Check out the list of “powerless” tech gadgets below that can serve as useful devices while simultaneously charging your electronics.

SpareOne Plus emergency mobile phone

SpareOne Plus

Image via realsimple.com.

Even if you’re without power for an extended period of time and all of your other electronics have failed you, the SpareOne Plus will be ready to assist. This phone contains a special battery-isolator tab that keeps its single AA battery from draining, allowing the phone to offer 10 hours of talk time without electricity. If unused, it can survive up to an impressive 15 years. Also included is a built-in LED flash light for 24 hours of continuous light, a panic siren, and an SOS torchlight on top that flashes Morse code. Though it looks like something fresh out of 1998, it’s a good idea to keep this handy phone nearby and stored in a safe place.

Price: $80

Buy now. Read More

Wearable camera saves important moments right after they happen

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

meMINI is the world’s first wearable Wi-Fi camera with recall

Many special moments in our lives tend to happen without warning, and we’re usually wishing we had a camera to save those cherished memories forever. Enter meMINI, the world’s first wearable Wi-Fi-enabled camera with recall, which allows you to save meaningful occasions in high-definition video right after they happen. With meMINI you can preserve once in a lifetime memories and everyday moments such as wedding proposals, your child’s first words, or the joke your friend shared that had the whole room laughing.

meMINI Camera

Capture any special moment with meMINI. Image via memini.com.

Using meMINI

Because it’s small, light, and comes with magnetic back plates, meMINI can be worn on clothing, and looping footage is recorded every five seconds to five minutes. When you want to capture a specific moment, a press of the recall button on the device stores the most recent loop of video. On a full charge, meMINI can loop video for three continuous hours. The idea behind the camera is not only to preserve live action memories, but to cut down on editing when processing the video later on. Read More

Six gross alternative energy sources to keep our planet spinning

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

With the pressing need to find alternative energy sources, things may get a bit messy

Ever thought we’d be using feces, dead bodies and leftovers as power sources? With our diminishing amount of irreplaceable fossil fuels, we’re sure on our way. Though we can rely on sources such as wind and solar power, the need to find alternative routes to produce energy for our busy world has pushed the scientific community into thinking way outside the box.

Feces

TOILET

Most of us agree that feces are disgusting and should be disposed of immediately. But since poo contains the odorless, colorless gas we know as methane, it can actually be quite useful to our environment. Read More

Instantly speak or understand foreign languages with portable voice translation device

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Sigmo revolutionizes the way you communicate and understand other languages

If you’ve spent time traveling, it’s likely that you’ve came face to face with a very confusing language barrier. For most of us on the go, learning another language doesn’t easily find itself a place in our busy schedules. With the Sigmo Voice Translation Device, you don’t have to worry about picking up on any foreign lingo, as it’s ready to translate your voice for you.

SIGMO

With the touch of a button, Sigmo translates your voice into a foreign language. Image via buysigmo.com.

Equipped with a microphone and speaker, Sigmo connects your iOS or Android device over Bluetooth and records and translates your voice into one of 25 languages. By using services such as Google Translate to decipher what you say, Sigmo plays back the translation in your language of choice just seconds after you speak. Read More

Top tech mobile apps of the year

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

Electronic Products looks back at its most popular mobile app articles from 2013

It’s 2014, meaning that by now, there are probably multiple mobile apps for just about everything. Because there are all sorts of handy apps that make life much easier, and the fact that our Inspiration Awards are quickly approaching, Electronic Products highlighted some of the top mobile apps for tech geeks and electrical engineers alike.

Surv, the crowdsourcing camera-mapping app

Surv app screenshot

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched? If so, Surv is the app for you. By encouraging users to post locations and information of cameras in their cities, this handy app can help you detect traffic cameras, red-light cameras and even well-hidden police cameras.

Visit survapp.co for more information.

Simple ‘n Easy, the go-to app for Electrical Engineering 101

WAGmob S&E

With the Simple ‘n Easy app by WAGmob, electrical engineering students can easily learn the basics of electrical engineering in an organized manner. Aside from its glossary packed with information, features include tutorials, quizzes and flashcards.

Visit wagmob.com for more information. Read More

Stretchable electronics extend human capabilities

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

MC10 reshapes high performance electronics into human compatible form factors that stretch, bend and twist seamlessly with our bodies

Recently Electronic Products spoke with  MC10, a fairly new company that develops high-performance stretchable electronics. The idea behind MC10 is to get people to stop conforming to electronics, and instead have electronics conform to people. These electronics are flexible devices that can stretch, bend and twist seamlessly with human bodies and are virtually invisible, conformal and wearable.

 Worrell Circuit 

The MC10 Biostamp is a smart sensing sticker, worn like a kid’s fake tattoo, that measures biopotential (ECG, EEG, EMG), strain and temperature, with power provided and data extracted wirelessly. The device is non-functional but gives insight into the future of MC10 technology. Credit: MC10 Inc.

Electronic Products: What is the importance of using electronics that can stretch and bend with the human body?

MC10: MC10’s devices open the door to a multitude of applications that just can’t be explored with traditional rigid and boxy electronics. Because the technology is so conformal, it can sit directly on the skin to gather better, richer data for longer periods of time without discomfort or distraction. Read More

Five-piece motion controller is a realistic way to interact with virtual worlds

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

The STEM System by Sixense is a 3D modular tracking platform for video games and virtual reality

If you’re a gamer you’ve certainly wondered what it would be like to immerse yourself in virtual reality. This day in age, that doesn’t have to be left to the imagination, because after a successful Kickstarter campaign, the company Sixense released The STEM System, a 3D modular motion tracking platform for video games and virtual reality.

Virtual reality gameplay

The STEM System enables players to naturally and intuitively interact with games by tracking full position and orientation, no matter if it’s at a desktop or throughout an entire room. It supports up to five wireless motion tracking modules, called STEMS, for full position and orientation tracking of the head and hands, the body, or other configurations. STEMS can also be clipped and strapped to the body or any chosen device using a STEM Pack.

Sixense STEM System

The STEM System by Sixense. Image via roadtovr.com.

As Sixense has previously powered the Razer Hydra PC gaming controller, considered the input device of choice for virtual reality applications, this motion tracking platform is considered the next evolution in Sixense technology. Read More

Five memorable tech services that will be left behind with 2013

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Electronic Products.

The ever-changing tech world is constantly improving, meaning that for some services, it’s time to go

The tech world is always improving, and with improvement comes change. Below is a list of websites and services that were once highly respected and used by many, but are gone as of this year, or are coming to a close as 2013 winds down. As many predict what future technology will bring, it’s just as important to reflect on what we’ve grown from.

Google Reader

Web giant Google announced that its beloved RSS reader, Google Reader, was being shut down earlier this year, shocking its group of loyal followers. However, the company was generous enough to give its devoted users three months to find an alternative feed-reading service. No question about it, millions were sad to see Google Reader go.

Google Reader

Image via cnn.com.

AltaVista

As of July 2013, altavista.com has been shut down. The website was founded in 1995 and is recognized as one of the world’s first popular Internet search engines. Read More