Keith Shaw

Author Archives: Keith Shaw

CES 2017: Early trends and thoughts

After a full day of meetings at CES 2017, I noticed a few trends that could bubble up beyond some of the bigger ones that get a lot of the media’s attention. Roaming around a large hotel ballroom (The Mirage Events Center, actually) during the Pepcom Digital Experience event, I noticed a LOT of individual products, but some of them have coalesced into themes to watch during the year.Technology hits the bedroom Humans spend about 1/3 of their life sleeping or trying to sleep, so it’s been interesting to see that products are finally addressing our needs for a better night’s sleep. Companies and products like Smart Nora, the Zeeq Smart Pillow and Sleepace all have different approaches towards alleviating the annoyance of someone snoring (alleviating for the partner, since it probably doesn’t bother you if you’re the snorer). Different approaches are used by some of the products – the Nora device, for example, uses a small device that raises the pillow slightly to get you to move when snoring is detected through its sound sensor. The Zeeq includes speakers (which let you play music to help you get to sleep) that can activate when it detects snoring. Continue reading

CES 2017: Let the madness begin!

I’m sitting in my very nice hotel room here in Las Vegas, preparing for my first day of meetings at International CES 2017 (or whatever they’d like us to call it these days, it’s hard to remember). We’ve already seen companies producing a bunch of new product announcements - be sure to check out our slideshow of the “Hottest products at CES 2017”In terms of overall themes, I’m expecting to see just about everything - smart home and IoT will be big again, with the overall question about interoperability between all of the new “things” in your home. Wireless mesh in the home is expected to continue to gain momentum (Linksys just entered the market with its Velop system). Connected cars, AR and VR of course will be top of mind for almost everyone as well.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

ezTalks Onion: all-in-one videoconferencing is under-baked

I had a chance to get an early version (really early, as there is still some rough edges to be worked out) of the ezTalks Onion. The device (I don’t know why they call it the Onion – it doesn’t look like one particularly) is an all-in-one videoconferencing device (camera, microphones, speakers) that sits on top of an HDMI-enabled TV or monitor to provide conference room video and audio. Network connectivity is handled through an Ethernet port or, if you’re brave, Wi-Fi. The Hong Kong-based company had a successful Indiegogo funding campaign for the device, and is now ready to expand its offerings to the general public.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Google Home invades my home

OK Google, you’re now inside my home, paying attention to my requests (at least when I say “OK Google” or “Hey Google”), learning even more about me. Let’s just make sure that you don’t learn too much.As part of my testing of the Google Wifi wireless mesh system, Google also sent me the $129 Google Home device, which acts as a voice-controlled personal assistant. Much like the Google app on your smartphone, you can ask the Google Home questions and it will try to either give you an answer or perform a task (depending on other things connected to your network).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Petcube Play: An in-home camera for watching your pets do stuff

Most people enjoy pets. Some enjoy them enough where they want to do things with them when they’re away from their house. That’s the idea behind the Petcube Play, an in-home camera that connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can watch your pets while you’re at work or not at home. In addition to the live camera feed, it includes a two-way audio speaker for speaking to your pet (“Max! Get off the couch!”) and a red laser-pointer that you can move around by pointing to locations on your smartphone’s display and hope that the cat or dog starts to chase it – hilarity ensues.The Petcube itself is a cube – it’s about the size of a slightly larger Rubik’s Cube puzzle game. It doesn’t have a battery, so the first thing you need to figure out when placing the Petcube Play is to make sure it’s close enough to a power adapter. The instructions warn about making sure your pet doesn’t chew the power cable. It also comes with a small tripod attachment that you can screw into the bottom of the Petcube if you’re looking to place it higher than a table or desk. Continue reading

First look: Google jumps into crowded wireless mesh market

Google made a bunch of new hardware announcements earlier this year, which included new smartphones (the Pixel) and a virtual assistant (Google Home), but they also announced Google Wifi (love how they drop the hyphen and lowercase the F, causing whatever copy editors are left on the planet to wring their hands in anger), a wireless mesh platform to go up against the likes of other startups like eero, Almond, Luma, Amplifi, to name a few. Google Wifi is the update to its OnHub Wi-Fi platform - Google says that it's now on its third generation of products (the first one didn't make it to market, and the second one was OnHub). Google sent me a three-pack of the new system, which goes on sale to the general public today ($485 via Amazon, but also available from Best Buy, Walmart or directly from Google).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Up close with Google Wifi’s setup process

Google Wifi jumps into the wireless mesh spaceImage by GoogleGoogle's new Google Wifi system combines wireless access nodes called "points" with a mobile app that lets you manage your mesh system. A mesh is created when you add two or more points to the existing system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Linksys WRT3200ACM AC3200 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router

Imagine that you’re Linksys – you’ve been in the home wireless space for decades, even before the term Wi-Fi was created. You’ve been bought and sold a few times to a bunch of different companies (including Cisco), but you’re still plugging away, creating new wireless routers for home users. Then along comes a wave of new products with wireless mesh capabilities, fancy mobile device apps and a whole bunch of media love. You want to just get up and scream, “Hey, new kids! Get off my damn lawn!”OK, maybe that last metaphor is a stretch – Linksys is not the old guy yelling at the millennials, but this company is still considered one of the major players in the home Wi-Fi space, even if they don’t have a bunch of tiny, shiny new mesh units to speak of (at least yet). Their latest Wi-Fi router is the WRT3200ACM AC3200 MU-MIMO Gigabit Wi-Fi Router, and we were lucky enough to take it out for a spin.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Post-gift guide gadgets to consider for the holidays

Even though we tried more than 50 different tech devices and gadgets for our annual Cool Yule Tools holiday gift guide, there are still a ton of other products that we didn’t get to try. Most of these were because they either came out after our deadline, or they were late in shipping to us.We’ve had a few weeks to try out some additional items, these would make excellent gifts for anyone on your list:Dart laptop charger$100More info: https://finsix.com/shop/dart/ There are a bunch of mobile power batteries aimed at recharging your smartphone or tablet while you’re on the go (or traveling), but when it comes to recharging your laptop, you’re left with a big, bulky power brick with a cable. The Dart laptop charger aims to lighten the load here a bit – it claims to be the “world’s smallest laptop charger”.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Ooma adds Internet security service to VoIP platform

Ooma’s VoIP platform has been around for several years now – it provides a home telephone line without having to pay additional fees for landline voice service. Even as phone service prices continue to drop, Ooma can be a good value for people looking for an additional phone line (one example - dedicated 911) beyond just using their mobile phones.But the folks at the company must be noticing that the trend for home phone service is certainly a downward arrow. This means the company needs to offer additional services in order to keep customers interested in their products/offerings. One such service is Internet security, which the company just announced.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Skybuds offer truly wireless earbuds for workouts, iPhone 7 users

Wireless headphones and earbuds have gotten a higher profile after Apple announced the removal of the headphone jack for its new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus smartphones. Owners of the new device get to make a decision – either buy an adapter to use with their wired headphones or move to wireless. Apple hopes that you buy its own earbuds (Air Pods), but delays in shipping have left people looking for other options.One such device aiming to fill that gap is Skybuds ($250, available in three color options) – these are individual earbuds (one for each ear) that provide Bluetooth wireless connectivity for your devices. While other earphone systems have a connected strap that usually goes behind the head, the Skybuds are free of such a cable (just like the Air Pods).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Almond 3 Wi-Fi router will bring you joy

If you’re a fan of the little guy, one such company to root for is Securifi, which makes a really cool Wi-Fi router known as the Almond. The first version of this router came out in 2012, featuring a touch-screen display long before some other competitors added screens to their routers.The latest version, Almond 3, has entered the wireless mesh arena, offering three Almond routers in a pack to let owners set up a mesh network in their homes as well as new smart home control options (including Amazon Echo integration). The company recently sent me a three-pack and a bunch of sensors to test out.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Eero updates its wireless mesh offering for whole-home Wi-Fi

We’re big fans of the folks at eero, which makes wireless mesh network gear for use in the home. The company today announced software updates for its users that aim to improve LAN speed between its eero units and integrate with Amazon Echo devices. The software update is called TrueMesh and will be pushed out to all existing eero customers. Using anonymous data it compiled from customers over the past nine months, the company says it figured out how to make improvements to its mesh algorithm.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Netgear’s Arlo Go camera makes security more mobile

In the world of networked cameras used for security situations (in home and at work), most (if not all) of the devices required an external power source as well as access to a Wi-Fi network. Netgear, through its Arlo division/brand, wants to change that with its new line of cameras that run without external power as well as LTE network support. The Arlo Go Mobile HD Security Camera (model LTE-VML4030) uses 3G and 4G LTE (via the AT&T network) for its connectivity, letting users place the cameras in areas where Wi-Fi doesn’t exist (think rural, vacation cabins, marinas, farms, etc.). The camera features quick-charge rechargeable batteries, meaning you don’t have to put them near a power outlet (although you can keep it charged via power cord if you like). For local storage of video footage, a built-in microSD card slot is available (in case Internet access is disrupted). The camera also supports two-way audio (with its built-in microphone and speaker), motion and audio detection, night vision, live viewing and weatherproofing for outdoor placement.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Netgear’s Arlo Go camera makes security more mobile

In the world of networked cameras used for security situations (in home and at work), most (if not all) of the devices required an external power source as well as access to a Wi-Fi network. Netgear, through its Arlo division/brand, wants to change that with its new line of cameras that run without external power as well as LTE network support. The Arlo Go Mobile HD Security Camera (model LTE-VML4030) uses 3G and 4G LTE (via the AT&T network) for its connectivity, letting users place the cameras in areas where Wi-Fi doesn’t exist (think rural, vacation cabins, marinas, farms, etc.). The camera features quick-charge rechargeable batteries, meaning you don’t have to put them near a power outlet (although you can keep it charged via power cord if you like). For local storage of video footage, a built-in microSD card slot is available (in case Internet access is disrupted). The camera also supports two-way audio (with its built-in microphone and speaker), motion and audio detection, night vision, live viewing and weatherproofing for outdoor placement.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cool Yule Tools 2016: Our Top Picks

Digital disruption at Santa's WorkshopImage by Stephen SauerSanta's not the only one going digital - here are our favorite digital products to give (or receive) for the holidays. The next 20 slides are the "best of the best" from this year's Cool Yule Tools, now in its 17th incarnation. To access the entire guide, head here.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cool Yule Tools 2016: Digital disruption at Santa’s Workshop

Things are hopping at Santa 2.0 (S2) – the new name for Santa’s Workshop. The North Pole toy factory has undergone a serious digital transformation, with centuries-old processes giving way to new and more efficient methods. Even the sleigh has gone digital – it’s now a self-driving, self-flying gift distribution system. Initially the S2 team wanted to hire Uber drivers to deliver presents, but after some more tinkering the autonomous system kicked in. But don’t worry – the reindeers are all doing just fine in their retirement.While good girls and boys might still be handwriting their wish lists and delivering them via the post office, once the S2 team gets a hold of the requests, they’re quickly scanned, digitized and processed through the new ecosystem. Collaboration elves all work hard together (via a dedicated private Slack channel) to guarantee that production is on top of their game as well. Drones, robots, virtual reality and other emerging technologies are all being used to make sure that the S2 has another successful holiday season.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Audio Q&A: 20 years of networked cameras

Let’s jump into the Cool Tools Time Machine to go back to the year 1996. The Internet, at least on the consumer side of things, was just beginning to take off, and there was a Clinton running for president (well, at least some things stay the same).  Axis Communications Axis Communications NetEye 200, the company's first network-based video camera. In that year, a company called Axis Communications created its first networked video camera, the NetEye 200, which could transmit video at 1 frame per 17 seconds in normal resolution, or 1 frame per second (fps) in CIF resolution. Since then, resolution and frame rates have gotten much, much better, with current cameras supporting 4K resolution. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Review: Lenovo Yoga Book advances the state of digital pen-based input

The scoop: Yoga Book (Android version tested), about $500 (Windows 10 version costs $550), by Lenovo.What is it? The Yoga Book takes its name very seriously – it looks more like a paper-based notebook in size and weight than a traditional computer “notebook” does. The system features two innovative and unique features – a light-up keyboard without any physical keys that uses touch-based haptic feedback to emulate typing; and a writing surface that lets you write with a real pen and paper on the device, with handwriting then digitized on the tablet’s screen. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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