Tech News: #7 Issue
Constantly, day by day, minute by minute technology evolves bringing to our world something absolutely innovative and extraordinary. This is why our Tech News column is a bright confirmation of it. This week we have another portion of a great and crazy technological news. Great news for blind people’s relatives and friends: now you can make them absolutely happy because the first braille smartwatch was invented! Don’t miss an opportunity to read about shocking technological innovations and being up to date!
1. FDA Approves A Drug Made Using 3D Printing
You might be familiar with the concept of 3D-printed medical equipment, but you’re going to have to get used to seeing 3D-printed medicine, too. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved its first drug manufactured using 3D printing, Aprecia’s epilepsy-fighting Spritam. The medication uses a porous, 3D-printed formula to help deliver even very high doses (as high as 1,000mg) while remaining easy to swallow — all you have to do is take a sip of liquid to quickly disperse the drug and get it into your body.
Photo by: Flipboard
2. World’s First Braille Smartwatch Is An Ebook Reader And More
From the first sight Dot is a smartwatch. As any other smartwatch, it resembles a Fitbit and features a messaging system, navigation functions, Bluetooth 4.0, an alarm and, of course, a timepiece. Dot is actually a remarkable smartwatch because it’s a braille smartwatch - the world’s first braille smartwatch, in fact. Its face features a series of dull pins that rise and fall at customizable speeds, spelling out words in braille as the user places a finger on top. With this system, Dot allows users to read ebooks without throwing down thousands of dollars for a portable braille reader.
Photo by: Supercompressor
3. Call Windows’ Cortana Assistant With This Bluetooth Button
Now that Microsoft’s voice-guided Cortana assistant is up and running in Windows 10, you might be eager to trigger it without leaving the “hey Cortana” feature on (which might sap battery life) or staying within reach of your computer. If so, Satechi might just come to your aid. It’s releasing a Bluetooth Cortana button that will trigger the Halo-inspired helper on Windows PCs and phones from a distance. You can use it to more quickly ask about the weather from across the room, for instance, or leave your phone in your car’s cupholder when you start a call. At $23, it won’t be the cheapest single-purpose peripheral when it ships later in August. However, that purchase might pay off if you’d rather not get that chatty with your devices.
Photo by: Windowscentral
4. Build Your Own Smart, Modular Speaker With Sparkblocks
You’ve seen modular controllers and even modular phones, but here’s a new twist: a modular speaker system. Meet SparkBlock, a crowdfunded audio system that’s just as elaborate (or simple) as you want it to be. The basic unit is little more than a portable speaker with a 4-hour battery, but you can attach components that turn it into much more, including a media hub. Hook up a SmartBlook and you get a tiny touchscreen computer that can answer phone calls, get alerts and download apps. Other add-ons will boost audio quality, charge your phone, clip on to your bike and even light up your camping trip.
Photo by: Kickstarter
5. Tiny Sensor Tells You When Your Favorite Places Are Crowded
You probably aren’t a fan of showing up at the coffee shop right when there’s a large line, or at the gym when there are no free machines. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find out how busy a place is at any given moment, without resorting to estimates? The new Density sensor might help. The tiny infrared detector is effectively a smarter, more connected pedestrian traffic sensor: it tells apps how many people are entering or leaving a building at any moment, giving you a good sense of whether that restaurant is packed or blissfully empty. Shops can use that data to their advantage, too. They can offer discounts whenever it gets quiet, or notify you the moment there’s a free seat.
Photo by: Engadget
6. Secure Your Home: Smart Cameras And Borderline-Genius Smart Locks
Nest Cam NC1102ES High-Definition Video Monitoring Camera: Keep a vigilant eye on your home to monitor for intruders, or to simply keep tabs on your kids or pets with this indoor-use camera. Night vision lets you see in the dark and the Nest app notifies you when the camera detects motion or sound. You can even stream live HD video to your iOS or Android device for remote monitoring, and archive recorded footage.
Photo by: Amazon
7. Buzzard 2 From EE
One to use on home soil rather than abroad (where you’d be at the mercy of roaming charges), this will keep the whole family entertained on long car journeys without using up your internet data. EE’s Buzzard 2 provides in-car 4G wi-fi - which up to 10 devices can connect to. The Buzzard 2 comes with either 6GB or 24GB of data. Before you set off on your journey, you’ll need to register the sim, but then you’re good to go. Useful if you want to keep the kids busy watching an online film or use your smartphone as a satnav.
Photo by: Lifehacker
8. Jacket Uses Vibrations To Guide Wearers Around Paris
Australia-based startup Wearable:Experiments has introduced its location-enabled Navigate Paris range, which comes pre-programmed with a detailed map of the city. As well as being designed to reflect the couture of the French capital, each jacket is able to connect to owners’ smartphone. With the Navigate app, users simply tap in their destination and put their phone away. From there, the jacket will deliver small vibrations in each sleeve that let wearers know where to head. A small vibration in the right arm is a direction to veer right, while a stronger one in the left arm means take a hard left. Navigate Paris could replace the typical tourist handbook to provide a more intuitive way to discover the city.
Photo by: Wearablestylenews
9. Olixar Triple USB Super Fast Car Charger
When you’re going on a long journey and your passengers are using their phones/tablets, it can be helpful to be able to charge them en-route. However, with a charging port popped into the 12V DC socket (or 24V if you’re in a larger vehicle), if you have more than one passenger it can lead to arguments over whose gadget is more in need of a boost. The Olixar Triple USB Super Fast Car Charger can eliminate those car-journey squabbles. It comes with three USB ports - including two that are strong enough to charge tablets (2.1amps each) - the other is a 1 amp port for Smartphones. It’s worth noting the 1 amp port is on top (with the two 2.1 amp ports sitting below) as it’s not clear on the actual device.
Photo by: Amazon