Limeaide Blast Battery Provides Juice When You Need It

KickStarter Friday - Limeaide Blast Battery With Faster Charge

We have all been there. We get the low battery indicator (or the dreaded beep) telling us we need to charge up our smartphone or risk having it shut down because the battery has drained. Until batteries improve significantly, that is a fact of life that we have to live with. And that is why you see a lot battery chargers which are portable and provide a solution for when there is no place to charge up your phone or other mobile device. A coming one to market is the Limeaide Blast.

The Limeaide Blast is a KickStarter project which closed yesterday and with some impressive numbers. With a project goal of $30,000, they raised 940% of the goal or $284,290. This shows just how important it is to have a portable charge when you are on the go and people continue to want to see improvements. The Limeaide Blast contains high capacity batteries which they are calling as ultra high capacity batteries. They are Lithium-ion and will be available in 3 sizes. The L130x (13000 mAh), L156X (15600 mAh) and the L180X (18000 mAh).

With these ultra high capacity batteries, you might think they are going to be difficult to carry around. But they only measure out at 4.8 (4.5 L130X) by 3.1 by 0.9 inches and weigh in at 11.4 oz, 12.8 oz, and 13 oz. That is a lot of power packed into a small space for those times when you need it. The Limeaide Blast may be the one you need. With these, the charging of your mobile device may be just as fast as if you were charging it up at home. So, what makes this one different from all the others on the market.

Current portable batteries like this are charged up at 1 amp which for me seems to take forever to charge up. But, the Limeaide Blast is charged at 2 amp giving you the potential to cut the battery charge time in half. This makes this a far better product with this feature alone. On the output side, or charging your mobile devices, they have included 2 USB connections. One outputs at 1 amp and the other at 2.1 amps which is going to make a difference when charging up your tablet.

The Limeaide Blast web site is up and running, but there is no longer a place to order your Limeaide Blast since the Kickstarter project ended. Deliveries for those who made pledges is set for June and since they are reporting the first shipments from manufacturing have arrived, they are going to meet that pledge. Check back on their site for when you can order your own Limeaide Blast.

Smart Door Lock Provides High Tech Access To Your Home

Security is something that pops up every now and then because we want to protect what we have. And one of the ways to do that is with a good deadbolt on your home. But using keys is not futurist and we need to move towards keyless entry which requires the use of technology. A growing market has been emerging this year and another company has provided information about their coming product. The August Smart Door Lock may sound similar to some others, but it has a great look to it making it both stylish and functional.

The August Smart Lock is coming to market soon and you can reserve one now on their site for $199. While they are saying it will be available in the winter of 2013, the August Smart Lock could be released in the same month as its name, August. That is a guess on my part. The August Smart Lock operates on iOS devices via Bluetooth. There is no connection to your WiFi to have your smart phone open the door. As you get close to the lock, the Bluetooth communications matches the phone and lock to then open the door. You do not have to take out your keys to gain entrance. And after you gain entrance, the door will lock behind you. All handled via the app you run on your phone.

The installation is claimed to be simple taking only 10 minutes and from what we can tell it is. The lock unit itself is powered by 2 batteries as there has to be some power to the lock. A great feature with this is that it will send you an email to tell you that the batteries need to be replaced. They are using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection which is something relatively new and requires less power. Google will have Android supporting that with Android 4.3.

This smart lock is similar to the Lockitron we reported on, but that one has a plastic case associated with it. The August Smart Lock is made of anodized aluminum so that it looks more polished in its appearance.

You have the ability to grant other people access to your home with the August Smart Door lock. It is those kinds of features which make this product an important part of your home security. And, this smart lock knows when you leave and will lock the door for you. That removes the nagging questions of did I lock the door?

They are working on an Android version, so by the time that the August Smart Lock is released it should be available. The key is going to be the correct version of Android to use the August Smart Lock.

Golden-i Headset Computer Is Alternative To Google Glasses

We have all been hearing about Google Glasses and the various test groups which are using it. This has been making the headlines around the country as being the future for technology. And while there are a number of pros and cons to this process, Google Glasses are not the only one which is being developed. Google Glasses are currently aimed at the consumer market and seems to be doing quite well in generating interest for the product. But, it is not the only one on the market. The Golden-i headset is designed for commercial use and is providing some great features.

The Golden-i 3.8 Headset Computer is designed for use by professional, not the general public. This includes Police, Fire, Medical, etc. as the group which is going to be able to take advantage of what is being offered. The planned product offerings for the immediate future are Police Pro, Firefighter Pro and Paramedic Pro. And the Golden-i is a headset that includes a computer, video streaming, facial recognition, infrared and voice recognition to name some of the features which are built in.

The Golden-i Police Pro model contains infrared which can show someone standing behind a wall. And this single feature is going to make the jobs of police who use this much safer. With the on board computer and streaming video, they can be in constant communications. They can get feedback information while on location, such as floor plans to buildings that they are in. Or the ability to get facial recognition to immediately identify someone and get their history. All without having to go to a computer in the car. And with the ability to issue voice commands, the Golden-i is a hands free unit

There was a movie called RoboCop back in 1987 which had a half man half machine showing features that are being now included in the Golden-i 3.8 for interacting with technology. The movie showed the future and it looks like that is here with the Golden-i headset. With its noise cancelling microphones (there are 2), the near ear speakers and the microdisplay, technology is wrapped around the person wearing it. And the display has 800 by 600 resolution, which according to the company is like using a 15 inch LCD display 18 inches away. That is a lot of screen real estate to show things on.

As with all technology that is mobile, the Golden-i relies on batteries which they claim will last for 8 hours or more. As with most mobile devices, there is Bluetooth and WiFi abilities included. And you can connect USB devices to it. It contains GPS and a digital compass to enhance the value for emergency personnel. The future for this kind of technology looks very bright and should be available in the future for non-emergency commercial usage.

Powertraveller Silverback Gorilla Provides All Day Laptop Power

Sounds like an interesting title and makes one wonder what this actually is. Are we talking about the zoo and the silverback gorilla's? How can a gorilla provide you all day laptop power? No, it is nothing like that at all. This is about a product which can give you power to your laptop when there is no power available to plug the power cord into. And while that may not be a big deal for most, there is a group where that is a really big concern to be able to continue working. I get to work from home which does allow me to essentially work from anywhere. So, if there is no power, I cannot work and that is a big deal in continuing to work from home.

As a result, I am always on the look out for alternate power sources. One that I found over the weekend is the Powertraveller Silverback-gorilla which is a coming product. And this is one that should be of interest to anyone who gets to work from home. The key feature that caught my eye is the fact that it can power my laptop for up to 14 hours. In reality, this is a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) battery which is powerful enough to provide for a day of work and light enough to carry around. Weighing in at just over 5.5 pounds, you can easily throw the Silverback Gorilla charger in your laptop bag to take with you. Or you can leave it plugged into the wall so that when the power does go out, it is fully charged up.

With a size of 9.6 by 8 by 1.3 inches, it is not going to take that much space. And the insurance of having all day power when the power goes out could be considered as being "priceless". The 60,000 mAh battery is the key to this and it contains 2 USB plugs so that you can charge up your mobile devices as well. But, what about your Internet connection? The Silverback Gorilla also comes with a 250 watt output plug to connect up your Wifi or modem to it. That way, you continue to be connected to the Internet while you are working. This sure looks to be a great solution for those working from home when the power goes out.

Another of the features coming with the Silverback Gorilla is the ability to set various voltage outputs for this UPS. Those various settings for USB output include 5v, 8.4v, 9.5v, 12v 16v, 19v or 24v. With that variety, you can set the correct setting to match your mobile devices. That kind of flexibility is not seen that often.

The Powertraveller Silverback Gorilla UPS battery is expected to arrive this summer at a price of about $460. If having power when there is none is critical, this is a great choice for those of us working from home. You can add your name to an email list for when the Silverback Gorilla Charger will be available at their website.

Cinemin Swivel Lets You Share You Smartphone Video

It seems that movies and TV shows are quickly moving from being viewed on a fixed TV to that of mobile devices. This has been shifting for several years now and with the expansion of 4G LTE speeds to mobile devices, the time for the shift has come. The problem becomes how to share what you are watching. A smartphone is pretty good for single person viewing, but when there are others to share what you are watching with, the ability for all to see drops quickly. That is where the small projection devices come in to have value for sharing. The Cinemin Swivel is part of the pocket size projection devices which are growing in popularity.

The Cinemin Swivel from WowWee is one of those small projection devices turning your personal mobile device for watching movies into a shared mobile device for watching movies. And as the name implies, you can swivel it to project the picture upwards. The Cinemin Swivel can put out a picture on a wall from 8 inches up to 50 inches, though they claim higher. Or on the ceiling so you can watch a movie while laying in bed. It is recommended that you keep it under 50 inches so that you get good clarity. And you need to do this in a darkened room for best results.

This is very portable with a size of 5 inches by 3 inches by 8.5 inches with a weight of 6.4 ounce. Primarily designed to work with the iPhone or iPod, there is a 3.5 mm AV cable connection you can connect with other devices for an extra cost. While the Cinemin Swivel looks to be a great device, it not going to show HD movies. But, with 480 by 320 resolution, it should meet your needs given its small size.

The Cinemin Swivel comes with an included battery for when you are not connected to a power outlet. This gives you over 2 hours to show your movies and TV shows that you are streaming to your smartphone. If you are watching a movie longer than 2 hours without power, you are not going to make it. The Cinemin Swivel looks to be a great portable device for showing short presentations for business settings.

You can get the Cinemin Swivel from Amazon for $199.99.

CommBadge: Star Trek Like Communication To Replace Headset

If you are a fan of the Star Trek series, then this one should interest you. We have all been following technology where much of it seems to have started from the Star Trek show in the 60's. Think of the communicator back then to the smart phones of today with the Bluetooth headsets that so many of use wear. And for myself, after a while, having the ear piece stuck in my ear becomes uncomfortable. As well as blocking off sounds being received to my left ear. So, an alternative to that would be of interest. A coming product called the CommBadge may be a unique idea for the 21st century for hands free communications.

The CommBadge Communicator is looking to become the first real world communicator and sure looks like it was patterned after those of the Star Trek - The Next Generation series. CommBadge Technologies is very close to bringing to market their CommBadge Communicator. A hands free device that contains a speaker and microphone which connects to your Android or iOS phone with Bluetooth. With that, you immediately replace the Bluetooth headset. So, you can answer calls or do voice commands over Siri, S Voice or Google Now to do many of the things you had to do requiring you to hold the phone.

The coming CommBadge seems like it is too big and too visible, but this is the first generation. If you have seen pictures of the first mobile phones as compared to what we use today, it will become smaller with newer models in the future. That is the normal process of things. And with the CommBadge using an app on your smart phone for control, it is something that can easily be updated with features via software rather than hardware. If you are in an office setting, this may be an excellent way to keep in contact with each other in a fast moving environment.

With past technology advances, the CommBadge is leveraging noise cancelling technology in the microphone so people only hear you and not everything going on in the background. But, you might think that all those around you would hear what is coming out of the speaker. The design of that has the sound traveling only about a foot and after that it is not going to be understood. And that is why you have to wear the CommBadge towards the upper half of your body.

If you are interested in ordering one before they hit the market this summer, you can do that over at CommBadge.net as a pre-order. The price for the base model is $89 and you get to chose between white, black, red or silver colors. Consider getting in as part of the leaders in technology change for the future.

Emergency Light Source With Kilty Luma Twist

In this electric world where we rely so much on electricity to provide light sources at night, you need to be prepared for times when there is none. When the power does go out, having a decent light to use is key to trying to continue doing activities. While candles are OK for providing general light for moving around, they flicker and do not provide consistent light. And when there is a disaster, such as the recent tornado in Oklahoma, you will need lights at night. We have found one that seems to meet more then the general needs of providing light and has the ability to direct the light in 2 different directions. The Kilty Luma Twist may be well worth considering as your source for light in a power outage.

The Kilty Luma Twist has 2 separate LED panels which fold out for use. Each one can turn 360 degrees and be angled in various directions. And they operate independently of each other. So you can point each light panel at a different person so that two people can be reading or doing other activities during the power outage. This is something which one can deem as being a very unique light.

The two light panels on the Kilty Luma Twist which operate independently is great. And you can only have a single LED panel turned on if that is all that you need. This is powered by 4 D batteries and with everything else in this world which requires standard batteries, you have to supply your own. But the good news is that the life on the batteries is very good. When the lights are powered on high strength, the batteries should last 42 hours. When they are at low strength, they will last 105 hours. For camping or an emergency, that should provide for an extended period of having light.

The Kelty Luma Twist is 6 inches in height and 4 inches square making it easy to store and find unlike the round flashlights that we are so often trying to find. One of the places you can pick up the Kilty Luma Twist is at Back Country Edge and we are providing a video from the site showing how the Twist works. This looks like a very interesting light.