TOD'S REVIEW

Gadget & Consumer Electronics Reviews

Pixel 2: Is Google Stepping Up Its Game?

In the technological stakes Google has always run a poor placing behind thoroughbreds like Apple and Samsung, but is that about to change. Pixel 2 is pushing for airtime usually reserved for these well-established champions. It is packed full of features like: dual stereo speakers; dual OIS, the E-SIM and unlimited storage. Say goodbye to headphone jacks with the launch of Google Assistant equipped wireless earbuds, however, which may annoy some. IP67 Certification for dust and water resistance brings Pixel 2 to the starting line with the big boys in the phone stakes.

Pixel 2: Is Google Stepping Up Its Game?

Consumers are pregnant with anticipation for this baby to be released. It may have a name like a kid’s animated feature, but it is set to deliver Google some serious oohs and aaahs. Hopefully it will not be like pulling teeth to find Pixel 2 in the stores. Supply issues have plagued Google in the past with Nexus and earlier versions of Pixel. This Android device might just tip the scales Google’s way in the smartphone stakes. The Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 2 will not come cheap, folks, thoroughbreds rarely do.

Phones are clearly the most important gadget in people’s lives in the twenty first century. Therefore, the price they are willing to pay for them will only continue to rise. Expectations in terms of technological innovations have never been higher. Phones must deliver on memory, performance and capabilities. Paying just under a thousand bucks for a phone is no longer the reserve of the rich and famous, it seems. A good looking and, even, better functioning smartphone is de rigueur for the average human being. A phone is multiple devices in one slimline box, linking people to the cloud and all its possibilities.

Google’s Pixel 2 is stepping up its game and android fans are sure to come to the party. They may be bringing new guests and fans to launch this baby into the hemispheres. Upgraded OLED Display will be better for more accurate colour reproduction. Dual camera OIS will make these the best camera phones on the market. 64GB or 128GB doubles the storage base with the Pixels. The E-SIM Slot might be the game changer, giving the user the ability to switch from network to network. This will make them the first smartphone to have this capability. Time to check out Pixel 2 for your next phone? Could be!

 

A Robot Chef Who Can Cook 2000 Meals?

Food in many cafes inside Westfield shopping malls already tastes like it has been prepared by robots, so, it is no surprise that it could be happening soon. All the ingredients in these outlets are sourced through the same supply chain companies and from the same manufacturers. Any similarities that you might be tasting in the dishes are not imagined, they are real. A robot chef cooking these ingredients into menu items, will only increase the homogeneity already occurring in an industry over mechanised and under inspired with culinary talent and imagination.

A Robot Chef Who Can Cook 2000 Meals?

People rave about technology in a childish state of amazement, as if they are looking at a toy. They do not consider the real implications in terms of disappearing jobs and increased sedentarism. Labour saving devices are killing human beings economically and, literally, in terms of their health. We have monkey bodies, a fact continuously overlooked by those who invent technological solutions to replace labour intensive activities. If we sit on our arses and just push buttons all day, we grow fat and die young. Meanwhile, our domestic robot is cooking up our tenth burger of the day, with all the trimmings.

The mechanised and robotised home chef will be making an appearance in the domestic abodes of the rich and famous shortly. Next, he or she, no, it, will be replacing short order line cooks in big establishments. Pumping out 2000 meals at fast food outlets and at large functions and events, may, indeed, be a good application of this technology. It will redefine the definition of fast food, I imagine. Food will be produced in factory style commercial kitchens on the assembly line, bon appetit.

In time, smaller and cheaper versions will be available in the kitchens of ordinary people. Testimonials will shower the internet with stories about ‘my little helper in the kitchen’ and ‘Dalek Destroys Dinner in Detroit’. Kitchen accessories will include robots to dine with for lonely people. We, actually, already have these, they are called smartphones. Vegetarian robots will whip up salads and lentil stews. Cleaning your robot will be a new task; and will it have a face of sorts? Kitchen slaves have been around for millennia and now they are about to be robotised. A robot chef who can cook 2000 meals? I’d like to see that!

Fitness Gadgets To Help You Prepare For 2018

Our personal life is highly dependent on the technology that people have developed. Without the use of modern gadgets, it is not possible to accomplish our daily tasks and we are also not able to do our work with efficiency. Technology has advanced with years and it has changed the way we live, communicate, learn and so many changes have been brought about by these continuous technological advancements.

Fitness Gadgets To Help You Prepare For 2018

 

We love gadgets of every kind, be it appliances for the kitchen or electronic ones for hiking or camping trips. Everything is “smart” these days, it seems, especially when it comes to gadgets designed to help people improve their health and boost fitness levels.

While the idea of using your smartphone and health apps to monitor your workouts and vital signs are not new, did you know that there are gadgets that will help you on your desire to stay fit and healthy?

The following 12 devices, many of which aren’t yet available, but will surely help you achieve all your fitness goals

 

1. Naked 3D Fitness Tracker

Naked 3D Fitness Tracker captures your 3D body model so you can visualize your body’s changes to the Naked app. It’s like a full-length mirror with a built-in body scanner, and it’s “the world’s first 3D fitness tracker for consumers,” according to its manufacturer. The apps supposedly will help you better understand your own body and visualize progress toward your goals.

 

2.  AIO Sleeve

The Aio Sleeve by Komodo Technologies houses a sensor that takes in a lot of information and even lets you switch songs. AIO Sleeve claims to be more accurate than the average fitness tracker at gathering data, such as heart rate information, because it covers the entire arm, rather than just a wrist.

Features listed include:

  • Control health condition and predict heart and blood pressure diseases
  • Measure the atmospheric pressure/VOC and control
  • Put alarms/reminders
  • Predict alarm situation in the building
  • Develop cognitive thinking with the help of training programs
  • Track the person in the building (distant control over elderly people or kids)

 

3.  GOQii

GOQii is a digital fitness coaching service that pairs with a wearable activity tracker, and it’s designed to help you make sense of all the data your tracker collects. The service allows you to keep in touch with an actual human trainer via its app, who will make decisions for you based on the activity and sleep tracking data sent from a fitness band that you wear.

GOQii coaches are certified nutritionists, personal trainers and life coaches, and they aim to help you better understand your activity data, as well as use that data to make healthier choices, according to the developer.

 

4. Neuroon

A smart sleep mask, Neuroon promises to help you beat jetlag. Neuroon is the first device on the consumer market that measures EEG (brainwaves) and uses this data for advanced sleep staging.  Put it simply, it tracks and analyses your sleep, telling you any points during the night when you are awake, keeping track of your sleep stages and monitoring your heart rate. The Neuroon Sleep Mask works by controlling light and by extension your melatonin levels.

5. Soltrackr

Soltrackr is designed to measure UV radiation levels and provide personalized feedback via a mobile app.  Soltrackr will teach you how to make personalized decisions about sun exposure that actually benefit your health. It doesn’t just measure your heart rate, it shows you how to lower your stress. The device can then help you determine how long you should stay in the sun, which SPF level sunscreen you need to apply, and how much vitamin D you absorb.

The “wireless health companion” also promises to provide biofeedback, to optimize workouts and manage stress levels. It measures heart rate and blood oxygen levels, as well, and records improvements in cardiovascular fitness.

6. Thin Ice

Thin Ice is a piece of “smart clothing” that is designed to be worn under clothes. Its goal is to help your body burn up to 1,000 additional calories each day if you wear it for four hours. The garment, controlled by a mobile app, reportedly “cools parts of the body with high concentrations of thermoreceptors, which stimulate the brown adipose tissue (BAT) pathway.” This specific pathway supposedly burns “bad fat,” which produces heat and eats calories in the process.

7. Zenytime

Zenytime is a Bluetooth-enabled puck that fits in a pocket, and you can whip it out, and then blow into it to measure two stress biomarkers: heart rate variability, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. The developer says Zenytime checks “the actual impact of stress on [users’] brains and bodies in real-time.” The gadget, when paired with a mobile app, employs interactive breathing games to collect your baseline data and coach you toward reducing stress.

8. Spire

Spire is a small gadget that clips to a belt or bra, and it is designed to help you manage stress by monitoring your breathing patterns via the rise and fall of your chest or stomach. The device pairs with an iOS app, which charts inhales and exhales in real-time and provides alerts when your breathing patterns suggest you’re stressed. The app also provides guided meditation exercises.

9. Rufus Cuff

Rufus Cuff is an Android OS-based “wrist communicator” with a 3.2-inch colour display that works as a standalone device for video and voice communications over Wi-Fi networks. The Cuff has an accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, as well as GPS for activity tracking. It’s designed for consumers and industrial users, and the developer says it can easily integrate into B2B communication networks that have an existing Wi-Fi infrastructure.” Rufus Cuff can also run apps, surf the Web, and do basically anything that an Android device can.

10. Sensoria Fitness Running System

Sensoria’s Fitness Running System combines two pairs of “smart socks,” two anklets, and a sports bra for women, or a smart t-shirt for men. The system measures steps, calories and pace to provide running feedback, such as how your feet land. The sports bra and shirt both monitor heart rate. Everything connects to the Sensoria Fitness mobile app. The developer recently released a new iOS app, Sensoria Walk, that’s designed to track steps, distance and cadence, and it’s meant for use by consumers and patients in rehab following a stroke or surgical procedure.

11. Nex

The Nex band is a modular wristband that features five touch-sensitive, LED-lit modules, called “Mods,” which snap on and off. Each Mod can be programmed using an iOS app, to do things such as track activities, control music, take pictures (via a connected smartphone), and manage smart home devices. Integration with the popular IFTTT service lets you create other, similar “hacks,” as well. Nex’s developer offers an SDK and API to encourage third-party companies to add more functionality to its Mods.

12. Vessyl

Vessyl is a”smart cup” that reportedly measures and tracks “everything you drink” from it, according to the developer.

  • Trying to cut down on caffeine? – The cup can track how much you consume.
  • Want to lose weight? – Vessyl tells you how many liquid calories you quaff.
  • Need to cut out sugar? – Vessyl monitors your liquid sweet-treat intake.

Its associated mobile app shows stats and lets you set up “lenses” to track goals.

 

It’s clear that health tech is undergoing a revolution right now. Which of these gadgets, or others, will make it to the mainstream, is an exciting question to ponder. But it also gives us an idea of what’s likely to come next. If you want need franchising ideas just click here, also for security locks just click here.

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