Author Archives: Gaurav Sood

Swarovski Optik AX Visio smart binoculars identifies wildlife species, take photos and videos for instant sharing

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Riding the wave of AI and smart functions, the good old binoculars now seem to have been hit by the trend. Now, Swarovski Optik (a division of Swarovski Group based in Austria) has unveiled their smart binoculars at CES 2024 and we’re impressed. The timing is perfect as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the group, and they’re helping themselves with the world’s first truly smart pair of binoculars dubbed AX Visio.

The binoculars are loaded with an NPU that enables AI functions primarily for animal spotting in the wild. In conjunction with the app, the pair can identify more than 9,000 species of birds and wild animals in a given wilderness. This will be particularly helpful for beginners who have a hard time identifying different bird species.

Designer: Swarovski Optik

They’ve been developed in collaboration with Marc Newson, and it took the team of developers five years to come up with the final product. The main USP of the binoculars is their smart feature for image shooting, video recording and uploading them to the connected phone. There’s also an interesting function that allows for live sharing of content via the Live View Function.

Weighing just 1100 grams the binoculars can be accompanied on wildlife trips for a comprehensive experience. They are made out of 390 individual parts including Swarovski’s 10×32 optic systems that enable 10 times magnification capability. The 32-millimeter objective lens makes possible a 112m/1000m field of view. Also, they have an in-built camera for clicking shots and recording videos on the go. This eliminates the need for a DSLR or smartphone, making your wildlife exploration more manageable.

Other smart functions come in the form of sharing content on the fly, tagging the location of particular species, or guiding other AX Visio users to a particular location via the smart guidance prompts on the lens overlay. The design of the binoculars is minimalistic, hiding all the advanced sensors and tech on the inside. In particular, the 13MP lens with a 4208 x 3120 pixels resolution. As per the official details, these smart binoculars are good for about 15 hours in normal operation and 2 hours in intensive mode on a single full charge.

According to Swarovski Optik CEO, Stefan Schwarz, “The AX Visio is not only a flagship project with which we are demonstrating Swarovski Optik’s technological leadership in the sport optics market, but it also marks the beginning of a new technological era for us. The AX Visio is not only a flagship project with which we are demonstrating Swarovski Optik’s technological leadership in the sport optics market, but it also marks the beginning of a new technological era for us.”

For a price tag of $4,799, these binoculars sure aren’t cheap but if they fit a nature observer’s set of requirements, they’re well worth the investment!

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Lenovo Mechanical Energy Harvesting keyboard-mouse combo channels your fidgety into limitless power

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Solar-powered keyboard and mouse are nothing new to the industry, but Lenovo wants to take the gauntlet further. At CES 2024, the Hong Kong-based consumer electronics giant revealed a unique keyboard and mouse combo that uses mechanical movement and solar irradiation to power things up. That means, no need to worry about changing batteries or exposing your peripherals to natural light.

The concept props up from the limitation of solar panels on cloudy days or in darker rooms without much ambient light. The mouse comes with a crank at the bottom while the keyboard has a kinetic dial on the top left corner. So, as you read an article on the internet you could channel your anxious vibes into charging the battery of the combo peripherals.

Designer: Lenovo

Still in the concept stage, the creation dubbed “Mechanical Energy Harvesting Combo” also gets solar panels on the keyboard to take advantage of natural or room light. I find the spinning dial on the keyboard to be more practical than the crank on the mouse which required more conscious effort. According to Lenovo, for five minutes of spinning, the keyboard gets another 30 minutes of added battery charge.

Lenovo has got all bases covered as there is a USB-C port on the back for times when you prefer the surety of manual wired charging. Other than that there is a customary three-position switch for toggling the RF dongle, wired USB, or Bluetooth connection.

For the mouse, Lenovo chose an embedded ring on a pivot that can be raised and then rotated for the crank motion. A minute of winding gives around 30 minutes of charge time. Quite an effort though, but still something different that Lenovo has tried to create. As for the regular specifications, the software-programable mouse to 12,800 dpi has a good in-hand feel. There are the scroll buttons, side snipping button, resolution switcher, shortcut buttons and toggle switch.

There is no word yet if this concept combo will make it to the commercial market, still, it’s highly plausible if Lenovo manages to fit in more functionality and hardware innovation. I’m pretty sure the keyboard seems like a good bet but the mouse crank motion needs to graduate into something more practical.

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Lightweight XREAL Air 2 Ultra glasses deliver advanced VR experience at a fraction of price of the Apple Vision Pro

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Talk of AR glasses and the first names that come to mind are Apple Visions Pro and Meta Quest 3. Priced exorbitantly, given their early stage of development, a lesser-priced alternative is bound to attract attention. That’s exactly what the $699 XREAL Air 2 Ultra is with a shipping date slated sometime in March 2024 for early adopters.

The wearable accessories are a cross between AR glasses and smart spectacles, making them highly practical for real-life situations. At the ongoing event, we got a chance to experience the Air 2 Ultra with its directional audio technology and were impressed by the experience. Also, we resonated well with the vision of bringing augmented reality (AR) to everyone. No doubt they won our “Best of CES 2024” award at the mega event!

Designer: XREAL

These new fashion-forward glasses are lighter at 72 grams compared to the 80 grams of the earlier version. The display like the Air 2 is 1080p at a refresh rate of 120Hz and 500 nits brightness. A worthy upgrade comes in the form of 52 degrees FOV and the 42 pixels per degree which is even better than the Apple Vision Pro. It has also been improved to get an additional pair of cameras on each side for six degrees of freedom and positional tracking. This enables interaction with both hands for a surreal experience and applications like 3D mesh creation and future-proof AI capabilities.

Talking of the mixed reality experiences that developers can create, the company has laid much focus on the spatial computing aspect. To that accord, the Air 2 Ultra comes with a suite of tools for developers like the Nebula, an in-house developed AR environment launcher and the latest SDK. Given their smaller size, comfortable form factor and new in-frame sensors; the developers will be more than eager to put that hardware to use for unique mixed-reality applications.

XREAL has also proactively partnered with Qualcomm Technologies, BMW Group, NIO, Quintar, and Forma Vision to create niche spatial computing interfaces. These come in the form of navigation instructions, hazard warnings, holographic meetings, or entertainment content.

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2024 Bon Voyage Trailer is LG’s foray into designing intelligent life solutions

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LG has been a force to reckon with at CES 2024. Especially with the amazing set of TVs it has brought to Vegas. This includes the show-stopper 77-inch wireless, transparent OLED TV that lets you use it as a décor item you can peep beyond, when you’re not enjoying your regular dose of entertainment on it.

Of course, new speakers, TVs and other forms of consumer tech are expected from the South Korean tech company. What is really not a given is a micro-housing solution for adventurers. But that’s what LG Labs, the company’s marketing division for innovative products – has on exhibit at CES in the form of 2024 Bon Voyage camping trailer.

Designer: LG Labs

The Bon Voyage trailer is, frankly then, LG’s foray into designing intelligent life solutions for the masses. This trailer is based on the bigger tiny living solution – with the same name – released back at the Wanderlust Korea 2023. It was a duplex home built with 20sq meter of living space comprising diagonal corridors and ergonomic stairs.

The idea behind creation of the Bon Voyage was to understand the trends in housing culture and to gauge what people wanted. Through the received feedback, LG Labs has now scaled down the Bon Voyage – showing off at CES – into the size of the towable trailer which can be trailed behind your electric vehicle.

Designed as a cozy personal space on the road, the new Bon Voyage trailer is 7 feet high, 6.6 feet wide, and over 12 feet long. In this little space, LG has managed to stuff a range of furniture, storage, and a bed. It makes the living space well-lighted with the use of large glass windows and a side entry.

The basic construction is done with the use of low-carbon steel materials presumably, and it features a flatter roof for limited headspace. With the sleeping space tucked toward the front, the tailgate has a functional kitchen stocked up with an electric stove, water purifier, and refrigerator. From how things appear, there is no bathroom, but we would like to believe LG has a portable toilet and a section for bathing within. The battery-powered Bon Voyage trailer doesn’t have a price or availability going its way at the time of writing, but the battery-powered camping solution, should be apt for off-grid tours with an option solar panel set-up.

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Moonwalker X robotic shoes arrive at CES 2024 with improved maneuverability and lightweight modular design

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Back in 2022, a pair of motorized shoes dubbed Moonwalker burst into the scene, promising to be the fastest pair on the planet. Developed by Shift Robotics, they hook onto your regular shoes and give you superhuman abilities to glide, as if you’re you are moonwalking.

The Austin-based maker has again touched base at CES 2024 with an improved version called Moonwalker X, and we got hands-on time with these AI-powered shoes at the event. According to founder and CEO Xunjie Zhang, “In developing X, our focus was clear: enhancing productivity without compromising safety.” We second this vision as the product is proud recipient of the “Best of CES 2024” award.

Designer: Shift Robotics

The intended use for these robotic shoes is for commercial and business applications where speed and productivity is the key. For example, in a warehouse or manufacturing facility where human movement needs to be optimized while saving effort for efficiency. That said, the Moonwalker X’s can be put to good use in daily life too – for instance – hurrying to your office in the morning time or commuting in the crowded city streets. There have been other iterations of such rollerblades on steroids like the Segway – Ninebot Drift W1 and Hoverwheel, but they’ve not smashed the popularity button as expected.

In our experience with the robotic shoes at the event in Las Vegas, they do feel lighter being 3.2 pounds each – almost a pound lighter than the original version. Compared to the previous iteration they are slightly smaller and as an added perk are highly modular too for repairability. The AI control system has been re-engineered for better control in tight spaces and the shock absorption capabilities have also been honed. If you’ve keenly followed the progress of the Moonwalker, you’ll notice the number of wheels on each shoe has now been reduced to six from the 10 wheels on the original version.

Shift Robotics has not yet revealed anything about the pricing and says that it’ll be announced in the first half of 2024 when they’ll be ready to ship.

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Helix, the first eVTOL aircraft is at CES and all set to begin flying from June 2024

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One day, the future of aviation will be the electric vertical and take-off aircrafts! This is a journey of thought that started over a decade back when the idea of flying cars was in its total frenzy. Manufacturers around the world have since deviated a little, and come up with various concepts/prototypes of eVTOLs aircrafts, with the idea of making short-distance aviation much quieter, with fewer emissions, and potentially safer than helicopters and other forms of flying crafts.

The main reason for the eVTOL lagging behind and not making it into mass production is essentially because of the demands of the Federal Aviation Administration in America. But that hasn’t stopped companies from working through time to prove to regulators that VTOL aircrafts can operate safely. Seems, the reasoning has met sane ears, and the first eVTOL, dubbed Helix, is now at CES 2024, and all set to be produced in larger volumes and shipped starting June 10.

Designer: Pivotal

The lightweight electric VTOL aircraft has been in the works by Palo Alto, California-based company Pivotal for over a decade. After numerous phases, the final aircraft is ready to take-off and land vertically without needing a runway or a pilot’s license to go airborne.

The Pivotal Helix, with fixed rotors and tandem wings, is a single-seat aircraft that can be flown without an FAA pilot certification, but the manufacturing company requires prospective fliers to go through hours of simulator and training sessions to fly the 348-pound eVTOL craft in the USA. Before you intend to shell out your savings to be the first Pivotal customer; you must be 18 years and above, have a body weight of fewer than 220 pounds, and you shouldn’t measure more than 6.5 feet tall, else you may not fulfill the company’s buyer requirement for the Helix.

Even though a pilot’s license is not necessary to fly the eVTOL, FAA requires the aircraft to be flown only above non-congested areas and at a considerable distance from airports. There is no other additional requirement as to why you cannot fly the Helix once it becomes available (and you have close to $200K odd to spare).

To make flying easy, the Pivotal Helix features a wide-angle view from the cockpit, and thriving on the electric engine, it guarantees silent operation. The battery renders 20 miles of range to the Helix, which can charge 100 percent in about 75 minutes using a 240V charger.

Helix scheduled for June, will come in three configurations. The base model with a white carbon fiber exterior, a digital flight panel, and an HD camera for landing will start at $190,000. The model with gloss white and striped carbon fiber exterior, 4K camera with landing assist will set you back $240,000, while the third model with a premium flight deck, customizable interior and exterior will cost $260,000. The first production lightweight eVTOL aircraft in the US can now be pre-ordered via $250 nonrefundable application fee, and a $50,000 booking deposit.

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Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport earbuds with temperature and heart rate sensor for active individuals debut at CES 2024

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Audiophiles who swear by Sennheiser’s unique audio quality and design have eagerly awaited the next version of the acclaimed earbuds. The waiting is over as the German audio specialist brought the new lineup of headphones and earbuds to CES 2024. These include the upgraded ACCENTUM headphones, MOMENTUM Ture Wireless 4 earbuds and MOMENTUM Sport earbuds.

Each of these newly revealed audio accessories comes with upgrades to the previous versions. Our focus however is centered on the MOMENTUM Sport earbuds. Loaded with their own set of nice features the lifestyle buds are a great option for audio lovers for whom the Beats Fit Pro, Shokz OpenFit, or Jabra Elite 8 Active don’t make the cut.

Designer: Sennheiser

The new pair of IP55-rated earbuds for active individuals refresh Sennheiser’s line-up with a fitness-focused build. The standout feature of the buds is the heart rate monitor and body temperature sensing capabilities. Sennheiser has managed to fit a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that seamlessly syncs real-time data with apps including Apple Health, Garmin Connect, Strava or Polar Flow. Including the body sensors in a pair of earbuds makes complete sense as the inner ear is the most stable area of the body during physical activity. This ensures consistent biometrics with a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.3 degrees Celsius and heart rate measurements ranging from 30 bpm to 220 bpm.

For sound quality, the MOMENTUM Sport comes with a 10mm transducer to deliver a punchy bass and vivid soundstage. To prevent occlusion effect or pressure in the ears, the earbuds boast an acoustic relief channel. One gripe that runners or active individuals always complain about the sports earbuds is the footstep thunder, body sounds or heavy breathing noises. The earbuds come with ear tips and fins for a secure fit and flaunt a semi-open design for passive transparent mode. There’s also the ANC mode for focus periods and the anti-wind mode for windy outdoor conditions.

The IP54 rated wireless case provides 18 hours of playback on a single full charge and with the 6 hours on the buds themselves, users can expect a full day of listening without a hitch. We believe these could be the values with ANC on and for listening without ANC enabled this can be stretched further. For 10 minutes of charging time, the buds can play for 45 minutes on the fly. Users can tweak the sound profile and toggle other settings via the Smart Control app.

For those who believe in the quality of Sennheiser audio, the Sport earbuds will be available on April 9 for a price tag of $330 in black, green and graphite color options.

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Belkin auto-tracking Stand Pro swivels iPhone 360 degrees with your movement during video calls, recordings

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Apple iPhone already does some great things. Belkin believes there is a way it can add some prowess to the phone’s video and FaceTime capabilities. To that accord, the accessories manufacturer is bringing Belkin Stand Pro to CES 2024. This motorized dock for the iPhone 12 and upward is made to swivel 360 degrees and track users’ movement while the camera is on.

There have been numerous iterations of iPhone dock we have seen in our time. Right from the days docking stations played incredible music and now those that wirelessly charge the smartphone and render it with incredible utility: case in point, the rotating functionality the Belkin Stand Pro brings to the iPhone.

Designer: Belkin

The Belkin Stand Pro is offered with a cylindrical base that can rotate 360 degrees. From the base extends a MagSafe-equipped motorized arm which holds and charges the iPhone. The arm can extend 90 degrees, up and down, for more convenience.

The Stand Pro is essentially designed for tracking your movement, for instance, you are cooking in the kitchen and the iPhone playing the video recipe tutorial rotates wherever you go; picking spices, or walking to the fridge. When you don’t want the iPhone to track your movement, you can turn the tracking off from the onboard button. The LED indicator built-in indicates when the tracking is on or off.

The iPhone pairs to the Belkin dock with NFC and allows you to open apps including camera, FaceTime, Instagram, WhatsApp and more. Once the app’s working, the Stand Pro automatically rotates the docked iPhone to keep you in frame all the time using iPhone’s recognition technology without having to add additional third-party app. This makes the Belkin Stand Pro the first iPhone accessory to use Apple’s DockKit framework.

Priced at $179.99, the Belkin dock functions as a wireless charger with up to 15W fast wireless charging when plugged into a 30W USB-C charger. For filming away from the direct power port, the Stand Pro also features a battery that can do the task for up to five hours on a single charge.

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Withings BeamO is a compact health monitor that combines thermometer, stethoscope and ECG in one

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Withings is bringing a new health gadget to CES 2024 that’s going to garner a lot of attention given its utility. Called the BeamO, this all-in-one diagnostic health monitor for home use is set to shake up the telemedicine space. Just like every year, the French consumer electronics giant known for its gadgets catering to the ‘worried well’ has revealed this medical-grade tool that builds on the popularity of the contact-less thermometer.

The USB-shaped 4-in-1 multiscope is capable of keeping a tab on the vitals of your heart, lungs and temperature. The scope of consumer adoption for the device can be ascertained from their press release that states, “Once, body temperature was the only health scan routinely taken at home. BeamO will revolutionize the measurement of the core vitals carried out during medical visits from the comfort of one’s own home. This crucial data will provide a vital overview of overall health or warning signs of potential areas of concern.”

Designer: Withings

The thermometer of the future will do advanced temperature readings and also give the user the ability to keep an eye on the functions of the heart or lungs. All this from the comfort of your home to provide an overview of the health and any early warning signs of a silently building problem. Under normal circumstances, a person would have these checkups a couple of times a year, but with the Withings BeamO, that’s set to change.

The medical-grade gadget is loaded with ECG, photoplethysmography (PPG), oximeter, thermometer and stethoscope sensors for all the in-depth check-ups. Things included in the scope of measurement beyond the usual measurements include 1-lead electrocardiogram, cardiac sounds, SpO2, respiratory sounds, heart murmurs, lung wheezing and desaturation. On the sides, it comes with electrodes for EKG readings to detect atrial fibrillation.

It is loaded with a standalone display to get quick readings and you can The best thing is, that this medical device keeps track of data of 8 users via the accompanying app. Withings BeamO is currently seeking FDA approvals and is slated for launch in June 2024 for a price tag of $250. Given its ability to combine all majorly required functions for which you would otherwise purchase different devices, the device seems well worth the price.

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Sony redesigns sports earphones with an ‘off-ear’ rendition to ensure comfortable running experience

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The running community is used to the regular wireless earphones with ANC and splash-proofing. For the first time, there is a company that thinks the runners – and those involved in active sports – need a specially tailored pair of earphones, which is a little more. And who better to do that than Sony!

The masters of good sound and design excellence have revealed the Float Run (available on Amazon), which forgoes the traditional in-ear design for an off-ear style that allows the earbuds to rest outside the ear while holding snug with a clip-on, over-ear extension and a flexible neckband.

Designer: Sony

Those who remember bone conducting earphones would recognize the design instantly. Sony Float Run is engineered to be worn outside the ear, somewhat like the bone conducting ones that are clipped to the ear lobe. I have used this type of earphones; the sound and efficacy are not compromised but there is a pain point, they tend to release the sound outward so people around can hear what you are listening to.

How much has Sony figured that out and plugged the pain point is going to clear up only with use – we were not able to find clear evidence to this – but what we are clear about is that the Float Run is a comfortable fit and delivers high-quality sound to the listener.

The speakers of the Sony headphones are designed to float in front of the ears so you can enjoy comfort and convenience while running. Since the ears are not stuffed with the buds, the runners or sportspersons do not feel pressure in the ear, even after prolonged usage. The interesting aspect of the Sony device is that it allows you to hear the ambient sound naturally when you are wearing them.

The sound from the outside is naturally heard, so it can be safely worn while walking on the trail, running on the road, or pumping your muscles in the gym. If the sound from the outside is allowed in, the earbuds have to maintain a good speaker standard. To that end, the Float Run come with large, 16mm driver that allows excellent sound, thick base, and treble; though slightly higher volume than usual may be necessary.

Provided with IPX4 Splash Protection, the Sony earphone, which runs for up to 10 hours on a single charge, would allow you to enjoy music when you are sweating or running in a sudden shower. The Float Run weighs only 33g and is powered through the USB Type-C connector. If you like the idea of an earphone that doesn’t make your ear feel constrained, you can think of taking these home for usage during sports, including running.

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