Author Archives: Natalie

Lenovo Yoga Book: A Truly Groundbreaking Device

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lenovo-yoga-book

This article was brought to you by The Tech Info Group –

Lenovo has adopted the catchy slogan “better never stops,” which really seems to suit the company’s penchant for coming up with neat improvements year after year.

Lenovo’s Yoga line of specialty tablets is not easy to define. The trademark feature of Yoga devices is a clamshell design that combines a touchscreen with another functional surface, joined together by a unique hinge mechanism that is unlike any other found in the laptop, netbook and hybrid market. This feature is present in the new Yoga Book, but Lenovo has come up with a couple of interesting surprises.

At first sight, the Yoga Book seems to lack a keyboard; however, a discreet touch of a button lights up the input component that lights up to reveal an attractive keyboard complete with tactile feedback. This elegant feature certainly improves upon the touchscreen keyboards typically found on smartphones and tablets since it leaves the 10.1 inch screen unencumbered.
What is even more interesting about the Yoga Book’s input surface is that it can also be used with a stylus for drawing, handwriting or even as a very large trackpad. Lenovo calls this surface the “Create Pad,” and it is highly responsive: more than 2,000 pressure levels and a full range of angles can be detected.

Aside from tactile input, the Create Pad comes with an ergonomic stylus that feels like something you can actually draw and paint with. Lenovo calls its stylus “Real Pen,” which happens to be a very appropriate name since it actually has a slot for an ink cartridge. The Real Pen does not require batteries and allows you to place a sheet of paper over the Create Pad so that you can draw in the traditional sense while the Yoga Book digitizes your work.

The Yoga Book comes with an advanced note-taking and sketch app to get you started, but you can also install your favorites from Google Play or the Windows Store. Other features include an 8 MP camera, LTE connectivity, nano SIM card support, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage.

The Yoga Book comes in an attractive black design, grey, and gold color schemes for $499.99.

[Lenovo Yoga Book]

 

DIY Pokedex Cover Helps with Pokemon Go Battery

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pokedex

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Pokemon Go has swept the world into a “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” frenzy during the last several weeks since its thundering debut. And while it’s sent intrepid fans out into the streets to hunt down errant Pikachus and Bulbasaurs, it has also been a huge drain on the battery life of all our phones.

That’s where Sparkfun user Nick Poole comes in. Recognizing the weight that the app was putting on his phone – using its built-in GPS constantly, sucking up all his mobile data, and keeping his LCD display on at all hours as it constantly rendered a new map with new features – he has come to the world’s rescue.

Using 3D printing technology, Poole developed a phone case modeled on the classic Kanto-era Pokedex. Bright red in color and featuring red, yellow, and green LED lights, the case is an absolute essential for any Pokemon trainer out there.

And the best part? It isn’t just any old phone case – no, this case was specifically designed to meet the unique demands of the Pokemon Go app.

As you use it, the case charges your phone, adding up to 2,600mAh to your phone’s battery life. No more lugging around heavy portable batteries or wandering home with your head hung and your phone dead in your pocket. No, with the Pokedex case, you will be able to chase that Clefairy all the way to the other side of town and not have to worry about losing him at the last moment.

Unfortunately, the case isn’t currently for sale anywhere. But don’t fear! If you have access to a 3D printer, Poole has been generous enough to upload instructions and a 3D printing template to GitHub for anyone to use. All you need is a little customization to make the template match to your phone model – it was originally built for a Samsung Galaxy S4 – and some electrical know-how to wire up the case, and you’ll be training Pokemon before you know it.

DIY Pokedex Cover Helps with Pokemon Go Battery

Posted on by

 

pokedex

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Pokemon Go has swept the world into a “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” frenzy during the last several weeks since its thundering debut. And while it’s sent intrepid fans out into the streets to hunt down errant Pikachus and Bulbasaurs, it has also been a huge drain on the battery life of all our phones.

That’s where Sparkfun user Nick Poole comes in. Recognizing the weight that the app was putting on his phone – using its built-in GPS constantly, sucking up all his mobile data, and keeping his LCD display on at all hours as it constantly rendered a new map with new features – he has come to the world’s rescue.

Using 3D printing technology, Poole developed a phone case modeled on the classic Kanto-era Pokedex. Bright red in color and featuring red, yellow, and green LED lights, the case is an absolute essential for any Pokemon trainer out there.

And the best part? It isn’t just any old phone case – no, this case was specifically designed to meet the unique demands of the Pokemon Go app.

As you use it, the case charges your phone, adding up to 2,600mAh to your phone’s battery life. No more lugging around heavy portable batteries or wandering home with your head hung and your phone dead in your pocket. No, with the Pokedex case, you will be able to chase that Clefairy all the way to the other side of town and not have to worry about losing him at the last moment.

Unfortunately, the case isn’t currently for sale anywhere. But don’t fear! If you have access to a 3D printer, Poole has been generous enough to upload instructions and a 3D printing template to GitHub for anyone to use. All you need is a little customization to make the template match to your phone model – it was originally built for a Samsung Galaxy S4 – and some electrical know-how to wire up the case, and you’ll be training Pokemon before you know it.

Samsung Introduces the Gear IconX Wireless Earbuds

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samsung gear iconx

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Samsung is taking the concept of wireless earbuds a step further by also removing the wire that connects the two earbuds, making the Gear IconX truly wireless.

Each of the earbuds weighs a little more than a quarter and they are stored in a pill-shaped case that charges the cordless earbuds. As with other wireless earbuds, they connect via Bluetooth to your cell phone or tablet. The Gear IconX earbuds work with most Android devices — must be running Android 4.4 or later and have at least 1.5GB of RAM — but are not compatible with iOS devices. One awesome spec about these wireless earbuds is the 4GB of internal storage that can be used to store music or other audio files. Hence, there is no need to be connected to a device, you can store music on them too.

samsung earbud charger

Tracking Success

Samsung is also classifying the product as a fitness-tracking device. It measures movement, heart rate and distance traveled through sensors built into the earbuds, in addition to tracking calories burned. All of the fitness information is stored in Samsung’s S Health app on your phone or tablet, and it can then be exported to other fitness apps.

Memory and More

When you’re streaming audio from your phone, the Gear IconX earbuds will last about 1.5 hours on a single charge, but the earbuds will last up to 3.5 hours when listening to the music stored in the earbuds’ internal memory. You can control your audio by tapping and swiping directly on the earbuds, and the Gear IconX can also be controlled by an Android app you can download to your device.

Advantages of the truly wireless Gear IconX earbuds include not having to be tethered by a wire within a couple of feet from your device and not even needing to use a phone with the earbuds by utilizing the built-in storage to keep music directly on the earbuds. Their small size is also advantageous because they are easy to carry around with you.

Price

Samsung has not yet announced a release date other than to say they’ll be released later this year. They’ll come in white, blue and black with a $199.99 retail price in the U.S. Once released, they should be available at most major electronics retailers.

[Gear Icon X] article by [TTIG]

Skintrack Turns the Surface of the Arm into a TouchPad

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skintrack smart ring

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

The Skintrack is a new emerging technology that allows smartwatch users to transform the surface of the arm into an interactive touch pad. Developed by a research lab at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh called Futures Interfaces Group, the Skintrack uses a ring and a sensor to make the entire arm an interactive screen for the smartwatch. This eliminates the annoyance of trying to input commands into the small surface of a smartwatch screen, one of the main issues regular smartwatch users in the IT services field face.

Behind Skintrack

High frequency electric signals make the technology behind the Skintrack possible. The technology is powered by four separate electrodes inside the ring and the sensor, which is placed on the smartwatch strap while the ring is worn. The electrodes within the ring transmit safe, high-frequency electric signals once the finger touches the arm skin. These signals are received by the electrodes within the sensor. This allows the technology to calculate the exact position of the finger on the arm’s surface, and use that space as a touch pad surface.

How does it work?

Users can swipe or tap the surface of the arm to interact with the watch. The Skintrack accommodates simple or complex commands to give users a full range of actions. They can draw a photo on the arm that shows up on the smartwatch screen, make or answer calls and update social media channels. There are even hotkey commands, such as drawing a letter S on the skin to silence an incoming call. App shortcuts can be dragged from the watch screen to sit on the surface of the arm. The technology is totally safe for the human body and poses no threat to overall health.

While the Skintrack has certainly piqued the interest of smartwatch users around the world, getting one to use in everyday life is not possible just yet. The technology is still being developed, with no solid plans for a commercial release for the general public. Currently, the team behind the Skintrack is working to perfect the battery life of the ring and minimize interruptions to the signal while the user is in motion. While there is no release date or estimated price for the technology, commercial plans could come in time as these small issues with the technology are resolved.

As smartwatch usage becomes more widespread, so will the demand for technologies like the Skintrack, which allow users to use smartwatches more easily.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, lead the way to body measurement technology for all.

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Naked 3D Tracker

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Something exciting is happening in the world of fitness. Anyone who is trying to reshape their body in some way, at some level, professional or amateur, is in for a surprise. Checking one’s progress toward fitness goals on the scale, with a tape measure, by looking in a mirror, or calculating body fat just became way easier. Welcome to the magic world of The Naked 3D Fitness Tracker.

The new fitness tracker device is a full-length smart mirror that provides feedback about your body like no other tracking device has ever done. According to The Tech Info Group, this high-tech mirror comes equipped with Intel RealSense Depth Sensors that take a 3-D scan of your body as it slowly turns around on the accompanying blue-tooth scale.
The scanning process takes about twenty seconds and creates visual results that include a heat map, body fat percentage, and a time lapse feature that shows changes over time. Imagine watching over the course of weeks or months as one’s body transformed into the vision that exists in the mind.

As anyone who has ever tried to lose fat and build muscle knows, a typical bathroom scale is sometimes frustrating because it doesn’t give an accurate picture of progress. Many people have difficulty staying motivated and often will give up because they can’t see results.

The manufacturers, Naked Labs, promise the device will be compatible with other fitness tracking systems and that the body-fat measurements are accurate to within 1.5%. Naked Labs also sees other applications for this apparatus, for example, clothes shopping. Imagine providing a 3-d body image with accurate measurements to a clothing designer to match with available apparel.

Although nothing is said at this point but the imagination can also see possibilities in the medical field for this type of device. People who have seen this device say it looks hot and contemporary. One might assume it is beyond affordable for average folks; however, it will go on the market sometime in early 2017 and will sell for $499.

Pretty reasonable for a magic mirror, yes?

[Naked 3D Fitness Tracker]

Smart Pin: A Pin For The Digital Age

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Pins Collective Wearable

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Everyone has those awkward years where they left their house wearing some obviously regrettable off-trend fashion. Now that the hipster culture is back in style, everything old is new again and some poor fashion decisions you made in your earlier years are now trending. For example, think about the old-fashion graphic pins you probably wore on your clothes, backpack, or wherever else that you could think of. Pins were a great way to easily express yourself and show the world what you liked without saying a single word. Now, thanks to our vintage culture, these cute little buttons are back to being stylish again.

There is a company in Stockholm, Sweden, that is taking the classic wear-ability of a basic pin, and hoping to give it a makeover for the digital age. This Kickstarter company, Pins Collective, has some high hopes for their new Smart Pin. Digital devices that can be worn on the body are surfacing on the market, such as the Apple watch. However, even Apple has had a difficult time making tech wearable’s popular. Mostly business professionals and tech companies like TTIG are the ones benefiting from current wearable technology. Pins Collective hopes to engage a larger spectrum of individuals. They are relying heavily on nostalgic appeal in hopes that individuals will choose to fund their product.

The smart pin will look very similar to non-digital pins, but of course it will go far beyond what any plastic pin could ever do. On the front of the pin where the picture would normally be, there will be a small LCD screen that will display your chosen icons. After a sync with your smart phone, you will able to choose exactly which image that you want to project to the world via your smart pin. Additionally, you can also choose to turn your smart pin in an animated GIF pin. Sadly, the smart pin is not projected to be thoroughly waterproof. It will also need to be charged through a micro-USB cord. The smart pin will hold a charge for about 74 hours, but GIFs will drain the battery in about 2.5 short hours.

In order for the smart pin to become a reality, the company is asking potential backers to donate the relatively small amount of $75,000 towards the project. The smart pin is projected to cost $99, but backers will be able to pick one up for $49.

Receive Gmail’s Powerful Features On Other Email Accounts

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Gmailify

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Non-Gmail accounts are getting an upgrade with the “Gmailify”application. Get the full features of Google email without the need of a Gmail account. Now, you have the option of keeping your old email address from another provider and receive the complete features of a Gmail account. When somebody enables Gmailify, they’re getting the benefits of a Gmail account without moving to the @gmail domain.

The Benefits of Gmailify:

  • Users get spam protection. The Gmail service identifies spam from patterns and user preferences. Spam gets sent to a separate folder and, at the top of the email, will be a label that explains why the message got sent to spam. Google filters the spam from your email.
  • Emails will be automatically sorted into tabs such as “social” and “update.” This is a default organizational tool that lets users get to the important stuff quickly and enjoy the fun stuff without pause.

  • They’ll have access to Google’s advanced search option. The advanced search uses search operators to sort through messages and setup filters. Save time by searching for that one email of many years ago using the search engine option granted by Google.
  • Gmailify users will also be provided with Google Now cards. These are helpful digital flash cards that pop up with reminders, recommendations, and news that is relevant to the reader.

Gmailify sync

How to Gmailify?

Start the Gmail app, log in to your email accounts and enable Gmailify. Current Gmail app users who want Gmailify have to enable the feature within the app settings. If anyone changes their mind, they can always un-link their account and go back to the original format. If an end user is experiencing email issues on their mobile device, they can always reach Los Angeles IT support firm for help.

Gmailify provides non-Gmail users with a more powerful set of tools. The best part of Gmailify, is that the app is free. There’s no extra charges for the more robust email services.

[Gmailify]

Google’s Next VR Device

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Google Cardboard

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Google launched its Cardboard virtual reality headset designed as a cost-effective introduction to virtual reality. At less than $30, users with a smartphone could experience VR without spending a small fortune. More powerful devices like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will cost over $500 upon release after all. Cardboard is a simple contraption made from cardboard, lenses, and a rubber band.

Features and Specs
Perhaps the best feature of Google Cardboard is its absolute simplicity. Aside from two lenses and rubber bands, Cardboard is made from cardboard cutouts. Pre-built kits can be purchased online from various retailers. DIY-oriented individuals can craft a Cardboard unit from a random box, though. From there, a smartphone is positioned in the device, and users can experience virtual reality on a budget. Nothing is more simple than Cardboard.

Pricing and Availability
Cardboard is available from dozens of online retailers today and IT support LA companies. Most units cost between $12.50 and $20.00 on average. However, units with secure headbands and more intricate designs will run a higher price range. Google designed this device with an ultra-low cost in order to promote virtual reality and introduce consumers to the concept.

Is Google ready to launch a successor?
A recent rumor hit the Internet surrounding Google and its next VR device. Apparently, Google wants to challenge the Samsung Gear VR headset. If true, this ensures that Google is working on a more premium VR headset that runs off a smartphone. Extra features and design elements will surely be included in this Cardboard successor. Despite being a rumor, Cardboard Version 2.0 seems like an inevitable release rather than a dream.

Millions of people have tested out virtual reality for themselves with Google Cardboard. No other VR option comes with such a low barrier to entry. Unlike fancier headsets, Cardboard runs off a user’s existing smartphone rather than a powerful processing setup. A new Cardboard, or a spiritual successor, seems guaranteed at this point. VR looks to become a multi-billion dollar industry in the coming years, and every company wants in.

Google’s Next VR Device

Posted on by

Google Cardboard

The following article is brought to you by The Tech Info Group. -Ed

Google launched its Cardboard virtual reality headset designed as a cost-effective introduction to virtual reality. At less than $30, users with a smartphone could experience VR without spending a small fortune. More powerful devices like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will cost over $500 upon release after all. Cardboard is a simple contraption made from cardboard, lenses, and a rubber band.

Features and Specs
Perhaps the best feature of Google Cardboard is its absolute simplicity. Aside from two lenses and rubber bands, Cardboard is made from cardboard cutouts. Pre-built kits can be purchased online from various retailers. DIY-oriented individuals can craft a Cardboard unit from a random box, though. From there, a smartphone is positioned in the device, and users can experience virtual reality on a budget. Nothing is more simple than Cardboard.

Pricing and Availability
Cardboard is available from dozens of online retailers today and IT support LA companies. Most units cost between $12.50 and $20.00 on average. However, units with secure headbands and more intricate designs will run a higher price range. Google designed this device with an ultra-low cost in order to promote virtual reality and introduce consumers to the concept.

Is Google ready to launch a successor?
A recent rumor hit the Internet surrounding Google and its next VR device. Apparently, Google wants to challenge the Samsung Gear VR headset. If true, this ensures that Google is working on a more premium VR headset that runs off a smartphone. Extra features and design elements will surely be included in this Cardboard successor. Despite being a rumor, Cardboard Version 2.0 seems like an inevitable release rather than a dream.

Millions of people have tested out virtual reality for themselves with Google Cardboard. No other VR option comes with such a low barrier to entry. Unlike fancier headsets, Cardboard runs off a user’s existing smartphone rather than a powerful processing setup. A new Cardboard, or a spiritual successor, seems guaranteed at this point. VR looks to become a multi-billion dollar industry in the coming years, and every company wants in.