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Archives for January 2016

Apple voluntarily recalls select international AC wall plug adapters

January 28, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

AppleACRecall1

Apple has taken a pre-emptive strike, voluntarily recalling certain two-prong Apple AC wall plug adapters for Mac and iOS devices as well as the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit after determining that in “very rare” cases, handling them could result in a possible electric shock.

In the announcement Apple clarified the recall is limited to adapters designed for use in Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Argentina and Brazil. Adapters designed to be used in Canada and other countries such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, United Kingdom, and the U.S. as well as Apple USB power adapters is not affected. Regardless, owners of the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit who may have purchased the travel adapter in one of the non-affected countries should still verify that it’s not part of the recall.

The potential hazard is not limited to new products; it affects products shipped over a 12-year period, from 2003 to 2015.  Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Filed Under: Apple, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Signs of the Times · Tagged With: , ,

ThermalTech: World’s first solar-powered smart jacket

January 27, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

ThermalTech_LS_BigBear_0967a

If you thought a down-filled jacket was the best way to keep warm you may be surprised to find out ThermalTech’s new lightweight energy-absorbing smart fabric with stainless steel mesh threads rather than goose or duck down, will more than do the trick.

The company’s new-patented technology uses the UV rays from the sun and other artificial lighting sources to help keep you warm and it’s very unlike traditional methods of using down or other fabrics and recycled body heat.  In fact, the energy it generates can warm wearers up to a further 10°C/18°F in a matter of a few minutes even in cold temperatures. And once the body’s optimal temperature is reached, the company says it will prevent overheating with its ability to maintain that temperature. Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Filed Under: Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, In the news, New Product, Signs of the Times · Tagged With: ,

Griffin PowerDock Pro charges 5 USB gadgets at once

January 23, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Power-dock-pro

Griffin went back to the drawing board, re-designing their multi-device USB charging system and unveiling a newer sleeker model, the PowerDock Pro. It can still charge up to five devices at once and brings along some additional practical and enhanced features.

The Griffin PowerDock Pro is the successor to the PowerDock 5 we looked at here at CanoeTech Blog back in 2013. It still allows for charging up the five devices at once, but while the original was optimized for iOS, this one will play nice with both iOS and Android devices simultaneously. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, New Product · Tagged With: , , , ,

IK Multimedia iRig Pro DUO offers dual channel midi interface

January 20, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

A portable MIDI interface is pretty handy to have particularly when you’re on the road, so if you’re doing an impromptu performance or a live recording session and have both a guitar and a mic, you might be out of luck, unless you either have two interfaces or the iRig Pro DUO – the latest portable MIDI interface from IK Multimedia that features two channels.

This new dual-channel gadget is a follow-up to the original single channel iRig Pro, we looked at here at CanoeTech Blog back in mid-2013. Not only does it double your channels, it’s been enhanced with additional features not found on its predecessor.

It won’t surprise you that it’s a little bigger, but still pretty small. At only 5″x 2.95″x 1.46″ it more or less fits in the palm of your hand and amazingly compact for what’s packed under the hood.  Read Full Review at Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: accessories, Audio, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Product review · Tagged With: , , ,

Swann unveils DIY 4K ultra HD security system

January 15, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

NVR-7700NI-I4_4camWell, there’s been lots of buzz about bigger and better 4K televisions, but Swann, a company known for their security monitoring systems has just unveiled their forthcoming Swann 4K Ultra HD Security System that offers a crisper picture and better resolution with four times more pixels than 1080p.

The new system is primarily designed for the small business owner or the do-it-yourselfer. It includes four 4K, 8-megapixel HD cameras (expandable to eight) that use IR cut filters which allow for better detail particularly at night and up to 100 feet. And with a rating of IP66 it makes it more resistant to water and ideal for either outdoor or indoor use. Read more at CanoeTech Blog.

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, New Product · Tagged With: , , , ,

Project Nursery monitor is parent’s little helper

January 11, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

3_products-12312015Dubbed as Project Nursery’s top secret project with their partner VOXX International, the Project Nursery Baby Monitor was finally birthed at CES 2016 after having been worked on, no pun intended, over the past nine months.

The Project Nursery offering is a little different from your typical baby monitor or webcam. Their flagship piece of the line consists of three parts; a Parent Unit complete with five-inch high definition display, a mini-monitor with a 1.5″ LCD display and a separate camera unit.

The system, which features a luxurious high-end design finish is both a wireless and Wi-Fi-free monitor which the company says, offers an uncomplicated hand-off to a caregiver. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, kids, New Product · Tagged With: , , , , ,

NETFLIX now streaming to over 190 countries

January 6, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Netflix pic

If your country didn’t offer Netflix streaming, chances are after today’s announcement it probably might as the Netflix tap was turned on today to more than 130 additional countries, bringing the total number around the world to 190. And interestingly enough, the service went live as co-founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings delivered his keynote at International CES 2016.   Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog

Filed Under: Announcements, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, In the news, Signs of the Times · Tagged With: , ,

CES 2016 Fold-up scooter, broadcast mounts and instant touch screens

January 5, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

There will be thousands of products announced, unveiled and displayed at this year’s International CES 2016 and here are a few to begin with that really caught my attention. Three in particular are; a cool little fold-up scooter, a professional smartphone mount and a gadget that gives your PC notebook instant touch functionality.

Fold-up Smart Scooter

Smart-Rhino unveiled their cool little Xcooter, which you have to say real fast to get right. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a scooter and if you look closely at the picture, it’s designed in the shape of an X.

Its body is made of a full aluminum alloy and fairly lightweight. It’s designed with their own-patented technology to fold up along with the handlebar in one second making it space efficient and quickly storable. Although it does weigh just under 42 lb (19 kg), but a folding size of only 21 ¼” x 7 ¾” x 38″, you could theoretically throw it in your car or take with you so you don’t have to worry about locking it up. Read more… at Canoe Tech Blog.

Filed Under: accessories, Audio, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, In the news, New Product, Signs of the Times · Tagged With: , ,

iKlip A/V 1st smartphone broadcast mount for mobile audio and video

January 5, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

iklip_avJanuary 5th, 2016 – IK Multimedia is pleased to present iKlip A/V, the first broadcast mount for professional audio and video recording with smartphones. An industry first, it’s a system that gives professional broadcasters and videographers the ability to capture and monitor pro-quality audio on the go via its integrated high-quality XLR mic preamp with phantom power and built-in wireless receiver support. It also delivers a steady picture thanks to its smartphone holder and hand-held grip. Designed for mobile broadcast professionals, iKlip A/V gives everyone the power to use their smartphone as a full-featured camcorder.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: accessories, Announcements, Audio, GadgetGreg, New Product, Press Releases · Tagged With: , ,

Satechi Ventie car vent mount for your smartphone

January 3, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

VentieFront

When you hear Ventie, the first thing that comes to mind is a mega cup of Starbucks coffee. But this Ventie has a slightly different spelling and has nothing to do with the caffeine fix; what it can do is make your smartphone hands-free by giving you the option to easily mount it to the air vent in your car.

The Ventie Mount by Satechi is a clever little accessory.  It has a spring-loaded head designed to grip any smartphone that measures between two and three and one-half inches wide. It could also be rotated to accommodate a number of GPS models or even your smartphone if you prefer to orient it in landscape mode.

In fact, the grip head is mounted using a ball-and-socket joint and swivel arm system giving you some decent flexibility in positioning the mount to give you the optimal viewing angle from your driver’s seat. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Review · Tagged With: , , , ,