Archives for April 2016

Dyson Supersonic is a new hair dryer

100122255The Dyson Supersonic was just unveiled in Tokyo and with no doubt; the name immediately stirs up imagery of an ultra high-speed vacuum or fan. And while I’m sure some of their existing technology is in this new product, James Dyson and his crack team of 100+ engineers and 30 in-house motor specialists have come up with what they think is the ultimate fast, focused and intelligent hair dryer and the answer to all hair drying problems.

“Hair dryers can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket. By looking at them further we realized that they could also cause extreme heat damage to hair. I challenged Dyson engineers to really understand the science of hair and develop our version of a hair dryer, which we think solves these problems,” says inventor and company founder James Dyson.

Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

NEW SampleTank 3 CS free version of SampleTank 3

sampletank3csSampleTank 3 CS “Custom Shop” for Mac/PC now offers all musicians and studios the full functionality of SampleTank 3 in an expandable and free virtual instrument
 
IK Multimedia, has announced the latest version of SampleTank 3 CS, the free version of SampleTank 3.  The new update removes all limitations by unlocking the full software functionality including unlimited editing and import features. SampleTank 3 CS is a standalone player and plug-in that can be expanded with IK’s Instrument Collections that are available at any time from the integrated Custom Shop: Everything from rare pianos to signature artist drums to the new Miroslav Philharmonik 2 CE collection. Legacy VIs, libraries and user samples can also now be imported without restriction. SampleTank 3 CS comes loaded with 30 free instruments, 1.8 GB of sounds, 81 MIDI patterns and 2 loop kits.

[Read more…]

Cool CreoPop pen lets you draw in 3D

CEOPOPIf you think 3D printers are cool, then how about a pen that allows you to draws objects in 3D that’s truly cool? It’s called CreoPop from a Singapore-based company of the same name originally funded through Indiegogo. The pen uses specially designed ink made from photopolymers that flows freely from the pen and solidifies when exposed to LED diodes.

Cool in More Ways

Now when I say cool, I mean it in multiple senses of the word. Yes, it is cool – very funky; imagine you can draw almost in thin air. It’s also cool because of the types of inks it uses (more later) and again cool, since the ink that flows from the pen is more or less cool to the touch. Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Apple updates MacBook announces WWDC 2016

macbook.rosegoldApple announced today an update to the 12-inch MacBook. Apple’s silent and sleek unique unibody golden child that hovers in size between the two MacBook Air models has been upgraded with new processors, better battery life and one new colour addition.

Under the hood of the MacBook will now be 6th generation dual-core Intel Core “m” processors up to 1.3 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, peppier 1866 MHz memory and faster flash storage. It will also include the latest Intel HD Graphics 515 processor offering up to 25 percent faster graphics performance. Designed to be your all-day Mac, battery life is also up, now claiming up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 11 hours of iTunes movie playback. Read more at CanoeTech Blog.

AirJamz wearable brings your Air Guitar to life

AirJamzWho doesn’t like to play air guitar? If you do, then you may be interested in AirJamz a new wearable by Zivix, the creators of jamstik+ that takes those moves you got so good at and turn them into music.

AirJamz is being brought to life through the company’s latest Kickstarter campaign. It’s app-enhanced, Bluetooth enabled and sits on your wrist like a watch or an activity tracker like a FitBit and connects wirelessly to an iOS or Android device.  Read More at CanoeTech Blog.

Review: Gatekeeper 2.0 Secure Wireless Lock & Key for your Computer

1 GatekeeperProtecting your data from prying eyes is more important than ever before. Still, we often forget to lock our computers when we walk away or purposely don’t bother because it’s too much of a pain to retype in a password every time you move to and fro. For this, Untethered Labs created Gatekeeper, a key fob sized wireless “lock and key” for your computer that automatically locks your computer when you walk away from it and unlocks it when you return.

It’s a pocket Bluetooth 4.0 enabled system that consists of a small rectangular coin-cell battery-operated key fob, a USB dongle and a companion app. The company’s latest model, Gatekeeper 2.0, which we’re reviewing here today, is updated and redesigned; At 45 mm x 25 mm x 6 mm and weighing 10 grams, it’s lighter and 20% thinner and with better range detection. The new sleeker fob has a rubberized matte finish, so it won’t slip from your hands with a built-in loop to secure it on a safety keychain attachment or lanyard – both included. The USB lock or dongle is half the size and now has a metal shield. The Android and iOS apps have been updated as well as the software for Windows and Mac although the Mac version is still in beta.  Read Full Review at G4TV Canada.

Introducing 825 Canada’s newest Area Code

825 AreaCode

If you live in Alberta and receive a call from your next-door neighbour showing an 825 Area Code, don’t be alarmed; it’s not necessarily a spoofed call. This past Saturday, April 9th, the new area code prefix was put into place to meet the growing demand for phone numbers in the province.

The new Area Code according to the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA), a partnership between major telcos and industry associations across Canada, will open the floodgates to seven million new phone numbers bringing the number of area codes in Alberta to four. Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Why mop floors when Braava jet can do it?

B240_MoppingRobot_heroRegardless as to how meticulous you are the floors in your house need to be mopped once in a while. It’s no secret, mopping up is one chore that most of us hate doing, so it’s great news to hear that iRobot has added a complementary cleaning gadget to go along with the Roomba robotic vacuum, the Braava jet 240 Mopping Robot, a compact high-tech hard surface cleaner.

More than just a mop being robotically dragged around the floor, iRobot’s latest creation incorporates a smart vibrating cleaning head and a jet sprayer.

Braava jet is designed to work with three types of specially designed pads to cover a wide variety of wet and dry cleaning needs. The Dry Sweeping Pad is perfect for picking up some simple dirt like dust, pet hair, and dry coffee grounds from hard surfaces.. For everyday dirt, or for cleaning tile and stone the Damp Sweeping Pad adds a little moisture to help ensure the dirt is cleaned up. For more heavily soiled or stained floors the Wet Mopping Pad is likely more appropriate. Both the damp and wet pads contain a water-activated cleaning agent to help loosen the dirt for better cleaning.  Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Acer unveils 120-inch 24:9 ultra-wide gaming projector

If you can’t get a big enough or wide enough screen to enjoy your games, you may be excited to know that Acer has just unveiled the Acer Predator Z850 Gaming Projector allowing you to experience a 120″ ultra-wide image with an ultra-short throw.

If you have a display area large enough, their latest laser projector offer gamers a 24:9 ultra-wide field of view at 1920 x 720 HD, giving you a 50% wider image than before. In fact the company says, “This feature augments a gamer’s peripheral vision to present a competitive edge over enemies in all types of games.” Of course, you’ll still need to be quick on the fingers. Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.

Matador reusable Wet Bag travels on your keychain

droplet_v2_beach_square_002With careful planning and expert folding one can cram everything one needs needed including toiletries and necessary gadgets into a small carry case in a backpack for a two-day trip and a short flight. But returning with sweaty clothes or damp swim shorts can put a damper on the return trip.

And something I wish I had on my last adventure is the Matador Droplet Wet Bag. It’s a 100% polyester waterproof ultra compact wet bag that measures 27 cm x 23 cm and has a 3 L capacity. It’s not designed to be submersible, but it is ideal for keeping things like damp swimsuits separated from your precious computer gear.   It can also be used the other way around as a place to store some of your gadgets and things that you don’t want getting wet when it’s raining or water nearby. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.