"Gadget" Greg Gazin Demystifies Tech & Life in a useful, fun & practical way!
Every Mother is unique and sometimes finding the right gadget or gift can often be a challenge. So here’s a small selection of last minute Mother’s Day gift ideas from HP, Epson, nonda, CTA Digital and Stojo that might just put a huge smile on her face on her special day.
Read about all the gadget gift ideas for Mom at Canoe Tech Blog.
Have you ever had an opportunity to do a pitch or presentation at a business but it took longer to get all set up than to do the presentation? Maybe it was the wrong cable, the Wi-Fi too slow or locked down or your laptop wouldn’t boot up and oh well, so much for first impressions. Enter WeKast, a pocket-sized plug and “cast” solution. It’s designed to eliminate all the fuss and complexities and help you get to what you need to do – make that presentation. You don’t even need a computer; you can present wirelessly, right from your smartphone or tablet.
Plug and Cast
How WeKast works is really slick. It has a female VGA connector on one end and a female HDMI connector on the other. (HDMI M/M extender included in case you need it). You simply plug one end into your projector or TV and WeKast then acts a mini Wi-Fi router that wirelessly connects to a compatible iOS or Android. Using the WeKast companion, grab a presentation that you can easily pull from your DropBox or Google Drive and it’s quickly pre-loaded onto the WeKast device. The app then allows you to run your slides automatically or manually control with a swipe. There’s even a place to tap to see your slide notes. Read full Post at Canoe Tech Blog.
If 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.
Who 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.
Protecting 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.
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.
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.
As spring is just around the corner it’s time to once again think about high-tech personal transportation. Earlier this month, we looked at a funky e-skateboard called Storm, but what if you prefer skates to a skateboard? If that’s the case then you might just drool over the RocketSkates by Acton. You may not achieve speeds like The Flash, but you will be able to get up to 7 mph for up to 5 miles on the RocketSkates R5 or up to 12 mph for 10 miles on the R10 model. So why walk when you can skate?
Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.
Accessing your computer or mobile device while on stage for artists or presenters can often be a pain. This is especially true if your hands are full and all you want to do is turn a page on your sheet music, change a setlist or move through a presentation. This is where the new iRig BlueTurn comes in. It’s a compact wireless page turning gadget that utilizes your foot rather than your hand.
Created by IK Multimedia and made in Italy, iRig BlueTurn is a simple yet clever little BlueTooth enabled box. It’s designed to sit on the floor with two soft touch illuminated buttons positioned side-by-side to execute commands from one of three preset modes: Arrow up/down, Page up/down or Arrow left/right that you can configure upon power-up. In some apps, receiving these commands may allow control of other functions such as scrolling and start/stop functionality in certain modes depending on how the app interprets the standardized commands. Read Greg Gazin’s Full Review at CanoeTech Blog.
Who says remote wireless presenters have to be flat or boring? Electronic accessory maker Satechi doesn’t seem to think so. They have unveiled their newest Aluminum Bluetooth Presenter and laser pointer that is shaped like a baton or a small mic rather than your typical offering.
The Satechi Aluminum Bluetooth Presenter (model ST-APA) is cylindrical shape with a two-tone colour scheme and available in three iOS inspired flavours. On all models, the top half is black and the bottom is one of either; gold, silver or space grey. On the underside is a USB charging port, charge indicator and power button. Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.
Also available via AMAZON
