Outdoor Tech Adapt makes any headphones or speakers wireless

Adapt-Wireless-Receiver-Orange-Front-180x180You’ve invested in a great pair of headphones, but that was eons ago, long before wireless and perhaps before in-line microphones. But you now have a dilemma. You’d like to take advantage of the latest wireless features but don’t want to let go of your tried and true speakers or have to payout big bucks for something else. With Outdoor Tech’s Adapt, you won’t necessarily have to.

In fact the Outdoor Tech Adapt is a Bluetooth headphone adapter that will make anything that has a 3.5mm audio jack wireless – whether it’s your favourite set of well-worn headphones or the earbuds from your iPod Touch. Adapt also ports a built-in sports clip so while you might think it’s designed to be clipped to your clothes or backpack, it isn’t limited to things you wear on your head. You can even connect it to the set of speakers you have on your desk right now. Even better, you can connect it to your car’s AUX-in to stream tunes from any Bluetooth enabled device through your car’s speakers.

READ FULL ARTICLE at G4TV.ca

 

 

Bracketron robust SmartLantern charges and lights

There are a number of high capacity external battery charging packs on the market that are ideal for a camping trip or emergency preparedness kit.  If you’re looking for a robust solution that also helps you light the way, then it might be worth giving the SmartLantern by Bracketron a look.

Read more…at CANOE TECH Blog

Bottle opening timepiece focuses on Happy Hour

 

HappyHourISH1I don’t usually find it a challenge to come up with a headline for a story or review, but while tossing around a couple of ideas, this one certainly made me want to have a “beverage”. And so it should, that is, for the simple fact that when staring at it the entire face looks somewhat fuzzy, the hour and the minute hand appearing somewhat blotchy and none of the numbers visible with the exception of the “5”.

Now I know what you might be thinking – that I’ve already decided to partake in the human ritual known to many as Happy Hour which begins around 5 “ish” and that I’ve already had a few too many. Others might nod their heads in agreement, because after a long day, Happy Hour is the only time that matters. But truth be told, I haven’t had a sip – yet – and that’s the way the watch was designed – really!           Read full article At G4TV Canada

Review: Nest Learning Thermostat

We can use Home Automation devices to monitor our homes, keep us secure and turn our lights on and off. So why not use technology to help monitor and control the energy used to heat and cool our homes? The Nest Learning Thermostat can do just that – on its own- via the web and also through an app. Nest isn’t totally new, but the latest version, the 2nd generation model, is certainly much improved and you don’t have to be a geek to make the most of it. Great news if you’re a resident of Alberta, you may have an opportunity to get one free from Direct Energy.

The biggest thing to appreciate is that Nest is more than just a programmable thermostat – setting the device to turn on and off at predetermined times. It knows when you turn it up and knows when you turn it down and even knows when you’re away. It monitors usage and learns your habits, when you want to be toasty warm and when you want it a little cooler. It does this for about a week or so after installation and then it programs itself. When you configure it upon set up, you also give it your postal code, so it knows what the temperature is like outside so it can also learn vis-a-vis your actual environment.

Read more… AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Review – Piper: Security Camera and Home Automation in a smart little bundle

White-Piper_large

More homes are not only getting more secure, they’re also getting much smarter, thanks to the availability of affordable and easy to set up security and home automation systems like Canadian-invented Piper.

Piper, which got its kick-start through crowdsourced funding on Indiegogo, is the brainchild of Ottawa-based BlackSumac (just acquired by California based iControl Networks earlier this week). The Piper solution revolves around a multipurpose camera unit and a multifunction downloadable app which together provide an all-in-one home awareness hub rather than just a typical security camera.

The Wi-Fi enabled camera shoots 1080p HD video. It’s equipped with a fish-eye lens that offers an impressive extremely wide 180-degree field of view.  The 10x digital zoom supports pan and tilt functions giving you the ability to zoom in and look around the room.  It also has an infrared motion detector to detect intruders (up to 10m), a built-in microphone and a piercing 105dB siren – loud enough to almost rival a chainsaw. More than just acting as your eyes and ears, it also has four additional sensors that measure indoor temperature, ambient light, and relative humidity. You’ll see why the last four are not just “nice to know”.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Review: Dyson DC62 Animal cordless vacuum sucks like a corded one

Dyson Dc62

At first glance the Dyson DC62 Animal doesn’t look like much of a vacuum; in fact, it looks more like a metal detector than a vacuum cleaner. The first thing that came to mind was how such a small handheld unit, especially a cordless one, could do the job of a full sized vacuum. Fortunately for me, for today anyway, I live in a very dry area, almost back on to a transit station and have a significant amount of carpeting in my home, so there’s never any shortage of testing material – dust, sand and other sediment – that needed to be sucked up.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Seidio: Ledger for iPad Air and iPad Mini

SeidioIpdAir

It’s a no-brainer to get some sort of cover or protection for your iPad these days and there is certainly no shortage of options, especially those that try to compete with similar offerings from Apple.

Made specifically for the iPad Air (with a little brother version for the iPad mini), check out theSeidio: Ledger for iPad Air and iPad mini. These are a tight fitting full body folio style case that holds your iPad snuggly into place with an attached flip cover.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Review: Mio Lifesaver II emergency battery pack

LS2-100

At the risk of sounding repetitive, there’s no shortage of battery packs out there on the market. They come in all different shapes, sizes and capacities. However, one neat little package is the Lifesaver II emergency battery pack by Mio, which stands out amongst others with its minimalist design and fast charging capability.

Read more…At Canoe Tech Blog

Brushing snow: the secret behind Oral-B latest toothbrush technology

Family Shot JPG

Who would have thought, when a German engineer was out in his driveway routinely brushing off the snow, it would ultimately lead to discovering technology behind the latest plaque-fighting toothbrush?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Peter, an Oral-B engineer at Braun.

“As he brushed away the snow he noticed that a layer of snow still remained. So he picked the brush up bashed the brush into the snow to break it up and swept it away again,” explains Dr. Paul Warren P&G Director, Global Professional and Scientific Relations.

Read more…At Canoe Tech Blog.

CanoeTech Review: ClipR turns your headphones wireless

 

RedCLip

Don’t you just wish your favourite headphones or speakers were wireless? If your wired audio accessories have a 3.5” connector or jack, a new little gadget –ClipR by Muse Mini – can turn them wireless through Bluetooth 4.0 or NFC (Near Field Communication).

ClipR acts as a transceiver in the form of a lightweight rubber polymer coated disc, shaped like a bulked up poker chip – 42mm wide and 8mm high.

Read more… AT CANOE TECH BLOG