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Bleeding Edge TV 242: Voltaic Systems solar backpacks and bags

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Wearables, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts,

Outback hikers and urban explorers alike are often faced with a common problem: how to grab some juice on the go for power-hungry devices. These new backpacks and soon to be briefcases offer a potential solution by pairing next generation solar cells with a battery to enable on the go charging. While the charging might be slow (all day to charge a laptop) it’s certainly a great option in the face of an otherwise completely drained or laptop.


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Bleeding Edge TV 241: Neuros’ Joe Born chats with us about open source media players

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Software, Videocasts,

We chat with Neuros’ Joe Born about what has in store in the near future and about their approach to making their media players open source. We also discuss how they’re the only embedded media device company open sourcing their software for the devices and what that means to them. They’ve seen a great deal of tech community involvement and more from bringing their devices into open source. See the video, recorded from Showstoppers at 2008.


Bleeding Edge TV 240: HawkingTech home automation via cell phone

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Broadband, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Features, Internet, Podcasts, Software, Videocasts, Wireless / WiFi,

Home automation is becoming a big theme at consumer electronics trade shows like . Many companies have been promising the ‘smart house’ for years – a house that automatically anticipates and responds to its inhabitants wants and needs. HawkingTech was showing off some preliminary tech which could help hearken the days of the smart house with a variety of available now products – check out the video for a demonstration of what is to come.


Bleeding Edge TV 239: XtremeMac show us their latest Apple accessories

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, Apple, CES, CES 2008, Features, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts,

Typically we find that most manufacturer’s who focus exclusively on Apple products choose over , since the two are scheduled to close together. That didn’t stop , iPod, and other Mac products from being a reoccurring theme at CES. XtremeMac was there in force showing off a collection of iProduct accessories – check them out for the full skinny.


CES 2008 Video: ZPower silver-zinc battery power outshines the rest?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Misc. Tech, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Science, Videocasts,

While power technologies tend to be less glamourous than gadgets consumers shouldn’t forget the impact and importance of having solid battery technologies in the slim and trim electronic toys and tools they buy. ZPower was pleased to show off their new Silver-Zinc batteries at – potentially a revolutionary new product. These new batteries can be interchanged with Lithium Ion batteries but offer more power for longer periods all while reducing the environmental impact. Available soon from a yet-to-be-named laptop manufacturer.


CES 2008 Video: Bug Labs on the Bug Base and Bug Platform

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Hack Attack, Cameras, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, GPS, Handhelds, Internet, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Videocasts,

Think Lego Mindstorms meets Radio Shack. has been working on their Bug Base—a fully modifiable, open-source gadget building block system. The base itself includes specs similar to “a three-year-old laptop” but includes and Ethernet, USB and more. Once you have the base, you can add additional “modules,” including LCD displays, , cameras, motion sensors and tons more. Each of the modules will require you to program them using a software package similar to VisualStudio in appearance, but everything is open source. Bug Labs has about 80 different sensors on the roadmap right now and they’re constantly interfacing with the community to come up with new ideas.

The concept has a lot of promise and some great tinkering cred. For the first 60 days, they’re offering an early-adopter special with the base costing just $299 (down from $349) and modules ranging from $49-$119. Pre-orders began on January 21st and will ship by March.

Take a look at our video to see us get our hands on the base and its modules and to talk to Jeremy from Bug Labs about what’s coming down the road and what’s in store for Bug Labs.


CES 2008 Video: eJamming online live jam sessions software

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Broadband, CES, CES 2008, Features, Home Entertainment, Internet, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts,

eJamming.com was at Showstoppers during 2008 and saw fit to show off their new, cool offering. eJamming is an online live jam session tool, comprised of software that allows geographically disparate artists to get together, play together and record together live on the net. The software accounts for latency by forcing a small delay back through each of the players monitors of between 10-30 milliseconds, which they say takes a musician about 30 minutes to get used to. (And is similarly experienced in some live systems.) By matching the latency based on distance and adjusting for it appropriately, the musicians can play together and record together fully in synch. What’s more, they’re moving towards a model that will allow them to sell access to guest users, to hear the live music.

It’s an interesting concept, though I think they may run into some attach rate trouble with regards to getting fans to pay to listen to the live performances, no matter the price. Still, the service definitely has its merits with regards to musicians being able to get together with no geographical barriers.

Check the video to see us chat with co-founder Alan Jay Glueckman about his service.

Speaking of price, the software is free with a subscription fee of $10 a month.


CES 2008 Video: Meraki mesh networking system

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Broadband, CES, CES 2008, Features, Internet, Podcasts, Videocasts, Wireless / WiFi,

While most consumers never need more than a single router, any hardcore wireless geek knows how tricky it can be to cover a large area with multiple WiFi routers bridged together.

Enter Meraki, with their sleek new mesh based indoor/outdoor solution. To enable coverage for a large area, you just need to buy a series of these devices, connect any one of them to a hardline Internet connection, and let the rest of them do the rest. They automatically link up and create a robust network spanning 2-2,000 of the autonomous routers to provide the tubes to everyone within range.


CES 2008 Video: HTC Touch and Verizon 5800 phones

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Videocasts,

The folks at Smart Mobility have some new cell phones to talk about, such as the 5800, with its easy-to-use, layout and interface with QWERTY keyboard, perfect for both the corporate exec—and the soccer mom. And we loved the HTC Touch, HTC’s entry in the -killer wars. The Touch has a touch screen (duh), utilizes Windows Mobile 6, and has an interface with impressive 3D elements. To learn more about both phones, and HTC’s new TouchFLO technology, check out the video.


CES 2008 Video: SlingCatcher demo and a look at SlingBox PRO HD

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, CES, CES 2008, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Internet, Podcasts, Videocasts,

We chat with the Sling Media crew and take a special look at the newly announced PRO HD. The PRO HD allows you to beam HD to any device, and if you have the upload capacity, to do so with no down-conversion. The PRO HD will be available in Q3 and will retail for $399.99. Coupled with the , you’ll be able to beam HD-anything to another TV in your house straight up.

Further, the SlingCatcher will function as a standalone device that will allow you to pull a screen or web video stream from a host computer to your TV. For now, you have to coordinate and control it from the host PC, and it still needs to play on the host PC, but the ability to push the video up to your TV without plugging anything additional in is pretty tempting. The Sling Catcher also features 2 USB ports, to allow it to play from external storage. The SlingCatcher will be available around the same time for $249.99 and can push out over HDMI or component. Check the video out for all the grisly details and some great close ups of the Slingers in action.


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