The good news is, today’s TVs are finding the ideal balance between size and picture clarity, upping the ante with OLED technology that makes for the ultimate viewing experience every time.

What Makes OLED the Cream of the Crop?

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology is at the top of its class in the television world because it quite simply offers the best color and display imaginable. Because OLED requires no backlight, each individual pixel is maximized for the optimum colors, angles, response times (aka reduced blurring), and overall viewing experience out there. Most experts agree that OLED is the new gold standard, and some bigger brands like Samsung and Sony have even taken it a step further with QD-OLED technology that promises even better color and viewing angles.

The New Kid on the Block

While Samsung may be the top-selling TV brand overall, its OLED TVs have never been quite as popular as those by other brands like LG. But all that may be about to change after the mega brand introduced their new QD Display TV into the mix during this year’s CES event in Las Vegas.

Making a splash as a 2022 Best of Innovation award winner at one of the most influential tech conferences in the world is a pretty good way to make a statement, and Samsung’s new 65-inch QD-Display TV definitely delivers. According an official awards statement, the company’s new offering is “the world’s first true RGB [red, green, blue] self-emitting Quantum Dot OLED display…combining the contrast levels of RGB OLED with the color and brightness of quantum dots.” In plain English, the color is next-level. Unlike anything we’ve seen before in the world of OLED TV technology, it’s guaranteed to shake things up among its competitors. While further details about the QD-Display TV (including its name) remain shrouded in mystery, it was confirmed at CES that new Samsung models will also boast four HDMI 2.1 inputs; a 144Hz refresh rate; a “Neo Quantum Processor,” and immersive audio experiences.

But what does this announcement mean for the consumer, besides the obvious better picture, brighter colors, faster processing, and more epic sound quality?

According to a recent article on CNET, it could, in fact, spell lower prices overall for those looking to upgrade but have thus far been unable to afford the sometimes hefty price tag associated with OLED models. The reason? The availability of more OLED TVs equals increased competition among brands fighting for attention of consumers, inevitably leading to lower prices. And while other brands like Sony plan to introduce their own QD-OLED TVs later this year, Samsung definitely beat them to the punch with their CES award-winner.

The post Samsung’s Next-Gen QD OLED TV Shines at CES 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Noveto N-I Smart Speaker

Headphones can be uncomfortable, and some people can’t or won’t wear them. If you’ve ever shared space with a hard-of-hearing elderly relative who loves to watch TV, you might understand the dilemma.

This so-called “invisible headphones speaker,” the N1 Smart Speaker by Noveto, is one of the most intriguing things to come out of CES this year. It beams focused immersive audio right to a listener’s ears without disturbing others nearby. Arrays of tiny transducers hidden behind the speaker’s fabric covers target sound using ultrasound technology and can even follow the listener around. Noveto says that from three feet away, people nearby will hear little more than a whisper. Peace at last.

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra Vacuum

If you’re one of the people who looked at robot vacuums and said “call me when these things can clean themselves and dump out the dirty mop water,” this new Roborock has your number. The S7 MaxV Ultra requires very little maintenance thanks to a new Empty Wash Fill dock that scrubs the mop, cleans the dock, and holds up to seven weeks worth of vacuumed-up debris. Full 3D mapping support helps it get around obstacles, and even better, the mop retracts up into the chassis whenever it senses a rug. If you want it to double as a roving intercom, it can do that too, equipped with remote viewing and communication capabilities.

Samsung Odyssey Ark Monitor

Curved monitors can totally transform your gaming experience and make it a lot more immersive. Samsung’s newest Odyssey is the biggest one yet at 55 inches, and the coolest part is you can turn it vertically on its stand so the screen curves over your head. Supposedly dropping later this year with price TBD, the Odyssey Ark has a 4K display, a wireless dial controller to manage lighting, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Other versions of the Odyssey are already available, like the $999 49-inch G9.

BMW with Color Changing E-Ink

The same E-Ink technology that’s used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle is making it possible to change the color of a car on demand. Demonstrated on a concept version of the BMW iX, the surface coating contains millions of microcapsules with a diameter equivalent to a human hair. Each one contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments that react to an electrical field at the push of a button. And it’s not just an aesthetic consideration. BMW says it could be used to cool or warm up your car with the power of the sun, too, since dark colors absorb more warmth and light colors reflect it.

Labrador Retriever Robot Shelf

You might have the greatest dog in the history of dogs, but chances are it still can’t get you a beer out of the fridge. The Labrador Retriever can… kind of. Despite its name, it’s a robot, not a dog, and while it’s a lot less complex than the robot assistants we usually see paraded around at CES every year, it’s beautiful in its single-minded simplicity. It’s really just a roving shelf about the size of a side table that moves between designated locations on command to deliver objects to people around the house. The top surface can raise and lower itself to meet the edge of a table and can even grab trays. It was designed for people with mobility problems, but can be useful to just about anyone.

Chevrolet 2024 Silverado EV

The buzziest of the electric vehicles unveiled at CES, Chevy’s 2024 Silverado EV boasts a battery pack that can provide up to 400 miles of range per fast charge. Plus, the battery juices up to 100 miles of range in a mere 10 minutes. All-wheel drive, up to 664 horsepower, and a towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds make this four-door, short-bed pickup a real competitor for the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck.

L’Oreal Colorsonic Electronic Hair Coloring Device

Coloring your hair is either expensive if you have it done at a salon or annoying if you do it at home. During the pandemic lockdowns, DIY was the only option a lot of us had. If you’ve ever wished you could just wave a magic wand and have it done with, L’Oreal has made it real. The Colorsonic is a gadget you load up with pre-filled color cartridges and brush through your hair for perfectly even results. No more weird missed spots and patchy areas. While the company hasn’t revealed a price tag yet, they say it’ll be released under its L’Oreal Paris brand and be available at major retailers like Target.

Schlage Encode Plus Wi-Fi Door Lock

When Apple debuted its iPhone XS in 2018, it opened the show with a dramatic action-movie-style sequence in which someone attempting to deliver a top-secret case to CEO Tim Cook was stymied by a locked door. To open it, Apple VP of technology Kevin Lynch casually sauntered over and held his Apple Watch up to the lock to grant access. As the first deadbolt lock supporting Apple’s Home Key door access feature, the new Schlage Encode Plus Wi-Fi Door Lock finally makes opening a door with a smartwatch a real possibility.

Timberline Solar Shingles

Solar roof shingles are a great idea in theory, but what happens when a handful of them fail? That’s a very expensive roof replacement. GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar shingles can be installed just like any other roofing – with nails – so they’re also easy to maintain and replace. That makes them a lot easier and cheaper to install, and they still qualify as a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roof covering for residential roofs.

The post The Smartest, Coolest Gadgets at CES 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

Unveiled at at CES 2021, this next-generation solar electric car aims to be “the solar EV you can own in the future,” attainable for the average car buyer.

“The Sion blends disruptive technology with affordability to enable individual contribution to global sustainability, and is on pace to pave the way to do what the original VW Beetle did to the automotive industry in the 1930s,” the company states on its website. “Led by our vision of a world without fossil fuels, Sono Motors has been propelled by community support to become a leading solar EV developer.”

The car itself is a compact hatchback with a 158-mile (255 km) range, featuring understated but spacious interiors, a large trunk, and the same basic amenities you’d expect from something like a Toyota Prius. Not everyone will love the all-black exterior, of course, including the matte black body finish and black wheels, and the “integrated Iceland moss” on the dash. Yep, that’s actual living moss in there, added as a boost to the air filtration system. The company says it requires no maintenance and can be replaced (presumably by them) during a regular filter change.

Looking to the future of increasingly connected cars, the Sion has its own app that acts as a digital key so you can easily share the car with others. It also lets you keep tabs on the car’s performance, charge state and usage statistics, and even turn it into a mobile power source, juicing up other electric vehicles if you find someone in need. The app also lets you act as your own private Uber, offering other users a ride whenever you feel so inclined.

The solar body panels integrate photovoltaic cells into polymer for a result that’s much more durable and lightweight than glass. This coating doesn’t splinter, either, so it’s resistant to damage from minor fender-benders. The amount of juice they’ll be able to add to the Sion’s battery depends on average sun exposure in your area, but it’s generally enough to make short trips completely solar-powered.

Sono Motors sees the Sion as a way to introduce this technology to the world, and just one example of how the integrated panels can be used. At CES, they surprised the audience with a tractor-trailer outfitted with the same panels that’s capable of generating up to 80 kilowatt hours of solar power per day. They also announced that they’ll be licensing the technology to other companies, including EasyMile, which provides electric autonomous shuttle buses to clients like governments and universities.

Interested? Sono Motors is now taking pre-orders with a deposit of €500 towards a full purchase price of €25,500 (about $30,000 USD). Prior to COVID-19, production was supposed to start in 2022, but that timeline has since been delayed and remains unspecified.

The post Sono Motors Unveils an Affordable Solar Electric Car at CES 2021 first appeared on Dornob.

At first glance, it looks a lot like a 2 X 2 version of the traditional Rubik’s Cube. In reality, the WowCube is a handheld video game with myriad features, which is exactly what earned it recognition as a CES 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree.

Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show highlights advancements from virtually every corner of the tech sector. In this year’s gaming category, WowCube “wowed” the judges with its design, unique CubiOS operating system, and patented technology.

WowCube contains eight separate modules connected to each other to create a six-sided continuous display. Users interact with the device by twisting, tilting, and shaking it. Inside, it’s jam-packed with both new and existing games, covering everything from PacMan to fresh gaming options not found elsewhere. Choose between arcade games, puzzles, logic and strategy games, and even educational programs. In addition to the gaming aspect, the WowCube also offers screensavers that turn the device into a digital aquarium, ambient lighting, and other fun decor pieces. And if all that wasn’t enough, the WowCube also accommodates widgets for weather, air quality, stock market dynamics, amount of followers on a user’s Twitter account, and much, much more. It can be used to display news headlines or a feed directly from astronauts in space.

The device also works in tandem with a phone app, where users can stream even more content. This allows it to have two different modes: one as a stand-alone entertainment system and the other as a peripheral device that connects via Bluetooth.

The WowCube’s ground-breaking technology uses magnetic connectors to allow the separate components to move in unison. With 24 separate screens, the image is everywhere. This is achieved with each module being a separate device containing three hi-res screens. WowCube boasts up to five hours of battery life, eight audio channels, and eight independent CPUs to keep content flowing.

Specifically speaking to the newest advancements in the WowCube, Ilya Osipov, the President of Cubios Inc., said: “The pandemic didn’t stop us. We focused on the software part and made a lot of improvements. We released a completely new version of our operating system CubiOS. We’ve re-built a system architecture, made it much more stable. We worked hard on UX/UI, and now the device can also be controlled by tapping. We developed SDK available for a global developers community starting in the first quarter of this year. We added a new mode of functioning and added new types of apps, including multiple awesome games and widgets.”

Of course the pandemic did delay mass production of the device, so the company took the opportunity to make upgrades to the features and functionality before the new release date. During the CES 2021 completely virtual event, the company announced they would begin accepting pre-orders “in the second quarter of 2021. The shipment of the pre-ordered units will start before Christmas,” according to an official press release.

Be sure to check back with us for more updates on this exciting little gaming hub.

The post WowCube Entertainment System Brings Its A-Game to CES 2021 first appeared on Dornob.

That little detail changes everything. Not only were there less than half the total vendors from past years, but the 2,000 or so that did attend offered very different presentations. While this year’s event might have lacked the usual hum of activity, the products were still spectacularly cutting-edge. Here are some especially hot techy trends to keep your eyes peeled for in the coming months:

Pandemic-Related Products

Last year introduced a host of new challenges on the home and business fronts, but on the flip side, it also created lots of opportunity for new and necessary products. Expect to see inventive solutions for both work-from-home and homeschooling challenges. There’s also ample mask, air purifying, and germ-fighting technology on the horizon.

The coronavirus pandemic has really driven home the message regarding hand-washing and keeping surfaces clean, so it’s no surprise businesses have responded with a renewed emphasis on hands-free technologies and UV-powered germ killers, too.

The Smart Home

It’s a trend that’s not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, smart technology in general is a growth market. Look back a few years to when the now-ubiquitous Ring doorbell camera was new. This year expect smaller and better equipped cameras inserted into more products than ever before. Smart features have already infiltrated the likes of TVs, watches, shower heads, thermostats, and vacuum cleaners. You can even check the contents of your fridge using a phone app, and we’re definitely look forward to seeing more remote-control options like that in the future.

Also in the mix here is the 5G technology that drives many of these smart gadgets, which is sure to remain a hot topic for at least the foreseeable future.

Electric Vehicles

EVs are consistently part of CES, but this year the industry had a lot to share. From Tesla reaching its 500,000 cars sold goal in 2020 to innovations around EV battery advancements and solar cars, there was certainly no shortage of engaging conversations regarding electric cars at CES 2021 (and not all of them are standard cars and trucks, mind you!).

Gaming

Another industry whose 2020 success could be attributed to the effects of the pandemic is gaming, which saw a big uptick amid waves of global lockdowns. Of course, the gaming industry has always leaned into cutting-edge technology to enhance the gamer’s experience visually, audibly, and interactively. And with last year’s biggest games eclipsing movie releases, it was only natural for graphics, VR, displays and monitors, and new gaming consoles to all be highlighted in spades at CES 2021.

TV Tech and Home Entertainment

In addition to working, gaming, and attending school from home in 2020, we also enjoyed the majority of our entertainment there, too. Listen: if ever there was a time to consider the options for a newer, fancier TV, it’s during a pandemic. With that in mind, LG just revealed an ultra-affordable line of OLED TVs, some of which can rise out of your bed’s footboard, among other things.

Check back with us soon for even more sci-fi-ish finds from from this year’s virtual CES.

The post The Top 5 Tech Trends at CES 2021 first appeared on Dornob.

These new cars did a particularly great job of showcasing the latest in self-driving and connected vehicle technologies:

Audi Aicon

Audi’s been working on this concept car since 2017, with production slated to begin in 2021. Boasting four motors and an amazing 435-to-497-mile driving range per 30-minute charge, this self-driver has been built without a visible steering wheel or pedals — which means lots more lounging room for you.

BMW Vision iNext

Imagine sipping your favorite beverage while relaxing in a lushly carpeted space with a wooden coffee table that responds to your touch — and it’s all in a car. BMW’s newest concept has touch-controlled interfaces and projection screens all throughout its elegant interior.

Byton K-Byte

Look, ma, no hands! And no human driving! This new car’s level 4 autonomous system is fully capable of taking the wheel for you, but if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can always just retract the external sensors and drive it on your own. And of course, Amazon Alexa will be there to help out.

Byton M-Byte

Byton’s more economical M-Byte, itself priced at around $45,000, is all set to go into production in 2019. A massive 48-inch touchscreen takes up its entire dashboard, with built-in cameras and sensors working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the electric SUV and its passengers.

Hyundai Elevate

Fans of Transformers will definitely want to hug the Hyundai Elevate. This wonder of a car deftly walks and climbs over barriers with expandable robotic legs that extend out from an adaptive, multi-use chassis, which itself is scaled down when the car is in conventional driving mode. Experience sci-fi first-hand as the Elevate climbs five-foot vertical walls or clears a five-foot gap with passengers comfortably strapped into their seats inside.

2020 Lincoln Aviator

This 450-horsepower plug-in hybrid lets drivers unlock its doors from the comfort of their smartphones. It also makes things easier on the road with features like park assist, adaptive suspension, and traffic jam assist. That gives you more time to be engulfed by its Revel Ultima 3D audio system, which plays your music out of an amazing 28 speakers at once.

Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic

Imagine a car whose body could be altered to best suit your changing needs. Now stop imagining, because that car is very real. If you need it to be, the Vision Urbanetic can be a passenger ride-sharing vehicle with space for 20 people, or it can be a cargo van if you need to haul freight and packages. The car’s base takes care of the autonomous driving, fully equipped with propulsion, electrical, and motor systems.

Nissan IMx Kuro

Simple — as in simply fantastic — describes Nissan’s IMx Kuro, a fully independent, emissions-free electric crossover car. Its exterior is basic, it’s interior roomy, and it comes with a birds-eye OLED display and wood-grain interior trim that are sure to turn your drives into enlightened journeys.

Bonus: Nvidia Drive Autopilot

Ever yearn for an airplane-like autopilot feature in your car? Your wait is almost over. Nvidia, a leading graphics card manufacturer, exhibited several new pieces of hardware at this year’s CES, including a mega-powered computer that neatly fits in your trunk and equips your car with assistance systems that operate braking, steering, and acceleration to keep drivers safer. It’s scheduled to go into production sometime in 2020.

The post Our Favorite New Cars from CES 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

If safety features like external sensors appear to be welcomed additions to the average automobile, then how would people respond to internal sensors? More specifically, what if your car actually cared about your feelings and personal comfort?

Introduced at CES 2019 earlier in January, the Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving (R.E.A.D) System is an AI-based system developed by Kia Motors in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. When completed, the system will be capable of recognizing a driver’s emotions and adjusting their car’s temperature and lighting accordingly (though the creators have also been toying with the idea of working in sound, smell, and seat vibration adjustments).

If you don’t feel like going to work, R.E.A.D will know. If your favorite team won the game you just attended, R.E.A.D. will know. When your car is moving as slow as a sloth in traffic and you’re running late for your meeting, R.E.A.D will pick up on your frustration and put on some music to make you smile. Using bio-signal recognition technology, R.E.A.D will pick up on every one of your smiles, smirks, rosy blushes, eyerolls, tears, raised brows, quivering lips, and nervous ticks.

Is it really that important that your car pick up on your sadness after a funeral or your disappointment after losing your job? No, but the incorporation of AI-based systems in car interiors is impactful for gauging a driver’s fatigue level, intoxication level, and overall physical well-being. With all the sensors on the exterior warning people about getting too close to other objects and vehicles, it seemed like just a matter of time before manufacturers began making things safer inside cars, too. Kia is simply the first to develop a working system.

“Kia considers the interactive cabin a focal point for future mobility, and the R.E.A.D. System represents a convergence of cutting-edge vehicle control technology and AI-based emotional intelligence,” explains Albert Biermann, President and Head of the Research & Development Division at the Hyundai Motor Group. “The system enables continuous communication between driver and vehicle through the unspoken language of ‘feeling,’ thereby providing an optimal, human-sense oriented space for the driver in real-time.”

CES attendees were able to go inside Kia’s custom-building experiential modules and experience the ways a R.E.A.D-integrated car would react to them. These modules stood in front of a large screen that displayed the phrase “Amplify Your Joy with Emotive Driving,” with video showcasing some of the system’s other outstanding features.

The post Kia’s Emotive Driving System Will Change the Way We Interact with Car Interiors first appeared on Dornob.

Try as we might to work with the shortcomings of expensive smartphones, laptop computers, and other gadgets made of stiff, fragile materials, they just aren’t very practical for day-to-day life. While Apple’s iPhones just keep getting larger (and still primarily consist of glass), smaller companies are sailing headlong into the future with bendable, foldable gadgets that won’t crack into a million pieces when dropped.

Dornob got a chance to see Royole’s game-changing new technology in person at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where the company founded by Stanford engineering graduates officially debuted its proprietary flexible sensors. Derived from their development of next-generation AMOLED flexible displays, this new sensor technology can be used for all sorts of things, from transportation and robotics to smart home items and consumer electronics. And yes — the implications of this tech in the latter category are just as exciting as they sound.

The mass-producible flexible sensor technology is extraordinarily sensitive and precise, supporting multi-touch gestures, bezel-less design, and low production costs while operating on “unbreakable” displays that are said to be as thin as butterfly wings.

Royole’s CES showcase included a booth full of flexible touchscreen sensors that bent to mimic the contours of tiny robots, flexible display speakers for home entertainment and security, tablets, phones, and even clothing and accessories, making screens more or less seamlessly wearable for the first time ever. Sometimes renderings over-promise, but we can confirm that these gadgets are really just as pliable as they appear in photos.

Company founder Bill Liu was on hand to highlight the talk of the convention: the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone that’s actually a phone and a tablet in one. This “Flexpai” makes use of Royole’s Flexible+ platform technologies and boats a 7.8-inch AMOLED screen made of plastic with a 1440p resolution. A hinge along the back of the device lets you fold the entire thing in half. When it’s closed, you can use the Flexpai like a standard smartphone. Open it just a little bit, and it stands up on its own. When fully open, it blows the display size of other smartphones out of the water, yet it’s far more portable than standard tablets.

The FlexPai runs on a custom OS called Water (an extension of Google Android 9.0), and it boasts a fingerprint scanner, 16-megapixel wide angle camera, and a 20-megapixel telephoto lens. It’s also got a 2.8GHz octacore Snapdragon chipset and a 3,800mAh battery that can be juiced up rapidly thanks to Royole’s proprietary Ro Charge technology.

“Royole’s Flexible+ technologies have squarely put us in a leadership position in today’s ever-evolving consumer technology industry,” says Michael Williams, Royole’s Senior Director of Marketing.

“We are currently working with over 220 business partners worldwide to implement flexible displays and sensors in a variety of products that will reshape the world of consumer technologies.”

While Samsung unveiled its own foldable tablet back in November 2018, the lesser known Flexpai beat it to both CES and the global market. The smartphone is already available in China, with shipments expected to the United States and United Kingdom in the coming months. It costs $1,318 for 6 GB of RAM/128 GB of memory and $1,469 for the 8 GB of RAM/256 GB version.

The post Royole Debuts Game-Changing Flexible Sensors at CES 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

At CES, Dornob’s Editor-in-Chief got the chance to go head-to-head with the mighty FORPHEUS in front of an initially skeptical audience. It wasn’t long before everyone’s face began to show looks of astonishment, as the machine managed to match her each and every move! Utilizing its high-speed multi-axis arm, FORPHEUS mimics the movements that a human wrist and elbow perform during a typical ping-pong match, allowing it to put things like topspin and backspin on all of it shots.

The newest incarnation of the ping-pong robot runs on a four-camera system, a quarter of which is made up of a high-speed image processing camera that helps its sense its opponent’s skill level, form, position, and racket speed, as well as the trajectory of the ball in play. The bot can then analyze this data and compare their opponent’s moves to those of professional players, further enhancing its personalized coaching feature.

FORPHEUS stands for “Future OMRON Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility of Harmonized Automation with Sinic Theoretics,” so it’s pretty easy to see why the acronym was needed. According to the company website, the ultra-intelligent bot has the ability to detect a ping-pong ball’s location up to 80 times per second during a match. It might be hard to imagine this giant piece of machinery ever sitting in someone’s garage or game room, but we can see how the advanced technology behind it could soon be used to improve other areas of everyday life in the future.

When all was said and done, FORPHEUS was definitely one of the most impressive products Dornob got to interact with at CES 2019. The 10-foot-ball ping-pong robot vied for attention with customer service robots, motorcycle helmets with built-in tracking technology, gesture controlled drones, an 8,000-pound bionic exoskeleton that can allegedly reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, and a ton of other mind-blowing technology we didn’t even realize existed yet (or knew we needed).

The OMRON team explains that they aim “to improve lives and contribute to a better society,” upholding a key belief that businesses should give value to their communities, not detract from them. They strive to bring sustainability to their industry while using their innovation-driven technologies and concepts to solve large-scale social issues.

Who ever thought a ping-pong robot could have such a big impact?

The post Getting Served by FORPHEUS, the Ping-Pong Robot that Dominated CES 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

Scheduled for release sometime in early 2019, the multi-cooker is capable of baking, slow cooking, roasting, braising, steaming, stewing, sautéing, sous viding, warming, and making rice, with built-in adjustable presets giving the cook as much control over the cooking experience as possible.

The 11-in-1 also boasts a heat-resistant glass lid (so you can check on your food without having to release any warm air), stainless steel sous vide rack, LCD display, nonstick interior pot (which means rice won’t get stuck to the inside), and fun recipe book to fuel your new culinary hobby! All of Gourmia’s products are ETL Listed, so we can assure you that they’re completely safe even when they’re performing the most intensive of tasks.

The mobile app is free to download on any iOS or Android device and allows the user to automate their countertop kitchen appliances from almost anywhere in the world. Mia is Gourmia’s equivalent to Alexa, and when they’re working alongside each other, you start to feel like you’re in the virtual assistant version of Three’s Company. You’ll find yourself saying things like: “Hey Alexa, ask Mia to turn the temperature up on the slow-cooker.”

The multi-cooker’s sleek and simple stainless steel design means it seamlessly works with most kitchen decors without drawing too much attention to itself, making it ideal for those who are aesthetically conscious. Boasting a carrying capacity of six liters (six-and-a-half quarts) and an additional 120-volt heating plate, the 11-in-1 is also the perfect solution for on-the-go chefs, Even if you don’t have the time or patience to continuously meal prep, it’s no worries: you can always tell Mia to craft a delicious dinner for you while you’re in the office or out running errands!

The post Gourmia Debuts State-of-the-Art Multi-Cooker at CES 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

Like a digital version of toy bricks, the Sony KOOV system lets kids build virtually anything their imaginations can dream up, but what happens next is much cooler than your typical LEGO creation. The KOOV is actually a robot building educational kit connected to a micro controller, so anything a kid can build springs to life, from robotic animals and cars to musical instruments. It’s a fun introduction to the world of coding, introducing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) endeavors at a crucial age. For many kids who might not usually get exposure to these concepts in their daily lives, especially girls, its worth could be invaluable, cultivating a new generation of creative problem solvers.

The translucent KOOV pieces come in seven different colors and seven different types, each containing motors and sensors. Developed by Sony Global Education, it encourages kids to engage with robotics in three stages: Play, Code, and Create. In the first stage, kids assemble the blocks in any way that strikes their fancy, creating shapes and models. In the second, they learn the basics of coding to integrate lights and movement in a simple drag-and-drop system on a desktop computer application. For the final stage, KOOV automates finished instructions for the blocks to follow.

While it’s aimed at kids, the KOOV is handy for anyone who’s new to programming and wants to learn the basic logic. Interactive guides make the process of coding feel like a fun game, and the system offers immediate gratification for applying skills as you learn them. The app comes with “robot recipes” and tutorials, so you can try out one of Sony’s designs or come up with your own.

The KOOV modular robotics learning system represents the first offering under Sony Global Education’s STEM101 curriculum, with the aim of breaking down the boundaries between science, technology, engineering, and math. Sony plans to release more educational toys under the three spearheads of “Think,” “Make,” and “Feel.”

“Recent developments in technology have given us the opportunity to embrace educational opportunities almost anywhere in the world,” says Masaaki Isozu, President of Sony Global Education, Inc. “Even so, it is still not easy to fulfill the demands that arise from such a diverse range of people. The world is facing new issues every day and we believe that science and technology will play a big part in solving these problems.”

“In order to help, we believe that it is necessary to have an infrastructure where learners can share their ideas and inspirations and learn to help one another along the way. By developing a creative, innovative service we can help to develop creative, pro-active learners too. We see the establishment of such a new infrastructure as being vital in the development of the future stages of education. Sony Global Education will use innovative technology to help create solutions for the diverse educational needs of people of all ages right across the globe.”

KOOV is currently only available in Japan and China, but expansion to other markets is likely, and Sony is planning iOS and Android apps to go with the system.

The post Sony Koov: Robotics Kit Helps Kids Learn STEM first appeared on Dornob.

One company that focuses on getting you better rested is Dreamlight. This startup has just unveiled an eye mask that’s all about helping you catch up on sleep (and improving the quality of it, too). Dreamlight says that its mask can also lessen the effects of jet lag and project infrared light onto your face to help with under-eye circles.

The Dreamlight is a chunky foam eye mask that wraps around your head and attaches via Velcro. Its design is meant to remove pressure from sensitive areas of your face and block out as much light as possible using special inserts. It also has four speakers embedded in its sides, along with an optical heart rate monitor, infrared sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.

To simplify your experience with the mask, just use the accompanying Dreamlight app. Not only will it tell you how long you rested the night before, but you can also program it to wake you up at a certain time. We personally love the fact that the app lets you choose what ambient sounds to play inside the mask as you’re falling asleep.

Dreamlight has teamed up with 23andMe to craft custom sleep profiles based on people’s genetic profiles. Because of this, a custom six-day jetlag plan is readily available to you should you ever experience exhaustion from traveling across several time zones.

For all of the Dreamlight’s innovative features, the crowd favorite seems to be the light inside the mask, which is generated by a set of LED panels. These panels are part of the mask’s sleep program, which stimulates melatonin production in the brain. Once you’ve fastened on the mask, they produce a gentle orange light for fifteen minutes, which in turn illuminates a guide for your breathing. Inhale as the light goes on, and exhale as it goes off.

When it’s time to wake up, the mask will blast increasingly-light green hues over your eyelids. This allows you to comfortably wake up without any abrupt noises coming from your alarm clock. Just in case the loss of an alarm clock is too much to bear for you, the Dreamlight app also gives you the option of enabling them. Pick white noise, light jazz, or rainforest sounds to serve as your morning wakeup call.

“Once I was ready to go to sleep, I strapped it on, activating a pulsing, warm-colored light and ambient sounds. The Dreamlight rep told me I was supposed to match my breath with the pulse of the light, leading my body to relax and fall asleep faster. I was dubious about using light to make me fall asleep, but I got into the rhythm and was out almost instantly. The green light used in the morning was also pleasant to wake up to, and I really did feel rested. For whatever it’s worth, this entire week at CES, the app I normally use to track my sleep, Sleep Cycle, has said my quality of sleep has hovered around 70 percent. The night I used the Dreamlight mask, Sleep Cycle said my quality of sleep was 90 percent,” says Dani Deahl, a Dreamlight reviewer.

Founder Wlll Wu claims that the eye mask will last up to four nights when fully charged. It’s recommended that you stay on top of charging the eye mask, though, as streaming music on it from your smartphone will lessen its battery life significantly.

The smart eye mask is about to be launched on Indiegogo later this month. The masks will be starting at $100, but there is currently no word on when shipment will take place.

The post No More Sleepless Nights with Dreamlight’s Eye Mask first appeared on Dornob.

NuCalm, a system developed by Solace Lifesciences, Inc., was one of the big stars at this year’s CES, one of the most stimulating and highly attended electronic product exhibitions in the world. Dornob was on the scene and had the opportunity to learn more about this groundbreaking technology directly from NuCalm representatives.

How NuCalm Is Unique

People have used hundreds of stress-relieving tactics over the years, ranging from home remedies like herbal tea to things like yoga and prescription drugs. Unfortunately, none of them has provided satisfactory long-term results until now. NuCalm solves the problem quickly — without drugs and without disappointment.

The company’s patented three-pronged system soothes the body and mind within a matter of minutes, incorporating biochemistry, physics, and neurophysiology to swiftly and unfailingly generate profound relaxation. This trifecta helps people feel better, improve their mental and physical performance, and just live better lives.

How It Works

NuCalm’s revolutionary program consists of four key components, all of which work in perfect harmony to relieve stress.

Step 1: Brain Relaxation

The first step in the NuCalm regimen is to calm the brain down and make it more amenable to total relaxation. This requires you to either chew on a dietary supplement or apply a topical cream on yourself, both of which have been specifically formulated to neutralize adrenaline and give your brain the nutrients and all-natural amino acids it needs to feel at ease.

Step 2: Microcurrent Stimulus

Once the brain is relaxed, the system invokes a sub-sensory microcurrent to activate the power of the NuCalm supplement. When the microcurrent and supplement work in unison, they suspend the natural stress response rooted in the midbrain. Don’t worry, though — you won’t feel a thing as your brain reestablishes its most beneficial neurotransmitter levels.

Step 3: Software Introduction

The third step hinges on some world-renowned neuroacoustic software (invented and owned by NuCalm). The app alternates brain wave function between deep relaxation and recovery, utilizing physics that quickly guide the brain to calming alpha and theta zones. The Neuroacoustic Software Library in the NuCalm app allows users to choose from a collection of soundtracks to initiate and accompany the process. Selections include assorted types of music and nature sounds, all of which have specific therapeutic neuroacoustic rhythms built into them. The app also stores data on usage, allowing you to easily track the process and its effect on your daily performance.

Step 4: Eye Mask

Light generally interferes with tranquility, so NuCalm’s eye masks block out intrusive visual stimuli to help sustain the deepest state of relaxation possible.

The result of these four elements is a fully enveloping experience that eliminates tension and apprehension to help you attain a profound level of calm. If you’ve attempted to ease your stress before with little success, trying the NuCalm system may allow you to finally feel the tranquility you so sincerely desire and deserve.

The post NuCalm Makes Stress Relief Easy first appeared on Dornob.

Thanks to an innovative new at-home nail art printer, you’ll no longer need to worry about the hassle of hitting the salon. Just sit in the comfort of your own house and let the salon come to you. O’2 Nails, a global leader in nail fashion, has recently released the X11 Fullmate Mobile Nail Printer, and Dornob was lucky enough to learn all about it from some company representatives at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

O’2 Nails has been pioneering new nail art printing technologies since 2003, when their first model, the “Art Pro Nail,” was released. The company now finds themselves seven generations deep into the nail art printing business, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing by now. These days, their products span both the O’2 Nails and Fullmate collections, which were respectively released in 2016 and 2017. The “V11” model of the O’2 Nails 3D printer has proven to be a huge hit in China, and it was even voted one of the country’s Top 10 Innovative Products at CES 2017 by Forbes magazine.

At this year’s CES conference, O’2 Nails debuted their latest product, the X11 Fullmate Mobile Nail Printer, which allows users to take full control of their aesthetic options. With the ability to print any pattern, color, or image onto natural or artificial nails, the printer boasts a black, aluminium alloy body, which itself has been equipped with a built-in anti-shake algorithm to make sure your nails come out perfectly. The beauty of this particular product, which is simply the latest in a long line of inventive units produced by the company, lies is its links to mobile technology. For instance, you can send images to the X11 directly from your smartphone by connecting the two devices via Wi-Fi. Once you have selected and transferred your image to the machine, just insert your fingertip into the appropriate slot. When you remove it, presto! New nails! Whether you want to print on your real nails or acrylics, the results are the same across the board.

Besides being used by glamorous people in their homes, the X11 Fullmate is also currently being used in restaurants, cafés, clothing stores, spas, and beauty/hair salons. More specifically, O’2 reps have been working with Haidilao Hot Pot, Maan Coffee, KISSCAT Shoes, and a slew of major beauty salons across China. O’2 Nails are also responsible for the Stylemate nail kit, which includes tools, ornaments, and an O’2 Nail app tutorial, so you can make sure your nails look as good as those from the salon every single day.

The post O’2 Nail Art Printer Gives You a Salon-Quality Experience from the Comfort of Your Home first appeared on Dornob.

At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Donob had the pleasure of speaking with several representatives from Square Panda, a company that designs physical and virtual products to help kids “follow their curiosity.” The reps were eager to explain how Square Panda works and why it’s become a staple in so many early childhood reading development programs.

Kids Just Want To Have Fun

A surprisingly small percentage of children between ages two and eight are drawn to serious academics like learning the alphabet, understanding phonics, and reading. The majority of them are more intrigued by sounds, visually stimulating images, and tactile interactions.

Square Panda’s research-based curriculum consists of fun and appealing games that perfectly combine sight, sound, and touch in each level, turning the educational process into a veritable by-product of the experience.

How It Works

Each Square Panda system includes a playset that doubles as a storage tray, 45 “smart letters,” and access to a library of free learning games, which themselves can be downloaded on the App Store/Google Play. Parents can monitor their child’s progress through a customizable portal that stores previously accessed words and pictures and maintains a database of learning milestones.

Younger readers are first introduced to the physical smart letters, which act as a gateway to the learning games. At the start of each game, the child is introduced to the different sounds of all the letters. From there, they start to put together a vocabulary of new words and discover the wonderful world of rhyming.

As children progress through Square Panda, they also improve in peripheral fields like Phonological Awareness, Decoding, Encoding, Letter Recognition, Letter Sound Decoding, Tracing and Letter Writing, Fine Motor Skills, and Kinesthetic Skills.

Customizing Square Panda

Square Panda Playground lets parents track their child’s learning development so they can hone in on the areas that need improvement like letter confusion, letter orientation, and word play. In addition, “Big Badge Graphs” allow them to see detailed progress maps for all primary curriculum objectives. They can also personalize their child’s experience by working in special words, family names and pictures, pet photos, and images of the child participating in sporting and school events. Confidence-building “Mini Badges” can be earned when children correctly spell words and numbers.

Variety and Accessibility Keep It Fresh and Easy

Children’s attention spans are notoriously short. Square Panda understands this and has made 10 intriguing games for them to choose between, including Square Panda Bowling, Bubbles, Farming, Fishing, Jiggity Jamble, Lagoon, Letter Lab, Letter Lullaby, Monster Rhymes, and Space Cows. Many more games are in development for all ages of Square Panda fans.

For easy and reliable use everywhere, Square Panda is Bluetooth-enabled and compatible with both iPads and Android tablets from brands like Google, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, and Asus.

The post Square Panda Pumps Excitement Into Kids Learning first appeared on Dornob.

At first glance, Furrion’s exo-bionic racing mech “Prosthesis” looks a little like a Transformer or something out of a Marvel comic. But on closer inspection, this mammoth contraption is actually just a robotic shell that’s controlled by a human pilot from within, allowing the entire thing to move and race against others of its kind.

Complete with a promotional video that channels the likes of Mad Max, mech racing is the latest in a long line of new ways that robotics are infiltrating contemporary society. Prosthesis was first unveiled at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, and it took its first steps at Furrion’s Innovation Center and Institute of Technology (ICIT) campus in Elkhart, Indiana back in May of last year. At 15 feet high, 18 feet wide, and over 8,000 pounds in weight, its safe to say that Prosthesis is truly massive in size. Its steel frame is made from chromoly, a material used in aerospace technology, and after its been modified to reach its full potential, it’ll be able to run up to 21 miles per hour for up to two hours on a single charge. Operated by a single pilot (who has to scale the frame to enter the cockpit), Prosthesis should be able to move forward over any terrain and jump over most obstacles, making it an ideal vehicle to race in.

“Prosthesis is the first innovation of our robotics division, and we are excited about the potential the future holds,” explains Matt Fidler, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Furrion. “The concept started ten years ago as an art project trying to build a machine that you could walk with. From there, the idea grew to develop a brand new human skill (mech racing) that would explore the relationship between man and machine. We think athletes will be excited about the challenge of the new mech racing category and are proud to be the innovators of a new sport.”

The robot will be entirely powered by electricity, and it’ll also be fitted with one-of-a-kind security and monitoring systems. Furrion sees itself as a pioneer in the industry, and their press release on the mech reads: “Prosthesis is just the first product from the Furrion Robotics division with more to come. Furrion will continue to innovate with the creation of smaller and more agile mechs, allowing the racer greater flexibility, and eventually, a production model that athletes can purchase for mech racing. Furrion Robotics is a research initiative focused on the development of large scale, high-performance exo-bionic technology. Furrion Robotics is pioneering a new breed of human-piloted, electric-powered mechs.”

The post Ever Heard of Mech Racing? first appeared on Dornob.