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Oprah fans will never forget the halcyon days when the talk show host sprung her annual “Oprah’s Favorite Things” segment on her studio audience, giving them items from that year’s list for free. While the segment traditionally aired during Thanksgiving week, it was always filmed in advance, and producers never announced when the special episode would be taped. Lucky audience members won everything from luxury leather handbags and fancy cooking gadgets from Williams-Sonoma to brand new Volkswagen Beetles.

While The Oprah Winfrey Show stopped filming in 2011, Oprah still creates an annual gift inspiration list, either on her television network O.W.N., through Oprah Magazine, or on her website. Released in early November, Oprah’s Favorite Things 2019 features items split into the following categories: “beauty gifts,” “cozy gifts,” “foodie finds,” “online exclusives,” “stylish gifts,” “tech gadgets,” “for the kitchen,” “for the family” and “for the pets.”

Of course, it’s the tech here that’s really drawing attention, especially since Oprah has historically shied away from having too many gadgets on her list in any given year. Oprah’s picks for 2019 include a few interesting standouts:

The Apple Watch Series 5

As Oprah points out, a primary reason to invest in the latest $799 Apple Watch is to take advantage of its health-tracking features.

Beats Powerbeats Pro

These $250 high-performance wireless earbuds are sweatproof, waterproof, fit more securely than Apple’s Airpods, and get nine hours of play time per charge.

Echo Dot Kids Edition

The kid-friendly version of Amazon’s Echo Dot aims to get the next generation hooked on its Alexa virtual assistant early. It comes in a new limited edition rainbow pattern and costs $80.

Sony XB12 Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker

These lightweight $60 waterproof speakers offer “deep, punchy sound” and a battery life of up to 16 hours.

Flywheel Home Bike with Built-In Tablet

Why go to spin classes when you can get the same workout at home with this $1,999 tech-integrated stationary bike, which allows you to stream classes right to a built-in tablet?

De’Longhi Dynamica Fully Automatic Coffee and Espresso Machine

While this one’s technically in the “kitchen” section of Oprah’s list, it still qualifies. The $899.99 machine lets you brew hot or iced coffee in seconds that’s said to be comparable to what you get at your favorite coffee shop.

“You know it’s Favorite Things time when the O team starts taste-testing — among many other treats —chocolate babka, tomato pie, gravlax, peanut butter cups, salami, caramels, and truffle mustard,” Oprah writes on the Oprah Magazine website. “Did I mention that was all in one sitting? I’m pleased to report we survived to touch, try on, sniff, fall in love with, and narrow down a vast array of goodies until we were left with what I believe are the perfect presents of 2019. Ahead, you’ll find 79 gifts, plus an online exclusive, I think are just great — from a makeup kit by Lady Gaga to the perfect pancake maker to the softest hoodie you’ll ever wear.”

Winfrey adds: “The holidays, of course, aren’t all about what’s wrapped in a bow, but also, the gift of time. Personally, I delight in Christmas Day, when we do a brunch buffet of everything from fresh blueberry muffins to shakshuka, which is sort of like huevos rancheros with a Tunisian passport. Our gathering is mellow and fun and exactly how I want to wind down the year. This holiday season, I wish you excellent health, genuine happiness, and joyful days.”

The post Standout Tech Gadgets on Oprah’s “Favorite Things 2019” List first appeared on Dornob.

These digital creatures were fun (and they’ve been revived, if you missed out the first time or just want to revisit Tamagotchi parenthood), but there’s now a way to take that experience to a whole new level. The Lua Smart Planter adds something that’s actually alive to the equation: a houseplant.

If plants do have feelings, we humans haven’t yet figured out how to read them. That’s where the Lua comes in. It uses a host of sensors to trigger 15 different “universal animated emotions” in response to the plant’s current state. More specifically, these sensors measure the soil moisture, light exposure, and temperature. A face on the front of the pot provides useful visual cues as to how well you’re treating your plant “pet.”

When your plant is thirsty, the face opens its mouth wide and sticks out its tongue. When you’ve watered it too much, it looks sick. If its exposure to light isn’t sufficient, it displays a toothy vampire face, while too much light makes it squint. If your plant is too hot, the face takes on a pained expression and starts to sweat. When you’ve made it happy, it smiles.

Other animations reflect your interactions with the Lua, like a puzzled face when it can’t read a QR code or a tired face when it’s going to sleep. The Lua also has a motion-tracking feature, so every time it detects a movement, it actually follows it with its eyes.

Of course, needs like water and light vary depending on the kind of plant you put inside the Lua. The accompanying app lets you choose your plant’s family (like foliage, succulent, fern, flowering plant, or climber), select the exact plant species, or manually set your own preferred thresholds.

For people who aren’t good at taking care of plants, Lua’s immediate feedback in the form of fairly universal facial expressions acts as an effective reminder and removes the guesswork that’s often associated with keeping plants happy. Even seasoned, successful growers of houseplants don’t always know whether a particular plant is drooping or getting brown around the edges due to inadequate light, too much sun, overwatering, or neglect.

The Lua also brings in an element we humans sometimes need in order to relate to other living things: an anthropomorphized personality. Naturally, this makes one wonder how our care for all of the plants on this Earth might change if each one had a face. Even more so, what does the answer to that question say about us?

The Lua Smart Planter recently completed a round of crowdfunding on Indiegogo, with backers expected to receive their pots and accessories in December 2019. That means the product will likely be available to everyone else sometime next year.

The post Turn Your Houseplants into Pets with the Lua Smart Plant Monitor first appeared on Dornob.

With the new school year on the horizon, students are slowly starting to dust off their laptops and anticipate new challenges. But aside from more powerful, faster, and lighter portable PCs out there, there are some other really cool new gadgets that make learning easier and more fun.

Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen

Think your head will explode trying to catch every word of a lecture? With this nifty tool, you can rest easy knowing you won’t miss a thing. The Echo Smartpen records everything you hear and write and automatically saves it to your computer. It also comes complete with software for Mac or Windows, a 50-page Starter Notebook, two ink cartridges, and a micro USB cable to transfer data and keep your pen charged. The pen is so compact (6.8 inches long) it fits in your pocket, so you’ll have no problem taking it around and recharging in between classes.

Astrohaus Freewrite

If you enjoy taking notes but hate the bulk of a tablet, Freewrite is the tool for you. It’s a word processor that connects with the Cloud, so whatever you type is automatically saved. Whether you’re taking notes in Psych 101 or composing iambic pentameter for poetry class, this tool allows you to write on with the confidence that nothing will be lost. The Freewrite’s advanced e-ink screen is clear even on sunny days, too, so you can relax on the beach while you compose if you so please. The battery life lasts for over a week with regular use, so there’s no need to constantly recharge either.

ThirdEye Gen X1 Smart Glasses

Many lecture halls are massive, so if you’re not in the front few rows, it’s difficult to see formulas on the board or other visual aids used by educators. Slip on a pair of these Smart Glasses, and you’re guaranteed to have the best view in the room. These spectacles transform your view to one comparable to viewing a 90-inch screen from a distance of 10 feet, with a whopping 13 megapixels making sure that everything is clear as crystal. If necessary, the X1’s photochromatic lenses can also be replaced with prescription ones.

Garmin vívosmart 4

No matter how many gadgets and tools you bring to a classroom, you always have to be of sound mind and body to maximize learning. vívosmart helps keep you on track. Besides offering standard info like daily steps and exercise, notifying you of medication and supplement schedules, and tracking the number of calories you’ve burned, the device also keeps track of your sleep quality, stress levels, and pulse oxygenation. Before you head out the door for an all-night session, the compact vívosmart can tell you if it might be better to chill and relax at home.

TI-84 Plus CE

Of course, there’s more to education than writing and listening, especially if your passion is math, science, or engineering. The Plus CE graphing calculator displays connections between data, equations, and graphs in full color and includes graph lines for easy reading. The 2019 model is also 30-percent thinner and lighter than past versions, and is ideal for Use for Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II, Trigonometry, Statistics, Business & Finance, Biology, Chemistry, Geometry, Precalculus, College Math, and Linear Algebra. Last but certainly not least, the TI-84 is also approved for IB exams, AP exams that permit graphing calculators, and the PSAT, SAT, and ACT college entrance exams.

The post 5 Electronics Every Student Needs for Back to School 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

An improvement upon a previous SmartHalo product, the SmartHalo 2 is an all-in-one connected device that gives you five highly convenient new functions: navigation, an ear-piercing alarm, fitness trackers, a bright headlight, and a personal assistant. Designed by cyclists, for cyclists, the add-on securely locks onto your handlebars, and only your unique HaloKey can unlock it for removal. A mount adapter accessory even makes it possible to easily transfer the device from one bike to another, which is especially great when you’re traveling and using rental or share bikes.

Consisting of little more than a simple interface and touch screen, this smart bike accessory aims to make your ride a lot safer with clear route navigation signals, guiding you with the “halo” of lights around the screen’s outer rim. Easy to see and understand, it eliminates the need to view maps and street names on your phone, and you can rest easy knowing won’t ever miss audio instructions due to background noise. Unlike other bike GPS devices, you also don’t need to preload maps on this one. The SmartHalo uses Google to navigate instead, though you can customize your routes if you prefer certain road types or want to avoid busy streets and hills.

A powerful front light, now five times brighter than the original version, will automatically turn on and shut itself off when needed thanks to an onboard sensor, so you’ll never have to worry about accidentally running down the batteries, either. The 250-lumens light is strong enough to meet even the strictest of European bicycle lighting laws, featuring normal, blinking, and pulse modes. You can set it to come on for all rides, only at night, or manually.

The device recognizes you by the SmartHalo app running in the background of your phone. If someone else tries to mess with your bike while it’s locked up, it’ll emit a 110-dB alarm, which is loud enough to send most potential thieves running. If your phone dies, no worries — you can simply input your custom “Tapcode,” a combination of long and short taps, to deactivate the alarm.

The SmartHalo’s “Assistant” function basically stands in for your phone while you’re riding, so you can keep it tucked safely away where it’s not in danger of getting wet or becoming a distraction. You can also see who’s texting, calling, or messaging you and receive incoming difficult weather notifications on here, or turn notifications off if you’d rather not be bothered at all.

Quick-touch shortcuts make it easy to answer calls, select saved destinations, or even emit horn sounds while you’re on the go. Plus, you can measure cycling metrics like speed, distance, elevation, calories, time, and how much CO2 your ride saved with the SmartHalo’s fitness tracker, which automatically collects data from every ride.

The SmartHalo 2’s most recent Kickstarter campaign raised over $1.7 million CAD. While pre-orders are now closed, you can still keep an eye on the official website for updates on the product’s retail debut.

The post Instant Smart Bike Accessory Adds Five New Functions to Your Ride first appeared on Dornob.

According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation figures gathered from 2012 to April 2018 on luggage handling, more than half a million pieces of luggage are predicted to be mishandled each year. That means being lost, damaged, or even sent to the wrong destination altogether — and that’s just for domestic flights.

Lucky for us all, British Airways recently introduced an electronic luggage tag that guarantees you’ll never again be a victim of lost luggage. It’s easy to use, doesn’t mar the surface of your bags, and can be held onto for several trips to come.

How It Works

Passengers purchase the tag from the British Airways website and then link it to the accompanying BA app on their iOS or Android smartphone. The tag is then self-loaded with the passenger’s flight information, including where their flight originates and the final destination. However, the tag only works on direct flights, and it still can’t track the movement of your luggage while it’s physically in transit.

Instead of waiting in line to check in luggage, the tag allows you to simply scan your information, deposit your bags at a designated check-in counter, and walk away assured that wherever they travel to, the information regarding their proper destination will remain well intact. The airline claims that this process reduces luggage check-in time to just around 35 seconds.

The Cost of Peace of Mind

Unfortunately, investing in one of these tags isn’t exactly cheap. Priced around $78.48 through October 2019 and $99.66 thereafter depending on the current exchange rate, the device will be most attractive to travelers who frequently fly British Airways. However, one tag is good for over 3,000 flights and is non-transferable, so for most BA customers, it’ll hardly ever be more than a one-time purchase.

Cosmetic Concerns

The RFID label attaches to the handle of your bag like a customary address tag, but thankfully there are no stickers on it to mar the appearance of your actual luggage. There’s no hardware required and no adhesives involved, either, making the tag extremely easy to transfer between different bags as needed.

Not a New Concept

RFID luggage tagging is far from revolutionary in the airline industry. Back in 2011, Qantas airlines introduced the Q Bag Tag. Unfortunately, that tag wasn’t as upscale as the British Airways version, preventing it from ever being used more than a single time. On top of that, it’s also not currently compatible with the Qantas mobile app.

Looking Forward

Both international and domestic airlines are expected to follow suit with their own versions of interactive electronic luggage tags in the next few years, making the old skycap experience a thing of the past. Stay tuned for more innovations in the highly-competitive airline industry, because who knows? They might just invent something as ingenious as increased legroom one of these days.

The post British Airways’ Digital Luggage Tag Keeps Tabs On Your Bags first appeared on Dornob.

While style and color are always important, the thing that truly makes these shoes innovative is the technology behind them. Their designers specifically focused on the cushioning, incorporating both UA HOVR foam and a “compression mesh Energy Web” into its design. The combination of the two is vital, as it provides two things that every runner craves. The foam provides a plush, comfortable cushion, while the Energy Web contributes a springy bounceback. This responsive effect reciprocates the energy that one typically expends while running, which means that while the cushy UA HOVR foam lowers the impact of each individual step, the Energy Web lowers the energy required to take each step, making for all-around longer and easier runs. The company site states their benefit simply and clearly as a “zero gravity feel & energy return.”

Some might argue that brands like Nike and Adidas already have the footwear game locked down, but HOVR is certainly looking to challenge that belief. While Nike recently released a shoe with a similar concept (the Nike Epic React), it’s design only seems to incorporate high-end foam. Adidas is now similarly offering UltraBOOST shoes, whose premium cushioning is reported to match the energy being expelled by the runner. While both of these shoes have the same intention as Under Armour’s, they do not follow through as thoroughly. Each style relies solely on the cushioning for comfort and responsiveness, lacking anything like the HOVR’s trademarked Energy Web.

Under Armour displayed the broad range of its technological prowess by adding another cutting-edge feature into its shoes. Once you connect them to the company’s free app, MapMyRun, your workout stats will automatically by updated in your phone, even if you are not carrying it on your run. The company explains that the shoes have been equipped with UA’s record sensor technology to track details like “pace, cadence, stride length, and distance.” Knowing such metrics is vital when training for a marathon or even just working to cut down time on a sprint. Rather than having you carry your phone or another piece of high-tech equipment around, UA HOVR cuts out the middleman for greater convenience and cost efficiency.

The sneakers are available in two different styles, depending on your fitness goals. The UA HOVR Sonic was designed with long-distance runners in mind. This shoe boasts a more lightweight form of UA’s mesh and padding so as to not add on any unnecessary weight during a long workout. The UA HOVR Phantom is more versatile but less adaptable to long-distance runs. These shoes have cushioning onall sides to provide maximum comfort and energy reciprocation in each step. Both styles are currently available, so head on over to Under Armour’s website to check them out for yourself.

The post Under Armour Creates Footwear with Detailed Tracking Technology 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.

Of course it’s easy to drink water when you’re at home and have constant access to a kitchen — it’s when you’re on the go that it gets trickier. But since there are so many great bottle options on the market nowadays, it looks like we’re starting to run out of excuses. Here are five of our favorite designs:

Hydra: SmartBottle

With the Hydra, you’re getting a water bottle and a ton of cool technological features. Think a premium Bluetooth speaker, a hands-free speakerphone option so you can chat as you work out, FM radio connectivity, a power bank for on-the-go device charging, LED lights, a hidden storage compartment to stash cash in, a carabiner/bottle opener to help you with the other type of bottle, and of course, an accompanying smartphone app.

Ozmo Smart Bottle

The Ozmo has a clever twist to it. Aside from measuring and logging how much water you drink each day, it also monitors your daily coffee consumption. “So you’ll know whether that 4 P.M. latte is a good idea, or how much [water] you should drink after that five-mile bike ride,” explains the company.

The Ozmo and its accompanying app track your liquid intake and sync with fitness trackers like Fitbit and Apple Watch to let you know how much water you’ll need to fully rehydrate after your workout. One of our favorite functions? A built-in barcode scanner lets you monitor your meal choices and keep yourself on a healthy track.

Memobottle

Tired of toting a bulky bottle around? Check out the Memobottle, which slides right into your backpack or handbag, so you can always have drinking water close at hand no matter where your day takes you. As an added perk, the company provides a month’s worth of clean drinking water to two people in need for each bottle sold.

The Memobottle comes in a couple of different sizes. The “A5” model can hold 750 ml, for example, and the company says, “The shape of the A5 Memobottle closely resembles the dimensions of a sheet of paper, and it is made from a durable BPA-free and cradle-to-cradle certified plastic.”

The Memobottle’s inventors wanted to create a stylish, practical answer to the glut of drink-and-toss plastic bottles out there. We reckon they’ve succeeded.

MOUS Fitness Bottle

The MOUS Fitness Bottle is definitely a multitasker. According to its designers, it’s “the one fitness bottle for all your hydration needs: protein shakes, water infusions, smoothies, and supplements.” It’s BPA-free and designed to come apart for easier cleaning, preventing bacteria and unpleasant odors from taking hold in its crevices. It’s even dishwasher-safe, which will be a big help on those days when you’re rushing.

Another nifty design feature: “A friction hinge blends into the overall design, allowing a full 180-degree range of motion so that it doesn’t get in your way while drinking.” The drinking spout is also simple and effective, giving you a steady stream of water whenever you want it. The bottle holds 28 ounces (850 ml).

The post 5 Clever New Water Bottles first appeared on Dornob.

Waggit Collar

The Waggit collar is a great way to keep track of your dog and ensure his or her well-being. You can log the pup’s temperature, sleeping patterns, vital signs, and more. Worried that Skippy is putting on too much weight? Just look through the collar’s nutrition guide to learn how much food and exercise will keep him healthy. The Waggit’s companion app even boasts a “training center” feature, which uses ultrasound speakers to help you teach your dog commands and skills. And of course, the collar also has a location tracker built into it, so if your dog slips out of her leash or jumps the fence, you’ll be able to find her in no time.

PetChatz Camera

Miss your dog when you’re out at work all day? The PetChatz camera has you covered, offering two-way video chats, a treat dispenser, aromatherapy to calm your pup, sound and motion detection, and compatibility with DOGTV.

How does it work? Simply connect the unit to your home Wi-Fi and install it over an outlet. When you connect to PetChatz on your computer or through its accompanying smartphone app, your dog will hear a special ringtone that tells them you’re calling. “Pets have a calming, multi-sensory experience with their owners,” says the PetChatz team. “The day becomes a little easier, and the time away feels a little shorter.”

Petnet Feeder

This battery-operated pet feeder doesn’t just dish up dinner at set times — it also controls portion size based on your dog’s age, breed, and size. You can even make adjustments to it from your smartphone. If you’re running late at work one night, for instance, you can simply ask the device to feed your dog for you so you don’t get home to a starving, very disgruntled pup. Amazingly enough, the unit is capable of holding up to seven pounds of dry food. Oh, and its battery is rechargeable and comes with a chew-resistant cable to foil any would-be canine troublemakers.

Back on Track Bed

High-tech fabric makes this oval bed perfect for older dogs with achy joints or sore muscles. The Back on Track company explains that its therapeutic dog beds use “state-of-the-art Welltex material to leverage your dog’s own body energy in creating a soothing far-infrared thermal effect.” Sounds like a recipe for some relaxing, comfortable sleep to us. Travelers love that the bed comes with a convenient carrying case, and when you’re at home, your dog will appreciate it’s non-slip backing when he steps in for the night.

PetKit Leash

You’d think a dog leash would be as low-tech as you could get, but no. Take, for example, the PetKit leash, which records how far you and your dog walk, saves your routes, and allows you to share your location with your friends, four-legged and otherwise. If you connect it to your smartphone, you’ll feel the handle vibrate when you get a call. Your phone also controls a set of safety LED lights on the leash handle to keep you safe on evening and winter walks. Hate batteries? No worries — this gizmo’s rechargeable.

The post 5 Tech Tools For Dog Owners first appeared on Dornob.

“Before Chris Sheldrick co-founded what3words, he worked as production manager organizing live music events in different parts of the world,” explains what3words Chief Marketing Officer Giles Rhys Jones. “Getting sound equipment, personnel, and bands to a certain mountainside or in the middle of the countryside were challenging.” what3words was born out of this frustration. The first company to use the system was the Mongolian postal service (Mongol Post). Since then, mail services in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, St. Maarten, Djibouti, and Tonga have also taken it up.

To truly understand the benefits of three-word addresses over standard street addresses, consider the job of a parcel delivery driver anywhere in the world. The driver begins their shift with a map of all the deliveries that need to be completed within a given timeframe. All the driver has are the street addresses, which should ensure that the buildings can be found.

Even if the driver has the right address and finds the building, however, the exact location of the recipient is still unknown to them. They might even have an office or suite number, but they’ll still have to figure out where the recipient is. With three-word addresses, the driver could know exactly where in the building the recipient was expecting their parcel. Without the three-word addresses, consider the amount of phone calls that would need to be made throughout the day between the driver and the recipient just to find the right meeting place.

“We just did a test in London with a delivery company, where we gave two couriers 20 packages each: 20 with street addresses on them and 20 with three-word addresses,” explains Jones. “Now the courier with three-word addresses was 30 percent faster. He was three and a half hours faster than the other guy. If you think about that, that’s one vehicle off the road for three and a half hours. So all of a sudden you can dramatically reduce pollution, congestion, just by being 200, 30, 50 yards more accurate than an address.”
Parcel delivery is just one of many industries that are starting to use what3words to enhance their effectiveness. Onibag, a delivery company based in Menlo Park, California, uses what3words to make same-day deliveries of medical supplies, organs, blood, and other perishable items to hospitals. Knowing exactly where to take such items as fast as possible is essential when the health of a patient depends on it.
On the Caribbean Island of St. Maarten, where not all houses have standard street addresses, Domino’s Pizza uses what3words to make deliveries. The company prints three-word addresses onto their receipts, and the delivery driver uses the accompanying app to navigate to that spot.

In the modeling and entertainment industries, photographers and filmmakers use three-word addresses to find specific locations in secluded areas. For example, if there was a scene in a television show or movie in a remote part of Australia and a filmmaker wanted to shoot part of an upcoming project in the same location, it would be difficult to find without a three-word address. Adventure seekers and travelers looking for the same location to hike or mountain climb benefit from it, too.

When a natural disaster leaves destruction in its wake, aid organizations use what3words to locate and rescue stranded survivors. After the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that rattled Mexico City back in September of this year, for instance, both the Government of Mexico and humanitarian groups used what3words to find people trapped in ruined buildings. Another aspect of what3words that makes it so effective in disaster zones is that it works without internet service. Once you download the map to your device, you can use what3words anywhere, whereas the GPS on smartphones requires cell reception, data, and internet (all of which may be out of service after an earthquake or typhoon strikes).

With all the ways that three-word addresses have helped individuals, companies, and organizations find their way around, Jones believes that the need for them will only increase over time as people continue to discover how unreliable street addresses can be.
“Urban mobility is a massive challenge. Currently, 50 percent of people who live in cities in the developing world don’t have a street address. Even in cities like LA and London, addressing is poor. With the huge migration of people to cities by the year 2030, 70 percent of the world’s population will be in urban centers. So we’re piling people on an address infrastructure that doesn’t work today.” It’s no wonder finding a place can be harder than you think.

The post Why Finding A Place Can Be Harder Than You Think first appeared on Dornob.

The AllBe1‘s features are a mix of emergency alarms and other conveniences. Just connect yours to its accompanying smartphone app, and you’ll be able to set different alerts to match your needs.

There are many scenarios where the AllBe1 can be used to help you and your family. For instance, there’s an emergency button that sends an instant alert out when pressed, along with the location of the incident, so emergency response teams can track down the device with ease. It can be used by seniors who’ve fallen and need assistance or by people involved in bad accidents.

AllBe1 is also a tracker. Attach it to your dog’s collar, and you can finally find out where he goes when he leaps the fence and takes off. You can also attach it to a laptop or a set of keys so you know where they are at all times. Alternatively, you can clip the device onto your child’s pocket. If you do, you’ll get an alert every time they move out of range without your noticing. Speaking of range, it’s important to note that the AllBe1 can track things up to 360 feet away from your smartphone or tablet.

Worried about home security? The company says the AllBe1 can function as a motion sensor and alert you if an intruder is opening the door of your house. You can also set it to let you know if someone is moving your bike (whether it’s a thief or a child you’ve just grounded!).

One of the AllBe1’s especially important safety features is an alarm that will remind you if you accidentally leave a child in your car. Think of it as your guardian angel when you’re distracted or in a rush.

In the way of comfort features, the AllBe1 boasts a sensor that warns you about UV levels and keeps you safe in the sun. Another alarm lets you know if the temperature in a room suddenly drops (great for families who have an infant to keep warm or elderly relatives who might fall asleep and not realize that they’re getting dangerously cold).

If you’re worried about people snooping, you’ll be happy to know that the AllBe1 can also be used to lock your phone. And if you want to record a conversation without people knowing, you can take advantage of the gadget’s “covert voice recording” feature.

So how does it work? The inventors explain that the device communicates with your smartphone via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) protocol. That means it’s smart on power, which is probably why its battery will stay charged for two whole months. Just pair your AllBe1 with your phone, and select whichever alert option you need to use. That’s pretty much it. The app works on both Android and IOS phones.

Finally — and as if all this wasn’t enough — the company also offers the Everywhere USB drive. This little gizmo lets you receive email alerts when you aren’t near your AllBe1. Talk about being connected!

The post AllBe1: Your All-in-One Personal Security Gadget first appeared on Dornob.

“All my life I’ve been misplacing important items like my keys, passport, or wallet,” says GearEye CEO Yulia Lerner, who founded the company in 2014. “One day, I thought, why not tag these items and be able to find them with my phone? And so the idea for GearEye was born.”

Thankfully, you don’t have to be a tech whiz to use GearEye. In fact, it’s a deceptively simple system. You just have to stick small RFID tags to your belongings. These tags are nothing more than a set of thin stickers, meaning you can attach them to all sorts of objects, including your keys, phone, wallet, and passport. Some of the stickers were specifically made to adhere to metal, while others were designed to better suit different materials. They don’t require any batteries, and you’ll get years of service out of them before you ever have to order new ones. GearEye tags are also much cheaper than those of comparable tracking systems, “with 40 RFID tags costing less than one Bluetooth tag.”

Once you’ve put the RFID tags on your things, you can create an item checklist on the GearEye app. You’re allowed to make up to 10 personalized lists, and each of them can contain up to 50 distinct items. If you felt like it, you could keep separate gear lists for different projects and events. Alternatively, you could make lists for leisure activities like travel, beach days, and gym classes.

“GearEye is the complete solution for managing people’s gear, allowing them to easily make sure they have everything they need, and find the crucial items if/when they’re missing,” Lerner explains. “It’s great for photographers, and can also be used by DJs, frequent travelers, electricians, plumbers, and everyday users to manage their gear.”

Have a big photo shoot coming up? Make a list of all the lenses and lights you’re expecting to use. Electrician? Try tagging your drill, screwdrivers, and rolls of wire. Parent? Tag your kids! We’re just kidding about that last one, but you can put the stickers on a box of wipes, a bottle, and baby’s favorite toy.

When you’re ready to head out for the day, tap the “check” button and scan your GearEye duffel bag for your tagged items by waving a keyring scanner or smartphone over it. This scanner is capable of locating items between one and three meters away. “All the items in the bag will be checked with a V mark that they’re in place,” the company says. “If an item is missing (without a V mark), you can tap on it and the GearEye app will guide you to the lost item using graphics and sounds.” Pretty ingenious, if you ask us.

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