Kwilt is a personal image server

There are many services that will park your photos videos on a cloud-based server, but there are also times when you might prefer having a more personal storage solution.

The Kwilt Shoebox aims to fill that need with a tiny device that turns a thumb drive or other USB hard drive into a private and portable server.

Kwilt lets users offload photos and videos from their mobile phones, then share them with friends or family members through a Kwilt app.

After I met the folks from Kwilt at this year’s CES, they sent me a sample of the device to check out. The tiny gadget has connections for a power cable and a USB storage device plus an HDMI output plug for displaying content on a TV to monitor.

To get things rolling, I linked the Kwilt to my home WiFi network, then used the free Kwilt app to transfer content from my iPhone. That process had a few hiccups. It took several tries to move my 23,000 photos from the phone to a 500GB portable hard drive but eventually, all of the still photos showed up in the Kwilt app. I’m still working on offloading my videos.

Now that my photos are safely stored on the USB drive, I can delete some from my phone, freeing space to shoot more.

The Kwilt Shoebox works with both iOS and Android devices and has a very affordable price tag of $49.99. To order one or for more details, visit the Kwilt Shoebox website.   

By: Ric Manning On 9/01/2018

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PogoCam is wearable and affordable

As the idea of a wearable camera continues to gain traction, the PogoCam is poised to jump to the head of the pack.

The device that I first saw at this year’s CES trade show has a lot going for it. Unlike Google’s Glass, the PogoCam doesn’t require its own frame and lenses and can be attached to the user’s own glasses.

And, probably more important to its potential success, the PogoCam is far more affordable: $149 compared to the $1,500 price tag on Glass when it was released a couple of years ago. And, as the prices indicate, the PogoCam is not in the same class as the Glass.

My experience wearing and testing the PogoCam over the past few weeks has been uneven at best. The PogoCam started strong by easily attaching to the right bow of my glasses using a small magnetic strip.

The camera has two buttons, one for shooting still images, the other for video. Its internal memory can hold 100 photos or a half-dozen 30-second videos.

The camera pairs with an iOS or Android mobile app, but the files don’t move directly between the camera and the phone. To make the transfers, you have to detach the camera and plug it into the PogoCam “smart case.” The case makes a Bluetooth link to your phone for transferring still photos. Moving videos requires a USB connection to a computer.

While I was able to capture several still shots and a couple of videos with the PogoCam, none were very good. They certainly didn’t match the colorful sample images featured on the PogoTec website.

I suspect my blurred images were largely due to way the camera is triggered. Try pinching the bow on your glasses frame without moving the frame and you’ll know what I mean. Maybe James Bond (or his tech wizard Q) could hold their spy cams perfectly still, but not me.

I think the PogoCam has a bright future, but early adopters should prepare to master complicated connections and commit to lots of practice.

For more details about the PogoCam, visit the PogoTec website.

By: Ric Manning On 3/01/2018

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CES 18: Roaming the world

While the television crews flocked to the jumbo displays set up by Samsung, Intel, LG and other brands, I headed to a parking lot where CES had erected a huge temporary building for what it called the Design & Source Showcase.

The building housed 200 or more manufacturers from China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other countries.

These are the people who make the cables, headphones and other gadgets that turn up on Amazon, Alibaba or Wish, often under brand names that you've probably never heard of.

If you want to buy 1,000 Bluetooth speakers or if you have an design idea that you want to turn into a product, this is where you would go shopping.

With cord-cutting growing in popularity, I wanted to check out Zoomtak, a Shenzhen company that makes a variety of video streaming boxes that compare to devices like Apple TV or Roku.

The boxes run Android 6.0  and come with WiFi and HDMI connections. Also most Zoomtak include KODI, open-source media player and entertainment hub.

I also stopped it at the Sunchip booth. It's a Chinese OEM manufacturer that produces panoramic cameras, including one that works with a mobile phone, and virtual reality accessories.

In other aisles, Layon Science Technology was displaying a variety of Bluetooth devices, including several wireless earbuds. And Trangjan was promoting more than a dozen Apple-certified accessories, including an Apple Watch charger and several wireless charging platforms.

Among the many other wireless chargers on display was an unusual design created by Mossloo. This one combined Qi device charging and a Bluetooth speaker in a small white cube. The top of the box had an angled surface dotted with tiny suction cups that keeps your phone in place.

  

By: Ric Manning On 1/18/2018

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CES 18: Google’s revenge

After seeing Amazon's Alexa become the darling of last year's CES, Google came roaring back this year with an army of gadgets powered by Google Assistant.

So many devices that the company needed a house-sized building erected in a parking lot to show off all of them.

The lineup included alarm clocks and other tabletop products with video displays, plus speakers, watches, light bulbs, thermostats and even kitchen appliances such as a slow cooker and a coffeemaker.

By: Ric Manning On 1/10/2018

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CES 18: Samsung has a full-wall video screen

CES is typically a contest to see which television maker can show off the largest screen. This year Samsung was the clear winner. 

Samsung devoted an entire wall in its product showcase to a screen it calls The Wall.

The screen displays images in 4K resolution using a technology called MicroLED. 

The company said the screen is intended to be a consumer product - not just a concept item - and will be available for sale later this year. No price was announced.  

By: Ric Manning On 1/10/2018

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CES 18: A cat’s life

This robotic litter box is for felines and their owners. It automatically cleans and refreshes litter after each use.

By: Ric Manning On 1/09/2018

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CES18: Google glitch

"Hey Google where's my WiFi?" Googlers were turning away visitors at its gumball machine because it's WiFi connection was down.

The display invites people to pose a question to Google Assistant to win a prize.

By: Ric Manning On 1/09/2018

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