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News - page 1069

EyeForcer is no slouch at keeping kids upright

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They better sit up straight or the EyeForcer will shut off their devices.
They better sit up straight or the EyeForcer will shut off their devices.
Photo: Medical Wearable Solutions

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageYou can warn your kid about too much screen time until you’re blue in the face. They’re too absorbed to listen. You need an enforcer or, better yet, an EyeForcer.

It’s another gadget for your kid, but this one works with you. Looking like eyeglass frames without lenses, the EyeForcer shuts down your child’s device when it senses he or she has been on it too long. It promotes good posture by switching the device off when the young user begins to slouch.

Double your MacBook’s hard drive with quick ‘one-click upgrade’

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The tiny TarDisk Pear slides into your MacBook's SD card slot and doubles your storage almost instantly.
The tiny TarDisk Pear slides into your MacBook's SD card slot and doubles your storage almost instantly.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — The makers of a tiny new device called the TarDisk Pear promise to permanently double your MacBook’s hard drive space in a matter of moments.

Simply slide the Pear into your MacBook’s SD card slot, run a quick setup (called “pearing”), and your hard-drive capacity will be permanently doubled.

“Pear is a one-click option for upgrading,” TarDisk’s Pierce Schiller told Cult of Mac at CES 2016.

Bluetooth luggage lock will keep the TSA out of your pants

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bluetooth-luggage-lock-will-keep-the-tsa-out-of-your-pants-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601Dog-and-Bone-LockSmart-Travel-CES-2016-jpg
Dog-and-Bone-LockSmart-Travel-CES-2016
Keep it secret. Keep it safe. Photo: Dog & Bone

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage We can officially add luggage locks to the list of things we kind of never expected to get smart versions.

Case and lock maker Dog & Bone is bringing out a keyless, TSA-approved, Bluetooth travel padlock that’s designed to keep unwanted people from getting their dirty hands on your underwear and hoard of duty-free booze. The company is showing off their new device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Get your workout fix in 7 minutes on your Apple TV

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Get your heart rate pumping in seven minutes.
Get your heart rate pumping in seven minutes.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

The holy grail of the home workout is something that you can get set up for quickly and easily, doesn’t require a lot of gear, and will only take as short a time as possible.

Wahoo Fitness thinks they have this down. The developer of the Wahoo 7 Minute Workout app has brought its science-based, high-intensity interval workout to your big screen via the Apple TV app store, so you can get your workout on quickly and easily.

Apple scoops up A.I. startup that analyzes users’ emotions

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Emojis
Less emojis, more AI.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest acquisition is of a small artificial intelligence company called Emotient. The startup has technology that analyzes people’s emotions through their facial expressions.

Apple “buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple’s spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal. That’s the typical statement Apple gives when snatching up small companies.

It’s not clear yet what Apple has in mind for Emotient, but we sure can speculate.

Screw the Apple Watch. This is the most personal device ever.

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vSculpt
vSculpt really is an intimate device.
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage Navigating the many health devices on the CES show floor, I came across the vSculpt booth and stopped dead in my tracks. Mainly because it looked like a sex toy and they were giving away red panties (best swag ever).

But what I assumed was just a basic vibrator is actually a medical device used for vaginal rejuvenation therapy.

As drone makers fill the sky, one looks to the deep seas

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The FiFish Atlantis hopes to the first consumer drone of the seas.
The FiFish Atlantis hopes to the first consumer drone of the seas.
Photo: Taihuoniao Shenzhen D3IN Future Labs

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageDrones may be big news at CES, but only one can make a splash.

Chinese hardware company Taihuoniao Shenzhen has developed what it says is the first consumer drone for exploring all those big bodies of water that cover most of the Earth.

Capturing awesome aerial footage is easy with this self-flying drone

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You don't need a pilot to fly this drone.
You don't need a pilot to fly this drone.
Photo: AirDog

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — Learning how to fly a drone isn’t easy, and accidents happen all the time. Wouldn’t it be great if your drone could just fly itself?

AirDog does just that. In fact, the only way to fly AirDog is to use its incredible auto-following technology that keeps the camera aimed at you during the entire flight Cult of Mac met up with the makers of AirDog at CES 2016 for a mountain-biking demo in the desert to see how the drone uses LiDAR and other tech to capture spectacular aerial footage on the fly without any human intervention. We came away ridiculously impressed.

Razer’s first smartwatch isn’t quite as smart as it could be

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razers-first-smartwatch-isnt-quite-as-smart-as-it-could-be-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601razer-nabu-watch-jpg
Not exactly a smartwatch, although it's definitely rugged.
Photo: Razor
Not exactly a smartwatch, although it's definitely rugged. Photo: Nabu
Not exactly a smartwatch, although it’s definitely rugged. Photo: Nabu

Razer may be best known for its gaming accessories, but the company just launched its latest creation: an activity-tracking, notification-giving Nabu Watch, which works with both Android and iPhone.

Just don’t call it a smartwatch!

Apple COO Jeff Williams talks child labor, improving healthcare

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The man described by Fortune as
Jeff Williams wants to save the world.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

With innovations like HealthKit and ResearchKit, Apple has been making big strides into healthcare in the past couple of years. In a new interview with Conversations with Health Care, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams talks about Apple’s belief in the “democratization” of medicine, among other topics.

This $25,000 Apple Watch clone is completely mechanical

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Look familiar?
Photo: H. Moser

With Jony Ive being a self-proclaimed mechanical watch fan, it’s fascinating to see how the Apple Watch design language borrowed elements from traditional Swiss watches — and now how Swiss watches are starting to resemble the Apple Watch.

Luxury watchmaker H. Moser & Cie’s is the closest yet, looking virtually identical to Apple’s smartwatch with its rectangular chassis, crown, band, and even 38mm size. It’s name? The Apple Alp Watch. We’re not even kidding.

Powerful portable battery pack charges in 18 minutes flat

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That's some fast charging.
That's some fast charging.
Photo: Simpiz

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — The makers of a powerful new battery pack called the iTron claim it can be fully charged to 9,000 mAh in an astonishing 18 minutes. Even better, in just three short minutes, it slurps up enough power to recharge an iPhone 6.

To make the package even more enticing, the quick-juicing battery pack charges on a dock that offers three USB ports, so it can become a full-blown charging station for multiple devices.

Tim Cook only made $10.3 million last year

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Tim Cook
Don't worry, he's still rich.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook made approximately $10.3 million in 2015 — $10,281,327 to be exact. That is up only a tad from the $9.2 million he earned in 2014. The other executives at Apple all made around $25 million each for the year. Sure, it’s rough to place the word “only” in front of a ten million dollar check, but in Cook’s case, he is making significantly less than the other execs.

Cool connected footballs, distributed speaker systems, Bluetooth routers and more at CES

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Wilson connected football

Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageLAS VEGAS — Who says everything at CES is rubbish?

Well, yeah, there’s a lot crap, but that’s why we’re here — to rummage through the rubbish and find the best stuff.

And we found plenty: smart footballs and running shorts that improve your game and gait; a coffee mug that instantly cools coffee that’s too hot; and a speaker system that uses all the iPhones in a room to create a distributed, shared sound system that sounds better than you’d imagine.

Check it out:

Will Apple turn around its fortunes in 2017?

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Are you predicting big things from Apple next year?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 has not exactly been a spectacular year for Apple. There have been some nice highlights, like major changes to the MacBook Pro lineup and the wildly successful AirPods, but it hasn’t really been a year to remember for fans or investors.

Friday Night Fights bugWill 2017 be different? We know the next-generation iPhone will be big, but does Apple have more up its sleeve that will help turn around its fortunes and make the next year a spectacular one?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over Apple in 2017.

Nikon does a full 360 with new action cam

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The Nikon Key Mission 360 is on a mission to compete with action camera industry leader GoPro.
The Nikon Key Mission 360 is on a mission to compete with action camera industry leader GoPro.
Photo: Nikon

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageAdd Nikon to the growing list of companies taking on GoPro in the action camera market.

Nikon made a surprise announcement this week at CES in Las Vegas, unveiling plans for a portable camera that offers 360-degree immersive perspective.

What glitchy software should Apple fix first?

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ipadiphonemacbook

Photo: Apple

Walt Mossberg has had his say on what Apple needs to fix most: its software.

Now it’s your turn to weigh in with your own opinion–which specific software should Apple fix? We’ve created two polls for you to express your opinion, one for OS X on the Mac and one for iOS on the iPhone and iPad.

Is Apple Mail giving you fits on your Mac? Does Photos on your iPad not fill you with joy? Let us know in the polls below.

If we missed the software you think should be in Apple’s sights for fixing, let us know in the comments.

Wireless charging system gets cool new magnetic audio gadgets

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Stack even more awesome on your iPhone with these audio accessories.
Stack even more awesome on your iPhone with these audio accessories.
Photo: Stacked

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage Stacked, the wireless charging case that charges your iPhone with a series of stackable power banks, is expanding it’s line of useful, connected devices to help simplify your life and fill it with music.

The company is showing off it’s two new audio accessories at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Las Vegas. The Audio Dock and Boost Speaker connect to your iPhone via the magnetic system of the Stacked power case, reducing wires and making sure you never forget your external speaker at work again.

Gogoro electric scooter could roll into U.S. faster than expected

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After turning heads at CES last year, the Gogoro electric scooter is rolling out new plans for world domination.
After turning heads at CES last year, the Gogoro electric scooter is rolling out new plans for world domination.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — The makers of Gogoro, the electric smart scooter that wowed CES last year, have two unassuming tools for gaining traction beyond their launch city of Taipei.

The first is a charger for their 20-pound battery packs; the second is a website that lets wannabe owners nominate their hometowns to become Gogoro hubs.

Bluetooth speakers that light up your ears and party space

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The Saratoga wireless speaker.
The Saratoga wireless speaker.
Photo: Acoustic Research

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageIf music is one of the lights of your life, then shouldn’t your speakers shine, too?

Acoustic Research introduced a new line of wireless speakers that offer quality sound, a design attractive indoors and out and a customizable, multi-color LED light to fit the mood of your music and social scene.