| Cult of Mac

Presence security camera keeps an eye outside your door

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The Presence that promises to deliver peace of mind.
The Presence that promises to deliver peace of mind.
Photo: Netatmo

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage
Consumer electronics company Netatmo has made a camera that is easily overlooked as it keeps a lookout outside your door.

The outdoor surveillance camera Netatmo named Presence uses an algorithm to detect whether something in its view is a person, car or animal. It then immediately sends a notification through a companion iPhone or Android app along with an option to see what the camera recorded.

Back up more of your Mac with Samsung’s new terabyte SSD

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Samsung Portable SSD T3 CES 2016
Bigger, faster, better.
Photo: Samsung

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve got a nice Mac with plenty of video, photos, and apps on it. Time Machine is a fantastic way to keep your stuff all backed up and safe, so you’ll need a high-capacity drive to do that with.

Samsung’s new external solid state drive (SSD), called the T3, has the capacity of multiple terabytes to keep more of your data backed up and the speed to make it easy.

“Following the successful worldwide launch of the Portable SSD T1 in 2015, we made several significant upgrades to the T3 based on the feedback and needs of our customers, which included content creators and business professionals in particular,” said Samsung’s Un-Soo Kim in a statement.

This weird-looking headband uses lasers to fight balding

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The Laserband 82 uses lasers to regrow your mane.
The Laserband 82 uses lasers to regrow your mane.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage LAS VEGAS — Can you use lasers to regrow hair?

The folks at HairMax are at CES 2016 to show that yes, it is totally possible to stimulate hair follicles to regrow your skimpy, thinning head of hair into a thick, furry mane. However, there is a catch: You have to have the right type of baldness.

The LaserBand 82 brings laser revitalization to the home with its 82 medical-grade lasers that provide a full treatment for hair loss in 90 seconds. Cult of Mac caught up with HairMax at CES, the largest orgy of tech gadgetry in the world, to get a heads-on look at the funky futuristic headgear.

Sleep Number’s ‘It’ bed will help you improve your sleep habits

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The bed that might know more about how well you sleep than you do.
Photo: Sleep Number

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage Sleep Number is perhaps one of the very few companies at CES that actually wants to put us to sleep instead of keep us awake with bright screens and games all night. It’s very latest method for accomplishing that goal is the It bed: a bed that will track different aspects of your sleep patterns during the night to inform you on just how well you’re sleeping at night. Plus, it’ll integrate with its own app and other third-party apps to do that.

Griffin’s Travel Power Bank keeps your Apple Watch charged for days

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For when Apple Watch needs an energy boost. Or four.
Photo: Griffin

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage Griffin Technology introduced several new products ahead of CES 2016 that aim to improve the way you charge your Apple devices. A prominent pick is a tiny portable battery called the Travel Power Bank that delivers much needed on-the-go power to the often inadequate Apple Watch.

“With our compact, all-in-one battery and charging cable on hand, users can leave their Apple Watch charging cable safe at home with no worries about running out of power,” said Andrew Biddle, Category Manager of Power Products at Griffin Technology.

5 tech trends you don’t want to miss at CES 2016

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Tech is taking over Vegas for the week.
Tech is taking over Vegas for the week.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage 2016 is here and that can only mean one thing: It’s time for CES.

The world’s biggest consumer electronics show, CES 2016, is getting underway this week in Las Vegas, which means nerds and all the companies that make the gadgets they love are instinctively flocking to the desert oasis like the salmon of Capistrano.

This year’s show promises to be bigger than ever, with all the latest tech trends on full display. Cult of Mac will be on the scene all week long bring hands-on looks at the coolest and weirdest gadgets CES has to offer.

Here’s what we expect to see at the show:

How the iPhone enhances ReSound’s hip new hearing aids

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ReSound's LiNX hearing aid is the first controlled by the iPhone. Pairing with the iPhone adds a surprising amount of useful functionality. Photo: ReSound
ReSound's LiNX hearing aid pairs with iPhones to add surprisingly useful functionality. Photo: ReSound
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LAS VEGAS — Hearing aids aren’t sexy, so a lot of journalists here at International CES breezed right by ReSound’s booth.

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015 The Danish company has been in the hearing aid business for 75 years, and launched the first iPhone-connected hearing aid at CES last year. Now the company is a back with a full lineup of iPhone-compatible LiNX hearing aids. The devices address the whole range of hearing loss, from the mild to severe.

As I approach 50, I’m wondering if I need a pair myself, so I went to check them out. I was impressed. Connecting a hearing aid to an iPhone adds a lot of very useful functionality.

HP Sprout is a fun Franken-puter with wild tricks up its sleeve

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HP's Sprout touchscreen computer scans objects and run them into 3D files. It's fast and fun. Credit: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
HP's Sprout touchscreen computer scans objects and turns them into 3-D files. It's fast and fun. Credit: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

LAS VEGAS — Of all the amazing technology on show here at International CES, the most surprising so far is Hewlett-Packard’s weird Sprout, a multitalented Franken-puter that looks like a ton of fun.

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015 The HP Sprout is a touchscreen computer married to a multitouch pad, with a projector/camera/3-D scanner peering overhead. It looks like a bad prop from a Lego version of War of the Worlds.

I’d seen the press releases when it launched last October and had pretty low expectations. It just looked too weird. But I was genuinely delighted to see it in action.

Casper is the friendly mattress that arrives in a box

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Casper beds come in boxes. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Casper mattresses come in boxes. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
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LAS VEGAS — Bryan Chaffin loves his Casper mattress.

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015 “I don’t even know where to start,” effused the Mac Observer executive vice president. “It’s the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on. It was dead-easy to set up. It’s just incredibly comfortable.”

Chaffin is a satisfied customer of Casper, a New York startup shaking up the tired old mattress industry. Casper is doing everything differently, from the design of its all-foam mattress to the way it sells and ships direct to customers.

What? Us? Scared? Garmin shows no fear of Apple Watch

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Garmin watch. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Garmin's chunky new Fenix 3 Sapphire sport watch faces stiff competition from Apple Watch. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
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LAS VEGAS — When Garmin launches a $600 smartwatch just a few weeks before Apple is about to introduce its category killer, the company must be pretty confident.

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015Here at International CES, Garmin is showing off its new line of Fenix 3 Sports Watches — multisport fitness trackers with built-in GPS that can pair with a smartphone to show various alerts and notifications. It comes in three models, including the handsome Sapphire, which has a hard sapphire crystal face. It’s a beauty, but surely doomed, right?

When asked if Garmin was worried about the Apple Watch, due to be launched sometime this spring, a spokeswoman confidently said absolutely not. She explained that Garmin’s watches are unapologetically outdoor fitness devices built for sportspeople who want a watch to do very specific things — track workouts – and aren’t interested in beaming heartbeats or sending emojis.

“They are purpose-built,” she said, gesturing at the display. “They’re built for hiking, biking and running. Garmin has been in the wearables market for 10 years. We’re not worried at all.”