Walyou

Blueshift Hydrogen Is an Ultra-Fast Charging Supercapacitor-Powered Speaker

Posted: 17 Oct 2014 01:53 PM PDT

Thought that Nexus 6′s 15 minutes of charging/6 hours of use ratio was impressive? Wait till you hear what the Hydrogen speaker can do!

Bluetooth speakers seem to be all the rave now, mostly due to their unequaled convenience. While in most cases you have to worry about battery life instead of tangled wires that never seem to be long enough, it’s easier to fire up your music on the smartphone or tablet and listen to it anywhere you want. However, Blueshift Hydrogen is the type of Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t make you panic whenever its battery runs out. Thanks to the included Supercapacitors, this speaker is up again in no time, even though you need to make a small compromise.

Just five minutes of charging will enable you to listen to music for more than four hours at 80% of the volume. Maybe that doesn’t sound right for partying, but then again, I doubt that these speakers were created with parties in mind. Another great news is that the included battery can be charged up to half a million times before starting to wear out. In case you want to listen music on a device that doesn’t feature Bluetooth A2DP, you can connect it to Hydrogen via a 1/8″ cable. A wall charger is provided for replenishing the energy of the speaker when it runs out.

The 9 x 8 x 4-inches bamboo cabinet is home to a 3-inch full-range driver that should deliver crystal clear sound. What I like the most about the design of this wireless speaker is that it’s nothing overcomplicated. In fact, manufacturers claim that a clean design is exactly what they wanted, probably hoping that it would transmit the potential buyers the idea that the sound is equally clean.

Blueshift Hydrogen is currently the subject of a crowdfunding campaing on CrowdSupply. With 27 more days to go and 49% raised out of the $10K needed for mass-producing the speaker, chances are this project will be a success! Anyone who pledged $300 as an early bird or $330 as a regular backer should expect to receive the speaker in January or March, respectively. There are plenty of other options for the wealthier backers. Even the cost paid by early birds might seem a bit steep, but innovation comes at a price, most often.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the AirBulb smart LED bulb with a wireless speaker, and the Dubstein Bluetooth speaker mug.

Digitsole Acts as a Pedometer, Keeps Your Feet Warm

Posted: 17 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Smart socks? Checked! Smart shoes? Checked! Smart soles? Well, they’re really close to becoming a reality!

Wearable tech companies have developed all sorts of things that keep track of our workouts without forcing us to wear any additional gadgets, such as smart bracelets or smartwatches. In other words, some creators of wearables really want us to feel as natural as possible, without any extras. Soles would qualify for that, as they don’t alter walking that much, and if they do, it’s for the better.

Brought to life by the eponymous Nancy, France-based company, Digitsole couldn’t have had a more intuitive name. These digital soles double as a step counter, but that’s not the only thing great about them. Using the companion app, which is available on both Android and iOS, users can turn on the heat in the soles. Such features will surely be appreciated in the cold of winter, whenever going skiing, snowboard, hiking or simply walking. That’s particularly great if your peripheral vascular system is… well, not that great.

The smart soles connect to the smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 LE. After pairing them, you can easily turn on the warm up function. What’s neat about the app is just how much control offers you over the temperature of your feet. More precisely, the temperature of each sole can be adjusted independently, and I assume there must be some threshold, so that you don’t feel that your feet are on fire.

The fitness tracking functions of the app requires you to enter your weight and height. Upon doing so, the companion app will tell you how much you have walked and how many calories you have burned. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, it’s exactly what some people need.

Digitsole is currently featured on Kickstarter, where backers have already pledged more than double the $40K necessary for mass-producing the gadget. Super Early Birds, the ones who backed the project with $99 will get their Digitsole in January 2015. However, if you’re in a hurry and need it under your Christmas tree, you will have to get $179 out of your pocket.

Luckily for the pretentious ones, there are plenty of different colors available. There’s diversity in sizes as well, so if you’re wearing between 6 and 12, there’s a Digitsole made for you.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Sensoria washable smart socks that track workouts, and the SuperShoes that vibrate to show your way home.