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Check Out All of the Latest Gear at the WearableTech Expo in Los Angeles

2013-11-13

We here at QTOOTH are extremely excited to be attending the first Wearable Tech Expo to be held in Los Angeles. It promises to be a very eye-opening event with plenty of innovative technologies on display as well as talks by some of the industry’s leading luminaries. The conference is being held at the Hilton Los Angeles December 10-11, 2013. The event is tailored to explore the ins and outs of the rapidly growing market for wearable technology products and services. The two-day conference will feature live presentations and educational discussions from the pioneers of this movement who will share their profound insights on the latest wearable tech devices, trends, technologies and the future of this multi-billion dollar industry.

Sound like fun? Would you like to go? As media sponsor of the event, QTOOTH has a line on discounted tickets to the event which you can find by clicking here.

With new companies and products entering the market virtually every week, it can be hard to keep up or gain a clear perspective on where it all might be leading. This expo will help to gain some much needed perspective on how wearable technology will impact both our businesses and our personal lifestyles.

The range of topics on the agenda are extremely diverse. The Wearable Tech conference program includes:

Opening Keynote Panel: Wearable Tech – The Next Generation Electronics that will Drive Next Generation WT Products – This keynote will kick off the event, diving into the next wave of internal electronics and sensors that will drive innovation and power next generation product development.
The Smart Watch Phenomenon – Extraordinarily Useful or Simply Marketing Hype? – This panel will speak to the five-year future of smart watches and provide insight on what to expect from this market.
Quantifying Yourself – Do All Those Wearable Device Health Details and Graphs Really Make a Difference to Your Health? – Attendees will discuss the hype around health monitors and explore the truth behind functionality vs. fashion statements.
Enterprise Wearable Technology – This session will feature both enterprise vendors and enterprise end users who are working to develop and deploy cutting-edge solutions and discuss how these technologies will evolve at every point in the workforce value chain.
Fireside Chat: Creating a Wearable Tech Business from the Ground Up – Attendees will learn from an entrepreneur who has taken the plunge in building a wearable technology company from the ground up. Learn best practices, potential pitfalls and the “secret advice” for launching a successful wearable tech business.
Wearable Tech and Your Brain Waves – Really Useful Devices or Possibly Dangerous Toys? – As wearable devices begin to wirelessly monitor brain waves and brain-generated electrical signals via EEG, where’s the line between safe and dangerous when it comes to monitoring information as it’s emitted from the brain. This panel will debate that answer.
Fashion Technology and WT Design – Endless Possibilities – Fashion lovers will have the opportunity to discover the driving force behind a variety of technologies, especially smart clothing and how devices and sensors interact with and become part of the fashion itself.
Augmented Reality and a Hands-Free World – With new technologies designed to enhance visual reality, this session will explore the current state of the art in augmented reality.
Smart Materials – It’s Not Just the Toy, It’s what the Toy is Made of that Counts as Well – As wearable tech continues to grow, new materials come to market to help create the solutions. Attendees in this session will have the opportunity to discover many of these new wearable materials and get a glimpse into tomorrow’s possibilities.
Will Wearable Technology Prove Itself to be a Sustainable $50 Billion Market? – This panel discussion dives deep into perspectives on why wearable technology is either already turning into a significant marketplace or will have a shorter lifespan than expected.
Wearable Technology in the Entertainment Industry – Attendees will have the chance to examine how much of the wearable technology shown in movies such as “Tron: Legacy” and television shows can actually be implemented in the real world.
Making Sense of Google (News – Alert) Glass – Unsustainable Phenomenon or the Real Future? – Attendees will hear expert opinions on Google Glass, including the developers building applications for the device, as well as end-user content developers using Glass in creative ways.

Not only will attendees get to take part in all of these presentations and discussions, but they will also have the opportunity to go to the Wearable Tech Demo Forum and Reception. This will give them a chance to see technology and product presentations from nearly 20 companies. Nothing beats hands-on experience and this will be the place to do it.

So the question is: Wouldn’t you love to go? As mentioned before QTOOTH does have a line on discounted tickets. Click here for details.

And if you can’t make it, have no fear, QTOOTH is going to be there and we’ll be live tweeting from the event and posting many a followup story to everything that goes on. Hey, it’s what we do! Stay tuned…

FAA Changes Guidelines Allowing More Use of Wireless Devices on Airplanes

2013-11-04

We’ve all been wondering for years whether it really makes a difference to our safety, but the FAA is finally starting to make changes to their guidelines and are going to start allowing more use of wireless devices and electronics on Airplanes. We’ve even heard from some of our strategically placed friends (i.e. pilots and flight attendants) that what they really want is not for the device to be off but rather that they have our undivided attention should things get “interesting”. However there seems to be some relaxing of the current restrictions according to the FAA, which oversees air travel announced on Thursday.

What this does not mean is that you can just go crazy and use all of your electronic devices all of the time. The changes in the restrictions may vary depending on the airline. This is because there are differences between types of planes and how things are run at each different carrier. The FAA does anticipate that most airlines will permit passengers to use their devices “in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year.”

The word is that passengers can use e-book readers, play games and watch videos on devices, and can either hold gadgets or else stow them in the seat back pocket during both take-off and landing. And even though these devices are required to be in Airplane Mode or have cell service turned off during both landing and taxi/take-off, you can actually use Wi-Fi during your flight and continue to use any Bluetooth accessories connected to your phone.

Here are some quick guidelines that the FAA says travelers need to be aware of in order to make sure they’re still covered under these most recent changes:

1. Make safety your first priority.
2. Changes to PED policies will not happen immediately and will vary by airline. Check with your airline to see if and when you can use your PED.
3. Current PED policies remain in effect until an airline completes a safety assessment, gets FAA approval, and changes its PED policy.
4. Cell phones may not be used for voice communications.
5. Devices must be used in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled. You may use the WiFi connection on your device if the plane has an installed WiFi system and the airline allows its use. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.
6. Properly stow heavier devices under seats or in the overhead bins during takeoff and landing. These items could impede evacuation of an aircraft or may injure you or someone else in the event of turbulence or an accident.
7. During the safety briefing, put down electronic devices, books and newspapers and listen to the crewmember’s instructions.
8. It only takes a few minutes to secure items according to the crew’s instructions during takeoff and landing.
9. In some instances of low visibility – about one percent of flights – some landing systems may not be proved PED tolerant, so you may be asked to turn off your device.
10. Always follow crew instructions and immediately turn off your device if asked.

We’re glad to see the FAA is being considerate in adjusting itself to changing realities. Most of us would prefer a little inconvenience over any compromised safety, but some of the restrictions did seem arbitrary. Now, where were we in our in-flight entertainment….

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Logitech G930 Headset Review – Wireless Gaming Performance with Surround Sound

2013-10-09

The Logitech G930 Wireless Headset has become the “go to” headset for many gamers and frequent online chatters, and we understand why. Here’s a closer look at how it got to be that way.

Overall Physical Design

First, the headsets themselves are very comfortable to wear. Solid construction while staying lightweight, they feel built to last. Big, chunky, and with a simple plastic finish,we have to admit they are not one of the better looking headsets out there. But they are highly functional. Each feature is logically located and well-thought out. The headband that arches between the two ear cups is uniquely cushioned with memory foam that forms to the wearer’s head. This lends extra stability to how they mount and can be especially handy when the tunes are rockin’ or you are instinctively ducking when under heavy fire in your gamer’s world. The ear cups are well padded and should easily surround most players ears. Take it from someone who’s got some pretty big ears! These are a sealed back ear cups, which is great for isolating you from getting distracted by ambient sound in your immediate environment but may make the side of your head sweat a bit if you tend to run on the hot side.

What Makes this Wireless Headset Different

The Logitech G930 Wireless Headset has very good sound characteristics. This begins with the fact that Logitech has chosen to use a style of wireless signal that is similar in nature to WiFi. And just like some WiFi signals, it transmits on the 2.4GHz frequency spectrum. Why is this a good thing? Well, because many wireless headsets use Bluetooth wireless for their signal. Bluetooth is an excellent form of wireless that is perfect for voice and some other basic audio. Although it has been steadily improving in sound over the last few years, courtesy of companies like AdaptX, it still uses highly compressed audio data that limits the depth and detail of your audio. This will probably change over the next few years, but for now utilizing a wireless signal like the one that Logitech has for the G930 gives you full spectrum, uncompressed audio today. What good are the best speakers and microphones in a headset if the audio signal through which it is being delivered can’t take advantage of that quality? Logitech’s claims their proprietary wireless technology is up to 38% faster than Bluetooth. They hope that this means you won’t experience any delayed audio. Not sure if there really is that much of a difference in the end result, but if you rely on audio cues to give you an edge in video game perhaps that will mean one more check in your win column. The Logitech G930 can also automatically hop between frequencies to avoid other signals that might create interference and should keep the signal clear and strong. The claimed range of the wireless signal is 40 feet (12m) and we’ve found this to be pretty consistent. So kudos to Logitech for doing it right and choosing a great wireless protocol.

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The signal begins at the transmitter which takes the form of a simple, black USB device that will fit directly into any USB port. It will also plug in to the included hub-like charging base. This handy accessory comes with a long standard USB cable on one end and a micro USB cable on the other. In the middle of the charger is a USB port. Here you can plugin the transmitter and then use the micro USB cable to charge the headset. You can even use the charging base to power the headset and use it like a wired device when the battery gets low. Very flexible!

Controls

All of the controls are located on the left ear cup . This consists of three customizable buttons, a mute button for the microphone, a Dolby Digital switch and a power button. We should note we like having the controls here instead of inline on the cable or on a separate mixer. You will always know where they are and won’t find yourself scrambling to find the controls.

Microphone

The flip-down microphone is also located next to the controls, putting everything you need quick access to in one place. The microphone is of decent quality, providing clear communication. It has built-in noise cancelling so your listeners will only hear you, not whatever is going on in the room near you. The microphone auto-mutes when in the up position and un-mutes itself when in the down position, ready for use. There is a convenient red light on the microphone arm that turns on when it is muted. This gives you a visual cue as to whether or not you can be heard. So, light on? Talk smack! Light off? Be careful what you say!

Sound

The Logitech G930 Wireless Headset does a great job at recreating the full spectrum of audio. Although not reference quality like you’d find in a recording studio they had crisp, well-defined treble response, smooth mids and a well rounded, full bass sound. Sure, the bass could’ve been tighter and punchier, but in this price range AND being wireless we thought they performed well. They can get very loud without breaking up at all. Although note to users!! You may want to go easy on setting the EQ controls. Some people have complained of some distortion in the audio at higher volumes. In our experience over boosting the EQ was the cause. Use the EQ to sculpt the sound, not boost the volume, and you should be fine. As for the Dolby 7.1 surround sound circuitry, we found it to be quite convincing. It can certainly help you locate opponents and other elements more quickly in a gaming situation.

Conclusion

Make no mistake, although most users will be buying these for gaming, they also make a great choice for internet chats, phone calls, and watching movies and television. It’s also great that Logitech has made all of the included accessories easily replaceable through retailers. It’s always a pain in the butt when we accidentally break an accessory to one of our devices and then have to beg the manufacturer to “allow” us to buy it separately. Versatile, easy to use, good performance and well supported are the reasons why the Logitech G930 has become one of the most popular choices in a full-size wireless headset.

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Why Apple’s iBeacon May Mark the End of NFC

2013-09-20

What is iBeacon? And why do most of us not have a clue as to why it is so important to… well, pretty much everyone?

Face it, we are all used to Apple putting on one heck of a show when it releases some new revolutionary product. They are so good at it that, even if you are a pretty low tech kind of person, it is hard to avoid hearing the news. Well here’s one that they have barely mentioned in their last to big product reveals: iBeacon. Although iBeacon showed up in a slide during their Worldwide Developers Conference last June as a feature of their new iO7 mobile operating system, it wasn’t mentioned at all during that products presentation. And what did they say about it last week when they revealed the new line of iPhones that sport the new system? Nothing!

This is amazing since it could lead to a huge wave of new apps for such things as indoor mapping, in-store marketing, mobile payment systems and will probably make a true “internet of things” possible even sooner. Perhaps it is because it isn’t news for the general public yet. Apple is probably more concerned with creating an environment of applications and partnerships with other companies to ensure adoption. Only then will they really have something that is easy to demonstrate to their end-user. However it is a HUGE deal to companies that want to leverage it for their own uses. Here’s a video from one of those companies, Estimote, that also does a good job of showing a few of the many ways that iBeacon can be used:

So, What is iBeacon?

iBeacon uses Bluetooth Low Energy, otherwise known as BLE, and creates a beacon around a physical area so that an app can be alerted when a user enters them. The beacons come in the form of small wireless sensors which, when placed inside any physical space, will transmit data to your iPhone using Bluetooth.

The most used real-world example of this is typically when a person goes to a store with the new Apple iPhone 5s that comes is equipped both iO7 and iBeacon. When they enter the store’s beacon field it can interact with the iBeacon on their phone and give them customized information such as special promotional offers, directions to where the product they wish to purchase is located, or recommendations based on their current location or purchasing history. This is what is known in the industry as “personalized microlocation-based notifications and actions”. doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue does it? Perhaps that’s why Apple is waiting to slowly roll out this new concept to the public. Something this new, complex and pervasive could be perceived as being scary and big brother-ish as much as empowering.

As a note on the empowerment side: it has been shown that the iBeacon can actually communicate in both directions. In other words when you go into that fictitious store or restaurant, what if you and your phone communicated to them, “I’m not buying today” or “I’m looking for a new shirt in a large” or “I’m vegan”. Then they can accommodate you and provide you with a higher level of service without the hassle or miscommunication.

These days everyone in the tech world is hot for context. This means that they want to provide or take advantage of information that is placed within real world context. This gives the information real value. A system like the one that iBeacon promises can provide this type of contextual information when it is needed. Just like one of the more common uses for NFC, or Near Field Communication, iBeacons will even allow you to make payments using your smart phone. Here’s where it gets good: iBeacon runs on a single coin battery that can run for up to two years and includes an accelerometer, flash memory, a powerful ARM processor and Bluetooth connectivity. And the more sensors that are added to a system the better and more precise the context will be provided to the iBeacon.

What is NFC and Why is iBeacon Better?

NFC, otherwise known as Near Field Communication, is a very low power, short range form of wireless. It’s primary use so far has been for exchanging information and files between smartphones and as a means of using the phone to transfer funds at a payment terminal. There are a couple of significant limitations with NFC. It’s real world range is less than 2 inches (4cm). That means that when it is used to communicate with sensor tags in an environment like a retail store, the user has to be within 2 inches for it to communicate. The range for an iBeacon is up to 165 feet (50 meters). Another limitation is that NFC functionality on a phone requires its own chip. This chip is in addition to the ones already included on a device that will almost always have Bluetooth as well. Why not take advantage of a Bluetooth chip that is already there instead of adding another one?

Google and NFC Versus Apple and Bluetooth

What we are really witnessing is a war between Google and their support of NFC and Apple and their support of BLE (also known as Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart). Google has only started to support BLE with the release of Android version 4.3 and this was only done under extreme pressure from app developers. Many app developers couldn’t create their products for Android phones because of the lack of BLE.

Meanwhile Apple had been mysteriously avoiding NFC. Even when the iPhone 5s and 5c rolled out recently many were confused by its lack of NFC support. But as we start to wrap our heads around iBeacon and what it means and what it can do, it is easy to understand why. They do not feel the need to support yet another form of wireless and are committed to Bluetooth and WiFi. In the words of Apple’s mobile development chief Craig Federighi, “There’s no need to wander around the room, bumping your phone”. ANd Apple’s AirDrop allows their phones to share files across WiFi, so unless you are in a remote part of the ocean, why bump phones together? We agree! Between NFC, gesture controls, and the crazy smart watch phenomenon, we at QTOOTH are wondering what’s up with all this hands on approach to technology? Wireless is what will make our world hands-free so we can use them for more important things, like sports, hobbies, carrying things or holding hands! (Hey, why not? I guess we’re romantics at heart!)

Conclusion

There’s a few more things that iBeacon will do that NFC can’t: indoor mapping with navigation (hey, I’m in aisle 5!), share files with ANYONE on ANY PLATFORM using BLE, and the promise of making the sensors ever smaller and less obtrusive.

There’s the wise view of “the world is what it is, not as it should be”. QTOOTH is gonna go out on a limb and say how we think it should be: iBeacon in. NFC out.

QTOOTH is an Official Media Partner for the Wearable Technologies Conference 2013 – Taipei

2013-09-20

We here at QTOOTH are excited to see some of the developments and new technologies that promise to be part of the Wearable Technologies Conference. This will be the first time that the conference will be held in Asia. Taking place on October 9th, 2013, the conference will be hosted at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangan during the Taiwan International Cloud Technology & Internet of Things Show.

If you want to know what the future might hold when it comes to any technology, the best source is to hear it directly from the people responsible for creating it. The main focus of this edition of the Wearable Technologies Conference is Body to Cloud. Confirmed speakers include high-level representatives from Texas Instruments, Quanta, EuroCloud, Ericsson, Telit Communications, AiQ Smart Clothing, imec Taiwan, VARTA Microbattery, T.Ware, HzO, and mc10. They will be discussing the latest developments, presenting exciting innovations, and will provide new insights into wearable technologies, cloud computing and machine-to-machine communications. Select examples of enabling wearable technologies will be featured, as well as stars of the wearable technologies market.

QTOOTH.COM is honored to be one of the conference’s official media partners, and we will be reporting on all of the cool updates revealed at the show as it becomes available.

If any of our readers would like to join in the fun at the original Wearable Technologies Conference that is representing one of the fastest growing tech markets, you can register here.

PrioVR – Full-Body Immersion to Interact Naturally with Virtual Worlds

2013-09-07

Okay, okay, we know! Sure the PrioVR project is only at the Kickstarter stage, but this exactly the kind of thing that gets our juices flowing here at QTOOTH. What is it exactly?It is inertial sensing technology, which basically means that you can control virtual 3D realities, like a video game, with movements of the body.

Well, so far it is actually just a Developer’s Kit so that inventors and others of the creative persuasion can get in on the technology that they are offering. But take a look at this video to see what it promises to deliver:

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Yost Engineering, the company behind this technology, claims that their system offers several advantages over optical systems such as the Microsoft Kinect. Because the use high-performance inertial sensors along with a centralized, wearable wireless hub architecture, the PrioVR will provide 360 degrees of fast, real-time motion capture without the need for cameras, optics, line-of-sight, or special environments. In fact, the PrioVR should perform at an 8x or better improvement over optical systems such as the Kinect. The system will be wireless, allow multiple simultaneous users, and will work anywhere – indoors or out. Additionally, the system will exhibit performance characteristics comparable to high-end inertial motion capture systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars, but at a cost that makes VR and motion capture affordable for everyone.

There is so much happening in wearable tech and wireless human-electronics/computer controllers that it is hard for anyone to keep up on who is doing what, never mind make a determination about which is really the best for which application. So, if you see a system out there that intrigues you like the Yost PrioVR that you think we should know about, please hit us up in the comment section or through your channel of choice. We don’t want to miss out on anything and would love to keep our readers in the loop, too!

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