Video

IoT or The Internet of Things – A Quick Guide Video

2014-01-21

The tech world is at a fevered pitch theses days when it comes to discussing the imminent arrival of “The Internet of Things” or IoT. Most of you who read QTOOTH and similar tech news websites are probably already well aware of it and its implications. There is a powerful convergence going on between the information and data provided by our communication systems, including the Internet, and any device that can be controlled or monitored electronically.

In fact, this movement towards the Internet of Things is expected to be so pervasive in our lives that some have taken to calling it the Internet of Everything, or IoE. Either way, if you don’t know about the Internet of Things, or would just like to get a deeper perspective on what it all means, the following video from the folks at IBM is an excellent introduction. Enjoy!

The Internet of Things – Explained

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfEbMV295Kk

WearableTech Conference Tomorrow: PLT Labs, CSR, and More!

2013-12-09

QTOOTH is headed to the Wearable Tech Conference tomorrow where we’ll be checking out all of the latest in gear and innovation from the developers and companies who make it all possible. There’s still time to get discount tickets if you are interested in going. As media sponsor of the event, QTOOTH has a line on discounted tickets to the event which you can find by clicking here.

We’ll be getting hands-on experience with innovations from CSR, Pivothead, Revolutionary Tracker, HzO, Ellisys, Freescale, Clothing+, Sensoplex, and more. We’ll be tweeting and posting live from the conference as much as possible.. We’ll also be doing a lot of follow up articles here on QTOOTH.COM, so stay tuned!

We’re really looking forward to getting chance to have a sit down with Mike Holmlund, software product marketing manager at Plantronics, and learn all about the Concept 1 Project that is coming out of PLT Labs, Plantronics research division. Check out the video below that lays out the basics of the how this device works. Dubbed “Google Glass for your ears”, we think that this type of device might find more rapid adoption than smart glasses or watches.

What do you think? Do you have any questions you’d like us to ask the folks at PLT Labs when we meet up with them at the Wearable Tech Conference?

Please Note: The following headsets are not the Concept 1. The Concept 1 is yet to be introduced to the market. But hey, if you’re looking for one of the best Bluetooth headsets on the market from a company who has been at it longer than just about anyone, check them out!

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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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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:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSTge5IDxF4]

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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Logitech UE Boombox Review: The Bluetooth Wireless Speaker by Which Others are Judged?

2013-08-23

[youtube=http://youtu.be/N32vDMxWtTI]

The Logitech UE Boombox

Straight up, no-frills. It just works. There’s a reason why this Bluetooth wireless speaker is often used as the reference point by which other products on the market are judged.

So just what does the “UE” in the name Logitech UE Boombox mean? Logitech purchased the company Ultimate Ears (UE) a while back and it is through this collaboration that they were able to start turning out some great audio products.

The $250 Logitech UE Boombox has been designed from the ground up to support four internal drivers and four custom tuned passive drivers. Apparently its appearance was inspired by the legendary designer Dieter Rams from Braun and by Jonathan Ive of Apple fame. Who knew? It definitely exhibits a certain elegance, a logical layout to the controls, and simplicity of use.

Construction

Constructed of brushed aluminum and featuring a sculpted handle, the Logitech UE Boombox is definitely made to be ready-to-go. The stainless steel grill and the rubber feet should help make this portable speaker fairly ding resistant, but in general you might be better served to put it in a backpack, bag, or some type of carrying case. Some competitors supply their wireless speakers with some type of protection. It would’ve been nice if Logitech did too. Or at least made one available.

Hooking It Up

The Logitech UE Boombox is made to play music by connecting to a music source such as a phone, mp3 player, or similar device. It does this ether wirelessly through a Bluetooth connection or wired directly using a 3.5mm cable. Pairing a Bluetooth-enabled device is pretty straight forward and similar to most wireless speakers on the market. First, make sure your other device, be it a phone, computer, mp3 player, etc…, is in its discovery mode, then press the large Bluetooth connect at the top of the side control panel. They should find each other pretty easily.

Setting the Controls

The controls are very easy to navigate and most people may never need to read the instructions to get what they need out of this device. The control buttons are arranged vertically on the side panels at each end of the boombox. On the left side panel and starting from the top is the Bluetooth Pairing button, then the power switch, then 3.5mm auxiliary input jack to connect external devices, and at the bottom is the power port. The specifications for the rechargeable battery claim a 6-hour lifespan and we found that to be the case. On the right side panel, there are two large volume buttons with clearly marked positive and negative symbols to indicate which one does what function.

A really great feature of this wireless boombox is the fact that it can pair with up to three devices at a time. This means you could connect it to your phone, tablet and computer at the same time and easily switch between each one. Logitech suggests using this feature with friends so that each of you can take turns playing disk jockey from their own device. Hey, why not?

So, How Does the Logitech UE Boombox Sound?

Since Logitech and Ultimate Ears worked together to sculpt the sound of the Boombox the results are far louder than might be imagined for its size. It achieves this by both active speakers and specially tuned porting. The Logitech UE Boombox has a pair of half-inch tweeters that produce a very smooth, detailed treble response. Two 3-inch woofers deliver a tight, full-throated mid range. These feed four, custom-tuned 2.75-inch passive radiators coupled with the rubber casing surrounding them to deliver deeply resonant yet defined bass. It easily competes with Bluetooth speakers like the Bose SoundLink 2 and the Jawbone BigJambox.

Even though the audio is compressed due to the nature of the Bluetooth wireless specification, and this is true for all Bluetooth wireless speakers, the Logitech UE Boombox did a great job in all of the tests we put it through, jamming with everything from hip hop, classical, rock and more. The sound was clear, even when pushing the upper limits of its volume capabilities. And that’s saying a lot, cause this baby gets LOUD.

Conclusion

So, does it do as well as the Bose SoundLink 2, the reigning top of the heap for this type of device? Not quite, bit since the Bose is pretty much $299 no matter who you buy it from, and the $249 Logitech can often be found for $199, for something that is 2/3rds the price the Logitech UE Boombox comes incredibly close. And that is why the Logitech UE Boombox gets used as the reference point by which to compare the competition. The value versus quality make it undeniable.

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Wireless Devices Go Battery-Free – Introducing Ambient Backscatter

2013-08-16

Some are saying ambient backscatter technology is bringing us one step closer to an Internet-of-things reality. QTOOTH says why stop there? How about one wireless protocol, that uses zero-energy, to rule them all? Why not have one wireless signal to carry ALL communication and controller information across the whole planet? This might be a little way off… but perhaps not. First, an explanation of ambient backscatter technology:

A new wireless communication system created by University of Washington engineers allows devices to interact with each other without relying on wires or batteries for power.

These devices use ambient backscatter to interact with users and communicate with each other without using batteries. This is achieved by exchanging information by reflecting or absorbing pre-existing radio signals.

Called “ambient backscatter” by researchers, the new communication technique takes advantage of the cellular, radio and TV transmissions that already surround us 24/7. Devices communicate with one another by reflecting existing signals to exchange information. Researchers created small, battery-free devices with antennas that can detect, harness and reflect a TV signal, which then is picked up by other similar devices.

A network of devices and sensors that use this technology to communicate would be able to do so with no power source or human interaction necessary.

“We can re-purpose wireless signals that are already around us into both a source of power and a communication medium,” said lead researcher Shyam Gollakota, a UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering. “It’s hopefully going to have applications in a number of areas including wearable computing, smart homes and self-sustaining sensor networks.”

Congratulations to the research team for receiving the “best paper” award at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Data Communication 2013 conference in Hong Kong, which began Aug. 13.

“Our devices form a network out of thin air,” said co-author Joshua Smith, a UW associate professor of computer science and engineering and of electrical engineering. “You can reflect these signals slightly to create a Morse code of communication between battery-free devices.”

University of Washington

Everyday objects could be enabled with battery-free tags to communicate with each other. A couch could use ambient backscatter to let the user know where his keys were left.

Smart sensors could be built and placed permanently inside nearly any structure, then set to communicate with each other. For example, sensors placed in a bridge could monitor the health of the concrete and steel, then send an alert if one of the sensors picks up a hairline crack. The technology can also be used for communication – text messages and emails, for example – in wearable devices, without requiring battery consumption.

The researchers tested the ambient backscatter technique with credit card-sized prototype devices placed within several feet of each other. For each device the researchers built antennas into ordinary circuit boards that flash an LED light when receiving a communication signal from another device.

Groups of the devices were tested in a variety of settings in the Seattle area, including inside an apartment building, on a street corner and on the top level of a parking garage. These locations ranged from less than half a mile away from a TV tower to about 6.5 miles away.

University of Washington

Researchers demonstrate how one payment card can transfer funds to another card by leveraging the existing wireless signals around them. Ambient RF signals are both the power source and the communication medium.

They found that the devices were able to communicate with each other, even the ones farthest from a TV tower. The receiving devices picked up a signal from their transmitting counterparts at a rate of 1 kilobit per second when up to 2.5 feet apart outdoors and 1.5 feet apart indoors. This is enough to send information such as a sensor reading, text messages and contact information.

It’s also feasible to build this technology into devices that do rely on batteries, such as smartphones. It could be configured so that when the battery dies, the phone could still send text messages by leveraging power from an ambient TV signal.

The applications are endless, the researchers say, and they plan to continue advancing the capacity and range of the ambient backscatter communication network.

The other researchers involved are David Wetherall, a UW professor of computer science and engineering, Vincent Liu, a doctoral student in computer science and engineering, and Aaron Parks and Vamsi Talla, both doctoral students in electrical engineering.

The research was funded by the University of Washington through a Google Faculty Research Award and by the National Science Foundation’s Research Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering at the UW.

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