The Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock for iPhone brought the pastime of logging sleep data and behavior to the mainstream, and having seen a bunch of apps and technologies emerge since then, companies and start-ups are now looking to up the ante. One group of individuals have dreamed up a very alluring, orb-like product that not only glows in the dark and looks amazing, but also does a pretty good job of monitoring you while you catch those all-important Zs.
Waterproof smartphones are all the rage right now, a trend which Sony brought to the mainstream with the release of its Xperia Z handset, and other big names followed suit, such as Samsung, with the release of the Galaxy S5. But the big question in everyone’s mind is: is it possible to add waterproofing credentials to your existing smartphone without busting your bank? Well, yes, it’s possible, and it will cost you only 30 bucks!
Even though Apple's iPhone remains the subject of acclaim for its high-end, premium finish, the same cannot quite be said when it comes to durability, with scratches, scrapes, cracks and dents commonplace among the iPhone-rocking faithful, and as such, the market for protective cases and shields is very lucrative indeed. Logitech, an official distributor of third-party Apple accessories and peripherals, has just come through with a cheap, robust solution for iPhone users looking to keep their handset guarded at all times, and notably, doesn't go overboard with regards to adding bulk.
As if to really drive home the fact that wearables are becoming the kind of thing that every company on the planet needs to make, Adidas has today announced its very own fitness band, dubbed the FIT SMART.
It's only going to be a matter of time until every major appliance in the home is connected to our mobile devices in some fashion. We already have kettles that can be switched on via a mobile app; intelligent thermostats that evolve and become more capable based on our behaviors as well as lighting systems that can be altered directly from a companion app to suit or moods at any given time. The possibilities are pretty much endless.
Pebble has continued its tradition of bringing new features and functionality to its smartwatch owners by pushing out firmware updates as well as an improved version of the accompanying appstore based iOS app.
Touch-screen phones are great, but sometimes there is just no substitute for a good old hardware solution. Being able to have a button that's always available, and always does the same thing is not something that should be overlooked, and that's why there are more than a few Kickstarter projects aiming to bring a little more physicality to our touch-based world.
When Apple first launched the iPhone, the world was decidedly skeptical about the prospect of typing, swiping and generally navigating an interface with very few buttons. But while some have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern Digital Age, there still exists a sizeable sect of consumers that much prefer things the way they used to be. The fact that gaming controllers are supported by most smartphones and tablets is a testament to this, and now, one start-up has gone a step further by creating a project that offers stick-on physical buttons.
Panoramic, 360-degree photo and video has become increasingly popular as both the hardware and software of our mobile devices has continued to evolve, and although it's still rather difficult to perfectly capture the moment from all angles, many of us continue to enjoy the process of creating these kinds of images and clips. Now, though, a new product by the name of the CENTR Panoramic Video Camera, developed by ex-iPhone engineers, has sought to take this segment of the point-and-shoot market to the next level, having just thrown up a Kickstarter campaign for the compact, feature-rich gadget that touts a high-quality 360-degree video experience.
A neat new thermometer, which plugs directly into a mobile device's headphone jack, can provide immediate and accurate readings of the temperature in your specific location - a marked improvement upon the GPS-based estimates that most of us are accustomed to. The Thermodo, brainchild of Robocat (of Haze fame), is compatible with both iOS and Android, and although certain handsets are already equipped with such facilities as standard, this compact package is both reasonably-priced and practical for those that aren't.


