Category: new technology

California-based startup Ambient Photonics has revealed a groundbreaking solar cell technology designed to recharge devices using ambient indoor light, such as remote controls. The innovation was showcased at CES 2024, where the company announced a collaboration with Google to incorporate this technology into an upcoming consumer product slated for a 2024 release.

Ambient Photonics is not only focusing on remote controls but is also developing a solar-powered computer mouse. Remarkably, none of the devices, including the mysterious Google product, will require disposable batteries or conscious recharging, according to the company. The key feature of the new cells is their bifacial nature, allowing them to harvest and generate energy from both sides, thereby powering various home electronics.

In the course of the past week, an exploration of the significant announcements at CES 2024 led to the discovery of standout innovations. Among the noteworthy devices such as the Linxura Smart Home Controller and LG’s all-in-one AI washing machine, one particular product took center stage – the remarkable Twinkly smart curtain lights.

Priced at $200, this canvas of brilliance is composed of smart LED string lights boasting the highest density in their class. Each pill-shaped light collaborates harmoniously to create animated graphics and ambient lighting, turning any wall into a canvas of creativity. While not designed to simplify daily tasks, this niche smart lighting system can elevate any living space, setting the mood with captivating color-changing patterns or looping a GIF to share with friends and family.

JBL has recently announced its latest earbud collection, the JBL Live 3, debuting at CES 2024. The standout feature across the three designs—Buds, Beam, and Flex—is the inclusion of JBL’s touchscreen Smart Charging Case. This innovative case functions like a smartwatch screen, providing swift access to audio playback and various earbud features, making it a potential game-changer for audio enthusiasts.

The Smart Charging Case made its debut in the JBL Tour Pro 2, receiving praise for its convenience and efficiency in our previous review. While the initial novelty may wear off, users who frequently adjust settings for optimal sound will likely find the case to be a valuable addition to their audio experience.

Walmart is elevating its drone delivery program by extending its reach to an additional 1.8 million households in Texas. Through strategic partnerships with drone startups Wing and Zipline, the retail giant now boasts coverage for 75 percent of the population in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

Having initially launched its drone delivery initiative with Zipline and DroneUp in Arkansas in 2021, Walmart expanded the program to more states in 2022. The latest expansion in Texas allows customers residing within 10 miles of a participating Walmart to receive drone deliveries of smaller products such as cold medicine, birthday candles, and cartons of eggs. Walmart emphasizes the efficiency of its drone deliveries, with items arriving at customers’ doorsteps in 30 minutes or less, and some reaching as quickly as 10 minutes.

At CES 2024, Govee took center stage with a lineup of cutting-edge products, including an upgraded AI Sync Box Kit, the Neon Rope Light 2, and a notable addition—an AI Lighting Bot designed to revolutionize your smart lighting experience. Despite not being available for testing during CES Unveiled, Govee’s media preview event, the AI Lighting Bot is poised to be integrated into the company’s smartphone app, allowing users to generate lighting designs using natural language inputs, akin to interacting with ChatGPT.

In a captivating concept video by Govee, the AI Lighting Bot showcased its ability to source and transmit unique lighting designs to Govee lights, be it spots, strips, or other lighting fixtures. The demonstration featured a user requesting a “Barbie Dreamhouse-inspired lighting effect” for outdoor lights and spotlights, resulting in undulating hues of hot, powder, and various shades of pink.

A good night’s sleep can be disrupted by the relentless sound of snoring, but Motion Pillow aims to tackle this issue with its innovative self-inflating, AI-powered smart pillow, creating a buzz at CES 2024.

Contrary to the image of a hard camping pillow, this inflatable pillow is crafted from memory foam, similar to some of the top pillows available today. While various versions of the Motion Pillow have been showcased at previous CES events, its unique technology has now earned it the prestigious ‘Best of Innovation’ award at the 2024 event.

At CES 2024, Philips has unveiled its pioneering smart deadbolt, introducing a touch-free palm reading system that allows homeowners to unlock their front doors effortlessly. The Philips 5000 Series Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt is set to hit the US market early this year, offering a retail price of $360.

This cutting-edge deadbolt marks the latest addition to Philips’ lineup of home security smart locks. It seamlessly integrates with the Philips Home Access app, providing users with the convenience of remote lock control through smart home assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Additionally, it boasts built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, simplifying the process of pairing and linking with other smart devices.

Samsung’s annual First Look event at CES 2024 left tech enthusiasts in awe as the company introduced the world to its groundbreaking transparent MicroLED display. While pricing and availability details remain undisclosed, Samsung made a bold statement by showcasing its transparent MicroLED alongside transparent OLED and transparent LCD models, allowing viewers to witness the striking differences between these cutting-edge technologies.

Compared to its transparent counterparts, the MicroLED panel not only boasted significantly enhanced brightness but also featured a frameless design and a more transparent glass panel, providing a clearer view of objects behind it. Observing Samsung’s transparent Micro OLED displays in person is a surreal experience, as content seemingly materializes as holograms suspended in mid-air. The demo unit’s slim one-centimeter thickness further accentuated the illusion of a floating screen, delivering an immersive visual spectacle. Additionally, the high pixel density of micro LEDs ensured razor-sharp image quality. According to a Samsung spokesperson, the increased brightness of transparent MicroLED displays makes them less susceptible to ambient light interference.

In the realm of noise-canceling headphones, a groundbreaking breakthrough is on the horizon, promising users unparalleled control over their auditory environment. While traditional noise-canceling technology excels at muffling unwanted noises, a team of researchers from the University of Washington is redefining the experience with “semantic hearing.” This revolutionary concept empowers users to selectively choose the sounds they want to hear in real-time, marking a significant leap in personalized auditory experiences.

Conventionally, noise-canceling headphones focus on eliminating or muffling ambient noises, a helpful feature in various scenarios. However, they lack the ability to selectively cancel specific sounds based on user preferences. The quest for innovation led to the development of semantic hearing, a system that integrates deep-learning algorithms to customize the auditory experience.

Bleu Jour, renowned for crafting exceptional mini PCs, is now actively seeking backers to bring their latest innovation, the KUBB mini PC, to life.

Measuring a mere 8cm x 8cm, this device is hailed as the world’s smallest fanless PC powered by the Intel N100 CPU. In addition to its compact size, the KUBB mini PC boasts remarkable features, making it a standout in its category. It operates in complete silence and offers configurations with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and storage options of up to 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD. Under the hood, a four-core 3.4GHz CPU ensures high-performance computing.

Dr. Aluna Everitt, a Computer Science and Software Engineering Lecturer at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), has pioneered the development of stretchable, sensor-equipped interactive fabric surfaces. The original prototype was conceived during her research visit to Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and she is now dedicated to enhancing its functionality, with potential applications in physiotherapy and healthcare.

Dr. Everitt expressed her motivation behind this endeavor, stating, “There’s already been quite a bit of work in the digital wearables area, and I’m keen to keep working on a new approach to the way this technology is designed and built.”

French e-drive innovator Cixi is revolutionizing the biking world with its Pedaling Energy Recovery System (PERS), an electronic crankset system that eliminates messy and noisy bike chains. Partnering with Look Cycle, they showcased this cutting-edge technology in the Rover 45 concept speed pedelec, demonstrating its incredible potential for electric vehicles and ebikes.

The PERS technology utilizes onboard electronics controlled by custom algorithms to set resistance at the pedal. The energy from rider input is then recovered and used to propel the vehicle forward via the hub motor. This system offers various pedal effort levels, with automatic torque adjustment for hill climbs and customizable power output. Regenerative braking is integrated, effectively replenishing the battery while reducing wear on the brake pads.